The Legend (52 page)

There was a murderer among them.
He knew who it was, and he was determined to know why. The same bastards
responsible for his father's cowardice were responsible for his brother's
death, although he knew not how at the moment. And a separation that promised
to dissolve his relationship with his parents was apparently on the mend. He
knew without a doubt that Peyton was included in their merciful disregard.

He leaned his head wearily
against the doorjamb, wondering how so much could happen all in the space of a
day. Too much, too quickly, too violently.

It was enough to set his head to
spinning.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

The massive Bird of Prey
standards were flapping in the cool breeze underneath the brilliant blue sky.
As the party from St. Cloven drew closer, Alec drank in the sight of his
black-stoned birthplace, a myriad of emotions filling him. Above his head,
Edward's dragon standard flanked the length of the column. The king, beside
Alec on his charcoal charger, was engaged in conversation with his secretary
while Ali rode to the rear in full armor, silent and strong. The mood was somber,
quiet.

Peyton, Ivy and Jubil rode in a
wagon in the middle of the column, well protected by both Alec's and Edward's
guard. Even though the day was bright and the temperature moderate, Peyton
could not have been more miserable. Adding to her perpetual headache was the
compounding discomfort of constant nausea, and traversing the bumpy roads of
Cambridgeshire did nothing to ease her distress. In fact, dying would have been
preferable.

But they were traveling for a
reason, and a powerful one at that. Alec had woken her with the news of Paul's
passing, almost adding as an afterthought that he was now heir to the Rothwell barony.
Peyton had been torn between grief and delight as the tender moment between
them rapidly turned heated, but the mood was cut short when she promptly
vomited the contents of her stomach into the nearest basin. All thoughts of
Blackstone were shoved aside as her misery returned and Alec had laughed softly
with sympathy. She had thrown a shoe at him.

As he rode with the king, Alec
kept glancing over his shoulder to his wife, lacking any color whatsoever as
she swayed on the wagon seat in rhythm to the forward motion. Dressed in a
luscious blue gown that matched her eyes, even her lips were ashen. He would
have preferred to have ridden in the wagon to comfort her, but he thought it
best that he ride with the king in a show of loyalty. They were a quarter of a
mile from Blackstone when Ali rode up beside him, raising his visor at the
sight of the mighty stone fortress.

"Do you think the Warringtons
will still want to have me arrested for thievery?" he asked, although his
eyes were twinkling. "I did, after all, steal Colin's intended."

Alec cocked an eyebrow. "It
would never stand to trail because the contract between Ivy and Colin was
purely verbal. Were your marriage common-law, I would be somewhat concerned.
However, the two of you are legally wed and there is naught the bastards can do
about it."

Ali laughed softly at the Warrington’s
expense. Sobering, he slanted Edward a glance, several feet away. "When is
Edward planning on arresting them?"

Alec kept his eyes trained ahead
on the approaching bastion. "We were discussing that very subject over the
morning meal while you were still frolicking in bed with your wife. Edward
plans to send men into the village of March where most of the Warrington crimes
occurred for the purpose of obtaining sworn testimony. Even if one girl comes
forward with her story, Edward swears it will be enough to arrest Nigel and
Colin and confiscate their lands. Unfortunately, the discovery process will
take time and until then, he will delay my sister's wedding indefinitely."

Satisfied, Ali's black eyes met
with the looming sentinel of Blackstone thoughtfully. "What about your
father? Do you still plan to confront him regarding Nigel's blackmail?"

Alec sighed heavily. "With
Paul's death, I do not think now would be the correct time. My father has lost
his heir and his grandson within the same month and is sure to be brittle. But
we shall see what the situation warrants."

"To learn of your return to
the knighthood and his unborn grandchild should ease his aching spirits,"
Ali said encouragingly. "I suggest you inform him as soon as possible. The
man is in desperate want for a bit of good news."

Alec grunted his agreement,
passing a glance at his wife. "All he will have to do is look at Peyton
and see that she is pregnant. I have never seen anyone so ghostly pale."

