1606011324-Lady-Knight-Chenery

by Lady Knight (lit)

  Looking Geoffrey in the eye, Ariel told him the truth. “Aye. But just sleeping next to, being held in your arms, I feel as if I’m betraying the father of my babe. I love him very much. I would never want to jeopardize what I have with him.”

  “You never said anything about this before.”

  “I’m a serf, my feelings mean nothing. I’m a possession, not a person. As long as you keep me a serf I will never be treated with any respect.”

  Sighing, Geoffrey kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what to say. When I bought you, I thought you could make up for what could be lacking in my new wife. Now that Lisette is here I may have to rethink the situation.”

  Ariel brightened at his words. “Are you saying you’ll release me?”

  “I need time to get to know Lisette. At least give me until the babe is born.”

  Ariel adamantly shook her head in denial. “Nay, I don’t want my child to be born a serf.”

  “I understand. I’ll try to make my decision before your time comes.”

  “I know you’ll make the right choice. Now go to your wife, she is probably waiting for you.”

  Releasing her, Geoffrey brushed his lips across her mouth. “I will go and leave you to your rest.”

  After he was gone, Ariel felt optimistic about her predicament for the first time since arriving at Kilsmere. If she could bring Lisette over to her side maybe Geoffrey would set her free.

  * * * *

  The cooking area was on the lower level of the tower along with the storage rooms. Ariel was down in their gloomy depths preparing the morning repast the day after Lisette’s arrival. The young couple had not yet left their bedchamber. Ariel took that as a positive sign.

  Footsteps descending the stairs drew her attention away from the cooking fire. One of Lisette’s women walked into the room. Ariel groaned to herself. It was the one who had been shocked at her presence in the hall the day before.

  Lisette had brought only two women with her from her home. Their responsibilities were to care for Lisette and her belongings. The one who stood before Ariel now was the eldest of the two. The woman was quite plump and carried herself with pride. She was at that moment looking down her nose at Ariel. The woman did nothing to hide the disgust she felt for her. Choosing to ignore the older woman, Ariel turned her back on her. The woman huffed in indignation and moved across the room.

  “How dare you, a lowly serf, turn your back on me? I will not tolerate any disrespect from the likes of you.”

  “Then I suggest you leave.” Ariel didn’t even bother to turn her head to look at the woman.

  “Well, I never. You may have graced the lord’s bed, but that does not make you any better than what you are.”

  “Why are you here and who are you?” Ariel sighed in exasperation.

  The woman drew herself up to stand to her full height. She was still a few inches shorter than Ariel. The gown she wore was a drab brown and a white wimple completely covered her hair. She was not a great beauty and her personality did nothing to make one forget her plain face.

  “I will have you know I am Lady Lisette’s personal maid. I am Dame Marguerite and you should treat me with the respect I’m due. I’m here to see to my lady’s meal.”

  “If you were to leave me alone then the meal would be finished quicker.”

  Dame Marguerite raised her hand to strike Ariel, but the sound of Lisette’s voice stopped her before she could follow through. At the sight of her lady stepping down the last remaining steps, she lowered her arm and smiled.

  “What are you doing down here, my lady?”

  “I was about to ask that of you,” said Lisette.

  “I came to make sure this serf prepared your meal to your liking.”

  With a wave of her hand, Lisette dismissed the older woman. “You may leave and if I ever see you try to strike Ariel again you will be sorry. Is that understood?”

  “Aye, my lady.” With her face flaming, Dame Marguerite disappeared up the stairs.

  Lisette moved to stand next to Ariel and smiled at her. “I apologize. I had no idea she would come down here to pester you. She sometimes takes her duties too seriously.”

  “I’m a serf. She can treat me any way she deems fit.”

  “But you aren’t a serf, are you?”

  Ariel moved away from the fire and went over to the work table that stood in the center of the room. Rolling her sleeves up past her elbows, she began kneading the huge mound of dough on the table’s surface, Lisette followed her.

