A Stormy Knight (19 page)

Nicholas watched from the lofty heights of the ramparts as Gemma sat near the stock pond with her little sister. The woman was driving him mad
, and he
was doing all he could to avoid being near her but she was everywhere he turned. He had almost taken her in the cellar. The urge hit him so acutely and so completely he had to rudely walk away from her before another second passed.

His desire for her lithe but curvy body was driving him crazy
,
but he felt it best to stay away. He could not fall head over heels for her while he was trying to figure out what to do to totally and completely secure the castle. He could easily lie in bed with her for days, forgetting anything else existed. No, he had to remain strong and keep her at
arm
'
s length
, a task
that
was getting harder and more complicated each day.

Something was still amiss. There had been quiet and calm since Phillip Bigod was taken away, but Nicholas did not trust it. Bigod was not smart enough to be the mastermind. Someone was helping him
,
and that person was still out there somewhere. Phillip was well known in the castle, therefore would have been spotted had he had a personal hand in all that had happened. No, there was someone else involved
,
and
he
would not rest un
til that person was eliminated.

T
he tunnel
was
watched night and day, but still no word or any reports of anyone using it. It was maddening. There were no more injuries or surprises. Despite his care with the wine, if someone wished to poison them, there
w
ould
not be anything he could do about it. Replacing the wine, he admitted to himself, was about a
s
futile as try
ing to dig a hole in the river.

He had spent his time going over the accounts of the castle with Blaise and worked his men hard to be ready in the event there were problems. Blackstone was a veritable fortress
,
but it was not impregnable.
His men
spent hours jousting and at target practice, ensuring arrows fired by
them
would be true. They ran through all manners of combat until they were sweating and bruised. They would be ready. He did not want Gemma to have anything to fear.

Gemma. It was as if he did everything for her. Despite his distance and his need to spare himself any further pain, he knew he loved her. It was something that formed in his heart, renewed from the past, despite the fear loving her would ruin him again. He did not want to love her
,
but he did. He desired her in every way. The hardness in his heart melted so fast it caught him unaware, and yet there it was. He loved her.

He glanced down again to see Isabel splashing in the water, her kirtle soaked and muddied. Gemma was laughing with her, putting her hands up to her face to keep from
getting wet
. Her face was undeniably beautiful. All marks left by Phillip had gone. Rage erupted again as he thought of that man touching his wife. It had taken all his strength to not kill the idiot, and even more to stop from strangling him when he insisted Gemma
'
s family was responsible for his downfall. He wanted to believe Bigod was staying with
his
tale to save his own neck. A cowardly excuse for a weak and pathetic man.

His
musings
were interrupted by footsteps coming
toward
him. They pounded on the stone walkway as if someone was being chased.
"
Milor
d!
"
someone shouted
,
and he
spun around to see who was coming.
Everything
in him was on alert. Gemma and Isabel were below
,
and he did not wish them to be alarmed.

A man came to a halt in front of him. It was Matthew, one of his men-at-arms. Nicholas knew him well. He was trying to catch his breath as he spoke.
"
Milord,
"
he repeated,
"
There
appears to be a small party coming this way. I see about forty men on horseback.
"

"
Where?
"
he
demanded. He took off on foot as the man
motioned
toward
the north wall.
"
Through the wood, milord,
"
the sol
dier shouted over his shoulder.

All of his
men were well trained. As soon as Nicholas was in motion
,
they were as well. Gemma raise
d
her head in alarm as she noticed the men rushing the gatehouse. She took Isabel and headed
toward
the hall, dragging her protesting
sister as quickly as she could.

He
stayed atop the wall near the northeast tower, above where Phillip had been held just weeks earlier
and
watched. Both de Toeni and Gromme headed
toward
the gate, hands on the hilts of their swords in readiness.
Each man had
proved to be invaluable.
After much
deliberation
, h
e had decided to keep both in the role of seneschal, though Oliver still served Blaise de Vere.
Both could be trusted
. Gromme had the youth and the vigor
,
and de Toeni had the wisdom of years in service
that
was beyond measure in value.

As the pa
rty neared, Nicholas visibly relaxed and
let out a roar. He threw his head back and slapped the back of the man standing next to him. The soldier
appeared
startled and then looked again. He relaxed as he too recognized the banner of King Henry.

Nicholas
took the steps within the tower two at a time and raced along the outer curtain wall so he could greet the king. He had no idea what Henry was doing there and why he was with such a small party of men, but he must see
he
was welcomed as he should be and that a feast
was
prepared.

