Mystique (11 page)

Benedict glared at her. “I do not need a nurse, Alice.”

“Of course you don’t, lad.” Dunstan grinned at Alice. His expression said he knew that he had won this small contest. “Your brother will be a man soon. ‘Tis past time he learned the ways of men.”

“But he is to study law,” Alice yelped, outraged.

“So? Seems to me that any man who would study the law has a special need to be able to take care of himself. He’ll have any number of enemies.”

“Now see here,” Alice began furiously. “I’ll not have—”

Dunstan ignored her. “Let’s be off, Benedict. I’ll take you to the refuge tents and introduce you to the squires.”

Benedict was reluctantly intrigued. “Very well.”

“Benedict, you stay right here, do you hear me?” Alice snapped.

Dunstan chuckled evilly. “Who knows, Benedict? Sir Hugh plans to take the field himself shortly. Mayhap he will allow you to help him with his own personal armor.”

“Do you really think so?” Benedict asked.

“By the Saints.” Alice could not believe her ears. “Do not tell me that Sir Hugh intends to waste time on a silly joust.”

Dunstan gave her a sunny smile. “You have as much to learn as your brother, Lady Alice. Of course Sir Hugh will take the field today. Vincent of Rivenhall is here.”

“Who is Vincent of Rivenhall?” Alice demanded. “What has he got to do with this?”

Dunstan’s bushy brows rose. “I’ve no doubt your betrothed lord will soon explain that to you, my lady. ‘Tis certainly not my place to do so. Now, pray excuse me. Benedict and I have work to do.”

“Hold.” Alice was seething now. “I am not at all satisfied with this turn of events.”

“You must take up your dissatisfactions and complaints
with Sir Hugh,” Dunstan murmured. “Come along, Benedict.”

“Wait,” Alice ordered. “I need Benedict’s assistance.”

“But, Alice—” Benedict said unhappily.

“You will not need Benedict for anything this afternoon,” Dunstan assured Alice.

She glowered at him. “And, pray, just how do you know that, Sir Dunstan?”

“Why, ‘tis obvious.” Dunstan gave her an absurdly innocent smile. “You will be occupied with very important matters yourself.”

“What important matters?” she asked icily.

“‘Tis plain enough. As is the case with any newly betrothed lady, you will surely want to watch your future lord demonstrate his skills on the jousting field.”

“I have absolutely no intention of doing any such thing.”

“Nonsense,” Dunstan said. “The ladies all love to watch the sport.”

Before Alice could summon up further wrath, Dunstan quickly dragged Benedict off in the direction of one of the refuge tents. The shelters had been erected at opposite ends of the large field. The knights, squires, and men-at-arms gathered beneath them to prepare for the day’s jousting.

Alice was outraged. She could not believe that Hugh had altered his plans to find the green stone merely because of a jousting match. It made no sense.

When Dunstan and Benedict had disappeared into the crowd she whirled about and started toward the black tent. She would search out Hugh and let him know precisely what she thought of this situation. It was ludicrous for him to enter a joust when they had vastly more important matters to see to.

She came to an abrupt halt when she found her path blocked by a massive black war-horse. She recognized the beast at once. There was no mistaking the huge hooves, broad head, muscular shoulders, and sturdy construction of Hugh’s prized stallion. The smell of well-oiled steel and leather assailed her nostrils.

Alice blinked at the sight of Hugh’s booted foot in the
stirrup. It looked very large. Her gaze rose slowly upward. This was the first time she had seen him in his hauberk. The finely linked mail of his battle armor gleamed in the warm afternoon sun. He had his helm tucked beneath one arm.

Hugh was sufficiently intimidating at the best of times, but when he was clad for war, Hugh the Relentless was a truly unnerving sight. She shaded her eyes with her hand as she looked up at him.

“I hear that ‘tis a new custom among ladies of fashion to give their favored knights a token to wear into the jousts,” Hugh said quietly.

Alice caught her breath and then hastily regrouped her energies. She was, she reminded herself, thoroughly incensed. “Surely you do not intend to participate in the jousts, my lord?”

