He didn’t like that this was the impression he left her with, but he could do nothing more as the doors opened.
Nora didn’t particularly like being without any of her new friends in the baron’s chambers, but the wafting smell of breakfast floated across the stonework and she became more enticed. The baron was sitting at the breakfast table in his robes, looking impossibly old and feeble as he delicately cut into the meal. To her surprise, unlike last night, they were completely alone.
“You can sit, my dear,” he said in his broken voice and she followed instruction. No matter how she felt about him, there was a wonderful meal in front of her that she wasn’t about to turn down. “I imagine it’s been a rough journey, without your ladies and with just the guards. The luxury you are used to has not been provided.”
“Uh…” Even if she was just pretending to be lacking in English, there were parts of the sentence that didn’t translate properly in her head. “Yes,” she said at last. “There is just…them.”
“Yes,” the baron offered her a toothless grin. “And not much better here, I imagine.”
“Yes,” Nora said, and then slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she had said.
Baron Vanters chuckled a little. “Don’t be ashamed, my dear, you are correct. This palace is not what it used to be. And what you are used to is certainly not here.”
“I…” she replied, but he shook his head.
“My men have made me aware of the recent attacks on your life. I am sorry that this is what you had to endure.”
Nora understood that just fine; the pity in his eyes, the sympathy in his heart.
“I am a marchioness without any safety,” she spoke carefully. “No heir, no husband, no father.”
“Yes,” Vanters answered, meeting her eyes. “And I cannot keep you safe, Marchioness, not at the level of attention that you need.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and he sighed sadly.
“I would marry you, my dear, for it would bring me great joy. However, my last wife was killed by a mercenary attack on this castle. I was quite fond of her…I could not go through that again.”
Nora nearly choked. “You won’t marry me?”
He shook his head. “Do not take insult. I wish you the best in finding a husband who can take care of you. And perhaps,” he said it with a bit of jest, although it was serious. “One who will be around for many years, to see you grow into a great woman.”
Nora nearly sighed in relief. On one hand, she was sad, because it meant her quest for the safety of a husband wasn’t over. However, on the other, she was delighted, because Ricardo’s arms would still be waiting for her on the road. Her life as a powerful and single noblewoman wasn’t over quite yet.
4
CHAPTER FOUR
“He said what?” Alexander’s eyes widened in surprise when Nora repeated the conversation to him. “That was surprisingly….kind of him.”
“Perhaps he just doesn’t want his castle completely knocked down by people who want me dead,” she said with a shrug. “I never considered that a factor against someone marrying me…but I guess that it is. Just one more reason.”
“The list of reasons isn’t long,” Alexander said and gave her a look. “The list of reasons to marry you is much longer, so don’t sell yourself short.”
She pulled her hair off her face with a defiant look. “Can we just go back to the Palace in London and live like real nobles again for awhile?”
“You can,” he answered, following her down the hallway. “But you know that this means it isn’t over, right? There will be more husband potentials, and there will be more journeys.”
“And you’ll be assigned to them?” she asked him, stopping suddenly and spinning on her heel. “You’ll come with me, right?”
“If Commander Sutton assigns me,” he replied. She looked him in the face, with more confidence than he had seen since she’d rediscovered him. Something had changed in those eyes of hers.
“I want you to,” she said, firmly. “I just got you back; I don’t want to lose you again.”
He resisted telling her that the man she had known had died a long time ago. That man had died when Mary had left him, died when he heard that she was probably dead, and died again when he heard about the fire ripping through her noble lands. Even if he could be resurrected, he would still be twice dead. So instead, he let go of her gaze, focusing on the path ahead. “If the commander assigns me,” he repeated as they walked. “Do you want to go back today, or shall we wait a few more days?”
“It’d be awkward to stay,” she said after a moment. “Any chance we could take the main roads this time?”
“Not even once,” he answered. “Not with the bishop attacking you on the way in. If anything, your presence has already been noted in this town, and it’ll be more dangerous.
“But what if we…” she started and he growled at her.
“Seriously, Nora, did you just try to what if your safety?”
“No,” she replied, a bit defiantly. She had been on her own for so many years that she wasn’t used to someone talking back to her. At home, on the estate, before things got too dangerous, she was the head of the household; she gave the orders. Here, it was like she had slipped down a notch. While it wasn’t particularly annoying, it was different than she was used to handling.
Alexander caught up with her as they headed back through the doorway to her room, where, to her surprise, Peter and Ricardo were already packing.
“How?” she asked, and they shrugged, looking at each other.
“You get used to figuring things out without being told,” Ricardo replied with a grin. “You’re not marrying the baron, I take it?”
“The baron has admitted to not being able to keep her safe,” Alexander’s low voice rumbled as he perched on the windowsill. They seemed to have the packing under control and he wasn’t about to interfere. “He also had no interest in leaving home for her more fortified lands, or, I assume, her many appearances to court. I think, truthfully, he was hoping Nora would be older and more content to a quite life in the country.”
“Do you think the king will be angry?” Nora asked and Alexander shook his head, glancing down at his dusty boots.
