Lady Knight (31 page)

Riannon grinned. “Blame me for aught you wish.”

Eleanor reached up to touch Riannon’s lips. “Your smile. Your laugh. I tell
myself they’re mine alone.”

“They are.”

Riannon felt herself slipping into the most welcome madness as she returned
Eleanor’s gaze. How had she wanted anything in creation more than this splendid
woman?

Riannon drew an unsteady breath and forced herself to let her arms fall from
around Eleanor. Not trusting herself to remain close to her, she walked away to
gather the reins of their wandering horses. Their time had been, and would be
again. But it was not now.

“Nonnie?”

“If thoughts weigh a tenth as much as deeds, I’m already damned. A crusader’s
vow and contrition absolves me of any sin. But no matter how many infidels I
killed, I’d never attain paradise. Because I could not truly repent if I
committed adultery with you.”

“Nor I.” Eleanor lifted her skirts clear of the muddy ground and damp leaf
litter to move closer, but she made no attempt to touch Riannon again. “We have
endured a year and a half, beloved. We can continue to wait. Patience is not a
virtue I possess in abundance, but I shall think of the rewards. Of you.”

Riannon nodded. “I’ll do all I can to make myself worthy of you.”

“You are already. More. My perfect knight.”

“No. I cannot support you, make you happy, or even protect you.”

“He doesn’t hurt me,” Eleanor said. “He’s never beaten me. I swear it.”

“If he touched you. If he did aught to demean you or dishonour you. If he –”

“He doesn’t.” Eleanor rested her hand on Riannon’s forearm. “And the charm ring
works.”

Riannon frowned. In giving it to Eleanor, she had sinned, for it contravened
Eleanor’s marriage vow. Perhaps she had blackened her soul beyond redemption
already, as well as condemning three people to unwanted chastity. Though,
Riannon had obtained it from Aveline. It was blessed by the Goddess. Surely it
would not work if the effect it produced was contrary to the will of the gods?

Sin or not, though, Riannon could not be sorry to think Eleanor’s husband
incapable of coupling with her.

“Would it be irredeemably wicked of me to ask to hear my name from your lips
again?” Eleanor asked. “No one has ever spoken it as you do. I would have that
fresh and strong in my ear to cherish.”

“Eleanor,” Riannon said. “Nell.”

Eleanor gently touched Riannon’s lips. Riannon wanted to pull her close and kiss
her. To taste her. To reclaim her. To hear Eleanor’s soft gasps and murmurs. To
whisper her name to her in a voice thick with passion. Her body ached for it to
the marrow of her bones. What was being damned for eternity compared to being
loved now?

“Nonnie?” Eleanor’s lips remained softly parted as she stared up at Riannon.

Riannon sharply averted her head from temptation and sucked in deep breaths of
chill air to cool her fevered blood.

Eleanor removed her hand from Riannon’s arm. “Who would have wagered that I’d
ever envy a serving wench?”

Riannon grinned. Eleanor did right to remind her of that first time they kissed,
and how they controlled their desire rather than lie together on the ground. How
like her, too, to remember her tease.

“Think you it’s some divine jest that the charmed ring has no efficacy with me?”
Riannon asked.

“Did you not have it made by your cousin, Naer Aveline? Mayhap the jest was
hers.”

Riannon shook her head. She could not begin to unravel the sinuous turns of
Aveline’s mind, but she had the strongest impression Aveline had acted truly in
blessing the ring.

“I know not how I’ll bear waiting for the day you put a different ring on my
finger,” Eleanor moved away to stand prepared to mount her horse. “But I shall.
Because of the promise that we’ll have each other along with everything else we
hold dear. From that day hence, I’ll envy no woman.”

Riannon smiled across the safety of the gap between them. Eleanor’s return smile
developed a wicked, teasing gleam.

“When we have the sanction of men and gods,” Eleanor said, “we can tumble to the
content of our hearts and bodies, wherever and whenever the fancy takes us.”

“I suppose I am at fault for such an unchaste turn of your mind?”

“For certès! This wretched ring has no power over me either. I would not dream
of exposing the breadth and depth of the fancies you’ve spurred in me. Suffice
it to say that you would be well advised to husband your strength against the
day we wed.”

“The prolonged campaigns of war will seem restful by comparison?”

“You will need to be your most heroic.”

Riannon laughed. “You are worth waiting for.”

“So are you. Let us hope, though, the gods do not make us wait too long.”

“A day is too long. But if it takes two years, five, or even ten, I’ll come to
you as soon as you send me word.”

Riannon pressed a courtly kiss on Eleanor’s gloved hand, helped her up into the
saddle, and escorted her back to Isingtor and her husband.

Eleanor smiled at the wall as Agnes drew the brush in long strokes through her
hair. Her mind’s eye returned to earlier in the evening. At Joan’s request,
Eleanor had played her lute and sang. Geoffrey had swelled with pride and beamed
as he bestowed his permission for her to continue after her first song. But her
performance had not been for his benefit. Riannon had taken a seat beside Guy to
listen. How much easier it had been to sing of love when she had only to glance
across to see Riannon watching her.

