Susan Spencer Paul (6 page)

“Hugo,” Hugh pleaded, reaching out to his brother once more. Hugo quickly sidestepped him and started for the door.

“I shall see to your lodgings.” His voice was stern again. “The evening meal will be served in two hours’ time.”

Their dinner passed more easily. Hugh and Hugo had silently agreed to at least be polite to each other, if not friendly. The three of them ate together in a small private chamber off the main dining area, so that they could converse without the restriction of the silence imposed upon the monks during their meals.

It was strange for Rosaleen to sit between two men who were exact copies, save for their hair and clothing. Even their voices sounded alike, so that she didn’t think she would be able to tell them apart in the dark.

“You’ve turned into something of a firebrand, Hugh,” Hugo commented. “We often get word of your adventures, even here at the monastery, though I generally hear of them from Alex whenever I visit at Gyer.”

Pushing his soup aside, Hugh chuckled. “I’ve
turned
into something of a firebrand? You’re one to speak, brother. Do you not remember all the mischief we got into when we were boys? Being a monk has affected your memory.”

Hugo laughed in turn. “I remember, Hugh. The brothers here won’t let me forget the time we loosed our dogs in the monastery’s hen yard. Father Bartholomew still becomes angered over it whenever we have chicken at table. And Alex won’t let me forget the time we kidnapped Lillis and brought her to Gyer as a prisoner. If he hadn’t fallen in love with her I think we might still be suffering punishment for that particular deed.”

“Trumpery!” Hugh replied, hefting a tankard of ale. “If we hadn’t kidnapped Lillis, Gyer would have ended up at war with Wellewyn. We saved the lives of hundreds of people.”

“You kidnapped your sister-in-law?” Rosaleen asked in disbelief.

“Well, she wasn’t our sister-in-law at the time,” Hugo explained somewhat shamefully. “She was the daughter of Gyer’s enemy, Jaward of Wellewyn. Truthfully, however, we didn’t know who she was when we first kidnapped her. We were playing highway thieves, you see, and were out to get any wayside traveler we could. If we hadn’t ended up capturing the daughter of our brother’s enemy, Alex probably would have strangled us.”

“Your brother is Alexander of Gyer, then?” she asked quietly, keeping her eyes on Hugh, who wouldn’t look at her.

Hugo gave her a strange look. “Of course he is. Did Hugh not tell you?”

Both Rosaleen and Hugh were silent.

“Ah,” Hugo said with understanding. “He didn’t tell you. Well, yes, Alex is our brother, just as Lillis is our sister. Did he tell you that?”

“Hugo!” Hugh growled.

“No, Father Baldwin, Hugh
Caldwell
has been very secretive regarding his true identity,” she replied tartly.

“I’ve been more forthcoming than you, Rosaleen no-name,” Hugh returned.

“Hardly,” Rosaleen scoffed. “I may not have given you my full name, Hugh Baldwin-Caldwell-whoever, but at least I didn’t lie to you.”

“I did not lie to you,” Hugh insisted. “My name is Hugh Caldwell and has been for the past ten years.”

“That’s impossible!” Rosaleen argued just as angrily. “If your brother is Alexander Baldwin and your twin brother is Hugo Baldwin, then I can only assume that your true name is Hugh Baldwin, isn’t that so, Father?” She looked to Hugo for aid but found that he had turned away.

Hugh, however, was looking at her so coldly that Rosaleen almost thought he might freeze her. “What I choose to call myself is my concern, my lady, just as your last name is yours. It makes no difference to you anyway, so leave the matter be.”

“Oh!” Rosaleen huffed furiously, throwing her linen napkin on the table. “It does matter to me, Hugh Caldwell! You led me to believe that your brother was a pig farmer, not the richest baron in all of England!”

Both brothers gazed at her with shock, and silence reigned in the little room for several seconds. Then Hugo began to laugh.

“You did
what!”
he asked Hugh.

“What foolishness is this, Rosaleen?” Hugh demanded. “I never told you that my brother was a pig farmer!”

Rosaleen, realizing what she had said in her anger, flushed a bright, mortified red. Hugo was laughing so hard it was difficult for her to speak over him.

“Well…I just assumed…I mean…your
manners
Hugh, are so…so…and I just assumed that you were…well…”

Her fumbling words sent Hugo off again, and he laughed so hard that he nearly fell off his chair.

