Ruth A. Casie

by The Guardian's Witch

  “Thank you, Lady Celeste.” There was a warmth about Celeste that reassured Lisbeth. The constant tension she felt since returning to Glen Kirk eased. Lisbeth allowed herself to relax.

  “Lady Celeste is much too formal in private. If you have no objection, I would like to be more casual. My other daughters-in-law call me Mother Celeste. Will that be alright?”

  “That would be perfect. Thank you…Mother Celeste.”

  Celeste’s smile widened in approval. She gently patted Lisbeth’s hand. “Yes, that will do nicely.”

  “M’lady.”

  “Yes, Ann?”

  “If Lady Stelton is ready, I’ll show her to her room.”

  “You’ll excuse me, Lisbeth—I’d like to get settled. I’ll come and find you later.” Celeste gave Lisbeth a squeeze and followed Ann.

  Once alone, Lisbeth sat down to her needlework. The sound of the late afternoon rain drew her attention to the window and the puddles on the wide window ledge. The shimmer of the puddle and repetitive drone of the splashing rain mesmerized her.

  She was back in the forest the day of the accident. Once again she was tossed inside the carriage while it careened through the forest. She waited while the scene played out, tormenting her, demanding she relive the terror.

  In slow motion the coach was airborne and tumbling. Both her parents grabbed her and held her close. Her mother’s last words were branded in her head. “I love you, remember I love you. You will go on. The king must never know.” There was a jarring jolt. The carriage screeched, bounced, and tumbled down the gorge. It landed on its side. Everything was quiet except the echo of the single spinning wheel. Relief flooded through her at the sound of her father’s deep whisper, “Hold on, Beth.” His strong and steady heartbeat reassured her.

  Now she soared high in the trees like a bird and looked down at the crushed carriage. From her vantage point the tableau looked unreal. She thought it a nightmare, but would never forget the image. Her mother, her beautiful mother, lay staring up at her with dead eyes. Her father still held her.

  Men swarmed up the gorge like an army of ants. They were everywhere. Call out, you stupid girl, call out. Her mouth worked but there was no sound. Someone made his way among the twisted bodies. She took flight and dove at him ready to stretch her talons to grab him. As hard and fast as she flew she didn’t get any closer. Her head pounded and the pounding grew louder and faster the more she pushed to get free until it was one loud sound. She looked on in horror. The man took her father’s head in his hands and twisted. The sound of the crack echoed through the gorge. The pounding stopped. She hurtled down through the air and slammed back into her body.

  Every inch of her hurt but nothing hurt as much as her soul. Hands grabbed her and tore at her. Numb, she didn’t resist. She didn’t care.

  “Get away, you fools.” The leader moved toward them.

  “She’s alive,” called out the man who groped her breast.

  “Get your hands off her. She better be or I’ll have your head.” The leader swatted at the men and pulled them off her. She forced her eyes open but saw only shadows. The man reached out and closed her eyes.

  “Go.” Lisbeth’s voice was a whisper. The vision faltered, then cleared. She sagged from the impact. Even she hadn’t heard conviction in the command.

  She firmly gave the command. “Go.”

  The vision hesitated, shimmered, and finally evaporated.

  No one knew the depths of her visions, not even Laura. The tears ran down her cheeks. “I had a feeling. I should have done more.” She spoke in barely a whisper.

  The remnants of the vision faded. Their deaths were not her fault.

  No one has that power, no one. Everyone thinks it was only a horrible accident, but it was murder.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Excuse me, m’lady.”

  “Yes?” Lisbeth turned and faced Alice. Over the maid’s shoulder she saw the servants carrying her things into the master suite.

  “It’s time to dress for dinner.”

  Lisbeth glanced behind her at the now-empty hall. She turned back to Alice. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of it myself.”

  “Very well.” Alice and the rest of the servants finished their work and then went off every which way to tend to their other chores.

  Lisbeth moved down the passage until she reached her childhood room. The door stood open. The bed was stripped, the chest lids gaped open, and the wardrobe doors stood ajar. It was bare and cold.

