That could only mean that he had agreed to the treaty.
The realization came like an unexpected blow, and for a moment Stephen reeled. Fellis would most likely end in marrying the man. He tried to regain his composure, forcing himself to think coherently. This was what he had come here to accomplish.
Seemingly unaware of the younger man’s distress, Richard Grayson wasted no time on niceties, gesturing to the parchment he held in his other hand. “A messenger arrived just a short while ago, and departed before I could speak with him. But it is all clearly laid out here. If I will sign the accompanying agreement of truce, the Welshman will meet her.”
Concentrating on the fact that this was what must be, Stephen still found it hard to answer past the unwelcome lump of pain in his throat. “I see,” he said at last. Unable to look the other man in the eyes, he added, “You will, of course, sign it.”
When there was no immediate reply, Stephen looked up to study the other man. Surely Richard was not wavering in his resolve to do what he had agreed to.
But the knight could see that he was indeed torn.
Deep inside, Stephen could find no blame for the other man. Indeed he felt an unexpected sense of bonding with him.
Yet he would not allow himself to show his true feelings.
Calling on all his will to see him through this, no matter how difficult, Stephen sat down in the chair across the table from the Lord of Malvern. Carefully he began, “My lord, you must realize that there is little choice in this matter. We discussed this upon my first coming here. It was my understanding that you would go forward with this matter if Wynn was willing to agree to your terms.”
Lord Richard continued to stare at him in silence.
Stephen indicated the roll of parchment, holding out his hand. “May I?”
With obvious reluctance, Richard placed the missive in his outstretched palm.
Quickly Stephen scanned the document. It was all there, laid out neatly in some cleric’s hand. Wynn would agree to stop all acts of aggression against his enemy so that talks might go forward in the matter of a possible marriage between himself and the Lady Fellis of Malvern. Wynn also stated that he would personally see to the punishment of any of his folk who might break this agreement.
Relegating his personal feelings to the deepest part of his heart, Stephen set the missive on the desk and met the other man’s gaze directly. “He has been most reasonable, even offering to punish any of his people who might disagree. It is all anyone can ask of him.”
Richard looked away, his jaw tight. “’Twould seem so.”
“Lord Richard, to have peace on your lands is of great import to you and yours, is it not? This is your opportunity to have that very thing which you most desire. Think on it. No more raiding, no more burning, nor terrorizing of your women and children. The possibility of a real peace is within sight. I understand that you do not trust this man, nor have you had reason. But he feels the same of you, and yet he has agreed to make a fresh start, to try to put the past behind you. This may not be the end of all the troubles between your two peoples, but it is a way to begin.”
The older man looked from Stephen to the document with obvious indecision. Then he groaned, his expression becoming one of defeat. Taking a deep breath, he quickly reached forward and took up the roll. As if he feared giving himself any more time to think on what he was doing, Richard picked up a stick of wax. Holding it to the candle, he then set it to the bottom of the page and pressed his ring against the hot paste, setting his seal.
With that he stood, carelessly tossing the parchment to Stephen. Only then did he speak, studying the younger man with a dejected look in his blue eyes. “Understand that I bear you no malice, Sir Stephen. In the past days, after having come to know you somewhat, it is clear to me that you wish only to do your duty to the crown. But you must see that this situation is near untenable from my position. I feel as if I am finally coming to understand what I need do to be a father to Fellis. Now she will surely soon be lost to me. When you arrived at Malvern I made known to you that you must see this through by your own efforts. That holds true now more than ever. I will have no more to do with this other than to negotiate the exact terms of the marriage contract, should that take place. It is the least I can do to make sure my daughter is provided for.” He paused, then went on. I only hope Fellis can forgive me for parlaying her future as the price of this peace, for never will I forgive myself.”
Richard wiped a hand over his face. “The one thing I do feel obligated to do is inform Fellis of this news myself. That much you will be spared, Sir Stephen.” He paused again, looking at the younger man intently. “Somehow I do not believe doing so would be easy for you.”
There was no answer Stephen could give to the cryptic remark as he watched the other man depart. What had Stephen said or done to give away his true feelings?
Then he shook his head. Lord Richard had no notion of how difficult the situation had become for the knight.
And now he must take her to another man. But his pain was not only for himself, but for Fellis, as well.
His heart ached with the knowledge that he too had participated in the sacrifice of Fellis’s future.
Fellis was being fitted for yet another new cotehardie and underdress when there was a scratching at the chamber door. Her mother, who was fitting the tight sleeve of the undertunic, called, “Come.”
Fellis looked toward the door of the solar as it opened and was surprised to see her father standing there. Mary Grayson stood as her husband came into the room. “Richard,” she greeted him cooly.
His tone was carefully polite. “Mary. Fellis.”
Fellis knew there had been even more strain between them than usual. Not only because of his decision to treat with Wynn ap Dafydd, but also because he had thwarted her mother’s wishes in buying cloth for Fellis’s new clothing.
Her mother had told her repeatedly how displeased she was at being forced to fashion gowns for a wedding that would not take place. But she had not gone so far as to refuse to make the garments. It was as if she understood her husband would not be swayed in this.
