Brides of Ireland: A Medieval Historical Romance Bundle

by Kathryn Le Veque

  But Mara refused to allow them to pass. Clearly, she was uncomfortable with Johanne’s flippant answer. “What do you mean ‘where we left her’? Is she well?”

  Johanne’s green eyes focused on her. She seemed to do most of the talking while Edmund smirked and gloated. “Well enough. What would you expect after surrendering her virginal body to her husband?”

  Mara visibly paled, her pulse quickening. When she spoke, it was directed at Edmund. “You were… kind to her, my lord?”

  “That is none of your affair.”

  “I realize that. But I am asking nonetheless.”

  Edmund sighed, eyeing her a moment before replying. “Kind enough, I suppose. Far more than I was willing. Was that the answer you were seeking?”

  Mara swallowed hard, seeing the carelessness in his eyes and it only served to inflame her. “You never wanted her to begin with. Why did not you simply dissolve the contract or sell her to another? Why must you insist on continuing this… this torment?”

  Edmund cocked an eyebrow, suddenly realizing why Kirk was so protective of Lady Micheline. The little sister was quite defensive of her sibling, echoing Kirk’s actions perfectly. Or, as Edmund’s suspected, Kirk was merely echoing Lady Mara’s. Leaping to defend the sister of the woman he was smitten with.

  He did not know why he hadn’t realized the truth before; the actions in the dining hall when Kirk had prevented him from striking the wench, or the constant attention he paid her, pretending to be stern. Mayhap with his concern over his unwanted bride, he simply hadn’t given thought to anything else. Even something as obvious as Kirk’s infatuation.

  Aye, the knight’s shift of loyalty made sense now. And truthfully, he couldn’t blame the man. In spite of her unruly mouth, Mara was a lovely creature. Too lovely to kill should Johanne figure out what Edmund now understood. But his sister, too, had been focused on Micheline’s arrival. Enough to deter her from her usual scrutiny of Kirk. For the moment, at least, and unless Edmund intended to commit murder in the near future, he had better plan for the girl’s immediate removal.

  “You call your sister’s plight torment?” He let go of Johanne’s hand, moving to stand before a shaken Mara. Gazing over her lovely face, he realized well what Kirk saw in the girl. “Think of my plight, if you would. Betrothed to a woman I never wanted, forced to wed against my will. Sound familiar?”

  Mara refused to step back from him, although his foul breath was turning her stomach. “Indeed. But do you have to make an undesirable situation worse with your treatment of my sister? She simply wants to be a good wife.”

  Edmund stared at her a moment. Then, turning to glance at his sister, he laughed. “She was good. For both of us.”

  Mara had no idea what he meant. But she certainly did not like the tone of his voice. “Both of you? How do you mean?”

  Edmund continued to snicker, returning to his snorting sister. “Precisely that. A rather tasty bit of flesh. Unseasoned, but tasty.”

  Mara was lost to their meaning as Johanne latched on to her brother again, rubbing against him in a manner that made Mara’s skin crawl. “She’s simply inexperienced,” she murmured, loud enough for Mara to hear. “Time will improve her performance. And I will teach her what she needs to know in order to please you.”

  Mara stared at them, baffled and nauseated. “How… how can you teach… those things? How would you know…?”

  Johanne laughed, looking at Mara as if she were the most foolish creature on the face of the earth. “Ask your sister what I know, Mara. If she’s brave enough to tell you.”

  They turned away from the perplexed young lady in a snickering pair, continuing their walk of Anchorsholme’s grounds. Mara was about to follow them to demand clarification when a rumbling male voice caught her attention.

  “Let them go, love.”

  She turned to see Niles standing next to her. The bright blue eyes were filled with distress. “But….”

  He shook his head firmly. “Not those two, Mara. You would do well to stay far, far away from them.”

  Mara passed a lingering glance at the pair, sighing with frustration. “But they spoke so strangely, Niles. I do not think I like their inference at all.”

  Niles’ gaze was fixed on the couple as they disappeared into the kitchen yard. “And what inference was that?”

