“Obviously, your father only saw what Lisette wanted him to see. Be that as it may, she is your wife. You should, at least, spend tonight with her. Once you have consummated the marriage, then you can decide who you would prefer in your bed.”
Geoffrey gathered her into his arms. “Maybe you are right. I should share my bed with Lisette tonight.” Pausing, he looked closely at her. “Is it true what you told Lisette, that you would never try to take her place in my bed? I thought you were comfortable with me now.
Looking Geoffrey in the eye, Ariel told him the truth. “Aye, but just sleeping next to you, being held in your arms, I feel as if I am betraying the father of my babe. I love him very much. I would never want to jeopardize what I have with him.”
“You never said anything about that before.”
“I am a serf. My feelings mean nothing. I am a possession, not a person. As long as you keep me a serf, I will never be treated with any respect.”
Sighing, Geoffrey kissed her forehead. “I do not know what to say. When I bought you, I thought you could make up for what could be lacking in my new wife. Now that Lisette is here, I might have to rethink the situation.”
Ariel brightened at his words. “Are you saying you will release me?”
“I need time to get to know Lisette. At least give me until the babe is born.”
Ariel shook her head. “Nay, I do not want my child to be born a serf.”
“I understand. I will try to make my decision before your time comes.”
“I know you will make the right choice. Go to your wife. She is probably waiting for you.”
Geoffrey brushed his lips across her mouth, then released her. “I will leave you to your rest.”
After he was gone, Ariel felt optimistic about her predicament for the first time since arriving at Kilsmere. If she could bring Lisette to her side, maybe Geoffrey would set her free.
* * * *
The cooking area was on the lower level of the tower along with the storage rooms. Ariel was in their gloomy depths, preparing the morning repast the day after Lisette’s arrival. The young couple had not yet left their bedchamber. She took that as a positive sign.
Footsteps descending the stairs drew her attention from the cooking fire. One of Lisette’s women walked into the room. Ariel groaned to herself. It was the one who had been shocked at her presence in the hall the day before.
Lisette had brought only two women with her from her home. The one who stood before Ariel now was the eldest of the two. The woman was quite plump, and carried herself with pride. She was at that moment looking down her nose at Ariel. The woman did nothing to hide her disgust. Choosing to ignore the older woman, Ariel turned her back on her.
The woman huffed in indignation. “How dare you, a lowly serf, turn your back on me? I will not tolerate any disrespect from the likes of you.”
“Then I suggest you leave.” Ariel did not even bother to turn her head to look at the woman.
“Well, I never. You might have graced the lord’s bed, but that does not make you any better than what you are.”
“Why are you here and who are you?” Ariel sighed in exasperation.
The woman drew herself up straighter. She was still a few inches shorter than Ariel. Her gown was a drab brown and a white wimple completely covered her hair. She was not a great beauty, and her personality did nothing to make one forget her plain face.
“I will have you know I am Lady Lisette’s personal maid. I am Dame Marguerite, and you should treat me with the respect I am due. I am here to see to my lady’s meal.”
“If you were to leave me alone, then the meal would be finished quicker.”
Dame Marguerite raised her hand to strike Ariel, but the sound of Lisette saying her name stopped her before she could follow through. At the sight of her lady stepping down the last remaining steps, she lowered her arm and smiled.
“What are you doing down here, my lady?”
“I was about to ask that of you.”
“I came to make sure this serf prepared your meal to your liking.”
With a wave of her hand, Lisette dismissed the older woman. “You may leave, and if I ever see you try to strike Ariel again, you will be sorry. Is that understood?”
“Aye, my lady.” With her face flaming, Dame Marguerite disappeared up the stairs.
Lisette went to stand next to Ariel and smiled. “I apologize. I had no idea she would come down here to pester you. She sometimes takes her duties too seriously.”
“I am a serf. She can treat me any way she deems fit.”
“You are not a serf, are you?”
Ariel stepped away from the fire and went to the work table in the center of the room. After rolling up her sleeves past her elbows, she kneaded the huge mound of dough on the table’s surface. Lisette had followed her.
“It is all right. Geoffrey told me about you. He thinks you are a warrior.”
Ariel stiffened. “What if I am?”
“I have never met a woman warrior before. Truth be told, I at times wished I could wield a sword instead of a needle.”
Ariel pulled the dough into sections and then busily formed them into loaves. “I too felt that way, especially after my mother’s death. Father was so depressed at her passing. I had to take on his duties. I took up the sword to help protect my home.”
“Could you teach me?”
Ariel looked at Lisette. “What would your husband say?”
With a smile, Lisette stepped closer. “He does not have to know. I could find a place not too far from the castle walls where we could go. No one would have to see us.”
Shaking her head, Ariel continued to shape the dough. “That is not possible.”
“Of course it is, as long as we do not draw attention to ourselves.”
Ariel shook her head once more. “You do not understand. I have work to do in the hall. My duties take most of the day to complete. Besides, Geoffrey does not allow me to leave the hall.”
Shock registered on Lisette’s face. “Why would Geoffrey keep you locked indoors?”
