Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (13 page)

Lord Jamison cheered on the bard
belting out a lengthy rhyme in the corner.  Danielle knew he did it to
break the fast building tension

She said no more for the rest of
the meal and sat stiffly next to Aric. 

She wanted nothing more than to run
from the hall.  She was sick to her stomach and her husband barely said
two words to her.  Yet he listened intently and with great interest to the
Lady Ella carry on about the most boring of things, Danielle thought as she sat
there seething. From the dreadful England weather and traveling the boring
endless green countryside. The only enjoyable part the lady seemed to have
enjoyed was crossing the channel. Really! 

Why should whatever had transpired
between her husband and this woman bother her?

Danielle shook her head as though
that would clear her racing thoughts and rapidly beating heart.

Aric’s deep timbre jarred her out
of her thoughts.  “Are you unwell, milady?”

Danielle wanted to cringe. She
snapped at him.  “As a matter of fact, milord, I think so. And with
our newly arrived guests, I must ask your forgiveness, but I feel I am not
quite myself this morning.  Something may not have agreed with me.” 
Danielle looked him right in the eye as she said the last and she saw the
intake of breath he took.  Slight it was, but she saw it.   She
hadn’t really lied.  The room was spinning and her stomach was feeling
queasy.

“Come then,” Aric’s words were
hard.  “I will see-“

Danielle stopped him with a hand on
his forearm.  He looked down at it as though she shouldn’t be touching
him.  She tightened her hand on his skin.  His eyes widened a bit at
her movement.  “Nay, milord. ‘tis your guests first day in our
home. Don’t let me spoil the rest of their day.  I will have Edie see
me above stairs.”  Danielle smiled weakly. 

She was going to vomit.  She
needed to get out of the room and get far, far away from him. 

By the look he was giving her, she
at first thought he would say different, but then he arched the brow with the
scar above it and said, “Of course, milady. Perhaps if you lie down for a bit
you may feel better and ‘twill pass.”  His words were cold and he did
not smile. 

He did not believe her and Danielle
cared not in that moment.  She quickly bid all good morn.  Lady Ella
smiled at her too long and Danielle left the hall with Edie in tow.

Chapter 12

“Surely
Edie, you jest!”  Danielle shrieked as she paced angrily in the
bedchamber.

“Nay milady. That harlot be
his mistress and to display her so openly only days after the wedding.” 
Edie bit down to still her tongue as she wrung her hands watching her lady
pace near the window. Her limp was noticeable for she was highly
agitated. 

“She is to stay under the same
roof?”  Danielle was getting sick again.  Her stomach was jumping all
over the place.  “Am I just to accept this as his way with no say?” 
She fought back tears. She would not cry in front of Edie.  She had
to grow up. 

She had to stand up for
herself. 

She took a couple of deep breaths
and tried to compose herself. She had to in case Aric chose to follow them to
the chamber.

He need not know how much his words
had upset her. 'Twas bad enough she'd made a fool of herself in front of his
guests.  The last thing she needed was him to find her crying like some
lovesick maiden over his dalliances.

‘Twas obvious a man like him was
used to women of experience. Not timid and shy maids like she. That thought
sparked a fern of anger in her and Danielle rounded her shoulders.

Aric had outright lied to
her.  His earlier words rushed back over her.  He would not be
unfaithful my arse!  She trembled with the anger that rose to cover the
hurt. 

How dare he? 

She was so angry that she forgot
all about how beautiful Lady Ella was.   She was furious.  He
had lied!  

Men and their lies. Her
father. Thomas.

And now, her husband! 

“I fear that is the way,
milady. ‘Tis a common thing for a man to do with his mistress what he
…cannot with his wife. Sometimes the mistress is kept in different
quarters. A rarity however.”  Edie said her voice full of
compassion. 

“Aye. Nonetheless, I will not be
able to tolerate such in the home I have lived in. I may be ill prepared
for this marriage and mistress situation, but for him to come to me then go to
her. ‘Tis asking too much of me, Edie. God could not want this to be
the way of it. It is too cruel.”

Danielle stopped pacing and stood
near the hearth, exhausted. 

Edie came to her side.