“Dammit, Hugo,” Hugh said. “This isn’t funny!”

“Your m-manners m-made her th-think that Alex is a p-p-pig farmer!” Hugo howled with delight, slapping a hand on the table. “That’s th-the f-funniest thing I’ve ever h-heard! W-wait until I t-tell Alex!”

“You’ll tell Alex no such thing! I’ll not have it!” Hugh stated angrily. “And you, my lady—” he fixed Rosaleen with a heated glare “—should stop assuming that everyone else is like your uncle. Or does he even aspire to be a pig farmer? Mayhap I should think you were flattering me.”

Rosaleen returned his glare with one of her own, and it was on the tip of her tongue to reveal her true identity to him. He would certainly be no less surprised to discover that she was the daughter of an earl than she had been at finding her ungallant companion to be a member of the highest nobility. Unfortunately, now knowing the truth about Hugh, she could trust him even less than she did before. If anyone in the Baldwin family should discover that she was Rosaleen Sarant, the heiress of Siere, they would certainly do what they felt was their duty and give her over to her uncle. Rosaleen had never been formally introduced to the Lord of Gyer, but they had been at court at the same time during several important royal occasions in the past. She would recognize him, she knew, but would he recognize her? She could only hope and pray that he wouldn’t.

Both brothers waited for her to make a reply, and the longer she tried to think of what she must say, the more curious their expressions grew.

“Mayhap you should,” she finally answered, then, reaching for a piece of bread, she quickly changed the subject. “Please tell me how it is that you came to be a monk, Father Hugo. You are very different from Hugh that way, are you not, even though you are twins?”

“Oh, my tale is tame and dull compared to most,” Hugo replied with a grin. “I’d much rather hear more about you, Lady Rosaleen, and about why such a beautiful young lady must keep her identity a secret.”

“As would I,” Hugh agreed but, since he didn’t at all like the manner in which his brother was looking at Rosaleen, regardless that Hugo had taken a vow of chastity, he added, “but I would also be interested to know why you’ve gone into holy orders. If anyone had ever told me when we were boys that either one of us would end up in the Church, I would have laughed until I was ill. I was just about done in, as it was, when I had news of you from friends.” He popped a grape into his mouth and leaned back in his chair. “I couldn’t believe it! When I think of all the things we did together, I wonder at how you ever got ordained. Why, if the Church only knew about all the women you and I used to—”

“Hugh!” Hugo chided. “That was long, long ago. I’m a man of God now and perfectly content to be so. Of course—” he looked at Rosaleen, somewhat embarrassed “—after my behavior this afternoon it may be hard for you to believe that, but it is true, nonetheless.”

“Your behavior this afternoon was perfectly understandable,” Rosaleen assured him, spearing a chunk of roasted lamb with her eating dagger. “Hugh deserved a good beating after leaving you as he did. In fact, you should probably beat him once more before we leave tomorrow day, just to make certain he’s thoroughly punished.”

“Thank you so much, sweeting,” Hugh muttered.

“Of course,” she continued, “he enjoys fighting, so it might be best to simply leave him be and let him suffer. But that is beside the point. Now, you must start right at the beginning, Father, and tell us everything. I greatly enjoy particulars.”

What she didn’t add was that, since it had been ten years since the brothers had last seen each other, Hugh would be hungry for the whole story of his twin’s life during those
years. Hugh was far too proud to ask for such information, of course, and Hugo was still too angry with his brother’s abandonment to give it. None of that, however, was going to stop Rosaleen. She had been trained in the art of government since she was a child, and had learned her lessons well. The daughter of an earl needed to know such things as how to pleasantly bring conversation at table about, and how to direct its course. Men, she had learned very young, were much easier to manipulate in this manner than women, and Hugh and Hugo Baldwin were easier than most, since their desire to be reacquainted far outweighed their uneasiness.

“Very well, my lady, though I do warn you it is most dull.”

Having made his disclaimer, Hugo launched into his tale. When he had finished, Rosaleen deftly brought Hugh to the point where he told a little of his own story. By the time their meal was over, Rosaleen was more than satisfied with the start the brothers had made in healing the breach in their relationship.

