Word of Honor (Knights of Valor Book 1) (18 page)

Merryn
stepped forward. “Sire.” She indicated Hugh and Milla with a sweeping hand.
“May I present my brother, Sir Hugh Mantel, who has fought with you in northern
Scotland. And my sister-in-law, Milla. You met them on your last visit here, as
well as my mother-in-law, Lady Elia.”

The couple
and Elia acknowledged the royals and chatted briefly with them, the queen
smiling knowingly at Milla’s rounded belly.

Then Edward
looked over and pointed at Hardi. “I don’t know you.”

Hardi moved
forward. “I am Hardwick, neighbor to the north of Kinwick. And earl of
Winterbourne.”

The king’s
brows shot up upon hearing that news. He glanced from Geoffrey back to Hardi.
“Hmm. Interesting.”

Merryn
reached over and thrust Johamma forward. “This is Lady Johamma, sire. The
earl’s betrothed.”

Without
warning, the twins rushed up and made their curtsey and bow. Merryn apologized
for their eagerness.

Alys handed
some posies she’d gathered to the queen and her picture to the king without a
word, shyly stepping back and clinging to her mother’s skirts.

Ancel
yanked his wooden sword up and declared, “I will fight with my king to the ends
of the earth for England’s honor.”

Edward
laughed heartily. “I see you’ll make a fine knight. Just like your father.”

Ancel
glanced over to Geoffrey and then shrugged. Merryn watched as Edward frowned at
the exchange. Though Alys had warmed quickly to Geoffrey, Ancel still acted a
bit standoffish to his father at times, not sure if he could trust him.

She
interjected, “I have several entertainments planned for your visit, your
majesty. “A hunt. Feasts.” She named several of the courses she planned to
serve and watched the king’s eyes glow in approval.

“I also
have a request.” Merryn paused, working up her courage in light of what she had
learned minutes ago. “Lady Johamma has no living family, neither parents nor
brothers and sisters. I had hoped you and the queen would grace her and the
earl with your presence at their marriage. They could marry here at Kinwick
during your stay and celebrate with their wedding feast in our Great Hall.”

Edward
rubbed his jaw in thought. “I shall consider it.”

She decided
to sweeten the pot. “We also would like to hold a small tournament, your
majesty. Nothing fancy. Just our local knights involved.” Merryn looked to
Geoffrey for support.

“My men at
arms have been training for weeks in anticipation of your arrival, sire. They
want to show off their jousting and sword skills to you and Queen Philippa.”

The queen
smiled. “I do enjoy a good joust.” She gave her husband a pointed look. “And I
adore weddings.”

That
decided Edward. He clapped his hands in delight. “So be it. ‘Twill be a hunt
for our first day here in the morn. The day after we shall celebrate a wedding.
The following day will be the joust.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now show
me to your Great Hall, Lady Merryn. I grow faint with hunger.”

She and
Geoffrey led the way as Edward took the queen’s hand and escorted her up the
steps.

On the way,
the king told Merryn, “We shall have a walk and talk, my lady. You too, Lord
Geoffrey. I have several questions that need to be answered regarding the state
of affairs at Kinwick.”

Merryn
dreaded lying to the king about Geoffrey’s missing years and wondered what her
husband would tell Edward.

It
surprised her when Geoffrey smiled. “Think not to distract me, your majesty.
For even as we talk, I shall have a guard of ten sworn to protect Cook.”

Edward
dropped his wife’s arm and paused. Merryn thought his look of outrage a bad
sign that a tantrum would follow.

Then he
burst into raucous laughter. “I rather like you, Lord Geoffrey. And as a man of
your word, I believe you will most certainly protect your cook.” He slapped
Geoffrey hard on the back, and the two of them continued on their way.

Merryn
breathed a sigh of relief as Queen Philippa linked an arm through hers, and
they followed their men into the keep.

They dined
in the Great Hall, Edward in a jovial mood. The king’s appetite remained enormous,
and he consumed vast quantities. Merryn was shocked at how he quickly he downed
the various flavors of tarts.

“I declare,
these fruit tarts are even better than I remembered.”

“You most
certainly would know,” Philippa retorted. “You have sampled a good five or
more,” she gently scolded.

“Do you
chide me, Wife?” Edward turned to Geoffrey for support. “Surely, my lord, a man
should be able to eat a few simple tarts without worry.”

“I could
not agree more, sire,” Geoffrey responded. Merryn saw him hide a grin behind
the hand he brought to his mouth.

“’Tis
stuffed to the gills I am.” Edward looked at his wife. “Shall we retire to the
solar? I am not as young as I once was. I feel the need for a long rest after
our journey.”

“I am most
agreeable to that plan, Husband.” As they withdrew, Philippa winked at Merryn.
She had a feeling the king had more than rest upon his mind for the afternoon.

As they
rose, Hugh caught her elbow. “Milla and I have decided to head home. She needs
her rest, as well.”

Milla nodded.
“I seem to tire easily.”

