Lenora turned light-headed as she remembered those words outside Bonbartle cathedral long, long ago spoken by a man in multi-colored rags. Your true love shall be a mighty lord with the emblem of a bleeding heart.
The device of the Earls of Twyford.
35
Lenora did not remember much of her journey home. Berta, picking up on her mood was largely silent, though she reached across to pull Lenora’s cloak and hood tighter about her when they threatened to fall open. Lenora’s head reeled, though her heart beat steadily in her chest still. Almost as if it had known all along. All those years she had poured over heraldic devices for a bleeding heart, she thought. And the knight that should have borne it, scorned it for another.
“You’ll catch your death,” Berta grumbled. “Then where will we be?”
Lenora only shivered and huddled closer to Berta, leaning her head on her shoulder. And still, I ended up married to him all the same!
“They say in the servant’s quarters that the old earl is half-dead already,” Berta commented. “And lives on thin air and malice alone.”
“They probably speak true,” Lenora muttered, her hand closing so tightly over the signet ring that it cut into her palm. “I think he must be dying.”
“Powerful interested they was, in you and Master Garman. What with you being the next Earl and Countess of Twyford, I mean.”
“I expect they would be,” Lenora commented. “I hope they are not expecting us to sweep in and mend all the leaking rooves and crumbling towers.”
Berta snorted. “They’re passed praying for a good master, I daresay. This one had a vile, evil temper by all accounts. Cast out one son and made the other’s life a living hell.”
I should never have renounced my Merek! Rulf was nothing to him, nothing at all, Lenora recalled. “He owned quite freely that he was a wicked old man,” she murmured.
“Did he now?” Berta sounded diverted by this. “Won’t be recanting on his deathbed then?”
“Highly unlikely, I’d say. His only regret…” She hesitated, remembering Berta’s own family circumstances.
“Is what?”
“That his only grandson will not be reconciled to him.”
Berta lapsed into silence beside her and she found herself explaining about the two granddaughters Garman had vowed to throw out into the street and how Lenora had found herself thinking of the Hainfroys as prospective grooms for them. Berta snorted, but for once held back from any derogatory comments and they completed the rest of the journey in relative silence. Lenora guessed it must be some time after ten o’clock as the cart took the corner for the farm.
“What’s all this?” asked Berta in surprise, sitting up in the seat.
Lenora glanced up and noticed with dismay the inordinate amount of lights blazing in the windows and some activity out the front of the building. “It’s not a fire, is it?” she asked in some alarm. She craned forward. The figures of various people seemed to be milling about outside.
“No,” Berta answered ruminatively, casting her a sidelong look. “Though I fancy it might have been discovered you’re missing.”
Lenora’s heart sank. “Oh dear! Even so, that doesn’t account for the sheer amount of people about the place.” Her eyes grew wider still. “But surely, I know that carriage?”
She knew too that upright figure stood ramrod straight next to Grandfather Sutton in the doorway. It was Lady Dorothea Montmayne, stood next to her cousin Kit. “It’s my grandmother,” she announced in stricken tones as someone else stepped out from behind her. “Oh, and my father too.” They were being besieged with Montmaynes.
“That’s not the worst of your problems,” Berta said dourly.
“What do you mean?” It was hard to see how this could get any worse. Berta raised a hand to point at three figures stood by the stables. There stood her husband, arms folded and wearing a dire expression on his face. Alongside him lolled the Hainfroy brothers looking frankly intrigued. What on earth were they all doing here?
“You’re about to get that hiding,” said Berta. “That you been asking for ever since you wed him.”
“I most certainly am not!” Lenora retorted, though her heart did quail a bit at the prospect of explaining where she had been tonight. Oh bother! And it’s not like she could face him with the insouciance she had been used to feel. Not now she knew for certain he was her true love.
The cart had not even come to a stop before he was reaching up to pluck her out of the seat and swing her roughly down.
