Keeper of the Stone (33 page)

Not she had added in a voice filled with self-justification that any amount of valuables could ever compensate her for what she lost. It was on the tip of his tongue to advise her that if what his friend Bruce revealed to him was true about her seeking a replacement for him as her husband, she would do well to keep a more civil tongue between her lips and present a more pleasing demeanor to any potential suitor. Since he knew any such advice from him would be wasted on her in her present mood, Nathan spared himself the resulting unladylike retort he would likely receive for his efforts.

Nathan shook himself free from his unpleasant musings when his squire returned with the news his wife was indisposed and unable to come to him.  Nathan was in no mood to indulge his wife’s flightiness this morning, particularly when he was generously interrupting his day to see to her pleasure. He nodded abruptly in the boy’s direction, then strode briskly in the direction of the keep, his fury growing with every step. 

His wife had yet to learn one basic tenet of married life…he was her husband and her lord.  In the eyes of the law and the church, she was simply his property.  She should be grateful for his patient forbearance with her to date.  Did she fail to comprehend her good fortune?  Apparently so, as she had no trouble inventing impudent excuses to send to him through his squire about not feeling well. By the time he reached his quarters he was bristling with husbandly rage and not inclined to worry himself with the prospect of injuring his wife’s tender feelings.  It was time he took a firm hand in this marriage and now seemed as good a time as any for his proposed discussion.  He threw open the door to his room, causing the heavy wooden door to slam back against the wall.

“Rhiann, I am attempting to keep my promise to the king, but you would try the patience of a saint.”

  His wife barely noticed his outraged indignation.  She was too busy losing her breakfast into the chamber pot by the bed.

“What promise?” His wife’s muffled confusion was whispered from behind the damp towel she was wiping her face with. 

Nathan belatedly took in his wife’s white face where she swayed unsteadily on her feet near the side of the bed.  His outrage evaporated at the evidence of his wife’s obvious distress.  “Rhiann, you are truly ill?’

It was his wife’s turn to voice her outrage.  “You thought I was lying?”

Ignoring her question, Nathan turned to his soldier framed in the still open doorway.  “Send for a healer.”

“No!”

Nathan was annoyed by his man’s hesitation to carry out his order.  Would everyone follow his wife’s lead in this marriage?

“Now!” Nathan nodded with satisfaction as the soldier rushed to do his bidding.

“I don’t need a healer,” Rhiann complained as the door closed behind his harried soldier.

“You said you were ill,” Nathan reminded her.

“I’m not ill.”

“So you were lying.” Before his wife could work herself up into a fresh state, he added gently, “Then why is your skin so pale? Why are you still in your robe?”

Rhiann blinked back tears at her husband’s tenderness.  Her legs felt like jelly so before she answered Nathan’s perfectly reasonable query, she took a few steps forward and sank gratefully down on the bed.  It was true, she wasn’t exactly ill.  Or not without good reason. 

The knowledge of her condition had been growing on her over the past several weeks of Nathan’s prolonged absence.  When the realization struck, she did a quick calculation in her head and confirmed her suspicions.  This was not exactly the way she planned on sharing the joyous news with her husband, with him glowering at her from across the room.  She brushed the tears from her cheeks and confessed softly, her back towards him, “I am not ill.  I’m pregnant.”

“What was that, wife?  You have an unfortunate habit of muttering to yourself when you are displeased with your husband.”

Rhiann turned her face to him, her tears forgotten by his unjust criticism.  “I said I am not ill.  I’m pregnant!”  She fairly screamed her condition at him.

“Pregnant?”  The stunned expression on her husband’s face mirrored the astonished echo from his lips.

Rhiann became concerned when Nathan just stood there staring at her as if her condition was incomprehensible to him.

“I do not know why you’re so surprised.  It was bound to happen considering…” Her face heated up as further words failed her.  Nathan grinned at her embarrassment and strode quickly across the room to join her on the bed.  Rhiann couldn’t bring herself to meet his intense glance but she felt the mattress give under his weight as he sank down beside her and lifted her onto his lap.

