My Valiant Knight

by Hannah Howell

  “Nay.” Ainslee briefly contemplated the sort of names a young girl could have thought of, and laughed softly. “It could have been far worse.”

  After politely inquiring about Ronald’s health and comfort, Gabel rode to the front of his men. Ainslee made a brief effort to ignore him, then gave into the strong urge to watch him. He rode well, and she reluctantly admitted that he looked very good on the back of Malcolm. She liked her horse and had fought hard to wrest the animal from her family’s greedy hands, but realized that, if Gabel liked and wanted the beast, she would accept the loss. The horse would certainly live a better life at such a fine keep. She doubted that Bellefleur suffered from the lean winters which often plagued Kengarvey, long cold days when even feed for the horses was scarce.

  She sighed as she walked toward Bellefleur. Despite her best efforts not to, she had slipped into the occasional reverie about a future with Gabel de Amalville. Bellefleur showed her just how big a piece of nonsense such imaginings were. Her bloodline could not be faulted, but her father’s and grandfather’s actions had stolen all of the other qualifications she needed to make such a good marriage. The lawless ways of the MacNairns over the last fifty years or more had stolen all prestige, power, and riches from the clan. Seeing Bellefleur made it achingly clear that Gabel would gain absolutely nothing from wedding a woman like her. Ainslee doubted that the man would even allow himself to consider the possibility, however briefly.

  “Dinna look so mournful, lassie,” Ronald said, drawing Ainslee’s attention his way. “If we must be held prisoners, we have fallen into the right hands. We need not fear these men.”

  “Not even if my father refuses to ransom us?” Ainslee asked, not wanting to consider such a possibility, but knowing her father well enough to know that such a possibility existed.

  “Nay, not even then. And I dinna think that will happen.”

  “Ronald, my father—”

  “—is a lawless bastard—aye. Despite his countless faults, he willna leave us to rot with the Normans. He will fear to blacken the MacNairn name. True, the fool hasna the sense to realize near all he has done in his cursed life has thoroughly blackened our name, but leaving his daughter to rot in the hands of his enemies is one thing he willna do. What troubles me is the gnawing fear that he willna abide by any treaty or bargain made to free us.”

  “I have worried about the same thing, then scolded myself for thinking so poorly of my own father.”

  “ ’Tis no fault of yours, lassie. When a mon acts as your father has over the years, he earns the doubt of even his closest kin.” Ronald reached up to briefly clasp her hand. “Just heed this—if your father means to trick or betray Sir Gabel, he will give no thought to your weel-being. ’Tis a hard truth for ye to face, but ye must face it square. Kenning how treacherous your father can be may be all that saves your life.”

  Ainslee lightly squeezed his hand before releasing it. “Ye are right. ‘Tis hard to admit one’s own father canna be trusted, not even to keep his child safe from harm, but I accepted that distasteful truth a long time ago. I but suffer from the occasional twinge of guilt o’er thinking it. What troubles me is the feeling that I ought to warn Sir Gabel.”

  “The mon kens what your father is, sweeting.”

  “True, yet, Sir Gabel is an honorable mon, I think. An honorable mon isna often weel-armed against a mon like Duggan MacNairn. The betrayals my father can commit wouldna be easy for a mon like de Amalville to guess at.”

  “Weel, ye must follow what your heart tells you. If the time comes when ye can see that your father means to pull some trickery, to break a bond of honor, and Sir Gabel doesna see it, ye can speak out without fear of being a traitor. It canna hurt to let Sir Gabel see that at least one of the MacNairns understands the meaning of honor.”

  As they rode through the huge, iron-studded gates of Bellefleur, Ainslee began to feel painfully conspicuous. She knew that her clothes had suffered badly from their travel, and that she was probably dirty as well. There had been little opportunity to wash off all the travel dust clinging to her. When two women rushed up to Gabel to cry welcome and embrace him, Ainslee felt even worse. The women were adorned in lovely gowns of a soft, flowing material. Ainslee felt as if she wore rags. It was pinched vanity which caused her such discomfort and she knew it, but she was unable to push it aside. All she could think about was what Gabel must think when he looked at the lovely dark-haired women greeting him, and then looked at her.

