It was utterly erotic, on a higher level than they had ever dared broach. One hand slid down Madelayne’s torso to her round buttocks as she straddled him, and he cupped one cheek in a huge palm. The other hand held the breast in his mouth, pulling and kneading as he suckled. All thoughts of Nicholas flew from his mind. Madelayne belonged to him now and he had never felt more contentment.
Madelayne stroked his blonde hair, kissing his forehead gently as he moved from one breast to the other. She was trembling with an excitement she had never allowed herself to feel, giving in to the pull between them. Kaspian’s hand moved from her buttocks, snaking underneath her gown and stroking her silky thigh. He never moved high enough to touch her woman’s center, yet his exploration of her was apparent. Madelayne enjoyed every stroke, every caress.
Although he tried to make it last, she was soon dry on both breasts. Knowing that his prolonged suckling tended to make her sore and chaffed, he reluctantly removed himself from her nipples and gently dried them off with a corner of the bed linen. Madelayne watched him, his delicate movements, seeing a whole new side to Kaspian St. Hèver that she had never before realized. He was taking on a new dimension before her very eyes. Kaspian glanced up, noticed she was staring at him, and choked off a laugh.
“You were saying something, dearest?”
She wasn’t sure where his sudden joviality came from. “I haven’t said a word.”
He shifted, turning so that she was cradled beside him on the bed. His powerful arms went around her, truly holding her for the first time in an intimate embrace. “Aye, you did, several minutes ago. Something about not killing Nicholas. You seem to have convinced me not to do it.”
She smiled, relishing his heat, the strength of his body against her. “Have I some power over you, do you suggest?”
“You have something, that is clear. To cause me to forget my anger is no easy feat.”
Her smile faded. “I was not attempting to manipulate you. I am only concerned for your welfare.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to say to him?”
“I’m not sure yet. But it will come to me.”
Madelayne lingered on that a moment. The sun was dimming through the lancet window, reminding her that she had a meal to oversee. She sighed, not wanting to leave him, not wanting to spoil the moment.
“I should go to the kitchen and supervise the evening meal,” she said. “What will you do now?”
She was gazing up at him and he stroked an errant hair from her cheek. He found himself running a finger over her soft skin, admiring the shape of her face. “Christ, you are a lovely creature. I always knew that, but I suppose I never let myself explore just how beautiful you truly were.”
Pink touched her cheeks. “Why not?”
“Because you were married to Cairn, of course.”
She propped herself up on an elbow. Impulsively, she kissed his nose and giggled, and he pulled her back down to him and kissed her deeply. With each successive kiss, they were coming to crave each other more and more, like an insatiable hunger that only mounted with each bite.
Kaspian finally pulled away with a groan. He was engorged and uncomfortable. “Go downstairs, then. If you stay here any longer I am afraid of what I might do to you.”
She smirked but dutifully rose from the bed. She felt flustered, lightheaded and wonderful. “You cannot do anything to me until we are married.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I was fondling your breasts not five minutes ago. According to the church, we should not even be doing that.”
She matched his raised eyebrow. “Then I suppose, according to the church, I should not have nursed you when you were wounded. It could be considered a sin.”
“Not true. You were saving a dying man.”
She held up a finger. “Ah, but you touched me during those times in a manner that was not consistent with healing of any kind.”
“I did not.”
“Aye, you did. Or did I imagine those caresses and kisses?”
“You did.”
She yelped in outrage, although it was good natured. Before she could reach the door, however, Kaspian was up, blocking her path. When they gazed at each other, eyes smoldering, there were smiles on their lips.
“Why did you stop me?” she demanded softly. “I was about to throw another temper tantrum.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I will save you the trouble. You did not, in fact, imagine my kisses or caresses. They were meant that you should notice them.”
“Truthfully, I wasn’t sure.”
He leaned down and kissed her, very tenderly, on the lips. Lifting the latch, he opened the door for her. “From now on I shall be more obvious.”
*
Smoke lay against the ceiling of the great hall like a ghostly bank of clouds. The fire spit as much haze into the room as up the chimney, the sharp smell mingling with those of roast mutton and dogs and sweat. The knights and several senior soldiers lingered around the long scrubbed table, while the rest of the room was cluttered with lesser fighting men enjoying their meal.
Madelayne, not one to sit and leisurely enjoy the meal while there was work to be done, poured wine for Kaspian and Nicholas, making sure to stay between them in case something should erupt. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Kaspian; she didn’t trust Nicholas not to bring up the events in the yard that afternoon and provoke Kaspian beyond reason. And then she could not stop the consequences.
Kaspian, however, had barely acknowledged Nicholas in any manner, his mood growing darker as Nicholas seemed to pay an overly generous amount of attention to Madelayne. But the knight was sly; he hadn’t said more than a word or two to her, but his looks had positively sizzled. She ignored him soundly, much to Kaspian’s approval, but Nicholas was persistent. If he could make eye contact with her, he would, but he stopped short of touching her in any fashion. Even for him, that would have been an overt, dangerous maneuver.
