The Agents of William Marshal Volume II: A Medieval Romance Bundle

by Kathryn Le Veque

  He could feel her fear. It radiated from her like heat radiated from a fire. Unrestrained, consuming. Caius had never considered himself an empathetic man. Understanding, aye, but not empathetic. But with Emelisse, he was sensing things.

  Feeling them.

  That neutrality he was trying so hard to maintain was tipping.

  As he lay there with her trapped in his embrace, the door to the chamber opened and he heard a gasp. Craning his head over his shoulder, he could see Lady de Wrenville and Hallam standing there, looking horrified. Hallam actually moved in his direction, perhaps thinking they’d come upon Caius molesting the lady, but Caius stopped him.

  “I have not attacked the lady,” he said evenly. “I told her of the coming arrival of Marius and she tried to throw herself from the window. What I am doing, I am doing to save her life.”

  Hallam’s eyes widened and Lady de Wrenville gasped again. In fact, she came around the twist of limbs and bodies on the floor so she could look at Emelisse from the front. She crouched down, her silk skirts billowing.

  “My lady?” she asked, greatly concerned. “Is this true?”

  Emelisse was weeping, her eyes closed and her head laying awkwardly on the floor. But her eyes opened to Lady de Wrenville’s question.

  “Tell him to release me,” she grunted. “He has no right to prevent me from doing what I want to do. I will not marry your bastard stepson, Lady de Wrenville, and you cannot force me. None of you can force to do anything I do not wish to do.”

  Lady de Wrenville’s expression washed with sorrow as she realized the desperation of the woman. “I am sorry, my lady,” she said. “I will speak to my husband. Surely there is another alternative.”

  Emelisse’s head came up. “Tell him to send me home,” she begged, her lower lip trembling. “I want to go home. I want to take my father home and bury him next to my mother. Your husband did that, my lady – he killed my father and now he wants to kill me by marrying me to his son. He wants to kill my entire family and we have never done him any harm. Please… help me.”

  Lady de Wrenville closed her eyes tightly, with great remorse, and put her hand on Emelisse’s head in a gesture of comfort, of apology, of understanding. There were a great many things rolling through Lady de Wrenville’s expression, not the least of which was the fact that two months into a hellish marriage, she found herself in a dismal situation. She hadn’t started it, but she was part of it nonetheless.

  “I will do what I can,” she whispered. “But you must promise me that you will not try to jump from the window again or I will have Sir Caius restrain you until this urge leaves you. Promise me, my lady. Please.”

  Emelisse closed her eyes in response, the tears returning in a silent river that trickled down her temples, her face, and onto the floor. Realizing she wasn’t going to receive an answer, Lady de Wrenville watched Emelisse with great sorrow before turning her attention to Caius.

  “I have brought food and drink,” she said softly. “Mayhap you can get her off the floor in time and see that she eats. It might make her feel better.”

  Caius silently acknowledged her as the woman stood up, wearily, and made her way to the door. As Caius listened, he could hear her speaking with Hallam.

  “Where is my husband?” she asked.

  “In the hall, my lady,” Hallam replied. He hesitated before continuing. “It would be better to wait to speak with him. In fact, you should let me speak with him. He will be angry at you for interfering.”

  “Dear Hallam,” Lady de Wrenville said quietly. “Thank you for your offer, but it is my army he wishes to use in this dastardly deed to destroy this woman’s home. I will speak with him.”

  Caius didn’t hear anything more after that except footsteps as Lady de Wrenville left the chamber. He knew Hallam was still there and he called the man over.

  “You had better go with her,” he said. “De Wrenville is drunk and there is no telling how he will react if she truly intends to speak with him about his plans for Lady Emelisse. He was belligerent with Wolverhampton about it, so I cannot imagine his wife will fare any better. Mayhap it would be better if she does not involve herself.”

