“I doubt that is all there is,” he said in a soft voice. The minstrels started playing a slower song, the lute sounding haunting and beautiful, although she barely heard it over the thudding of her heart. “Your striking beauty is the real reason you have a throng of admirers at your feet. If they knew you were standing here with me, they would be very unhappy indeed.”
“Do not try to flatter me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “I am immune to it. For the past twelve hours I have had everything from my head to my feet commented upon.”
The knights and their ladies twirled and dipped to the gentle sounds of the lute as if they belonged in King Edward’s court and not here at Ravenhearth.
Jonathan brought his hand to her chin, and gently turned it so that she was looking at him. “You’re a very beautiful, very desirable woman,” he said, his sizzling gaze settling on her lips, lingering there for a long moment. “I would never lie to you about that. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
His words moved over her like a caress, and her heart strained as if it wanted to believe him. “Even you?” she wanted to ask. But then she tore her gaze from his compelling visage, afraid to see the lie that she would find there. If she was as beautiful and desirable as he said, he would be pursing her as well, wouldn’t he? Yet he stayed away from her as if she had contracted the plague yet again.
“Perhaps any man would be lucky to have me, but my happiness cannot be assured,” she said tightly. She fixed her eyes on the colorful revelers mingling with each other at the other end of the hall. They laughed and flirted as if they had no care in the world. “Despite what everyone tells me, I am under no illusions. Once I am married, I shall be in a noble prison. I know full well that some husbands beat their wives, and other women live boring unfulfilled ones because their husbands care more for fighting and traveling than they do for them.”
Rowena saw Ava heading in her direction, obviously coming to retrieve her, although the crowd of people was making it difficult for her to pass.
She pushed herself away from the wall. “This is the reason why I am not making haste to marry,” she continued. “I do not think any man would understand this, least of all my father.”
Ava was getting closer. “I must go,” Rowena said, giving Jonathan a fleeting smile. “Ava is searching for me, and I am not ready to be found.”
With that, she hurried off in the opposite direction of her nursemaid. If she had resisted the urge to look back at Jonathan one last time, she might have avoided a collision with Derrik. Instead, she bumped right into him.
Derrik reached out a hand to steady her. “Ava is searching for you,” he said. He peered over her shoulder with suspicion. “I saw you speaking with a man. Who is he?”
“‘Tis none of your concern,” she said, trying to break away from his hold.
Derrik continued to look at the direction of the wall, but his hand tightened on her wrist like a vice when he saw Jonathan emerge from the shadows. He widened his eyes. “The Hawk,” he said. “‘Tis the Hawk that you were speaking with.” He tugged at her arm. “I don’t care that he is a relation to your father’s wife. You are to stay far away from that man. I’ve heard too many things about him and they are not good, I assure you.”
Jonathan stepped further into the light. “Release the lady,” he said to Derrik in a soft, lethal voice. “As she has said, who she speaks to is none of your concern.”
“Her welfare is my utmost concern,” Derrik said. His free hand went to his hip, as if to search for his broadsword but it dropped when he found that it wasn’t in its usual place. Her father demanded that all weaponry be surrendered before gaining entry into the hall. “You have already upset her once before. The way I see it, she needs to be protected from people like you.”
The two men faced each other with open hostility. Several people threw curious glances over at their direction.
“You are making a scene, Derrik,” Rowena hissed, giving another tug at her arm to loosen his hold. “We were just exchanging pleasantries.”
She broke free, and stalked away from them. He cast Jonathan an angry look before going after Rowena. And with two long strides, he caught up with her.
He angled his body, blocking her way although this time he didn’t attempt to touch her. “Beware, my lady,” he said in a low tone. “I only tell you this because I care for your safety. Stay away from the Hawk. Someone told me that he has killed a woman. And from my experience a man who kills women is dangerous and cannot be trusted.”
Rowena turned her head, her expression full of alarm and looked in the direction of where Jonathan stood. But he was gone.