It was a cool, hazardous game being played. But there was something else Kaspian had noticed throughout the course of the meal, and that was the way Lady Mavia was staring at Nicholas, as if she were admiring something lustful and marvelous. He didn’t give it much thought, however, being more concerned with how Nicholas was dealing with Madelayne.
But Thomas noticed. After what Ewan had told him last night and after his confrontation with Mavia about the rumor of her being kissed by Nicholas, he made it his particular mission to watch the interaction between Nicholas and his wife on this night. The more he watched, the more he could see that the rumor of their intimate encounter was not a rumor at all. Mavia was looking at Nicholas with such adoration that it was enough to make Thomas’ blood boil. He remembered seeing that look in her eyes long ago when they were first married and it was admiration in its purest form. Now she had that same look towards Nicholas. What had once been Thomas’ disinterest towards de Dalyn was now turning into something else.
Humiliation. Thomas had been most supportive of Nicholas’ arrival at Lavister, but that was apparently no longer. Not when his wife gazed so dreamily at the man and it was rumored that Nicholas had taken advantage of her. Drink filled Thomas’ veins and the sting of dishonor stirred within him. He wondered what kind of a man would so brazenly molest the wife of another man without care to consequences. When Mavia laughed at something witty Nicholas said, the hammer finally came down.
Thomas’ big fists slammed against the table. He was on his feet, glaring at Nicholas with seething fury.
“I’ve had enough of you,” he growled. “Your pretty words, your fine manners. You are like a serpent, attempting to seduce every woman at Lavister. You are here to fight, de Dalyn, not to rut like a bull!”
Nicholas was very cool, gazing at Thomas as if surprised by his statement. “Thomas,” he said. “What have I done? I would apologize immediately for….”
Thomas cut him off, drunk and angry. “You cannot possibly apologize for your seduction of my wife,
or for the blatant disrespect to Lady Madelayne. I’ve always heard you to be manipulative, but never against those who supported you. Never against men you fight with.”
Nicholas stood up, his blue eyes glittering. “I do not know what you mean.”
Thomas snorted. “Certainly you do. It goes on right here, right before my eyes. Everyone can see you for the snake you are.”
For a second night in a row, the ambiance of the room darkened. Wide eyed, Madelayne moved close to Kaspian, afraid that swords were going to be drawn at any moment. Kaspian, watching the confrontation carefully, felt her bump in to him and looked up, noting her fearful expression. Gently, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her aside, well out of the range of any swords should violence break out.
“Nicholas, Thomas,” he said in a low tone. “You are frightening the women. Sit down, the both of you, and let no more be said. Deal with your differences at another time. I would enjoy my meal in peace.”
Thomas looked at him. “Is that all you have to say for the grievous insult he dealt Lady Madelayne this afternoon?”
The attention was back on Kaspian. Thomas had voiced what everyone was thinking but were too fearful to express. Thanks to Mavia, the entire castle knew what had happened to varying degrees. Some tales actually had Nicholas ravaging Madelayne. Everyone waited with baited breath as Thomas’ question sank deep, but Kaspian, true to form, remained inherently calm.
“Nicholas knows what he did was inappropriate at the very least,” he finally said. “But I believe Lady Madelayne dealt with him appropriately. I trust nothing like that will ever happen again, lest he be forced then to answer to me.”
Nicholas lifted an eyebrow. “What, pray, did I do?”
Kaspian looked at him, unable to keep the expression of disbelief off his face. He was having difficulty understanding why the man would deny it. “Is it truly necessary for me to explain, considering it was and continues to be a private matter?” he asked.
Nicholas continued to appear innocent. “I did nothing more than ask that a bathtub be brought to my room.”
Kaspian was left with no choice. “You asked that Lady Madelayne bathe you.”
A collective gasp could be heard in the crowd, but Nicholas simply shook his head. “I did nothing of the kind, Kaspian. She never let me finish my sentence before she was flying into a rage.”
Madelayne was shocked at his outright fabrication. She couldn’t help but jump into the conversation. “You stated, sir, quite plainly, that since I was so good at washing things, would I be so kind as to wash you.”
“I never asked you to wash me.”
“You did!”
“Did you hear those exact words come out of my mouth?”
She opened her mouth, but stopped a moment to think; no, she hadn’t heard him say that exactly. But that was what he was going to say, wasn’t it? “You… well, you certainly intimated it. Your words were most leading. What else was I to think?”
Nicholas smiled, a gesture that thoroughly enraged her. “What I was going to ask is if you could recommend someone to help me, since you yourself were so good at washing things. I thought you would be the correct person to ask. But you never let me finish. Before I knew it, I was sitting in a tub of wash.”
He was right. She hadn’t let him finish. She was so sure of what he was going to say that she had reacted prematurely. Aghast, she looked at Kaspian, a thousand silent apologies filling her eyes, but he wasn’t listening. He knew Nicholas far too well and the man was a master at manipulating the truth.
“Be that as it may, I would prefer that any such requests for Lady Madelayne come through me directly,” he said. “Is this in any way unclear, Nicholas?”
