In fact, even in her untidy state Rowena was stunning. Her blue eyes were round and set wide in her feminine, oval-shaped face. Her features were beautifully symmetrical. Her jawline was well-defined without being prominent. When she smiled, she lit up the room. It was hard for anyone to take their eyes off of her. Yet her life in the abbey made her totally unaware of her beauty.
2
Lord Kensley leaned on a cane by the tall windows in his receiving room in Middle Kirk Manor. He had gotten a foot hung up in a stirrup during a dangerous fall from his horse a few days earlier. He ignored the pain as he watched the entourage from Strongbow ride up the lane into the courtyard. In the lead was the arrogant David Fulton, Earl of Strongbow.
Earl Strongbow owned property in Surrey, just south of London. He had been knighted by the king for his service in battle several years back, although the factual accounts were surrounded by controversy. Strongbow, through shrewd (some might say underhanded) business had managed to acquire valuable property and ingratiate himself with the king.
Before Strongbow became an Earl, he had been just another unlikeable, conceited man, like any other of that ilk. Now that he ranked among the noble classes as Earl of Strongbow, he had become completely insufferable. His affluence had brought him fortune and treasure. It also had put many pounds on him and his fitness had begun to suffer some. His breathing was now raspy, as if he smoked too much, and his gluttony was beginning to bloat his face. Though his new lifestyle showed in his appearance, it had not yet impaired his fighting skills. He could still ride a horse and wield a sword as well as he ever did before.
Lord Kensley had gotten to know Earl Strongbow through parliamentary meetings and various social events. Earl Strongbow was a powerful friend of the king, and he was the only one who was able and willing to help Lord Kensley defend his land and livestock. No one else had resources at their fingertips like Earl Strongbow.
“Lord Kensley,” his valet said. “The Right Honorable Earl of Strongbow has arrived.”
“Show him in,” Lord Kensley said.
Before the valet could usher the earl in properly, Earl Strongbow barged into the room. The valet bowed respectfully and left, closing the door behind him.
“So good of you to come on short notice, Lord Strongbow,” said Kensley, as he made his way to an oak chair behind his massive desk. Such furniture made Lord Kensley’s life more comfortable, and it also demonstrated his wealth and status. He tried not to hobble too much. He dropped himself down onto another luxury- a straw-stuffed cushion that covered the hard seat. He motioned to a matching chair and cushion and said, “Please, Lord Strongbow, do sit down. Your journey was a good one, I hope?”
Earl Strongbow sat, grunting as his weight flattened the cushion. He was in his mid-forties now. He looks every bit of it and more, thought Lord Kensley. Earl Strongbow crossed his chubby legs priggishly and waved a hand dismissively, like a man born into the noble rank he now held. “Oh, it was a bit long, but uneventful. I must say, Lord Kensley, your invitation left me intrigued. I have been looking forward to our . . . um . . . meeting.” Earl Strongbow smirked, as he looked around eyeing the tapestries hung on the walls. His gaze rested on Lord Kensley’s ankle, now propped up on a stool beside his desk.
“What ever happened to your foot? My word, it looks as big as a hornet’s nest! Is it fractured?” he asked.
Lord Kensley did not want to elaborate much about his injury. He had invited Earl Strongbow here to negotiate over an important business matter, not to talk about any feebleness of his. He needed to make a showing of strength to Earl Strongbow, not weakness.
“A little mishap with my horse is all. Tis nothing,” Lord Kensley said, dismissively. In fact, it was quite painful. He was quite worried that his ankle may not heal properly, and he would need to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. He needed to have a physician tend to it and planned to do so tomorrow.
Earl Strongbow said, “I see. Best take care. Have you seen your physician? All that swelling … appears to be broken. Needs to be set. Watch out for fever, abscess, and gangrene.”
“Thank you for your concern. I assure you it is only a minor sprain,” Lord Kensley said. An awkward silence ensued as the men sized each other up. Lord Kensley spoke first. “Well then, Strongbow, let us get down to business, shall we?”
Earl Strongbow held up a hand. “Of course. But first, please, Lord Kensley. I prefer you address me as Lord Strongbow.” Fulton smiled.
“Certainly . . . my apologies, Lord Strongbow,” Lord Kensley said, as he leaned back in his chair, trying to conceal the pain shooting up his leg. He folded his hands and took a deep breath.
Earl Strongbow said. “Now. I understand from your letter that this is an urgent matter?”
“Yes, I’m afraid it is,” Lord Kensley said, leaning forward and clasping his hands on his desk. “For the last several years, I have suffered great losses from the marauding Welsh bands from the west. The earls of Cheshire and Shropshire simply cannot, or will not, hold them back any further. Rumors are that the earls have made some kind of ‘arrangement’ with the bastards and now the Welsh are coming across the border at will, coming here to Staffordshire and stealing whatever they can get their hands on. My own wool production is a fraction of what it once was.”
Lord Strongbow nodded. “I, too, have heard stories about those thieves.”