“I think he is afraid I will try to run or someone from the outside world would recognize me.”
Lisette frowned. “I will have to speak to Geoffrey about allowing you more freedom. For now, I will have, Elaine, my other woman, take over the cooking. I brought her with me to fulfill that task, anyway. I figured Geoffrey would not possess a decent cook. Finish baking the bread and then come to my solar. I will give you some other duties.”
Ariel found herself speechless as she stared at Lisette’s retreating back. Geoffrey’s wife was nothing like she had expected. She wondered how Lisette would get Geoffrey to allow Ariel outside the castle walls.
* * * *
The solar was awash in bright sunlight, causing Ariel to blink at the glare. Once her eyes grew accustomed, she stepped into the room. Lisette sat near the windows, working intently at an embroidery frame. Her needle flashed expertly through the material. Ariel was totally useless when it came to stitching. Her mother had tried to teach her, but Ariel was never very interested in learning how to do it properly. Eventually her mother had given up and let her follow her father about Elmstead. She had turned out to be a quick learner when it came to running the land.
Lisette’s hands stilled, and she beckoned her closer. “Did Elaine come to relieve you?”
“Aye. She seemed most eager to begin her work.”
Lisette laughed. “She enjoys cooking for a large amount of people. She is very talented. My father was not too happy to give her up, but I finally won her from him. Elaine wanted to come to England, which helped to win my father to my side.”
Ariel chuckled. “Well, she will be greatly appreciated here. I might know how to cook, but my talents in that area are very limited.”
“I am glad all has worked out then. We must find something else for you to do. I did not want you working over a hot fire all day in your condition. How are your stitches?”
Ar
iel felt herself flush and shook her head. “I am afraid I have no great skill when it comes to a needle and thread.”
“All right, let me think a moment.” Lisette paused. A frown creased her forehead. A few seconds later, her face brightened. “Do you know anything of healing?”
“Very little.”
All Ariel had learned was from Osbern. He had taught her how to take care of minor wounds. He had told her if she could learn to inflict them, she could learn how to heal them. Even now, with all the time that had gone by, she still mourned the loss of him. Just thinking of him caused her pain.
Ariel managed to pull herself out of her past as Lisette grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “This is perfect. I should have thought of this before.”
Confused, Ariel looked at Lisette in askance. “What will be perfect?”
“My mother is a healer. She taught me all she knows. I will teach you. That will be our excuse to leave the castle walls. We will have to go into the forest and gather the plants we will need.”
Ariel doubted it would be that easy. “You still have to talk to Geoffrey. Even if he allows me to leave the hall, he might send one of his men to watch over me.”
Lisette smiled knowingly. “I know how to handle Geoffrey. As for the guard, I will simply tell him a woman in your condition could not run very far on foot.”
Lisette did have a point. Even if Geoffrey granted Ariel her freedom, there was no way she could make it to Elmstead alone. She would never endanger her unborn child by taking such a risk, but there was still something Lisette had not thought of.
“Your plan is logical enough, it could work, but there is one problem.”
“What is that?”
“Just what do you expect us to practice with? There is no way we could obtain two swords without them being missed.”
Lisette frowned once more before she laughed. “I am afraid I tend to get carried away with myself once in a while. My mother is always telling me I rush into something without thinking out every detail. You are quite right. I will obtain the swords.”
Knowing Lisette to be a resourceful woman, Ariel did not doubt she would follow through with her promise. “However you get them, be careful. Men do not like women sticking their noses into their work. I know from firsthand experience.”
“Have no fear. I have my ways. I always get what I want, even with Geoffrey.”
Ariel could not help but laugh, something she had not been able to do much of before Lisette arrived. She seemed to be the type of woman who knew how to look out for herself. Ariel was positive she would present her with two swords on the morrow.
* * * *
The following morning Geoffrey came to her chamber. Ariel had just finished dressing when the door opened to admit him. At first, he said nothing. He stared at her with his hands clasped behind his back. After a few moments of being under his scrutiny, she could not take any more.
“Is there something you want?”
“Nay, not really.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
Geoffrey paced the room a couple of times, then stopped directly in front of her. “Lisette has decided to take you under her wing and teach you the skills of a healer. She even went so far as to ask me to free you. I refused to remove the collar, but I agreed to her teaching you. There is one problem, though. It seems she would need to take you out to the surrounding countryside to collect certain plants. She assured me you would not run, and that one of my men breathing down your neck would not help the learning process. Before I grant my permission, I need to feel I can trust you not to try to flee.”
Ariel could not help but smile. During the night, she had doubted Lisette’s ability to sway Geoffrey to her way of thinking. It looked as if she had succeeded. It was too bad she could not convince him to take the damned collar off.
Looking Geoffrey straight in his dark eyes, Ariel did what she needed to do. “All I have to give is my word. I promise not to flee. The risk would be too great for my babe.” To add emphasis to her statement, she laid a protective hand on her rounded belly.