  Before the women could ask any questions, Gabel instructed two men to take Ronald to a room and make him comfortable. Ainslee tried to follow Ronald, but Gabel grabbed her by the arm and tugged her into the great hall, ushering the two blatantly curious women in ahead of him. Ainslee was gently pushed into the seat on his right and waited in tense silence as the two pages hastily served them a light repast of sweet wine, bread, and cheese. By the time Gabel introduced her to his aunt Marie and her daughter Elaine, Ainslee’s stomach was so knotted with nerves she could barely eat.

  “You should have sent word that you were bringing guests,” Marie gently scolded Gabel.

  Gabel slouched comfortably in his high-backed oak chair, sipped wine from an etched silver goblet, and smiled at his petite aunt “Lady MacNairn’s addition to our party was quite unexpected. Aye, she is a guest, but, then too, she is not.”

  “You confuse me, nephew.”

  “I wish the Lady Ainslee and her companion to be treated as our honored guests, but they are also to remain under guard. They are being held for ransom. You look quite shocked, Aunt. ’Tis not as if such a happenstance was rare.”

  “True, but you have never dealt with anyone in such a manner.”

  “A mere whim of fate. No one has fallen into my hands is all.”

  “Ransoming is quite common in Scotland, m’lady,” Ainslee said, then wondered crossly why she felt any need to defend Gabel’s actions.

  “You have been ransomed before?” asked Elaine, her brown eyes wide with a mixture of horror and fascination.

  “Weel, nay. My brother George was held once,” Ainslee replied.

  “You must have been terrified. Gabel, how could you be so cruel?”

  “Oh, I kenned that he wouldna hurt me,” Ainslee assured the girl.

  “And just when did you ken that?” Gabel asked. “Was it before or after you tried to cut my heart out?”

  Ainslee intended to ignore him, but then Elaine cried, “You tried to kill Gabel?”

  “When he and his men first appeared I did attempt to defend myself,” Ainslee said, briefly casting an annoyed look at a faintly smiling Gabel. “I saw no gain in simply standing there and awaiting my fate.”

  “You must have been very frightened. And, mayhaps, you still are, for you eat very little.”

  “My appetite is somewhat dulled for I am weary and havena had the time or the chance to clean away the dust of my travels.” She had to bite back a smile when Gabel’s aunt looked at him with a hint of outrage and sternness.

  “Gabel,” Marie said, tapping her nephew’s arm with her finger. “Have you no manners? The poor child must be shown to a room immediately. Come, Elaine, you and I shall see that a bath is prepared, and we shall search out some clean clothing for our guest.” As Marie stood up, tugging her daughter up beside her, she added, “Lady MacNairn may stay in the bedchamber Lady Surtelle stayed in last month!”

  “You enjoyed seeing me scolded like some errant boy,” drawled Gabel as soon as his aunt and cousin left the great hall.

  Ainslee smiled sweetly at him. “Aye, I did.”

  “Then I had best take you to your quarters ere my aunt returns and provides you with even more enjoyment.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

  “Ye appear to have a multitude of cousins residing with you.” Ainslee hesitated only a moment before allowing him to take her by the hand and help her to her feet. Refusing to touch him would certainly make him suspicious, and she did not want him to guess how much even his light touch
affected her.

  Gabel nodded as he led her out of the great hall and up the narrow curving steps to the bedchambers. “I have a large family and, at this time, there is a greater chance of advancement here in Scotland or even in England. Then there are the ones such as my aunt who was left a widow and, through the sly work of her husband’s kinsmen, lost all her lands and money. One must care for one’s family. Those my brothers cannot care for are sent here and some, such as my poor aunt, feel a true need to leave France.” He looked down at her as he stopped before a thick, iron-banded door. “Do you not shelter your kinsmen?”

  “There arena many who wish to be sheltered at Kengarvey. In truth, most of our kinsmen arena speaking to us, and stay as far from us as they are able. They dinna wish to be dragged down with my father. ‘Tis evident that they were wise to separate themselves for the king himself has now decided that my father must be punished. ’Tis why ye were riding to Kengarvey.”