Rosaleen had long since left the table in favor of a comfortable chair beside the fire, leaving the two men to sit side by side, Hugh facing away from the table, his long legs stretched out in front of him, Hugo sitting at the table, his hands folded upon the tabletop.

Sipping a goblet of good red wine such as only the Church could provide, she watched the brothers as they talked, their heads turned toward each other, their manners relaxed. It was easy to see the deep bond they shared, though perhaps neither of them would realize it. They spoke in low tones, sometimes smiling and sometimes laughing, but always with a deep current of understanding that Rosaleen assumed twins must share, no matter how many years they’d been apart.

Watching them, Rosaleen felt a stab of jealousy. She had been beloved of her parents, but she had never had a sibling and had always felt the lack. Her mother had had a difficult time conceiving and bearing her; when Rosaleen was seven, her mother’s second pregnancy had proved fatal. Her father had been a good and loving parent and had been the center of her life until his untimely death of the pox, yet Rosaleen had missed having a brother or sister. A brother, especially, would have been welcome, for he would have been the next Earl of Siere after her father’s death. But there was no brother, and the responsibility of the earldom was in her hands alone. Thinking on it, she vowed anew that she would get herself to London, to the king and to freedom.

In the midst of their conversation, Hugh lifted one hand and gently stroked his brother’s halo-shaven hair. Rosaleen couldn’t hear what it was that he said in union with this action, for he was turned away from her, but she could see as well as hear his brother’s immediate response.

Hugo shoved stiffly away from the table, stood and frowned down at his brother.

“I don’t expect you to understand it. I don’t expect you to understand anything about me or about what I feel or have felt in the past ten years. There was a time when I wondered how I would learn to live without you, and when I thought I would rather die than go through another day alone. But I have learned to live, without you and without anyone else, save my Lord. Don’t ever ask me again how it is that I came into the Church, for I’ll give you no answer. You gave up that right when you abandoned our family and me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must attend compline.” He looked at Rosaleen, who was gazing at him with surprise. “I will bid you good-eve, my lady.”

He strode to the door, opened it and was gone, leaving Hugh and Rosaleen sitting in silence.

Neither said a word, but eventually Rosaleen set her wine down and quietly walked to where Hugh sat with his head bowed. She stood behind him, lifted her hands and began to gently massage the stiff muscles in his neck. He responded like a cat, lifting his head and rolling it around, moving his shoulders meaningfully beneath her hands so that she would know better where he wished to be kneaded.

“I hope you’re not thinking to comfort me, Rosaleen,” he said after a moment. “I hate being comforted, especially by well-meaning females.”

Rosaleen made a loud tsking sound. “I wouldn’t be so foolish, Hugh Caldwell. Only people who possess hearts are capable of being comforted. I’d not waste my time.”

He chuckled. “You’re a good sort of female, Rosaleen, in your own way. Despite the sharp tongue and shrewish nature, I mean.”

Rosaleen’s fingers tightened on his neck until he squirmed and laughed.

“I do believe that’s the closest I’ll ever come to having a compliment from you, Hugh Caldwell. You may be certain I’ll cherish it.”

“Why, of course you will,” he returned pleasantly. “I meant it as a compliment.”

“Mmm.” Rosaleen gave one final squeeze to his neck before she released him. “I do believe I will seek my bed, my lord. It’s been so long since I’ve slept alone that I’ve nearly forgotten what it’s like.”

He reached out and grabbed her before she could skirt around him, and he drew her to stand between his open legs.

“I could sneak into your chamber and keep you warm tonight, Rosaleen.” He squeezed her waist with his big hands and raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. “I kept you warm last night, did I not?”

Rosaleen smiled at him. “Most warm, my lord, but I would rather sleep with a cold-blooded snake than ever share a bed with you again.”

“Now, be nice to me, Rosaleen,” Hugh chided, pulling her closer even as she pushed against his shoulders, “else I’ll go out into the gardens and bring you a snake, just as you wish. Have I not been good to you these past several days? Have I not taken care of you and kept you safe from harm? Am I not taking you to my brother and placing you in his care so that you’ll be able to get to London, just as you desire?”

“And have I not had to put up with your rude behavior every step of the way during our journey?” Rosaleen countered, pushing harder when she felt the warmth of his groin through the cloth of her surcot. “And have we not already determined, sir, that you compensated yourself for your trouble with the use of my body while I was unaware?”