Lord Kensley harrumphed. “I wish it were only the Welsh I have to contend with. The famine and the great pestilence took a heavy toll on the population here. Those who survived have left for London and anywhere they can make a living. Those who are left here cannot be trusted – today they support the Welsh princes. Tomorrow the English king. I am afraid I will not be able to provide arms to the king, should he request it. I simply cannot rely on the resources I have left.”
He sympathized with Lord Kensley by saying, “I understand what you mean. The country still has not recovered from the pestilence. It has already been a decade, but the population still hasn’t recovered.”
Lord Kensley nodded. “Right. And don’t forget the peasant’s revolt a couple of years ago. King Richard gave them everything they wanted. So no more workers for us and my crops are rotting in the field! No rent coming in. But God forbid the king does not get the money he wants for his next raid.”
He is quite desparate, thought Lord Strongbow. This could be a wonderful opportunity for me. Lord Strongbow said, “Everyone I talk to is looking for workers. There are not enough of them to go around. My own workers are so burdened they hardly get enough rest. But I pay them well, and I have invested in cloth-making and other businesses, not simply agriculture and wool exports.”
Lord Kensley said, “Very smart of you, Strongbow. I must say, I would like to go that direction myself. The king will bring us all to ruin if he’s not careful.”
“Are you saying what I think you are, Lord Kensley? Are you saying that you are … broke?” Earl Strongbow asked with a rude bluntness.
Lord Kenley bowed his head and said, “No – I mean, well ...that is … not yet.” Lord Kensley then looked directly at Earl Strongbow, trying to hide his dislike for the man. “But without your help, it won’t be long. Needless to say, I could use a loan, though I would not be able to repay you immediately.”
“You certainly have a serious problem,” Earl Strongbow said, assuming an air of condescension. “I have the best soldiers in all of England. Many border shires would pay a pretty sum for my assistance. The Welsh are raiding from the west, and the Scots are raiding the northern shires. My services are in great demand. Why should I help you?”
Lord Kensley had anticipated this question. “As Earl of Kensley, my heritage is old and venerated. My allies are indebted to me, but they are not in a much better position than I am. My soldiers are loyal only to me. You will have my allegiance and that of all my allies. I will see that you have privileged and exclusive right of way through Staffordshire, its roads and rivers that lead to neighboring Cheshir
e and its ports of trade on the Irish Sea. You can peddle your wool and your goods anywhere in the world.”
Earl Strongbow was quiet.
“Think of it, Strongbow,” Lord Kensley continued. “The power of our allegiance would be unparalleled in England. Working together, we could both profit mightily from an alliance.” Who knows, thought Lord Kensley. An alliance with Earl Strongbow could be such a deterrence to foreign incursions, the king just may grant them more lands and riches.
Earl Strongbow was quiet for another moment. When he spoke, his response took Lord Kensley by surprise. “Tell me, Kensley. How is your daughter, the lovely Rowena?”
“My daughter? Why, Rowena is doing well, thank you. She has grown into a lovely young lady under the tutelage of St. Martha’s at Jarrow. I made the right decision sending her there. What prompts you to inquire about Rowena?”
Earl Strongbow leveled his gaze at Lord Kensley. “Yes, I caught a glimpse of her when I was in Northumberland defending the crown against the Scottish raiders last year. We were forced to lodge at the nunnery one night unexpectedly when the weather turned foul and several of my men had taken ill with a fever. The nuns took us in and fed us. My needs were attended by the most ravishing girl I had ever seen. She took my breath away when I saw her. I asked the old Abbess Lenora – what a hag that one is -- who the young beauty was. She informed me the girl was your daughter who had been entrusted into their care some years back. Apparently, she has become quite notorious for her uncommon beauty.”
Lord Kensley puffed his chest a bit. “Why thank you, Earl Strongbow, er, I mean Lord Strongbow. I am quite proud of Rowena. It took a lot of courage for her to accept things when her mother died, I must say. I visit her every chance I get, but lately I’ve been remiss.”
“What a shame that she is cloistered away in that isolated wilderness,” Earl Strongbow said. “She needs to be dressed in silks and finery and shown off to the upper crust of London!”
Lord Kensley looked dismayed, but did not argue. He dare not say anything that would jeopardize an agreement with Earl Strongbow.
“She must be what . . . eighteen, maybe nineteen, now? What plans have you made for her future?” Earl Strongbow asked.
Lord Kensley sighed. Earl Strongbow was close to touching a nerve. Lord Kensley had been putting off making plans for his daughter’s future. She was a grown woman now, and the time was at hand. He sighed again. His life had become overwhelming. Rowena’s future was one more worry that he needed to manage that he had happily avoided. “At this point, I have no plans for her. She seems quite content at St. Martha’s and has hinted on occasion at her interest in becoming a nun. Her future is up in the air at the moment. I have been so terribly distracted by matters here that I have not yet tended to long-term planning for her.”
Earl Strongbow’s eyes narrowed. He tapped his fingers on the desk, leaned forward and said in a low, suggestive tone, “Have you considered, Lord Kensley, that your lovely daughter may be the key to your financial security?”
Lord Kensley shook his head, wary of the direction this conversation was heading. “What are you driving at, Lord Strongbow?”
