Keeper of the Stone (31 page)

Bruce sent him an amused smile, then confided,  “I wouldn’t concern yourself overly much about Lady Sara’s discontent.  She seems to have decided not to waste this opportunity to find a replacement for you as her husband.  After all, where else is she going to find so many potential suitors gathered so conveniently under a single roof?”

“If what you say is true, perhaps I should make it known I’m willing to supplement her rather modest dowry as an added inducement to anyone willing to consider her merits as a wife.”

Bruce laughed at his wry comment and slapped him on the back in a gesture of male commiseration.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

When the king finally excused himself from his subjects, Nathan waited what he felt was a reasonable length of time before excusing himself as well.  When he entered his chambers he expected to find Rhiann asleep buried beneath a mountain of quilts as was her usual custom.  Then it would be his distinct pleasure to remove the quilts and share his body’s warmth with her.  He was therefore surprised to find her not in bed, but still clothed in the red gown, though stretched out before the fireplace, asleep with her head resting on one outstretched arm.  He immediately questioned her earlier assertion she was not unwell.  Why wasn’t she in bed?  Did someone say or do something to upset her?  He crossed the room in two quick strides and swept his sleeping wife into his arms and carried her to the bed. Heavy lids struggled to lift over sleepy emerald eyes.

“Nathan?”

“Yes, wife.” He replied, wondering why she felt the need to confirm his identity. “Why aren’t you in bed?  And why are you still wearing your gown?  If your maid was unavailable to help you undress you should have sent for another servant.”

Rhiann struggled to sit up on his lap.  Surprisingly the snug gown held its position across her breasts.  “No Nathan that wasn’t it. Lizzie would have come to me.  I asked her not to.”

“Why? Has she offended you in some way?”

“No of course not. Why would you think such a thing?”

She seemed insulted on her maid’s behalf.  “What am I supposed to think?  You are still in the gown you wore this evening.  You made a point of saying how anxious you were to remove it, and then I find you asleep not in my bed, but on the floor in front of the fireplace.”

“I was trying to wait up for you.”

“Why?”

Rhiann sighed and dropped her glance beneath the suspicious expression in her husband’s eyes.  His body was tensed too as if in anticipation of some assault.  This was going to be harder than she anticipated.  She wished now she remained standing in front of the window instead of succumbing to the warmth of the fire.  Her plan was not going at all the way she anticipated.

“Well, wife?”

This was so embarrassing.  “Never mind.  We can just go to sleep now.  Can you help me with the ties?” 

She quickly presented her back to her husband so he wouldn’t see the blush creeping up her cheeks and demand an explanation for it.  She felt her husband’s insistent grip on her shoulders turning her back to face him and knew she was just going to have to brazen through her embarrassment.  She lifted a hesitant glance to his probing expression.

“I waited up for you because I wanted to please you.” 

By Nathan’s confused reaction to her admission, she knew she was going to have to be a little more explicit.  “You seemed to like the dress.”

“Yes.”

Rhiann could see him trying to puzzle through her meaning. “Do whores really wear red?”

His lips twitched. “Sometimes.”

Nathan’s amusement was only making her plan harder to implement.  “I thought you might like it if I…I didn’t want you to go to one of…”  Rhiann couldn’t go on.  She gave up and stared at her hands in her lap.

Nathan lifted her chin back up with his hand.  She was afraid to meet his glance.  “I will never want another woman, Rhiann.”

Her anxious glance met his. “What if they were wearing a red dress?  What if they know how…” She couldn’t get the words out. He was regarding her with such a tender look on his face it took her breath away.  She finally confessed her dilemma.  “I don’t know how to please you, Nathan the way they would.”

“I certainly hope not.”

Her eyes flew to his.  “Truly?  You are not disappointed in me?”

He couldn’t help himself.  He gave voice to his laughter.  Sometimes his wife’s naïve conclusions were so outrageous he was unable to control himself even if it meant injuring her tender feelings. 

She was regarding him now with a doubtful look on her face.  He swallowed the rest of his laughter and pulled her back close against his chest.  She came to him willingly, sighing as she rested her head against his shoulder, her face pressed up against the bare skin of his neck.  The thought it might be Lady Sara in place of Rhiann struck him again and he shuddered at the thought.  Feeling the tremble pass through him Rhiann lifted her head. 