  “Aye. I have made no secret of my purpose,” he said as he opened the door to the bedchamber.

  “Weel, I pray ye willna think ill of me if I am not so forthcoming.”

  “Ah, you fear you may tell me something that I could use against your father.”

  “Aye. I dinna like the way my father acts, am even ashamed of all of the wrongs he has committed, but he is my father. To help ye defeat him would be a great betrayal of my own blood.”

  “I understand. I would not ask such a thing of you. I hope you find these quarters comfortable. You are free to move about as you please within the walls of Bellefleur, but ’twould be unwise to attempt escape.”

  It was politely said, but Ainslee could hear the cold steel beneath his courteous warning. She smiled and entered the room, inwardly wincing when he shut the heavy door behind her. The bedchamber was far more elegant and comfortable than any she had ever slept in. Heavy tapestries warmed the stone walls. Sheepskins cut the chill of the floor. She was drawn to the fireplace that covered the wall opposite the bed, entranced by the luxury she had only heard tales of. After she warmed her hands at the small fire burning there, she sat on the large bed, not surprised to find that the thick mattress was stuffed with feathers and not the coarse hay she was accustomed to. Gabel de Amalville may have been landless, but he had clearly had a very full purse when he arrived in Scotland. She did not know any Scotsman, save perhaps the king himself, who could afford such luxuries as chimneys and feather mattresses.

  A soft rap at the door pulled her out of her morose thoughts concerning this further proof of the vast differences between her and Gabel. She opened the heavy door and caught a quick glimpse of young Michael standing guard, before the maids scurried in with her bath. Yet another luxury she was unused to, she thought crossly as she watched the wooden tub set before the fire and filled with hot water. She weakly thanked the maids when they handed her scented soap, warmed drying clothes and clean clothes of a quality she could never afford. Only one of the maids was less than friendly and courteous. From what the others said as they hurried the glaring young woman from the room, Ainslee realized the maid was enamored of Gabel’s cousin Justice.

  The moment she was alone, Ainslee shed her dirty clothes. “Ye have a true skill, Ainslee MacNairn,” she muttered to herself as she eased her body into the hot water. “Not many can make an enemy ere they even meet them.” As she began to enjoy the rare pleasure of a hot bath, Ainslee hoped Justice would recover quickly and soothe the maid’s temper.

  Gabel smiled faintly when he stepped into Justice’s room and a blushing young maid scurried away. “I came to see how you fare, but ’tis clear that you are rapidly recovering,” he drawled as he shut the door and walked over to the bed.

  Justice grinned as he sat up, leaning insolently against the thick newly fluffed pillows. “I am well tended.”

  “Obviously.” Gabel helped himself to a tankard of cider from the flagon set on a table next to Justice’s bed, and then sat down on the edge of the bed. “I have secured our prisoners.”

  “So you have, if one can call giving them the best chambers in Bellefleur securing them.”

  “They have shown no sign of being troublesome. And, I see no need of locking a crippled old man and a wee lass in my dungeons. They are also being closely watched.”

  “And m’lady MacNairn has such a fine, bright pelt of hair, ’twould be a true shame to see its luster dulled by the dungeons.” Justice grinned at his cousin.

  “There is that to consider,” drawled Gabel, but, after a brief smile, he frowned in thought. “Do you think I err in treating them with such courtesy?”

  “Nay,” Justice replied after a moment of thought. “Once the girl surrendered herself and her companion, she has been little trouble. There is also one thing I am very certain of, something which strengthens my belief that you may not even need the guard.”

  “And what is that?”

  “That girl will never leave without her companion, and Ronald MacNairn will not be hale enough for a race back to Kengarvey for many a week.”

  “Ah, of course, the wondrous Ronald.” Gabel looked at Justice with curiosity when the man laughed. “And what do you find so amusing?”

  “You sounded almost jealous, Cousin,” Justice replied, accepting the tankard of cider Gabel served him with a short nod of thanks.

