With a growl, Lucien brought his mouth down onto hers. He gave her no recourse, taking her roughly, demandingly, needing to expel the pain his tale had evoked. He wanted to possess her, to bury himself inside of her and lose himself in tender passion. He craved the yawning vortex of oblivion, to be dead to all but sheer sensation.
This, the ultimate stoking of the external senses, would drown out the raging hell within him. Alayna could do that. She could quell the pain with her lush woman’s body. He would find the only solace and peace he had ever known in the consuming rapture she alone could offer.
Chapter Nineteen
They set out at first light, walking silently through the woods, back under the deep cover of the trees to trace their steps to the road. When they came to the pass that cut through the cliff, Lucien whistled for his stallion. The great horse looked up and around at the signal, tugging impatiently at his reins.
“Is he all right? Has he been out here all this time?” Alayna asked, frowning at the idea of having to ride the oversize beast.
“I found a passage to lead him in and tended him each day. The lout has likely grown fat with the lack of exercise and all I’ve fed him.”
As if understanding, the horse snorted arrogantly and tossed its head.
Alayna laughed. “I see he has the temper of his master.”
She was rewarded by a sudden smile, one that died all too quickly when he turned away. She placed a hand on his arm, wishing there was some way she could tell him what lay in her heart. He stared at it for a minute, covering it with his own large one before lifting her onto the horse’s back.
Their arrival created a tremendous fervor. People were running every which way, shouting the news that the master was home with his lady, safe and sound. Out of this chaos came Will, trotting toward them with an expression of relief. Lucien swung down to greet his knight. He was stunned when the man ignored him and went straight to Alayna’s side.
“My lady,” he called, reaching up his hand to help her down.
As he lifted her from the back of the large horse, Lucien made no move to intervene. He watched with an inner hardness when she smiled her thanks.
Good Lord, the man’s feelings were written all over his face. The fool was in love with her!
And she? Was she susceptible to the charms of the handsome knight?
“Praise the good Lord, you are safely returned!” Eurice declared as she came rushing up to sweep Alayna into her arms. She fussed over her beloved charge, “Well, you do not look the worse for it, I see. Thank God, Lord Lucien found you in time! What were you thinking, running off like that?”
Alayna opened her mouth to answer, but Eurice waved a hand at her imperiously. “You had no reason—no good one, ’tis truth! Now, you are filthy, you need a bath. Come.”
Glancing over her shoulder as Eurice propelled her toward the keep, Alayna gave Lucien a quick, exaggerated pout. He nodded back, his eyes sliding to study Will.
“I am glad you are well. We were all quite concerned about you and Alayna,” Will said, swinging around to grasp Lucien’s forearm.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed at the familiar use of her name. “Where is Agravar?” he inquired curtly.
“He rode out yesterday morning with Kenneth and Thomas. They were set to search the north woods for you.”
“Good,” Lucien said. “Have him fetched back here. When he returns, send him to me. I will be with the smithy. Gather Pelly and yourself and Lionel and join us there.”
He looked at Will, who was staring back at him a bit perplexed. “We go to war,” he explained simply.
Lucien’s mind obsessed on his new knowledge. How far did Will’s feeling for his wife go? And what of Alayna—did she know? Did she feel the same?
His old doubts began to churn again, warring with his reason. His wife was many things, but she had always shown herself to be forthright—when she had hated him she had said so without compunction, and when she had given herself to him, it had been completely. And Alayna was not like his mother. He must remember that.
But his father had been fooled, blind to his wife’s treachery. And it had been a most deadly mistake.
Eurice flitted about the chamber, chattering incessantly about how worried she had been during Alayna’s absence. Without warning, she was apt to grab her charge in a fierce hug or grasp her face in her palms and burst into tears. Alayna, for her part, felt numb to this display of emotion. In a detached way, she was touched by Eurice’s warm affection but her mind was far too occupied with other thoughts.