Ali turned to look at the women
in the wagon. "To compare her to Ivy is night and day. All my wife does is
eat, eat, eat."

Alec looked sharply to his
friend, who laughed heartily and nodded his head. "It would seem that our
children are destined to grow up together, as we did."

A smile of pure pleasure creased
Alec's lips. "I did not know! Peyton did not tell me!"

"That is because Peyton
doesn't know," Ali said quietly, still grinning. "Ivy was only sure
herself yesterday."

Alec reached out, shaking Ali's
hand in a gesture of complete happiness and friendship. "Congratulations,
my friend. God has been good to us both."

Ali's smile faded. "You know
I never had much faith in God, or the church. Mayhap.... mayhap had I not
experienced the disappointments, I would not have known the joy I feel now. I
know without a doubt that God brought Ivy to me and now has blessed me with a
child. It makes all of life's failures pale by comparison."

Alec sobered, too. "Why do
you think I agreed to resume my vows? My bad-tempered, aggressive wife has
accomplished a feat no other man or god has managed; she is healed me. I am
whole again, Ali, no matter what comes. SHe shall always mean the world to
me."

Ali watched his friend, the
tenderness of his expression.

"You love her deeply." 

Alec averted his gaze, wrestling
with his inner feelings. How could he admit a love for someone who did not
return the sentiments? He may have been deeply, completely in love with his
wife, but he did not lack for self-protection. "She.... she is my
world." It was as close to a confession as he could come.

As they drew closer to
Blackstone, the sentries on the battlements sounded their approach and the
great gates began to crank open. Crimson-clad guards poured from the opening,
lining the bridge as the king and Alec approached.

Alec felt a sense of relief as
the familiar bailey enveloped him. Somehow, he had imagined that it would have
changed in his absence as if to disorient the errant son. He was pleased to see
he had been wrong. As he dismounted his charger, his gaze suddenly fell on a
wild vision of silk rushing from the castle.

"Alec!" Celine cried.
"My God! You have come!"

Alec barely had time to stand
before his mother was slamming into him, collapsing in a heap of frantic sobs.
Ali rushed from his own mount, helping Alec support his hysterical mother.

"All is well, mother,"
Alec whispered gently, embracing the woman in his massive arms. "I have
returned."

"My boy, my little
boy," Celine sobbed. "I have missed you so."

One of Alec's men helped Peyton
from the wagon. She approached cautiously, unsure if she should show herself to
the frenzied woman. After their last exchange she was understandably wary, but
her natural instincts wanted desperately to comfort the woman who had been so
kind to her.

She came to a halt several feet
away, her own eyes filled with tears for the woman's loss. Alec held his mother
tenderly, nothing like the angered son who had left Blackstone those weeks ago.
Peyton remembered that he had told her of his mother's habitual temper fits;
quickly roused, quickly forgotten. Apparently, all was forgiven between mother
and son and she was deeply grateful. She hoped the same mercy applied to her.

She did not have to wait long. In
the midst of her turmoil, Celine caught a glimpse of blue satin from the corner
of her eye and turned her full attention to the beautiful woman with the
gorgeous red hair. Without hesitation, she opened her arms to her.

"Come here, Peyton
dear," she said softly. "I have not seen you in weeks."

Tears on the surface, as they
were these days, Peyton joined her mother-in-law in her weeping, thankful that
their harsh words had been forgotten and sympathizing with her grief. Lady
Celine had both arms around Peyton, squeezing her tightly, while Alec enfolded
them both within his massive embrace. Ali discreetly stepped aside, moving to
Ivy and Jubil several feet away.

"All will be well, Mother,"
Alec repeated, his lips against Peyton's head. "We have returned."

Celine released Peyton long
enough to look her in the eye, her soft hands grasping the young face.
"How dare you stay away so long," she whispered, wiping at her daughter-in-law's
tears. "Not a word, nor a message. I should spank the both of you."

Peyton sniffled loudly, her eyes
wide with confusion. "But... we thought...."