  “It’s all right, Geoffrey told me about you. He thinks you’re a warrior.”

  Ariel stiffened. “And what if I am?”

  “I have never met a woman warrior before. Truth be told, I at times wished I could wield a sword instead of a needle.”

  Ariel pulled the dough into sections and busily formed it into loaves. “I too felt that way, especially after my mother’s death. Father was so depressed at her passing. I had to take on his duties. I took up the sword to help protect my home.”

  “Could you teach me?”

  Ariel looked at Lisette. She could see the girl was serious by the total lack of humor on her face. “What would your husband say?”

  With a smile, Lisette moved closer to her. “He doesn’t have to know. I could find a place not too far from the castle walls where we could go. No one would have to see us.”

  Shaking her head, Ariel continued to shape the bread. “That’s not possible.”

  “Of course it is, as long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves.”

  Ariel shook her head once more. “You don’t understand. I have work to do in the hall. My duties take most of the day to complete. Besides, Geoffrey does not allow me to leave the hall.”

  Shock registered on Lisette’s face. “Why would Geoffrey keep you locked indoors?”

  “I think he’s afraid I will try to run or someone from the outside world would recognize me.”

  Lisette frowned in concentration. “I will have to speak to Geoffrey about allowing you more freedom. For now I will have, Elaine, my other woman, take over the cooking. I brought her with me to fulfill that task anyway. I figured Geoffrey would not possess a decent cook. Finish baking the bread and then come to my solar. I will give you some other duties.”

  Ariel found herself speechless as she stared at Lisette’s retreating back. Geoffrey’s wife was nothing like she had expected. Ariel wondered how Lisette would get Geoffrey to allow her outside the castle walls.

  Chapter 34

  The solar was awash in bright sunlight causing Ariel to blink at the glare. When her eyes grew accustomed she stepped into the room. Lisette sat near the windows working intently at an embroidery frame. Her needle flashed expertly through the material. Ariel watched Lisette perform her woman’s work. She was totally useless when it came to stitching. Her mother had tried to teach her how to wield a needle, but Ariel was never very interested in learning how to do it properly. Eventually her mother had given up and let her follow her father about Elmstead. She had turned out to be a quick learner when it came to running the land.

  Sensing Ariel’s presence, Lisette’s hands stilled and she beckoned her closer. “Did Elaine come to relieve you?”

  “Aye. She seemed most eager to begin her work.”

  Lisette laughed. “She enjoys cooking for a large amount of people. She is very talented. My father was not too happy to give her up, but I finally won her from him. Elaine wanted to come to England, which helped to win my father over to my side.”

  Ariel chuckled. “Well, she will be greatly appreciated here. I may know how to cook, but my talents in that area are very limited.”

  “I’m glad all has worked out then. Now, we must find something else for you to do. I didn’t want you working over a hot fire all day in your condition. How are your stitches?”

  Ariel flushed and shook her head. “I’m afraid I have no great skill when it comes to a needle and thread.”

  “All right, let me th
ink a moment.” Lisette paused. Ariel watched a frown crease her forehead in concentration. A few minutes later, Lisette’s face brightened.

  “Do you know anything of healing?”

  “Very little.” All Ariel had learned was from Osbern. He had taught her how to take care of minor wounds. He had told her if she could learn to inflict the wounds, she could learn how to heal them. Even now, with all the time that had gone by, Ariel still mourned the loss of Osbern. Just thinking of him caused her pain.

  Ariel managed to pull herself out of her past as Lisette grabbed her hands and squeezed them in hers. “This is perfect. I should have thought of this before.”

  Confused, Ariel looked at Lisette in askance. “What will be perfect?”

  “My mother is a healer. She taught me all she knows. I will teach you. That will be our excuse to leave the castle walls. We will have to go out into the forest and gather the plants we will need.”

