‘Lord Talvas, hold for a moment!’ The Earl strode over to them. ‘Did this maid just mention something about a ship?’
‘Nay!’ His grip tightened around her shoulders.
‘Aye!’ Emmeline flashed a triumphant look at a scowling Talvas. ‘I heard that the Empress needs to reach England, and I own a ship, anchored in Barfleur.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier, Lord Talvas? I think this young lady will be very useful to us. Very useful indeed.’
Earl Robert led the way to a thick oak-planked door set into the stonework of one of the four circular towers. Rush torches slung into iron brackets on either side of the doorway illuminated the entrance before they were plunged into darkness on the stairs. Fortunately a rope had been fixed onto the outside curve of the tower and Emmeline reached for it thankfully, using it as a support and a guide. She concentrated hard on maintaining her footing on the damp steps, the weakness of her right leg making her climb difficult. Above her, the heavy footfall of Earl Robert marked his direction, but of Lord Talvas behind her…no sound. She knew he was angry with her, but why? All she wanted was this chance to travel to England to visit her sister and make some money at the same time. How did it possibly affect him?
She gasped reflexively as her toe scraped the edge of the next step, grinding pain arching through her ankle as she grappled to regain her tremulous balance. Do not fall! Do not fall! To show weakness before these men would be the ultimate humiliation—she did not want their help, and she certainly did not want their pity.
‘Steady, mam’selle. The treads are uneven here.’ Talvas’s firm hand cupped her elbow as she righted herself, intensely aware of his large body on the step beneath her, warming her back, encircling her jittered senses with its immovable presence. Emmeline bit her lip. How easy it would be to fall back into his strength, to ask for help, to be cocooned in the muscled ropes of his arms. But she wouldn’t do it. She would never give in; her inner strength was enough to let her do this on her own. Her time with Giffard had made certain of that.
‘Don’t trouble yourself on my account, my lord,’ she whispered down to him. ‘Besides, I have the distinct impression that you would prefer me to fall in a heap at the bottom of the steps.’
‘Don’t tempt me, mam’selle.’ She jumped as his low voice curled into her ear, and shook her elbow to release his grip, resenting his controlling touch on her. The vehemence of her movement made him chuckle, and she turned to face him, lips set in an angry line.
‘Why do you resent it so much?’ she flashed at him. ‘’Tis but a simple business transaction that is no concern of yours!’
‘You may come to rue your outspokenness, mam’selle.’
‘You’re just trying to scare me. Why are you here anyway? I thought your plan was to travel on to Boulogne.’
He grinned. ‘So anxious to be rid of me, mam’selle? I thought you enjoyed my company. Nay, Guillame and I do not choose to ride at night.’
‘Then on the morrow we will go our separate ways?’ Her voice held an edge of relief. She had realised with shock that the difference in step heights meant her eyes were on a level with his mouth. The wide, generous lines of his mouth.
‘We shall see, mam’selle. We shall see.’
Her head swam as she felt herself drawn to the tangy smell of him, the glitter of his eyes, the lean, sardonic angles of his face. His hands settled on her neat waist, thumbs roaming outwards to encompass the delicacy of her ribcage. Strings of heat pirouetted from the light pressure of his fingers, streaking across her body into a web of desire. Words of protest formed in her mind, only to burst like bubbles in the growing, churning turmoil that was her chest; her body melted. The rapid pulse of her own breathing echoed in her head as his face leaned into hers…
‘Make haste, my lord Talvas!’ The Earl’s voice rapped down the spiral steps, sloshing over her like cold water. ‘Now is not the time for idle chit-chat!’
‘Nor anything else, my lord!’ Only the thin tremor in Emmeline’s whispered tone belied her befuddled state. Incensed at her own stupidity, she pushed furiously at his hands to find they had already dropped away, leaving her sides cold.
‘My intention was only to steady you, mam’selle.’ The guttural rasp of his voice startled her by its terseness. She flounced around and began to climb the stair once more. In the clammy half light, Talvas watched her move away, his eye travelling over the alluring lines of her petite figure, the seductive sway of her skirts. As she had faced him on the stair, the sheer beauty of her delicate features had caught him unawares, carried him back to a time before responsibility, a time before his ill-fated betrothal. For one beautiful moment, she had made him forget who he was. The luminous energy in her face, the feistiness of her nature: all attracted him with a force he was unprepared for, a powerful enchantment that for the sake of his sanity, he had to resist. And resist her he would.
