Knave of Hearts

by Anton, Shari

  “There must be another which works and is less horrible.”

  “Not that I have found.”

  Mayhap there wasn’t. He knew Marian had taken Lyssa into London to see a physician, and likely tried every herb and potion known hereabout before making that long, hard journey in search for a cure.

  Wilmont was but two days away, and at Wilmont was Ardith.

  He rejected the burgeoning notion immediately. Taking Marian along to Wilmont was a bad idea. Too much temptation. He needed time alone with Carolyn.

  Except Lyssa needed a cure for her headaches and he was in a position to help Marian find it. Mayhap Ardith couldn’t help, but she would try. Ah, hell.

  “I know this is sudden, but could you be ready to leave on the morn? You and the girls?”

  Marian’s confusion wrinkled her brow. “Leave for where?”

  “Come to Wilmont with me.” At the shake of Marian’s head, he explained. “I have told you a bit about Ardith. She truly is a remarkable woman. She also knows more about remedies for illnesses than Wilmont’s apothecary. Mayhap she could help Lyssa.”

  Marian pursed her lips, undecided. “We have tried so much.”

  “What could it hurt to try again?”

  “More poking and prodding. More foul potions. I hate to put Lyssa through all that only to come away disappointed once more.”

  “Ardith pokes and prods gently, I swear.”

  She pulled her knees up, wrapped her arms around them and stared at some spot on the far wall. He waited, watching the emotions of her decision play out on her expressive face. It seemed eons before she spoke.

  “I suppose the blacksmith’s lads can feed the chickens.”

  Chapter Nine

  Marian rode next to the driver of the lead supply wagon, holding tight to Audra, wondering if she’d made yet one more mistake.

  She’d been too exhausted last night to make a decision of such consequence, considering only the possible benefit to Lyssa and the practical matters of what clothing to take and of who would feed the chickens and milk the goat.

  She’d given no thought to how Carolyn might feel about her going along to Wilmont. Carolyn’s pique at having more company on this trip than she wanted, including both twins, Marian could deal with.

  William’s reaction to their leaving proved harder to understand. He didn’t like being parted from the girls for long. Strange he hadn’t objected, much less thought the idea wonderful.

  A good wagon length ahead of her, Carolyn rode bezside Edwin. Mounted on a fine bay, gowned in flowing amber with matching veil, Carolyn rode stiff-backed and silent, every bit the highborn lady on an important journey.

  Marian couldn’t help compare the meager contents of her sack with the many beautiful gowns in Carolyn’s trunks. Ah, well. ’Twas Carolyn who’d be on display at Wilmont, her taste and deportment judged. Marian didn’t intend to become familiar with Stephen’s family or attend any feasts or functions, so her one change of work-a-day garb would serve. She’d meet with Lady Ardith and discuss Lyssa’s ailment, then keep to herself as much as possible without giving offense.

  Edwin rode loose and well. He truly was a good-looking man with a kind heart. If he amended his views on a woman’s place, and Carolyn disregarded Edwin’s age, the two could make a good match. Both were far too stubborn for words.

  Beyond them rode Stephen and his squire and, at the moment, Lyssa with Stephen. Naturally, the girls preferred to ride at the front of the company on a magnificent stallion to sitting with their mother. Stephen did his best to give the girls equal time, though Marian suspected Audra received a bit of preference because she sat more quietly than Lyssa. Stallions could be skittish and hard to handle, and it wasn’t Lyssa’s nature to be still for long.

  Like her father.

  He’d amazed her last night with his ability to sit for long hours, along with his deft handling of the girls and the situation he’d walked into. Gads, he’d scolded Audra for opening the door heedlessly, then gently prodded three irritable females into better temper.

  The man did have a way with females, one of his traits that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. If she hadn’t been susceptible to his easy charm, become entranced by his bright-green eyes and humor-touched mouth, she’d not have lain with him.

  But then she wouldn’t have Audra and Lyssa.

  There lay her greatest fear in making this journey to Wilmont, that someone with a keen eye and discerning mind might make the connection between Stephen and his daughters. ’Twas a risk her weary mind hadn’t considered until this morn, until seeing the girls merrily riding with their father.