As Fellis watched, his troubled gaze went from her to her mother. Instinctively she knew something was amiss.
Her mother seemed to sense the same thing, for she frowned. “What is it?” Her tone was sharp.
He drew himself up, his back rigid as he focused on his daughter. “Fellis, I have come to tell you something important. We have had news from Wynn ap Dafydd. He wishes to meet with you.”
Mary gasped. “He will come here to Malvern?”
Her husband answered without meeting her angry gaze. “He will not. Wynn has asked that you meet him at an appointed place in the wood between here and his own lands. It is his desire that the meeting be an informal one on neutral ground. I see no problem in this. If you agree, Sir Stephen will escort you.”
Fellis could barely think past the pounding of her heart. The moment had actually come. Wynn wished to see her.
The numbness that had kept any real anxiety at bay was finally broken. Her stomach churned with nervousness at the idea of meeting him.
What would he think of her, this Welsh lord? She knew from asking Stephen that the man was aware of her deformity. And Stephen had assured her that he would not care in the least. But even putting that aside, she wondered how he would react to her—Fellis.
Her mother’s voice drew her attention away from her own fears. “You do not mean for this to happen?”
Richard Grayson’s jaw flexed with suppressed emotions that Fellis could not even begin to name. He looked at his wife and Fellis saw the sorrow and regret in his eyes. “Mary, you must see that you do Fellis no service to carry on so. Can you not behave as a wife and mother ought in this matter if no other?”
Fellis spoke then, feeling proud that her voice did not quake with the fear and confusion inside her. “Father, I will meet with Wynn ap Dafydd. We all knew this time would come and I am prepared t
o do what I must.”
“The meeting will take place on the morrow,” he then informed them without even a hint of emotion in his voice.
Fellis nearly gasped aloud. So soon. But she made no comment, only nodding her acquiescence.
Mary Grayson stood as if carved from stone. Her back was so straight that she seemed near as tall as her much larger husband in that moment. She swung away from him, unable to bend in her attitude and beliefs.
Her husband could only shake his head as he turned to his daughter, his expression filled with regret. “I tell you now, Fellis, that I love you and wish that I had done better by you. You have put us all to shame with your courage in this situation.”
With that he strode from the room, his hands clenched at his sides. It was as if the pain of facing them was too much for him.
Fellis turned to her mother, who had not said another word. She was surprised to find the older woman wiping at her eyes. As if feeling her daughter’s attention on her, she swung around, hiding her feelings behind an emotionless expression and a stiffly held head.
Mary Grayson’s gaze did not meet Fellis’s as she spoke. “There is much to attend to. You will have need to wear something that will not give offense, as your father and Sir Stephen have termed it.”
She began to fidget with the pile of cloth on the seat beside the window. “You must go to fetch Claire. We will have need of her steady hands to finish this sewing.”
“Yes, Mother,” Fellis replied softly. She left but not without a backward glance. It seemed that Lady Mary was not as indifferent to her husband as she had always appeared.
As she hurried down the corridor, Fellis could not help knowing that the changes in her life and those of her family had coincided with the arrival of one Sir Stephen Clayburn.
But as she realized this, Fellis could not help wondering if he had done more harm than good. For though their feelings had certainly come to light, it had brought much pain for all of them.
Now that the marriage was coming closer to being a reality, he would be going back to court and his own life, leaving them alone to face the knowledge of their misery.
For how could they know anything else? Her father could not make his wife see that he loved her. Her mother could not get past feeling that Fellis had been punished for the vow she broke as a young girl.
As for Fellis, she would marry a man she had always known as an enemy, yet found herself drawn to another as she had never thought possible.
* * *
When Fellis came down to the hall at the appointed hour the next morning, Stephen was waiting for her at the foot of the stone stairway.
He had to see her, to try to discern for himself how she was taking this turn of events. Since the day when Stephen had ridden out to find Fellis and again could not resist his attraction toward her, he had seen the maid only from a distance.
Stephen had never expected the sight that met his eyes.
The peach cotehardie she wore was slashed at the sides as fashion dictated, but much more modestly than the ladies at court would have worn. On her the less revealing cut was perfect, showing delectable glimpses of that perfectly formed figure in a close-fitting tunic of spring green. Over her glorious hair she wore a sheer veil of the same green, and the silvery fall had been braided through with peach and green ribbons then pulled over one slender shoulder. The delicate pastels were a lovely foil for her equally delicate beauty.
Stephen could not speak for fear of giving himself away. As he was unable to comment, the knight simply reached out to take her hand and place it over his sleeve.
Her searching gaze dropped at his silence. “Am I not fitting?”
He could not allow her to think so, and he whispered in a voice that was hoarse from the tight control he placed on himself. “Fellis, the sight of you takes my breath and leaves me struck dumb. Never have I beheld such a vision.”
She raised her face, her eyes shining up at him. “Thank you, Sir Knight.”