"We have been very busy, Mother,"
Alec interrupted. His mother's anger was forgotten so quickly that she probably
couldn't truly remember their argument; she was most selective in her
recollections. When Peyton looked at him, perplexed, he simply smiled tenderly.
"We have been busy creating another heir for the House of Summerlin."

Lady Celine's eyes widened with
understanding and she burst forth again in sobs, this time of joy. She threw
her arms around Peyton, causing the woman to begin weeping anew. Alec smiled, a
weary gesture, his relief evident.

Edward and his retainers were
standing by respectfully, pretending to disregard the touching scene. Alec
caught a glimpse of his king and immediately moved to pry his mother and wife
apart.

"Mother, our good king has
come to pay his respects," he turned Celine in Edward's direction.
"Kindly greet him and then you may return to strangling my wife."

Celine, composing herself as a
proper lady would, shot her son a reproving look. "Another remark like
that and you shall know the true meaning of strangulation," she moved
towards Edward, the model of a perfect chatelaine. Her knees gave way in a
practiced curtsy. "Welcome, your grace. Please forgive me my emotional
display. I... 'tis only that...."

Edward cut her off gently.
"No need to apologize, my lady. I quite understand."

She smiled as she came up from
her bowed gesture. "We had no idea to expect you so soon, your
grace."

Edward received her warmly.
"Nor I, my lady. I was visiting your son when I heard of Paul's
unfortunate accident. Please accept my sympathies."

Celine nodded graciously.
"Thank you, Sire. If you would be so good as to come inside."

As his mother led Edward toward
the castle, Alec was suddenly aware that his father had not come out to greet
them. Or Toby, for that matter. Celine and the king were engaged in pleasant
conversation and he would not interrupt to demand trivial answers. Instead, he
turned to Ali.

"See to dismantling the
caravan and then take the ladies inside," he grasped Peyton by the
shoulders and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Go and rest, love. I
shall seek you shortly."

"Where are you going?"
she demanded.

He seemed preoccupied. "To
find my father. And to make sure the Warringtons are corralled during Edward's
visit."

He stormed off, jogging across
the compound and entering the castle through a smaller door. Peyton watched him
wistfully.

Ivy came up behind her as Ali
went about disbanding the men. "So we have returned to the den of
vipers," she said softly.

Peyton cocked an eyebrow.
"The Summerlins are not vipers."

"I did not mean the
Summerlins. I meant the Warringtons."

Peyton's gaze lingered on the
black-stoned structure. "Alec will see that they do not bother us."

"What about his fat
sister?" Ivy wanted to know. "She hates you, too. After that incident
with the serving wench...."

Peyton glanced at her sister,
recollecting that she had told her of the most distasteful event some weeks
back. As always, she and Ivy had no secrets and she had sought reassurance that
she had handled the situation correctly. She wanted to make sure that if Alec's
sister was intent on maintaining their hateful relationship, it would not be
because of something Peyton did, or did not, do. At the time, she had handled
the circumstance as she saw rightly. Ivy had agreed.

"I can only pray that she
has gotten over it," she replied after a moment. "I should not like
to be fighting her off at every turn."

Ivy cocked a severe eyebrow.
"Do not forget, darling. I am with you now. She won't come within a foot
of you."

Jubil sauntered up beside them,
looking amazingly lovely. Her faded blond hair was attractively arranged and
her gown was clean and pretty. Her eyes were remarkably clear for a woman who
had been entranced only the night before.

But her expression was taut.
Peyton observed her aunt curiously. "What's wrong, Jubil?"

Jubil shook her head faintly, her
eyes never leaving the black castle. "Something is not right."

"What's not right?" Ivy
asked.

Jubil pulled her shawl about her
tightly as if to ward off a growing apprehension. "I smell a good deal of
darkness. It's everywhere."

Ivy sighed sharply. "Are you
flying again?"

Jubil shook her head firmly, much
to their surprise. " Nay, little goats. Not today. What I smell can be
sensed without the aid of a potent."