“God did not do it. Men
did. Even though ‘tis common, you have control over how you want your
marriage to be, milady. Remember?”

Danielle fought off the sting of
her tears. “Yea, I guess I do.”  She winched over the sound of her
misery in her voice.  

How could she compare to
such beauty as the kind Lady Ella possessed?  Even Rose had
taken note of how stunning the woman was.  "I am nothing to him
but a brood mare to spit out heirs. He cares only about his lineage. Oh
Edie. This is not something I think I can handle.”  Danielle kicked
the end of the stool and ignored the pain that vibrated up to her knee. 
She needed something to distract her from the overwhelming sickness in her
belly. Renewed anger did.   “No, I do have control. I can
let it happen or just sit by and I cannot allow that.” 

 Edie smiled and gave her
shoulders a squeeze. “That’s the way, milady. You deserve something
good. I see the way milord watches you. It can work. There is
more to being beautiful than a shell.”

 Danielle hugged her maid
before dismissing her. She barely heard the door close as a plan began to
form in her mind.

****

Her hand
slid inside his tunic and he shivered.  It was from the sudden chill in
the air that came through the dark alcove on the light breeze more so than from
her nails raking over his nipple. Aric removed her hand. 

“Ella. Come now, behave
yourself.”  His tone was one of irritation.
Lady Ella looked up at him with an inviting gaze.  Her lips in the form of
a pout.

“Aric, we have not been together in
a very long time and you want me to behave? A virile man such as you cannot
be worn from just a few nights with a new bride. Lest you forget, milord,
I know all too well what an insatiable beast you are. Need I remind you?” 
She leaned up and kissed his throat, licking him there.

That movement usually had him
throwing her across the bed and ready to be inside her.  But oddly,
nothing shot down to his groin.  Aric removed her arms from around his
neck and set her away from him, gently.

 He lifted her chin with his
finger. “The hour grows late, Ella and I need to attend to business that was
put off to welcome you and Jamison. Surely, you must be tired from your
long journey here. Nay? Come, I will see you on the morrow.” He planted a
kiss on the tip of her nose.

She backed away.  He knew she
was displeased. 
“You sent for me, Aric, remember.” She reminded him.
He sighed.  Again, he wished he had not now that she was here.  This
was a distraction that had turned into a disaster.  Balwain’s words came
back to him and he shoved the memory of his friend’s words
aside.   

True, he’d arranged for Lady Ella
to come join him after his marriage.  He’d expected to wed bed and get his
heir on his Saxon bride and go on living his life as before.  But he saw
now that that was something he was not going to be able to do.  And he was
angry because he knew it all had something to do with his wife.

“Aye, right. that I did,
Ella. Come, let us not argue. Please enjoy your day here. My
business will not allow me to make the noonday meal and the hour will be late
when I return. So, I will discuss more with you on the morrow. Don’t
pout.”  Aric caressed her cheek.  She managed a smile for him. She
was a beauty indeed. 

 “Well, I guess I have no
choice. The morrow it is then.” 

“Good girl.”  He dropped his
hand and walked out of the alcove and turned in the direction of the
hall.  Few soldiers milled about in the hall.  Lady Ella was still
behind him. 
“I must say. I did not expect you to marry a rare beauty like
myself. But neither did I expect you to be married to someone like…’ Ella
chose her words carefully for the dark mask that crossed her lover’s handsome
face.  “Like her. I mean no insult. She just does not fit you is
all that I meant, Aric.”

His nod took an eternity in coming
and it confirmed her suspicions.  Something was definitely there that he held
for that plump wife of his.  Ella tucked the sign of it away for
later. 

 Aric’s
stare did not waver and he looked like he wanted to choke the life from her,
but he simply said coldly.  “Good day,
Lady Ella
.”
“Good day
, milord
.”  She called after him and he was gone. 
Ella’s smile vanished and fury replaced it.

Chapter 13

Aric and Balwain exited the hall.
 Both men wore no smiles as they sent a fleet of knights out for the start
of training on the field.  Something in the corner caught Aric’s attention
and he found his long stride carrying him across the hall after the slip of
emerald that had caught his eye.  Balwain sent off the last knight and
followed his lord. 