“The king sent you here as a suggestion and that is a good reason to refuse it,” he replied. “But boys, we are leaving right away, so stop lollygagging and get ready to leave. Peter, go and see that our horses are ready. Ricardo, the food…”
“The food and the wine are already packed. It should last us at least until four days out of London, if that’s agreeable with you,” he said, meeting his friend’s eyes, and Alexander looked away.
“You know that it is not,” he replied, realizing he would once again have to go through the withdrawals of the addiction that he had put himself into.
Nora looked between the two of them for a long moment before choosing to speak. “Are there inns on the main road?” she asked. “That we can stop at for you?”
“Your safety is compromised on the main road,” Alexander replied, and she sighed.
“Even if I put my hood up and ride behind one of you three at all times? I can hide my grandeur, as you’ve told me. Who would know who I am?”
“Aside from the fact that we three are in uniform, and an attack on your life was previously coordinated in the middle of a forest while we slept?” he pointed out and she paused, her eyes wide.
“But if it makes you sick…”
Alexander hopped off the windowsill then, his patience at an end with this conversation. “I’m going to help Peter with the horses,” he said, and that was the end of it.
Nora turned to Ricardo, a bit stunned. “I was just trying to help.”
“I know you were,” Ricardo replied, putting the last items into the saddlebags that he had brought up from the stables. “We’ve been through this before with him. His feelings on the matter are that he’s brought it on himself, so he will deal with it himself. This isn’t
the best situation to be in after a few days.”
Nora saw right through the lines of the conversation and gave a little gasp. “He can’t die from it, can he?” she asked, concerned. “I mean, you men, you drink all the time, but surely if you have to go without…”
Ricardo gave her a tight smile, holding out his arm. Immediately, she slipped under it, enjoying their few moments alone. Before this morning, she had thought that it was all going to come to an end. Now, she was delighted to have more time with the man she was growing to love utterly and completely.
“Don’t worry about that,” he replied, with made Nora’s heart sink with worry.
“Ricardo?” she asked. “Can he die from it?”
Ricardo let out a long sigh. “It is possible, yes, if it gets too bad. But it won’t, and I’ve received medical training far beyond even an army surgeon. He’s got me, he’ll be alright. And so will you,” he kissed her then, silencing her, half for passion and half so he didn’t have to reveal the whole truth to her. Before he was constantly sent out on missions, he trained with the doctors in the barracks. Guards came back with horrible injuries, and sometimes they came back unable to be fixed. However, the worst thing he had seen was a man wasting away from alcohol withdrawal. He was worse than Alexander, but not by much. Four days on the road without a solid drink had sent him into seizures and a raging fever. Never regaining consciousness, he slipped away two days after his colleagues had returned him to the garrison. It was possible; rare, but possible. Ricardo lived in fear every day that this would be his friend’s fate.
Nevertheless, without the liquor, Alexander ceased to function; ceased to smile or talk beyond the necessary measures. It was like every aspect of his humanity became buried if he didn’t have a few drinks; he couldn’t even think clearly. Ricardo pulled back to breathe, not as focused on Nora as he should have been. Instead, his mind was wandering to a past that he wasn’t privy to. “You said that he wasn’t always this way?” he asked, and Nora had to take a moment to compose herself.
“No,” she said, sitting delicately on the bed, which had been made while she was gone. “Alexander was one to take a glass of wine at dinner, and that was his first and last all day. If anything, Mary was the one to drink more, but it was hardly considered overindulging. He liked a clear head to rule his lands, a fact my father always teased him about. And they liked to be up very early in the morning, with the dawn and the dew…and usually with me,” she smiled in memory. “I used to like mornings so very much.”
He sank onto the bed beside her, brushing back her hair. “What changed?”
Nora sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Probably after they left. Suddenly, waking up before dawn and sneaking across the field wasn’t that exciting when I was headed to an empty house.”
“Your parents?” he asked and she shrugged.
“It was common for noble families to send their children to other households; it was supposed to help our development. But my father was old and mellow and my mother was young and attached…so Alexander and Mary were a compromise. I could go there whenever I liked. They were childless, so it made even more sense to dump me on them.”
Ricardo smiled, brushing her hair back from her face. “I’m sorry that your life turned out differently than you’d hoped, Nora,” he said softly. “But I’m not sorry that it brought you to me.”
He kissed her again then, long and passionate and enough to send shivers down her spine. She never wanted to stop kissing him. All she wanted was to fall back in bed with him and spend the day there, beneath the sheets.
However, it was not the time, nor the place, with the sun already full in the sky and the others probably ready to leave. Eventually, fighting not to hold hands, they dragged themselves out of the bedroom, checking each other’s appearance before heading down the hall. Nora was surprised to find the baron at the front entrance, dressed for the day.
As they were in public, he bowed to her. “Thank you, my lady, for visiting my humble home. Perhaps one day our paths will cross again,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “And if your situation ever changes, or you become…in need, please don’t hesitate to write to me.”