  Before they reached Wilmont, she must have a word with Stephen about riding into his home without the encumbrance of a little girl on his lap. He’d have duties to perform—greetings to his family, introductions to Carolyn and Edwin—all valid and needing his full attention. Best he do so without juggling a raven-haired little girl.

  Maybe she made too much of the possibility. No one at Branwick had made the connection, so ’twas unlikely anyone at Wilmont would, either. Still, she’d lessen the risk.

  Stephen raised a fist in the air. The wagon’s driver pulled the oxen to a halt. Marian knew Stephen hadn’t planned to stop until time for nooning, another hour or so yet away.

  “Something amiss?” Marian asked the driver.

  “Nay, my lady,” he answered, amused. “Either Lord Stephen’s stomach grumbles early or he spotted something of interest alongside the road. A body never knows how long ’twill take to get from one place to another when traveling with his lordship.”

  The reason for the delay soon became apparent. Stephen lowered Lyssa to the ground, then dismounted and tossed his reins to Armand. Lyssa scurried off into the woods. Stephen followed and stood guard at the edge.

  The driver chuckled. Carolyn turned around in the saddle and glared at Marian, as if it were her fault Stephen inconvenienced the entire company so Lyssa could relieve herself.

  Lyssa soon came out of the woods with a sunny smile on her face and a bunch of white flowers in her hand. Stephen scooped her up, and the company was soon on its way again.

  When next they stopped ’twas in a lovely glade, the perfect place to stretch stiff muscles and satisfy grumbling stomachs.

  Marian no more than lowered Audra down from the wagon when the girl raced for the woods. With a chuckle, Marian began to follow. Carolyn’s furious countenance stopped her.

  “You will have a talk with Lyssa about proper behavior before we reach Wilmont. I refuse to be so embarrassed by one of mine own people again, especially before so august a gathering.”

  Marian thought to object to the admonishment, then realized Carolyn had the right of it. The girls must now remember and practice the rules for children in a noble household.

  Audra and Lyssa enjoyed few restrictions at Branwick because of William’s leniency. At Wilmont, the seat of a powerful baron, such leniency wouldn’t be tolerated.

  As members of Branwick’s household, the twins’ conduct would reflect on Carolyn, who understandably wished to make only the best of impressions.

  “I will have a word with them.”

  “See that you do.” Carolyn flounced off toward where Audra had raced.

  Now, while they were stopped to rest, might be a good time to have that talk. She looked for Lyssa, nowhere to be seen.

  Stephen strolled toward her, grinning. “Lyssa is with Armand, getting a crust of bread. She is starving.”

  Not surprising. Lyssa lost her appetite when the headaches hit, a good thing because food upset her stomach. She’d not eaten much yesterday and downed only a small portion of porridge before setting out this morning. Still, now she inconvenienced Armand who had better things to do than fetch a crust of bread for a child.

  The girls definitely needed a reminder of their manners.

  Stephen nodded toward where Carolyn had gone. “Why is Carolyn so angry?”

  “She expressed
concern over Lyssa’s behavior this morn.”

  “Lyssa’s…oh, our unscheduled stop?”

  “You should have asked her to wait.”

  Stephen crossed his arms. “And risk a wet lap? I think not.”

  “She delayed the company and embarrassed Carolyn.”

  “Too bad.”

  Why was Stephen being so obtuse? He’d grown up in the household of a baron. Surely he knew the rules of conduct as well as she did!

  “Carolyn worries over the girls’ behavior at Wilmont, and rightly so. ’Tis one thing for William to permit them freedoms in his household, quite another for them to show less than proper training when in company. They do know their manners, but must be reminded.”

  “So I should have let Lyssa suffer?”

  “I doubt Lyssa’s need was so urgent. She did have time to pick flowers.”

  He tossed a hand in the air. “How should I have known? I am not used to traveling with children.” He huffed. “Remind the girls of their manners if you must, but keep in mind who is in charge of this company. If I say we stop, we stop, for whatever reason.”