Lord, even now she had no idea of how beautiful she was, nor of the power she held over him. He knew he could never let her see. For her sake he need keep his desire a secret. Stephen could only press her slim fingers more tightly against his side as he accompanied her forward.
As he led her into the hall, Richard Grayson was coming toward them. He too stopped and stared, as Stephen had, at the sight of her. He held out his arms, his eyes damp with pride and love. “Is this beautiful woman my daughter, my Fellis?”
Stephen felt his own throat constrict as he watched her go into those outstretched arms. He turned away as they held each other. This moment belonged to Fellis and her father. He went out into the courtyard where their horses awaited them.
Only a short time later Fellis and Lord Richard joined him. The Baron of Malvern helped his daughter to mount with careful attentiveness. He reached up and squeezed the hand she held out to him. “Go with God,” he said softly.
She smiled at him and Stephen could see how her father’s care had moved her, for her tear-filled eyes were bright. “Do not worry, Father. All will be well.”
Stephen felt himself moved by her strength.
Lord Richard turned to Stephen. “Have a care for her.”
“I will,” Stephen replied, trying to keep his own rattled emotions from showing in his voice.
Suddenly there was nothing more to say and he looked at Fellis, his gaze questioning. “Are you ready?”
She took a deep breath and nodded for him to take the lead. She fell in behind him as they went across the courtyard, then exited the keep.
Fellis was silent as they rode along and Stephen did not attempt to break that silence. There was nothing he could say, for he might give away his own feelings. He could not help but be moved by Fellis’s care for her father, especially after that man, however unmaliciously, had left her to the devices of a woman who could not face her own demons and thus put them upon her daughter.
Despite all the difficulties, Fellis had become the kind, loving woman she was meant to be.
He only hoped she would come to find some joy in this marriage, that much did she deserve without doubt.
This notion only caused more of an ache in his chest, so Stephen forced his attention back to locating the meeting place.
For her part Fellis did not even look up from her horse’s neck, her hands tight on the reins.
Thinking to ease her nervousness, Stephen said gently, “Do not worry. All will be well.”
She looked up at him as she rode alongside his chestnut stallion. Her eyes were dark pools of uneasiness. She swallowed hard before answering. “Dost you really believe that, Sir Stephen?”
He found it hard to form a reply. Did he really believe what he had told her? He gave himself a mental shake. It had to be. He would make it so himself.
He reached across the space that separated them and touched her sleeve, remembering all too well that he dared not clasp her hand. With great clarity he recalled what had happened the last time they actually touched—every time they touched. He smiled encouragingly, though his heart went out to her. “Aye. Do not worry. I will take care of everything.”
Even as he said the words, Stephen knew that he had taken on more than any man should, but Fellis’s happiness was more important than anything.
Fellis could not think of a reply. How could he take care of everything? ’Twas not in his hands alone. Then she reminded herself that Stephen’s optimism had proved true thus far in the matter of Wynn ap Dafydd and what he would do. Mayhap he was right.
Nonetheless she could not prevent herself from peering around with trepidation as they left. Fellis felt a slight nervous tremor in her hands as they held Ebony’s reins.
From his position slightly ahead of her on the forest trail, Stephen seemed to ride on unconcerned. She could not help admiring his nonchalance, especially after what had happened that day in Glenmarket. The incident had made her unhappily aware of the dislike of the man named Owain and many of his coun
trymen.
And women, she thought, remembering again the hatred in one particular woman’s eyes. Not for the first time she wondered if Stephen had been holding something back when she’d asked him about that woman.
In her efforts to avoid the knight she had effectively prevented herself from having any opportunity to question him on the subject again.
Before long they came to a small clearing at the heart of the wood. It was bare of any other occupants, but Fellis knew they had arrived at their destination when Stephen drew his stallion to a halt.
She watched the knight as he looked around them with a thoughtful frown. “I believe this is the spot where he is to meet us. Your father was very clear in his instruction on how to find it.” He indicated the downed tree at the northern edge of the clearing. “That is one of the landmarks he mentioned.”
Stephen knew Wynn had written that he would be at the appointed place before them. Just then, Wynn stepped out of the forest across from where Fellis and Stephen had emerged.
The reason for his tardiness became apparent when he nodded toward Stephen and said, “Ahh, you come alone as I asked. Good.”
Stephen watched then as the Welshman’s curious gaze went to Fellis. He did not find fault with the woman sitting atop the black mare, if the appreciation in his hazel eyes was any indication.
Unexpectedly Stephen knew a gripping pang of anger in his guts. He felt as though Wynn were somehow trespassing. Immediately Stephen realized he could not allow himself to react this way and tried to dispel the feeling. Fellis did not belong to him.
It was Wynn who was to become her husband. But the sensation would not leave him and Stephen could not meet Wynn’s gaze when it shifted back to him.
The Welshman turned to look at Fellis then came toward them. As he did so, Stephen hurriedly dismounted and assisted Fellis to the ground. Even though the other man had meant to do so, Stephen could not stop himself.
Wynn came to a halt just behind them. When Stephen turned to face him, still not moving from the maiden’s side, the Welshman frowned but said nothing.
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