Nora glanced to Ricardo, who dipped to her ear to translate. In that small intimate gesture, the baron caught her eye and she realized that he knew everything, but he only smiled.
“I think, my dear,” he said. “You will find that you have everything you need.”
“Thank you,” Nora said softly, for more reasons than one. She wouldn’t have been miserable marrying this man, but it wouldn’t have been love. Love existed right beside her now, taking her arm and leading her out to the stables, where the horses were being prepared.
The journey here had been anything but relaxing, and Nora wasn’t thrilled about making the same journey just days after they arrived. Nevertheless, she wasn’t nervous now, or unsure of herself. She felt like she had left the darkness of her estate with so much uncertainty and had found friendship, found a possibility for light.
The horses were saddled by the time the pair got outside, and ready to start the long journey back. Nora knew there would be many more trips like this, until they left her at one castle to carve out a new life. She didn’t really want to think about that future, even if she knew it had always been her duty. So instead, she leaned against Ricardo’s horse, waiting until he was on it before she stealthily swung herself up with his help. By the time Alexander had turned around, she was already settled. He rolled his eyes as he swung up to his own saddle, adjusting the reins. After all, he had been the one to give Ricardo permission to pursue this relationship, so he couldn’t complain. He did, however, worry that it was becoming serious, something that seemed doubtful for Ricardo.
“Ready?” Peter asked, looking around them to make sure that everything was packed. “I can’t wait to get back to civilization. Castles are nice in the country, but it ain’t the hustle of London.”
“And you?” Ricardo asked, as they spurred their horses toward the gate. “Nora? You look forward to the city?”
“I prefer the country,” she said as the horses picked up speed. “My estate is in the country, the nearest city is half a day’s ride away. It’s so much quieter, and you can hear yourself think. I don’t feel that you can really get anything done in the city, there’s so much noise. In the country, you can find truths that are hidden in city life.”
She exchanged a glance with Alexander, who said nothing at this. She was correct; the city’s grime did seem to hide the impurities in people. However, he also knew that he wouldn’t have been able to love Mary so deeply and purely if they hadn’t spent most of their married life in the country and for that, he cursed it. She loved being at court and he wished that they had stayed there with the many distractions. Then perhaps his heart wouldn’t be so cleaved in two by her leaving. Perhaps he would be able to function from day to day if he had stayed at court with her and let the city life take him over.
He had told the others she was likely dead, but it was lie. Mary was strong, a fighter, and she seemed immortal. However, more than this, he knew in his soul that she was alive. She was the other half of him, and he wouldn’t be able to breathe unless somewhere she still drew breath. He was utterly and completely hers and he hated himself for it. There was nothing he could do to change it though, and Nora’s scars were a reminder of what had gone wrong.
5
CHAPTER FIVE
When the palace came into view in the London skyline weeks later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The journey back had seemed more rigorous than the journey there, but at least it had been free of any attacks on Nora’s life. They’d had a more peaceful journey, although the weariness of travel had sunk into their very bones. Every single one of them was looking forward to a hot bath and cold drink as they rode into the palace grounds.
Nora’s place, with her arms around Ricardo’s waist, had been constant for the last few weeks. Either riding or sleeping be
side him, the two always seemed to be in contact. Their eyes met as he helped her off the horse in front of the palace gates, reminding them that their contact must now remain limited, at least until she was again sent out to meet a potential husband.
“Marchioness,” a messenger approached them, bowing as he handed Nora a scrap of paper. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you.” She was a bit taken aback but accepted the scroll, unrolling it as she wiped sweat off her brow. Written delicately in French was the king’s handwriting, inviting her to a ball that was due to be held in honor of his birthday. “Oh….Yes, of course…yes?” She said to the waiting messenger, who nodded and took off. Alexander raised an eyebrow at her, and she handed over the paper, adjusting her skirts. “Five minutes home and already this….”
“Oh, the problems of the rich and famous,” Ricardo grinned at her as they handed their horses to the groom. “Who knows, Nora, maybe your husband is waiting for you at the ball?”
“I’ll be alone?” she asked suddenly, realizing that likely every other noble lady there would have a date.
“You aren’t even allowed to go to the chapel alone,” Peter reminded her, and she grinned at him, since they had been speaking in French. Peter appeared to be all about brutality and grunt work, but he was smarter than he appeared, picking up French faster than she was gaining English.
Giggling, she took a few steps ahead of them. “I am alone,” she replied and Ricardo played right back to her.
“The horror! We must rescue her.”
The three of them chuckled the way through this afternoon, Alexander only occasionally participating. Yes, this had become technically more than a guard mission. They were friends, a tight knit unit, and no longer able to separate work from off time. He was glad in a way that Nora got along so well with the brothers who kept him from meeting the end of a gun. On the other hand, it tore at his soul that she was there; that she was in such danger and reduced to such a lifestyle that they were her sole companions. It wasn’t the first time he wondered what would have happened if he had stayed on the property for her.
Revealing A Marchioness's Heart (The Chronicles of Loyalty) Page 17