“’Tis a
part of it,” Merryn agreed. “I was never as tired as when I carried the twins.
The larger I got, the less energy I possessed. I swear that they snatched it
from me deep within my womb and held it in their greedy little hands.” She
looked to her brother. “Will you return for the hunt on the morrow?”

“Nay.” Hugh
looked off in the distance. “My presence is not required. And the hunt,
frankly, reminds me of all the bad aspects associated with war. I shall pass on
that activity. But we shall return the day after it for the wedding. I may also
compete in the joust. I haven’t decided yet.”

Merryn
kissed them both farewell, and they departed. Hardi and Johamma stepped up to
her.

The young
girl took her hands. “Thank you, Lady Merryn, for making my wedding take place
in front of the royal couple. ‘Tis a brave woman you are. I would have been
quaking in my shoes and never found my voice to ask the king that favor.” She
cast her eyes down. “Especially after what transpired.”

“We are
happy to have you marry at Kinwick. I had already made preliminary arrangements
in case the king found himself agreeable to the proposal. Our priest will be
ready. All I need to do is find out your favorite foods so I can serve them.”

Johamma said,
“Nay, serve what delights our king. We shall be happy to eat whatever is placed
before us.”

Hardi took
her elbow and squeezed it with affection. “Thanks to you, my lady, an
impossibly awkward situation has turned into a cause of celebration. My deepest
gratitude goes out to you.” He paused. “If ever you have a favor to ask that
‘tis within my power to grant, say the word. I shall do everything to make it
happen,” he said fervently.

“Anything?”
Geoffrey asked as he came to stand next to Merryn.

Hardi
swallowed. “Anything Lady Merryn would ask of me, I would do.” He took her hand
and pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

Merryn
sensed a ripple of tension in Geoffrey as she thanked Hardi. He and Johamma
took their leave.

She turned
to her husband. “I want to know about Barrett. Now.”

He gave her
a long look. “Let us adjourn somewhere we have more privacy.” Geoffrey led her
to the small room Diggory used to accomplish his duties as steward and where
all the business of the estate was kept on record. He shut the door and offered
her a seat.

“No. I
prefer to stand.” Merryn waited for him to speak. When he remained silent, she
asked, “Why did you hide this from me?”

Geoffrey
ran a hand through his thick hair. “I never meant to.” He reached for her hands
and wrapped his fingers around hers. “I fought in France for so long, Merryn.
When I made my way back to you and Kinwick, all I could think about was how
happy I was to be home again. Leaving the horrors of war behind ‘twas important
to me. I wanted to look to the future—our future—and never think about those
dark times again. If I could, I would forget everything that happened in
France.”

Her heart
ached at his words and anguished tone. “You never told me how awful the war
was. Nor how deeply it affected you. I’m sorry. ‘Twas only my curiosity about
something which you’d never spoken much of.” She tightened her fingers around
his. “We need never speak of it again.”

A shadow
crossed her husband’s face. “Even harder than the memories of the fighting and
bloodshed, of losing men that I fought side by side with, men whom I’d
befriended—was knowing I was responsible for the death of a neighbor. Even though
he proved a traitor to his country. That I lived. That I must look his father
in the eye, knowing Lord Berold blamed me for his heir’s death. Knowing Hardi
was so young and had looked up to Barrett as any much younger brother worships
an older one.”

“I don’t
think Hardi bears any ill will toward you, Geoffrey,” Merryn noted. “And though
it seems you bear tremendous guilt over reporting your knowledge of a man who
had willingly betrayed his country, I believe you did the right thing for your
king and England.”

But the
look on his face said otherwise. 

***

The hunt
strictly involved the men. Though his wife could ride as well as any man, she
told Geoffrey she would remain behind to attend to Queen Philippa and continue
to put the finishing touches upon the wedding arrangements and the evening’s
feast and festivities. He knew she’d hired both a troubadour to sing and a
talented jogelour to perform tricks of skill and magic as tonight’s
entertainment.

As horses
were saddled and brought out, Geoffrey mounted Mystery. He flashed back to the
years of sitting in the dark dungeon of Winterbourne, where sometimes he passed
hours of time by riding Mystery in his mind. His beloved horse had taken him
all across the countryside, sometimes alone, sometimes with Merryn riding in
front of him, his arms around her, her chestnut hair blowing in the breeze.

Geoffrey
shook his head hard, willing the sad memories to dissipate. He needed to remain
sharp. His gut told him the king would manage to speak to him today about the
time he spent missing from Kinwick.

He dreaded
the conversation.

“You shall
ride with me, Geoffrey de Montfort.”

The words
startled him. He looked up to find England’s king sitting in his saddle, their
horses side by side.

“Of course,
your highness,” he said, surprised at how confident he sounded. “‘Tis my
pleasure to accompany you during the hunt. Our woods are wide and deep and will
bring quite the challenge.”

He looked
around as the yard filled with well over two hundred men mounted. It gave him a
sinking feeling to be surrounded by the presence of so many. The noise from dozens
of boisterous conversations and loud laughter disoriented him. He had to fight
to keep Mystery in place instead of kicking his heels and riding off to find
solace.

