by Alexa Aston
Satisfied with her plan of action, Avelyn let her thoughts meander. She imagined Kenric taking her out in the meadow to ride and laughing with him. They’d take a respite from their lessons to snack on fruit and cheese. And somewhere along the way, she planned for kissing to be involved. By the Christ, she wanted more than anything to kiss that man again and feel his tongue mate with hers. She pined to taste his essence and stroke his broad chest and muscled arms.
Avelyn gave a sigh of contentment at the thought.
“Are you awake?” Sela asked.
“Aye.”
Her friend rolled onto her side and braced her elbow so that her head could rest in her hand. “I’m feeling refreshed. I like your sister very much. And Lord Michael is dashing. I wish I could find such a handsome man to be so taken with me.”
“He does love her a great deal,” Avelyn agreed. “Elysande feels the same about Michael. They’re definitely a love match.”
“The men of Sandbourne are certainly interesting. Some are even more attractive than those at court,” Sela said.
“I know you seem taken with Sir Martin.”
Sela nodded. “I do like him. And Sir Alaric at Kinwick. But I’m most fascinated by Sir Kenric.”
Avelyn’s stomach lurched at the turn the conversation had taken. “Sela, I wish to speak to you about something regarding Sir Kenric.”
Sela pushed herself to a sitting position. “What about him? Has he confided in you? Has he said something about me?’ She fanned herself with her fingers. “Oh, I didn’t think he’d even noticed me.”
“Nay, that’s not what I meant.”
Her friend frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Avelyn also sat up and took Sela’s hands in hers. “I’ve discovered that I have feelings for Sir Kenric. Romantic feelings.” She paused to let her words sink in.
Hurt filled Sela’s face. “But I told you first I found him most handsome and desirable. You thought him arrogant, Avelyn.”
She tamped down her frustration. “And I told you that due to your family’s position at court, you needed a husband with wealth and vast lands. Sir Kenric has neither.”
Sela’s bottom lip thrust out in a pout. “But he might have them. Shadowfaire is a huge estate. He only has the one brother. He could become the earl one day. Anything is possible.” She flounced off the bed and began pacing the room.
“I thought you were my friend, Avelyn.”
“You know that I am, Sela.”
“And I shared with you my interest in Kenric Fairfax.”
“And you admitted moments ago of your interest in other knights, as well.”
Sela stopped pacing. “Even so, you shouldn’t have set your cap for him when you knew I felt myself attracted to him. ’Twas most unfair of you. Even cruel.”
Avelyn stood and approached her friend. She placed her hands upon Sela’s shoulders.
“I didn’t feel your regard for him was more than a passing fancy, in truth. And I spent some time with him. Alone.”
Sela’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do? While you were alone?”
She did not like Sela’s tone. Avelyn dropped her hands to her sides. “We shared a few kisses.”
“You kissed him? You don’t kiss anyone—at least at court. Oh, I know a few courtiers have stolen kisses from you, but you’ve never pursued a man.”
“This just . . . happened.” Avelyn took her friend’s hands again. “Sela, it felt so right. Like nothing I have ever experienced. ’Twas as Elysande and Merryn told me. I knew from the moment his lips touched mine that I would never wish for another man to do the same. Only Kenric.”
Sela huffed and pulled away. “First, you steal away the man I’m interested in. And now you believe, after a few kisses, that you’re in love with him?”
Avelyn stood her ground. “I do. I didn’t deliberately set out to win Kenric’s heart. In fact, it was he who won mine.”
Sela stomped her foot. “I thought you were my closest friend, much as a sister would be. I thought we held a bond between us.”
“I am,” she insisted. “That’s why I wished to share this with you now. I want you to enjoy your time at Sandbourne this summer—and that includes the company of the many men here. But I felt you should know—”
“That Kenric Fairfax is your property. Oh, I understand quite well.” Sela placed fisted hands on her waist. “I see that I’m only beginning to know the true Avelyn Le Cler. You think you’re nothing like the women at court, with their devious schemes.