Leda joined them, ushering in an army of servants bearing a giant tub and buckets of steaming water. When her bath was ready, Alayna allowed herself to be stripped of her filthy garments and submerged in the large basin.
“Now let the poor girl have a good soak,” Eurice suggested to Leda, and the two found other chores to occupy them in the room. Alayna smiled. Eurice knew her so well; the nurse could sense she needed some privacy.
Lying in the tub, finally left to herself, her thoughts immediately reverted to Lucien. She wondered where he was now, and what he was doing. Did he think of her? Or did other matters weigh on his mind already?
She looked down at herself as she lay naked in the water. It had been just last night that his hands had slid over the flesh displayed before her. She saw her own breasts, high and firm, their pink tips hardened at the thought of her husband. She shivered at the remembrance of his mouth, hot and moist, closing over one tender nipple. And she remembered her own shameless response. A giddy tremor sprang to life in the pit of her belly and the dull ache of need asserted itself with sudden urgency.
She closed her eyes. Was she so afflicted with desire that she could not look at her own body without recalling Lucien’s touch? Giving herself to him had done nothing to stem the wicked cravings, but seemed only to whet her appetite for his embrace. Nay, not just that, but him, all of him, for he fascinated her. She could think of nothing else. He was a man beyond comprehension or understanding, and she was obsessed with him.
Eurice came to wash her hair. “You seem distracted, my lady. How did you fare these last days?”
Alayna cast her eyes down, but could not keep the blush from staining her cheeks. “‘Twas not onerous.”
Eurice chuckled. “Indeed, child.” She leaned forward, whispering to Alayna as if imparting some great secret. “You are glowing.”
Alayna rolled her eyes away, letting out a small groan of embarrassment. “Please, nurse, do not plague me with your curiosity.”
Eurice sat back on her heels, laughing in glee. She rubbed her hands together with exaggerated mirth. “Oh, my proud and fine lady, all has worked out well, then, has it not? Your husband turns out to be a lusty fellow who sees well to your pleasure—”
“Eurice!” Alayna exclaimed, mortified. She felt like sinking under the bathwater.
Eurice only laughed the harder. “Oh, my dear girl. How often have you vexed me with your teasing and girlish pranks? And besides, child, ’tis a wondrous relief to this old woman’s heart to see you finally contented with your lot.”
“Not content—nay. Truly, our time together did much to span the breach between us. But now we are returned, and do we continue with that path, or return to the old ways? This is what troubles me.”
Eurice smoothed her hair, her motion loving and soothing. “Aye, ’tis true you have much left to settle between you. But do not forget, Alayna, that it is not just up to Lord Lucien.”
She understood. Yet, she did not know what she should do. Certainly she would try her best not to get drawn into another argument, and she must strive to acknowledge his sovereignty over her, no matter how much it galled her. In this way she could demonstrate to him what lay in her heart. But would that be enough?
One of the first things Lucien did upon his arrival home was to put out the order to have Glenna brought to him. Perhaps it was just as well no one could find her, Lucien considered, for he feared he was capable of murder shoul
d he face the lying wench enraged as he was. When she did not turn up, he ordered she was not to be allowed back into the castle, and if she were seen on any of his lands she was to be immediately arrested.
The next thing he did was initiate preparations for war.
Wanting to tell Alayna himself of the impending battle, he looked for her that evening. She was in the hall, gathered with the other ladies around the hearth where it was their habit to converse over a lapful of sewing. He was glad to notice that she was no longer squirreled away in their chamber. She even looked as if she were passing a pleasant time. Her happiness, he suddenly found, was of consequence to him.
She looked up when he came to stand before her. A new feeling came over him, and he was surprised to realize that he felt decidedly awkward.
“My lady, a word,” he said. He liked the way her eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth twitched ever so slightly, a distinct sign of pleasure. God’s teeth, this was no good. Just that tiniest of movements quickened his pulse and the inconvenient response of his body was downright embarrassing.
