The Baron's Bride

by Marina Oliver

  They danced, and he talked easily, but Eva responded with single words or not at all, longing only for the torture to be finished. When the dance concluded they were at the end of the hall furthest away from the dais and the man kept his arm about Eva's waist as he led her to a bench which was unoccupied, set in a small alcove beside one of the staircases leading to the higher floors of the castle.

  Eva began to protest but his arm, seeming so casually placed, was insistent and she had no choice but to sit beside him. She looked about her desperately and saw Gilbert a few feet away, but he, after a pained look at her, turned aside and began to talk to a companion.

  'Your friend,' the hateful man beside her commented. 'Or should I say lover?'

  'You are detestable!' she said in a low but furious tone. 'You have no right to be so contemptuous, for you are worse than he, you forced kisses on me when I was unwilling. What do you want of me? Why do you seek my company when it is clear you despise me?'

  'Do I?' he asked musingly. 'I am not certain how I regard you, I know you so little as yet, although I intend to remedy that.'

  'This is intolerable,' she exclaimed. 'You shall not keep me here, and I have no wish to know you for a moment longer!'

  *

  Finding he had removed his arm she stood up and walked swiftly away from him, and to her relief he remained where he was instead of following her.

  Some time later she contrived to speak with Gilbert, uncomfortably aware that the stranger's eyes were upon them.

  'There is no opportunity to meet tonight, we are too closely watched,' she said angrily.

  'Then at daybreak in the herb garden,' Gilbert suggested.

  Eva nodded. They had used the herb garden as a secluded meeting place in the past, for it was small and surrounded by high walls. Lady Isabella rose late and did not use it so early.

  Soon afterwards Eva complained of weariness and escaped to bed. She pretended to be asleep when the other ladies came up to the dormitory, but she could not avoid hearing the giggles and whispers as they teased Marguerite on her blatantly obvious admiration of the guest.

  'What would your betrothed say?' Joan chided, laughing.

  Marguerite laughed harshly.

  'He is old, he must expect me to respond when younger men are gallant and pay me attentions.'

  Sir Piers was a friend of King Henry's brother. Richard of Cornwall was aged fifty, a year younger than King Henry. Eva shuddered with loathing. Nothing would make her wed an old man!

  'The visitor is old,' Alys, one of the youngest ladies, barely fourteen years old, said consideringly, and the others laughed.

  'Thirty or so,' Marguerite opined. 'The best age for a man, experienced enough without being too ancient. Younger men are tedious as a rule, they take matters so seriously and are far too anxious to prove themselves,' she added knowledgeably.

  Eva found her hands clenched tightly together and had immense difficulty in lying still. Once Marguerite had tried to flirt with Gilbert, and great had been her chagrin when Gilbert rebuffed her. Aware that Eva and her cousin were more than ordinarily fond of one another she had taken every opportunity since of speaking disparagingly of Gilbert and younger men generally.

  *

  Early the next morning Eva tiptoed quietly out of the dormitory and down the narrow stairs. The maids were at work in the kitchens, but many of the men still lay rolled up in their cloaks close to the embers of the fire.

  She slipped out through the small door which led into the herb garden, shivering as the cold misty air touched her, and pulling her fur trimmed cloak tightly about her. Gilbert was pacing along one of the narrow paths between the beds of herbs which were Lady Isabella's pride and joy.

  Eva ran to meet him and fell into his arms. They exchanged swift feverish kisses and then sprang guiltily apart as the gate leading to the outer bailey opened.

  'Is this castle plagued with illicit lovers?' an amused voice demanded, and Eva flushed with rage and mortification.

  'I must ask you to speak respectfully of my betrothed,' Gilbert, stung into unwise retort, said furiously. Eva gasped with dismay. The man looked oddly at Eva and then bowed slightly.

  'My pardon, sir. I understood Lady Isabella to say last night that the young lady was betrothed elsewhere.'

  'I am not – ' Eva began, but Gilbert, angrily aware he might have risked their plans by his hasty words, spoke above her.

