While Angels Slept (20 page)

“Damnable
Gloucester,” he finally muttered. “It is his fault.”

“Why?”

Geoff whirled on
him, his expression taut.  “Because we agreed to split Oxfordshire when Matilda
returned to assume her right, but I have been told by others that Gloucester has
already been in discussions with Lord Wallingford for the same purpose. Imagine;
Wallingford instead of me! He is not even an earl, but a lesser noble of an old
Saxon line, long bereft of money or dignity.  The very idea is an insult.
Therefore, I decided not to support Matilda and her treacherous brother, Earl Gloucester,
if that is all of the loyalty they can show me.”

Tevin watched
him rave like a child. Petulant as it was, it explained a lot. No strong sense
of country or unity destroyed Geoff; simply the deeds of a nobleman playing a
political game.  Tevin didn’t know whether to slap him or laugh at him.

“It could not be
because Wallingford and Gloucester are cousins, could it?” he said with more
control than he felt. “Gloucester had no familial loyalty to you.”

Geoff’s dark
eyes widened. “Nor I to him. Therefore, we fight for the true king; we fight
for Stephen.”

“Matilda has
more of a claim to the throne than Stephen.”

“Say that again
and I shall throw you in the vault!”

Tevin did laugh,
then. He couldn’t help it. He shook his head and stood up, weary of the temper
tantrum and eager to see Cantia. “The evening meal should be coming shortly,”
he said. “Why do you not retreat to your chamber and rest? Bathe if it pleases
you. We’ll speak more of this at sup.”

As quickly as
Geoff flamed, that was as quickly as he doused. The rigidity went out of his
posture and he returned his attention to the fine wine.  With long movements,
he poured himself another measure.  “I am not hungry,” he grumbled, mouth to
the rim of the cup.

Tevin was
already moving for the door. “Then do not eat. But at least come and sit and
enjoy the conversation.”

Geoff took a
long drink. “Where is Val?” he asked casually. “I’ve not seen her all day.”

Tevin paused; by
Geoff’s tone, he knew the man had been waiting for the right moment to ask that
question. And by his expression, Tevin was further convinced that he knew
exactly what Tevin was up to; he was hiding her. Geoff was, if nothing else,
intelligent. But Tevin stood his ground.

“She is occupied,”
he said evenly. “She likes to ride patrol, you know.”

“Where is
Arabel?”

“With her women,
upstairs. She is exhausted from being dragged half way across England.”

“Will she join
us for sup?”

“If that is your
wish.”

Geoff simply
lifted an eyebrow and Tevin left the solar without another word. He didn’t dare
mount the stairs to the chambers upstairs, suspecting that Geoff would be
following his movements. So he went into the great hall and exited out into the
kitchens, thinking to throw his mistrustful cousin off the track.  He quit the
kitchen yards and found himself marching through the stables on his way to the
knight’s quarters.

All the while,
he knew his cousin’s eyes were upon him, mentally if not physically.  Geoff was
suspicious of everyone and everything.  By the time Tevin reached the knight’s
quarters, was ready for a stiff drink himself. Something about Geoff’s presence
always put him on edge.  He would take a measure of ale with his men before
retreating upstairs, giving enough time for Geoff to forget about their
conversation and, hopefully, Val.

He could not
have known how wrong he was. Geoff did not follow Tevin any further than the
solar entry; he had wandered to the door, watching his powerful cousin walk
across the great hall and out of the door leading to the kitchens. But that was
the extent of it.  He knew the man was going to see to his men to repeat his
conversation with the Earl for their benefit.  It was normal enough; the men
had to know why they now supported the usurper and Geoff wasn’t suspicious of Tevin
in that aspect.  But Tevin had been right in one way; Geoff’s attention was
indeed on Val and her whereabouts.

To his left was
the staircase leading to the upper chambers.   His dark eyes glittered, an
inkling of an idea taking hold.  Tevin was clever, but not too terribly. With his
brutish cousin outside, Geoff was free to explore the keep and perhaps find
Val. Aye, he knew that Tevin hid her from him. He’d always known.

He took the
steps.

CHAPTER NINE

When Hunt tired
of the Board game that Tevin had brought them to play with, Val took over and
played against her niece. As the afternoon waned into night, Cantia sat with
some needlework that had been a project for quite some time, alternately
watching her delicate work and watching Val play against Arabel.  As dusk
darkened, she gave up on the needlework completely and watched the game
instead.

