Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (8 page)

However, that sort of worship was
not in Aric’s future, nor did he want it.  Something pulled at him on that
thought and he ignored it.  Danielle was pleasing enough and that was
quite sufficient, he told himself.  He was an overlord now and had to
remain hard, not soft.  He would not have his men view him as
weak in blood or besotted over a woman. Especially a Saxon one, even if she was
now his wife.   “I like my sister’s husband, even if he is a Saxon
lord.  However, being soft is not part of being a Norman lord,
Balwain. Think of William. His love for Matilda does not get in the way of
his rule. Do well to remember that.”

Balwain held his tongue.  His
lord’s tone had changed to one of leave it be and so he did, but not before
adding.  “Just saying, milady has a kind soul, milord.”

“I spoke to her, did I not?” 
Aric all but shouted.

“If you call that bark you gave
earlier a greeting than I guess in fact you did.” 

Aric paused in his step, Balwain’s
sarcasm not lost on him.  still his eyes remained on Danielle’s
form and he said. “These are difficult times. She will need to
thicken her skin. I cannot tend to her each moment that her timid feelings are
ruffled.  It is simply not the way of it and that’s that.”

  Balwain wanted to say
it was not his lord’s way but did not dare.  He saw the storm of emotions
in his eyes and knew that his lord was trying to control the side of himself
that his new wife had drawn from deep within in such a short time. 

 Meanwhile,
Aric found his long stride taking him toward Danielle and he called back over
his shoulder to his second.  “Now see to that other matter and I will meet
you later after I have a word with
milady
.”

Chapter 6

Edie gripped her lady’s hands
together in front of hers.  “You feel better, milady?”

 Danielle had not uttered a
word since they had left the hall.  Her heart stinging from her Aric’s
behavior had caused the frustration in her to fully blossom by the time they
had reached the garden and she’d found herself pacing in a
circle.  She was not feeling better at all.  However, she felt
herself nodding the untruth to her maid as she turned away.  

Edie touched her arm and whispered.  
“Word came up from the village that something happened to Little Jacob and he’s
not faring well.”

Danielle gasped and turning her
gaze towards the bright sky, she spotted the darkening clouds moving
in.  Rain was coming. 

 Edie
pleaded.  “Don’t go, milady. ‘Tis too risky.  They know
nothing.” 

Danielle ignored the worry in her
maid’s tone.  “That black cloud is too far off and would be too late for
me to wait to go, Edie.  I’ll be fine.  Besides, ‘tis only a few that
will be foolish and cause trouble.  The others...trust remains and they
will say naught of my secret. It will be alright.”  Or at least she hoped,
Danielle prayed as she cleared her throat.  Edie opened her mouth to
interrupt, but Danielle shook her head.  

After all, another dark cloud was stalking
their way and she stiffened her back as Aric neared them.   

Sadness pierced her, but she shoved
it aside.  She and Edie had spoken little of what to expect after
news of her impending betrothal.  Now Danielle wanted to ask her in
greater detail about men and marriage, but she thought better of it and decided
that her queries should be put to the person who had caused them. And that
person was coming toward her now.  

 Noting the stern expression
on her husband’s face, she decided to do just that.   He was the
blame for how she felt.  

Straightening her back, Danielle
dismissed her maid and braced for his approach.  She blinked back the
prickle of fear that crept up her spine and summoned her bravery forth. 
She was not so sure that she liked this marriage thing after all.  

Everything had happened so fast. A
whirlwind. But she was sure time would ease their union or so she hoped. 
Even though they had been intimate, they were still strangers.  She wanted
to be able to talk to him and him to her. Include her in any plans he might
foresee for her home. After all she knew her home inside and out.

She’d no grand illusions of love,
but they did have to spend the rest of their lives together.  From
what she’d seen already, his character might indeed prove to be just what
Gravane needed. She just wasn’t sure if she did. She ignored the prickles of
excitement that shot through her at the thought. 

Whisking the stray hairs from her
face and checking to make sure that her gown was straight; Danielle placed her
hands on her hips and met his gaze.