  'Lady Isabella may wish to think that, but no one is going to force Eva to marry a man as old as her father!' he declared. 'I may not be as rich as he is, but I will make Eva happier, and we will be content with the little I have.'

  'Her father agrees?' he asked softly. 'Forgive my plain speaking, sir, but it is hardly an equal match for her to marry a mere man-at-arms.'

  Eva flushed with annoyance and took Gilbert's hand in hers.

  'Gilbert is my cousin, my mother's brother's son. Just because he has so much less land than my father does not make him any worse than I am! I am proud he loves me! He is far better than some lecherous old man who wants only my land!'

  'And an heir, surely,' the irritating stranger suggested softly. 'If he is as old as you suggest that, surely, will be a priority for him?'

  'It is none of your business!' Eva declared, scarlet with embarrassment, and turned to run towards the castle.

  The abominable man! How dare he say such things to her? And why did he always seem to appear when she and Gilbert were trying to snatch a few quiet words. If they were unable to meet soon and begin to devise ways of escaping from Holdfast the wretched Sir Piers de Granfort would be here. Then there would be little opportunity of eluding him and her life, she thought in despair, would not be worth living, whether she was his wife or had managed to flee to Meadside Nunnery as she had threatened.

  Thankful the detestable man had not followed her into the great hall, Eva took a manchet of bread and a salted herring. This and a tankard of ale was all she could eat to break her fast, and even that was difficult to swallow. Giving most of it to the dogs who waited hopefully about the fire, she rose from the stool and wandered slowly across towards the solar stairs.

  She had almost reached them when she discovered, to her dismay, the stranger once more beside her. He put his hand solicitously on her elbow and firmly, irresistibly, steered her towards the stairs.

  'I will escort you to the solar,' he murmured.

  What did he intend, Eva wondered in sudden panic. Would he complain of her behaviour to Lady Isabella? Would she, disgusted, send her home? How then would she contrive to escape from the marriage her father wished for her and find happiness with her beloved Gilbert?

  There was little time for such speculation. With the stranger's hand implacably guiding her she was rapidly approaching the solar.

  'What are you doing? I have not been summoned,' she protested furiously, convinced he intended to denounce her and busy calculating the chances Lady Isabella would believe her if she in turn related how he had forced his unwelcome kisses on her.

  'I was asked to bring you,' he replied easily. 'Come, can you not smile?'

  'I have nothing to smile of, treated so shamefully,' she returned quickly. 'What does Lady Isabella want of me? We are not normally required so early in the morning, she will not be dressed.'

  'Today she has risen early, you will soon discover why,' he replied aggravatingly, and guided her through the opening into the solar.

  *

  In the solar Lord Henry stood beside the small smoky fireplace while Lady Isabella, for once without embroidery in her hands, sat in her usual chair. She smiled archly at Eva as the girl, uncertain, paused just inside the entrance.

  'Come, child, do not look so apprehensive. I know you were rather surprised by your father's visit yesterday, but the waiting is over now and your fears must have been set at rest.'

  Eva blinked, dragging her mind back to that episode, now seeming an age away. What did Lady Isabella mean? She glanced at Lord Henry for some elucidation, but he w
as busy pouring wine into silver goblets and was not looking at her.

  'I – I do not understand, Ma'am,' she stammered at last. 'My father came to – to prepare me, to announce he had arranged a marriage,' which I shall never agree to, she added silently to herself.

  Lady Isabella, incredibly, was laughing. This was so rare an event Eva stared at her in amazement. Lady Isabella shook her finger playfully at Eva's companion.

  'Wicked man, have you not told her? What have you persuaded her to confide in you while she was in blissful ignorance?'

  Lord Henry handed Eva a goblet and indicated to her to sit down. She took a seat on a small stool and sipped the wine, noting with surprise it was a far superior sort to the one usually supplied for guests. She looked at the man beside her, who had remained standing. He must be an important man, she thought, somewhat dazed by the utterly bewildering events of the past four and twenty hours.

  Lady Isabella rose suddenly and gave her goblet to her husband.