“Yes, my lord husband?” He cupped her elbow and led her away from the ladies.
“I come to tell you that I will ride again today,” he said. He hated how gruff he sounded, but it was hard for him to be gentle when his passions raged so furiously within him. And there was still the question of Will.
“I am going into the forest to rout any outlaws or spies that might be encamped there. The attempt to harm you is likely to have been the work of Garrick of Thalsbury. He was the one who sent the assassin for me. Other sources confirm he has been speaking openly of rebelling, and it is more than likely he who pesters Henry with a counterclaim to Gastonbury. I cannot ignore him, but I must be sure the castle is secure before we ride to Thalsbury.”
He saw her eyes widen in alarm and hastened to reassure her, “I will leave a guard to protect you, and Pelly will be here with the rest of the army. He is a young lad, but able. Still, do not venture out unattended. Remember, we are at war.”
Alayna nodded. “I will be safe. ’Tis you who must take care.”
He did not wish to mock her, but he could not suppress a smile at her earnest warning. “I will return as quickly as I can,” he said solemnly. He wanted to touch her, but he did not trust himself.
Giving her a nod by way of farewell, he quit the hall before he forgot himself and dragged her up to the master’s chamber, much as he had on the occasion of their first meeting, but with a much more lecherous intention.
She missed him terribly through the following days. Determined to put good use to the time, however, she applied herself to the tasks of her station. It was under Alwin’s patient tutelage she learned the workings of the castle and the duties expected of her.
The other women of the castle were thawing, and after her initial tentative overtures of friendship, she found a few whose company she enjoyed. Without Lucien, she was quite desolate, yet she thrived on her new role and the fullness of the relationships she was forging in this most unlikely of places.
Over a sennight passed before the watchman sounded the bell signaling that the master approached. Excitedly Alayna ordered some special dishes prepared for the evening meal, then quickly went to ready herself for Lucien’s arrival.
In their chamber, she pulled out a gown of lavender brocade, sewn with seed pearls and silver thread. The trailing sleeves and train were generous, the latest style being copied from the French. It was one of her finest, and she was glad to be looking her best this evening.
She called for Leda to help her dress and her hair was brushed until it shone like polished wood. She requested a simple style that left most of the curls unfettered down her back, though it was a maidenly fashion. Lucien had told her he liked her hair loose. Selecting several pieces of jewelry from her chest, she surveyed the end result in the hand mirror and was for once well pleased.
When all was to her satisfaction, she visited the kitchens. By the time she arrived in the hall, Lucien was there, refreshed and dressed in a dark tunic and woolen hose. He must have bathed and changed while she was seeing to the meal. He still wore his boots, cleaned and shined, but had donned a silver brooch to clasp the cloak about his broad shoulders. This was quite frivolous for him, though it was unusual for any man to go without such adornment. He had trimmed his beard, but his hair, ever untamed, fell in its usual disarray.
He was talking to some men in the hall, standing taller than they, looking splendid in his arrogant stance and dark handsomeness. Alayna felt her heart lurch as she caught sight of him.
As if sensing her presence, he looked over. His eyes watched her move toward him, dark and hooded and intense. She felt speared by the piercing gaze. He seemed so aloof, so much the lord of the castle of old. Did any of her tender lover remain?
She trembled as she drew up to him. Dropping a small curtsy, she bowed her head. “My lord.”
When she raised her eyes again to his, they were soft. She brightened and gave him a smile. His gaze swept over her, and she knew his approval. Inclining his head, he said, “My lady.”
“Lady Alayna.” Agravar stepped up. He took her hand in his. “You are looking particularly radiant this evening. I have been so occupied with my own duties that I have not yet had a chance to welcome you home from your sojourn into the wood.” His eyes sparkled mischievously as he cast a sideways glance to Lucien. “I am very pleased that you fared so well. And grateful, too, for taking such good care of our baron. No doubt he would have faltered without your fortitude and resourcefulness to guide him. As I was not there, I am grateful he had you instead.”
