Forwin left his chamber shortly before his guest was due to arrive. Finding Jacqueline already present in the hall, he called to her. “Come to me, wife.”
She gritted her teeth and stepped away from the table where she had been overseeing the setting and walked to Forwin. He stood a few paces away, observing her. “My lord?”
Before he spoke again, he took the time to look at her. He nodded. “The guest I am expecting, I want you to treat with the utmost respect. I will not tolerate any mistreatment of him by your hand. Do you understand me?”
“Aye, my lord.”
“Good. The man is Nicholas Talbot. He will entertain us after the feast, and then you may retire to your chamber.”
“As you wish.”
Forwin waved her away. Jacqueline eagerly complied. She had no inclination to be in his company any further than she had to be.
She saw to the last-minute details before the minstrel arrived as Forwin paced. His anticipation was palpable. She noticed something else. He had changed in the last couple of weeks, and not for the better.
His face, usually flushed and pasty, was now sickly white. Each breath he took seemed to rasp in his chest. Occasionally, Forwin would rub his left arm as if it pained him. It was all too apparent that her husband was a very ill man.
Nicholas Talbot made his grand entrance a short time later. He fawned over Forwin the instant he clapped eyes on him. Jacqueline found it as sickening a display of currying favor as she ever had seen. He went so far as to take Forwin by the elbow and assist him in sitting at the lord’s chair. What surprised her the most, though, was that Forwin allowed this.
Being ignored by both men, Jacqueline used it to her advantage and took a closer look at their guest. The minstrel was exceptionally handsome. She had to give him that. He had blond shoulder-length hair and flashing gray eyes. He stood around six feet and had a well-toned body—broad shouldered and with enough muscles in his legs to show off the hose he wore. A well-defined jaw, straight nose, and nicely sculpted lips completed the package.
Now that he was comfortably seated, Forwin motioned for Jacqueline to come to him. “Nicholas, this is my new wife, Jacqueline Montacute. Her father is the Earl of Salisbury.”
Nicholas took her hand and brushed a lingering kiss upon it. “An honor to meet you, my lady. I look forward to getting to know you better.”
Jacqueline snatched her hand away and then wiped it on the skirt of her gown. She did not at all like the knowing smile the minstrel wore.
Not missing what she had done, Nicholas chuckled. “I see the lady has a mind of her own.” He turned back to Forwin. “Do you think you can handle such a one as she, my lord?”
Forwin smiled. “Have no fear, my friend. I know how to control her. What do you think of her?”
Nicholas turned his attention back to Jacqueline and nodded. “You chose well, my lord. I find her very agreeable.”
“Good, good. Now let us eat, then you can entertain us.”
Not taking his gaze from Jacqueline’s face, the minstrel replied, “As always, my lord. I will do my best.”
Jacqueline shivered. She had a very strong suspicion the minstrel was not just talking about his planned performance that evening.
Chapter Sixteen
The evening left Jacqueline feeling even more confused as to what went on between Forwin and Nicholas. That there was something going on, she felt was a given. There were double meanings in most of the words that passed between them. A few sly looks sent her way by both men made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
It was not until after she had been dismissed did she finally begin to relax. Sitting on her bed dressed in a nightgown, she brushed out her hair. Even though it was only shoulder-length, the strokes of her brush helped to calm her nerves. Something was afoot, and it was only a matter of time before Forwin made his move. Jacqueline just hoped it would happen soon.
Having expected something had been planned, it was no great surprise when her chamber door was thrown open by Forwin. Once he stepped inside, Nicholas followed in his wake.
Forwin’s pallor was, if anything, worse. There now was a grayish tinge to his face. “The time has come for you to do your duty, my dear. I want an heir, and you are going to give me one.”
Instinctively, Jacqueline inched across the bed until her back came up against the headboard. “I will fight you. I will not allow you to lay one finger upon me.”
Her husband laughed. “Put your fears to rest. It will not be I who touches your lovely body, but Nicholas. Do you not find him appealing?”
Her gaze shot to Nicholas’ face. He smiled. “What…what do you mean?”
“If I do not produce an heir, my lands could revert to the crown. I will be damned if I let that happen. So Nicholas and I have reached an agreement. He will do what I am no longer able to. I will claim the child he gets from you as mine.”
“My father must not know of your plans. If he did, he would never have given me to you.”
“Of course he does not. I am no fool. I let your father believe what he wanted. He thinks I will give my lands to him.”
Shocked, Jacqueline quietly asked, “What did he ask you to do?”
“He had me sign a will bequeathing my lands to you. If I did not accept and do what he wanted, he would never have allowed our marriage to take place.”
So that was what the earl would gain by her marriage to Forwin. The man’s greed knew no bounds. “You have no intention of letting that happen, do you, my lord?
Forwin nodded. “Smart girl. Your father will never claim my lands as his. He thinks he has me under his boot, but he does not. I have drawn up another will. In this one, I leave all my lands to your child.”
Jacqueline put her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the laughter, which bubbled up inside her, but she could not control it. As she laughed uncontrollably, the two men in the chamber stared at her as if she had lost her sanity, which made her laugh all the harder.