  'My dear Eva, I know this must come as a second surprise to you, indeed it has been for all of us. When your dear father came to tell us of the very advantageous match he had arranged for you we none of us expected Sir Piers to be here for several days. I thought you would have time to become used to the idea, and I could tell you something about your future husband before you met him. I trust he meets your expectations? Possibly,' she added roguishly, 'even exceeds them? But I shall not expect you to answer in his presence, that would be unfair to you.'

  Eva was staring at her in horror as the truth became clear.

  'You are Sir Piers de Granfort?' she whispered, turning to look at the man beside her. He nodded, unsmiling, still with that hard look in his eyes. Eva shook her head in bewilderment, and then felt herself quivering with fury and resentment.

  'How dared you not tell me?' she asked in a tight voice, struggling to control her desire to fly at him and scratch out those eyes which had seen so much of her secret.

  *

  Chapter 3

  Lady Isabella was speaking at the same time and her voice drowned Eva's strangled question.

  'Come, my lord, we will leave Sir Piers alone with our dear Eva awhile.'

  She swept out followed by Lord Henry, and Eva suddenly collapsed onto the stool beside Lady Isabella's chair. Sir Piers came to stand by the fire and looked down at her unsmilingly.

  'You deceived me, not telling me your name,' she said at last in a low tone.

  'I had no reason to suspect your own identity on our first encounters in the stable,' he replied coolly. 'Why should I announce myself to a pair of clandestine lovers disporting themselves? I could have made myself known to you after supper when Lord Henry had pointed you out to me, of course, but naturally I wished to discover whether my intended bride was so abandoned as I suspected. What better way than to remain incognito for a few hours?'

  'No doubt your vulgar curiosity has been satisfied!' Eva snapped. 'What do you propose to do? I hope you are so disgusted you will leave at once and forget this mad idea of forcing me into a marriage I do not wish for.'

  'Do you?' was all he said to this.

  Eva stole a glance at him, uncomfortably aware of his vibrant personality, his keen black eyes, dark skin and thick black hair contrasting with the pale grey surcoat he wore, and then one aspect of this very odd affair suddenly occurred to her.

  'You are not old,' she exclaimed in surprise.

  Sir Piers looked amused, and the smile on his face banished all the grimness that had been there. His eyes twinkled and the corners creased so that he looked even younger than his thirty years.

  'It rather depends on how one defines age,' he commented lightly. 'Why did you expect me to be so ancient?'

  Eva frowned. 'I heard you were one of Richard of Cornwall's friends,' she replied slowly, 'and as he is about the same age as my father I thought – well, it would be natural if you were too.'

  'My father was some five or six years older than Richard. They first met on the expedition to Gascony in 1225, when Richard was given the nominal leadership, though but sixteen. My father was one of the younger knights and became his good friend. Since he died Richard has treated me as though I could offer the same friendship and advice. My friendship he most certainly has, but I cannot hope to be as wise as my father was. Does my immaturity reconcile you to our marriage?' he added mockingly, but with another note in his voice which was impossible to interpret.

  Eva shook her head violently.

  'No!' she exclaimed quickly. 'That was not what I meant. I will not be forced into a marriage against my will, and – and I love Gilbert, I wish to marry him.'

  'That matters nought, your wishes are unimportant as your father favours me. Has Gilbert approached him and been rejected?'

  'He – has not had time, I have not seen my father for several months, and – and Gilbert came to Holdfast since my father's last visit,' Eva tried to explain, and wondered why she should suddenly turn into a stammering, hesitant fool when this detestable man's eyes were upon her.

  'He could have been to your home and told your father,' Sir Piers commented quietly, and Eva threw up her head to face him angrily.

  'He wished to, it is not his fault he has not. But my home, as you must know, is two days' journey from here, it would have been difficult for Gilbert to obtain leave to go.'

  'Surely not, if Lord Henry had been aware of the facts and approved?' Sir Piers said softly.

  Eva blushed but would not lower her eyes. Her tormentor should not see she herself had sometimes wondered why Gilbert seemed so reluctant to approach her father.