“You are exactly like them. No—worse!”
With that, Sela marched from the chamber.
Chapter 15
“Sela, you must rise. It’s time for morning mass.”
Avelyn continued to dress as stony silence blanketed the room. Sela remained facing away from her, the bedclothes pulled up past her ears.
She came to a decision. “I’ll make excuses for you this time only,” she warned. “I’ll say that you’re overly tired and unused to travel. But Sela, you must rise tomorrow in time to attend mass and then break your fast. It’s expected of everyone at Sandbourne. Country folk rise early.”
“I am not country folk,” Sela muttered from underneath the covers, contempt dripping from her words.
“True, but you are in the country now. We do not keep court hours.”
“Mayhap I made a mistake by undertaking this sudden trip.”
Avelyn waited a moment and then replied, “You might have.”
Sela tossed the bedclothes away and sat up, fire in her eyes. “That’s exactly what you want—for me to return to London.”
“Nay, I wish for you to stay. Let’s put this misunderstanding behind us.”
Her friend leapt from the bed. “This is no misunderstanding, Avelyn. You want me gone, the better to sink your claws into Kenric Fairfax. Well, I won’t make that easy for you. I intend to stay at Sandbourne all summer and be your shadow. You’ll never have a spare moment with him, I guarantee you that.”
Sela sniffed haughtily and climbed back into bed. “Make my excuses for now. I will see you later.” She rolled over, again facing away from Avelyn as she yanked the covers over her head.
“As you wish.”
Avelyn finished dressing in silence and left the bedchamber. She wanted to slam the door behind her but wouldn’t sink to Sela’s level.
Why had her friend turned on her so quickly? True, Sela had remarked on Kenric’s good looks. But beyond that, she hadn’t mentioned him again. In fact, she’d pursued other knights, flirting with them all the way from London until their arrival at Sandbourne. That she could be so out of sorts bothered Avelyn.
She hurried to the chapel and slipped in moments before mass began. As the priest droned on in Latin, she thought back to her arrival at court. None of the other women had been overly friendly except Sela. Most of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting were older, married women, and Avelyn had little in common with them. Sela had warmed to her from the beginning.
But she remembered a few whispers about her friend and how Agnes, the chief lady-in-waiting to the queen, had told Avelyn to guard herself around those she didn’t know. Agnes had glanced directly at Sela, sitting across the room strumming a lute, as she warned Avelyn. Was this what Agnes had hinted at—Sela’s temper and jealousy?
The two women had experienced no conflicts between them from the time Avelyn arrived at court in early September until now. They’d shared meals and walks, along with long conversations where they spoke their mind about others at court. True, sometimes Avelyn caught the occasional glance from another lady-in-waiting that seemed disapproving in nature, but she hadn’t believed she did anything wrong to deserve it. Besides, when no one except Sela reached out to her in friendship, Avelyn had gradually drifted away from the other women.
Had that been a mistake?
She wondered if Sela had spats with other women at court. Sela hadn’t seemed close to anyone else over the last several months and had spent all h
er free time with Avelyn. She wondered if Sela had been friendless before she turned up and, if so—was it of her own making? Had Sela alienated the other women for some reason?
It seemed ridiculous that they would quarrel over a man. Sela had introduced her to dozens of men at court. They’d all seemed friendly with Sela and accepted Avelyn simply because Sela had brought them together.
Then why all this trouble over Kenric Fairfax?
Mass ended and she returned to the great hall to break her fast. Elysande inquired about Sela’s absence. She dutifully told her sister that her friend was overtaxed by their journey and had wished to rest. She did ask Elysande if she could speak to her and Michael in private. After they ate, the three returned to the solar.
Michael helped his wife ease into a chair, slipping a pillow behind her back. She gave him a loving glance. Avelyn felt a pang of jealousy at their closeness.
