‘It wasn’t my fault,’ Oswy interrupted. Unlike his mother, he did not appear the least bit wary of Normans. ‘It was just that they startled me, that’s why I fell off the roof.’
Hugh frowned. ‘They? And who might they be?’
‘The thieves, sir, they are back.’
Oswy’s mother started, panic flashing in her eyes. ‘They are back? Saint Swithun help us!’ She made a swift sign of the cross on her breast. ‘Oswy, are you sure?’
Aude blinked. Something about Eadgytha’s reaction did not ring true. But Oswy was nodding, and Hugh was looking to her for an explanation, so she let it slide by. ‘Aude?’
‘Apparently, earlier in the summer a gang of thieves was terrorising the area. Villagers were robbed and one poor girl has vanished.’
‘A girl has vanished?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who are these thieves—does anyone know?’
Shaking her head, Aude went back with him to the table under the eaves and gestured for wine to be brought. ‘You will know that the King’s rule in England is not…’ she hesitated ‘…universally accepted. It may be that the thieves are dispossessed Saxons, but whoever they are, neither hide nor hair of them has been seen since my arrival. I had hoped that word would get about that this hall was no longer untenanted.’ She waved at her knights. ‘I did not come unprotected and since there has been no trouble, I assumed the thieves had gone else where in search of easier pickings.’
‘Did you arrange for guards to be posted?’ When she looked blankly at him, Hugh sighed. ‘That would be my first suggestion. They will have been watching you and you need to be seen taking charge.’
‘I do not recall asking you for advice. Anyway, I am taking charge!’
The hint of anger darkening her face had Hugh touching her hand. ‘I meant militarily speaking. You are not a soldier, Aude.’
A serving girl had brought a jug of wine to the table, Aude poured some into a cup and offered it to him. ‘No, but I should have thought of this, Heaven knows I spent long enough with my father.’
‘You are not at fault, although I do think Sir Olivier might have suggested it.’ He grinned. ‘I dare say the man has other things on his mind.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘What do you mean?’ Her own wine poured, she thumped the jug back on to the trestle.
Yes, she was becoming angry. Most likely she viewed his comments as interference. Couldn’t she see he was trying to help her? He wanted her to be safe!
The sun was streaming in through a shutter, falling on a coppery curl of hair. Conscious of an impulse to wind the curl round his finger, Hugh clenched his wine-cup. ‘If I might suggest, get your men to set up a watch-point at the top of the rise. It would give a commanding view of the road. They should post guards at night too, both in the hall and in the stables—you can’t afford to lose your horses.’
‘You take a lot on your shoulders, Hugh.’ Her voice was dry. ‘You breeze in, you say you will not stay and yet here you are criticising my knights.’
‘What about the store rooms, are they secure, or are they…’ he waved at the shutter, indicating the rotting sill ‘…in the same state as this?’
She flinched. ‘I think you may guess the answer to that. Although we have seen to the repair of one of the barns.’
‘Aude, if there are felons in this part of Wessex, they will be on the look-out for the first sign of weakness.’
‘I know that!’
‘Good, but the repairs you have organised, while important, are only a part of what needs to be done.’
She looked frowningly at him. ‘I see that. Hugh, be assured, I will consider your suggestions.’
Yes, she resented him giving her advice, but thankfully she seemed to be listening to him.
By the evening, Hugh should have long gone, but first Louise and Gil had to be fetched from the smithy, and from there it was an easy step, far too easy a step, for Aude to persuade them to stay for the evening meal.
And why not? Oswy’s cry had lured him in, and now the damage was done, everyone here at Alfold had already seen him.
And the thought of one night, just one night, in Aude’s hall where they had some friends was tempting indeed. Too many had been passed in places that were alien to them. Hugh was tired of struggling to find sleep because he must at all times be braced for discovery. His longing to stay had nothing to do with the Lady of Alfold—no, he simply wanted a good night’s sleep.
Neither had he been able to with stand a combined assault, with both his sister and Aude pleading for him to stay. Which was how, before he knew it, Hugh had agreed to stay for one night.