  'Lord Henry did not know. I – we did not consider the time appropriate for telling my father,' she said hastily. 'Gilbert is not rich, but that is unimportant to me and he has hopes of advancement. I – he wanted to have something to offer, some honour he had won which my father would appreciate, and be more ready to ignore his lack of wealth and permit me to wed where I chose.'

  'You have been singularly indulged if you were led to believe you could choose your husband freely.'

  'Why should I not?' Eva demanded, stung by his arrogance and the dismissive tone in which he scorned her plans.

  'Marriage is not a state to be entered into for foolish emotional reasons,' he stated flatly. 'Only peasants behave so. It is a business arrangement made for the benefit of both parties.'

  'For you and my father it may be advantageous, but what would I gain from such an arrangement?' Eva demanded angrily.

  'A comfortable home, all the luxuries you could wish for, and an attentive husband,' he replied swiftly.

  'A husband I detest and do not want,' Eva retorted. 'I want Gilbert, and he can give me all the comfort I need. Luxuries do not concern me so long as I am with him.'

  'Then they will have to serve as a substitute for him, I fear,' Sir Piers replied smoothly. 'Your preferences are of no account and I am a necessary part of the bargain whatever your feelings.'

  Eva stared at him, dismayed.

  'You still wish to marry me' she demanded incredulously. 'Even though you know how I feel and that I love Gilbert, you would wish to proceed with it?'

  'I made an arrangement with your father and neither your protests nor your deplorable behaviour will change that. I have sent my servant after Sir Edmund to inform him of my arrival, and suggest the marriage take place as soon as we can follow him. I intend to escort you to your home.'

  Eva was horrified.

  'No!' she whispered. 'No, I will not! You cannot force me to wed you.'

  'Make no mistake about that, my dear, I can and I will.'

  'But I love Gilbert,' she persisted.

  'What is love?' he replied harshly. 'An illusion, a transitory emotion which deceives people into actions they afterwards regret. Most of the time the word is used, particularly by ladies, as an acceptable way of describing fleshly urges which they pretend to scorn. And yet, my wife to be, when I first kissed you your response showed you have a passionate nature.'
/>   Eva felt her face flame at the recollection. She had been furious, had not wanted to respond in the odious way he was suggesting, she told herself angrily, and could still not fully understand those unexpected desires of her senses which had been unlike anything she had ever experienced in Gilbert's arms. Sir Piers was still speaking.

  'We shall deal well together if it is so, you will do your duty and provide me with heirs without either the complaints of a fragile, virginal sanctuary which must not be defiled or the jealous demands of a lovesick fool.'

  *

  Before Eva could respond to this unwelcome suggestion Lady Isabella returned to the solar, beaming delightedly.

  'Well, my dear Eva, is all explained? I do trust Sir Piers has been able to reconcile you to his harmless little deception. I shall be sorry indeed to lose you, but a man such as Sir Piers will make you happy, and he takes you to a magnificent home. You will be a credit to me, I know, and many of the tasks you may have found unpalatable here will no doubt be full of interest for you in your own household. You may always send to ask my advice, naturally, especially as you have no mother to consult.'

  Eva had by this time suppressed her instinctive desire to repudiate Lady Isabella's assumption she was delighted with the match and with her prospective bridegroom. Caution warned her that once she voiced her refusal to accept Sir Piers to anyone else she would be closely watched. This would not do since she needed freedom to seek out Gilbert and speedily devise some way of escaping from the disaster which threatened her.

  'I – I am rather bewildered, my lady,' she said slowly. 'I crave your pardon, but may I retire? I would prefer to be alone awhile.'

  'Doubtless to reflect on your good fortune, or to tell your friends of it,' Lady Isabella commented with a laugh. 'Marguerite will be green with envy when she discovers the truth. It will be a salutary lesson to her, I trust, after the boasting she has indulged in these last few months since her own betrothal,' she added softly as if to herself. 'Yes, go now, child. I will send one of the others to help you pack later. Sir Piers is an anxious bridegroom, he intends to set out tomorrow.'