Virginia Henley (42 page)

Warwick took the Duke of Norfolk into custody and was about to arrest Lord Howard as another Yorkist supporter, but Howard eluded him by going into sanctuary at Colchester. Warwick ordered all his nobles to take a firm grip on their own territory and defend it against a landing and invasion.

The Earl of Oxford had control of the east of England, so Warwick felt secure that if Edward landed there he would quickly be defeated. He ordered George to go into Somerset and raise an army and at the same time patrol the borders along the Bristol Channel to prevent a landing.

Roseanna listened quietly as Line repeated the news to her. She was torn emotionally, for if the news were true it would mean a war in which Line would be involved. In her heart she wanted King Edward to regain his crown, but her husband would be fighting against him; he had pledged himself to Warwick on his guarantee that George, Duke of Clarence, would not be crowned. Although her son’s castles, land, and titles had come through Edward, it was Line who had secured them for him.

She tried to push all thoughts of war away from her. She would remain neutral—it was the only way she could
retain her sanity. She wished she had Kate to talk with, but Kate and James Burke were keeping Ravenspur working smoothly while she was in Lincoln.

She busied herself with her child and spent a lot of time in the stables at Lincoln Castle trying desperately to ignore Line’s fighting men and archers as they sharpened their war skills.

Roseanna awoke with a headache. She winced and put her hand to her forehead. Line chuckled. “Serves you right for taking too much wine last night.” Then his face became serious as he asked anxiously, “Roseanna, do you need wine before you can give yourself to me?”

She stared at him aghast. Their intimate relationship had always left something to be desired as far as she was concerned, but she had no idea that he was aware of it. He was always so quick to passion that it left her feeling vaguely unsatisfied and empty. She felt guilty at this moment, for she knew that if she had taken the time, she could have schooled him to be leisurely in his lovemaking. Then he could explore his own sensuality to its limits, too. She was far more skilled in every aspect of making love than he, and she knew how to make a man feel virile. In fairness to him, she realized it was time to put quality into their bed play. She touched his face tenderly. “Line, how would you like me to make love to you for a change tonight?”

He grinned delightedly. “I would love it more than anything!”

She smiled quietly when she heard him singing in his dressing room. She realized that she had never fully committed herself to him. She had given him her gratitude but not her love.

    Part of Edward’s fleet which Richard was commanding stood off the coast of Norfolk for days before they discovered that the Duke of Norfolk was in custody. They learned of Oxford’s patrols along the southeast coast and finally decided to sail up past Yorkshire to Northumberland, where the strong Percys would aid them.

Three of the ships were grounded in a storm off Lincolnshire. One of them capsized and sank, and it took all night to get everyone ashore. They were wet and cold in the March night, but Richard headed the men south toward The Wash to a predestined meeting place with Edward and the rest of the Hanse fleet.

James Burke couldn’t believe his eyes when Roger Montford strode into the hall at Ravenspur. Putting a silencing finger to his lips, he said, “Hush, man. I want to surprise Roseanna.”

Mr. Burke crossed himself and muttered, “Mary and Joseph, you’ll do more than surprise her!”

“We are back! Did you ever doubt it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, James.”

“My lord, we thought you dead! Lady Roseanna near went mad with grief when two of the men who almost drowned crawled back and gave us the news. She sent me into The Fens to find your body, and I thought I had
found it—beneath the body of the white Arabian stallion. I buried the remains,” argued Mr. Burke.

“That was Kelly,” said Roger grimly. “The storm had inflamed our tempers, and I accused him of Janet’s murder. He knifed me and tried to flee on Mecca, but they went down together and were drowned.”

“God’s balls!” exclaimed Mr. Burke at the appalling mess in which everyone’s lives were now tangled.

“Where is Roseanna? Fetch her, man, so that she can see with her own eyes that I am alive!”

“She is not here, my lord,” said Mr. Burke cautiously.

“Damn, don’t tell me she’s at Castlemaine! I’ve not much time. Edward has landed with an army to retake England. We are heading into Nottingham to raise more men.”