“So what do you wish to speak to us about, Avelyn?” Michael asked.
“I have several things to discuss with you. The first I would have asked of Mother, but now that she isn’t returning to Hopeston, I must address the issue with you.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve been unhappy at court,” she began, then decided to be totally honest. “Miserable, in fact.”
Elysande gave a cry of distress and reached for her hand. “What’s wrong? Your letters sounded so cheerful.”
“There are some things I do enjoy. I like waiting on the queen. She is a wise, caring woman and she is kind to me. I also enjoy the music and dancing.”
“But?” Michael nudged.
“Overall, it’s a superficial place. None of the women and few of the men care to read or discuss much of anything unless it involves improving their position at court. The ladies-in-waiting, other than Sela and Alys and me, are all married. And some even have children, which they seem to ignore. These women took no notice of me nor extended any sign of friendship. They gossip all day long about the most inane matters and, even though they’re married, many of them flirt with courtiers that aren’t their husbands—or worse.”
Elysande’s hand tightened on hers. “They are truly that shallow?”
She nodded. “I thought country life was boring, but court life is tedious. I long to stay busy with fruitful activities. Work in the garden. Cook. Weave tapestries. Nurse the sick.” Avelyn’s eyes welled with tears. “Please, do not make me go back.”
“I wouldn’t let you return to that den of snakes,” Michael declared. “I assume you’d thought you might return to live at Hopeston?”
“Aye, but with Mother marrying and moving to the manor house with Sir Charles, I don’t want to be in their way.”
“You’ll reside at Sandbourne with us,” Michael declared.
Avelyn couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “I promise to be helpful, Michael. I can assist with the new babe.”
He laughed. “You are family, Avelyn, and always welcomed.” He glanced to his wife. “Elysande has been miserable without your company. Oh, she says she loves me—”
“And I do,” Elysande interrupted. “But Michael is gone many hours each day, training with his men or riding about the estate, solving all kinds of problems. I would love to have you live here with us.” She paused. “But what about Uncle Geoffrey? He’d asked the queen to find you a husband.”
“I spoke to him and Merryn when we stopped at Kinwick,” Avelyn revealed. “He said that he is head of the de Montfort household and I am his charge. He promised to speak to the queen and tell her I wish to remain in the country while he finds a suitable match for me.”
“I’m happy to hear this,” her sister said. “It’s nice to know we’ve settled the matter so easily.”
“I have more to speak to you about.”
Michael’s eyebrow shot up. “This sounds intriguing. Please, continue.”
Avelyn twisted her hands in her lap, not sure how to address the next issue.
“Go ahead,” Elysande urged.
“Uncle Geoffrey doesn’t really need to locate a husband for me. I’ve already found the perfect man.”
Michael rubbed his chin in thought. “If you didn’t form any attachment with any man while at court, then I don’t understand.”
“I have you to thank, Michael, for sending him my way. It’s Sir Kenric.”
“What about him?” he asked, his brows knitting together.
“He is the man I speak of. The man I wish to wed.”
“Kenric Fairfax?” boomed Michael. “But you haven’t even known the man for a week!”
Avelyn steeled herself. “Nevertheless, I have strong feelings for him and I believe those feelings are returned.”
“I cannot begin to see how—”
Elysande reached for her husband’s hand, entwining her fingers with his. “It does sound familiar, my love.”
His jaw dropped. Then understanding lit his eyes. “You mean like us?” He shook his head. “Nay, ’twas much different for us.”
“Was it?” Elysande asked, giving him a knowing smile.
The look on her sister’s face let Avelyn know Elysande would support her in this endeavor. She breathed a small sigh of relief. Michael might take a little convincing, but Elysande already had him wrapped around her finger.
Michael huffed. “I feel protective of Avelyn.”
“And you sent Sir Kenric to London to retrieve her because you knew how important she is to me,” Elysande said. “You told me yourself what a steadfast soldier Sir Kenric is. How you could think of no better knight to bring Avelyn back to Sandbourne. You expressly told me how much you trusted him.”