  Caius couldn’t see Hallam looking at the half-open door with a longing expression. He knew Caius was correct. Lady de Wrenville had no business involving herself in Covington’s business. Her intentions were good, but Covington would see it as gross interference.

  An unforgiveable sin.

  He needed to stop her.

  Leaving the cat fight in Lady Emelisse’s chamber, Hallam quickly followed Lady de Wrenville’s path in an effort to avoid a disaster.

  Hers.

  “My lady,” came the hiss. “Alice!”

  Alice was about to head from the keep, out into the snow, and make her way to the great hall where her husband was making a jackass out of himself in front of Wolverhampton and the other guests. She was bundled from head to toe in furs and a cloak to protect against the raging storm, barely able to turn around when she heard her name called.

  It was Hallam.

  She paused, waiting for the man as he came up behind her.

  “How is Lady Emelisse?” she asked. “Nothing more has happened, has it?”

  Hallam shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “Caius has the situation under control for the most part. That is not why I have come. Alice, you must not speak with Covington about this. He would not react well and I do not want you to be the object of his anger. He would see it as you involving yourself in something that is none of your affair.”

  Alice appeared to ponder that seriously. “I realize that,” she said. Then, she pointed to the stairs. “But that lady he has imprisoned should not be here at all. It is cruel and inhumane. And he intends to marry her to Marius? The man is a beast, Hallam. It is not right.”

  Hallam nodded patiently, daring to put both hands on her arms to still her rising angst. “I know,” he said. “And I agree with you. But you must not involve yourself in this. It is better when he is ignoring you. You do not want him to focus his ire on you, Alice, truly. You know how he can be.”

  His hands on her was her undoing. Alice softened, smiling at the man as he looked at her with concern. “I know you are trying to protect me, my darling,” she said softly. “But I feel strongly about this.”

  Hallam almost said something, but he looked around as if fearful they would be heard. “Come,” he said, taking her by the hand. “Let us speak someplace more private.”

  Alice gladly followed him into Covington’s elaborate solar. Since her husband was in the hall with guests, there was no chance of him coming in, but just in case, Hallam bolted the door. When he turned around, he saw that Alice was standing in front of the hearth, already having removed her furs and heavy cloak. She was clad only in her woolen dress, facing him expectantly. He paused a moment, taking time to simply enjoy the view.

  For him, she took his breath away.

  “I know you feel strongly about the treatment of Lady Emelisse,” Hallam said as he approached her. “But this is something that has been brewing long before you arrived. It would be best for you if you stay out of it.”

  Her smile faded. “Covington made me part of this when he married me for my uncle’s army,” she said. “I have a stake in this as much as anyone else.”

  She had a point, but Hallam shook his head. He again put his hands on her upper arms, caressing her through the fabric. “Listen to me,” he said softly. “Alice, you can do nothing about this. You must leave it to me and to Wolverhampton and his men. They will be the only ones who can convince Covington. He will never agree to anything you say because it will make him look weak, acquiescing to the demands of a woman. Surely you know that about him by now.”

  For the first time, Alice seemed less determined. She sighed heavily. “He is an arrogant beast,” she murmured. “That is what I know about him. And what I know about you is enough to make my heart sing. Would that you could have been my husband and not him. You are
my heart, sweet Hallam. I could never love anyone else but you.”

  Hallam smiled faintly, a sad and remorseful gesture. “I knew the moment I first went to Dudley Castle with the marriage offer that I was in trouble. You smiled at me and I nearly forgot myself.”

  Her smile returned. “You should have lied to me and told me the marriage offer came from you.”

  He chuckled. “Had I been smarter or more devious, I would have,” he said. “Instead, I was truthful and now we find ourselves… here.”

  Alice’s hands came up, gently touching his face. Alice’s true beauty was in her warmth, her good character, something Hallam loved dearly. To him, she was beautiful. But being with her alone like this was dangerous and he knew it. It was extremely rare when they were alone together, mostly because he was afraid of what would happen if they were. He doubted Covington would have cared in the least if he discovered their feelings for one another, but Hallam didn’t want to put Alice in that position. She was a married woman and he didn’t want to jeopardize her reputation.