CHAPTER 18
“Lady Rowena?” She twisted her head at the sound of her name. It was still early and a handful of workers walked through the quiet inner courtyard.
An older man of perhaps thirty years made his way toward her, his flaxen hair gleaming in the morning sun. His face was pleasant although he leaned toward the stocky side and had a slight paunch at his belly. He wore a fashionable blue tunic and dark red hose, although they were not made from the finest quality. Another landless knight seeking her in hopes of changing his fortune, she thought.
The stable boy who came to fetch her stopped and looked at Rowena anxiously, waiting for her to follow him.
The man looked at her expectantly as well. “We have never met, my lady, however let me introduce myself.” He bowed with flourish. “I am Sir Raulf,” he said, smiling as if he was aware of his own fair looks. “Your beauty is renowned throughout the kingdom.” He brought his hand over his heart in an exaggerated gesture. “Seeing you up close takes my breath away.”
Rowena gave him a tight smile, unable to hide the irritation that she felt. “You flatter me, sire. I would wish that my intelligence is as equally renowned,” she said.
The stable boy became more agitated as he waited. She waved for the boy to go ahead of her just as she moved around the knight. She had told the stable master that she wanted to be present when her palfrey foaled. And now, after months of waiting, Beauty was about to give birth.
Raulf’s hand shot out and caught her sleeve, stopping her.
“Are you heading over to the stables?” he asked. A guard walking by glanced at their direction, and Raulf dropped his hand.
“Aye,” she said, her tone curt. Realizing that she sounded rude, she gentled her voice. “My palfrey is to foal this day.”
As if to punctuate the truth to her words, a low pitched moan coming from the stables cut through the quiet courtyard and then stopped abruptly.
“It sounds as if your palfrey has just started labor. There will be hours yet before she foals.”
She looked at him doubtfully. He shrugged. “I worked in the stables when I was young,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “Come, I am heading in that direction as well. Allow me to escort you.”
She frowned. “I know where I am going,” she said. “I do not need an escort.”
He might have said more but he stopped. The friendly smile on his face faded, and he looked over her shoulder as if he witnessed something unpleasant.
But Rowena didn’t have any time to speculate what caught Raulf’s eye when she heard another low pitched moan emerging from the stables. Poor Beauty!
Seizing Raulf’s inattention, she moved to escape.
Unfortunately before she realized it, the object of Raulf’s hostile interest stood in front of her.
“My lady,” Jonathan said through clenched teeth. “I need to speak with you.” He placed a firm hand on her arm, and steered her away from Raulf.
“Unhand me,” Rowena said, her eyes flashing with anger. “I am on my way to the stables and have no time to speak.”
His dark eyes had a threatening gleam in them although he did as she asked. She took a step back, and glared up at him as if daring him to touch her again. He ignored her glare, and lowered his voice so only she could hear. “For your own safety, I want you to stay away from that snake.
”
“I was warned to stay away from you,” she shot back.
“If you refuse to heed my warning,” he continued as if he didn’t hear her. “I will be forced to reveal our first encounter to your father. I don’t think Sir Philip would like to hear of his dear daughter embracing strangers in an alley.”
The color drained from her face as the significance of his threat hit her. “You said you would not,” she whispered, her voice sounding unsteady, and even in her best efforts, she couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice.
There was no mistaking the determination in his eyes, and Rowena realized that his heart was cold enough that he would make good his threat. “This is blackmail,” she said, furious. “You will leave my — both of our reputations in shambles.”
Raulf observed them intently from a distance, a half smile playing on his lips, although no spark of amusement reflected in his eyes.
“I do not care for my reputation. However if you care for yours, then I would therefore think very carefully before associating with that whoreson,” he said, without taking his eyes away from Raulf.
Rowena felt a flush of anger rising to her cheeks, and just when she was about to come back with a heated retort, Raulf began clapping his hands.