Forwin took her by the shoulders and shook her until she ceased her outburst. “What is wrong with you, girl? This is no laughing matter.”
Jacqueline broke free from Forwin’s grasp. “Did my father promise you a maiden bride?”
Forwin narrowed his eyes. “Aye, he did.”
She chuckled, the laughter once again threatening to rise to the surface. “Well, he lied. I am no longer a maid. My father stole me from the man I love on the day we were to wed. So you see, my lord, I could very well already be with child.”
Forwin had not been expecting that bit of information. He appeared speechless. Nicholas looked equally shocked. Jacqueline bet he pictured all the wealth he was to gain turning to dust.
“I hate my father. Not only has he destroyed my only chance of happiness, he killed my brother. My twin. I feel nothing but revulsion for him. It makes me extremely happy to see he is finally going to be denied something he wants.”
Forwin finally seemed to come to his senses. “What should we do about this? What if you are not with child?”
“Then I will submit to Nicholas.”
Forwin reached out and grabbed her by the chin, forcing Jacqueline to look him in the eyes. “If you are not truthful, my girl, I promise it will not go easy for you. If you prove not to be with child and try to thwart me, I will personally hold you down as Nicholas has his way with you. For however long it takes.”
After delivering his final threat, Forwin motioned for Nicholas to follow him and then he quit the chamber. Once the door shut tightly behind them, Jacqueline breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
That had not been an enjoyable experience, but she had gained valuable information. All had been revealed to her. Her father’s well-laid plan was falling apart.
She crawled under the covers, thinking. She had been only trying to put Forwin off when she had told him she could be with child, but reflecting back to the last time she had been with Terric, she realized it could very well be a great possibility. She was
late, something that had never happened to her before. So despondent about what her father had done to her, she had not been paying attention to the passing of weeks.
Jacqueline placed her hand on her belly and gave it a gentle caress. She prayed Terric’s child was indeed growing inside her. She would have a part of him to cherish. It would be her salvation. Forwin would not be able to touch her then.
* * * *
Terric cursed the earl for his ability to cover his tracks so well. Each time he left the isle in search of the man, he came up against a dead end. The earl was not at any of his residences, nor had he made an appearance at any of the tournaments in which Terric had participated.
Lady Elizabeth was not happy with Terric’s decision to still go to every tournament in the circuit. She had felt he wasted precious time that could be better used in searching for Jacqueline. He did not agree. Tournaments were the ideal place to hear the latest gossip, as they had agreed upon. Since the earl was a powerful man, he definitely garnered more attention from the gossip mongers. They had to find the earl first, and foremost, be absolutely sure he was the one who had indeed taken Jacqueline. Terric could not think of another way that would provide that information faster.
Though he was now convinced the earl was responsible, he still had some nagging doubts, but he kept them from Lady Elizabeth. She would be very disappointed in him if she ever found out.
He had yet again returned from a tournament with no leads whatsoever. Not relishing the idea of telling Lady Elizabeth of his failure once again, Terric slowly pushed open the hall doors. To his surprise, the hall was empty.
He walked to the stairs and detected the faint sound of voices coming from above. Figuring it was best to face the music now rather than later, he climbed the steps.
The voices came from the solar. Lady Elizabeth and Sir Guy seemed to be having a much-heated argument about something. As Terric entered the solar, they fell silent.
“I am sorry, my lady, but my luck has run out once more. I found nothing.”
Lady Elizabeth sadly shook her head. “Sit down, Terric. We have had some news during your absence.”
It was not good, Terric surmised. Hoping to allay some of his fears, he turned to look at Sir Guy. The older man jerkily shook his head.
Terric braced himself for the worst possible news and focused his attention upon Lady Elizabeth. “I think I will keep standing, if you do not mind. Tell me what you know.”
“The earl has sent us a missive, informing us where Jacqueline is.”
“And?”
“It seems my husband was not fooled by Jacqueline’s performance in London, after all. As such, he took her and married her to Forwin, the Earl of Somerset.”
An acute wave of pain washed over him. Terric should have expected this, but even if he had been, the pain he felt now, it would not be any less. “Then it is over.”
Lady Elizabeth rose to her feet and adamantly shook her head. “I refuse to let this go. I want you to go to Nunney Castle and find out if what my husband says is true.”
“Nay, send Sir Guy in my place.”
Her voice rose in anger as Lady Elizabeth shot back, “For a brave man such as yourself, Terric, you seem to run away when life is not to your liking. Are you going to leave Jacqueline alone again? I can only assume your feelings for my daughter were never true.”
“What would you have me do? Is it not enough that I am already suffering from the loss of Jacqueline? Must you increase my pain by making me see her as the wife of another?”
Sir Guy spoke when they fell silent. “I think my lady is thinking more of what the lass must be going through, lad. If it is at all possible, I know Jacqueline would rather have you go to her than my old self.”
Terric rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “All right, I will go to Nunney, but I have a feeling I will not like what I find there.”
“You might not, lad, but at least you will know if it is the truth or not.”