Two things remained for him to do before he left. First he must ask Aude about the possibility of Louise remaining on at Alfold, and then he must discover when Edouard was due to arrive.
They were seated at table and the warm glow of fire coloured the hall. It was reflected in the polished surfaces of the bronze bowls hanging on chains from the rafters, in the lanterns hanging from hooks on the walls, in the candles dripping wax on to the table. The air was fragrant with the homely smells of roasted meat and ale. Hugh’s belly was pleasantly full, he had been served the tenderest lamb and the best wheaten bread this side of the Narrow Sea. He pushed his platter back with a satisfied smile.
His smile wasn’t wholly due to the food. Aude had taken his advice to heart. The hall door had been re-hung for their security as much as to keep out the draughts. Work had been suspended on the roof and the tools locked safely away. A party had been sent up the road to discover the best place to set up a look-out post and a couple of men had been selected as night watchmen. They would guard the hall entrance while everyone else slept.
For the meal, Aude had attired herself with elegant formality in a silk veil and a fresh green gown that put his old black tunic and plain grey chausses in the shade. She sat on his right hand, Louise and Gil on his left. The maid Hugh had met on the banks of the Seine, Edwige, was talking non-stop to a taciturn Norman named Médard. Hugh presumed he was her husband.
Down the board, Olivier de Fougères was seated with two other knights who had been introduced as Sir Ralph d’Auray and Sir William Laval. And he was plain Hugh of Jumièges, may he never forget it.
Hugh’s smile faded. Diable! What kind of a fool was he to be staying here tonight? It went against his better judgement. Some of Aude’s knights were unknowns—what might they do if they realised his true identity?
He glanced uneasily at Sir Olivier. Hugh knew him, having met him at the Christmas revels at Rouen, and he knew that Sir Olivier had formed part of Aude’s escort from Normandy.
Hugh was at a loss as to why he felt so put out by Sir Olivier’s presence in Alfold. Aude seemed to trust the man, who must be nursing hopes to marry her. But as far as he was concerned, and Hugh was under no illusions over this, Sir Olivier knew Hugh’s real identity.
Was he trustworthy? Until Hugh had met with the King and reaffirmed his loyalty, it was not just his own life that was in the balance—Louise’s and Gil’s were too. And Aude would certainly be questioned if she were caught harbouring the Count of Freyncourt before he had cleared his name. At dawn, he must be gone.
Sir Olivier’s dark eyes were resting on Aude. The knight was always watching her, and it was clear he was more than half in love with her. Was that enough to ensure that he kept Hugh’s identity to himself? It was impossible to judge.
But Sir Olivier was not the only person at this table who knew Hugh was the Count of Freyncourt. The maid Edwige knew and likely her husband did too. Hugh was more certain of them. Edwige had been with Aude for years—surely she would honour the wishes of her mistress?
Which left the unknowns, Sir William and Sir Ralph. Hugh rubbed his chin. They had been quick to back up his suggestions regarding the watch point and night guard, but was it his imagination or were their eyes full of suspicion? Hugh caught Aude’s attention and jerked his head at them. ‘When did those two join you?’
‘Winchester. Sir Guy—he commands the garrison there—put their names forward.’
‘Sir Guy was aware thieves were causing havoc here?’
‘I am not sure. I think he was concerned that some of the villagers might be trouble some.’
‘And were they?’
‘There has been nothing overt, not so far. I gather the priest was relieved to see someone take charge, the smith too. And Oswy is fine, or he was until he fell. Most of the younger ones are. Oswy’s mother Eadgytha can be difficult. Her husband died at Hastings along side Thane Frideric, so that is no surprise. The rest of the people seem, if not exactly welcoming, willing to let me take the reins. But there is a marked hostility when I have to resort to speaking French and sadly, that is quite often. And there is a noticeable unwillingness to try to understand me when my tongue trips up on their English.’
Hugh couldn’t tear his gaze from hers. He did not know how it was, but his own concerns seemed to diminish when he was talking to Aude. It made a pleasant change. ‘It is only to be expected, you were not born here, you are one of their conquerors.’