Chapter Five
After the darkness of the stairs, the light in the royal solar made her blink in surprise. Emmeline stared around her, astounded by the beauty of the room. Sumptuous tapestries adorned the stone walls, the skill of the workmanship evident in their fine, colourful detail. Furs piled high on the four-poster bed, elaborate curtains tied back during the day and a crowd of thick yellow candles, secured into heavy ironwork candle-stands, spilled fat globules of wax over their sides. Over by the narrow window embrasure, shuttered against the evening draughts, a baby and a little boy of about two winters played on a rug with one of the ladies-in-waiting.
The Empress Maud sat in a carved oak chair in the middle of the chamber, head on one side, listening to one of her ladies playing the harp. Her eyes, red and puffy as if she had been crying, were closed as the sweet notes permeated the room, but one of her ladies bent down to murmur in her ear, alerting her to the visitors. Maud tilted her head, opening her eyes wide to direct an irritable hazel stare toward the threshold. The annoyance slipped from her features as she realised the identity of the guests.
‘Earl Robert.’ She stretched her hand toward her half-brother, white fingers alive with heavy, glittering rings. Earl Robert moved his long frame forwards, knelt and kissed the royal hand. The Empress’s gaze flew over Emmeline’s head to Talvas. ‘And Lord Talvas!’ she exclaimed excitedly. ‘Come, come nearer, my lord. I have not had the pleasure of your company for some months!’ Talvas covered the distance in one stride, before dropping to one knee to kiss the pale flesh of the Empress’s fingers.
‘To be in your presence is an honour, my lady,’ Talvas greeted her formally. ‘I am only sorry we have come at such a sad time for you.’
The Empress’s eyes sprang to the Earl, then back to Talvas. ‘The Earl told you the news.’ Her eyes watered slightly.
Still on the threshold, hidden from the Empress’s view by the broad backs of the two men, Emmeline listened to the exchange with interest, aware of an undercurrent of tension within the room. The ladies-in-waiting, scattered like bright jewels around the chamber, appeared to be immersed in their various tasks, but Emmeline sensed their ears were fixed to the Empress’s every word. As she shifted stealthily from one foot to the other, trying to relieve the pressure of standing on her weak ankle, the Empress noticed her.
‘And who might you be?’ The Empress raised her arm, encased in a tight sleeve of the finest merino wool, to point imperiously at Emmeline. A slight sneer pulled at her lip as she looked toward Earl Robert for an explanation. Acutely conscious that all eyes in the chamber were upon her, Emmeline lifted her chin and took a pace forward.
‘I am Mam’selle de Lonnieres, my lady.’ Her voice echoed clearly around the chamber, and she cursed herself for appearing too bold. To her surprise, the Empress clapped her hands together, a smile lighting her round face as she turned to Earl Robert in excitement.
‘Aha! You have secured a passage to England, have you not?’
‘I have done nothing,’ Robert admitted, moving to stand close by the Empress’s chair, his hand on her sh
oulder. His pale gaze raked Emmeline’s slender figure, his mouth twisting with derision as he noted the roughness of her garments. ‘I overheard her say to Lord Talvas that she owned a ship.’
‘Then Fortune smiles upon us,’ said Maud, leaning forward. ‘Come closer, maid, that I may look upon you.’ She gestured with one heavily bejewelled hand.
Emmeline took two paces forward, curtsying as low as she dared. Maud seized her fingers excitedly, dragging her upwards. ‘When can the ship be ready?’
‘The ship is ready now,’ Emmeline explained. ‘It is only a matter of finding crew…and a captain. As the winter storms are upon us, it may be difficult to find willing hands…it may take more coin to persuade them.’
Talvas snorted behind her.
‘Coin I have plenty of.’ The Empress waved her hand dismissively in the air. ‘But we must travel as soon as possible.’
‘It would be advisable to wait until spring, my lady,’ Talvas countered, his voice emerging deep and low from somewhere behind Emmeline.
