The Age of Knights and Highlanders: A Series Starter Collection

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “I feared it might never happen, but I am finally with child.”

  “It’s a miracle from God Almighty,” said Hugh. He placed an arm about his wife. His hand rested against her belly. “We don’t care whether it’s a girl or boy. We only pray for a healthy child.”

  “My congratulations to you both,” Geoffrey offered. “First, I’m a father. And now a soon-to-be uncle.”

  “Do you know when the babe might come?” asked Merryn.

  Milla shrugged. “In late autumn, most likely.” She paused. “I shall seek advice from you, Merryn, since you have been through this before.”

  Geoffrey’s arm went around her waist and pulled her to him, a gleam in his eye. “I hope that my sweet wife will again find herself with child before too long.” He dropped a kiss onto her temple. “If the Christ be willing, I would ask for half a dozen more children.”

  Merryn grinned up at him. “Only half a dozen, my lord? Surely, I can accommodate you with at least a good dozen, if not more. Especially if I have them two at a time, as I did the twins.”

  Her husband tossed back his head and roared with laughter at her outrageous words. Then he gave her a heated look and rewarded her with a passionate, lingering kiss.

  “Wife, I believe they may begin this work before our very eyes,” she heard Hugh tease.

  Merryn pulled away from Geoffrey a moment in order to punch her brother in the arm as she had when they were children.

  Then Merryn returned to her husband’s arms for another sizzling kiss.

  She ended the kiss and said, “Tilda should be here soon with wine and fruit. We need to sit and discuss this new babe-to-be and the king’s upcoming visit to Kinwick. Oh, and the Earl of Winterbourne’s upcoming wedding.”

  Hugh laughed. “See what happens when I go to London? Everything changes overnight.”

  As they gathered around the table, Tilda arrived and poured wine for everyone. While the servant did so, Geoffrey slipped Merryn’s hand into his.

  He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “We shall see about making our own babe tonight, my love.”

  Merryn shivered with anticipation.

  Chapter 26

  Geoffrey stood in the training yard and watched his captain of the guard put the men through their paces. Word of Merryn’s proposed tournament during the king’s visit had leaked out. Every knight wanted to prove his prowess in front of Edward and the royal court.

  Gilbert joined him, a satisfied look on his face.

  “You have done well for yourself, Gilbert,” Geoffrey told the man. “I can see why Father promoted you to head of his guard.”

  “Lord Ferand was good to me, my lord. He watched me rise through the ranks and rewarded me with the post.”

  “I remember I always tried to emulate you in warfare and manners. You have been a good influence on the men here at Kinwick, especially during my absence. I must thank you for your service.”

  The knight bowed his head in respect. “We are all happy to have you back, my lord.”

  They watched various pairs duel for several minutes until shouts on the wall-walk distracted them. Geoffrey saw that the sentry on duty waved them over. The two men hurried to hear the soldier’s news.

  “What do you see?” Geoffrey called up.

  “The king’s colors in the distance,” the soldier replied. “But only a lone rider.”

  Geoffrey waved in acknowledgement and set out for the front gate. Gilbert fell into step with him.

  “It’s likely a messenger from the king informing Lady Merryn that he is nearby,” Gilbert shared with him. “The king has sent someone ahead on both his previous visits so that Kinwick had fair warning that the royal progress would soon arrive.”

  “I suppose that allows the kitchens plenty of time to prepare. I know Merryn has been consulting with Cook for a week now in anticipation of this visit. She told me the king has quite a sweet tooth.”

  “Aye, he does, my lord. It’s well known that he fancies Cook’s tarts. Last time he told Lady Merryn if she weren’t careful, he might spirit Cook away in the dead of night.”

  They reached the opening gates and waited for the rider to appear. Geoffrey sensed Gilbert tensing as he stared at the road ahead.

  “Do you recognize this messenger?” Geoffrey asked.

  The captain nodded. “I do, my lord. He came on the king’s last visit. And he also traveled to Kinwick last month.” Gilbert turned his head and spat upon the ground.