He walked up to them, unperturbed by Jonathan’s warning look. “What a performance!” Raulf exclaimed. “So this is how the fierce Hawk woos a lady — with dark looks and angry words.” He gave a harsh laugh. “It explains a lot.”
Jonathan’s face remained impassive, however Rowena saw that he clenched his fists as if he wanted to wring the other man’s neck but restrained himself with momentous effort. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be off ransacking a neighboring village?”
“I shall ignore that comment,” Raulf said, a flash of anger crossed his eyes before it was quickly staunched. “I have every right to be here as any knight. What great fighter would miss this grand opportunity to show off his fighting skills…” he gave a half bow to Rowena, his appraising gaze lingering on her breasts, “and win a chance to woo a very charming lady at the same time?”
“You are not a knight,” Jonathan said flatly.
Rowena frowned. She glanced from one man to the other, her brow knitted in confusion.
“He is mistaken,” Raulf said, seeing the question in her eyes. “I was trained by his sire. I assure you, I’m a true knight.” He straightened his sleeves. “And as I understand it, all knights are welcome to joust in this tournament. Is that not right, my lady?”
A servant carrying a bucket of water glanced over at them, almost tripping in his curiosity over seeing two formidable knights facing each other hours before the day’s scheduled matches.
“‘Tis true that Father has invited knights far and wide…” Rowena said, her tone cautious.
Raulf watched her, waiting for her to continue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say more. Even she was not blind to the tension that increased with every second that passed. For some reason Raulf was using her to incite Jonathan’s ire. For what purpose, she didn’t know.
Jonathan opened his mouth to say more when a figure hurtled across the courtyard, coming straight toward them. Rowena recognized the boy as Jonathan’s squire. Once he stood in front of them, the boy doubled over, taking deep gulps of air as he tried to catch his breath. Just as the boy took his master aside to speak to him, Jonathan sent Rowena a look that clearly said: stay where you are.
With unabashed interest, Raulf strained to hear what the two were discussing. Meanwhile Rowena waited impatiently for Jonathan to return. She wanted to leave but Jonathan’s warning made her pause.
Rowena felt reassured that Beauty had yet to foal when no other sounds came from the direction of the stables. Still, she couldn’t stand in the courtyard until nightfall, she thought irritably. More and more servants and men-at-arms were cutting through the courtyard and glancing over at their direction.
She shifted her gaze back to the duo just as a slight breeze carried the boy’s voice, and she thought she heard him say grey knight. It was apparent Raulf heard it too for he became still. Jonathan’s face, on other hand, grew even grimmer and more forbidding, if that was possible. He nodded his head as if he was considering what the squire said. The boy grew silent once he delivered his message, although he threw anxious glances at the direction from which he came.
“My attention is needed elsewhere,” Jonathan said, returning to Rowena and Raulf. Although even as he said it, he didn’t seem in a hurry to leave. The squire followed his master but threw Raulf a curious glance when he noticed him standing next to Rowena.
But neither Jonathan nor Raulf took notice of the squire. Instead, they stared at each other as if locked in a silent, private battle.
After what seemed like ages, the squire cleared his throat. “Umm, sire?” he said. “Sir Gareth wants to discuss this with you now.”
The boy’s words snapped him out of his trance, and Jonathan’s lips moved in a silent curse. “We are not finished yet, my lady,” he said, looking straight at Rowena as if to remind her of his threat. “We shall continue our discussion at a later time.”
He pinned his gaze on Raulf. “And you,” Jonathan said, his tone ringing with power and authority, “you stay away from Lady Rowena.”
With that, he marched away as if he was used to giving commands and having them obeyed.
As she watched Jonathan and his squire retreat, she sensed Raulf sidling closer to her.
“He cannot give me orders as I am no longer under his employ,” Raulf said calmly, although Rowena could detect the fury behind his words. “And since this is your home, my lady,” he nodded at her, “he cannot dictate orders to you either.”