  She’d angered him without meaning to. He’d done what he thought best.

  “All I ask is you not give in to their whims too readily. Truly, it might be best if the twins rode with me from now on.”

  Disappointment briefly displaced his anger. “Audra is due another turn. Would you deny her?”

  “Nay. She may have her turn.”

  He placed his hands on his hips, turned to where Audra sauntered out of the woods. “I suppose you know what is best for them.”

  Marian prayed she did, but there had been times lately when she wasn’t sure at all—especially about denying the girls their father’s company, and he his daughters. After watching him do so well with them last night, and again today, ’twas obvious Stephen had a natural way with children. His daughters responded to his tender care with affection.

  Would it truly be so bad if she told only Stephen and the girls? Could she give them to each other without ruining all of their lives?

  The twins practiced staying out of the way while Stephen oversaw the setting up of the tent in which the women would sleep tonight. Both girls would dearly love to take a hammer swing at a stake. While Marian allowed them to watch—with a hand clamped firmly on each twins’ shoulder—they weren’t allowed underfoot.

  Left to Stephen, he’d have put a hammer in their hands and let them satisfy their curiosity. Sitting quietly and speaking only when spoken to had its place, but so did unfettered curiosity and high spirits. They’d ridden in the wagon for most of the afternoon, receiving instruction from Marian—to the amusement of the driver—and must be weary of lessons by now.

  “I wish you had brought our storybook,” Lyssa complained.

  “Lyss-a.” Marian’s admonishment came softly at the end of her daughter’s name.

  Lyssa didn’t look chastised. “I apologize for complaining, but I still wish you had brought our storybook.”

  Stephen cleared his throat to choke off a burst of laughter. Time for a diversion, for a bit of freedom before the twins must practice eating daintily.

  “Marian, what say we take the girls down to the river? When we watered the oxen, I thought I saw some flowers and frogs on the banks that might interest them.”

  To the girls’ credit, both stood perfectly still, the only sign of their excitement the sparkling in widening eyes. Marian glanced over to where Carolyn had seated herself on a boulder, arranged her skirts into perfect order and watched everyone else bustle about.

  Stephen quelled a twinge of guilt for leaving Carolyn behind. After all, since giving Audra her last ride, he’d spent some time riding next to Carolyn. Sad to say, Audra proved the better company. He’d half listened to Carolyn’s rambling, then been unexpectedly rewarded for his patience with an intriguing tidbit about Marian. Apparently, several men at Branwick had offered for Marian and, much to Carolyn’s annoyance, her cousin turned them all aside.

  “Shall we go sit by the river, girls?” Marian asked.

  “Aye, Mama.”

  “Walk, if you please.”

  Two heads swiveled around and tilted upward. They stared at Marian, incredulous at the order to walk.

  “Walk.” With the command reinforced, Marian turned to Stephen. “We are ready, my lord. Lead on.”

  Stephen set a sedate pace through the campsite, pausing where the livestock was staked to tell Edwin of his destination. As the man of highest rank left behind in camp, Edwin must be informed. The girls practiced greetings and curtsies to Edwin before they moved on.

  He quickened the pace through the woods, following the path the oxen had efficiently tramped down when headed for water. When he heard the river, he turned around.

  “Do you hear the river? See the path?”

  “Certes,” Audra said, near insulted.

  “Good. Last one to the bank does not get to take her sandals off and go barefoot in the water.”

  The girls streaked past him. Marian tossed her hands in the air and looked heavenward.

  “Sorry, could not help myself,” he told Marian, not sorry at all, then raced after the girls. He reached the bank to see Lyssa taking off a sandal.

  “Audra lost,” the tyke proclaimed.

  “Not so. Your mother lost.”

  Audra flashed him a grateful smile. Stephen sat down next to her and shucked his boots and hose. No sense letting the girls have all the fun. Besides, if there was a frog to be caught, the girls would need help. He rolled up his breeches and soon the three of them were mucking about in the muddy water along the bank.

  When Marian finally reached them, she set all the footwear to order, then sat down on the grass. Stephen thought to invite her to join in the frog hunt, then watched her lean back on her hands, close her eyes and tilt her face upward toward the fading sunlight.

