Betrothal (Time Enough To Love) (7 page)

He grunted in acknowledgement; Thomas seldom tarried in one bed overlong.

“You must admit you seem overly protective of this maid.” Thomas’s words probed unmercifully, and he squirmed, the rough fieldstone scraping his tunic. “If I spoke of another man, I might even call him besotted.”

Geoffrey opened his mouth to protest but closed it without a sound at his friend’s unflinching stare.

He speaks truth
.
The girl has bewitched me, for my thoughts all stray toward her, no matter what the topic of conversation.

He sighed. “Good Lord!”

Thomas laughed and clapped his friend on the back. “’Tis not your fault, Geoffrey. The day of reckoning comes to us all.”

“Then why has it not come to you?” Thomas held the status of dedicated bachelor, despite the need for an heir to his title.

A shadow crossed his friend’s face and he turned away, dropping his hand from Geoffrey’s shoulder. “Oh, I have had my reckoning, if you will remember.”

Geoffrey stared at his friend, stricken as the memory came back. “I beg your pardon. I had forgotten…”

Thomas shook his head. “’Tis no matter. ’Twas long ago, but aye, a reckoning it was. So,” he reassumed his carefree manner and deftly changed the subject, “what knight will you portray at our Round Table? I have managed to secure Sir Tristan to Lady Carlyle’s Isolde.”

Geoffrey arched an eyebrow. “Does that not, mayhap, strike a bit too close to the bone for comfort, Thomas?” Lady Carlyle was Thomas’s current
amour
although her husband seemed none the wiser at present.

“’Tis unfortunate indeed that just yesterday Lord Carlyle was recalled to the Scottish border.” Thomas smiled wickedly at the thought. “Some minor uprising within his holding, I hear. ’Tis his place I take, although he was originally to be Sir Yvain and she to be the Lady of the Fountain. As I had already spoken for Sir Tristan, the lady made no protest at the change.” Thomas grinned, seeming self-satisfied at the turn of events. He looked inquiringly at Geoffrey. “And you and the delectable Alyse? Will you be Percival to her Elaine? Or mayhap Gawain and Orgeluse? I do hope you are Gawain, for Sir Tristan is one of the six knights superior to him.”

A challenge suited him down to the ground. “Will we joust, you and I, Thomas, to settle that question once and for all? Or a Combat of the Field with broadswords? I will meet you however you like.”

“A joust, I think. You have too much advantage with a sword, my friend.”

“’Tis done. ’Twill be a good contest, I believe.” Anticipation of such a match with his friend brought satisfaction to his voice. “Yet I know not which knight I shall be at present. I have given the decision to Lady Alyse, and she will tell me her choice this evening.”

Thomas stalked away then back, his lips a white line as he hissed, “I said besotted, did I not? Have you truly lost your senses? You are going to end up as Galahad, I will wager my horse on it. That starry-eyed chit will cast you as the Perfect Knight and herself as Orgueilleuse, scorn and all. ’Twill serve you right!”

Geoffrey laughed, but an uneasy doubt sprang up despite his confidence in Alyse. “I am sure the lady will choose something more suitable, Thomas. She does not like to be made a spectacle of.”

“She’ll have little choice in that respect, I think. The two of you together will draw quite some comment anyway. You were brazen enough to ask the king to allow her to accompany you. That alone has caused talk. Why, by all that is holy, did you let her choose your part?”

“I wanted to please her, Thomas.” Geoffrey shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “Her demeanor toward me has warmed a bit these past two days, and I aimed to fuel that flame with the ride in the procession and the choice of knight and lady. It seemed a little thing at the time.” He glanced at his friend anxiously. “Think you she will choose unwisely?”

“She has been little at court. How is she to know it would be unseemly for you as a lower knight to portray a figure of great consequence from the Round Table? Mark me, Geoffrey. If she chooses one of the more important knights, she will be seen as blatantly trying to raise your status.” Thomas glared at him in disgust. “Do you long for disgrace? You shall have it in that case. And be constantly on the lips of the whole court. You had best recant your offer and choose someone sensible yourself.” With a final disapproving glance at his friend, Thomas hastened toward the king, going forward to accept his assigned placement in the procession.

