Immortal Love (10 page)

The old servant looked as though she could
throttle her mistress, and tightly clasped her hands in her lap.
“You’re saying all men are incapable of honesty and honor?”

“Yes.”

“Then you consider Zenon dishonest and
without honor?”

Martha’s argument completely disarmed
Eleanor. “Well—no, Zenon’s different.”

“How is he different? He’s a man.”

“Yes, but, he is not a nobleman. Noblemen are
spoiled and self-indulgent. They have no honor.”

Martha stood, grasping Eleanor’s shoulder.
“You will find that not all men, noble or otherwise, are cast from
the same mold.”

“I have yet to see it.”

“Then you’re looking in the wrong direction.
Hasn’t Lord Dominick’s actions spoken louder than your words?” With
that said, Martha left Eleanor alone in the great hall.

Eleanor couldn’t argue with Martha, but that
didn’t mean she wouldn’t proceed with caution. With her feelings in
check she walked out to the bailey. It was a warm April morning
that required only a light wrap. On her way to the gatehouse, she
noted that more and more wagons were arriving at Godwin every day.
Masons, carpenters and blacksmiths came, bringing their families.
Merchants with fine jewelry, fabrics and pottery set up colorful
tents to display their wares. Outside the castle walls, farmers
prepared their fields for planting.

The sound of leather slapping, and a deep
voice encouraging two oxen to move, caught her attention. Her heart
stopped for a moment, and a whoosh of air escaped her lungs.

There in the middle of the field guiding a
plow with reins wrapped around his back was Dominick. He was naked
to the waist and slick with sweat. His muscles bunched and strained
to keep the plow in the earth while the two oxen lumbered
along.

Even at a distance she felt the raw power
that surrounded him. The plow cutting through earth and stone added
to the air of strength, and the force that moved him mesmerized
her.

Her new resolve weakened.

She felt an unfamiliar tightening in her
chest and the lower part of her belly. Suddenly the air seemed very
hot. Her mouth went dry, and involuntarily she licked her lips.
When her grip on her wrap loosened, the garment slipped down her
shoulders.

He stopped for a moment when a young girl
named Colleen approached him with a dipper of water. He took a few
gulps then poured the remaining contents over his face. Water
flowed down his throat and chest. Colleen caressed his hand as he
handed back the dipper, flirting with him outrageously.

Eleanor wanted to tear the girl’s hair out.
The thought jolted her back to reality. What was it about this man
that turned her into a person she didn’t recognize?

Deliberately, she
turned and walked away. Work. That was what she needed to burn off
the fierce energy that consumed her. Certain there must be a room
that needed her attention, she returned to the castle.

D
ominick saw Eleanor
standing at the edge of the field. The way she stared at him made
him hard in an instant. He recognized lust in a woman when he saw
it.

If it were not for the insistent pull of the
oxen, he was sure he would have taken her into the nearby forest to
have his way with her. It would not take much persuasion on his
part to bed her. The problem was she didn’t understand her
feelings, and he wouldn’t press his advantage of that. In the long
run she would end up hating him for it. Besides, he wanted more
than just coupling, something grounded in more than just the
physical. Something permanent.

He had known it the moment his lips touched
hers the night before. It had taken all his will to pull away and
leave her in their chambers, returning to the battlements where
he’d spent most of the night. He had little rest, for her sweet
lips intruded on his memory and her response to him tortured his
soul.

Knowing hard work was the only way to stop
his craving for her, he’d sought out Zenon first thing. The old
servant had instructed him on how to hold the plow and guide the
oxen. Dominick found the physical labor quite satisfying. The smell
of fresh earth mixed with the salt air of the sea was exhilarating.
Winning at tournaments hadn’t given him the same satisfaction as
seeing the progress of turning the dirt in the field. Soon the
fields would turn green with the crops he’d planted with his own
hand. This was what King William meant by building instead of
destroying.

Dominick stopped when he saw his brother
approaching with a bag and a pitcher of ale. They found a nearby
tree and sat in its shade to share a meal.

“The masons have nearly completed the repairs
to the outer battlement walls.”