Earl Strongbow looked at him with condescension in his face, as if the solution was obvious to anyone of average intelligence. He gave a smug smile and he said, “Well now. Give your predicament some thought, Lord Kensley.” Earl Strongbow looked down his nose at his fingernails and said, “Let me make this easy for both of us. I will agree to an alliance with you under the terms you proposed… But I require one additional concession from you.”
Lord Kensley kept a stone face, hiding the relief he felt wash over him, followed immediately by apprehension. That was too easy, he thought. What else did Earl Strongbow want from him? Whatever it was, Lord Kensley would do it. It would be bad enough to have to collaborate with this hufty-tufty Strongbow but it was better than certain financial ruin without his resources and influence. At least Strongbow sees some advantage to an alliance. What else did he want? Lord Kensley asked, “I see. Tell me, what is the additional condition you propose?”
Earl Strongbow slowly smiled, his thin lips pulling back across uneven teeth. Lord Kensley definitely did not like the look in his glittering eyes. Lord Kensley felt like prey –a dormouse – and Earl Strongbow was toying with him, ready to come in for the kill.
Earl Strongbow gazed silently at Lord Kensley for a few long seconds.
“What is it, then, Lord Strongbow?” Lord Kensley asked again, uneasily.
Earl Strongbow held his piercing stare a moment longer, looked directly into Lord Kensley’s eyes and said flatly, “You will give me your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
His demand took Lord Kensley by complete surprise. He sputtered. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, come now, Lord Kensley. Surely you have not contemplated her value to your estate.”
Although Lord Kensley had not expected this, he was not stupid. Lord Kensley knew exactly what Rowena meant to his estate. Arranged marriages between British nobility or even foreign royalty were a common way for powerful families to boost their power and influence. Forming a strong alliance between important families and factions could be effective.
Lord Kensley said, “Of course I have thought about it. But until now, it had not seemed urgent. Or perhaps I have not wanted to face the fact that some day she will belong to someone else. I admit I have a soft spot for her.”
“My word, Lord Kensley. Stop sounding like a silly old fool. I’m surprised you did not make arrangements for her years ago.”
“If you must know, Lord Strongbow, I have given it thought. The truth is I’m not convinced of the wisdom of these marriage ‘arrangements’. The idea of making my own flesh and blood a pawn to further my commercial or political interests seems . . . to be frank, it seems wrong. I’m not convinced that it is best for my daughter.” Lord Kensley looked out the window as he said this. “Besides, you’ll expect a dowry from me. I have nothing to give you.”
Earl Strongbow grew exasperated. “Forget the dowry. An alliance with you is enough for me. With my workers, your wool production will give me an endless supply of raw materials. So you may put your emotions aside, Lord Kensley,” he said. “The value of this alliance with me could ensure the survival of Middle Kirk Manor and your earldom.”
Lord Kensley raised an eyebrow. “I need you to understand what it will take to succeed. I’ll need you to supply at least fifty laborers who know how to farm sheep. I’ll need another twenty-five or so to tend the oats and barley.”
“No problem,” Earl Strongbow said, without hesitataion. “Do you have housing for them?”
“Of course,” Lord Kensley said. “I have tenement cottages all over the manor property. Many of them are vacant.”
Earl Strongbow nodded. Then the two noblemen finished negotiating out other details. When they had concluded an agreement, Lord Kensley had a servant write it all down. Earl Strongbow signed it, then passed it to Lord Kensley.
He held the pen, thinking over what he was about to do. He knew that Earl Strongbow was right. If he did not do this, he would likely lose everything. Sure, he would keep his title of “earl”, most likely, but what good was a title? It could not pay for food and shelter and self-defense. Lord Kensley could think of no other way out of his predicament with his fortunes intact. Earl Strongbow had him in an iron grip.
Lord Kensley put his head in his hand, worried about Rowena’s reaction to the news. How will I tell her? She will be terribly dismayed, but once I explain everything to her, she will understand. She would have to. But would she ever forgive me? He could not be sure, but it was a risk he had to take. Without another word, he signed the agreement. Then he pulled himself to his feet and offered a handshake across his desk to Earl Strongbow. “Rowena is yours,” he said. “When can I expect your workers to begin arriving?”
Earl Strongbow stood slowly as he lifted himself off of his seat. He shook Lord Kensley’s hand and said, “I’ll have my wor
kers here in two weeks’ time. And on the morrow I shall ride to St. Martha’s with my men to retrieve Rowena.”
“Wait just a moment, Lord Strongbow!” Lord Kensley objected. His paternal instincts had suddenly taken control.
Earl Strongbow narrowed his steely eyes at Lord Kensley. “Are you telling me ‘no’? I beg your pardon, Kensley, did we not just reach an agreement on the terms of this alliance?”” Earl Strongbow asked.
Lord Kensley swallowed his ire. He would have to be more careful about what he said to this supercilious fool. He said, “Of course, Lord Strongbow. But I insist on sending my own knights along with you. The abbey is located near the borderlands with Scotland. It is rife with outlaws and raiders. As you would expect, Mother Lenora, the abbess there, will need assurances that I have approved of Rowena’s sudden departure.”
Highlander's Sinful Desire (Steamy Scottish Historical Romance) Page 2