Strangclyf Secret (34 page)

“
Nicely done, Lady
Strangclyf,” King William said. “You may rise and tell me about the
jewels adorning you. I have seen you wear none until now and find
myself curious.”

Barwolf rose and Bernon
slipped an arm around her shoulders, stirring the butterfly wings
in her stomach. She clasped her hands over her midriff and cleared
her throat. “I have never worn jewels until tonight, Your Majesty.
‘Twas not permitted.”

“
May I?” William asked,
reaching toward the collar. She nodded and the king lifted the edge
of the heavy necklace, testing the weight and assessing the
symmetry of the stones. “Amazing. They are so perfectly
matched—even the girdle and tiara. Where did you get them,
Bernon?”

“
I didn’t,” Bernon replied,
and raised an inquiring brow toward Barwolf. “Would you care to
enlighten us?”

“
They are the Strangclyf
emeralds. Ursus, the first Roman tribune here, gave them to his
wife, Portia. They have been handed down through the centuries as
part of the Strangclyf legacy and they have a legend attached to
them.” Barwolf felt intoxicated by Bernon’s scent. She wrung her
hands as the butterfly wings flapped a thrill in her stomach and an
ember sparked, spreading a slow mellow glow through her belly. The
man smells too good. If she didn’t get away soon, she might
disgrace herself. “I do not mean to be rude, but I need to discuss
an important private matter with the queen, please.”

The men appeared stunned
at her abrupt topic change and fidgeting.

“
Do give her permission,
William,” Matilda encouraged. “The legend will make a good mealtime
tale, so she can tell you then.”

“
One question first,”
William demanded, frowning at Barwolf. “How is it that Bernon and I
missed seeing those jewels when we visited the coffers?”

Barwolf flashed her dimple
and a lyric laugh floated from her lips. “You visited the decoy.
‘Tis paltry offerings you found there.”

“
I cannot believe you would
hold out on me, Bernon,” William said, sounding more astonished
then angry.

“
He didn’t,” Barwolf said,
assuming a defensive stance in front of Bernon with her hands
fisted at her sides.

Bernon snorted, grabbed
his little protectress by her shoulders, and spun her about facing
him. “And why did you not tell me about the location of the real
coffers,
ma petite?”

“
I did. On the day you took
the holding back from Hadwyn, I told you the way to the coffers had
traps. Remember? ‘Twas why I wanted to guide you through the maze,
so no one would get hurt.” Her gaze became reproachful. “And you
haven’t spent enough time with me to get the whole secret or you
would have seen the coffers by now.”

“
And now you have both
asked a question, so I will take over.” Matilda moved next to
Barwolf and took her by the left arm. “Come walk with me, dear, and
tell me what you wish to discuss.”

“
Can I walk on your left
side please, Your Grace?” Barwolf asked. “I know ‘tis poor form,
but I hate being on someone’s right side, because I cannot hear
them well.”

~ * ~

Bernon frowned over his
wife’s comment and watched her stroll away with the queen, who
graciously allowed Barwolf the left side.

“
The little lamb is as
beautiful as her mother was in those emeralds,” Aurick said,
joining King William, Bernon, and Geno. “I will congratulate you
now, milord.”

“
For what?” Bernon asked
and raised a brow. The old reprobate was grinning at him as if he’d
had a personal hand in the creation of procreation.

Aurick let out a chortle.
“You truly do not know the legend of the Strangclyf
emeralds?”

“
I am growing curious
myself,” Geno said when Bernon shook his head.

“
Maybe the lamb should be
the one to tell the tale, but I will say this much, there is magic
involved.” Aurick chuckled at his jest.

“
You would not dare stop
now, Aurick,” Bernon said. “I already know she is intent on
seducing me.”

“
Consider it a command,”
William added.

Aurick considered them all
for a moment then nodded once and linked his hands behind his back.
“All right. The first Roman to govern here married a young girl
whom he loved with all his heart. After a few years, they had no
children. She finally admitted she knew she was barren at the time
they wed. She offered to go away, so he could take a new wife and
beget an heir. But the Roman refused to cast her aside, despite
political pressure to do so. The young wife fell into a
melancholia, because she feared she had ruined his life. She became
so despondent that the Roman feared she would waste away and die.
He petitioned Venus, calling upon the goddess to save their
love.

“
Now I’m not an eloquent
man, but apparently the Roman was. ‘Tis said Venus smiled upon his
request. She gave him the emeralds and told him they were a gift
from her to his wife and all their descendants. The Roman asked how
that could be, because his wife was barren. ‘Twas then the goddess
promised him that any lady of this holding, who knows how to love
with all her heart, will give her husband an heir within one year
of wearing the emeralds. She also promised a horrible end to anyone
trying to remove the emeralds from the holding. The goddess was
true to her word, and before a year was out, the Roman’s wife gave
him his heir. And so it has been through the centuries.” Aurick
grinned at Bernon. “So congratulations to you, milord. The emeralds
have never been known to fail.”

“
But you said the little
wolf’s mother wore them, and she had no heir,” Geno
remarked.

“
Aye, she did,” Aurick said
fiercely. “If you go back to the old Roman laws, ‘twas not uncommon
for property to pass through women in aristocratic houses. The lamb
is the fourth woman to pass along the Strangclyf title.”

“
Do you know why the
fighting bears are on the jewels?” Bernon asked.

“
Now that I thought you
knew, milord. The first tribune’s name was Ursus. ‘Tis Latin for
bear. Truth be told, the lamb was terrified by all the tales her
father told her of you until Geno mentioned your name. She told me
later that everything would work out, because our bear was finally
coming home.” Aurick winked at Bernon and turned at the sound of
the queen’s voice.