Aric watched Danielle move quickly
past the archway leading to the kitchens with a group of servants in her
wake.  The flurry of activity drew both the warriors closer to the door to
see what was afoot.  Balwain covered his mirth.  Aric inhaled
deeply.  Was she not supposed to be in their chamber resting?  What
had happened to her sudden illness? 

Danielle was, with the help of the
servants, rolling out the tapestries. She was moving so fast, and balking out
orders softly along the way as though she were having a conversation over
tea. 

She had a few remove soiled rushes
in one area and another group moving small tables.

The room had all of two windows in
it.  The ceiling was high, thick wooden beams ran across them and from
what Aric could see over the mound of debris in the room, shelving covered one
wall.  Danielle’s brown hair slightly askew and fanning her face was no
longer adorned with the headdress and hung loosely down her back.  He
swallowed hard as she bent over to lift one end of a rolled tapestry and her
gown pulled taut across her bottom.  The desire Ella failed to elicit from
him rolled through him now.

“Milady!”  His thunderous tone
stopped her and the servants immediately.  He did not miss how the
servants looked first to her, as if asking permission before turning their
nervous gazes upon him.  Danielle turned and desire engulfed him
fully.  Her large eyes sparkled and her full cheeks flush from exertion
made her look all the more desirable.

She did not smile, but her voice
was pleasant. “
Milord
. Is there something wrong?” 
Danielle slid a lock of loose hair that fell over her brow behind her
ear. He was so handsome.   She licked her lips and settled
her hands on her hips.

Her breath slightly heavy caused
her chest to rise and fall.  Aric looked away from the tops of those
breasts which were covered by the low neckline but when she had bent to get the
tapestry, the position had given the remaining men about the halls plenty to
gawk at.  Her creamy round globes were in full view.  One dark look
from him and the men quickly returned to their business. 
“What are you doing?” 

His words came out as though he
were in pain.   Danielle frowned.  What was he still doing
inside the manor?  She gave him an odd look.  He looked angry. 
Good. 

“Oh, just tidying up a bit,
milord.”

Aric heard the anger in her tone.
 “I can see that. Are you now suddenly feeling better?”

Her flush deepened.  “A-Aye, I
am. “  She balled her hands into fists.  Where was Lady Ella? His
expression changed to one of suspicion as he walked closer, his eyes on the
pile of garbage in the center of the room.

“What is all this mess?”

 Danielle waved a hand out in
front of her.  “This room was used as a study when I was a child and has
in these last couple of years been used by Thomas for his storage. It was
overlooked and so we are making changes to it today for something new. Your
use, milord.”   Danielle had thought he’d be out of the manor, but
she had not been so lucky.  When Balwain gave her a wink and a smile it
garnered him a warning look from Aric. 

Danielle felt a tingle shoot up her
arm when Aric cupped her elbow and practically dragged her from the room and
into another just off the side of the hall.   They stood in front of
the huge hearth and she waited as he seemed to take forever to say something
with those dark eyes looking right through her. 

 Aric wanted to shake her to
stop that pink tongue of hers from darting out to lick those plump lips and
that dark mole.  “Milady, you are to give orders for the rushes, the
tapestries or whatever else that needs to be changed to the servants. Not
do it yourself.”    He wanted her work to stop and stop now.

Danielle paused and frowned.
 “I do not like to order anyone to do anything that I cannot do
myself. I prefer to give direction and ‘tis what I was doing when you came
about, was it not?”

He arched an incredulous brow and
scoffed.  “Direction? Is it not one in the same?”

Her eyes widened at his words and
the flash of hurt he saw in them pulled at him, but he ignored it.  “You
better get used to it because that is the way of it and it should be done by
them.”  He added with satisfaction.  God’s wounds, she’d done enough
of that for all these years!  Her calloused hands were proof enough of
that.

Danielle was aggravated.  He
was worried about her getting her hands dirty when all she wanted was to
scratch his eyes out over Lady Ella. Yet, calmly she
said,   “Forgive me, I am new to this marriage thing but I will
never get used to or want to get used to ordering anyone about. I do not
have to. Direction and instruction work better than harsh orders.”  She
finished with her hands once again on her hips.