  Gilbert’s words piqued Geoffrey’s interest. “What do you think of this man? And what previous business did he have at Kinwick?” He watched as the rider drew near, but he did not recognize the knight.

  “His name is Sir Symond Benedict. He serves as a member of the king’s royal guard.” Gilbert paused. “He came in May to deliver the king’s missive to Lady Merryn regarding the court’s summer visit.”

  Geoffrey knew there had to be more than what Gilbert revealed. The knight’s reluctance to continue told him as much.

  “And?” he prodded, curious as to his captain’s opinion.

  Gilbert kept his eyes on the rider as he approached. “Benedict told me—and several of the men—that the king had chosen him as Lady Merryn’s new husband. That they would wed when King Edward stopped at Kinwick.”

  Geoffrey felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut by an unbroken horse. Merryn had never spoken a word of this to him. Thinking back, this knight might have been present at Kinwick when Geoffrey returned from his imprisonment at Winterbourne.

  And his wife had sent the man away before Geoffrey discovered his presence.

  It made perfect sense. Geoffrey knew he’d been gone long enough for all—even the king-to think him dead. He realized that Edward would have married Merryn off quickly if she had not given birth to a son and an heir. Once Ferand passed, the king would have instructed Merryn to hold the estate in trust for her son. Still, the king had allowed Merryn to remain unmarried for many years.

  Yet it bothered him that the approaching rider would have been the man to protect Kinwick until Ancel came of age. No matter how wise Edward’s choice might have been, this man would have become the only father his children would have known.

  Worse, this arriving knight would have bedded his wife. His seed would have grown within her belly. Anger seethed within Geoffrey.

  Benedict rode through the gates with a merry wave to the gatekeeper, as if he owned the property. Geoffrey took an instant dislike to Symond Benedict upon first sight, from his bushy red beard to his meaty hands.

  The knight trotted his horse to where they stood, the king’s banner in one hand.

  “Good morn to you, Gilbert. Who might your companion be?”

  “I am Geoffrey de Montfort. Lord of Kinwick.”

  Geoffrey thought the guardsman might dismount and greet him properly since he’d made himself known. Instead, Benedict merely nodded at him while remaining atop his horse.

  “I am Sir Symond Benedict. I come from King Edward and bear a missive for Merryn.” The knight paused. “Lady Merryn,” he corrected as he pulled a scroll from his pouch.

  Geoffrey’s rage at the man’s familiar use of Merryn’s name threatened to explode, but he would not play this knight’s game. He believed the casual slip a deliberate one and thought Benedict goaded him.

  Instead, he coolly replied, “I shall see that my wife receives it,” and plucked it from Benedict’s hand. “Take your horse to the stables and care for the animal. You may join the other soldiers at our evening meal.”

  Geoffrey strode away, dismissing Benedict as no more than an errand boy. He clutched the missive, finding it odd why the king would address it to Merryn and not him. She had written the king and made him aware that Geoffrey had returned to Kinwick.

  He knew his wife was supervising the candle making this afternoon, so he sought her out near the kitchens. He watched as Merryn inspected some and approved them. His heart pounded in his chest as he viewed her. Every time he drew near her
, he counted his blessings that she was his.

  Merryn glanced up and caught sight of him. She gave him a sweet smile. Geoffrey motioned her over.

  “How did the training exercises go?” she asked. “I can imagine all those weapons swinging and men grunting. They will be worn to the nub by the time we dine tonight, each trying to outperform the other.”

  “The men look forward to showing their skills to the king and queen.” He held up the parchment. “This arrived only now, via messenger. From the king.”

  “Then he must be nearby. At least Edward is considerate enough to give us some warning. I hear he is not as generous with everyone else and often stops unannounced, expecting to be entertained on a grand scale.” She chuckled. “As if feasts simply cook themselves and appear out of nowhere.”

  “Shall we read it together?” he asked.

  “Let’s go to the solar.” She tugged on his hand and urged him to come along with her.