Geoffrey stared after him, more than a little alarmed by his friend’s words. His gesture in allowing Alyse to choose their roles for the procession had simply been another attempt at chivalry, yet now that decision seemed reckless. Suddenly, he doubted her judgment, and his own in allotting her the task. He heartily wished he could recall his words, no matter the delight they had inspired in her. Should he go to her and retract his offer? Geoffrey groaned at the thought. He could not go back on his word. Could he at least seek her out to find the direction of her thoughts?

Dread at the coming encounter stole through his heart as Geoffrey strode from the room, leaving the courtiers still avidly discussing the approaching festivities.

When Geoffrey disappeared from sight, Alyse sighed, for once sorry to see him go. Her admiration for her betrothed had risen several notches since the end of Mass. If truth be told, it had been rising ever since their first stormy meeting. He had proved himself gallant last night at dinner and compassionate toward her this morning after church. Now, with this remarkable gesture regarding the procession, her fears for her coming marriage had greatly dissipated.

She could scarce believe he had dared ask the king to allow her the great honor of riding beside him. Then to have granted her the choice of the knight and lady they were to portray…’twas an honor she would never have dreamed he would accord her, especially on such short acquaintance. Surely, the gesture spoke of his confidence in her discretion and wisdom, her ability to show him to the best advantage before the king and court. A trust she vowed to uphold.

At once, the weight of the decision pressed down on her. She had to choose wisely, lest she and Geoffrey be ridiculed throughout the court. With a shake of her shoulders, she went to her duty with the princess, knowing she would think about Geoffrey Longford and the knights of the Round Table the whole long afternoon.

“Lady Alyse, you are come late from chapel, I think.” The gentle voice of Princess Joanna greeted her as she slipped into the chamber. She had hoped the young princess would not notice her tardiness.

She turned, noting Anne and Maurya already in their accustomed places on benches alongside the princess, and curtsied deeply to Joanna, seated at the end of the reception chamber. “I beg pardon, Your Highness. I meant no disrespect. Sir Geoffrey, my betrothed, had news to impart that kept me a little while.” The sudden memory of the kiss that had detained her further brought fire to her face.

“Then come sit by me, Alyse, and tell us your news.” Joanna smiled and indicated the seat of honor at her right side. “Is it regarding your nuptials?”

“No, Your Highness. There is no other news about my marriage.” Alyse smiled back. Joanna had asked hundreds of questions about her wedding in the past two days. The princess’s own marriage to Prince Pedro of Spain loomed large in the fourteen-year-old’s mind, so she had questioned Alyse daily about hers.

“Then what great news has Sir Geoffrey given you? I can see you are glowing with excitement. Your cheeks are red.” The princess laughed, and Alyse dropped her gaze to her lap to hide her hot face.

“Sir Geoffrey tells me I am to ride in the procession to the tournament this week.”

A burst of chatter erupted at Alyse’s words. All the ladies-in-waiting knew the princess would ride with her father’s chancellor, Sir Robert Bouchier, and that they would be garbed as Sir Pellinor and Niniane, the Lady of the Lake. This news had fed their conversation for the past week. Now, however, all eyes turned to Alyse, the questions coming sharp and fast.

“You are truly to ride in the procession, Alyse?”

“Where will you be placed?”

“What knight will Sir Geoffrey portray?”

“Who will you be?”

Despite the barrage of questions, Alyse remained undaunted. Her excitement carried her onward as she tried to answer everyone at once. “Sir Geoffrey told me he did beg the boon of my company from the king himself, and the king has granted it. So I will ride with him toward the end of the procession, he thinks.” Her pride at Geoffrey’s regard of her swelled as she spoke. For once being the center of attention pleased her. She sat straight and smiled as she answered the ladies’ excited queries.

“Which knight will Sir Geoffrey be, Alyse?” Maurya repeated her question louder in order to be heard over the chatter. “Did he tell you?”

Alyse had been delighted at breakfast to find that her friend now also attended Princess Joanna and would accompany them to Spain with her husband and brother.

She tried not to smile too broadly, lest she seem boastful, but could not keep the satisfaction out of her voice. “Sir Geoffrey has asked me to choose which knight and lady we are to portray.”