“
...do well, dear, and I
shall help you as much as I can,” Matilda said as the women
approached.

“
I appreciate your
guidance, Your Grace. I shall remember everything you said.”
Barwolf left the queen, walked over and stood in front of Bernon,
smiling up at him. “You are looking fine tonight, milord. You have
bigger muscles than any other man here.”

Bernon forced a neutral
expression and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “’Tis good of
you to notice.”

She reached up and patted
his cheek. “You are taller and more pleasing to look upon
too.”

God’s teeth, he would
choke Matilda if she weren’t queen. “I appreciate your
honesty,
ma petite.”

His lips quirked as she
bowed her head, muttered something containing the word
arrogant
. Then she
smiled back up at him. “Did I mention my stitches have been out for
four days?”

“
You said that earlier and
I am glad to know my wife heals promptly. ‘Tis a good
trait.”

Barwolf glanced toward
Matilda, who was clinging to the king’s arm. Then she moved to
Bernon’s side and wrapped her arms around one of his, pressing one
breast against his arm. “You have strong arms, Bernon. Having you
here makes me feel safe.”

“
You should feel safe,” he
said, patting her hand.

“
I am feeling flushed too,”
she whispered. “Do you suppose you would rather have a girl baby
first?”

“
I am thinking we should
wait a few years before having children—at least until Karl reaches
his seventh summer. Otherwise, you will run yourself ragged.” He
wanted to laugh. She was gorgeous when she got angry. Her eyes were
flashing brighter than the stones about her neck.

Barwolf released his arm,
put her fists on her hips, and glared up at him, muttering under
her breath. Then her eyes rounded with concern and she tugged on
his tunic. “Lean down, Bernon.”

“
Why?” he asked, narrowing
his eyes at her mood change.

“
So I can whisper something
important.”

He leaned down and she
threw her arms around his neck and placed her mouth against his
ear. “I am so sorry about your problem, Bernon. I hope you are not
in too much pain. Aurick tried to explain your condition to me, but
I did not understand until just now. I shall be patient and try not
to entice you any longer. You just let me know if your wand ever
starts working again.”

“
There is nothing wrong
with my—” Bernon broke off before he bellowed his business for the
entire hall to hear and wiped a hand over his face in total
vexation.

Geno and Aurick had
obviously heard every word and broke into guffaws at Bernon’s
indignant expression.

Barwolf reached out and
tenderly patted his cheek. “’Tis all right, Bernon. I’ll not tell
anyone. Aurick explained that men are very sensitive about their
wands.”

Damnation! She was trying
to console him, and she needed to be straightened out on this
erroneous assumption right now. Tossing his wife over his shoulder
like a light sack of barley, he headed toward the ale
room.

“
Bernon, put me down,” she
called while squirming to get down. “We have guests and ‘tis time
for dinner. The king will think we are rude.”

“
He already knows I am
rude,” he growled and popped a hand onto her bottom.

“
Mayhap
you should not strain, my friend,” Geno called out on a chuckle.
“Your
condition
may worsen.”

“
Zut,
Bernon, I do not want you
getting worse!” Barwolf wailed.

When they rounded the ale
room screen, the aleman took one look at his lord’s angry face and
fled. Crossing the small area, Bernon sat Barwolf on the high
counter so her eyes were level with his.

She bowed her head and
clasped her hands in her lap. “I did not mean to anger you, milord.
I’m truly worried about you.”

Bernon released a ragged
breath and settled his hands on his hips. “I am not angry and look
at me.”

“
You are surly.” She peeked
at him from under her lashes and crinkled her nose. “Aurick told me
that happens when a man cannot use his wand for magic.”

“
My wand works fine,” he
said through gritted teeth.

Her eyes widened. “It
does?”

“
Aye.”

“
Are you sure?” she asked
as her dainty hands curled into fists.

“
Positive,” he answered,
noticing too late the fire burning in her eyes.

“
Zut!
Who is she?” she yelled,
punching his shoulder then shaking her hand from the
sting.

Bernon frowned. Why in
perdition was she angry? ‘Twas him who was furious over her
assumption. “Who is who?”

“
The woman you are working
your magic on, because you have been neglecting me! Tell me,
Bernon, and I mean right now!” She pushed on his chest with both
hands, not budging him an inch.

“
I am—”

“
I shall not have it! I’ll
carve her heart out!” She shook a fist in his face. “’Tis your duty
to come to me for magic so we can make babies. And I’ll not wait
four years, Bernon! Do you hear me?”

Bernon placed a palm over
her mouth and gritted his teeth. “I am sure everyone in the hall
and on the whole bloody island hears you,
ma petite.”

“
We do,” William called out
amid a chorus of laughter. “Did you not learn anything about women
growing up, Bernon?”

Barwolf pushed his muting
hand away. “You stay out of this, Your Grace. ‘Tis between me and
Bernon.” She crossed her arms over her heaving bosom and glared at
him. “Well? I’m waiting.”

He cocked a salacious
brow. “For magic?”

Barwolf emitted a tiny
growl. “For the name of the woman I am going to kill.”

She was giving him her
ferocious look that reminded him of an angry mouse. He placed his
hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “There has not
been any other woman since we wed.”

Her nostrils flared and
she poked his chest. “I suppose you think I have bird droppings for
brains, or how else would you know your wand works unless you have
used it?”

Bernon gripped her chin
and spoke into her face through clenched teeth. “I know it works
because all I have to do is think about you and my chauses become
so full they chafe and my braies bind too tight. Honest to God,
they are near to bursting now.”

“
They are?” She appeared
stunned for a moment, then her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You
mean right now? You could do magic at this very moment?”