Fatal Truths (The Anarchy Medieval Romance) (3 page)

Pausing in his chewing,
Romain took a long swig of wine. “It’s risky. Now Stephen is King, he has the power to confiscate Norman estates with connections to English families. He might decide Montbryce Castle is such a prize.”

Alex
’s emotions were mixed. He wanted Romain to take an interest in the affairs of their extensive holdings, but resented his brother second guessing him. “That’s not likely. Gallien is one of his strongest supporters. I doubt he would want to alienate the English Montbryces.”

“But you have to admit that division
on this issue is a source of great concern.”

Alex bristled. “As
Comte
, I have the right as titular head of the family to demand that all Montbryces follow my lead. Unity is what has helped the family survive and prosper for generations. It’s a daunting possibility that we might find ourselves fighting against our cousins if Maud invades England.”

Romain snickered.
“Might as well forget ordering Gallien to comply. He’s tried many times to convince you to switch allegiance to Stephen, and is no doubt haranguing our brother Laurent on the matter at this very moment.”

Alex objected. “
Gallien’s father took the oath.”

Romain made a dismissive motion with his hand. “B
ut most in England claim they swore allegiance to Maud under duress from Henry. Our own father was resentful of being coerced into swearing. The English barons don’t believe a woman should be queen in her own right. Many here in Normandie agree, including me.”

Alex
drummed his fingers on the table, tired of the never-ending quandary of the succession. He glanced again at the Scottish woman. She was licking chicken grease off her fingers. His mouth fell open. His lungs refused to fill with air. He was filled with an insane desire to hurry to her side and suck her fingers into his mouth.

He decided to
send Bonhomme to the nursemaid to enquire of the children.

Romain
coughed loudly, jolting him from his reverie. What had they been talking about? “You share Gallien’s opinions, then?”

Romain belched
, then thumped his chest with his fist. “He claims Stephen is a better man for the job.”

He
laughed out loud, slapping Alex on the back. “Hah! Do you appreciate the humor in what I just said?”

Ignoring his brother,
Alex beckoned Bonhomme. “Ask the Scottish woman what has become of the children.”

Romain pouted. “You’re not listening.
Maud is a woman. I made a jest when I said—”

Alex
clenched his jaw, his eyes on the nursemaid. Elayne was her name. “I heard what you said. Gallien is probably right. Stephen is a more—”

He paused, distracted by the irritated glare Elayne shot at him from across the
Hall. She said something in reply to Bonhomme. He wondered if the blush spread to her breasts.

Merde
! The woman was getting under his skin. He turned to see Romain grinning at him. “What?”

“You’re taken with the
Scot.”

Alex
sat up straight, pulling at the cuffs of his doublet. “I am merely wondering what has become of her charges.”

