The Troubadour's Romance (39 page)

“
Nay,
”
Royce replied.
“
The riches Wharton and Ayl
worth fought over were awarded to Henry, since the dispute could not be settled. And I feared to touch the meagerest sum, lest I stand accused of murder, I was courting Celeste, although there was no marriage contract between us. You know as well as any of my men how I would have avoided laying claims to Segeland and did not desire Aylworth
’
s worldly goods. I ask you again; who would profit?
”

Royce leaned back in the tub again, his eyes shrewdly watching Hewe as the man came to a slow understanding. But it was not Hewe who spoke.

“
Boltof,
”
Felise whispered. She leaned closer to her husband as if in sudden fear.

Royce
’
s voice was a whisper.
“
All these years I would not have considered this. Boltof was the one to support me, to defend me. He claimed I was with him the whole of the night on which Aylworth was killed. He swore that between us we killed the better part of a keg, yet that was a lie. I thanked him for his blind loyalty and swore I did not slay my brother.

“
Yet who was unaccounted for? Twas Boltof no one watched, for he had no reason we knew of to kill the man. Consider his patience: he struck years before a betrothal with Celeste was firm, content to wait upon my respon
sible nature. Sir Hewe, I think it highly likely that we
house the worst kind of killer in Segeland Hall. A cowardly
one.
”

The room was weighted with a heavy silence while they pondered the possibility. The only sound was a splash as Royce moved in his tub.

“
What will you do, Royce?
”
Hewe finally asked.

“
I will take my time with a plan, Hewe. It might be a simple matter to banish Boltof, fight him, or trick him into
revealing his purpose here. But I would know more. I think this man killed my brother to better his own lot. Celeste is not clever, and she has listened to Boltof even more trust
ingly than I. He would have me a rich lord and married to his sister, and he has long envied my friendship with the king.

“
Yea, I will give careful thought to my plan, for I think I will find sleep difficult until I know the full extent of his treachery. I have been fooled by him for long enough. Who knows we watch him?
”

“
Only Vespera and Sir Trumble,
”
Hewe replied.

“
Good. Better that only a few know, for now. When you encounter Vespera, tell her to come to me by way of my lady
’
s chamber, so that she draws no suspicions. I have need of her.
”

Hewe nodded and rose to leave them. Royce sat rubbing his chin for several minutes after the door had closed. When he finally looked up, he saw fear etched into bright tur
quoise eyes.
“
A linen, love,
”
he quietly asked.
“
My water cools.
”

She fetched the linen and held it up for him as he stepped out of the tub. When he had rubbed the wetness off his skin and tucked the towel around his waist, he reached for her and embraced her. She leaned her head against his chest and sighed.
“
Royce, I am afraid,
”
she whispered.

He lifted her chin with a finger and looked into her eyes.
“
I love you,
Felise
. You may trust that I will keep you safe.
”

“
Can you imagine my worst fears? Boltof asked my father for my hand in marriage, and, had I been allowed a choice, I would have spoken for him over Wharton. And now ...
”
She stopped herself and shuddered.

He ran his palm over her hair, gathering it in his large hand and squeezing the silky softness with his fingers.
“
‘
Tis much worse than you realize. I went to King Henry to ask for you for Boltof. That was when the king insisted that I take you. I called Boltof friend and he asked this favor of me. I felt I owed him at least that much.
”

She looked up at him and frowned, but her eyes glowed.
“
You are a rogue, Royce! You would have sold me to Boltof, and you didn
’
t even know me.
”

“
I knew you well. I warned Boltof that you were the same
vixen to dally with my troop, and he should suspect your virtue.
”

“
Royce! Did you really?
”

“
Aye. And happily I find the same brazen wench willing to share my bath.
”
He raised a brow.
“
Shall we finish our
‘
bath,
’
my love?
”

“
Royce, I think I won
’
t sleep until Boltof is gone from here.
”

“
I won
’
t let him hurt you. If we
’
re clever this once, we
’
ll never have to worry about him again.
”

She looked up at him and smiled.
“
I trust you,
”
she murmured warmly. Her eyes glittered devilishly.
“
You have sent Hewe for Vespera. Your
‘
bath
’
will have to wait, for that gentle soul has never known a man and you would shock her.
”

“
Never? Surely you don
’
t think Vespera so innocent as that? This one who spies and plots with us?
”

“
She has lived all her life with nuns,
”
Felise
said with a shrug.

“
Yet she shows a motherly protection for you,
”
Royce attempted.

“
Tis the difference in our ages and her love for Lady Edrea,
”
Felise reasoned.

