Love's Intrigue

by June Francis

  She was adjusting her veil when John entered the stables.

  She turned to him hurriedly. ‘Is everything all right?’

  ‘I think so. The Fetterstones believe thieves broke in and killed him. I’ve had word with your sister and she will keep quiet about you. I told her that you’ll speak with her in the morning.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said unsteadily. ‘Was she surprised to see you?’

  ‘A little, I fancy — but I explained who I was.’ He paused. ‘You told her that we were lovers. Why did you do that?’

  She flushed. ‘I thought she should know.’ There was a silence and she licked her lips. ‘Are you very angry with me?’

  ‘I was — but you were so frightened. I couldn’t be angry for long.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Louise! There are things we have to decide. Although I don’t want to upset you — you’re still looking terribly pale.’

  A slightly hysterical laugh escaped her. ‘It’s not every day you kill a man. As if my sins weren’t enough as it is!’

  ‘But you didn’t mean to do it — and having done so you’ve done me and a lot of other people a great service,’ he said soothingly. ‘But you took a damn stupid risk going there.’

  ‘I know. I’m sorry. But at least I did find Marguerite and had a few words with her.’

  ‘What did you discuss?’ His eyes were intent as they stared into hers.

  Louise toyed with her fingers. ‘She has plans to return to Normandy and wants me to go with her.’

  ‘What?’ he exclaimed, seizing her hands and squeezing them tightly.

  She moistened her mouth and stared down at their joined hands. ‘There’s a weaver who wants to marry her — take up your king’s offer and settle in France! She’s told him about me and how much I know about the clothing business. I could live with them.’ She paused. ‘I could go home and not have to live in the forest. It’s a better plan than I ever thought of,’ she said slowly. ‘And if it’s what Marguerite wants — I did after all come to England to find her and go back to France with her.’

  He swore softly. ‘You can’t tell me it’s what you want, Louise?’

  Slowly she lifted her head. ‘It’s not the future I dreamed of exactly. But you’re forgetting how little I have. Beggars can’t be choosers.’

  ‘But you do have a choice,’ he said roughly. ‘I thought we lived quite amicably when we were snowed up. I made you an offer once and now is the time to choose, Louise.’

  ‘Ay,’ she murmured, wishing he had stayed a few feet further away. Having him so close filled her with a longing to bury herself against him and find comfort in his arms. ‘I don’t doubt that we could be happy for a while. But maybe it would not always be like that. I could make you angry — we would quarrel, and you might consider yourself better rid of me. I love you and I don’t think I could bear living with that uncertainty. Better to part now.’

  ‘You’ve made me angry often, sweetheart.’ His voice was soft. ‘But never so angry that I wanted to be rid of you. Rather I’ve enjoyed the making up. I don’t want to live without you, Louise.’ He paused and his eyes held hers. ‘I love you. I want to marry you.’

  For an instant Louise could not speak — could not believe him. ‘You can’t mean it,’ she stammered at last. ‘You’re not thinking straight. I’m a nobody.’

  John laughed. ‘You’ve never been a nobody even when dressed in rags.’

  ‘But I’ve got no dowry. I can’t bring you anything.’

  ‘Tonight I wouldn’t be surprised if your actions have returned Cobtree to us. Dykemore only had Dorothy and Peter for kin — and she’s dead. It’ll come to Peter. So you see — you have brought us something.’

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hungrily and she responded instantly. Their passion for each other rose, carrying them along on its tide, and she was convinced he would take her there and then in the stables, but he stopped abruptly. ‘No, we won’t. Not yet,’ he whispered unevenly. ‘We’ll wed this night and damn what anyone thinks.’ He rose to his feet. ‘Button up, my love. We’ll go and wake the priest.’

  ‘This is madness,’ she whispered, trying to control the excitement inside her. ‘What will the Fulcombes think? What will your parents think?’

  ‘They can think what they like.’ He seized her hand, pulled her out of the stables and ran her down the street and along a lane till they came to the priest’s house.

  They did not have to wake the young priest up after all. But when John stated his reasons for coming, he was a little taken aback. ‘I understand that you don’t want Peter left motherless while you’re away, Master Milburn,’ he said in a flustered voice. ‘But what about the banns?’

  ‘You can marry us without them,’ said John promptly. ‘I’ll pay for the inconvenience, and provide you with some good woollen cloth for winter vestments.’

  The priest hesitated. ‘I’m not saying it’s inconvenient but it’s rather unusual.’

  ‘We love each other, man,’ said John quietly. ‘Isn’t that a good enough reason to marry us?’

  The priest looked at him and then at Louise, and almost drowned in the depths of her beautiful luminous hazel eyes which pleaded with him. He subdued a sudden longing and married them.

  ‘Do we go and tell the others?’ said Louise as they walked hand in hand up the street.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ he said. ‘You’ll be able to tell Marguerite — and you don’t have to be worrying that if she goes back to France you’ll never see her again. We can do business with her and her Ned. As for Harry, he’ll have guessed we’ve gone to the inn, no doubt. Tonight I want you to myself — to love away all your fears, and to talk about the future.’

  ‘I never considered I had much of a future when I first set eyes on you. Especially when you threw me in the sea.’

  He smiled and drew her into the shadows and into his arms. ‘O thou of little faith. Didn’t I tell you that I believed that God had sent you to me?’

  ‘To give us both a little happiness,’ she whispered, pressing against him.

  ‘A load of happiness,’ he retorted, kissing her passionately, before taking her hand and leading her to the inn and their marriage bed.

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