Romain came to his feet, his
face a mask of amused disbelief. He threw his napkin into Alex’s lap. “You’re sweating, brother. You’ve been too long without a mistress.”

~~~

ELAYNE’S SPINE STIFFENED when she noticed the
Comte
summon his Steward. She suspected she was to be reprimanded for leaving the children, but reminded herself to hold on to her temper. A servant would accept a rebuke with humility. She must not betray her noble upbringing.

Bonhomme smiled. “
Milord Comte
enquires as to the children.”

Elayne gritted her teeth, feeling the heat of the flush that ran rampant across every inch of her skin. She tried unsuccessfully not to glare at the arrogant Alexandre de Montbryce. As if she would neglect her own children. “They are sleeping. I left them
with Micheline for just a few moments. I haven’t eaten all day.”

The Steward nodded. “I will convey the good news
that they have fallen asleep, which indicates they must feel safe in their chamber. The
Comte
has no children. He isn’t used to infants in the castle, except when his nieces and nephews visit.” He arched his brows. “He avoids them as much as he can.”

His words dismayed her for some reason she couldn’t fathom. “Does he not like children?”

Bonhomme shook his head. “It’s more an avoidance of his older sisters, Marguerite and Catherine. They tend to be overbearing. All three brothers keep out of their way.”

She glanced at the head table, noticing for the first time the empty chair next to Romain. “Three?”

“
Milord
Laurent is away at the moment, a guest of Gallien de Montbryce, the Earl of Ellesmere, a cousin in England.”

She surmised Laurent must be
the baby brother, younger than Romain who seemed to be the second in command.

The air in the crowded Hall had become stiflingly hot, and she
was perspiring under the brooding gaze of the
Comte
and the weight of the too-warm
playd
.

She came to her feet. “I must return to my charges. I thank you for your kindness, Steward Bonhomme.”

He looked at her curiously. Had she spoken with too much condescension?

“
De rien
. It’s nothing. Let me know if there is anything you or the children need.”

She
nodded her acknowledgement, bowed to the
Comte
, her eyes downcast, and left the Hall, Alexandre de Montbryce’s gaze burning into her back.

“
DADAIDH
!”

Claricia’s scream jolted Elayne from
a fitful sleep. She threw off the linens and leapt out of bed, heart pounding when she couldn’t get her bearings in the unfamiliar chamber. Henry licked his lips and turned over.

The first grey streaks of dawn were stealing in from the narrow window.
She stared hard. Claricia stood in the centre of the chamber, crying for her Papa. She scooped her up, cradling her tightly. “Hush, hush, little one.
Maman’s
here.”

“But I want
Dadaidh
,” the child wailed.

A cold hand gripped
her heart. Her brutish husband had never paid his daughter any mind, yet she lavished love on him. How to reveal the gory truth of her dear
Dadaidh’s
death?

“
Dadaidh
is far away. But he’s thinking of us.”

Claricia’s sob caught in her throat
as she pressed her head to her mother’s shoulder. “But he didn’t come to say farewell.”

Dugald
hadn’t bid any of his family fare-thee-well the day he’d left on an ill-fated raid into the borderlands of Northumbria, against the wishes of his royal father.

The
few misbegotten followers who’d accompanied him were too weakened by their own wounds to carry his body home.

Elayne had wept, not for
her husband, but for his children. Better a negligent father than no father at all. Belligerent towards his wife, he’d never raised a hand to his son and daughter.

The dire tidings had been kept from
Henry and Claricia. They were told only that their Papa had gone on a long journey to the Crusades.

Gently kissing
the top of her daughter’s head, she crooned the familiar words that never failed to calm the child.

Gu
robh neart na cruinne leat, 'S neart na grèine

'S
neart an tairbh dhuibh, 'S àirde leumas.

Claricia giggled predictably. “How can I jump as high as a black bull? I’m a girl, silly
Maman
.”

“It’s just a dandling, Claricia,”
Henry said, yawning. “It’s an old wish that you’ll be strong.”

Elayne smiled, thanking the saints
Henry was bright and perceptive, unlike his father. If they survived this exile, his grandfather might recognize his worth and assure him a place at Court.

Whether she liked it or not, she was dependent on the goodwill of Alexandre de Montbryce. So far they had been treated well
in this castle. She must do nothing to jeopardize that. If the man wanted to stare, let him stare.

Someone tapped lightly on the door and Micheline entered. She tousled Claricia’s hair.
“
Bonjour
!
Milord Comte
requests you bring the children to his solar within the hour, after you’ve broken your fast in the Great Hall.”

Elayne inhaled deeply as Micheline
set about finding clothes for the children.

Now it begins
.

~~~

THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT, but nervousness over the coming interview closed Elayne’s throat. She’d lost control of the insistent tapping of her foot. The succulent smoked ham and black bread tasted like sawdust, but she forced herself to eat so the children would tuck in.

Henry
and Claricia ate with relish. One or two of the servants who had eyed her curiously the night before bade them
bonjour
, pinching Claricia’s cheeks. Henry ducked away when they tried to do the same to him, but his blushing grin revealed he liked the attention.

Micheline came to escort them to the
Comte’s
solar. Elayne wiped the crumbs from her children’s faces, straightened their clothing, gulped down her tumbler of watered ale and set off for the dreaded interview.

By the time they reached their destination, after
zigzagging through a maze of confusing corridors, her head was swimming. She had drained the ale too quickly. Little burps kept rising in her throat. It was a beverage she wasn’t used to. Claricia was whining to be picked up and carried. Micheline paused, tapping on the door.

Elayne squatted next to Claricia and took her hand, looking her in the eye.
“Courage. You will walk into the
Comte’s
solar like the royal princess you are. Do you understand?”

Claricia looked down at her feet. “Yes,
maman
,” she whispered.

Elayne squeezed her hand.

“Yes, Elayne,” the child murmured.

“What a lovely language you speak,” Micheline said. “Some words sound the same as ours. I thought she said
maman
.”

Elayne straightened,
too quickly she realized as the walls around her tilted. She smoothed her skirts and adjusted the
playd
. “
Oui
, the Gaelic for nursemaid is
mama.”

She winked at both children and they smiled conspiratorially in response.

Micheline opened the door and they entered.
Comte
Alexandre stood in front of a hearty fire, long, powerful legs braced, hands behind his back.

A jolt of arousal
spiraled up Elayne’s thighs, settling between her legs. She gasped. For all the times Dugald had bedded her, she’d never experienced the heat of desire that swept over her now. She had an urge to flee, but that was impossible.

The
Comte
frowned as he took a step towards her. “Are you unwell?”

He must not think she was ill.
He might order her removed from her position as the children’s nursemaid. “No,
milord Comte
, simply a little tired after the long journey.”

He came closer. “Did you not sleep well? I understood the children were comfortable in their chamber.”

She couldn’t think. He was too close, his blue eyes too piercing. “Babes sleep well when they know someone who loves them is nearby.”

“And you love them, these grandchildren of King David?”

“As if they were my own,” she said, the words sticking in her throat. She hoped she wasn’t revealing too much of her emotions.

He looked at her curiously. “Commendable.
You’ve no children of your own?”