“Good. The roof is repaired, and now we can
concentrate our efforts on the castle’s interior.”

“I didn’t think it possible, but Godwin is
beginning to look quite beautiful.”

Dominick felt a sense of pride. “It is. Now
if we can keep McPhearson away it may prosper. Have your men come
across any signs of him yet?”

“No, but we will keep nightly patrols. If he
tries to make a move against the castle, we will know in plenty of
time.”

“Don’t underestimate him. The man is cunning,
and we don’t know what alliances he’s making.”

“My men are taking every precaution.”

Dominick paused for a moment. “I know they
are, Brother. Ignore me. I have become as nervous as an old
woman.”

“This is a side of you I have never
seen.”

Dominick bit down on a piece of cheese, then
reclined on one elbow. “I think it’s because I have never owned
land before. I feel grounded and wish to stay that way. I won’t
allow this to be taken from me.”

Randolf stretched his legs in front of him.
“We have come quite a long way from our mercenary days.”

Dominick chuckled. “Two bastard sons with
only our shields, our swords and our horses. It was quite an
adventure.”

“Do you miss it?” Randolf pulled up on a
blade of grass.

“No.” Dominick sat and looked out over the
field. “Something happened in that prison, Randolf. I saw men
tortured to death. I saw their souls walk around in unsettled
grief. Their cries still haunt me in the night. Until that time, I
had never thought about death before. I was young and immortal,
undefeated in battle and full of myself. Then death stared me right
in the face, and I knew I hadn’t lived yet. Since then, I have
longed for peace, but until now I thought it unattainable.”

Dominick remembered the day they had been
fostered out at an early age to be trained as squires. As far as he
was concerned, their parents had abandoned them, and the two
brothers were all each other had. With no title and very little
money, they had offered their sword arms for hire, making their own
destiny. Never defeated, they captured the attention of the king.
For Dominick that had been a lifetime ago, but he knew Randolf was
not of the same mind.

“I have not found the peace you have,”
Randolf confirmed. “There is something out there I need to find.
Until I do, there will be no rest for me.”

“Do you know what it is you search for?”

“No. But I’m sure I will know it when I find
it. And when I do, I hope to find your peace.”

“I wish that for you too, Brother. I truly
do.” Dominick finished the last of the bread and cheese, took
another swig of ale and stood, stretching his arms and legs. “Well,
I must get back to my field. Thank you for the meal.”

“You have plenty of farmers to plow these
fields. Come with me to the training field, so I can defeat you and
impress the young maids.”

“You have never had a problem with women. I
see them throwing themselves at your feet daily. Besides I need to
work off a bit of energy today. I’ll let you dazzle them
tomorrow.”

Randolf’s eyes narrowed. Dominick saw his
uncanny intuition at work and dreaded his next words.

“You have not taken your bride.”

“That is no concern of yours.”

“Dominick, you’re a married man, it’s your
right to bed your wife.”

He took a deep breath. “There is no chivalry
in taking an unwilling maid.”

“I have seen you woo the most rigid of women.
How is this one different?”

“She’s afraid, Randolf. She has seen nothing
but abuse from her father. I wish to win her trust as well as her
favors.”

“I suppose you’re right. She’s your wife, not
a common wench to be conquered. But I hope she’s intelligent enough
to see your efforts and come around soon. There are not enough
fields to plow.”

Dominick laughed and
slapped his brother on the back. “I will see you at the evening
meal.” He returned to his plow and oxen and worked the field for
the rest of the afternoon.

E
leanor felt hot and
sticky. She couldn’t remember a warmer day in April. Three chambers
had been scrubbed, their bedding aired out and new rushes placed on
the floor. Her back and arms ached, and she was in desperate need
of fresh air.

Without thinking, she found herself heading
toward the field where Dominick had been working earlier.
Disappointed not to find him, she stopped in the cool shade of a
nearby tree. She heard children screaming not too far away, and her
heart leapt to her throat. Could they have fallen into the stream?
She ran as fast as she could. When she reached the clearing, she
stopped abruptly. Dominick was waist deep in water with one child
hanging around his neck and one on each arm.