She nodded, and shifted her eyes to the castle walls. It was wise not to say anything, she thought. She remembered how dark and forbidding Jonathan’s rugged face had become. He had in his power to ruin her, and she didn’t want to do or say anything that would cause him to make good his threat.
“Shall we continue to the stables, my lady?” Raulf asked, extending his arm.
“As I have told you earlier, I do not need an escort,” she said.
“Don’t look so apprehensive, my lady,” he said smoothly, mistaking her fear. “Whatever threats Jonathan has made against you, I will protect you from him.”
Rowena shook her head. “I do not require protection in my own home,” she replied. She started toward the stables, but Raulf wasn’t done telling her about Jonathan.
“I will have you know that he’s a jealous man,” he said. “I’m sure he wants you for himself.” He appraised her body. “Not that I can blame him — you are the most beautiful woman in this vicinity.”
“I am hardly the most beautiful woman here,” she said. She folded her arms over her chest, and tried hard not to sound irritated at hearing more empty flattery. “There are plenty of ladies here that are more beautiful than me.”
He shrugged as if he didn’t want to argue with her.
An uncomfortable silence settled upon them, and she sensed that Raulf wasn’t done with her yet. She picked up her pace in hopes that he would get the hint and leave her alone, but his long strides kept up with her. And as he walked by her side through the busy courtyard, he watched her as carefully as if he was a cat who hadn’t quite decided what to do with his prey. For once, she wished that Ava ignored her pleas and insisted upon accompanying her to the stables.
“You and Sir Jonathan do not seem to like each other,” she said at last, breaking the awkward silence. It was obvious now that he didn’t intend to leave her side. It wasn’t her fault that Raulf followed her. Jonathan couldn’t blame her for that, would he?
“There is good reason,” Raulf said, his voice becoming brittle. He gazed off into the distance as if he was watching the past unfold before his eyes. “He killed my betrothed. ‘Twas in cold blood too. She had done nothing. ‘Tis enough reason not to like him, is it not?”
Rowena’s steps fal
tered.
“Come now, don’t look so surprised. He has killed hundreds while under King Edward’s service. Killing my Amelia meant nothing to him,” he said as bitterness crept into his voice.
“I cannot imagine Sir Jonathan being so cold as to kill an innocent woman,” she said, her voice sounding uncertain. “But you are not the only person who has told me this.”
He nodded his head. “Very few people know of his murderous past so don’t blame yourself if you were not aware of it,” he said. His eyes searched hers as if he was desperate for her to know the truth. “I assure you, the man I know is different from the one presented to everyone else. And this man is not whom you would want to associate with.”
Rowena turned away as if she didn’t want him to see the confusion clouding her eyes. Her heart resisted the idea that Jonathan would commit senseless murder. But how much did she really know him? She knew of his legendary feats, and how he had gained favor with King Edward through his skillful fighting abilities. But was it true that he relished killing innocent women as well? Could she be so wrong about him? She needed to think this over.
Unfortunately she didn’t have much time to think right then because moments later, she saw the stable boy burst out of the stable, running toward her at breakneck speed. At the same time she heard the shrill cry of pain emerging from the wooden structure.
The boy stumbled across the courtyard, so breathless that he could barely get the words out. “To the stables, my lady!” he said. “Beauty — she’s about to foal!”
“That’s impossible!” protested Raulf. “Everyone knows that a horse doesn’t foal until nightfall.”
The boy shook his head. “Hurry, my lady!” he said. And then turning, he raced back to the stable.
She didn’t need further prompting. She ran to the wooden structure, all thoughts of the two men fleeing from her mind.
And when Rowena found herself at the stable doors, she realized with some relief that Raulf had not followed her. She entered the dim building, the stiff straw crunching under her feet. She could hear the heavy, labored breathing coming from Beauty’s stall.
One True Knight (The Knights of Honor Trilogy) Page 15