  So at peace. So utterly delectable.

  He stood in ankle-deep, cool water, yet his loins stirred. No harm looking at his old and dear friend, he decided, so long as he didn’t touch, which would send him up in flames and necessitate a swim.

  Why hadn’t Marian remarried?

  ’Twas certainly none of his concern, and he’d put his musings on the matter to rest weeks ago. Except he hadn’t known until this afternoon about the offers she rejected, and began wondering all over again about Marian’s deceased husband. About what kind of man he’d been. Had he been suited to her or not? Did she reject suitors because she found all the men unacceptable or because she didn’t wish to marry again?

  Had she found marriage hateful, or loved her husband so much no other man could compare?

  Marian was so beautiful, both in face and manner, she could have her pick of the finest crop. She’d get a good deal of male attention at Wilmont. His brother had likely invited most of England’s high nobility to attend his son’s christening. The king might even show up; the queen stood as godmother to little Everart, Gerard’s heir.

  He should have left Marian at Branwick. A widow of noble rank, with her pleasing disposition, she would draw marriage-hungry males like bees to honey. If any one of them took advantage of her sweet vulnerability, he’d personally run the man through!

  The violence of the thought brought him up short. Who was he to proclaim himself as judge? If Marian found a suitable mate for herself at Wilmont, so be it. Someone constant, unfailingly trustworthy, who could give her and the girls a secure home, protect and love them as they deserved.

  Someone very unlike himself.

  He’d be a curse to a woman like Marian. She needed a husband she could rely on for security. ’Twas why he courted Carolyn, a woman who preferred to provide her own security.

  “Where are the frogs?” Lyssa asked.

  Jolted back to the task at hand, Stephen steered the girls toward the tall rushes. “Mayhap they hide.”

  “Why?” Audra asked.

  “If you were a frog and saw such mighty hunters bearing down o
n you, would you not hide?”

  The girls saw the sense of it and parted the rushes. He watched them search, to no avail, until disappointment set in.

  So he set them to an easier task. “Perhaps we had best settle for flowers. ’Twould be more suitable to take flowers back to camp than a frog anyway.”

  Audra’s face lit up, eyeing the proliferation of wildflowers along the bank. “We could take some back for Carolyn. She loves flowers.”

  “So does Mama.”

  “Pick some for both ladies, then, but be quick. We lose daylight.” Odd he hadn’t noticed before. “Off you go.”

  The girls hurried out of the water and up to the flowers. Stephen headed for where Marian still sat near his boots.

  She watched him approach with narrowed eyes, but a smile graced her lovely mouth. “’Twas bad of you, Stephen. Hardly proper behavior.”

  He sat down beside her. “Ah, Marian, every warm summer day should end with a frog hunt.”

  “Pray foreswear informing the girls.”

  “Whatever for? A stream runs near Wilmont, and there I know where the frogs hide.”

  Her smile lost a bit of luster. “We will be at Wilmont by this time tomorrow, will we not?”

  “With ease. Why?”

  She shrugged. “Merely wondering.” Her gaze wandered over his shoulder, toward the girls. “Oh, for pity’s sake.”

  Marian was on her feet before he could turn around. Then he saw Lyssa, a small snake clutched in her little hand, sneaking up on Audra.

  “Lyssa, no!” Marian shouted.

  Audra turned, spied the snake, screamed and took off running. Stephen laughed…until Audra ran toward the water. He shouted her name with an order to halt. She didn’t hear him through her screams.

  The river wasn’t particularly wide or deep, but every body of flowing water had its deep spots and a current—dangers for a small girl.

  Marian flew after Audra like an arrow shot to a target. Stephen stood up, watching the mother gain ground on her daughter. Fright drove Audra down the bank and into the concealing rushes—a place to hide.

  Near panic tinged Marian’s voice, shouting Audra’s name.

  Audra would be safe enough if she didn’t go too far into the rushes. But if she did and became entangled…Stephen tamped down his worry but began walking toward the river anyway.