The room buzzed like an excited hive at her words, each lady expressing an opinion about who Alyse should choose.

“Oh, choose Sir Lancelot, Alyse, with you as Elaine.”

“Anne, you know Prince Edward will be Lancelot.”

“What about Sir Perceval? He sought the Grail in some of the legends,” Maurya reminded her. “He has always been my favorite.”

“Sir Perceval could be a good choice,” Alyse admitted, “but he is sometimes portrayed as uncouth or loutish. I would not want Sir Geoffrey seen as such. Nor would I want to play his sister, Dindraine.”

“But you could be Gawain’s sister, Elaine,” Maurya reminded her. “She loved Perceval and helped him defeat the Red Knight.”

“What about Sir Tristan?” Lady Anne ventured another opinion. “Quite a bold knight. And Lady Isolde was beautiful.”

“But what a scandalous relationship, Anne!” Alyse’s indignant voice drew smiles from the other ladies. “Isolde was married to King Mark.”

“But Tristan married an Isolde too. You could be her. Of course they did not have a very happy marriage, but they were married.” Anne’s snide tone echoed her sour face, her mouth puckered in disdain.

Without a doubt, her chamber mate once again waxed jealous and was trying to bait her. Well, she had become used to ignoring the girl by now. “I had actually thought about Sir Erec and Lady Enid,” she ventured instead, looking to the princess for her approval.

Joanna nodded then frowned and asked, “Why Sir Erec, Alyse? He is one of the minor knights, is he not?”

“Oh no, Your Highness. Sir Erec is second only to Sir Gawain as the best knight at the Round Table. And he falls in love with Enid, marries her and spends so much time with her the other knights say she has bewitched him and his prowess has waned. So they go on an adventure together and he proves to her that his prowess is as great as ever.”

“Well, Alyse, I can certainly see why you would choose that couple. Trying to make your marriage fit the legend?” Anne sniggered, earning a stern glance from the princess.

“Lady Anne,” Princess Joanna admonished the girl, “you should look to Alyse as a model of behavior in this matter, for she is thinking how to put Sir Geoffrey into the best possible position before the king and the court.” Joanna nodded approvingly at her. “I certainly commend your choice, Alyse. I believe Sir Geoffrey will be pleased with it as well. He obviously trusted you greatly to give you this important task, and I think his judgment sound in doing so. Your choice will confirm that you will be a good helpmeet to him.”

“I thank Your Highness for your most kind words.” Alyse’s face heated again at the fulsome praise. “I pray that Sir Geoffrey agrees with you.”

Now she could hardly wait for the evening meal when she would meet with her betrothed again and tell him her choice. Anticipating his reaction would keep her thoughts occupied until then. Oh, pray he would be pleased!

“Now, ladies.” Princess Joanna rose, prompting the others to do likewise. “After this flurry of excitement I think I would like to walk in the gardens a while before it becomes overly warm.” The young princess started for the door, Maurya, Alyse and Anne following in her wake. An attendant opened the door and the ladies stopped their progress at the sight of Geoffrey Longford standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with surprise.

* * * *

Geoffrey had raised his hand to knock at the princess’s chamber door when it opened as if of its own accord, bringing him face-to-face with Princess Joanna and her retinue. He stepped back and bowed deeply to the princess.

“Sir Geoffrey.” Princess Joanna greeted him with an amused air. “You have been quite the topic of our conversation this morning.”

Geoffrey shot a glance at Alyse then smiled back at the princess. “Indeed, Your Highness, I beg pardon. To have had such a tiresome subject before you on a beautiful morning must have tried your soul.”

Joanna laughed, a trilling that sounded pleasantly in the ear. “Nay, Sir Geoffrey, quite the opposite I assure you. You enlivened our morning nicely. We are now on our way to the gardens for some fresh air, and to cool us down from our heated discussion of the Knights of the Round Table.

Lord, that did not bode well.

“Will you accompany us?”

Geoffrey bowed again, but shook his head. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure, Highness, but I must return to attend your father the king shortly. I only came to beg a moment of Lady Alyse’s time, an it please you.”