Arabel was a
brilliant girl.  She was quite adept at game strategies, winning the last two
games from her aunt.  She was also quite humorous and Val laughed freely with
her.  Cantia could see a great deal of Tevin in the girl, but she could also
see features and mannerisms that did not remind her of the girl’s powerful
father.  Arabel had an upturned nose and a big dimple in her chin, something
that did not ring of Tevin.  Thoughts then turned to the girl’s mother, a
Germanic noblewoman who had abandoned her at birth. 

Tevin said he
would find the woman no matter what. He would discover is she was alive or
dead.  Were she dead, there would be no troubles and Cantia knew she would
gladly marry Tevin.  But if the woman lived, then the future for them would not
be entirely honorable for Cantia knew, without a doubt, that she would stay
with Tevin forever. She did not relish being branded a mistress. But she
considered the reward well worth the risk.

The sun was
nearly set when a soft knock came at the door. Hunt, nearest to the panel,
thought it was Tevin bringing the evening meal and, being the starving child
that he was, threw open the door before his mother could stop him.   Cantia saw
a strange man standing in the doorway and heard Val gasp; with that startled
sound, she knew it could not be good.

The man had
Tevin’s black eyes.  His gaze found Hunt first and then Val as she quickly
stood up.  He smiled broadly at his strawberry-haired cousin and was about to
speak to her when Cantia also stood up and his focus was abruptly diverted. The
moment he laid eyes on her, the mood of the room exploded; they could all feel
it.

“Val,” he
stepped into the room, speaking to his cousin though his eyes were on Cantia.
“Your brother said you were occupied. I had no idea he meant in lady-like
pursuits. And who is your glorious companion?”

Cantia looked at
Val, who had a rather sickened look on her face. “Greetings, Geoff,” she said
with more courage than she felt. “This is the Lady Cantia Penden. My lady, this
is the Earl of East Anglia, my cousin.”

Geoff was on
Cantia in three strides. Reaching out, he took her reluctant hand and pulled it
to his lips for a gentle kiss. “My lady,” he said in a sultry voice. “’Tis a
pleasure. I had no idea the Steward had such a lovely daughter.”

Cantia wanted to
shrink away from the man; she didn’t like anything about him from the instant
their eyes met. “I am not his daughter, my lord,” she said. “I am Brac Penden’s
wife and this is my son, Hunt.”

Geoff didn’t
even look at the sandy-haired boy, now standing beside him and watching him
closely.  His gaze was fixated on Cantia.  “I heard of your husband’s death, my
lady,” he said, still holding her hand to his mouth. “Please accept my
sympathies.  It was a terrible tragedy to lose him.”

Cantia struggled
not to yank her hand away. “Aye, it was.”

Geoff’s eyes
were invading her, probing every inch of her face. “Surely so young and lovely
a lady will not be widowed for long. That should bring you comfort.”

It was a
horrible thing to say. Cantia pulled her hand from his grasp, taking a discreet
step away from him with Hunt still in her grip.  She was having difficulty
forming a reply to his crass statement when Val was suddenly beside her, making
an obvious attempt to distract her cousin.

“I was injured
in a skirmish a few weeks ago,” she said, hoping to capture his lustful
attention away from Cantia. “Since then, I’ve spent most of my time in lady
like pursuits. Tevin thinks it’s wonderful but I’ve found it boring. I’d much
rather have a sword in my hand.”

Geoff’s
attention was diverted from Cantia and his licentious expression morphed into
one of displeasure as he focused on his cousin. His emotions were easy to read.
“He told me you were out on patrol.”

Val kept her
steady expression. “I was.”

Geoff just
stared at her, knowing that wasn’t the truth. But no matter; he’d found what he
had sought and then some. After a moment, he snorted as if he found something
humorous.  His gaze moved from Val to Arabel, down to Hunt and finally back to
Cantia. There it remained as if nailed into place.

“My lady,” he
held out his hand to her. “I have so wanted a tour of this magnificent place.
Who better to grant my wish but you?”

Cantia looked at
the outstretched hand with something of dread.  After everything she had heard
about the Earl, she did not want to go with him in the least.  In fact, it was
an effort not to refuse and run for her life.  She glanced at Val, who gazed
back at her with a mixture of fear and sympathy. There was nothing she could
do. There was nothing anyone could do. Geoff would not be refused.