“You are right, wife.  It was bound to happen…considering.”

“Are you angry with me?”  Rhiann couldn’t see the shock on his face at her silly question because her face was buried against his chest.  She was shivering.  He automatically rubbed her arms and pulled her closer against his chest to share his heat with her.  The room felt a little warm to him, but perhaps his wife’s delicate condition made her more sensitive to the cold.  He pulled away from her clinging form far enough to lift her chin with his hand so he could see her face.

“How can you ask me such a foolish question?  I am very pleased by this news, Rhiann.”

Her emerald eyes searched his, assuring herself of the truth of his declaration, then content with what she read on his face, she sighed tiredly and leaned her head back against his chest. 

“You are certain?” Nathan asked.

Rhiann shrugged.  “As certain as I can be. I have never been pregnant before.”

He grinned and hugged her close.  “When were you planning to share this news with me?”

“When you took me home.”

“I have explained why we cannot go home, Rhiann.”

“But you went.  Everyone was able to go but me.”

“I know you are anxious to return home.  I could ask the king’s permission to send a contingent of knights to take you to Heaven’s Crest.”

“You would send me away?”

Nathan brushed his lips across her brow at the dejected tone of her voice.  “No I would not send you away. I’ll not allow you to travel in your current condition without me.”

Rhiann sighed, unsure if she should be comforted by his declaration or not.  She would prefer he would rather they not be separated again, rather than not wishing for them to be apart because of her condition. She fell asleep still puzzling over her small disappointment.

Nathan was content to hold his wife while she slept.  He dismissed the healer when the harried man arrived on the tail of his soldier’s return.  Nathan leaned back against the bed frame and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the contentment washing over him. He sought his wife’s company to cleanse the stain on his psyche of the ugly scene with Lady Sara.  He was overwhelmed by his good fortune.  The God he assumed forgot him for most of his life was apparently making up for lost time, as over the past few months He heaped blessing after blessing upon Nathan’s unsuspecting, but extremely grateful head. 

Awash in his good fortune and exhausted after the breakneck pace he set on their return journey from Heaven’s Crest so he would arrive by the evening meal, giving him ample opportunity to indulge himself in his wife’s tender embrace, he fell asleep savoring the memories of the previous night’s passion dancing through his mind.

Rhiann passed through the following days in a dazed dream of happiness.  Even Nathan’s prohibition against riding Arden in light of her delicate condition, or Lady Sara’s barely concealed resentment, or Nathan’s mother’s equally barely concealed hesitancy about her new daughter-in-law failed to stifle her happiness.  Nathan had confided to her the king planned to release him from his service as soon as the coronation ceremony was over.  She refused to believe his teasing that it was her presence the king was loathe to forfeit at the ceremony rather than her husband’s. Nathan’s assurance her family’s graves were well tended and the knowledge she would soon be able to take over the task personally lifted that heavy burden from her thoughts. 

As much as she knew her husband’s conviction that Melissa and Michel were certainly dead, she clung to the hope he was wrong.  Every day Luke extended his absence from London gave her greater hope.  Nathan thought she should be drawing the opposite conclusion from his friend’s extended absence but she could not squelch the growing faith in her heart that her brother and sister would be found alive.

Though she was forbidden to ride Arden, and even though she thought Nathan was being a bit over-protective in his prohibition, she would not openly disobey him over such a petty order, she did take comfort in the black’s presence outside the gates of the city and often carried some treat out to him on her way back from the church, where to her mind there still remained too many orphans of the war in search of a home.  Although she’d yet to broach the subject with Nathan she was certain homes could be found for them in the villages near Heaven’s Crest.  Her own loss and impending motherhood made her feel the children’s grievous loss of their families all the more acutely.

One little boy in particular reminded her so much of Michel she felt her heart clench a little every time she saw him.  It wasn’t only Melissa who was closest to Michel.  Everyone was drawn to her youngest, older brother.  She couldn’t quite explain why.  There was just something about him that endeared him to her heart. 