‘I see that.’ Aude was studying the faces ranged round the board. ‘Back in Jumièges my expectations were somewhat naïve, I see that now.’ She squared her shoulders. ‘But I tell myself I am making progress. We will repair the hall. As you have already noticed it has been languishing, but I am in hopes that we will have a new roof on before winter sets in.’
Hugh nodded, although once again it crossed his mind that perhaps it was not the best use of her manpower to put too much effort into repairing a wooden hall that would, militarily speaking, be less than useless in the event of an attack. He was trying to find the most tactful way of telling her this when it dawned on him what she was doing. He leaned closer, and an elusive fragrance wound into his thoughts. The light scent of summer flowers was mingled with some thing far more heady, a rich, musky scent that tugged at his senses and conjured images of glittering palaces in some far-distant empire. It was rather unsettling to discover that little Aude wore such a scent. ‘You are moulding your people, testing them to see how well they work together?’
Her smile was warm. ‘Of course. I want to give them a new sense of purpose.’ She leaned fractionally towards him, her breast brushing the sleeve of his tunic. Hugh’s mind emptied of rational thought. Suddenly he could think of nothing else but of cupping that breast in his palm, of gently stroking, of…
Hell and damnation! That intrusive image had jumped into his mind, clear as day. Aude in bed. And this time there was no question but that she was naked. And this time—Lord—Hugh was the person in bed with her. He too was naked and…
‘I thought…’ Hugh’s tongue tied itself in knots, his breathing was constricted. It was impossible to focus on mere words when the heat from her thigh was warming his, and that compelling image of being in Aude’s bed was burning itself into his brain and…
She was speaking rapidly in French. ‘I appreciate that militarily Alfold leaves much to be desired. And I know that the hall is disastrously run down, but I thought it best that it was repaired. I wanted to show the villagers the sort of mistress I plan to be. It will not stop me from building some thing more…substantial later. In the meantime, it is important they know I intend to honour their traditions, not bury them.’ Her expression sobered. ‘They lost enough when they lost their Saxon lord. Thane Frideric was, as I under stand it, much loved.’ She leaned back and her amber eyes looked earnestly up at him. ‘Hugh, are you listening?’
Hugh cleared his throat. ‘Indeed, and I applaud your aims.’ Further down the table, Sir Olivier was ob serving them so closely Hugh’s cheeks heated. The man was looking at him as though he could read his mind and was envious of those secret fantasies that had been flitting through his brain. Lord, this was madness! Hugh struggled to order his thoughts, even while Aude’s scent, heady as any perfume from Araby, lingered in his nostrils. He should not be thinking of her in this way. Edouard’s sister, this was Edouard’s little sister. God save him, he should be pondering on his next move, not lusting after Edouard’s sister. ‘You have made a good beginning here.’
‘What, despite my military short comings?’
‘Yes, in time I am certain the people will come to accept you.’
‘I hope so.’ Noticing his cup was empty, she gestured at the wine-jar. ‘Please help yourself.’
Hugh was refilling their wine-cups when her smile vanished. ‘Aude, what’s amiss?’
‘I should have talked of this earlier, but what with Oswy’s hurt I was somewhat distracted, and then your arrival discomposed me.’ She directed her gaze at Sir William and Sir Ralph and lowered her voice. ‘Surely it is dangerous for you in England?’
Taking her hand, Hugh kissed it. Mistake, he thought, as in a trice that tantalising scent had muddled his thoughts. She seemed to do that to him. His gut clenched. ‘You would rather I had stayed away?’
‘No, no. But…’ she kept her voice to a murmur ‘…since the Duke of Normandy is King here, you have not left his territory as you should. The King does not take it well when his vassals flout his orders.’
‘I need a little time.’
‘What if you are discovered?’
‘You are concerned Sir Olivier will betray me?’
She shook her head and her veil shifted, an escaped curl caught the light. For a moment her eyes would not meet his. ‘No, he is no longer Abbot Bertram’s man, Sir Olivier is my knight now. It is Sir Ralph and Sir William I am thinking about. They may be breaking bread at my table, but they are first and foremost loyal to the King. The only reason that they have not at tempted to arrest you is because they have no idea of your identity. I was wrong to persuade you to stay.’