“‘Twould be remarked upon if I did not. I do not wish to arouse suspicion concerning my true reason for being here at Ipstoke. The stratagem was to mingle with the fair crowds, if you will recall.”

“I see no necessity for you to waste a great deal of time playing silly games atop your horse this afternoon when you could be tracking down Gilbert the troubadour.”

“Silly games?”

“That is all they are in my opinion.”

“I see. There are many ladies who enjoy watching such contests.” Hugh paused deliberately. “Especially when their lords are participants.”

“Aye, well, I have never had much interest in such sports.”

“Will you give me a token?”

Alice eyed him suspiciously. “What sort of token?”

“A scarf or a bit of ribbon or lacing will do.”

“There is certainly no accounting for fashionable customs, is there, my lord?” Alice shook her head, amazed. “Imagine giving a man a perfectly good length of clean cloth or a fine silk ribbon to wear while he dashes about in the mud. The token, as you call it, would likely be ruined.”

“Mayhap.” Hugh gazed down at her with unreadable
eyes. “Nevertheless, I think it would be wise if you gave me such a token, Alice.”

Alice gazed at him blankly. “Whatever for, sir?”

“It will be expected,” Hugh said very evenly. “We are, after all, betrothed.”

“You wish to carry my favor into the joust in order to convince everyone that we truly are betrothed?”

“Aye.”

“But what about my green stone?”

“All in good time,” Hugh said softly.

“I thought the stone was extremely important to you.”

“It is and I will have it by the end of the day. But something else has come up. Something that is just as important.”

“What is that, pray tell?” Alice demanded.

“Vincent of Rivenhall is here and intends to participate in the joust.” Hugh’s voice was curiously empty of emotion. The very flatness of his tone was frightening.

“What of it?” Alice asked uneasily. “By the Saints, sir, I should think you would be able to forgo a bit of sport for the sake of the stone.”

“I assure you, the opportunity to take the field against Vincent of Rivenhall is almost as important as recovering the stone.”

“I would not have thought that you would find it necessary to prove yourself against another knight, my lord,” Alice said, disgruntled. “I rather assumed that you were above such things.”

“It would be wise for you to refrain from making too many assumptions about me, Alice.”

Alice’s mouth went dry. She contented herself with a glare. “Very well, my lord. Henceforth, I shall assume nothing.”

“Be assured that I will explain the matter of Sir Vincent to you at some other time.” Hugh stretched out his hand. “At the moment, I am in a hurry. Your favor, if you please.”

“This is really too much.” Alice glanced down at her clothing. “I suppose you may take the ribbon that trims my sleeve, if you feel that it is absolutely necessary.”

“It is.”

“Do try not to soil it, will you? Good ribbon costs money.”

“If it is ruined, I shall buy you another. I can afford it.”

Alice felt herself grow warm beneath his mocking gaze. They both knew that a new ribbon would be as nothing to him.

“Very well.” Alice undid the ribbon from her sleeve.

“Thank you.” Hugh reached down to take the strip of green cloth. “You may watch the jousts from beneath the yellow and white tent on the far side of the field. That is where the other ladies will sit.”

“I do not intend to watch the jousts, sir,” Alice said heatedly. “I, for one, have better things to do.”

“Better things?”

“Aye, my lord, I am going to search for Gilbert. There is no point in both of us wasting the afternoon.”

Hugh’s mailed fist closed very tightly around the green ribbon. “Do not trouble yourself about the troubadour, Alice. He will be found soon enough. In the meantime, you will watch the jousts in the company of the other spectators.”

Without waiting for a response, Hugh gave the big war-horse an invisible signal. The beast swung about with astonishing agility and set off eagerly in the direction of the jousting field. His great hooves sent a tremor through the ground.

“But, Sir Hugh, I just told you that I do not wish to watch the jousts—” Alice broke off in disgust when she realized she was speaking to the war-stallion’s retreating hindquarters.