“What kind of games have you been playing, Lenora?” he demanded angrily, retaining a firm grip on her upper arm as he marched her toward the house. Indeed, was fortunate he had, or she would surely have tripped and fell. “I gave no leave for you to leave the farm!”
“Why are you back so early?” she gasped in response. “I thought you were staying at the Grange for another week.”
“I’m the one asking the questions here!” he bit out, swinging her around to face him. “Good gods, madam! Are you aware of the upset you’ve caused here?”
“Well, but I’ve only been gone four hours.” She squirmed, feeling her face turn red. As soon as she said it, she realized she’d said the wrong thing. His eyes swept over her and she realized her cloak had swung back and revealed her finery.
Garman’s nostrils flared and he gripped both her upper arms in a bruising grip. For a minute she thought he’d shake her, but then his expression turned icily glacial. “Oh, only four hours?” he said in a voice of cutting coldness before thrusting her away from him so violently that she stumbled backward some steps. “Is that all? You didn’t feel it necessary to inform any of my uncle’s household where you were going or when to expect your return?” His voice was rising again now, and Lenora cringed, glancing toward the crowd that was now watching avidly from the doorway.
“Husband,” she appealed. “Will you not save your reproaches until we are alone? I am aware that I owe you some explanation, but as you can see—”
“I don’t give a fuck who can see us, Lenora!” he roared. “I want to hear from your own lips where you’ve been! For I can scarce believe what my own grandfather has told me!”
She took a deep breath in and out again. “I had an invitation to dine at Twyford Castle,” she answered clearly, and everyone turned suddenly very still.
“Is that so?” he asked with such silky smoothness, that Lenora turned suddenly cold all over. “I could hardly credit it could be true.”
She swallowed. “I made the acquaintance of Lady Magda Orde in the marketplace and she kindly—” She broke off as his face turned dark with anger and he turned on his heel and strode away. “Wait!” She made to run after him, but suddenly Grandfather Sutton stepped forward.
“Child, no,” he said quietly but firmly. “Let him go.”
Lenora turned toward him blindly. “But—”
“Let him go. Now, come inside and greet your relatives who have traveled some distance to see you.”
Lenora’s face crumpled. “But Garman!” she sobbed, glancing in the direction of the stables where he was headed.
Gerard Sutton hurried to her side to prevent her from following on her husband’s heels. “Hush now!” he said soothingly. “Leave him to calm down a while,” he urged, when to her utter embarrassment Lenora turned toward him and burst into tears.
36
Grandfather Sutton helped Lenora over the threshold as tears poured down her cheeks and she clung to his arm for all the world as if she had broken a limb. She could see her own father and grandmother staring at her in astonishment. Now she came to think of it, she could not remember the last time she had cried in earnest. At court she had always been lauded for her perfect composure.
“Come this way to the parlor.” She heard Gerard call over his shoulder. “Hawise, take these gentlefolks’ cloaks and hoods.”
“Lord Lenora,” said her cousin Kit, looking discomforted. “Anyone would think he had taken a stick to you, th
e way you’re carrying on!”
Lenora didn’t pay him any heed but allowed the old man to lead her into the front parlor and fuss over her, sending for a hot spiced wine and some honey biscuits. She wiped at her eyes until she noticed through bleary eyes that her family were sat awkwardly around her.
“Hello Father,” she sniffed. “Grandmother.”
“Here’s a pretty mess, daughter,” her father said, mopping his brow. “I can scarcely make head nor tail of what goes on here! Save that you are now serving your husband with the same flighty behaviour you subjected us to!”
“I’m so sorry, my dear,” Gerard tutted, settling her into a chair. “I’m afraid I was forced to admit to Garman your whereabouts and he took it most ill—”
“It’s not your fault, Grandfather.”
“A most well-proportioned room,” Lady Dorothea interrupted loudly as she drew off her gloves. “And a most welcoming fire.” She turned to Gerard. “I thank you for your hospitality, Master Sutton. Now perhaps, you might be so good as to explain exactly what my granddaughter has done to provoke her husband’s wrath?”