“Nathan?”

Confused green eyes the color of a summer forest stared into his.  He thought about teasing her for her foolishness, then remembering his wife’s inclination to take him a little too literally, decided against it. 

“No, Rhiann I am not disappointed in you.  How you could harbor such a ridiculous worry I have not the slightest notion.  And yes, wife, this concern of yours warrants the use of the term ridiculous.  Have I not been a most attentive husband?  Attentive enough at least to put that particular anxiety out of your thoughts?” 

He smiled at the blush heating his wife’s face at his bold question.  Nathan watched her eyes grow wide as he pushed her back against the sheets.  “Obviously I shall be forced to redouble my efforts.”

Dawn was peeking through the window by the time Rhiann snuggled closer in her husband’s arms and closed her eyes.  Sleep claimed her just moments before Nathan rose from the bed to start a new day.

Nathan was just finishing his morning meal when a message arrived from the king indicating he wished to speak with him privately.  Nathan set the last of his breakfast aside and followed the king’s guard to where William awaited him.  Nathan bowed as he entered the room, thinking the last time he was in this room was when William revealed his intent to award him a duke’s estates.

“You sent for me, sire?”

“Yes, Nathan, sit down.  I have a task for you.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Rumors have reached me regarding rebellion activity in the north; near your new estates in fact.  Since you now have a personal interest in securing the peace in the area, I thought you would prefer to take on this mission yourself.”

“Thank you, sire.”

“And you will no doubt want to check on the security of Heaven’s Crest at the same time.”

Nathan met the king’s glance, realizing the true reason for this summons and was grateful for it.  “Yes, sire.  We will leave within the hour.”

Nathan set off from the city with only the smallest regret for leaving Rhiann behind.  He could hardly take his wife into battle with him against the Saxon rebels, if indeed the rumors the king referred to were true and rebel activity awaited them in the area surrounding his new estates.  While there were still pockets of Saxon resistance, Nathan knew Archibald saw to Heaven’s Crest’s security on his visit there, and left a number of men to see to its defense.  Since they received no message from the commander he left in charge of needing more men, or a concern about an imminent attack, Nathan suspected William gave him this excuse to see his new estates.  Not that he would not diligently seek out any Saxon rebels and bring them to justice should the need arise during the course of his journey. 

He did not confide in his wife the nature of the task the king appointed him. It was heart-warming to see her real concern for him as he took his leave of her.  She was still sound asleep when he returned to their quarters after his meeting with the king.  He kept her up until the advent of morning making slow, sweet love to her and teaching her a thing or two about pleasing him in bed as she begged him to. As much as he was happy to be making this trip north, part of him was already missing his wife’s warm embrace.  He suspected the cold ground of early December when they made camp later would only increase his sense of loss over his wife’s absence.             
 

Rhiann tried to keep to her routine in her husband’s absence.  She went to Mass in the mornings, and then helped Father Bernard with the children.  After the first few evenings dining alone at the king’s table, with the king’s permission, she took her evening meals in her room.  She wished to avoid any more confrontations with Lady Regina and Lady Sara.  She regretted her outburst towards Lady Regina and could actually pity the other woman.  Besides she was tired and fell asleep almost immediately after dinner. She supposed her body was glad to be catching up on all the sleep she missed lately, but surely her heart was not.  It was cold in the big bed all by herself, no matter how many logs she fed the fire with.

She wondered if Nathan was all right. She wondered if he missed her.  It was a foolish wish.  Her husband was an important man on an errand for the king.  He would not waste his concentration on her. It was with a feeling of guilty relief she received the news that Nathan’s family left the city soon after her husband.  She assumed they would remain for the coronation.  Perhaps they felt they needed to return Lady Sara to the comfort of her family since there would be no wedding between her and Nathan.  Rhiann could not help but be relieved by their departure.  Young Mark was left behind.  Before he left, Nathan informed her Mark asked permission of their father to stay with them for a while in Saxony and Nathan granted it.