“As you wish, my
lord.”

Cantia moved
towards the door but did not take the earl’s outstretched hand. She turned
fully to Val as she progressed across the floor.

“You will
accompany us, my lady,” she said firmly, hoping her tone would infer to the
earl that she would accept nothing less. “Lady Arabel, would you please mind
Hunt while we are away? He will be no trouble.”

Arabel’s dark
eyes were wide. “Mind… mind him?”

Cantia forced a
smile at the girl. “He is a good boy. I believe you will do a fine job.”

Arabel had never
been trusted with any such task in her life.  The situation in her life was
always reversed; everyone was charged with minding
her
. Cantia could
read her naked fear, but in the next moment, there was a good deal of pleasure
that someone would trust her with such a task.  It was a responsibility she had
never been given and she was shocked, and also grateful, for the opportunity. It
made her feel grown-up.

“Aye, Lady
Penden,” she looked at Hunt. “I will mind him.”

Cantia nodded
confidently, holding out her hand to Val in the meanwhile. “Come along, my
lady,” she decided the best way to deal with Geoff was to show that she was not
afraid of him. Truthfully, she hadn’t a better plan at the moment. “I will give
you a great tour also. You have been caged up inside the keep for so long that
perhaps you’ve not imagined what more there is to this place.”

Val took
Cantia’s hand and the women quit the room in a protective huddle.  Geoff stood
there a moment, not at all happy that his private little tour with Lady Penden
was growing into something of a group activity.  He did not give the children
in the room a second glance as he followed behind the ladies and slammed the
door. Hunt raced to the door and bolted it, turning to look at Arabel, sitting
on the larger of the two beds in the room.  The young lady’s eyes were wide as
the children stared at one another.

“Hunt,” she
said. “You know every inch of this place, do you not?”

Hunt nodded.
“Where isth that man taking my mother?”

Arabel didn’t
know; she was too young to truly fathom what the man was capable of.  All she
knew was what her father had told her and that was only in the simplest of
terms. But they were not good terms.

“You must go and
find my father,” Arabel insisted quietly. “Tell him that Cousin Geoff has taken
your mother and Val.  He will want to know.”

“Why?”

“Because he
will!” she snapped irritably, then cooled. “Please, Hunt. This is important.”

Hunt pursed his
little lips in thought.  After a moment, he unbolted the door and peered into
the dark landing beyond as if to make sure no one stood between him and his
mission.   Quietly, he slipped from the door and the big blond dog rose from
his place in the corner, stretched, and followed.  The door shut softly,
leaving Arabel alone in the strange room.

As young as she
was, her apprehension was quite adult.

***

Under the pretense
of introducing Geoff to Rochester, Cantia was really on the hunt for Tevin.

Her plan was to
take Geoff to the living levels, not the private chambers.  She thought that any
introduction to a bedchamber, even for show, would put wicked ideas in his head
and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Furthermore, she wanted to stay
in public areas where servants and soldiers were about.  And, she hoped,
Tevin. 

Cantia and Val
still held on to one another as they descended the steps into the entry hall. 
Cantia chatted non-stop about the history of Rochester Castle, how there had
been a castle since ancient times on the site, and how the current stone
fortress was built by the Bishop of Rochester almost sixty years prior.  Then the
castle was lost to the House of de Gael twenty years later in a change of
political winds and had been established with a military steward to protect
both the town and the river crossing.   Brac Penden’s grandfather had been that
steward those years ago, which had then passed on to Charles.  It would have
gone to Brac had the man survived the skirmish.  Now, Hunt was the next in
line.

Geoff listened
with veiled patience to the history lesson.  He knew all of it, better than
Cantia did.  He walked slightly behind the women, observing Cantia with
glittering eyes.  He noted the delicious sway of her backside, the way her
lustrous hair caught the light. And he was particularly entranced by the
lavender eyes and the soft, sensual way in which she spoke.  He could have
listened to her all day.  In fact, he suspected he wasn’t the only one
interested in the woman’s charms and began to speculate that his cousin had the
woman shut up simply to keep her to himself.   Tevin didn’t keep mistresses nor
was he known to show particular interest in women, but Lady Penden’s aura would
be enough to seduce any man.