Lenora opened her hand and stared down at the large gold signet ring resting on her palm. She heard a collective gasp as she lifted it with her other fingers and inspected the Orde family crest. “A heart weeping three drops of blood,” she said aloud.
Her grandmother blinked. “You’re not still harping on about that ridiculous premonition—” The words froze on her tongue. “What is that?” she asked sharply.
“It is the signet ring of the Earl of Twyford.”
“Who pray is the Earl of Twyford?” asked her father, sounding bewildered. “And why do you have his ring?”
“The ring is for Garman. He will be Earl of Twyford before much longer.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“An earl you say?” her father asked faintly. “Orde is to be an earl?”
“Twyford?” echoed her grandmother. “Twyford… a northern title of course, but still…”
“Countess of Twyford,” murmured Sir Leofric Montmayne, cautiously. “That has a goodly ring to it. Yes, decidedly a goodly ring.”
“Allow me,” said Kit, springing up from his seat and helping Ada and Hawise bear their trays of refreshments into the room.
“Thank you, kind sir,” Hawise beamed at him as the mulled wine was poured.
“I’m Sir Garman’s new squire,” he told her confidingly. “It was my trunk taken above stairs.”
“Fancy that now! You don’t say!”
Lenora listened to them all exclaiming and carrying on in the background. She felt rather numb, and though she could feel the heat of the fire, she shivered remembering Garman’s cold anger. She had known he would be displeased, she told herself. Yet, she had plunged ever onward, determined to learn the secrets he concealed. By fair means or by foul, she had warned him she meant to pursue her goal.
“…Lenora?”
She jumped. “Your pardon, Grandmother.”
“Are you unwell still?”
“No, no. I am quite recovered.” Suddenly, it occurred to Lenora that this was the first time Lady Dorothea had seen her since her illness. She gave her a level look. “Do I look unwell to you?”
Her grandmother pursed her thin lips. “You look unhappy, child.”
“Oh, well. At this present moment in time, I am.”
“I confess, your father’s account of things had me anticipating far worse.”
Sir Leofric broke off speaking to Gerard Sutton. “Well, I did not know at that time he was a prospective earl,” he said plaintively. “No one informed me as such.”
“That is not what I meant,” Lady Dorothea barked. “Don’t be a fool, Leofric!”
Lenora’s father puffed out his cheeks and reached for a biscuit. “Well, I confess it all seems to have worked out quite providentially all things considered!”
“Let me see the ring,” Lady Dorothea held out a thin hand and Lenora passed it over to her.
She inspected it at leisure. “Of course, ‘tis mere coincidence it fits in with your childhood fancies,” she said uneasily as she handed it back.
“You know it is no such thing, Grandmother,” Lenora admonished her.
Her grandmother shrugged. “If I had been told that the weeping heart was Sir Garman’s device then I would have understood the significance of you running away with him at once! Though I still think it a rash step and most ill-considered of you.”
Lenora held her tongue. After all, what was the point in explaining? She saw Gerard Sutton’s confused look and sent him a quick reassuring smile.
The sound of horse hooves outside had Kit rushing to the window. “Oh, they’ve gone,” he announced. “That’s too bad, I wanted to have a word with Sir Garman about my training.” He turned back to Lenora. “Will they return on the morrow?”
She gave him a rather strained smile. “He undertakes his friends the Hainfroys instruction at present and is concentrating his efforts on that.”
“My grandson stays presently at Cofton Grange, an estate some few miles hence,” Gerard cut in hastily. “Allow me to apologize that he does not tarry to welcome you.”
Lenora’s cheeks burned when she saw her grandmother’s raised eyebrows, but her father seemed to swallow this snub without rancor.
“No doubt, he has much to occupy himself with his impending earldom,” he said, nodding with satisfaction. “Is there an estate to accompany the title?”