She spent a goodly amount of time covering for him in the face of her father’s wrath when Michel got into one scrape after another and knew Melissa and her other brothers spent more time than she did engaged in the same deception.  She sometimes wondered why they bothered. She suspected her father was not the least bit fooled by their attempts and she thought Michel would have been little worse for wear even if he was forced to face their father’s fury alone, which was potent but usually short-lived.  Michel was everyone’s favorite, especially her mother’s and Melissa’s.  Rhiann thought the reason her mother was so unable to soothe Melissa’s grief at her brother’s loss was because she was unable to come to terms with the loss of her youngest son herself.

Rhiann stifled a yawn as she finished helping Father Bernard with the children’s midday meal and getting the younger ones down for their afternoon naps, and then snuck off to the keep for her own.  Little Daniel, the boy who reminded her so much of Michel trailed after her. 

“Lady Rhiann, Lady Rhiann, wait.”

Halfway across the courtyard, with Nathan’s young soldier Thomas trailing behind, a practice Rhiann thought rather foolish, but she did not dare voice her opinion to Nathan, Rhiann turned in surprise at the sound of Daniel’s young voice hailing her.  She waited for his breath to catch up with his legs, and then knelt down in front of him.  “Daniel, you shouldn’t leave the church grounds alone.  What is so urgent you wished to speak to me about?”

“The lady promised me a coin if I could catch you, milady.  She said she wished a word with you before you returned to the keep.” 

Curious, Rhiann looked around but didn’t see any lady waiting for her.  “What lady?”

“She’s waiting for you back at the church.”  Daniel reached for her hand to pull her back with him and Rhiann reluctantly allowed herself to be led along, thinking longingly of her nap.  She thought she knew who was waiting for her at the church.

Lady Regina must have taken some of Rhiann’s admonition to heart and wished to help with the children.  As much as she wished to delay the encounter, guessing she would be forced to forego her nap in an effort to ease Lady Regina’s entry into her new charitable endeavors, she was all too conscious of the fact Father Bernard needed as much assistance as could be found to help him with the children, to deny him even Lady Regina’s likely half-hearted efforts. She therefore allowed Daniel to tug her along back to the old church.  They entered through the rear and hurried passed the rows of sleeping children and towards the sacristy where Lady Regina apparently waited for her. In his hurry to collect his just compensation for services rendered, Daniel pushed open the door.

“Lady, lady.  I brought her like you asked. Can I have my coin now?”

Rhiann smiled at Daniel’s hopeful query, hoped Lady Regina had the necessary coin to make good on her promise to the young boy and decided, if not, she would see to it Daniel received his promised reward for completing his errand. 

She turned at Thomas’ hesitant touch on her shoulder, indicating he should precede her into the room to ensure all was well.  Knowing how anxious he was to please his lord, Rhiann swallowed her smile at his serious expression and stepped aside to allow him to pass in front of her. What happened next so astonished her, it took her a few moments for her mind to process the stunning circumstance that Thomas’ instincts were dead on and there was actually a viable threat lurking behind the closed door.  She knew Nathan would expect her to run to him for assistance but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Thomas and Daniel to face the armed men alone, particularly when she was armed.  She could though, scream for help.  Just as she opened her mouth to do just that, the blow struck her from behind.  Rhiann had just enough time to be surprised by the depth of Lady Regina’s resentment towards her and chided herself for thinking the bitter woman possessed even the slightest care for the plight of the orphans, before consciousness deserted her and she crumbled to the floor.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The look on the old priest’s face sent Nathan’s heart plummeting to the frozen ground beneath his feet.  His strength momentarily deserted him as he struggled to stand on legs suddenly so weak they were having difficulty keeping him upright.  Raw terror such as he’d never known gripped him as the import of what would cause such a look of fear on the face of a man of God who daily stared death in the face and accepted its approach with serenity.  A single thought coalesced into the agony of his loss and echoed through his entire body, even while it escaped his lips in only a dreaded whisper.

“Rhiann.”