Lord Gawain's Forbidden Mistress

by Carol Townend

  ‘You swear it?’

  ‘On my father’s soul, I swear it.’

  * * *

  Elise’s shoulders relaxed and she let out a shuddering sigh. Gawain grimaced. Had she really thought he would take Pearl from her? Every word she uttered condemned him. She didn’t trust him. Last year she hadn’t trusted him enough to bid him farewell, and if he hadn’t returned to Troyes to meet Lady Rowena he doubted she would ever have told him about Pearl.

  ‘Elise, I shan’t take Pearl from you. However, I would like to acknowledge her.’

  Her dark eyes were puzzled. ‘Is that wise? Lady Rowena will surely take exception. And if the marriage has the blessing of the King—you can’t put that at risk.’

  ‘Lady Rowena must accept it. I will not shirk my responsibility to Pearl. Or to you for that matter.’ Gently, he touched her cheek.

  Gawain felt as though he was being torn to shreds. He owed duty to Lady Rowena. He must honour the wishes of his late uncle, who with his aunt, Lady Una, had promoted the betrothal. The match was a good one. Lady Rowena was the King’s goddaughter.

  However, that was not the reason why the match was important to Gawain. The match was important because he and his uncle had been estranged for years before his uncle’s death. It had happened during Gawain’s first, ill-fated betrothal to his cousin, Lunette. Tragically, Lunette had died. His uncle had blamed Gawain for Lunette’s death, and the ensuing estrangement had caused a rift in the family. It was a tragedy that had given Gawain many sleepless nights.

  Which was why he had jumped at the chance to make amends—he could finally please his widowed aunt by marrying Lady Rowena. He owed it to the family.

  And now he was a father, he had a duty to Pearl too. Never mind what he felt for Elise. He ran his fingertips gently over her cheek. So soft. So beguiling. Would she have married him if he were free?

  ‘Mon Dieu, I wish you had told me sooner. Where was she born? Here in the tent?’

  Elise took a step back. ‘That is none of your business, my lord.’

  ‘Is it not?’ Hurt stabbed like a knife in his guts. She didn’t trust him and he had to admit that was largely his fault. Their loving had been so sweet and tender—it had meant much to him, but he’d been taken aback by the speed at which she’d had him enthralled. He’d mistrusted his own feelings. He hadn’t understood them at the time, save to acknowledge that he couldn’t get enough of her.

  He should have told Elise how much he valued her. It had been his fault. Ever since Lunette’s death—he and Lunette had been inseparable as children—Gawain had kept his feelings to himself and women at arm’s length. And sadly, thanks to his recent betrothal, he could say nothing of this today. He was no longer free. He could never tell Elise how important she was to him. Nor could he say that she had been so even before she became the mother of his child. His heart felt as though it had turned to lead.

  His gaze fell to the sword on the bedroll and he straightened his shoulders. Torn he might be, but one duty was plain. ‘Elise, you have my word I shall not separate you from Pearl. Equally, I cannot ignore the finding of this sword. Sir Raphael must be told about it. In the meantime I want you and our daughter safely away from here. If you won’t think of yourself, think of Pearl. Is she safe here?’

  ‘Until now I’ve never had reason to believe otherwise,’ Elise said, frowning at the sword. ‘Gawain, I cannot believe Vivienne is guilty of wrongdoing.’

  He leaned in and the scent of ambergris tugged at his senses. ‘Can you say the same of André?’ She hesitated and he made an impatient sound. ‘I thought not.’

  ‘Gawain, André is very young. There’s no malice in him and I find it hard to believe he’s broken the law, but—’

  ‘You could not swear to it.’

  She remained silent, biting her lip.

  ‘Elise, I have to inform Sir Raphael.’

  ‘I know.’ Dark eyes held his. ‘I just wish...’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Couldn’t you speak to André before you speak to Sir Raphael? Please, Gawain.’

  * * *

  What it was to be a man of influence, Elise thought. An hour had passed with a flurry of messages winging back and forth between her pavilion and the garrison. Poor Aubin must be worn out with all the toing and froing. But the upshot of the messages was that Gawain had apparently secured lodgings for Vivienne and the babies—not in his nearby manor, but in a house in the Rue du Cloître.