The Empress screwed up her brown-button gaze with distaste. ‘I can’t wait ’til spring, Talvas! Are you out of your mind? I need to travel to England now!’ Maud half rose from her chair, clearly agitated, her mouth compressed to a thin white line, before she collapsed back into the seat. At the window embrasure, the youngest child started to grizzle. ‘God in Heaven! Will that child never be quiet?’ Maud drew a hand across her forehead. ‘Am I to have no peace in my own chamber?’ Clutching one fist around the arm of the chair, she turned back to Emmeline. ‘Now, how much gold do you think you will need to be ready to sail in two days’ time?’
Emmeline held back from naming a figure. ‘There is another condition.’ She shifted uncomfortably under the Earl’s constant perusal, a coil of uneasiness snaking through her insides.
‘Name it,’ Maud said.
‘I wish to travel to England with you.’
The Empress gave a narrow, tight-lipped smile. ‘In truth, maid, I would be glad of your company. Most of my ladies are useless at travelling, and I would prefer it if they stayed with the children. You can come as my lady’s maid.’
‘I would prefer to come as your equal.’
Shocked, Maud leaned back abruptly in her chair. A hush fell over the room, as if the walls held their breath. A muscle jerked in the Earl’s sunken cheek.
‘You are bold for a maid,’ the Empress answered slowly, her mouth stretching to a terse smile. ‘But I admire your spirit.’ She shifted her regard to her half-brother, who hung over her chair like a shadow. ‘I like this girl, Robert.’
‘I like her, too,’ he responded. An uneven menace punched his tone. His fingers clenched around the top carving along the chair back, and he looked as if he could scarce restrain himself from openly licking his lips.
Maud switched her beady eyes back to Emmeline, the finely spun silk of her veil glistening in the candlelight. ‘Take care that you do not overstep the mark with me, young maid. I am not known for my kind nature.’ Her brown eyes narrowed. ‘Now, I can offer you twenty gold coins for your ship.’
Emmeline schooled her features to remain blank, to show no reaction to the offer. She had hoped to gain a little more. Slowly, she folded her arms over her chest, mimicking negotiation patterns of old. ‘I will need more than that to persuade Captain Lecherche and his crew. Let us say thirty.’ By naming a far higher price she hoped they would meet somewhere in the middle.
Earl Robert frowned, and bent over to whisper into Maud’s ear. Maud nodded, then shrugged. ‘We are somewhat at your mercy, mam’selle. But remember, as royalty I could have you thrown into the dungeon for insubordination and seize the ship in my father’s name. You are fortunate that I like you. Shall we agree on twenty-five?’
‘I will do it for nothing,’ Talvas moved to stand beside Emmeline.
Her head whipped round as his melodious tones broke her concentration. Fury plucked at her veins as she glared at the rounded curve of his muscular shoulder, the strong cords of his neck. ‘What in God’s name are you doing?’ she hissed, clutching at his forearm. Her mind struggled to comprehend his thinking.
He ignored her, his eyes on the Empress.
Maud clapped her hands, laughing. ‘Dear Talvas, of course! You can captain the ship…’
‘And I have a willing crew,’ he added drily.
‘I still need twenty-five for the hire of the ship’ gabbled Emmeline, aware that the deal was nearly lost. She wanted to kill Talvas!
‘Don’t push your luck, mam’selle,’ Talvas murmured. He brushed her clasping fingers away from his forearm. His words dropped over her like a steel net, as if he pulled on an invisible mesh, halting her speech.
The Empress folded her arms over her ample bosom, a faint glow of satisfaction on her face. She murmured to the Earl, before leaning back in her chair, exhausted, and closing her eyes.
Robert laced his fingers before him. ‘We can give you fifteen gold coins for the ship, mam’selle. Take it or leave it.’
She had to take it.
Emmeline scrubbed her slim white arms viciously with a soft linen washcloth, still fuming at Talvas’s offer to the Empress. How dare he interfere with her plans? He had effectively robbed her of ten gold coins, damn him! Ten gold coins…money that would have bought her mother and her much needed food over the lean winter months when La Belle Saumur would be unused, dragged high up on the beach for safety. But at least with the fifteen coins they would not starve and she still had managed to secure her own passage to England.