  Ariel doubted it would be that easy. “You still have to talk to Geoffrey. Even if he does allow me to leave the hall he may send one of his men to watch over me.”

  Lisette smiled knowingly. “I know how to handle Geoffrey. As for the guard, I will simply tell him a woman in your condition could not run very far on foot.”

  Lisette did have a point. Even if Geoffrey granted Ariel her freedom there was no way she could make it back to Elmstead alone. She would never endanger her unborn child by taking such a risk, but there was still something Lisette had not thought of.

  “Your plan is logical enough, it could work, but there is one problem.”

  “What is that?”

  “Just what do you expect us to practice with? There is no way we could obtain two swords without them being missed.”

  Frowning once more Lisette looked at Ariel. She then laughed. “I’m afraid I tend to get carried away with myself once in awhile. My mother is always telling me I rush into something without thinking out every detail. You are quite right. I will obtain the swords, it may take a couple of days, but I will get them.”

  Knowing Lisette to be a resourceful woman, Ariel did not doubt she would follow through with her promise. “However you get them, be careful. Men don’t like women sticking their noses into their work. I know from first hand experience.”

  “Have no fear, I have my ways. I always get what I want, even with Geoffrey.”

  Ariel could not help but laugh, something she had not been able to do much of before Lisette arrived. She seemed to be the type of woman who knew how to look out for herself. Ariel was positive she would present her with two swords on the morrow.

  * * * *

  The following morning Geoffrey came to her chamber. Ariel had just finished dressing when the door opened to admit him. He said nothing at first. He stared at her with his hands clasped behind his back. After a few moments of being under Geoffrey’s scrutiny, Ariel couldn’t take anymore.

  “Is there something you want?”

  “Nay, not really.”

  “Then why are you looking at me like that?”

  Geoffrey paced the room a couple of times then stopped directly in front of her. “Lisette has decided to take you under her wing and teach you the skills of a healer. She even went so far as to ask me to free you. I refused to remove the collar, but I agreed to her teaching you. There is one problem though. It seems she would need to take you out to the surrounding countryside to collect certain plants. She assured me you would not run, and that one of my men breathing down your neck would not help the learning process. Before I grant my permission, I need to feel I can trust you not to try to flee.”

  Ariel could not help but smile. During the night she had doubted Lisette’s ability to sway Geoffrey to her way of thinking. It looked as if she had succeeded. It was too bad she could not convince him to take the damned collar off.

  Looking Geoffrey straight in his dark eyes, Ariel did what she needed to. “All I have to give is my word. I promise not to flee. The risk would be too great for my babe.” To add emphasis to her statement, Ariel laid a protective hand on her rounded belly.

  Geoffrey nodded. “Then I will inform Lisette of my decision.” He turned to leave only to pause at the door and look over his shoulder at Ariel.

  “Just so you know, you were right. Lisette is nothing at all what I had expected. You don’t need to worry about me taking you to my bed again. I’ve found my wife gives me all I need.” With that said he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

  Feeling her spirits soar, Ariel spun around the room. Her life was definitely going for the better. With Lisette’s coming she had been given more freedom than she had before, and she need no longer worry about how Geoffrey felt about her when she only thought of him as a friend. And that was what Geoffrey had become. He still owned her, but he had always treated her with respect. She could not hate him for that. All her hate was directed at one man—Theodoric. If he crossed her path again he would pay for his underhanded dealings with her.

  * * * *

  A very excited Lisette awaited Ariel in her solar. It was apparent Geoffrey had spoken to her and had given his permission. Lisette already had a basket in her hand. She rushed up to Ariel and grabbed her hand. Before she could speak, Lisette pulled her into a small storage room just off of the solar.

  “Come here, Ariel. I need help getting these out of the castle.”

  Going over to a chest that sat up against the wall, she pulled out two swords. They were unlike any Ariel had seen before. The blades had intricate scrollwork running up and down their length. The pommels were gold with rubies and diamonds set into them. The grips were wrapped in white leather. Ariel could only stare at the beauty of them.