  It seemed there would be space there for Elise too. Since Gawain had explained that he was betrothed, his reluctance to have her lodging in his manor was entirely understandable. However, knowing why he refused to entertain her there hadn’t made Elise feel any better. She felt sick to her core, but it was obvious that ensconcing his former lover and his love child in the family manor would not endear him to his future wife.

  Elise wondered whether she would be able to stand living in town—she was bound to feel confined. However, stand it she must if she and Pearl were to stay together.

  Thus it was that Gawain and Elise returned to Troyes, to the Rue du Cloître.

  Mouth dry, Elise found herself standing in the street gazing at a small house. It was the only stone-built house in the street. A Romanesque arch was filled with a heavy wooden door. Rather ominously, it was studded and banded with iron.

  A large key was produced and they went in. Despite the afternoon heat—the town was sweltering—it was cool inside. Cool and dark. Gawain flung back a shutter and hinges groaned. A spider scuttled across the floor and on to the hearth. It vanished into a crack in the plaster. There were bars on the windows. Elise took a shaky breath. There was also dust on the floor, enough for her to draw a circle in it with her foot. Her nose wrinkled. ‘What is this place?’

  ‘It’s been empty for some time. I believe Count Henry uses it as a storeroom from time to time.’

  She eyed the bars. ‘Are you sure it isn’t a prison?’

  ‘Quite sure.’ Gawain dragged his hand through his hair. ‘Elise, we were lucky it was free. The town is bursting at the seams because of the fair.’

  ‘I know. Thank you for securing it for us. I really didn’t want to be kept from Pearl.’ She made her voice bright. ‘And it’s not very dirty—nothing a broom and a few pails of water won’t fix.’

  A narrow stairway led to an upper chamber. The window there—it was also barred—looked out over the Rue du Cloître. Elise could see the top of the cathedral over the roofs of the houses. She would be able to hear the cathedral bells mark out the hours. She sighed. There would be rules here in Troyes, and they would be almost as stringent as the Rule at the convent. She thought she had escaped all that. She thought wistfully of the freedoms of Strangers’ City. ‘I wish you’d let us stay in the pavilion.’

  ‘You’ll be safer here.’

  Elise nodded. What Gawain wasn’t saying was that the Guardian Knights could keep more of an eye on them here. It was close to the garrison. And however much he denied it, the barred windows put her in mind of a prison rather than a storeroom. At least there was plenty of room. Their pallets and the babies’ cribs would easily fit in. The upper chamber even had a fireplace.

  ‘Not that we will need a fire upstairs at this time of year,’ she said, thinking aloud as they made their way back downstairs.

  ‘It’s acceptable?’

  ‘Thank you, yes.’ Understanding that he was doing his best for them, she forced a smile. ‘Given you insist on tearing us away from the encampment, I really am grateful not to be separated from Pearl.’

  He was looking at her mouth and her heart stuttered. It hadn’t been easy for her seeing him again—telling him about Pearl; fighting not to be separated from her. But it wasn’t easy for him either. Gawain’s expression was tense—there was a tightness about his lips that she’d never seen before. S
he was responsible for it. Seeing her again, learning about Pearl just as he was about to meet Lady Rowena. I hope that woman appreciates her good fortune.

  ‘My lord, I am truly sorry to put you to all this trouble.’

  ‘It is no trouble,’ he said, turning for the great oak door. ‘My sergeant will see the house is swept out, and then Aubin and the men can shift your belongings over here. It shouldn’t take long to settle in.’

  * * *

  The sky was streaked with crimson and gold, the light was going. Swifts were screeching through the air over the tents and pavilions of Strangers’ City. Pennons hung limp, as though they too were wilting in the heat.

  Gawain glanced at Aubin. Their horses were stabled back at the garrison and he and his squire were sitting on cross-framed canvas stools outside the ale tent. They were trying to look as though they belonged there, so their tunics bore no insignia. Gawain had ordered Aubin to wear a short sword.

  Gawain kept his gaze trained on the purple pavilion. No one had gone near it. André de Poitiers had yet to return.