When Henry neared the castle
'
s outer curtain, the drawbridge lowered and the metal gate rose up so he could enter. Most of Nicholas
'
s men recognized the banner shortly after
he
had done so. A few scurried away to be sure the stables were ready and to warn the kitchen the
king had arrived unexpectedly.

Henry rode into the outer bailey, much like Nicholas had done weeks before. He pulled his mighty destrier to a halt near where Nicholas stood with his men behind him.
Removing his helmet, he
beamed
at one of his most trusted knights.

"
You are surprised to see me?
"
he
bellowed as his men fell in behind him.
"
Do not go to too much fuss, for I shall not stay but an hour or so. I have much to do
,
and I want to be in London by
the morn
. I have a lot of things to finish up before I head off this autumn. I have loose ends to tie up in Normandy, among other places.
"

As always,
Henry was
a commanding presence. If you did not know he was a king, it would not take you long to know he was an important man. He was ambitious, strong willed, and always working
toward
a goal
—
and he expected the same of those
who
served him.

Nicholas stepped aside as two young stable boys came, waiting to see if the king wished to have service for his horse.
"
Nay,
"
he shooed them away.
"
We have not been traveling long
,
and it will do well enough to graze here while we talk.
"

The king
'
s men stayed on horseback, though a few got down and led their horses to be tied nearby. Henry was a robust man, with penetrating
slate-colored
eyes and a
mop
of tawny hair.
At first glance, he
had the aura of a king, an able king, but
he
did not enjoy the trappings of it. Instead, he was always on the move, securing his kingdom and letting his subjects know he was in charge, something
that
was lacking under Stephen
'
s kind but weak rule of England.

He
jumped from his horse, his mail glistening in the sun. He threw the reins to the man next to him and walked over to Nicholas. He thumped him on the back and offered him a riotous smile.
"
So how goes the marriage?
"

"'
Tis fine,
"
Nicholas said, grinning back at him.
"
How is Bigod?
"

"
Ah, Bigod,
"
the king
said walking away from his men, expecting Nicholas to follow.
"
He shall be enjoying the finest of my dungeons until I feel like dealing with the likes of him. That is partially why I was out this way. I gave his father a warning. I will have no more of this nonsense out here. I sent you here to secure this castle because I know you are a good man
,
and he is to keep his distance.
"

Nicholas stopped walking as Henry came to a halt, looking around him at the curtain wall
s of Blackstone. He waited for him
to continue.

"
He can be replaced,
"
the king
said simply.
"
I need strong
,
loyal men in these castles along the Thames, not weak and manipulative plotters. One more wrong
move
and I shall turn his castle over to someone I trust. You will not have to worry about Phillip. He will never see his way onto the drawbridge of this castle again.
"

Nodding, he wondered
if that was what Henry wanted or if there was more. He saw the king
'
s gaze go
toward
the inner curtain wall near the bai
ley
,
and he
glanced up
to see what had
caught his eye. It was his wife, walking hand in hand with Isabel. They hesitated when the king
laid eyes on them
,
but he
beckoned they should continue.

"
Your lovely wife?
"
he asked, hitting Nicholas in the back again.

"
Aye
.
"

As they neared, Isabel was grinning from ear to ear and held her chin in the air. They stopped before the king
,
and
he
threw back his head and laughed. Just as Nicholas had always done with Isabel, he knelt down on one knee to greet her.

Her
eyes widened quickly and she said,
"
Aren
'
t I supposed to kneel to you?
"

"
You must be Isabel
.
"
H
e took her hand and kissed the back of it. He then stood to face Gemma, who was blushing.
"
And you must be Gemma, the fair wife of Nicholas de Reymes, daughter of Blaise de Vere.
"

"
I am,
"
she said and did a short bob in greeting. Nicholas
had a curious smirk on his face as he watched while
the king
stud
ied
her.
S
he did not know how to react to the king. She had never been to court and had no idea what to do or how to act.

Before anyone else could speak,
she
cleared her throat and spoke up,
"
Can I offer you food or drink? Surely you must be thirsty, milord, uh, sire, uh, King Henry,
"
she stumbled over her words.

"
You may call me Henry, and aye, water would be most enjoyable. I came for a short chat with your husband and shall be on my way within the hour. Give my best regards to your father, I hope he enjoys a full
recovery from his malady soon.
"
Bobbing again, s
he and Isabel
twirled
back
toward
the inner bailey a
nd left Nicholas with the king.