Kate Kendall had heard Ravenspur’s unmistakable voice and came into the hall on quaking limbs.

“Kate, I’m returned from the dead!” He laughed. “When is Roseanna expected back from Castlemaine?”

Kate Kendall and James Burke exchanged significant glances; each dreaded the task of revealing to their lord what had to be told.

“What is it?” he demanded. “My God, she’s not ill, is she? Is my son all right?”

Kate took a deep breath. “You’d better come and sit down, my lord. James, get him a drink—something stronger than wine.”

White-lipped with apprehension, Roger seated himself beside the warmth of the fire. James Burke handed him a potent goblet and took himself off so that Kate and Roger could have privacy.

“Try to be patient, my lord, while I tell you my incredible tale. George, Duke of Clarence, rode in here hot after
Edward’s fleeing army. It would have been useless to deny to him that the army had been encamped here, for the evidence lay everywhere. When that swine Clarence saw Roseanna, thoughts of pursuing you and the King went out of his head. He had only one goal from the minute he laid eyes on her. He made no bones about it but told her baldly he meant to have her.”

Roger swallowed the contents of the goblet and shuddered slightly.

“Well, you know Roseanna, sir. She bade him begone in very salty terms. The day after that, news of your drowning came, and Roseanna didn’t care if she lived or died. She fell into a trancelike stupor. Even the baby knew something was wrong with his mother, and he cried all day. Then, God help her, something happened to snap her out of it in a hurry.”

“Thank God,” whispered Ravenspur.

“Nay, my lord. It was not God’s work, it was the devil’s. The Duke of Clarence returned. His men were drunk. They stripped Alice and raped Rebecca. He threatened Roseanna with the only weapon that would make her submit to him: He threatened to take your son’s lands and titles. He even threatened to take the child away from her.”

Ravenspur was on his feet, cursing the soul of the man who had abused his wife. “He’s dead meat! I’ll search him out on the battlefield and disembowel the swine!”

“My lord, there’s more to my tale,” said Kate quietly.

“More?” he roared. “I’ve heard enough, woman! What more could there possibly be?”

“Lord Ravenspur, I warned you that you would have to be patient, but you have to get a grip on your temper, aye, and on your sanity for what I have to tell you.”

Cold fingers clutched his heart. He feared his beloved was dead.

Kate’s voice quivered as she continued. “She was vulnerable, easy prey without a strong man’s protection. So she sought out the Earl of Lincoln, who is your son’s overlord.”

“Did he help her?” Roger demanded.

“He did more. He fell in love with her and married her.”

“What?” The word exploded from him as if he spat fire. “The faithless bitch! I’ll kill her!”

“She refused to marry him, but that degenerate pig Clarence returned and forced his abominations on her. Her mother and I urged her to accept Lincoln. My lord, she had no alternative!”

Roger sank down and buried his head in his hands. His precious Roseanna! He felt as if his heart were bleeding. Kate left him alone.

After a while James Burke got up enough courage to go in to him and offer him another drink. Roger threw off his inertia and strode from the hall. Edward’s battles would have to wait. He had one of his own to win first!

    Lincoln received a message from Warwick that Edward had landed and was approaching Nottingham. Warwick asked that Lincoln join him in Coventry. He had also sent urgent messages to George, Duke of Clarence, to bring the four thousand soldiers he had recruited.

When Ravenspur strode into the hall at Lincoln Castle, Line thought he was another messenger. Roseanna turned from her husband to the messenger and gave a joyous cry from her heart: “Roger!” Her hands flew out
to steady herself, but her legs and head swam with unreality, and she fell into a dead faint.

Ravenspur strode up to Lincoln and dared him with his eyes to touch Roseanna. He bent swiftly and lifted her into his arms. “This lady is my wife,” he said implacably. “Show me to a couch where she may recover.”

“You’re not dead?” asked Line with deep dismay.

“Not yet!” replied Roger shortly.

Although Line was devastated by Ravenspur’s arrival, he led the way to Roseanna’s chamber and with great effort allowed Ravenspur to go in alone with her.