  Gabel looked toward the arrow slot which served as the small bedchamber’s window, averting his face from Justice’s keen eyes so that his cousin could not possibly read his expression. He was jealous of Ronald, deeply so, and found that both embarrassing and troubling. As they had traveled from Kengarvey to Bellefleur, Gabel had closely watched the rapport between Ainslee and Ronald, the way she tenderly cared for the man’s wounds and how Ronald fretted over her, as well as the way the pair talked to each other, openly with an unhidden affection. With every mile they rode, he had grown to dislike it more. and more. He had even caught himself vying for Ainslee’s attention like some lovesick boy.

  If Justice discovered that, Gabel mused, the man would tease him unmercifully. Worse, Justice might even feel inclined to indulge in a little matchmaking. Although he had only known Ainslee for two days, Gabel knew he was going to have difficulty fighting the allure Ainslee MacNairn held for him. He did not need Justice trying to push him and Ainslee into each other’s arms. He was going to have to be careful, and make Justice believe that, if he felt anything at all, it was a base lust. That was something he and Justice could occasionally chuckle over and then forget.

  “ ’Tis but stung vanity,” Gabel replied, and smiled crookedly at Justice. “ ’Tis not easy to seduce a lass or convince her of my greatness when she spends all of her time nursing some old man.”

  Justice laughed and shook his head. “For shame, cousin. You should not be considering seduction when you are in the midst of a search for a wife to grace Bellefleur.”

  “Aye, a wife.” Gabel was disappointed, yet not really surprised when the thought of searching for a suitable wife no longer held any interest for him. “Aunt Marie told me that Lady Margaret Fraser will be arriving at Bellefleur in a few days. Her father hopes to convince me that his daughter will make me a good wife.”

  “ ’Tis not a good time to conduct a courtship. Knowing all we do about Duggan MacNairn, I cannot believe this ransoming will be an easy business.”

  “Nay. I expect trouble. Howbeit, ’tis too late to stop Fraser. He has already begun his journey here, and we do not know what route he travels.”

  Justice nodded. “So we must do as best we can. For your sake, I pray that there is no trouble.”

  “You can not pray for that any harder than I do.”

  It was not easy, but Ainslee ignored Michael as she made her way up onto the thick encircling walls of Bellefleur. The young man clung to her like a shadow on a sunny day. He had been standing outside her room when, clean and refreshed from her bath, she had gone to see how Ronald fared. Assured that her dear friend was not suffering, and still surprised over the high quality of the qu
arters he had been given, she had left to find a faintly smiling Michael outside that room as well. She knew he was now at her heels, but she refused to look at him.

  Standing at the ramparts, she took a deep breath of the crisp fall air. It was nearly dark, the days already growing noticeably shorter. Ainslee knew that, if her father hesitated to ransom her, she could easily be a captive at Bellefleur for the length of the winter. When she saw Gabel approach her, she knew that a lengthy stay could prove dangerous. Just the sight of his big, strong form caused a skip in her heartbeat. She hated to think of how that infatuation could mature, if she spent too much time in his company.

  “Are you looking for your father to ride to your rescue?” Gabel asked, leaning against the wall and subtlety waving Michael away.

  Ainslee gave him a brief look of disgust. “I am looking for your weak points, my cocksure knight, so that I may return to conquer your lands and give you a wee taste of captivity.”

  “I am all atremble.” He took her hand in his, slowly drew it to his lips, and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “Yet, what man could protest imprisonment by such fine blue eyes?”

  It was nonsense, Ainslee knew it, but she smiled and even felt her heart flutter. The tone of his deep voice stroked her. She tensed only briefly when he reached out to thread his long fingers through her hair. She was not so naive that she was unable to recognize an attempt at seduction, but she did not feel any inclination to rebuff him. Although she knew there was little chance of his ploys leading to anything more than a turn in his bed for the duration of her stay at Bellefleur, she discovered that she was still curious and highly aroused by his actions.

  “Ye talk a great deal of pretty foolishness,” she murmured, making no attempt to elude him when he gently caged her body between his and the wall.

  “Foolishness? Nay. ’Tis but the pure truth. You do have very lovely blue eyes and hair that leaves a man speechless, there being no words to adequately describe such beauty.”