She gave him an inquiring look but said, “Aye, Sir Geoffrey. You may speak with Lady Alyse privately, though for a few moments only. More is not seemly, even for those betrothed. My ladies and I will await her just outside.” The princess sent him another curious look as she passed by but Geoffrey made his obeisance again and Alyse curtsied, and she continued down the corridor and out into the courtyard.

Alyse turned to Geoffrey, her expectant smile making his stomach tighten. Suddenly he was tongue-tied.

What am I to say? Have you made a decision yet? What knight have you chosen for me to portray?

What if she had chosen badly?

He did not want to hurt her feelings, but could not let her make a blunder that would cause more harm were it allowed to stand. He peered into a face that was losing some of its joy at his long silence. Desperate, he tried to read her mood and failed miserably.

“My lord?” Alyse finally spoke. “You would speak with me?”

“Aye, my lady.” Still he could find no words.

Her brows rose in alarm at his continued silence. “My…my lord? I must attend the princess presently. Is something amiss?”

Geoffrey closed his eyes briefly, looking for strength or inspiration, he cared not which. When he opened them, he saw the devastating effect that gesture had had on Alyse, for her face had paled and her lips quivered, though she remained otherwise composed.

“The king has taken it back then, my lord?” Her voice trembled, and he could see what effort it cost her to remain calm. Her body tensed, as if in anticipation of a blow.

Geoffrey blinked, utterly confused by her words. “Taken what back, my lady?”

“The invitation for me to ride with you in the procession.” The words were spoken calmly, with dignity and resignation.

Geoffrey laughed, and the tension drained out of him at her words. He gathered her hands into his and looked into her troubled face. “Nay, my love. The king would not renege on such a promise. You are still to be my lady as we ride to the tournament.” Her rigid body relaxed, and a smile played around her lips. “But that is what I came to ask you,” he continued, encouraged by her response. “Have you as yet chosen the knight and lady we will portray?”

Her smile turned downward as her brows furrowed. “Aye, my lord, I have chosen. But you were to give me until the evening to decide. Why such haste to know my choice now? Has the king asked for it?”

The lie would have been so easy, and she would never have known. But his honor would not condone it. He sighed and charged onward, determined to have her know his doubts. He only prayed the price for honesty did not run higher than he was willing to pay.

“Forgive me, my lady, but I wished to know your mind in case the choice might…not be the most advantageous to us. Lord Braeton mentioned that if you have chosen one of the more important…or colorful knights it might…draw undue…attention. To us.” Geoffrey ground to a foundering halt. He inwardly cursed as her face registered shock and anger and grew grim.

She pulled her hands from his and stepped back. “Lord Braeton doubted my ability to choose wisely in this matter? Or you did, my lord? Why not accept the credit that is so justly yours?”

Her bitter accusation jolted Geoffrey. “Nay, madam,” he retorted, stung by her undeserved censure, “’twas not I who raised the initial doubt. I, in fact, championed your wisdom to Thomas.”

“But you are here all the same, Sir Geoffrey.” She straightened her back and clasped her hands before her. “Obviously mistrusting me as much as your friend.”

Geoffrey shook his head. “He knows you but little, Alyse.”

“And you know me somewhat better, my lord, though indeed it is apparently not enough. You have asked time and again for me to trust you and I…I had begun to do so. Yet how am I to give unto you that which you withhold from me?”

“Alyse, ’tis not about trusting you. ’Twas your inexperience I feared would lead you into mishap.” A poor excuse, but the only one he could summon. Why had he listened to Thomas, God curse him?

“I may not have been at court very long, my lord, yet I have lived my entire life amongst noble households. I have been taught what is seemly and what ostentation, perhaps better than you.” She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, his heart sank, for they glittered with the mistrust of two days ago.

Alyse drew herself up in indignation, and he stood helpless before her, waiting for her scorn to engulf him. He deserved no less.

“If you had doubts as to the appropriateness of my choice, my lord, you should not have asked me to attend to this task. I had no mind to do it until you bade me, so there would have been no offense. But to ask and then doubt me because of the words of another does not auger well for our marriage.” She paused and squared her shoulders. “In light of your misgivings, Sir Geoffrey, I believe it will be best if you make this decision for us. I would not be the one to bring shame to you through some carelessness. I therefore relinquish my choice to you.”