  ‘He’s late,’ Gawain murmured. Aubin nodded, but said nothing. Gawain had told the boy not to address him by his title and he suspected he was afraid to open his mouth.

  The swifts hurled themselves through the sunset. Campfires flickered into life, the glow of the fires warring with the violet twilight.

  Once again, Gawain glanced towards Elise’s pavilion. He swore under his breath.

  Aubin looked at him.

  ‘No fire,’ Gawain muttered. ‘With Elise and Vivienne in the Rue du Cloître, their fire isn’t lit. If the lute-player notices, he might become suspicious. Especially if he has something to hide.’

  For the women’s sake, Gawain hoped his fears regarding André de Poitiers were unfounded. Sadly, his instincts were telling him otherwise—André de Poitiers was up to his neck in trouble. Captain Raphael had come to the same conclusion and consequently the Guardian Knights were out in force. Every half an hour or so, the chink of harness and the plod of hoofs alerted Gawain—and everyone within earshot—that they were on patrol.

  ‘They’re far too conspicuous.’ Gawain grimaced. ‘I’m convinced a more covert approach is called for.’

  He was sipping his ale—watery as it was, it was welcome in the heat—when Aubin dug him in the ribs. ‘Over there.’ His squire spoke quietly. ‘At the end of the line.’

  Between the lines of tents, a woman was striding through the dusk. As she passed a fire, the glow silhouetted her shape—her gut-wrenchingly pretty and familiar shape. Elise!

  Gawain gripped his ale pot. ‘What the blazes is she doing here?’ She should be making herself at home in the Rue du Cloître. ‘Blast the woman.’

  Elise paused by the ropes of a makeshift paddock that was full of mules and donkeys. Gesturing for a groom, she slipped something into his hand. Gawain felt himself tense. What was that all about? Vivienne had mentioned travelling in a cart. If they had a cart, they probably kept a mule. His tension eased. Likely Elise was ensuring the animal was cared for in her absence.

  He saw her pat the boy on the shoulder and tracked her progress as she made her way to the purple pavilion, now almost lost in the gathering dark. He was on the point of rising when the shadow that was Elise bent to pick something up. She went to the nearest campfire, where another woman was crouched over a cooking pot. Then she was back at the pavilion, a light in hand.

  The cooking fire. She was lighting the fire so André would assume everything was as it should be. Gawain couldn’t fault her for that. None the less, her presence in the camp disturbed him. Undoubtedly she’d come back to keep an eye on André. She would never admit it, but she must suspect him of wrongdoing.

  A patrol went by. Gawain studiously avoided looking at the lead rider as they passed the ale tent, but he did note that they rode by the purple pavilion without giving it more than a cursory glance. Thank the Lord, Captain Raphael had some sense.

  The patrol moved on. Elise went into the pavilion as a group of drunks stumbled up to the ale tent. To judge by their gait, they had already emptied several barrels in town. They staggered to a bench, clamouring for wine and ale. One man lurched half-heartedly at the serving girl. She evaded him neatly and a roar of laughter went up.

  Gawain watched the drunks, a crease in his brow. Did Elise find herself fending off men like these on a regular basis? The thought wasn’t pleasant. And neither was it any of his business. He was here to make sure that the lute-player hadn’t involved her in anything underhand. He would find a way to help her and then he must leave her to her own devices. He would shortly be a married man. The thought left him with a bitter taste in his mouth that had nothing to do with ale and everything to do with Elise. She had made him a father. Gawain stared abstractedly at the glow outside the purple pavilion. A father owed a duty of care to his children, and whilst Pearl had come unexpectedly into his life he couldn’t simply forget her. Yet what could he do? How could he fulfil his duties to Pearl when he’d sworn to marry Lady Rowena and finally heal the family rift?

  Chapter Four

  Elise sat on her pallet inside the pavilion with her chin on her hand and stared through the entrance towards the ale tent opposite. Gawain was out there. His hair gleamed like gold in the sunset—he’d been impossible to miss. He had his squire with him. No doubt they thought to leap on André the moment he appeared.

  The crimson streaks slowly faded from the western sky and the bats took flight—dark flecks flitting silently overhead.