  Mara thought a moment. Then, she shook her head. “Truly, I do not know. But I must find my sister and make sure she is unharmed.”

  Niles took her arm, gently, before she could dash away. “That will not be necessary, I am sure,” he said quietly, putting her hand on his elbow. “Kirk will see to your sister and she is in far better hands than if God himself was watching over her.”

  Hesitantly, Mara allowed Niles to lead her at a leisurely pace toward the keep. “Niles?” she asked softly.

  “What is it, my lady?”

  “Why… why does Johanne tend her brother as if he were her lover? Are they so close?”

  Niles did not reply for a moment. “’Tis their way, Mara. Never ask more than that.”

  She was more puzzled than ever. “But Johanne said she would teach my sister what she needed to know in order to please Edmund.” She came to a halt under the bright winter sky, looking to the tall knight. “What on earth did she mean by that? How could she possibly know?”

  Niles sighed. “Trust me, Mara, you would not like the answer,” he said, resuming their walk. “Have you spoken with Kirk this morn?”

  Mara knew he was attempting to change the subject. “Nay, I have not. And I have no intention of speaking with him ever again.” She cast the knight a long look. “Why won’t you tell me what Johanne meant by her strange words? And why wouldn’t I like the answer?”

  Niles sighed again, heavily. He did not like the determined look in her eye.

  The kitchen yards vacated, not strangely, the moment Edmund and Johanne entered. Edmund kicked at a dog that came too close as they moved for the postern gate cut into the fortified wall.

  “Why did not you simply tell her the truth?” Johanne asked as the passageway enveloped her.

  Edmund followed behind. “Because it is none of her affair. Moreover, I do not believe we will have to worry over the Lady Mara much longer.”

  “She does not worry me,” Johanne snorted, casting her brother a long look. “Even so, you sound rather sure of yourself. What did you have in mind?”

  Edmund smiled as they emerged into the knee-high grass beyond the wall. “I have been considering the situation and I do believe I have come up with a brilliant plan.” He took his sister’s hand again. “Kirk is traveling to Quernmore Castle tomorrow, is he not?”

  Johanne nodded. “He is. And I am rather displeased with the fact that he will be seeing Lady Lily again. You know how infatuated she is with him.”

  “Never mind about Lady Lily. She is already pledged and certainly no threat to you,” Edmund grasped her by the shoulders, returning the subject to its original course. “As I was saying, Kirk will be meeting with Lord le Vay. A widower, is he not?”

  A flicker of understanding glimmered in his sister’s eyes. “You do not mean to suggest…?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Oh, Edmund,” she gasped. “Of course! How perfectly convenient!”

  Edmund nodded smugly. “Kirk will carry not only a request for military assistance for my Wicklow holdings, but he will also carry a sealed missive proposing a betrothal.”

  Johanne threw her arms around him and they giggled happily. “Le Vay has expressed the desire to wed again, especially after his son died of the fever two years ago and left him without an heir,” Johanne kissed her brother loudly on the cheek. “He’ll wed the little chit and we shall be done with her.”

  Edmund patted her on the cheek. “Mayhap we shall even send her along with Kirk for the baron’s inspection.”

  Johanne giggled again and Edmund was relieved that she had agreed to sending the woman away rather than wishing her away. That was w
hat she called it; wishing, as in wishing for death. But Johanne’s mood was particularly good today and Edmund was thankful; with Kirk’s interest in the girl, arranging her disappearance would have been difficult enough, if not impossible. Even so, he suspected the betrothal to Lord le Vay, once revealed, would not be well met and he realized he walked a fine line between keeping Johanne happy and avoiding Kirk’s wrath.

  But family came first, and his sister’s delighted expression was an indication of his supreme devotion. “Now you will not have to wish her away,” he said. “Save your powers for something worthwhile.”

  “Like what?”

  Edmund shrugged as they headed down the hill toward the grove of gnarled oak. “My wife, of course,” he snorted. “While the sister’s at Quernmore, mayhap we shall have a chance to see if she will fit well into our lifestyle. If not…”

  “If not, she’ll vanish like all the rest.”