Hugh shrugged. She was right and they both knew it. The presence of these knights made Alfold more dangerous for him. But perversely, Hugh wanted to stay more than ever.
One thought had him in its grip. Sir Olivier. She said Sir Olivier was hers. He swallowed bile. Was she considering marrying the man? Hugh had heard that Sir Olivier had her brother’s blessing. Until now he hadn’t given it a moment’s thought, but seeing the way the man’s eyes never left her….
He forced a smile to his lips. Lord, this woman was a danger to his sanity, she really muddled his thoughts. ‘They know who I am, you introduced me as Hugh of Jumièges.’
‘That may be, but—’
‘Aude, I am in England to prove my innocence, not to work against the King.’
‘You should not be here. If they realise…what if I in advertently betray you?’
‘You won’t.’ He squeezed her hand. It occurred to him he had been holding it for some minutes. Experimentally, he twined his fingers with hers. She made no objection but, down the board, Sir Olivier’s brow had darkened. Hugh sup pressed a smile. ‘I would like to ask a favour of you.’
Chapter Seven
‘Oh?’ She made a moue of disappointment. ‘And here was I thinking you had simply come to pay me a visit.’
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her knuckles. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that if it hadn’t been for Oswy’s screaming, he would have ridden straight past. ‘Of course, my main reason for coming here was to see you.’
‘Hugh, there’s no need to pretend. I am flattered you even remembered the name of the village.’
‘Aude, I am here in part because of Louise.’ And to learn if your brother has arrived, but since there is no sign of him…
‘Oh?’
‘It was fool hardy of me to permit her to remain with me, but in my arrogance I thought my affairs would be more speedily resolved. Could Louise stay at Alfold for a time?’
‘Hugh, you do not have to ask, your friend ship sustained Edouard when our family was in disgrace, I shall never forget that. Louise—’ Aude smiled at his sister ‘—will always be welcome at my hearth.’
He squeezed her fingers, heart lifting when she squeezed his back. Hastily, he released her. ‘Spe
aking of Edouard, have you news?’
‘Not since I arrived. I sent him a letter, but it is possible it did not reach him.’
Hugh kept his expression neutral. Edouard was a true friend, an ally prepared to risk himself by making unobtrusive enquiries on Hugh’s behalf. Edouard was a friend in a million. He was content to have others brand him a faith less coward for apparently turning his back on Hugh; he had been prepared to court his sister’s displeasure to lend truth to this pretence. And he had sworn to come to Alfold, at summer’s end.
Once Edouard made a promise, he kept it. Hugh was praying Edouard’s absence was not sinister. Had his loyalty to Hugh been discovered? It would not do Edouard any good to be discovered to be his ally, and to that end they had agreed not to commit anything to writing.
Where was Edouard? Had bad winds held him up at one of the ports? Or… Hard questions were lining up in Hugh’s head, but tonight at least, they would not be answered.
Sir Olivier slid a platter of bread and cheese in Aude’s direction. Hugh gritted his teeth and asked the question that had been burning in the back of his brain all evening. ‘Is Fougères angling for your hand?’
‘I have refused him, but he tells me in both word and deed that he hopes to change my mind.’ Absently she began crumbling a piece of bread. ‘Indeed, I may have to…’
A shiver ran down Hugh’s back, like the touch of cold steel. ‘How so? I thought you were set against him?’
She shot him a startled look and dropped the bread. ‘Who told you that?’
Damn, that was a slip. ‘I…Edouard must have mentioned it.’
A line formed between her brows. ‘When?’
‘I…I cannot recall.’
Aude leaned confidentially towards him and again he was inhaling that heady scent. ‘In truth, I told Sir Olivier as much, back in Jumièges. But it would seem that the Church here in England is just as—interested—in my entering one of their houses, as Abbot Bertram was in Normandy. Sir Olivier may be the lesser of many evils.’
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