Nicholas shook his head, very unruffled, very much unoffended by the entire conversation. “Of course, my lord. I apologize for any misunderstanding I might have caused.” He looked at Madelayne. “And to you, my lady, I apologize. I understand now why you saw fit to manhandle me.”
He was far too collected, making Madelayne look like a fool. But she knew without a doubt that the tone of their conversation in the yard had been suggestive and leading. It couldn’t have been as innocent as he said; she simply wasn’t that naïve. Now that the entire castle thought she was causing trouble between Kaspian and Nicholas with her assumptions, she was embarrassed and turned away without acknowledging his apology.
She should have stayed in the great hall to show that she wasn’t the least bit concerned about public opinion, but she couldn’t. Slipping out through a small door that led into the kitchens outside, she needed a moment to clear her head.
She could see, ominously, that Sir Nicholas De Dalyn had the potential for a great deal of trouble.
CHAPTER TEN
Madelayne made her way out into the ward where the soldiers were clustered around a scattering of bonfires that littered the yard. The sky above was black as pitch, littered with stars that gleamed brightly. It wasn’t particularly cold this night, surprisingly, and she was comfortable in her light woolen gown. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, taking her to the wall as she distractedly pondered Nicholas.
She also found herself thinking of Cairn and how her life had changed since his death. Mounting the narrow spiral stairs that led to the battlements of the eastern wall, she realized her heart still ached somewhat from missing her husband but she wasn’t regretful of the direction her life had taken. She was very lucky that Kaspian had decided to marry her. She felt as if she were embarking on an entirely new life.
The stars were brighter upon the wall where the wind blew softly and the trees in the distance rattled their dead leaves. She leaned against the stones, gazing at the countryside below, her thoughts turning from Cairn to Nicholas once again. Perhaps she should apologize for acting so abruptly, but she would not apologize for misunderstanding him. She knew she hadn’t, no matter how logical he made it all sound. And she, too, had noticed how Mavia had stared at him all evening and she was at a loss to understand why.
The world was growing more complicated by the moment.
“It’s a beautiful evening,” came a soft voice.
Madelayne started, whirling to Kaspian as he stood behind her. She patted her chest to calm her racing heart. “You startled me.”
He smiled and moved up beside her, leaning on the wall as she had been. “This was Cairn’s favorite spot. The man could stand here for hours, gazing out into the distance as if he could see things none of us could. How did you know to come here?”
“I didn’t. It’s simply a beautiful view.”
“Cairn thought it was the best view in all of Lavister.”
Madelayne studied his strong features in the moonlight. “You miss him.”
“Of course I do. He was my friend and a fine knight. Were he alive, de Dalyn would not be here and things would be considerably calmer.”
“But you and I would not be betrothed.”
“True enough,” he said. “But I cannot be glad for a man’s death, no matter how badly I want his wife.”
She shrugged, attempting levity. “You could have fought him for me, you know.”
“As a chivalrous knight, I would do no such thing.”
“I suppose I’m not worth it, then.”
“You are worth that and more. But honor is important and must be placed in each situation accordingly. ’Twould not have been honorable to battle my friend for your favor.”
“I would have thought less of you if you had.”
He looked at her and they smiled at one another. “I am pleased to hear you say that,” he said. “You are also, as I knew, a woman of honor.”
She leaned back against the wall, brushing against his massive arm and feeling bolts of excitement race through her. The sounds of the night were all around them, soothing the anxiety left by the dinner conversation. But Madelayne felt the need to clear the air.
“I am sorry about Nicholas,” she finally said. “Although it is true and he never actuall
y spoke the words, I swear to you that the conversation was leading to what I believed would be an inappropriate suggestion. I never meant to make assumptions about it or lie.”
“I know,” he said. “Nicholas is very clever. I have no doubt that he was about to say exactly what you thought. Do not ever think for one moment that I doubted you.”
“I just did not want you to think….”
“I did not.”
She smiled. Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Her lips were an invitation. Unable to control himself, he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. She was terribly sweet and soft, and he forgot that they were in a public place for all to see. Pulling away, he helped her stand upright for a moment, for her wits seemed to have left her. She giggled uncontrollably, struggling with her balance, and he was compelled to laugh with her. He was coming to enjoy her tremendously in more ways than just one.
He had no intention of leaving the wall at this moment, a private place to spend time with her. But a glint on the dark horizon caught his eye and his warrior’s instincts took over. He tracked the glint until it came into focus, a single rider on a horse that was riding for hell. Concern filled him.
Kaspian bellowed to the sentries, who also began to track the figure and called for the men below to open the gates. The rider began the long trek up the hill leading for Lavister and Kaspian took hold of Madelayne, helping her down from the wall. He intended to meet the rider, but he had no intention of letting her out of his sight in a ward full of soldiers and, undoubtedly, Nicholas when he was summoned.
He did not hold her hand or any other part of her while they stood in the ward, but he made sure she was within arm’s reach. The steed and rider came pounding through the open gates, kicking up clumps of earth. The horse was exhausted to the point of collapse. Several soldiers reached up to halt the frothing animal and the rider slid from the saddle, struggling to stand before Kaspian.
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