At that
moment, he appreciated his quiet life at Kinwick. He knew he might not ever be
as he had been before his disappearance, but he relished life at his country
estate. He believed he could recover and become as close to the man he once
was, given enough time. Already, his nightmares came with less frequency,
though he still liked to be surrounded by light.

And the
best medicine of all had proved to be Merryn. Her faith in him, even knowing he
kept dark secrets from her, would be what saved him from a descent into
madness. As long as his beloved remained at his side, he would survive.

And
hopefully thrive. Geoffrey didn’t know what he’d done to deserve an earthly
angel to watch over him, but he knew Merryn would protect him as any lioness
would her cubs.

He rode
beside the king, their conversation light, as the men sought various prey. Then
shouts ahead announced a boar had been spotted. The mass of riders turned their
mounts and flew like the wind in the indicated direction, a stampede of
thundering hooves.

All except
Geoffrey and Edward and a handful of the royal guard.

Including
Sir Symond Benedict.

The king
waved them off as he indicated to Geoffrey to ride in the opposite direction of
those in pursuit of the boar. They did so, the royal guard following at a discreet
distance.

Finally,
Edward slowed his horse. Geoffrey knew the time had arrived for a serious
conversation.

“I grow old,”
Edward shared. “Once I enjoyed the excitement of the hunt. The thrill of the
chase. But now I choose to allow others to enjoy it for me.” The king threw a
leg over his horse and dropped to the ground. “Walk with me.”

Geoffrey
dismounted and kept Mystery’s reins in his hand. The horses trudged behind
their masters.

“You have
fine lands. And from what I can see and what Lady Merryn has shared with me
over the years, happy people.”

“Yes, ‘tis
due to my wife’s efforts that Kinwick runs so efficiently.”

Edward
smiled. “Ah, Lady Merryn. A true beauty and woman of rare intelligence. If not
for my darling Philippa, I would have married Lady Merryn myself.” He chuckled.
“Instead, she’s become almost as a daughter to me. She challenges me, where
others dare not speak to me in such a manner. Her ideas on taxation, in
particular. Did you know she came up with a better way to both tax and record
the transactions? I am now using a form of it, through my advisers. When I
shared the plan with them, they all thought ‘twas brilliant on my part.”

Geoffrey
swelled with pride. “Nothing Merryn does surprises me. She is an original. From
childhood, I knew how very special she was. When we were apart, she was all I
ever thought of.”

“You love
her. A great deal,” the king observed.

“With everything
I am and have. She holds my heart, sire. She is my reason for living.”

Edward
scowled. “Then why did you willingly leave her?” he scolded. “You are most
fortunate, Lord Geoffrey. You could have returned after years and found her the
wife of another man, living upon another estate. What could possibly make you
walk away from a woman you claim to love with your heart and mind and soul?”

“I know of
your plans. You would have married her off to Benedict.”

“Yes. I
gave the lady more than adequate time to mourn your supposed passing. Benedict
is a good soldier and a man to be trusted.”

“But is he
a good man?” Geoffrey asked.

He’d spoken
to several of his knights once Gilbert had revealed Benedict would have become
master of Kinwick. From those he’d spoken to, he didn’t like what he’d heard.
The soldiers of Kinwick believed the man assumed too much and was a braggart.
One even referred to a kitchen maid he was sweet on that Benedict had seemed to
terrorize with his frightful pursuit of her—all while at Kinwick to gain
Merryn’s affections and get to know her better.

“He’s been
nothing but a loyal guardsman to me, so I’m sure Lady Merryn would have found
him loyal to her and Kinwick. But Lord Geoffrey, you can no longer avoid my
question. I ask as your king and as a man—why did you leave paradise? You had
everything and risked it—for what?”

Geoffrey
gathered his courage and spoke thoughtfully, from his heart. “You know from the
Black Prince, your heir and beloved son, that I hold my word as my strongest
bond of honor. ‘Tis a reflection of who I am as a man.” He swallowed hard. “And
I gave my oath that I would never share where I spent those years, nor with
whom I spent them. Would that I could, sire, but I cannot break that promise.

“Only know
this—I knew I had found paradise on earth—and that ‘twas snatched from me
against my will.”

Edward
regarded him solemnly for some minutes, no word spoken between them. Finally,
he said, “I could command you to tell. And imprison you if you refused my
order.”

Geoffrey sighed
and nodded in agreement. “That you could, sire. You could even torture me, and
still, ‘twould be as if I had no tongue to speak. As if I were deaf and mute,
for my conscience would not allow me to reveal what I swore to keep private
till the end of time. I am not happy I must keep this oath, but I do not regret
keeping it. ‘Tis everything I am.”

The king’s
mouth tightened in displeasure, but he nodded slowly. “You are a true man of
honor. Never have I met a knight whose word meant so much to him.”

Geoffrey
held his breath, not knowing if the king meant the praise and would let the
matter drop—or if he would punish him.

Then a slow
smile spread across Edward’s face. “I have need of men like you in London.”