  His wife. She straightened herself with dignity and trudged to Alex’s room. She had to determine how best to approach the king. She would beg him, appeal to him in the name of her parents. He must listen. Panic and anger knotted inside her. “What if he won’t?” Her voice trailed off to a whisper.

  “What is it I won’t do?” Alex sprang out of his chair. A mischievous smile lit his features.

  She was caught off guard by his presence. She hadn’t spoken out loud. Had she?

  “Here, sit down.” He led her to the seat he recently vacated and sat beside her in the next-best chair.

  “It’s nothing, Alex.” She smoothed out her skirt with nervous hands. “I was thinking out loud.” Her skirt as straight and smooth as it would ever be, she folded her hands in her lap and waited.

  Alex put his hands on hers. Lisbeth’s eyes focused on the long tapered fingers that curled around her own. Their warmth ignited a tingle in the pit of her stomach.

  “I should have told you everything when I returned from London.”

  “Why didn’t you?” she asked in a quiet voice. A small kernel of hope began to sprout.

  He took his hand from hers and raked it through his hair. “I don’t know. I think I was so angry with Edward that I denied it ever happened.” He looked into her eyes. “I certainly didn’t intend to hurt or insult you.”

  He pulled his chair around to face her squarely, sat down, and took both her hands in his again. “Let’s get through this together. I must tell you what happened. Then we can decide what we need to do. Agreed?”

  His extraordinary eyes were gentle and thoughtful.

  “Agreed,” she answered. Her heart pounded. “And you should know what happened at Ravencroft. It is not as it seems.”

  “Yes. I reached the wrong conclusion.”

  “Alex, I did go the lodge.” She squeezed his hands. “I had to do something, anything. I thought Laura was in danger and I had to take action. Alex, I’ve lost too many people I love sitting and doing nothing when I knew there was danger. I will never let that happen again. Never.”

  “If she was in danger as you thought, you should have told the guard. He would have gone.”

  “Yes, when John confirmed your orders I didn’t press him to take me. It would have been best if I had.” She looked at him wide-eyed. “But I wasn’t thinking. When I got to the lodge Bryce was there pierced in the shoulder. He said his horse stumbled and threw him. He was impaled on a downed tree branch. All I did was care for his wound. He fell asleep in the bed. I fell asleep at the table. In the morning we decided it was prudent for me to go back with him to Ravencroft. His men would bring me back to Glen Kirk.”

  *

  Alex listened carefully and watched her eyes. There was still some doubt in his mind but he said nothing.

  “Alex, I thought he could get back to Ravencroft on his own. But he said he needed my help. When he stood in his hall he wasn’t the same man I traveled with. He had made a miraculous recovery. And I never asked for sanctuary. Never.”

  “I see that now.”

  “Do you have any idea why Bryce would manipulate us so?”

  “No, I don’t, but I will find out. There is much I need to tell you, too.”

  He settled into his chair but never let go of her hands. He had to be gentle. He had to tell her he would try to find a solution as soon as possible. Annulment wasn’t a choice. “I come from a strong line. I’m the seventh son of Philip Stelton, himself a seventh son.�
�� He waited a beat and noticed her eyes widen. His shoulders relaxed. She knew the significance. “Most of my family, well my brothers and their wives, will be here tomorrow.”

  She didn’t pull her hands away. He thought that was a good sign. He searched her face and decided she looked less panicked.

  “We are a close family. While there is infighting and intrigue in other families, ours is solid and strong. We’re devoted to each other and strive to help one another succeed. I’ve come to learn that’s quite unique.” Even he could hear the pride in his voice.

  “Like my father, I knew I would never inherit, and if I wanted a home and land I would have to get it on my own. I went to war in Wales for the king and became his trusted friend.”

  She cast her eyes in her lap as if she studied his hand.

  “When I returned he told me about Glen Kirk and the missing protectors and their men. He expected to receive a ransom demand but none had arrived. I made a bet with him that I could hold Glen Kirk and still be here to tell the tale. He challenged me to do it for one year, and if I did, he would award me the estate. You were not included in the bet.”

  Her head sprang up.