  She deserved better.

  “My darling,” she said as she looked into his eyes. “You are the man I have waited my entire life for. You will make some woman a very fine husband someday. I am just sorry that woman could not be me.”

  He knew he should pull away, but he couldn’t seem to force his feet to move. Her gaze was mesmerizing. He put his big hand over hers, turning his head so he could kiss the palm of her hand.

  “Do you think I could marry anyone else?” he said. “Nay, Alice, my heart belongs to you. It will always belong to you.”

  “Is that true?” she asked softly.

  He looked at her, nodding firmly. “I have never spoken those words to anyone but you. Do you doubt me?”

  She shook her head. “Never,” she said. “But I would not blame you if you married another. It is I trapped in a marriage with a man who has only touched me once and that was upon the eve of our wedding. Even then, he insisted the chamber was completely dark and called me by his dead wife’s name throughout the uncomfortable event. Did I ever tell you that?”

  Hallam grunted unhappily. “You did not,” he said, peering at her with an expression of pain. “He really did that?”

  “He did,” she said, smiling sadly. “How ironic that the consummation was with a man who pretended I was someone else when I, in fact, was pretending he was someone else. I pretended that he was you. Only I was wise enough not to call out your name.”

  Hallam simply hung his head at the very sad revelation. She’d never told him that before.

  “I do not know what you want me to say to that,” he murmured.

  “Say?” she repeated. “Say nothing. Put your arms around me and say nothing, Hallam. We may never have a moment like this again. Let me feel your arms around me. Give me something to live on for the rest of my life.”

  He didn’t think that was too much to ask, as painful as it was to hear. The truth was that he wanted to feel her in his arms, too. This gracious, warm-hearted woman he could never have. Without another word, he pulled her into his embrace and buried his face in her neck. She was warm and soft, smelling faintly of roses.

  In his arms, he could feel the gentle sobs wrack her body.

  But he also felt something else.

  There was an overwhelming need to kiss her, something he could not resist, and he pulled his face from her neck, his lips claiming hers, just for a moment. That was all it was ever intended to be. But Alice responded instantly, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him with all of the pent-up anguish and passion she felt for him. It was a moment they might never have again. But what began as something meant to be momentary grew into something more permanent.

  Hallam couldn’t pull away, not now.

  Instinct took over.

  They had utter, complete privacy in Covington’s lush solar. Ironic that the man’s wife would be kissing another man here, taking advantage of that privacy, but it was generous retribution for the weeks and months of hell Covington had put her through. It was sweet vengeance in a sense, but this was no petty action. This was a moment of deep and abiding emotion.

  Alice couldn’t stop, either.

  She wanted him, too.

  Covington may have claimed her virginity, but that didn’t matter. Her innocence had been something protected, something quickly lost to a careless man. But at this moment, Alice knew what it meant to be kissed by a man she loved, by a man who made her heart sing with joy. It was her right to know Hallam in the intimate sense. She’d loved him the moment she first saw him and she always would.

  Even as Hallam kissed her furiously, Alice’s hands moved to his tunic, moving to pull it over his head. When Hallam realized what she was doing, he hesitated, but only for a moment. When the woman’s warm hands snaked into his breeches and sought out his semi-flaccid manhood, he knew he was lost. He couldn’t deny her.

  He didn’t want to be denied, either.

  Hallam had to pull his tunic off in order to remove his mail coat. Due to the cold weather, there was a myriad of clothing on his body and Alice helped him yank them off, unwilling and unable to wait. He was wearing a woolen tunic underneath everything, but it stopped at his hips, so he was unconstrained when Alice unfastened his breeches and they fell to his knees.

