Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
"Indeed," Alec grasped
her chin gently and studied the red welt on the creamy skin, almost a perfect
handprint.
Ivy swallowed, embarrassed as
Alec observed her handiwork on Peyton's face. She thought it best to change the
subject before he changed his mind and decided to call her out. "How is
Ali faring? I have not seen him since early this morn."
"He is exhausted but well,
considering," Alec replied, seating his large frame on the edge of the
bed. "I am positive at this moment he is riding like the wind to reach
Northampton. Hell, the horse probably isn't fast enough and He is racing on
foot."
Ivy giggled, relieved, feeling a
good deal of comfort and satisfaction. A most pleasurable end to a most
horrible night, an end she thought never to see. "What made your father
change his mind, Alec?"
Alec glanced at his flame-hair
wife. "A close relative was most persuasive on your behalf."
Ivy gave her sister a long look.
"I am afraid to ask. Did you attempt to garrote your father-in-law? Or was
it the threat of skinning him alive that caused him to change his mind?"
Peyton gave her sister an
irritable look and moved toward Alec. "Nothing of the kind. I simply told
him of the Warrington's true nature and it was enough to convince him."
The humor faded from Ivy's
expression. "That was my biggest fear, you know. Being thrown into the den
of debauchers, alone."
Peyton's humor vanished as well.
"Worry no more, darling. Lord Brian is a wise and sensible man."
Alec's thick arm snaked out and
grasped her around the waist, pulling her onto his lap. "Only last night
he was Lucifer incarnate. My father seems to be a great many things to a great
many people."
Ivy watched her sister and her
new husband, marveling at how well they were getting on. Their beginning had
been so terribly rocky that she never truly thought she would see this level of
fondness between them. It was readily apparent that there was a great deal of
affection and she sincerely hoped that somehow Peyton had been able to put
James out of her mind. From the way she was looking at Alec, it would seem so.
"When will we return to St.
Cloven?" she asked after a moment.
Alec turned his attention to her
briefly before returning to Peyton. "Tomorrow, most likely. Ali and I must
pack our possessions and then we may leave."
"We do need to return as
soon as possible," Peyton said, her arms wound around her husband's neck
affectionately. "We have an entire lot of pale ale that should be ready
for sale. I must get back and determine its readiness."
"Do you not have a
master brewer to attend to that?" he asked.
"Of course. But I
have the final decision."
He almost added that her
duty was past tense, at least until he learned the intricacies of ale making,
but he bit his tongue. It occurred to him that his wife was intelligent enough
to continue her position as master ale administrator without his interference.
After all, she had been born into it, as he had not been, and knew the details
and workings far better than he. Moreover, the reputation of St. Cloven's ale
had not suffered in the least since Albert's death; if anything, it had
increased in quality.
Aye, he decided firmly, the best
thing would be for him to allow his wife to continue with her duties. He was
smart enough to know wherein her strengths lie.
"Then we shall leave
tomorrow," he said decisively. "As it is, I want to make sure St.
Cloven's stables are well equipped to handle my brood of horses before I
transfer them from Blackstone."
"Horses? What horses?"
Peyton asked.
"My Saracens," he
replied. "I collected three mares and a stallion when I was in the Holy
Land. I have been breeding the mares to the destriers and have developed
several incredibly strong and swift animals. I have already sold two of them to
the king for his private stable at a considerable price, and in turn I have
several nobles breathing down my neck to purchase my next crop of foals."
"Horses and ale. What a
smelly combination," Ivy snorted. "You two will certainly be a pair,
one reeking of manure and the other of liquor."
Peyton shot her sister a hostile
glare, though exaggerated, before refocusing on her husband. "You never
told me that you bred Saracens."
"Not exactly bedchamber
talk, darling," Ivy said before Alec could answer. "I doubt that was
foremost on his mind when he took you to bed last night."
Alec actually grinned. "Your
sister's right, of course, and it never came up in casual conversation."
Peyton shrugged in agreement,
hearing her sister snickering over her shoulder. With a sly glance, she looked
to Ivy. " You are in no position to laugh at me for not knowing everything
about my husband, considering the fact that you are unwed and no longer a
maiden. I Do not suppose you and Ali have done much talking, either."
Ivy did not flush, as she should
have. Instead, she gave her sister a bold, seductive look. "He said that
you once asked if he was black all over. I can confirm that he is."
Alec rolled his eyes at the bawdy
turn in conversation. "I am sure he does not wish for that to become
public knowledge, Ivy."
"I am not the public,"
Peyton said indignantly.
"Nay, you are not, you are
my wife, and I shall not have you privy to such personal knowledge as another
man's body characteristics," he cast a stern eye to Ivy. "You will
keep such facts to yourself. You will not tantalize my wife with tales of your
all-black soldier."
Ivy laughed at him, as did
Peyton. Alec tried to remain stern, pulling Peyton closer and burying his face
in her neck lest they see that he was on the verge of grinning. Peyton patted
his head as if he were a child.
"I am afraid we have
embarrassed him with our bold talk," she told her sister. "He shall
never recover."
"Poor, poor Alec," Ivy
clucked. "Tell me, Peyton. Is he white all over?"
Peyton opened her mouth and
Alec's head came up. "Not a word," he threatened. "That is
something your sister will have to ponder the rest of her life. Now, the both
of you, cease this line of talk. I am terribly unnerved by the entire
thing."
Peyton and Ivy grinned at each
other. "Poor innocent pup," Ivy said soothingly. "Of course we
will speak of something else that will not upset your delicate balance. Let's
talk about breeding."
"Breeding!" Alec
boomed. "Not a chance!"
