Jobert reached the river and looked out at the water, as dark and cold-looking as the overcast sky. The chill seeping through his armor seemed to settle in his heart. Was there no way out, no way to keep from losing everything he cared about? To survive, must he become a man like Valois, ruthless and cruel, acquiring land and power at any price?
Nay, he would not do that. His very soul rebelled at the thought. Men like that were not truly strong. Deep down they were fearful and helpless, terrified they could not control their fates.
And, in the end, they could not. Valois’s wife had borne him no sons, and his daughter refused to be a pawn in his ambitious plans. Which mean Valois’s power would die with him.
Jobert knew he wanted more than what his enemy sought. He wanted a life of accomplishment and honor, rather than one of conquest and greed.
His thoughts again turned to the Saxon prisoners. There must be some balance to the thing, some course of action between the brutality of execution and the risk of mercy. What would William do? he wondered.
Then, like a thunderclap, it hit him. He did not have to decide the prisoners’ fate. He could take them to the king for judgment! William’s decision might be cruel. If he did not hang the rebels, he would likely order them maimed. But it would be William’s decision, not his.
He took a deep breath. Like Christ in the garden, he had asked that the bitter cup be passed from him, and God had been merciful.
Dusk was falling as he rode back to the palisade in the dense, heavy twilight that made a man know that winter had the land in its fierce grip and might never let go. But Jobert felt almost jubilant, for summer awaited him in the palisade. Edeva’s warmth and loveliness were not lost to him after all.
Edeva was nearly asleep when the door opened. Fatigued by the past hours of cleaning the smoky bedchamber and finding fresh bedding, she had decided not to wait up for Jobert. Though this might be the time to discuss her brothers’ fate, she had no strength for it. She had already decided she would not beg nor bargain. Why demean what they shared? Jobert had no choice that she could see. If he made the decision to hang Beornwold and Godric, she would have to live with it. Mayhaps over time, the grief would pass and she could forget.
Alnoth’s death would be more difficult to endure. In some ways, he still seemed a boy. As the youngest, he had been sheltered from many of the challenges and responsibilities of life. If he had followed his brothers in a hopeless cause, ’twas not completely his fault. Edeva had hope Jobert might see that.
She heard him undressing, then the creak of the ropes supporting the bed as he climbed in beside her. He pulled her close and kissed her neck. Although surprised by his show of affection, Edeva wriggled nearer. Why should they not have one night together before the anguish of his decision came between them?
He kissed her on the mouth with slow tenderness. Edeva responded helplessly. How could anything break the bond between them?
His body fit with hers as if they had been made for each other. The scent of him, the texture of his skin, the smooth firmness of his muscles—everything sublime, magic. She ran her hands along his back, stroking, reveling in his masculinity and strength.
When he entered her, it felt perfect, as if they made two halves of a whole. His rhythm was slow, his thrusts deep, searching. She clutched at his shoulders, then reached down to caress his powerful buttocks, feeling them contract each time he pushed into her, penetrating her wet, eager opening.
They moved in rhythm together, a sinuous dance. Jobert brought his mouth to hers. They were joined, melded. Breath to breath, breast to breast, sex to sex.
The tension built as their heated bodies strained, seeking release. The wild creature they made together writhed and keened its pleasure. Transformed, they burst into flame.
The sense of joining remained even as their breathing slowed and they collapsed into sweaty disarray. Jobert stroked her face, whispering love words. Edeva felt tears sting her eyes. How could she let anything shatter this sweet closeness? She wanted the rest of the world to go away, so there need never be anything but them and the wonder of what they shared.
“Edeva, Edeva, how I love you.”
His soft, whispered words touched the core of her heart. She drew a shaky breath. He settled her against his body, enfolding her in his strength. “I’ve decided what to do.”
She tensed, dreading this moment of reckoning.
“I’m taking the prisoners to William. He will decide their fate. I will argue for mercy, and tell William that if your brothers swear to me, I would accept them in my mensie.”
Relief made her unable to speak. She could accept the king’s decree. At least then she would not have to hate her lover.
“I cannot say what William will do. He has been sore tried by the rebels, but in the past, he has been known to accept the oaths of Saxons.”
“When do we leave?”
“Nay, you cannot go this time. If William’s judgment be harsh, I don’t want you there.”
A pang of worry went through her at the thought of being separated from Jobert. “I will wait at the inn,” she said. “I vow to accept whatever happens.”
“I need you here.”
“Why?”
“I must take a strong force with me to guard the prisoners. I want you to remain here and support my claim to Oxbury.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Besides my brothers, who would claim it?”
“If rumors of the king’s concerns have reached other ears...” He sighed. “There are always greedy men who seek to profit from another man’s troubles.”
“You trust me to guard your interests while you are gone?”
His fingers stroked her hair. “You are my fierce warrior woman. Who better to protect our children’s heritage?” His hand moved down to lovingly touch her breasts, then rested against her belly. She knew he was thinking of his seed inside her, of the promise of a new life that might be growing in her womb.
Tears threatened again. He wanted her to bear his child. She longed for the same thing, more intensely than she had ever wished for anything.