  They arrived at their chamber and he placed the scroll on a table.

  “I was told by the messenger that the missive was for you.”

  “Did you see he had ample food and drink? I pity messengers for all the dusty roads they must ride.”

  “I told him to stable his horse and invited him to the evening meal. He told me his name was Sir Symond Benedict.”

  Geoffrey saw the flush creep up her neck as she bit her lower lip in thought.

  “Do you know this man?”

  Merryn busied herself with breaking the seal on the scroll. “Aye, I do. He is part of the king’s royal guard.” She unrolled the tightly wound page. “He brought news to us last month with a letter from the king that informed me the summer progress would stop at Kinwick.”

  Merryn’s fingers touched the page. She frowned. “This is not addressed to me. ’Tis your name gracing the page, Geoffrey.” Her cheeks had turned a bright pink. “Sir Symond must have misunderstood the king.”

  “I know, Merryn,” he said quietly.

  Her eyes met his. “Know what, Geoffrey?”

  “That Edward intended this knight to be your new husband.”

  She turned away and took a seat. He watched her compose herself.

  “Aye. It’s true. The king’s last letter to me not only shared when his court would arrive here but that he wanted me to consider Sir Symond as my new husband. Symond was to remain here during the month that it would take the court to arrive at Kinwick so we could get to know one another.”

  Merryn sprang from her chair and came to stand before him. Her hands rested upon his shoulders. “The king granted me many years in which to grieve for you, Geoffrey. He did not force my hand and demand I wed.” She slid her fingers down his arms and took both his hands in hers. “But I believed the time had come when I could no longer put him off. The king thinks highly of Sir Symond, so I knew I should consider the match.”

  Merryn thought back to the day Geoffrey had returned. “Then you showed up, Geoffrey. It was as if God knew He must send you back to me before a terrible mistake had been made.”

  “So you would have wed this knight?”

  She nodded. “Aye. Because the king wished it. The wedding would have taken place during his visit. Thank the Christ it did not.”

  Merryn flung her arms around him. Geoffrey embraced her, enjoying the feel of her body against his, her ample breasts pressing into his chest.

  “Have no worries, my love,” he whispered against her hair. “We are together again. That’s all that matters.” He eased her away. “We should see what the king writes.”

  They read the note, which only told Geoffrey of Edward’s arrival the following day and how he looked forward to meeting him. He mentioned Merryn briefly and asked that she be sure her cook had some of the delicious tarts he loved immediately available.

  “I’ll tell Cook to ready everything,” Merryn said. “We have planned out several menus, but I know the tarts are first and foremost on the king’s mind. If he doesn’t get them, he might even throw a fit.” Merryn shuddered. “Worse than any Ancel ever threw and your son can be quite the little devil.”

  She started to leave the solar and stopped. “I need to let Hugh and Milla know so they can also be here to greet the king tomorrow. And I suppose, since I want to propose a wedding during the royal visit, that it might be nice if Hardie and his betrothed were on hand. Would you be so good as to send messengers to Wellbury and Winterbourne informing them?”

  “I will do so,” he replied.

  Geoffrey dashed off a few quick lines to Hugh, asking for him and Milla to come to Kinwick for the king’s arrival the next day. It took him longer to compose a brief missive to Hardie. He still had mixed feelings about the new earl and hated that his children would spend much of their years at Winterbourne under Hardie’s tutelage.

  When he finished both, he affixed the sealing wax and pressed the de Montfort insignia into it. He brought the scrolls downstairs and had an idea.

  Geoffrey entered the great hall and spied Symond Benedict drinking ale and flirting with a serving wench, pinching her ample bottom.

  Putting on his best smile, he approached him. “Sir Symond? Lady Merryn has penned two notes for our neighbors on each side, her brother Hugh Mantel to the south and the Earl of Winterbourne to our north. She would like both in attendance when the king appears tomorrow.”

  Benedict nodded pleasantly at his words and took another swig of ale as he winked at the serving girl.