  “Precisely.”

  The birdsong was sweet overhead as the shielding branches of the old oaks swallowed them. “Let’s take her to bed with us tonight,” Johanne grasped her brother’s hand affectionately, savoring the power she commanded over Life and Death. “Mayhap she’ll be more… cooperative.”

  Edmund lifted an eyebrow. “For her sake, I hope so,” his voice was serious as well as frightening. “Indeed, I do.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The nooning meal was less than an hour away. Kirk sat in the chilly solar, going over the maps of Edmund’s Wicklow holdings and struggling to keep his thoughts from lingering on Mara. He was faced with a very important task and was in desperate need of his mental facilities, even those that would rather seek out the little hellion and apologize rather than focus on the task at hand.

  He convinced himself he could not spare the time to apologize to her. He had more pressing duties and his personal feelings for Mara would simply have to wait. So he had planted himself in Edmund’s dimly-lit solar, refusing to cower at Mara’s feet simply to ease the tension between them. He had hoped she had learned something from their negative encounter, although he would have been truly surprised if she had. All he had learned was that he missed her terribly.

  Time passed at a painful pace as he endeavored to lay out a plan of containment against the Wicklow estates. Having no knowledge of the true scope of the revolt, a general course of action was the best he could do at the moment. And in the interim, he realized he had managed to quell his surging emotions somewhat and was pleased with his self-control. Self-control against a woman who inflamed and entranced him at the same time.

  Hunched over the map table, sturdy boot falls approached from the foyer and he glanced up as Niles entered the room. The expression on the man’s features was enough to distract Kirk from his turbulent thoughts.

  “What’s the matter?” he demanded. “Why do you look like that?”

  Niles was beyond grim. He was miserable, actually. “Kirk, I have done a terrible thing, I think.”

  Kirk cocked a droll eyebrow. “Pray tell, lad.”

  Niles shook his head. “This is serious, Kirk. I have just come from Mara and….”

  The mention of her name stirred Kirk intensely, dashing his recently-managed emotions. “What about Mara? Is she well?”

  Niles nodded quickly, seeing the urgency in Kirk’s eyes. “She is fine, Kirk. But we had a long conversation today and somehow I managed to tell her of Johanne and Edmund’s relationship. Christ, I have no idea how it slipped out, but it did. She badgered me and badgered me and before I realized what had happened, she knew the truth of it.”

  Kirk looked at the man as if he wanted to strangle him. “Damnation,” he hissed. “How could you, Niles? Mara, of all people, should know nothing!”

  Niles wished the earth would open up and swallow him. Surely it would be less painful than Kirk’s wrath. “I do not know, I tell you. She pestered me until I was crazy!”

  Kirk shook his head, the veins in his temples pulsing. “Where is she now?”

  “She ran to her chamber. I can only imagine she’s with Micheline.”

  Kirk’s face paled. “Oh… Christ!” he bolted past Niles, heading for the foyer. The knight raced after him.

  “What’s wrong, Kirk?” Niles was having difficulty keeping pace. “I thought you would be pleased to know she was with her sister. Surely Micheline will calm her!”

  Kirk mounted the stairs three at a time, hardly pausing to reply. “Under normal circumstances, I would,” he breathed as they topped the landing and headed down the corridor. “However, Micheline’s first experience with Edmund’s husbandly attentions was not a pleasant one. If Mara forces her sister to tell her….”

  They rounded a corner, picking up speed. “Tell her what?” Niles demanded.

  Kirk did not reply until they reached the ladies’ chamber. Scarcely stopping, he cast Niles a long look as he grasped the latch. “Johanne was a participant, Niles. Out of respect for Lady Micheline, I shall not tell you more than that.”

  As Niles struggled to overcome his shock, Kirk was already into the chamber, his eyes searching for Mara. But the only face he came into contact with was Micheline’s.

  “Where’s Mara?” he demanded.

  Micheline’s eyes were wide. Accusing, he thought. “What did you tell her, Kirk?”