‘Shall I wash your hair now, mistress?’ Maud had sent one of her own maids, the docile Beatrice, to attend to Emmeline before the evening’s feasting.
‘Pardon…? Oh, I’m sorry, Beatrice. Aye, go ahead.’ As Beatrice poured a delicious stream of warm water over her loosened hair and down her back, Emmeline flexed the strained muscles in the back of her neck, rolling her shoulders forward to try and relieve the stiffness. Sighing, she tried to allow the heat of the water to steady her frazzled nerves, to temper her annoyance, to try to forget that man! But as she tipped her head back and Beatrice began to soap her scalp, vivid scenes of the day began to play exhaustingly in her mind; images that inevitably, inexorably, led to a pair of bright, disapproving eyes.
The wrought-iron door latch clicked upwards.
Emmeline’s eyes lifted to those of the servant, as her fingers drifted through the layer of sweet-smelling rose petals scattered on the surface of the water. ‘I don’t deserve this attention,’ she murmured.
‘No, you most certainly don’t.’ Talvas’s familiar tones cut across the chamber. Beatrice’s mouth widened to a large ‘O’. Emmeline criss-crossed her arms across her bosom. ‘Get out!’ she cried through gritted teeth, sinking down into the water, hoping—nay, praying that he couldn’t see over the high level of the wooden bath tub.
‘I came to see if you needed an escort to the great hall.’ Folding his arms high on his chest, Talvas leant against the stone wall. It amused him to see this virago at a loss as to how to deal with him, especially when she had no clothes on. The gleam of her pearly white shoulder hooked his glance, peeking above the edge of the tub. Beatrice flustered around, trying to find a towel to cover Emmeline, knocking her shin against an elaborately carved oak coffer in her haste.
‘I have no need of you ever again,’ Emmeline bit out, anger beginning to take precedence over the embarrassment of her nakedness. He couldn’t see very much from where he stood, of that she was certain. ‘You have caused enough trouble already. How dare you interfere with my plans?’
‘I was just trying to save the Empress some money,’ he replied. ‘You drive a hard bargain, mistress.’
‘I normally do.’ She whipped her head around, eyes sparking with anger. ‘At least I do when my plans aren’t scuppered by some infernal man!’
Talvas grinned, the corners of his mouth turning up to make his face seem much younger than his years. ‘So glad that you hold such a high opinion of me,’ he c
ountered. ‘But with thirty gold coins the Empress could have raised a whole fleet of ships to cross the Channel.’ His tone sounded laconic, amused.
‘She would have paid it—’ Emmeline seethed ‘—if you hadn’t interfered.’
‘Does it really mean that much to you?’ The green depths of his eyes drilled into her. ‘The money, I mean.’
Incredulity washed over her face. ‘Are you completely mad? Of course it does! How else do you think my mother and I have enough to live on?’ She tore her gaze from him and studied the surface of the water, water that was rapidly losing its heat. Jiggling her legs, the ripples pooling away from her knees and lapping the wooden sides, she tried to warm up. ‘Now get out.’
Talvas smiled. ‘When I’m good and ready.’
Emmeline drew her knees up to her chest, looping her hands around them. She would rather freeze to death than give him the satisfaction of watching her climb from the bath. ‘Why did you offer to captain the ship?’
‘To annoy you.’
She ignored him. ‘Surely you planned to travel to Boulogne?’
‘It matters not to me whether I stay here or return to England.’ Talvas shrugged his powerful shoulders. ‘I have castles and lands in both.’
‘And you condemn me for trying to squeeze an extra ten gold coins from the Empress!’ she flung back at him, green eyes blazing. He obviously had no idea what it was like to live from hand to mouth, to worry each day where the next meal was coming from. She shook her head. ‘Why not choose to stay here? I will find another captain.’
‘So desperate to be rid of me, mam’selle? Nay, I will travel to England.’ The tempting upper curve of her breast snared his gaze, just visible after she turned her head.
‘Unluckily for me.’ Her fingers scrabbled for the towel that Beatrice held out to her, wrapping it around her shoulders and rising in one movement so that the towel’s soft folds covered her nakedness.
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