  There was a powerful sense of urgency now, of a desire so fierce that they were overwhelmed with it. Hallam lifted Alice onto Covington’s big table, pulling her legs apart and wedging himself between them. She threw her skirts back and wrapped her legs around his waist, taking gentle hold of his already-rigid phallus and guiding it into her warm, slick womanhood. Rolling her hips forward, she was ready for his entry and he didn’t wait. Holding her tightly, Hallam impaled her upon his manhood.

  Alice gasped with the ecstasy of it, her arms going around him, her nails digging into his back. It was the first time she had ever joined with someone she loved with all of her heart. It fed her soul as she could have never imagined as Hallam held her tightly, thrusting into her willing body. This was their moment, something they would remember for the rest of their lives, come what may.

  It was everything she had ever hoped it would be.

  Hallam was a man possessed. He couldn’t get enough of her fast enough, repeatedly driving into her as she gasped with joy. Alice’s hands found his bare buttocks, squeezing them, and he found it wildly intoxicating. With a few more thrusts, he spilled himself deep into her heated, lush body, stifling her cries with his mouth as she found her own release. He could feel her throbbing around him.

  It was bliss.

  As their passion cooled, their kisses transformed from wild and passionate to soft and gentle. Hallam tasted her deeply, his hands roaming as he gently suckled on her mouth, moving under her garment, which had been loosened, and up her torso to her breasts. He fondled her nipples as their kisses trailed off. Alice tossed her head back, her eyes closed as Hallam toyed with her breasts tenderly. He knew that this would more than likely be the last encounter they would have, and he wanted to remember everything about it.

  About her.

  “Alice?” he murmured.

  She was groaning with pleasure as he caressed her. “Aye, my darling?”

  “Tell me you love me.”

  “I love you, for always.”

  “And I, you. For always.”

  To the snapping of the gentle fire in the hearth and the howl of the snowy winds outside, Hallam fondled her breasts until he finally lay her back on the table, on top of maps and papers Covington kept, and tossed her skirts up all the way, kissing her belly, finally suckling gently on her breasts.

  Alice let him. She let him go on and on, doing what he wished to her, as the night deepened. When he took her again, she didn’t protest. She was a willing participant. For the lonely nights she was forced to face, from now until the end of her life, she would keep the moment tucked away to bring her comfort. To remind her that she was loved and worthy of love.

  To
remind her that her love for Hallam was the most important thing in her life.

  Every moment they spent together was another moment when their tryst could be discovered, so there came a point when Hallam knew he had to leave. But it was with great sorrow. When they finally parted that night, Hallam off to find materials to help secure Lady Emelisse’s shutters and Alice off to her chamber, it was a parting of souls.

  Parting, yes. But never separated.

  From this night forward they were, and always would be, as one.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Hallam had been gone for some time, yet the situation in Emelisse’s chamber hadn’t changed.

  It was still the same, with Caius on the floor and a struggling woman in his embrace. He was glad that Hallam had gone after Lady de Wrenville as she went on her altruistic mission to intervene on behalf of Emelisse. Although Caius appreciated the lady’s great concern for her husband’s prisoner, it simply hadn’t been a wise move on her part.

  Hallam saw it that way, too.

  More and more, Caius was coming to trust the knight. The man was proving himself worthy, little by little. With Lady de Wrenville being tended to, Caius could focus on the wildcat in his arms, but as he did, he began to wonder where he seemed to have grown a heart. He wasn’t usually concerned for others that were not his immediate circle. He’d made a career out of keeping his emotions bridled. Therefore, he tried not to let his sudden burst of concern for people he didn’t know unsettle him, for in his line of work, emotions like that could have dire consequences.

  With his arms still around Emelisse, he sat up, taking her with him.

  “Come along,” he said, grunting with effort as he stood up and pulled her to her feet, all of this while keeping his arms around her, which was something of a feat. “Let us get off the cold floor and onto something more comfortable.”

  When he moved, it seemed to stir her out of her stupor and she began to struggle against him again.

  “Let me go,” she insisted.

  “I am not letting you go.”