A roar of merriment went up from all within earshot. Lucien surprised everyone by flashing a good-natured smile instead of his usual scowl. Alayna laughed, her eyes only for her husband. He returned the look. It was as if time were suddenly suspended and there was just the two of them. Then someone broke in and he was forced to turn away.
They sat down to dine, Alayna at her usual place at Lucien’s left, but he did not turn from her as was his habit of old. Instead, he attended to her, filling the trencher they shared with pheasant and mutton. When she was thirsting, it was he who proffered the chalice. His solicitousness was quite a departure from his mood of the past, and the drastic turnaround did not escape notice. They were the object of many a curious glance and a good many whispered comments buzzed about the room.
“The feast is well run, wife,” Lucien commented. “My favorite dishes, I notice.”
“’Tis not rabbit nor squirrel.”
A slow smile curved on his lips at her allusion to the intimate meals shared in the hut. It made her heart lurch and the familiar flutter of pleasure tingled within her limbs as his eyes caressed her face. “Aye,” he answered in a soft whisper. “Though I doubt any food served in this hall could match the delicious repast we enjoyed in the wood.”
She flushed at his double meaning, darting a self-conscious look about to see if any had overheard. But she was pleased.
Lucien watched the color spread across her creamy complexion, and his heart quickened. He wondered if it would be seemly for him to sweep her up to their room yet. No, of course not. The celebration had only just begun.
Other matters pressed him, however. Even as he supped, men worked at the forge and in the smithy to make ready for the coming battle. He could not spare much time. After this meal, he and Agravar would meet to see how the preparations were progressing and begin the intense strategy sessions to analyze anticipated defenses and plan their assault.
With Alayna beside him, however, he did not feel the usual stirrings at the prospect of war. He was of a mind for a gentler sport tonight, and would have forgone those activities that up until recently had been his life’s work. But one did not get to choose one’s opportunities.
“Will, there you are,” Agravar said as the knight entered the hall. “Have you word on the smithy?”
“Aye,” Will nodded. “He said he and his lads will have the swor
ds ready, though there was some kind of delay. Apparently he had some problem with the forge. Nay, Lucien, do not look so, for we attended to it, and now all is well.”
Lucien had watched as Will had weaved his way among the trestle tables to the dais, had seen the ladies’ heads turn to follow his passage through the hall. But the handsome knight had no time for these inviting looks, coming immediately to sit at his usual place on Alayna’s other side, launching into his most charming demeanor. Lucien found himself sinking into a foul mood.
The evening drew to a close. Alayna rose to make her exit. Casting a demure look at Lucien, she excused herself and made her way to their chamber.
Lucien did not miss the glance. Despite his obligations, he was determined to follow as soon as he could extricate himself from his men. If only for a moment, he assured himself.
He watched her weave through the room, her back straight, head held high. He was struck again by her loveliness. The graceful way she moved exuded sensuality. Was it apparent to all, or were his perceptions heightened by lust?
Then he spied Will. He came up to Alayna, intercepting her, and she paused. As they conversed, Lucien’s rival bent his blond head close to hers. They spoke for only a moment before Lucien saw Alayna lay her hand gently on the knight’s arm. Such a tender scene, Lucien thought bitingly, feeling the bile rise in his throat. Impulsively he turned to Agravar. “Let us get to work. All of this dallying has cost us precious time.”
He rose quickly and stormed out of the hall, leaving those behind in silence, thinking how unfortunate was the enemy of such a man.
Chapter Twenty
Alayna rushed to the chamber to make ready for Lucien.
She had Eurice brush her hair until the cascading curls gleamed like burnished oak. She dressed carefully in a fine linen shift, thinking even as she slipped the delicate garment over her head that Lucien would more than likely damage it when undressing her. No matter, she had decided frivolously. She wanted to look her best, and this shift was one of her finest. It was worth the cost if it got ruined.
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