Roger laid her down and shook her gently. “Roseanna! Open your eyes and look at me!” As her eyelashes fluttered open, what he needed to know was written there pure and clear. There was no fear or dismay, only love for him. Her mouth was like a pink velvet rose, and he was starving for the taste of her. Their lips touched, then clung fiercely. He caressed her lovingly and held her to his heart. He loved this woman beyond his wildest dreams, and he was about to prove it by providing safety for her future. “Rest for a few minutes. I have to talk to Lincoln.”

“Roger!” she cried, alarmed at what he might do.

He gave her a reassuring smile and said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Trust me.”

Ravenspur approached the Earl of Lincoln calmly. “We have things to settle.”

“We do.” Line nodded stiffly. The two men were such a contrast to each other. Lincoln’s silver-gilt hair made him seem younger than his years, while Ravenspur’s darkness made him seem years older.

“The law is on your side, Ravenspur. Technically,
Roseanna is still your wife,” Line conceded. “But I think she should be allowed to choose between us.”

Roger said, “Let us approach the matter with our heads rather than our hearts. We are at war. We will fight a battle, perhaps many battles, before it is done. If I die, I would like your oath that you will be a good husband to Roseanna and work for my son’s best interests.”

Lincoln’s eyes widened. “You have my oath.”

Roger continued, “If you die, I will give you the same pledge. If I live, Roseanna remains my wife unless she chooses otherwise. Is it agreed?”

“Agreed,” nodded Lincoln, feeling admiration for Ravenspur in spite of himself.

Roger hesitated. “Roseanna is too much woman to be long without a man. I am not unmindful of the service you have done me by protecting my family. I’ll just say my farewell to Roseanna.”

He went back to her chamber and found her with his son. “Look, he can take a few steps, and he can even say words,” she said with great pride. She pointed to Roger; “Dada,” she coached.

“Mama,” said the baby. He had the darkest eyes and the blackest curls Roger had ever seen, and they evoked the strangest emotions in Roger. Suddenly he wanted to cry.

“I’ll pack and go home immediately,” said Roseanna, looking sorry for all the trouble she had caused.

“Roseanna, do nothing,” he cautioned. “There will be terrible fighting when Edward and Warwick meet. Your husbands are pledged to opposite sides in this conflict. If one of us dies, you will still have the other.”

“You won’t die!” she cried.

“No, I won’t die,” he promised. “Sorry, little one, but
you may have to wait awhile before you become the Baron of Ravenspur.”

He kissed the child good-bye but did not trust himself to touch Roseanna. He turned so swiftly, his cloak swept a vase of early snowdrops to the carpet. As Roseanna knelt to pick up the fragile white flowers, tears stole down her cheeks. She cried for joy that Roger lived; she wept for sadness that she had caused Line pain; she sobbed with fear for them both in the bloody battles that were inevitable.

When Roger joined Edward and Richard in Nottingham, he was relieved that Percy’s men from Northumberland had arrived. They all realized that by reaching Nottingham without being challenged, both Lord Stanley and the Earl of Shrewsbury had held their hands and had done nothing to stop them. Edward’s mood was high, and he grinned and repeated one of his favorite axioms: “He who is not against me, is with me!”

Warwick’s brother John had an army at Pontefract fifty miles north, yet he hadn’t challenged Edward yet. So Edward cautiously moved his army southward from Nottingham to Leicester, which was only twenty miles from Warwick’s army at Coventry. Edward’s spies told him that Warwick’s brother was not at Pontefract but had joined Warwick at Coventry. Exeter and Oxford were also with Warwick.

Then an amazing thing happened. Edward received a message from his brother George, Duke of Clarence. He offered to join Edward instead of taking his four thousand men to aid Warwick. Richard mistrusted his brother and reminded Edward of their brother’s past treachery. Ravenspur was also against it. He desperately wanted Clarence on the enemy’s side so he could kill him with
impunity. Edward, however, saw the wisdom of accepting George’s offer; it immediately doubled the size of his army.