He dragged them through the stream, making
growling sounds with each step. Then with a great roar he tossed
each one into the water. The children squealed with delight as he
roared again, flexing his arms like a great giant. The children
attacked again, climbing him like a ladder. Making a show of defeat
he fell back into the stream, taking the young ones with him.

Pressing her hands to her lips, Eleanor
stifled a giggle. She had never expected this. Dominick liked
children, and they liked him. They were not intimidated by his size
or coal black eyes. At that moment he was one of them.

As she watched their antics, Martha’s words
came to mind.
They are not all cut from the same cloth.
Maybe she was right. Eleanor could never imagine her father showing
children any kindness. Not even his own daughter.

The little girl, who could not have been more
than four years old, leaped toward Dominick and he caught her in
mid-air. He declared playtime over when they started to
tremble.

“It’s time to get you warmed up before you
catch your death from cold,” he said. He plucked the children one
by one out of the water and set them on the bank. The two boys,
Matthew to be five and Ethan, seven, were hardier, so Dominick took
special care of the small girl named Abigail. He led her to the
soft bank, wrapped her in his tunic and tied it around her
shoulders. Then he picked up his little mummy and plopped her on
his shoulders. To the boys’ delight, he picked them up too, placing
one in each arm, carrying them like logs, while they giggled and
laughed with each step.

It was then he spotted Eleanor. She couldn’t
help smiling at him. “I see you found some new friends.”

“What, these creatures?” He bent his head to
look at them. “They tried to drown me.” He flexed his arms, giving
the two boys a squeeze, soliciting peals of laughter.

Eleanor giggled, too. She felt light headed
and relaxed as she walked with them through the gatehouse, Dominick
still carrying the children.

Ruth, the children’s mother, came running up
to them. “My Lord, I’m so sorry. I hope they haven’t been a
nuisance. They seem to have gotten away from me.”

“They’ve been no trouble. As a matter of fact
I would like to take them to the castle. I promised them a
treat.”

“O..Of course, my lord.” Ruth stammered. “I
will be along later to pick them up.”

Dominick gave the boys another squeeze,
forcing them to laugh louder, as Ruth looked on in amazement.
Eleanor gave her the same questioning look and followed them to the
castle.

Once inside, Dominick unloaded Ethan,
Matthew, and Abigail in front of the hearth and ordered warm cider,
fresh pastry and dry clothes. Once they were dressed, seated and
consuming pastries and cider, Dominick disappeared to change his
own wet clothes.

Eleanor watched with amazement. There seemed
to be no bottom to the young ones’ stomachs. It was good to see
them eat with such vigor.
Especially these children
, she
thought, who had lost their father during McPhearson’s siege.

“I swear you boys grow bigger every time I
see you. And Abigail, you’re turning into such a little lady.”

Abigail got out of her seat and with her best
effort curtsied politely, nearly toppling over.

Eleanor reached out to steady her. “What good
manners you have.” The boys, not to be out done, left their seats
and bowed from the waist. The youngest boy, Matthew, took her hand
and placed a wet kiss on the back of it. Eleanor laughed with
delight. “I must tell your mother how impressed I am with your
manners and behavior.”

All three chimed in, “Thank you, my
lady.”

Eleanor tried her best sober face. “You’re
very welcome.” She shooed them back to their seats. “Now finish
your goodies before your mother gets here.” They obeyed without
hesitation.

“Did you save any for me?” Dominick’s voice
boomed as he entered.

Eleanor looked up to see that he had changed
into a plain black tunic and black breeches. His hair had been
combed and tied at the nape of his neck, and he wore a silver
circlet around his head. She tamped down the urge to stare. Quickly
she glanced back at the children. “I think they have eaten it all,
my lord.”

“All of it! Well, we’ll see about that.” He
picked up Abigail and swung her high over his head, eliciting great
peals of laughter. Then he sat her on his lap in a chair near the
hearth and began to tickle her unmercifully until she laughed so
hard she was breathless. Ethan and Matthew ran to the chair to save
their little sister, but Dominick quickly began to tickle them.
Soon all three children were lying on the floor, giggling and
exhausted. One by one he picked them up and placed them on his
lap.