Chapter Seventeen
Much to Jacqueline’s relief, her suspicions were correct. She was indeed carrying Terric’s baby. The village midwife had confirmed it. Even though Forwin’s plan did not go as he had exactly pictured, he was still quite pleased with the end result. Especially since he was running out of time.
Forwin was extremely ill, and it seemed unlikely that he would live to see her child born. That made Jacqueline fear greatly for the baby growing inside her, but her husband apparently had thought of every possible contingency.
Now that she was already with child, there was no need for Nicholas, or so Jacqueline had thought. Much to her dismay, though, her husband did not send the minstrel on his way.
The child she carried gave her a small measure of control over her life once more. She was left alone, Forwin only demanding she come to his chamber each afternoon. She assumed to make sure she had not run during the night. There really was no other reason for her to be there. She dreaded each sojourn she had to make to his chamber. Even though he was ill, she still disliked the man. They had reached an even accord, which was something more than they had had before.
One day, like every other day, Nicholas was with Forwin. Her husband was unable to leave his bed, and the minstrel had taken on the role of nursemaid. He was never far away from his charge.
Jacqueline pulled a chair close to the bed as Nicholas propped Forwin up with some pillows. “How are you this day, my lord?”
“How do you think, you silly fool? I am dying,” Forwin answered grumpily.
Thinking the rest of her stay would progress the same way as all the other of her visits, Jacqueline did not expect Forwin to actually want to speak with her alone. He usually ignored her most days.
Forwin motioned Nicholas away from his bedside. “Leave us. I wish to speak to my wife.” Nicholas stood his ground, and Forwin snapped, “Do as I say. Leave.”
Nicholas hesitated for a brief second, but he left the chamber. Once alone, her husband enlightened her as to the new plan he had devised.
“I have been thinking about what steps can be taken to keep your child safe from your father,” he said. “More importantly, to keep my lands safe.”
Jacqueline braced herself, having a feeling it would not be at all to her liking. “What have you decided to do?”
“When I am gone, you will marry Nicholas. He will protect my lands, especially with you offered as the prize.”
“I refuse.”
Forwin’s face turned an alarming shade of purplish red. “How dare…how dare you go against me? You will do as I order you.”
Jacqueline shook her head. “Nay, I will not.”
Her words worsened his condition. He wheezed and clutched his chest.
“I suggest you calm down, my lord. If not, you will expire this very moment.” After Forwin brought himself back under control, Jacqueline continued. “The days that I will allow myself to be coerced into another unwanted marriage are over. There is nothing you can do to me. Now or after you are gone. The only reason I stay is because it will hurt my father. If I need protection, I can easily attain it. In the form of the father of my baby.”
Able to speak now without wheezing, Forwin asked, “Who is this man?”
“That, my lord, is none of your business. Let me just say he is a much better man than Nicholas.”
Forwin scowled. “Nicholas will not be pleased. I have already given him my word.”
Jacqueline laughed. “I cannot see such a powerful man as yourself letting a mere minstrel dictate to you.”
His voiced laced with indignation, Forwin said vehemently, “He does not!” He spoke in a more thoughtful tone. “He does need to be rewarded for his loyalty.”
“Give him a large amount of gold and send him on his way.”
He seemed to take some time to consider what she had suggested. “I can see you are not some insipid miss. You will only do what you wish. I will give Nicholas the gold you have suggested, but he stays here until I am gone. Though he
plays the part of being loyal to me, I still do not fully trust him.”
She had to admit she was a little shocked by Forwin’s admission. “You have taken an awful chance involving him in your plans.”
He shrugged. “In a man of his caliber, it is expected. He can easily be bought.” Forwin eased himself back down. “Leave me. I suggest you say not a word of this conversation to Nicholas. I would hate to see you come to harm.”
Happy to be dismissed, Jacqueline left the chamber. She had much to think about.
* * * *
Nicholas grew impatient. Forwin was not expiring fast enough for his liking. The old fool just seemed to linger on and on. With each visit from the young chit who was his wife, he seemed to will himself to live another day. Nicholas did not like it one bit. The time had come to help matters along.
He looked down at Forwin’s sleeping form. It could be so easy. If he wanted this over here and now, there was no one who could stop him. All he had to do was take one of the many pillows on the bed and place it over Forwin’s face. The old man would be unable to dislodge him, but that would make the end come too quickly. It would not do to draw suspicion to himself.
Nay, that was not a possibility. Tonight, when Forwin’s evening meal was brought up to him, Nicholas would make his move. He would increase the dose of the poison he slowly fed Forwin.
Of course the fools who lived there had no inkling of what he was about. They were all so trusting, or his acting abilities were better than he had originally thought. Even Forwin had been easily taken in by his charade. He did everything Nicholas suggested, even before he had married Jacqueline.
The woman was not so easily fooled, and Forwin seemed to listen to her more than he did to him these days. So far, she had changed the direction of his plans, but he would not allow her to mess them up any further. He had invested too much to let it slip through his fingers.
* * * *
Jacqueline had feared the worst when her father had brought her to Nunney, but this new life, though not one of her choosing, was tolerable.
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