"Horse breeding, Alec,"
Ivy insisted, losing the battle against her giggles. "Won't you tell us
about it?"
"No," he said flatly,
swatting his wife's behind when she leapt from his lap in a fit of snickers.
"It's a secret. Not for your fragile feminine ears."
Peyton shook her head as Ivy
begged and Alec refused, moving for the wardrobe and thinking on changing into
a fresh gown. She continued to dig through the wardrobe as Alec and Ivy
bantered until she suddenly realized that something was missing from their
room. Someone was missing.
"Ivy, where's Jubil?"
"She went out after the nooning
meal to scour the countryside for new ingredients," Ivy replied. "She
took a knight with her - what's his name? Toby? He looks a good deal like you,
Alec."
Alec raised an eyebrow, the mirth
gone from his expression. He did not say anything for a moment, a distinct give
away, and Peyton turned to look at him intently from her position by the
wardrobe.
"Is he a cousin?" she
asked.
He sighed and shook his head.
They would both hear the truth soon enough; better to hear it from him. "He
is my half-brother."
Peyton looked at him in surprise.
"You father's bastard?"
"Nay," he replied
quietly. "My mother's."
Peyton's eyes widened further and
she glanced at Ivy, whose face was a mirror of her own. "Your
mother's
bastard?" Peyton repeated.
He nodded faintly, rising from
the bed with popping joints. "Toby was born while my father was away,
fighting with King Henry. I Do not know who his father is and I never
asked."
Peyton, brow furrowed with
puzzlement, turned back to her wardrobe. "He is a very handsome man.
Except for his shorter height, he looks a good deal like you."
Alec appeared lost in thought a
moment longer before glancing at his wife. "He is a good lad. My father
allowed him to return to Blackstone after fostering because my mother missed
him terribly. Especially after the misfortune of Paul and the loss of Peter, my
father would not deny my mother her living flesh."
Peyton drew out a golden gown,
her movements slow and thoughtful. "Your father is a saint, Alec. I would
not be so generous."
Alec shrugged. "He is a
decent man, far more than most. As I said, I do not know the entire story
regarding Toby's birth and most likely never will. But, if you please, this
knowledge goes no further."
Ivy nodded solemnly as Peyton laid
the golden gown on the bed. Alec eyed it with approval. "A magnificent
piece. You will outshine the sun."
"It's not for me, it's for
Ivy," she said firmly. "'Tis the dress she will be married in."
Alec smiled faintly, glancing to
his sister-in-law. "In that case, Ivy, you shall outshine the sun."
Ivy stood from her chair,
brushing her fingers over the burnished gold. "How long does it take to
ride to Northampton?"
"With luck, He shall return
in three of four hours," Alec replied, noting the wistful tone of Ivy's
voice. "Have no fear, Lady Ivy. He shall return dragging the lawyer by his
hair if it is the fastest way."
From outside the thick stone
walls there came a shouting, a chorus that was picked up by several other
soldiers. Alec moved to the latticed windows, feeling the heat of the day
grasping at his face as he gazed out over the bailey.
"What is it?" Peyton
asked him.
He shook his head vaguely. "I
am not sure. It looks like...." he suddenly broke off, taking a long look
before whirling on his heel and marching for the door. Ivy and Peyton watched
his sharp movements with concern.
"What is it, Alec?"
Peyton demanded again.
To her distress, his face was as
hard as stone. When he spoke, his tone was like ice. "It looks as if the
Warrington's have ridden even harder than Ali. They're early."
The sisters gasped and dashed to
the window even as Alec jerked open the door. But he paused a moment,
anticipating their reaction. He was far more concerned with their mental state
than the anger that would surely come from the scorned family.
"Blue and black,"
Peyton murmured. "The Warrington standard. See the preying cat?"
Ivy nodded. "Look! My God,
there's Colin Warrington himself in the very lead."
Peyton jostled for a closer look.
"Look at the pea-brained lout! And, Good Lord, Nigel has lost a good deal
of hair. The last I saw him, he had a crown of sandy blond hair. Now it looks
as if a blind man tried to shave his scalp."
Satisfied to see that the
appearance of the hated enemy had not turned either woman into hysterical
females, he closed the door behind him and proceeded down the corridor.
Truthfully, their reaction did
not surprise him; he was coming to learn that the de Fluornoy women were made
of much stronger elements that most other females. Their bravery and gumption
pleased him deeply, and he was far better able to focus on the coming conflict
that was undoubtedly brewing.
His wife's scorned suitor.
***
Brian and Lady Celine were caught
up in the turmoil of Rachel's labor and Alec could hear the woman moaning as he
stood outside her bower, relaying the arrival of the Warringtons to his father.
Brian, pale lipped and sweating,
seemed to be having difficulty grasping the turn of events and Alec was
concerned for his father's sanity. He knew how desperately his father wanted a
grandson, but the man was acting as if it were his very own child being born.
Lady Celine, pale and drawn, made a brief appearance in the corridor and did
not so much as utter a hostile word to Alec regarding his elopement. All of
her energy, too, seemed to be focused on the impending child and she quickly
disappeared into the bower when Rachel emitted a particularly pathetic groan.
It was plain to Alec that his
father was incapable of handling this tense confrontation at the moment and he
hasten to assure his father that he would handle the Warringtons until Brian's
composure returned. While his father retreated to his bower to freshen and
regain his senses, Alec found himself down in the foyer preparing to greet the
most unsavory guests.
Toby met him in the doorway, his
young face flushed from the heat. "The Warringtons are early. We have not
prepared...."
Alec cut him off. "I know.
Where's Jubil?"
Toby blinked at the change of
subject. "Upstairs, I suppose. We returned a few minutes ago. What about
the Warringtons?"