Rhiann liked young Mark and one morning, about a week after Nathan’s departure, she forced herself from her lethargy long enough to seek him out and make sure all was well with her husband’s brother.  He was probably unacquainted with many people in London.  The city could be an intimidating and unwelcoming place to a stranger.  Even though she was certain Nathan would have seen to it that one of his men kept an eye on his youngest brother, Rhiann thought she should make the effort.  They were family now after all. She caught up with him as she was returning to the keep from the old church where the orphans were being housed until new homes could be found for them.  He hurried over to her in response to her wave.

“Lady Rhiann.  You wished to speak with me?”

Rhiann smiled, trying to put the young man at ease.  He seemed unduly nervous around her.  Perhaps he was particularly fond of Lady Sara.  “I just wanted to see how you were faring with your brother and family gone.  Is there anything you need?”

He smiled relieved.  “No. Nathan’s men see to it that I stay out of trouble.  Father was most firm about not wanting to hear any reports of any foolishness on my part upon his return.”

“Return?  He’s coming back then?” Rhiann asked confused.

“What?” He seemed puzzled by her confusion.  “Yes, they’ll be back with Nathan in time for the king’s coronation.”

“They?  Did your father accompany Nathan then?”

“Yes, they all did, including Lady Sara.  They wanted to see Nathan’s new estates.”

Rhiann was so stunned she couldn’t summon an appropriate response to her brother-in-law’s stunning revelation.  Her face leeched of all color and she swayed slightly on her feet.

“Lady Rhiann are you all right?  You’re very pale.”

Rhiann gathered herself and summoned a half-hearted smile for her brother-in-law. “Yes, thank you.  I just wanted to make sure all was well with you.  I believe I’ll return to the keep now. It’s cold today, is it not?”

Mark’s expression indicated he didn’t agree with her assessment of the weather, as did his lack of a cloak, but he merely nodded politely and offered to escort her back to Nathan’s room.  Since she was loathe to hurt his feelings, she acquiesced and tried to pay attention to his chatter about life in the city and how much he was enjoying himself and all of the activities available to a young man.  Rhiann got the impression this was his first visit to such a large metropolis and under ordinary circumstances she would have enjoyed his recitation more. 

Today though she just wished to escape to the quiet of her room and sort out what she just learned.  Nathan lied to her.  He knew how much she wanted to go home.  She understood she could not accompany him on the king’s errand.  It never occurred to her to ask.  Yet he took his family and his former betrothed along.

She parted from Mark at the door, thanking him for his escort.  He was regarding her with a concerned expression on his face.  “Perhaps you should rest, milady.  You still appear awful pale.  Should I summon a healer for you?”

Rhiann forced herself to meet his concerned glance.  “I’m fine, Mark.  Just a little tired.  I believe I’ll take your advice and rest this afternoon.”

He nodded, obviously still unsure whether he should summon a healer when Rhiann sent him a gentle smile, then closed the door in his face. She leaned her back against it and let the tears she held back stream silently down her cheeks.  She rushed across the room and threw herself on the bed and gave voice to her misery, sobbing into the pillows so as not to alarm Nathan’s soldier who stood outside guarding her door. Nathan said he loved her, but he took his family and his former fiancé to her home, even knowing how much she wanted to return there herself. 

He said there was no commitment or affection between him and Lady Sara. Yet Rhiann was still in London under the protection of his soldiers while he escorted his former betrothed to Heaven’s Crest instead of his wife.  There was no getting around the fact he lied to her about his mission for the king.  He just did not want to take her with him, so he made up an excuse she was unable to challenge.  She was so upset at her husband’s deception and his lies, her stomach recoiled and she only made it across the room just in time to empty her stomach into the chamber pot.

The meal delivered to her door at the evening hour went uneaten, as did breakfast the following morning.  She was too miserable to eat and too hurt to cry anymore.  She no longer believed in her husband’s profession of love.  Was everything he promised a lie then?  Was he even now lying with Lady Sara, sharing her parents’ bed with her?  Even in the depths of her misery, Rhiann knew Nathan would not go that far.  He had nothing to offer Lady Sara now.  He was a married man and she still believed an honorable one.  He would not sacrifice his former betrothed’s virginity and make it impossible for her to marry another.  Divorce was out of the question.  Nathan married her in exchange for her father’s lands. He would honor his commitment.