“I don’t feel strong and fierce,” she said. “When I think of something happening to you, I... I...”
“Shhhhh, shhhhh...” He pressed his fingers to her lips. “I did not survive Hastings and a dozen other battles through carelessness. I will guard my back every moment I am away,” When she sighed, he added, “I have the greatest incentive to stay alive that a man ever had.” He pulled her close, so she could feel his shaft rising against her leg. “Do you think I would risk losing what we share?”
Her nipples hardened as he fondled her breasts. “Let me love you again,” he whispered. “I leave on the morrow and I would have more delightful memories to take with me.”
* * *
“Pure stupidity,” Alan said when Jobert told him of his plans. “Why don’t you hang them and be done with it?”
Jobert pushed the remainder of the cheese and bread aside and took a swallow of cider, “If they swear to me and William, I gain warriors to defend Oxbury.”
“You’d trust those Saxon wretches? How can you think they will cease scheming against you?”
“I have my doubts about Edeva’s older brothers, ’tis true. But the younger boy and the other men—what have they to gain by continuing to fight me? They know if they break their oath, they will die. And they had no better future before I came. The younger son would have eventually had to leave and fight for his own place in another household. ’Tis clear his older brothers would not have allowed him any authority here. And the old thegn’s household guard, what’s left of them, would have sworn to another lord at some time. Why not me?”
“Because you’re a Norman, you fool! They hate you for your foreign blood.”
“But my sons will be only half Norman, which will make it easier for them.”
“Sons!” Alan looked startled. “Have you hopes of that?”
“Jesu, of course I have hopes!”
Alan stared morosely at his food. “I wish I could say the same. The few times I have been alone with Wulfget, nothing has come of it.”
“I cannot advise you any more than I have already, except to say that when the moment is right, you will know it. Mayhaps you should talk to Edeva about Wulfget “
“Edeva!”
“Yea, she is a woman and she knows a bit of Wulfget’s mind. I vow she would help you if you asked her.”
“I would sooner ask Hamo, that crude, fornicating lout!”
“’Twas only a suggestion. You might think on it over the next few days while I am gone.”
“I don’t go to London with you?”
“Nay. Although I have asked Edeva to look after my interests in Oxbury, she doesn’t know much of real warfare. She will need a strong captain by her side.”
“By her side!” Alan sputtered. “I will not share my command with a woman! Especially a Saxon one!”
“Peace, man. I do not ask you to share your command. But the truth is, you need her. If there is an armed threat, only she can mobilize the villagers and servants to fight. My mission has its dangers, and I can leave only part of our force to guard Oxbury. Without Edeva’s people, I fear you cannot hold it.”
“But, why should they fight their own people...” Alan’s words trailed off and his eyes widened. “You don’t fear rebels, do you?”
“I pray I am wrong, but my instincts tell me that there are other dangers threatening Oxbury. Indeed, I fear there is someone inside the palisade working against me. How else was the king informed of the last raid on the manor ere I even knew of it?”
Alan looked around the hall uneasily, and then leaned closer to Jobert. “Do you think one of our men is in the pay of Valois?”
“’Tis possible. Or, it could be one of the Saxons. If Valois was going to plot against me, who better to choose as his allies than men who already hate me?”
“Which is exactly the reason they must hang!”
“I would like to find out the truth before they go to the gallows. If I bring them before William, one of them may reveal something regarding Valois. My plan serves another purpose than simply sparing me from hanging my future wife’s brothers. I hope to prove to the king that Valois is a malicious, corrupt man who cannot be trusted. Only then can I be certain that William will take my part.”
“And if the spy is one of your own men?”
“Then sooner or later he will act, and we, both of us, must be ready.”
“And if the woman is the spy?” Alan asked, his voice tinged with bitterness.
Jobert rose impatiently. “I trust Edeva with my life, and I would advise you to do the same.”
* * *
Edeva turned away from the gate, unable to watch her brothers being led off to face William. She had sought to speak to both Godric and Beornwold before they left. But Beornwold had spat at her and shouted that she was a whore who shamed their father’s memory. Godric had merely looked at her with a weary, hopeless expression.
The experience made a hard knot in her stomach and dulled her warm satisfaction from the night before. The sight of Fornay glaring at her as she made her way to the hall did not soothe her mood, either. Clearly, he still mistrusted her.
She walked past him, wondering how they would ever be able to cooperate if there was a real threat to the manor.
As Edeva neared the hall, the priest called to her. She met his shrewd gaze, and he motioned that she should follow him to the chapel.
“A pity,” he said once they were inside. “You know, of course, that your brothers will be hanged.” He sighed. “... or something worse.”
“What could be worse than death?”
The priest’s air of melancholy grew more pronounced. “My lady, no matter what Brevrienne has told you, King William is not a man known for lenience. If he doesn’t hang your brothers, he will maim them. Do you not think that they would prefer death to life without their tongues or hands?”
His words made Edeva’s stomach roil. “Why do you tell me this when there is naught I can do?”
He patted her arm. “Only God can aid them, my child. But there are other ways to see that justice is done.”