 Aric inhaled deeply watching
Danielle run her hands about her person to right her gown and hair.  He
wished for it to be his own hands in place of hers and that thought caused him
to speak more brusquely than intended.   “I would like a word with
you, milady. Now.”  

The seriousness of his deep timbre
did not bode well, yet Danielle heard herself saying, “But of course,
milord. Of course.”

Her demure tone garnered a peculiar
look from him and she licked her lips nervously.  He stood frozen
just staring at her. Danielle held her breath and waited. She kept her eyes
trained on his even though her heart now thundered inside her chest. 

“We will speak in the
solar. Come.” 

He stepped past her and walked on
ahead with her behind him. Righteous anger filled Danielle over the
slight; still she followed behind him from the gardens and through the manor to
their chamber.   

Once there, he went to the window
and she stood there in the middle of the room, waiting.  Finally, he addressed
her, although he still faced the window.  His words came out strong.

“How long have you known of your
cousin’s thievery, Danielle?” 

She stiffened. He knew! 

Her shoulders sagged with sudden
relief.  She went to his side and looked up at him.  She refused
to respond until he turned to face her.   Although it took a moment, he
finally acknowledged her scrutiny and turned, his stormy dark eyes meeting
hers.   

Her question burst from her mouth
“How did you discover this?”  

“Do not question me on the
particulars, Danielle.” came his cool reply.  “I ask you this now
because very soon the matter will be put to your cousin and he will pay for his
crimes against you and Gravane. His character lacks much and is quite, how
shall I put it? Peculiar.”

She knew of what he spoke. 

Thomas did not hide his weakness
and cowardice from the men as easily as he thought.  Always hiding and
making himself scarce whenever the slightest mention of battle erupted.
Soldiers of the manor all knew the truth.  Then there was the other rumor,
that none had ever seen him with a woman. Danielle had heard of such things and
Thomas's physical appearance and dress, gave thought to it. But she’d said
naught nor encouraged the rumors floating about the manor.

“Yea. That he is…peculiar.” When he
remained quiet, she fidgeted and heard the anticipation in her tone when she
asked, “Do you aim to challenge him?” 

Aric frowned at her.  She did
not listen well.  “Did I not just warn you not to question me on such
matters?”

She made a tsking sound with her
tongue and Aric blinked when she walked away from him to the middle of the
room. 

Danielle bristled with irritation
under his demand.  She turned back and he was right behind her.  She
took a step back and gazed up at him. 

“That is going to be hard to do
when I have questions of my own for you after you have the answers to yours,
milord
. 
Or is it Aric now that we are in our chamber?”  Danielle said in a haughty
tone and had to stop herself from slapping a hand over her mouth.

Nay, she was too worked up.  A
twinge of something she could not name filled her heart as she wondered if he'd
even thought about what had happened this morning.  Nay, men did not think
on these things, Danielle thought growing even angrier.

 He could beat her because of
her actions, but something in her told her he would not.  Even though she
was nervous, she lifted her chin higher and met his shocked gaze.  

Surprise at the coolness in her
tone quickly wore off and Aric arched a brow, the scar above it pulling taut.  So,
she was not as timid as she had been earlier.  He was glad, but he also
knew his earlier slight toward her had something to do with the anger shining
from her eyes and her sudden bravado. A part of him liked it.

Liked it very much. 

 “Aric,” he told her keeping
his tone curt. 

What questions could she possibly
have for him? he wondered as he thought of Balwain’s words by the river.
Tendre? He’d no time for such nonsense.

He’d shown her this
tendre
plenty
last night.

Desire sparked in him and he shoved
the image aside. He had other concerns at the moment.  Ignoring the
curiosity pulling at him, he crossed the room to the chairs on the other side
of the bed and sat down. “Come. Sit.” 

He watched her rushing to do so,
and then heard her curse under her breath as she caught herself doing it. He
did suppress a smile then and repeated his question about her cousin.