  “When the king summoned me back to London after the year was up, he surprised me by marrying us by proxy.” He dropped her hands and stood. He walked to the window and stared out at the dusky landscape. “I should have known he would not lose graciously. I should have known. If I had, I would have found some way to protect you. If there is someone else you wanted to marry I would have done whatever I could to…”

  “I can’t believe he meant to be vicious.”

  Was that pity he heard in her voice? He turned and faced her. “He ushered me into a banquet room and had me decked out, draped in flowers.”

  Lisbeth giggled. “I can’t imagine you draped in flowers. I can imagine you seething.”

  Thinking about the scene sobered him. “He led me up to the dais and married me to a veiled woman who stood in for you. I couldn’t make out who she was. After the ceremony I lifted her veil and found it was Lady Barbara Kincaid.”

  “Was she old and wrinkly?”

  He heard a rare playfulness in her voice. She was radiant when her defenses were down. “No.” He smiled.

  She stood next to him looking out the window.

  “No, of course not.” She whispered in his ear. “It’s been some time. I remember her being beautiful and elegant.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tucked her next to him. Mine. He pulled her around to face him. “I would never offend you. I knew nothing of the king’s plan to have us marry. It was pretty clear to me this last year that you did not want my company. I certainly was not looking for a wife. But we find ourselves in an awkward situation. I know we can work things out. We can get through this.”

  *

  All of her loneliness and confusion fused into an overwhelming desire. Something in his manner soothed her. She needed time to think. “Perhaps we can.”

  “Tonight I’ll announce that you and I have been married by the king’s proxy.”

  “Alex, I know you will do your best to protect us all, and I pledge to you, so will I.”

  He held her tight. “You do me a great honor.” He left her side and retrieved something from the nearby table. “My mother brought this. It’s been handed down in our family for generations. It’s a gift for the wife of the seventh son. It would please me if you wore it tonight.”

  He showed her a necklace made of gold and garnets. The large center stone had a delicate etching. She examined it carefully and gasped.

  “It’s an eye.”

  “Yes. It’s part of our family crest. I thought you knew. Wasn’t that why you gave me the stone etched with the eye when you took the steel out of my side?”

  Understanding coursed through her. Her instinct had been right. “No, I didn’t. I don’t know why I gave you the stone. All I knew was you had to have it.”

  “It was good you did. Bryce said it stopped his man from attacking me. The eye blinked in the sunlight. It was enough of a distraction to get me out of a bad situation.”

  “I had no idea,” mused Lisbeth.

  “Some things are not for us to understand.” He turned her around and fastened the jewels around her neck.

  Her hand felt the warmth of the gem when her fingers played over it.

  “We’d best get ready and go down to our guests.”

  *

  “Ah, there you are,” said Bennett, Celeste and Philip’s second-oldest son. “I was about to go and hunt you down. We’ve been waiting for you two.”

  Alex gave Lisbeth his arm and led her into the Great Hall. Her dress was of fine magenta silk shot with a thin gold thread that made her radiant. A riot of pearls and precious stones danced down the side from her hip to her hem. Stray gems were sprinkled on the skirt and glistened in the soft candlelight as she glided along. The tightly fitted bodice, cut straight across her chest, provided a fine frame for the wedding necklace she proudly wore. The hip-length tailored jacket of the same materials had long slim sleeves that tapered at her wrists. A silk wimple and veil, the same color as her gown, was topped with a pearl circlet.

  “Bennett, Fayne. When did you arrive? No one told me,” said Alex. “Are Joanna and Aldith with you?” Alex’s head swiveled looking for his sisters-in-law.

  “They wanted the comfort of a carriage ride. We couldn’t stand their chattering any longer. We took to the saddle.” Bennett clapped Alex on the back.

  “It’s a slow pace. We kept trying to hurry them along. Finally, they sent us on ahead,” said Fayne.

  “Lisbeth, you remember Bennett and Fayne.”

  Lisbeth curtsied. “Yes, of course. Welcome to Glen Kirk. It is good to see you. I’m certain your mother will be glad you’re here, and a day early.”