“
You have been so beset by the troubles of this hall, your surly husband, and threats from old lovers that you haven
’
t had the time to ponder Vespera. Felise, don
’
t you wonder at her protection and devotion?
”

“
I
had not. I thought the queen .
..
”

Her voice trailed off as she began to consider the woman. Felise could not name the reason for Vespera
’
s continued presence or for her willingness to take such brazen risks to defend them from the devious plots of Celeste and Boltof. This handmaiden to the queen, who had retired to the nuns at the time of Eleanor
’
s imprisonment yet was not in want of money, stayed curiously close at hand while Felise struggled to establish her right to her husband and her new home.

She looked suspiciously at Royce.
“
Do you know more?
”

He nodded and there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“
Will you tell me?
”

He sighed and drew her near.
“
Let us have done with this unpleasant matter of Boltof. We need Vespera
’
s help, and I would not betray her confidence now and send her fleeing away from Segeland. Later, my love. Later.
”

***

Vespera sighed and leaned heavily against the cool stone wall in the dark gallery. She appeared brave, yet within she trembled, for although she tried not to let it show, this creeping about to eavesdrop frightened her. Her worries were twofold: that she would be discovered and hurt, or discovered and therefore unable to help
Felise
and Royce set
Boltof
’
s
plan awry.

Vespera approached fifty years. She was no longer as agile, as quick. She felt far too old for adventures such as this and had never in her youth had the courage to take so many chances. Were it not for
Felise
, were it not so critical, she would have melted into the darkest
corner
and quietly ignored all these conspiracies.

Royce had painstakingly recited his story for her, going over each detail from the day he met Boltof, through his affair with Celeste and the plot of her seduction, and all the circumstances surrounding Aylworth
’
s death. All through this story his young wife had sat possessively at his side. She alternately widened her eyes in surprise, flushed in embar
rassment, and pinched her mouth in white-lipped rage. She affectionately placed her hand on his thigh, stroked his arm, or smoothed his tunic over his broad shoulders.

Vespera forced herself to ignore these intimate ministra
tions and focus on Royce
’
s words. Royce meant for her to know all so that her listening and watching could be more effective. And his information had certainly enlightened her. But the one thing that had struck her hardest when she left his chamber was the knowledge that Royce and
Felise
truly belonged to each other now. Vespera knew her time in Se
geland would be over with Boltof
’
s downfall.

In these short months she enjoyed the pride of watching her daughter succeed where many a weaker maid would have failed.
Felise
was all that Vespera prayed she would grow to be
--
strong, beautiful, bright, and wise. When so many ills could have befallen this child, the angels had cared for her and bestowed her with her mother
’
s quiet, gentle,
for her and bestowed her with her mother
’
s quiet, gentle, and pleasing nature and her sire
’
s strength and determina
tion.

However sad the prospect of saying good-bye, Vespera had done what she had intended to do. The lands in Aquitaine were settled on her heir and she could have a comfortable retirement. Felise had a husband strong and true and would be safe in Royce
’
s care. Vespera was too timid to claim maternity, which would require explaining that when Felise was a mere six months old she had given her into Eleanor
’
s care
and became a resident of Fonte
vrault. Felise had parents in the Scelfton household and might only resent having been abandoned by her natural mother. It was better to be a servant, one who would soon depart with fond farewells and genuine appreciation and affection on both sides of the relationship.

After Boltof, Vespera took a breath and slithered along the walls toward an antechamber through which she would find back stairs. The conversation she had overheard in Lady Celeste
’
s room had finally revealed some of Boltof
’
s plan. But poor Celeste! The woman had such foolhardy delusions. Vespera feared for her.

“
He asks us to leave his house by Sunday next,
”
Boltof had whispered.
“
So it is before Sunday that we must act.
”

Vespera had delivered linens and was busily pulling them tight on the bed. Knowing they would not speak farther with her in the room, Vespera finally fluffed the cover onto the bed and, lowering her gaze, crept quietly out of the room, gently closing the door.

She had dashed around the corner to look up and down the long, dark hallway and then back to the door, pressing her ear against the stout portal.

“
I won
’
t do it,
”
Celeste cried.
“
He has warned me to deny you if you would have me seduce him. He will not come to my chamber at night. He won
’
t.
”

“
He will if you tell him you will betray me,
”
Boltof said.
“
Claim secrecy for that. Promise to tell him how I plan to steal his bride. Royce will fear this, for his own mother was a stolen bride and he knows well it can be done. Lure him to your chamber when the moon has set and no servants are about to overhear.

“
I will excuse myself to Daventry to meet a friend and promise to return for you on Sunday. But I won
’
t go. I will wait in the north glen, where I can
’
t be seen, and I will return to find him in your rooms.
I
t w
ill goad the Lady
Felise
to have her husband take his lover under her nose.
”