  Kirk shook his head. “Nothing, my lady. I have not seen her. What hap…?”

  Micheline cut him off, as livid as he had ever seen her. “Some fool told her of Edmund and Johanne. After she realized I was not going to tell her all that had transpired in my wedding bed, she ran from here like a madwoman. I have no idea where she might have gone.”

  Niles, lingering by the chamber door, cleared his throat guiltily. Kirk glanced at him, a look of pure exasperation on his face before returning his focus to Micheline. “When did she leave?”

  “A minute or so before you arrived. I was just coming to find you myself.”

  “Did she say anything that might lend clue to where she was heading? Anything at all?”

  Micheline shook her head. “Nothing. I tried to keep her here, but she shoved me to the ground,” she sighed, her anger replaced by a genuine fear. “I am worried for her, Kirk. There’s no knowing what she might do.”

  Kirk scratched his head, a nervous gesture. “Why are we so sure she is going to do anything,” the itching hand dropped to his side. “I came up here merely to prevent her from forcing the truth from you and thereby preclude a hysterical situation. Since you refrained from telling her anything, mayhap she’s simply run off to sulk.”

  Micheline shook her head. “Even if I did not tell her, it was evident that she suspected… something,” she kept her voice low lest Niles hear of her shame. “Mara is not stupid, Kirk. She suspects something humiliating happened. But she does not know what.”

  Kirk stared at the woman a long, long moment. “And the only other person capable of telling her…”

  “And gladly, I would think.”

  “…would be Edmund.”

  Kirk was already moving for the door, a sense of urgency filling him like nothing before. Micheline ran after him, her chest swelling with terror.

  “She is capable of using a dagger,” she gasped. “I have seen her!”

  Kirk paused long enough to cast her a disturbed expression. “You have seen her?”

  Micheline nodded, pale and trembling where she had been furious not moments before. “When… when she was young, nine or ten years of age. She defended me in a tavern against a zealous soldier. She was forced to stab the man while our father stood by, drunk and inactive and involved in his dice game. There was no choice, mind you; if she hadn’t stabbed the man, he would have done unspeakable things to me.”

  Kirk stared at Micheline before letting out a sharp, ragged sigh. “Christ,” he muttered. “Has she always been defending you so, Micheline?”

  “Always,” Micheline whispered in reply. “She will do what she feels necessary.”

  Kirk did not like the sound of
that at all.

  Mara hadn’t been hard to follow. There were very few raven-haired ladies running about Anchorsholme with murder in their eye. Kirk and Niles tracked her to the kitchen yard, helped along by four children who indicated that Lady Mara had left the enclosure through the tunnel in the wall. Emerging into the tall grass, the knights continued their pursuit.

  The children in the yard were chatty enough to inform Kirk that Edmund and Johanne were also beyond the walls, feeding Kirk’s anxiety that Mara was either intent to do them great bodily harm or that, in doing so, she had been overcome and now lay dead or dying. Either scenario was terrifying and as he entered the cool grove of oak, he found himself praying for Mara’s safety. Fervent prayer that hadn’t touched his lips since his knighting ceremony.

  He and Niles quieted as they reached the shielding trees, alert for any sounds or movements. Kirk split away from the knight, taking a path through the heavy foliage, hoping he could find Mara before it was too late. Knowing that, in spite of her hasty judgment and foolish nature, her true motivation was the protection of her sister. In however form that protection might come.

  Aye, the woman had a heart of gold. And the mind of an imbecile at times. Kirk shook his head even as he moved silently among the trees, thinking that mayhap he should spank her again for being foolish enough to take the offensive against Edmund and Johanne. And after he spanked her, he would plead forgiveness for his harsh words and beg her to marry him once again. He simply couldn’t stand to be away from her, not even for a few lonely hours.

  Twisting his way along a holly bush, Kirk suddenly came to a halt. In the distance, he could hear the faint rumble of conversation and immediately recognized Edmund and Johanne through the trees. Crouching low so they would not see him, he saw Niles do the same from the corner of his eye. If Mara was after the pair, then she had to be close. Very close.