  “Well, what do you think? Will they serve our purposes?”

  Ariel gulped. “Aye. Wherever did you get these?”

  “I brought these with me from home. I planned to give them as a gift to Geoffrey, but I think I will keep them for myself instead.”

  “Why two swords?”

  Lisette giggled. “The blacksmith had made these as a matching set. I just could not bear to separate them. They are quite breathtaking, are they not?”

  That was an understatement in Ariel’s opinion. “Aye, but they are too fine for what we would use them for.”

  “But these are all I have. Take one,” Lisette urged. “We can strap them to our backs under our cloaks. There are matching scabbards as well.”

  Hesitantly, Ariel took a sword from Lisette. It felt good to have the solid weight of a sword resting in the palm of her hand again. Too much time had passed since she held a sword. She had missed that part of her old life. Backing away from Lisette, Ariel tested out the balance of the sword by slicing the air before her. Looking up she found Lisette watching her.

  “I can see you do know what you are about with that.”

  Unthinkingly, Ariel said, “I should. I’m a knight.” She didn’t realize what she had revealed until she heard Lisette’s sharp intake of breath.

  “Are you serious?”

  Knowing she wouldn’t be able to talk her way out of what she had said, Ariel nodded. “Aye.”

  “How can this be? You’re a woman. No man would train a female let alone knight her.”

  “I passed myself off as a boy. I already knew how to wield a sword, so it was easy to make everyone believe I was male.”

  “From what I heard Saxons do not have knights.”

  “That’s true, we don’t. I was knighted by a Norman.”

  Taking a scabbard out of Lisette’s hand, Ariel slid her sword into it and slung is over her back. She already said too much. She hadn’t even told Geoffrey that much about her past life. Ariel felt so comfortable around Lisette she had let her guard down.

  Knowing Ariel wouldn’t talk about that subject any further Lisette passed her a cloak and placed a basket over her arm. With both swords adequately concealed she led Ariel out of the solar.

  Dame Marguerite was in the hall and sneered at Ariel as sh
e walked by. Obviously she still held her in contempt. Ariel chose to ignore the other woman and followed Lisette down the stairs.

  Crossing the yard to the castle gates proved uneventful. When the gates loomed before them, Ariel held her breath. After months of being forced to remain inside, doubt assailed her. It was hard to believe Geoffrey would allow even this small amount of freedom, but their passage through the gate didn’t meet with any hindrance. Ariel’s breath left her lungs in a whoosh once the gates were safely behind them.

  Lisette looked back at the castle then set out at a steady pace toward the forest. Ariel’s step lightened the farther away from the castle she got. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she plunged into the woods behind Lisette. They didn’t have to travel very far before they came to a small clearing. It was a perfect spot, not too far from the castle, but the trees offered sufficient cover to hide their activities.

  Taking off the cloak from around her shoulders, Ariel drew her sword. Lisette followed suit. Swinging the sword, Ariel stretched out her muscles. She would more than likely feel today’s exercise in the form of aching muscles on the morrow. Looking at Lisette who valiantly tried to duplicate her moves, Ariel watched her struggle to lift the sword before her. Ariel took a small measure of comfort in knowing Lisette would be in worse shape than she. Moving to the center of the clearing, Ariel signaled Lisette to follow.

  “We won’t do too much today. For the little we do now will leave your muscles shrieking in protest tomorrow.”

  Lisette nodded. “I agree. Besides, I think we should spend half the time teaching you to be a healer. If Geoffrey should question you on your progress, you should be able to tell him about some of the plants and their uses.”

  Ariel agreed with her. “You’re right. It wouldn’t do to have Geoffrey become suspicious. Our outings would be stopped.”

  Taking up a stance, Ariel held her sword before her. “Today I will show you some moves that will help strengthen your arms and shoulders.”