Edeva, wary, said nothing.
“I do not think it is God’s will that Brevrienne hold Oxbury. He is merely a younger son of a lord of modest means. No more than a common knight. King William raises these men to power, but he forgets that they are not born to rule.” The priest steepled his hands, looking thoughtful. “I believe King William will eventually see the error of his ways and appoint someone else to hold Oxbury. ’Twill be a man more deserving than Brevrienne, someone worthy of wedding the daughter of an important Saxon lord.”
“Why do you tell me this?” Edeva asked again.
“There may come a time when your aid will be required by the new lord. I wanted you to know that I do not think it proper you are forced to share the bed of a man like Brevrienne. You had no choice but to submit to his crude ravishing. But if you act wisely you can better your circumstances.”
Edeva stared at the priest. She had always sensed he did not like her, nor any of the Saxons. Now he spoke as if he wished to help them. She longed to confront him with his hypocrisy, but instinct held her back. Better to learn more of his plans.
“Brevrienne is a strong commander,” she said. “How can you think that he will allow another man to usurp his property?”
The priest’s features twisted into a sinister smile. “Brevrienne has gone to London. By the time he returns, ’twill be too late. Oxbury will already be lost.”
Edeva swallowed her shudder of fear and tried to appear cool and calculating. “Do you know the man who comes to seize control?”
The priest grew uneasy. “I cannot say more,” he said hastily. “I risk much to warn you.”
“I am surprised that you do so,” Edeva could not help saying. “I would not think you would want to aid any Saxon.”
“When I first arrived in England, I shared the prejudices of most Normans. But over time I have come to admire your people. The wealth and luxury goods you possess make it clear that you are not the barbarians I once believed. And you, my lady....” the priest drew near and Edeva stayed her ground only by sheer force of will. “Your beauty is exceptional. I would not see it wasted on one such as Brevrienne.”
Edeva smiled stiffly. The cunning cleric sought to flatter her into betraying Jobert. She had no doubt that if she did so, Father Reibald would immediately argue for the new lord to have her executed as a traitor.
“I will think on what you have said.”
She started to leave. “Don’t forget your brothers,” the priest called after her.
Outside the chapel, Edeva paused, trembling with mingled dread and rage. The priest’s chilling hints filled her with fear, while his obvious manipulation infuriated her. He meant to use her to destroy Jobert. Did he truly think she was that disloyal?
She took deep breaths to calm herself and tried to think. It was obvious that Oxbury was in danger. Jobert had suspected as much, which was why he left her behind. Somehow she must prepare for the upcoming conflict.
Edeva knew little about defending a fortress. Oxbury had never been besieged in her lifetime, and her brothers had not sought to defend the palisade from within, but rather to ambush the Normans before they reached it.
But an ambush would not work in these circumstances. There were not enough of them to even try such a strategy.
With dismay, Edeva thought of the burned place in the palisade wall. The rebels had done much damage to the fortress defenses, only to be captured and defeated anyway. Now Oxbury lay vulnerable to attack from other enemies.
The wall would have to be repaired, and quickly, and Edeva was certain there were other precautions that must be taken. She would have to speak to Fornay. She wondered if she should tell him of the priest’s words?
Nay. Fornay would either not believe her, or imagine she had some sinister m
otive for warning of an attack. His distrust of her was so great that if she suggested some plan of defensive action, he might very well decide to do the very opposite. But, surely he could not argue against repairing the wall. That was only reasonable.
She went looking for Jobert’s captain and finally found him in the gatehouse. “Sir Alan, if I might speak with you.”
He regarded her coldly, and then followed her down the ladder to the yard. Edeva decided they should seek some privacy. Having seen the priest leave the chapel, she now led the Norman that way.
“Where are you going?” he demanded. “What do you have to say to me?”
“Before he left, Lord Brevrienne suggested that Oxbury might be attacked. If we are in danger, I think it prudent that we plan for it. Jobert also hinted that he did not trust all who dwell here.”
Fornay nodded grudgingly and followed her into the chapel. There in the flickering candlelight, Edeva chose her words with care. “I know little of defending a demesne and must rely on your expertise in these matters. It seems to me that the palisade wall must be repaired. What else must we do to prepare for attack?”
Fornay regarded her skeptically and said, “We will need archers to man the walls. Are there any among your people who have the skill?”
“Of course. Many of the villagers and sokemen hunt game with bow and arrow.”
The Norman’s mouth twitched. “Can these men be relied upon to follow the orders of a Norman?”
Edeva squared her shoulders. “If I asked them to help defend the palisade, they would do so.”
Fornay scrutinized her again. Then his tone became matter-of-fact. “We will need a good supply of arrows for the archers. Set your people to making them. We have food and water aplenty and should be able to endure a long siege. The chief worry is of fire. We must have vats and buckets of water ready. Also rags and raw wool to wet down and smother the flames.”
“In this weather, water left out will freeze.”
Fornay nodded. “We’ll have to store it somewhere, mayhaps in the blacksmith shop and the hall, wherever there is a hearth to keep it from freezing.”
The Conqueror (Hot Knights) Page 28