  Geoffrey extended the missives. “Lady Merryn seems to trust you. She would like you to be the messenger that delivers these. I thank you on her behalf.” He dropped the parchments on the table and exited the great hall.

  Smiling all the way.

  Chapter 27

  Merryn awoke earlier than usual, her stomach fluttering in anticipation of the king’s arrival sometime today. She recalled what they had spoken of on his last visit—how she had handled various tenant problems, her ideas regarding crop rotation, and ways she believed taxes for the Crown should be collected and spent. Edward listened carefully and even complimented her, promising to discuss taxation with his advisers.

  She reached beside her and found the bed empty.

  Again.

  Merryn drew the bed curtain aside and saw Geoffrey asleep on the floor, next to the hearth, just as he had slept his first night back at Kinwick. At least he’d taken a pillow with him and made use of a blanket she kept tossed over a chair. Though he started in their bed each night, many times he moved from it. She wished she understood why.

  The candle beside him burned low, as did the others that surrounded his side of the bed. Whatever he experienced in his years away from his home, he always seemed to need light around him. He also hated to be confined in any way, insisting that the curtains on his side of the bed never be closed. With the candles burning and the curtains opened, she’d had to learn to sleep with light surrounding them.

  Geoffrey murmured in his sleep and frowned. When he did remain beside her, he woke her several times each night with his mumbling. Sometimes, he shouted out nonsense. Other times, she would awake to find him fast asleep, tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight broke her heart in two.

  Merryn knew he’d been abused physically, but she realized he’d suffered deeply into his soul. She did not have the key to unlock his traumatized mind. Yet.

  Trust had never been an issue between them. From childhood, they had been as one. Merryn hoped someday her husband would, once again, trust her enough to allow her in. She wanted to share the heavy burden he believed he must carry alone.

  Merryn gazed upon Geoffrey with love. As a healer, none of her herbs or potions could change what had happened to him, much less bring him comfort. But she knew with time—and her great love for him—that all would be well. She resolved to keep her faith in him. God had brought her husband home. She would continue to care for Geoffrey the best she knew how and leave the rest in His merciful hands.

  A pain of regret filled her as she thoug
ht about Symond Benedict’s presence. She wondered how Geoffrey discovered that the knight had been slated to wed her and become master of Kinwick. Though she’d hoped to keep that information from him, it was best she kept no secrets. Merryn never shared with anyone why Symond remained at Kinwick after delivering the king’s missive, but her people had surmised the circumstances. It did worry her, though, having Symond around now. She didn’t want Geoffrey to be uncomfortable in the knight’s presence and she hoped no trouble broke out between them.

  It would be bad enough with the king and his entire court present at Kinwick. Geoffrey did best with small groups of people and quiet conversation. Merryn could only imagine how he might respond to the hectic atmosphere that surrounded a royal visit.

  She slipped from their bed and crept toward him, lowering herself to kneel beside him. Geoffrey stretched lazily in his sleep. Brushing a lock of hair from his forehead, she pressed a soft kiss upon his brow.

  Suddenly, Geoffrey tossed the blanket aside. His hands clasped her waist and drew her down till she sprawled atop him. Firm lips thoroughly explored hers as his hands kneaded her buttocks. Merryn hiked up her chemise and took his smooth shaft in hand to guide it inside her.

  Geoffrey’s hands moved to her breasts, toying with her nipples, pinching them playfully as she began to move. Soon, she rode him, hard and fast, her hair swinging wildly as her nails clawed at his chest. Sweet release came to them both and Merryn collapsed against him.

  “Good morn,” he finally said after both their breathing returned to normal. “Is everything in place for the king’s arrival? I’m sorry I’ve left those details to you.”

  Merryn nuzzled her face against his chest. “Kinwick is more than ready. Having hosted Edward twice before, it was easier this time to prepare. Cook has every menu decided, with excellent suggestions from your mother. Rooms have been prepared. I hired extra hands from the village for the stables and inside the keep, especially in the kitchen. We need many more workers to help prepare and serve the meals, much less clean up afterward.”