For the first time she experienced some qualms about the bargain she had made with Hugh. It was obvious that her new business associate did not fully comprehend the true meaning of what it meant to be equal partners.

T
he rosy-cheeked pie-seller handed Alice a crusty pastry stuffed with minced, honeyed chicken. “Aye, there be a number of troubadours about. Don’t think I noticed one wearing a yellow and orange tunic, though.” The woman took Alice’s coin and popped it into her belt pouch. “Now, then, will there be anythin’ else, m’lady?”

“Nay.”

The pie-seller brushed crumbs from her hands and turned to deal with the next customer. “‘Ere, me good lad, what’ll ye have? I’ve got excellent fruit pies and tasty lamb, too. Take yer choice.”

Alice eyed her pie with distaste as she walked away from the stall. It was the fourth one she had bought in the last hour. She was not at all certain that she could manage to eat it.

She had thought to conduct her search for Gilbert in a systematic fashion but the task was proving difficult. Thus far she had covered only a third of the fairgrounds. Finding one particular troubadour in this crowded place was a slow process.

She had attempted to start several casual conversations
at various stalls and tents but she had soon discovered that no one was willing to waste time in idle chatter. Having ascertained that peddlers, pie-sellers, and merchants were far more prone to indulge her carefully worded questions if they thought that she was going to spend good coin, Alice had reluctantly begun to do just that. To her dismay, she had already gone through most of the contents of her purse and had learned nothing. Along the way she had been obliged to consume three pies and two mugs of cider.

She hesitated at the end of a row of brightly striped peddlers’ tents, wondering what to do with her newest pie. She hated to throw it aside. Waste of any sort offended her sensibilities.

“Psst. Fine lady. Over here.”

Alice glanced up from the pie and saw a youth of about sixteen years hovering in the shadow of a nearby awning. He gave her a grimy-faced grin.

“Excellent bargains, m’lady. Come and see.” The young man glanced hurriedly over his shoulder and then whipped a small dagger out from beneath his dirt-stained tunic.

Alice gasped and took a step back. Thieves and pickpockets were a constant threat at fairs. She clutched her skirts and made to run.

“Nay, nay, do not fear, fine lady.” The youth’s dark eyes filled with alarm. “I mean you no harm. I am called Fulk. I offer this beautiful dagger for sale. See? ‘Tis fashioned of the best Spanish steel.”

Alice relaxed. “Aye, ‘tis a pretty little dagger but I have no use for such.”

“Mayhap you could give it to yer lord as a gift?” Fulk suggested with a determined gleam in his eye. “A man can always use a good dagger.”

“Sir Hugh has arms enough as it is,” Alice retorted. She was still fuming over the fact that Hugh had elected to fritter away the afternoon on the jousting field.

“No man has enough good steel. Come closer, m’lady, and examine the workmanship.”

Alice studied the dagger with little interest. “Where did you get this?”

“My father sells daggers and knives in a stall on the other side of the fairgrounds,” Fulk said smoothly. “I assist him by mingling with the crowd to search out customers.”

“Try another tale, lad.”

“Very well.” Fulk groaned. “If ye must know the truth, I found it lying by the side of the road. A shame, is it not? I believe it to be the property of some passing traveler. It must have been dropped by accident.”

“More likely it was filched from a knife-seller’s stall.”

“Nay, nay, m’lady. I give ye me oath that I came by this blade in an honest fashion.” Fulk turned the dagger to display the inlaid handle. “See how beautiful it is. I’ll wager these be rare and valuable gems.”

Alice smiled wryly. “‘Tis no use practicing your wiles on me, lad. I have only a few coins left in my purse and I intend to use them to purchase something far more useful than that dagger.”

Fulk gave her an angelic smile. “What do ye wish to purchase, fine lady? Just let me know what ye want and I shall fetch it for ye. Then ye can pay me for it. ‘Twill save ye a lot of dashing about amongst these dirty stalls.”

Alice eyed him thoughtfully. “Very helpful of you.”

He swept her an almost courtly bow. “‘Tis me great privilege to serve ye, m’lady.”