Geoffrey nodded. “Then I will inform Lisette of my decision.” He turned to leave only to pause at the door and look over his shoulder at Ariel. “Just so you know, you were right. Lisette is nothing at all what I had expected. You do not need to worry about me taking you to my bed again. I have found my wife gives me all I need.” He walked out of the room and then quietly closed the door behind him.
Her spirits soared. Ariel did a little spin. Her life was definitely going for the better. With Lisette’s coming, she had been given more freedom than she had had before, and she need no longer worry about how Geoffrey felt about her when she only thought of him as a friend. That was what he had become. He still owned her, but he had always treated her with respect. She could not hate him for that. All her anger was directed at one man—Theodoric. If he crossed her path again, he would pay for his underhanded dealings.
* * * *
A very excited Lisette awaited Ariel in her solar. It was apparent Geoffrey had spoken to her and had given his permission. Lisette already had a basket. She rushed to Ariel and grabbed her hand. Before she could speak, Lisette pulled her into a small storage room just off the solar.
“Come here, Ariel. I need help getting these out of the castle.”
After stepping to a chest that sat against the wall, she pulled out two swords. They were unlike any Ariel had seen before. The blades had intricate scrollwork running up and down their length. The pommels were gold with rubies and diamonds set into them. The grips were wrapped in white leather. She could only stare at the beauty of them.
“Well, what do you think? Will they serve our purposes?”
Ariel gulped. “Aye. Wherever did you get these?”
“I brought them from home. I planned to give them as a gift to Geoffrey, but I think I will keep them for myself instead.”
“Why two swords?”
Lisette giggled. “The blacksmith had made these as a matching set. I just could not bear to separate them. They are quite breathtaking, are they not?”
That was an understatement. “Aye, but they are too fine for what we would use them for.”
“These are all I have. Take one,” Lisette urged. “We can strap them to our backs under our cloaks. There are matching scabbards as well.”
Hesitantly, Ariel took a sword from Lisette. It felt good to have the solid weight of one resting in her hand again. Too much time had passed since she held her weapon of choice. She had missed that part of her old life. After backing away from Lisette, she tested out the balance by slicing the air before her. She looked up to find Lisette watching her.
“I can see you do know what you are about with that.”
Unthinkingly, Ariel said, “I should. I am a knight.” She did not realize what she had revealed until Lisette took a sharp intake of breath.
“Are you serious?”
Knowing she would not be able to talk her way out of what she had said, Ariel nodded. “Aye.”
“How can that be? You are a woman. No man would train a female let alone knight her.”
“I passed myself off as a boy. I already knew how to wield a sword, so it was easy to make everyone believe I was male.”
“From what I heard, Saxons do not have knights.”
“That is true. We do not. I was knighted by a Norman.”
Taking a scabbard out of Lisette’s hand, Ariel slid her sword into it and then slung it over her back. She had already said too much. She had not even told Geoffrey that much about her past. She felt so comfortable around Lisette, she had let her guard down.
Lisette passed her a cloak and then placed a basket over her arm. With both swords adequately concealed, she led Ariel out of the solar.
Dame Marguerite was in the hall and sneered at Ariel as she walked by. Obviously, she still held her in contempt. Ariel chose to ignore the other woman and followed Lisette down the stairs.
Crossin
g the yard to the castle gates proved uneventful. Once they loomed before them, Ariel held her breath. After months of being forced to remain inside, doubt assailed her. It was hard to believe Geoffrey would allow even this small amount of freedom, but their passage through did not meet with any hindrance. Her breath left her in a whoosh once the gates were safely behind them.
Lisette looked back at the castle, then set out at a steady pace toward the forest. Ariel’s step lightened the farther from the castle she got. She took a deep breath of fresh air as she plunged into the woods behind Lisette. They did not have to travel very far before they came to a small clearing. It was a perfect spot. Not too far from the castle, but the trees offered sufficient cover to hide their activities.
After taking off her cloak, Ariel drew her sword. Lisette followed suit. Ariel swung her blade to stretch out her muscles. She would more than likely feel today’s exercise in the form of aches on the morrow. Lisette struggled to lift her sword and valiantly tried to duplicate her moves. Ariel took a small measure of comfort in knowing Lisette would be in worse shape. Ariel went to the center of the clearing and signaled Lisette to follow.
“We will not do too much today. For the little we do now will leave your muscles shrieking in protest tomorrow.”
Lisette nodded. “I agree. Besides, I think we should spend half the time teaching you to be a healer. If Geoffrey should question you on your progress, you should be able to tell him about some of the plants and their uses.”
Ariel agreed. “You are right. It would not do to have Geoffrey become suspicious. Our outings would be stopped.” She took up a stance and held her sword before her. “Today, I will show you some moves that will help strengthen your arms and shoulders.”
Lisette nodded as she came to stand near Ariel and took up the same position. So began Lisette’s education in sword play and Ariel’s in herb lore.
Chapter Nineteen
Days passed, and Ariel found Lisette to be a true friend. She made her life more bearable. Having the excuse of teaching Lisette how to handle a sword, a familiar routine had been established once more. Even though six months gone, what little Ariel could do gave her a sense of normalcy.
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