  Alex didn’t have to see his brothers’ admiring stares to know his wife was an exquisite beauty. His fingertip touched her veil. Its significance was not lost on him. She donned the headdress of a married woman. He motioned to Peter and gave him instructions. The boy rushed out of the room.

  “We’re going to find seats, Alex. We’ve traveled fast to get here, and the aroma from the kitchen has my mouth watering,” said Fayne.

  “Don’t believe him,” chimed in Bennett. “He’s come for Wesley’s ale and he bullied me into coming with him.”

  “Whatever the reason, you’re both welcome.” Alex beamed at his brothers and led Lisbeth to her chair. Everyone took a seat except Alex.

  He glanced around the room and was satisfied all his dinner guests were in place. He pounded the table once for quiet. All eyes were on him. “I am pleased to announce that I have taken Lady Lisbeth to wife.”

  “Hear, hear,” sounded the cheers around the room.

  “King Edward in his great wisdom, has married me to Lady Lisbeth by proxy.” The gasps and mutterings raced through the room. He raised his tankard and faced Lisbeth. “To my wife, Lady Lisbeth Stelton.”

  “Sir.” Gareth came forward.

  Alex searched the man’s face for an indication of what he would say. He saw none. “Yes, Gareth.”

  The soldier stood in front of Lisbeth. His face broke into a wide smile. He knelt in front of her, clasped his hands, and stretched them out to her.

  She reached down to help him up but Alex stopped her. He rested his hand on her shoulder for all to see he was her protector—for all to see they were united.

  “M’lady, I pledge myself to you as I did to your mother. When your husband is not near you can count on me.”

  Alex saw the tears glisten in Lisbeth’s eye.

  “Gareth, I accept you pledge.”

  “And me!” One by one soldiers from Alex’s army as well as Wesley’s men knelt and announced their allegiance to Lisbeth. The hall was filled with the sound of benches moving as the soldiers rose, only to kneel before her.

  Alex watched her scan the faces of each man. Pride welled up in his chest.

 
; “I accept the pledge of every man in this room. And I repeat, for all to hear, the pledge I made to my husband.”

  Alex schooled his face to remain unreadable. He had no idea what she was about to say.

  “As my lord husband has pledged to do all in his power to protect us and keep us safe so we shall prosper, so will I.” She touched Gareth’s hands.

  He stood and turned to the men. “Lady Lisbeth!”

  The men all rose and in one unified voice shouted, “Lady Lisbeth!”

  Alex squeezed her shoulder. “Well done, Lisbeth. You have brought them all together.”

  His gaze went from face to face, and he addressed his men. “I thank you not as your lord but as a husband for your fealty to my wife. I will rest easy knowing such honorable men stand ready to protect her.”

  *

  The meal over, Alex and Lisbeth were surrounded by their men and family. All wished them well.

  “Your husband has always given pretty speeches,” slurred Fayne. He planted his hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder.

  “My speeches are more coherent than yours,” said Alex with a broad smile.

  Fayne gave a slight bow and lifted Lisbeth’s hand to his lips. When he straightened she saw his eyes were clear and not nearly as befuddled as she’d first thought.

  “Welcome to the family. I’m the fun one. The others are all so serious. Especially your Lord Alex.” He pounded Alex’s back.

  “Thank you, Fayne,” she said, and felt the corners of her mouth tug.

  “That’s enough,” demanded Alex of his brother.

  Fayne dipped his head to Alex and teetered just a bit. He gave Lisbeth a chaste kiss on the brow. “I wish…” He flashed a brilliant smile. “I wish for some more ale.” He turned and searched the crowd. “Where is that boy?” He spied Peter carrying a pitcher and hurried after him. “Boy, here.”

  “Lisbeth, the meal was delicious. The berry glaze on the duck was superb.”

  Lisbeth basked in the compliment. “Thank you, Mother Celeste. It’s one of my favorites. I plan to serve it for the king.”

  “He has a sweet tooth. I’m certain he will enjoy it.”

  “I thought you and Father were retiring? Have you changed your mind?” asked Alex.