37
The house had fallen quiet long before Lenora managed to get off to sleep that night. Bedrooms had been allotted to her family members and trunks carried up the stairs. She found herself craning for the noise of a footfall on the stair that she knew would not come. Staring up at the ceiling, she considered the ramifications of the day. Garman had no doubt gone storming off to The Grange and she had no idea when he might return. Possibly his grandfather Sutton was in his bad books also.
She spent a night tossing and turning and woke heavy-eyed the next morning to be told she had a visitor awaiting her already in the back-sitting room. “I didn’t want to put her in the front parlour, milady,” Ada told her anxiously. “On account of your kinfolks already in there.”
“Who is it?” Lenora asked blearily as she flung back the blankets. For a moment, she had hoped it was her husband, but he would hardly await her downstairs.
“Didn’t I say?” asked Ada, bustling from the room. “Why it’s that Lady Magda Orde from the castle.”
It was some half-hour later that Lenora made her way to meet with Magda. She devoutly hoped the girl was not expecting good news about Garman suddenly overcoming his aversion to them all. However, when she caught sight of Magda, she looked just as harried as ever.
“I do apologize for that terrible supper last night,” she said, rising from her chair as soon as Lenora entered the room. “Alas, I’m sure you thought us all exceeding strange. I can hardly bear to think what you must have made of the conversation at table.” She shuddered slightly. “I’m persuaded things must be very different at court.”
“Different, yes,” mused Lenora. “But I assure you there are many eccentric personalities to be found there that rival even your grandfather.”
Magda relaxed a little. “You are kind,” she said abruptly. “For some reason, I did not expect that from the reigning court beauty.”
Lenora gave a startled laugh. “Oh, but I am far from reigning.” She made a gesture to her face. “Those days are far behind me.”
Magda flushed. “Your pardon, I did not mean to—” she began, but Lenora waved her apology aside.
“That was badly done of me,” Lenora said. “I did not mean to make things awkward.”
“I think,” resumed Magda after a slight pause. “That even before—you must have been kind.”
“Not especially,” Lenora admitted, gesturing to her to be seated again. She took a chair opposite her. “I was mostly disinterested and aloof. I have only recently joined
the human race. Since I lost my looks, I mean.”
Magda looked at her curiously. “Really?”
“Oh yes. I did not trouble myself to have any interest in my fellow creatures before that. I was very self-absorbed.”
Magda frowned. “I find that hard to imagine,” she admitted. “You have such a lively interest now in your acquaintance. I think you must be too hard on yourself.”
“No, it is quite true,” Lenora insisted cheerfully. “But thank you for the compliment.”
Magda looked confused for a moment, as if unaware she had paid her one. Then she seemed to give herself a little shake. “I must apologize also, for the manner in which we left your presence the other night also, after supper. You see, Mother was so very angry.” She raised her eyes to meet Lenora’s, and the expression there wavered a moment. When she spoke again, she sounded rather breathless. “Mother said she had a furious interview with Grandfather about it the next morning.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, she was quite beside herself after it.” Magda ran a fingertip over the grain of the wood on the table before her. “She—she said that Grandfather confided our cousin has a definite plan for my sister and I.” She darted a look at Lenora and blushed again. Lenora’s brain raced. A definite plan? “But perhaps she misunderstood about that?” Magda twisted her hands anxiously as Lenora wondered what on earth the old earl could have told their mother. “About,” prompted Magda lowering her voice. “The Hainfroy brothers, I mean.” She bit her lip.
“Oh!” said Lenora slowly. “He told her that, did he?” But apparently the Earl of Twyford had pretended the scheme was Garman’s and not Lenora’s suggestion. She caught her breath. That wicked old man! Doubtless he had meant to torment the Lady Jehanne with it. Opening her mouth to reassure Magda on that score, she suddenly noticed the odd expression on the girl’s face and closed it again.
The Unlovely Bride (Brides of Karadok Book 2) Page 37