  Every now and then Elise slipped out to feed the fire. She tried not to look too obviously towards the ale tent, but she knew Gawain and Aubin hadn’t moved. Each time she returned to her pallet in the pavilion, it was harder keeping her gaze from straying their way. On one foray outside she lit a lamp and brought it back inside with her.

  As she shifted on the pallet, another patrol clopped by. There was no André. Above the background murmur of the camp a man laughed. It was a deep, full-throated sound that in Elise’s nervous state sounded impossibly happy. Impossibly carefree. Where was André? With every breath she took, her tension increased. Where was he? Why hadn’t he returned?

  Something thudded against the back wall of the tent. She stiffened and went cold.

  There was a ripping sound. A silver crescent—a knife—was slicing its way through the canvas. Light from the lamp reflected on the blade. Holding her breath, Elise watched as another slash was made. The silver crescent vanished. A hand appeared. A foot.

  Heart sinking, she froze. It might not be André. Unfortunately, she feared it was. She felt oddly detached. It was as though she was an observer and she was watching her own reactions. It must be because she wasn’t truly afraid.

  ‘André?’ she whispered. ‘Is that you?’ She heard scuffling. A grunt.

  André’s head poked through the opening. ‘You’re alone?’

  Nodding, Elise reached behind her to close the tent flap. The shadows edged in on them. ‘What are you doing? André, where have you been?’

  André pushed into the tent. He wasn’t carrying his lute and his breath smelt of wine.

  ‘Where’s Vivienne?’

  ‘She’s safe. Staying in the town.’

  ‘What?’ Swearing under his breath, André turned to where Vivienne’s coffer had been and drew up sharply. ‘Where is it?’

  Elise watched him cast about for the sword, a cold lump in her belly. ‘The sword—if that’s what you’re looking for—is in the castle garrison.’

  ‘Hell, what happened? What have you done?’

  ‘That’s the question I should be asking of you. What have you done?’

  ‘Why has the sword gone?’

  Elise stared at him, mind working. It was impossible to forget that Gawain and Aubin were sitting on those canvas stools outside the ale tent. T
hey were bound to have seen her and Gawain could take it in his head to come over and check on her at any time. She was pulled two ways. She hated the idea of doing something that might alienate Pearl’s father. On the other hand, what would happen to André if he was taken into custody?

  Whatever André had done, at heart he was a good person. Elise would never forget the countless evenings André had sat with her, patiently giving her the confidence to use her full voice; patiently playing for her, over and over until it was impossible for her to hit the wrong note. Blanchefleur le Fay owed her existence to André. Gawain didn’t know him as she did. Gawain didn’t realise that to put someone like André under lock and key...

  It would destroy him. She couldn’t let that happen. André had become a father and Elise could see that he found his new responsibilities daunting. To be arrested would be the last straw, and it certainly wouldn’t help Vivienne and Bruno, who depended on him.

  André’s eyes glittered. ‘I’ve not hurt anyone.’

  ‘No? What were you going to do with that sword? And why cut open the side of our pavilion? So underhand.’ André must have a guilty conscience; why else would he damage their tent?

  André looked at her. ‘I was tipped off that the Guardian Knights had been showing an interest in the pavilion. I thought I’d better be careful.’

  ‘You were going to sell that sword for more than it is worth.’

  ‘I’m not selling it. Someone else is going to do that.’

  ‘Saints, André, it makes little difference who actually does the selling. If you are involved and that sword is passed off as—’

  ‘Elise, how do you think we’ve been living all these months? How do you suppose we are going to live in the winter when pickings are slim?’

  Wine fumes hung about him. He was swaying slightly.

  ‘You’re drunk.’

  ‘How clever of you to notice.’ Wearily, he scrubbed his face. The shadows made his face grey. He looked twice his age. ‘Lord, Elise, I’ve had all I can take. I’ve made mistakes, I admit it. I didn’t want to get involved. But last winter when you left, I worried. I worried about Vivienne. About what might happen if you never returned.’ His mouth twisted. ‘My earnings have always been better when Blanchefleur le Fay is with me. And then you came back.’