Her heart lurched. “No,
milord
Comte
. I’m a widow.”

Better not to deviate too far from the truth.

He paced in front of the fire, his hands still clasped behind his back. “Your command of my language is noteworthy, for a servant.”

Had she
jeopardized their ploy with her cleverness? “King Dabíd made sure I was educated in languages so I could teach the children, after their mother died.”

He stopped pacing. “Their mother is dead?”

So, he hadn’t known that the King’s daughter-by-marriage had died giving birth to his legitimate grandchildren. “Aye, in childbirth.”

“Then they are fortunate indeed to have you. I grew up with two loving parents, although my father and I—”

He stopped abruptly and resumed pacing, his shoulders rigid.

When he spoke again, his voice was sterner. “We need to speak of latitude.”

Her hackles rose. “Latitude?”

~~~

AGAIN, THIS SERVANT’S LACK OF DEFERENCE PERPLEXED ALEX, but his own reluctance to berate her confused him even more. Something about her intrigued him. She was beautiful in face and form. Her feisty nature fired his blood. Perhaps Romain’s suggestion he take her as his mistress was worth consideration.

But then he saw the
fear on Claricia’s face, and the open hostility in Henry’s eyes. It sobered him. These children were protective of their nursemaid. He didn’t want them to be afraid of him, though why he cared he didn’t understand.

However, they were hostages, delivered into his safekeeping. He tried to recall what he’d been about to say. “
You and the children are to have access to all the public areas of the castle.”

If he expected her to be grateful for this generous gesture, he was mistaken. He suspected her anger would only grow with what he had to say next.

“I intend the children be given a tutor. Their education will not suffer while they are guests in my home.”

Her face flamed red. “But
milord
, I—”

He held up his hand. “
You are their nursemaid. The grandchildren of a king should have a learned tutor. I doubt you speak Latin. I have already spoken with our priest.”

She opened her mouth to
reply, then seemed to think better of it, but the glare she shot him through narrowed eyes left no doubt of her growing fury.

His body warmed. The fire in those green eyes—

He cleared his throat. “Henry will be outfitted with the equipment necessary for him to be schooled in the arts of war, and will be expected to train with the knights and men-at-arms.”

Both children had moved closer to Elayne, like baby birds seeking the protection of their mother’s wings.
Was he so intimidating?

“He’s but a child,” she rasped indignantly.

Alex soldiered on. “It’s never too early for a man to learn to defend his lands. Claricia will be taught the things young ladies need to learn in order to become—”

He lost his train of thought momentarily as Elayne t
hrust out a defiant chin.

“—
er, young ladies.”

“And what exactly are my duties to be?” she challenged.

“We’ll get to that when I’m finished,” he scolded, sounding to his own ears like a petulant child. “At meals in the Great Hall, the children will sit at the head table, with me and my brothers.”

Elayne tapped her foot impatiently, scowling at him. What was wrong with
the woman? Did she expect to be given complete control of royal children? Surely she didn’t think herself worthy of a place on the dais?

“Your responsibilities will include dressing and grooming the prince and princess.
”

Dieu
! He was talking as if they were horses. How did one broach the subject of bathing with a pouting female servant? Eyes narrowed, she looked ready to erupt like a seething volcano, but when she opened her mouth, a loud belch emerged.

Alex
laughed in surprise. Her face reddened further, and he half expected a stream of invective, but then Henry and Claricia laughed too. Her shocked expression was quickly replaced by a broad smile that ignited a fire in Alex’s
couilles
.

A vision of his mother’s laughing face appeared behind his eyes. Dorianne de Montbryce had loved her children dearly; her laughter had been part of his everyday life as a child.
He missed her keenly. He couldn’t recall a time he’d shared laughter with his father. A longing to embrace this smiling woman and these giggling children, and laugh with them until they all fell to the floor in hysterics shook him to his core.

~~~

ELAYNE WAS MORTIFIED, her emotions mixed. Her unseemly behavior could only have convinced Alexandre de Montbryce that she was indeed an uncouth serving woman. But she’d been raised a lady, and ladies did not belch at gentlemen. Curses on the ale. She would have to be more careful in future.

Henry
had collapsed on the floor of the solar, apparently unable to stop giggling. Predictably Claricia had followed suit, although Elayne doubted she fully understood what was amusing.

It lightened her heart to see them happy.

Even the
Comte
had laughed, his face transformed into a thing of beauty that sent liquid heat pooling between her legs. She’d finally been able to babble an apology and been excused by the still smiling Norman.

All she could recall was that he’d said something about toys as she was
dragging the children out of his solar.

It penetrated her addled brain that Micheline was leading them away from their chamber. “Where are we going?” she asked.

The maid smiled brightly. “To the nursery. The
Comte
wants you to select toys.”

Elayne startled at the sound of a deep masculine voice behind her. “There are
things there I played with as a child.”

She didn’t know what to say in response. Surely the
Comte
didn’t intend to take on the lowly task of finding playthings for her children?