She answered after expelling a
shaky breath. “My father tolerated me because ‘twas what he promised my mother.
He went into the afterlife despising me for not being the son he so badly
wanted. Thomas I guess filled that void and my father gave him whatever he
wanted. They were very close. Within a week of my father’s death five years
ago, Thomas began his thievery. At first, he started by dipping into the rents,
tenant tax payments, then…”  She paused as the burden of holding it in for
all these past years caused a shiver to run through her frame.

“His greed turned him to
you.” Aric finished for her, his words packed with anger and he nodded for
her to continue.  “Go on.” 

“My father had given him
guardianship over my dower lands and over…me. that is until…” Danielle
stopped and swallowed. 

“Until William lay waste to England
and ordered you to marry, you mean?”

Her nod was stilted and defiance
flashed in her eyes. So she’d not really wanted this marriage either.  The
thought bothered Aric and he sat up straighter.  He watched her
closely. Opening up was not something she was used to, her cheeks reddening
were a sign of that.  He knew how hard it was for her to swallow all the
changes. He would not argue with her on it.

 “Well then.  I am not so
sure your father gave him everything. He did not give your cousin what he most
coveted and that is Gravane in its entirety. His guardianship ended with
your
marriage
. So, I doubt your father was as fooled by Thomas as you
would like to think.”   

Danielle’s eyes widened on
that.  Could he be right? Nay, her father had hated her. Yet, his trusted
steward had indeed come to her aid. Now that she thought about it, all the
pushing and prodding from the faithful steward for her to keep separate ledgers
had been will and strong determination. He had made it seem as if it’d been her
idea. Danielle felt her lips tug at the corners and warmth filled her heart.
The aged man had been with Gravane since the days of her grandfather and had
sat by her mother’s side often.

 “The separate
ledgers? Your idea?” Aric asked her. 

She nodded vigorously. “And
the steward,” she added with a smile. “He is a wise old man.”

Aric nodded in agreement. “Wise
indeed and so are you, Danielle. Very wise.”

Danielle shivered, rubbing her
arms. “If…If I had not, Gravane would have fallen to Thomas’s greed…to total
ruin. Not to say that naught has been unaffected, as it has. My people…Some of
them, well…There is discord amongst several here.”

Aric’s soft touch on the back of
her hand encouraged her to continue.

“His greed knows no bounds. Nor
does his…temper.” Revulsion coursed through Danielle as she absently rubbed her
cheek remembering all too well that day Thomas had made it clear he’d not
listen to her or any woman. 

Silence.

Danielle watched the scar above
Aric’s brow turn white as his eyes watched her intently. Licking her lips, she
went on. “He tried to undermine me on several occasions, using his temper as a
means to get me to give in to his wants and by bringing his sister here.” She
looked away from him then as she finished. “Rose only made things here…much
worse.”

 “And you thought to tell no
one of this?” 

“Who was there to tell?  Who
could I
trust
to tell? Most of the people here do not want to
listen to a woman let alone take orders from one. We both well know no one
cares to have things run by a woman during these times.”

Aric said naught for it was the
truth.  The awkward pause stretched betwixt them. She licked her lips and
looked down at his boots. 

“Despite what you said about my
father, there was no love from him to me and the whole of the manor knew of it.
 What little respect they held for me, died with him.  They did not
have to pretend anymore.” 

Aric didn’t miss the pained look
that crossed her lovely face.  He’d noticed the cavalier air and lack of
respect among a handful of the inhabitants of the manor toward the Lady of
Gravane.  From Gravane men-at-arms to a few sour-faced servants. But
again, all of that too was soon to change. Aye, it already had
started. 

 “By your detailed and I must
admit quite meticulous kept books, appears Thomas increased the serfs dues and
rents considerably.”

She nodded.  Only a handful of
the villagers remained loyal to her.  She had believed that once Thomas
was removed from Gravane, things would change.  “Yea. Thomas was very mean
to these people. Many attitudes are sour.” 

“Yet Gravane is plentiful and you
have a house filled to nigh over spilling. So no need for any villagers to
starve.”