“I did say those things. But I thought of him as a protector to Avelyn as he escorted her on the road. Not as a future husband.”
Elysande gave him a pointed look. “Is there something wrong with Kenric Fairfax? If so, you wouldn’t have him on Sandbourne grounds in the first place. You’ve surrounded us with the best of the best, Husband, and if that is the case,” she said gently, “then he should be fit to marry my sister. After all, I want the best for her.”
“True,” Michael grudgingly admitted. He turned to Avelyn, a grin spreading across his face. “It happens quickly, doesn’t it?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “More quickly than I could have imagined. One minute, I thought Kenric Fairfax was the most arrogant man I’d met. And the next?” She could not hide her smile. “He seemed like the only man in the world for me.”
“Then I will need to speak with him. Lord Geoffrey, too, of course.”
Avelyn groaned. “We do have a slight problem. Sir Kenric seems to be wedded to his duty as a knight and tells me he is not in the market for a wife.”
“He rejects my sister?” Elysande said angrily.
“I wouldn’t put it so strongly,” Avelyn said.
Michael spoke up. “He wants you but doesn’t know quite yet that he does. He must reconcile his mind with his heart.”
“You do understand,” she said.
He lifted Elysande’s hand to his lips and pressed a fervent kiss against her fingers. “Oh, I certainly do.”
Her sister giggled. “For now, we’ll let things remain as they are.” Elysande’s eyes lit with mischief. “But I’m sure we can think of a few ways to help matters along.”
“I’ve considered that,” Avelyn said. “I’ve decided that I want to learn to ride.”
Joy filled Elysande’s face. “You do? I’m thrilled to hear that.”
“You know I’ve always been reluctant around horses, but Kenric’s mount, Firefall, was actually quite sweet.”
“That giant beast?” Michael questioned.
“The very one. And I felt comfortable riding him. With Kenric, of course.”
“Of course,” Elysande agreed. She thought a moment. “Then I believe that Sir Kenric needs to give you riding lessons. You can excuse him from training in the afternoons, Husband,” she suggested to Michael. “That will give them a couple of hours together each day.�
��
“I have a favor to ask,” Avelyn said. “I may need you to find things for Sela to do during my riding lessons.” She began wringing her hands again. “Though Sela is a natural flirt and had only mentioned once in passing that she found Kenric handsome, when I told her of the attraction between us, she grew quite upset. In fact, she’s pouting in bed right now. I fear she’ll interrupt my time with him and throw herself in his path at every opportunity.”
“Hmm, that would be awkward. Do you want her to return to London?” asked Elysande.
“Nay, for she truly looked forward to her visit here. I think it’s just a petty quarrel between friends. I know we can resolve it.”
“Then I’ll think of ways to keep Lady Sela Runford occupied,” guaranteed Elysande.
Michael stood. “I leave such devious matters in your capable hands, Wife.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “I’m off to train with my men.”
Avelyn started to speak, but he raised a hand.
“And I will let Sir Kenric know that he’s to be your tutor in riding, starting this afternoon.” Michael laughed as he exited the chamber.
Avelyn looked back at her sister, who had a mischievous look in her eyes.
“So, dearest Avelyn. Now that Michael is gone, we can speak of the most important matter of all.”
She frowned. “I’ve shared the deepest matters pressing on my heart.”
Elysande smiled. “Tell me about how you feel when Kenric Fairfax kisses you.”
Avelyn burst out laughing.
Chapter 16
Kenric wolfed down his noon meal, glad to be back into a routine at Sandbourne. The morning’s training exercises had gone well. He’d worked with a young soldier who, though naturally left-handed, wished to learn to fight with his sword in his right hand. It would take many hours, but he thought the man possessed a strong work ethic and good attitude, which would be half of the battle of learning swordplay with a new hand.