Someone pounded on the door. Eleanor frowned as she nodded to Agnes to open it.
The knocking sounded too heavy to be Cicely and too vigorous to be Geoffrey.
Agnes cracked the door open.

“I would speak with my father’s wife,” Ralph said.

“Sir!” Agnes clung to the door. “The lady is prepared for bed.” Ralph shoved her
aside. “Out of my way.”

Eleanor glared at him. “Something ails your father?”

“Yes, though he knows it not.” Ralph turned on Agnes. “Leave us. Now!”

“You’ve no right to order my women about,” Eleanor said. “It’s you who should
leave. Whatever you wish to speak with me about can wait until the morning.”

“No, madam, it cannot. And it isn’t something I wish gossiped about, even if
you’re too wanton to care for my family’s reputation.” He grabbed Agnes and
shoved her out the door.

Angry, Eleanor stood. “I’ve warned you about the laxity of your tongue, and your
unwisdom in letting it flap without the power of thought behind it. Now, be so
good as to leave.”

He slammed the door shut and dropped the bar into place. Eleanor felt the first
stirring of fear. He stomped back to stand near her. She smelled wine. Her fear
grew. She held her dressing robe closed. “You’ve been in your cups,” she said.
“We can talk in the morning, when it will suit us both better. Now, I’d thank
you to leave.”

“A whole tun of wine would be insufficient to befuddle my wits so that I’d not
understand what game you play, madam.”

He brushed past Eleanor as he strode to the bed. He yanked the hangings apart.

“Empty,” he said. “But for how long?”

“Get out!” she said. “Now. And I’ll not say a word of this to your father.
You’re drunk and know not what you say.”

Eleanor started towards the door. He grabbed her forearm hard enough to bruise.

“You’ve a right nerve talking about my father,” he said. “You sang your love
songs and simpered and made eyes for all the world to see. All the while, my
poor foolish old father sat beside you and smiled and dribbled his wine down
himself and did not see your wantonness.” Eleanor tugged her arm, but he held
firm. “You dare –”

“He should never have married you. He’s too old. Ripe for a woman like you to
put horns on. You should’ve been mine. You were supposed to be. He cheated me.
I’d have kept you in hand. You’d not have left my bed wanting to spread your
legs for some piss-proud skirtchaser.”

“Let me go!”

“I have eyes!” He shook her. “Even the dogs see how you throw yourself at Lord
lick-my-arse Guy! The only poor fool who is blind to your harlotry is my
addle-witted father.”

Eleanor struggled to free her arms. He gripped her all the harder. She opened
her mouth to scream. Ralph punched her in the face. Eleanor’s head snapped back
as pain exploded in her mouth. She tasted blood and fell on the bed.

“Let’s see if your precious lordling will come from behind women’s skirts long
enough to face a man for the consequences of his wenching with wives. Gods, I’ve
wanted an excuse to wipe the stupid smile off that bastard’s face. It’s high
time you and he both had the lesson that you cannot drag my family’s honour in
the dirt with impunity. My father might be incapable of teaching you, but I’m
not.”

Ralph reached under the front of his tunic. Terror lent Eleanor wild strength.
She scrambled across the bed. Ralph caught her hair and yanked her back.
Eleanor screamed. Ralph hit her face. Agony slammed her cheek. He ripped open
her chemise and clutched one of her breasts.

“You should’ve been mine,” he said.

Eleanor spat blood at him and flailed with her nails.

“Bitch.” He punched her and smashed most of her consciousness away.

Riannon dragged her frown around the hall again. From her position standing at
the side of the hearth, she could see all the knots of frustrated hunters as
they drank or talked or diced. Guy sat across a chessboard from Humphrey. Rain
hurled down loud against the roof as if the gods wished to wash Isingtor away.

At the sound of a lute string plucked, she turned. Instead of Eleanor, one of
Joan’s daughters idly played the instrument.

Riannon turned her frown back to the other side of the hall. Geoffrey’s
loudmouthed son drank with Henry’s sons and their cronies. Something Ralph said
made Guy sharply turn to him. Geoffrey was absent. Riannon didn’t want to think
he might be the reason Eleanor had yet to leave her bedchamber.

Joan halted near Riannon. “This wretched weather. What could be worse than
having to entertain a group of men who’d rather be outside slaughtering?”

“Have you seen Eleanor this morn?” Riannon asked.

Joan glanced around. “Now that you ask, I haven’t. And though it’s highly
unmaternal of me, I’d rather she held that instrument than Elizabeth.”

“Perhaps she is unwell,” Riannon said.

“Or, mayhap, she has the sense to remain abed on such a dreary morning. I’ll go
and see how she fares.”

Riannon knew they would be unable to keep their engagement to ride together, but
she did wish to see Eleanor. Sitting across a hearth from her and listening to
her spiritedly swapping jests with Guy proved good entertainment. Riannon could
have listened to Eleanor’s singing and playing all day long, though she would
infinitely prefer not to have to watch Geoffrey of Howe sitting beside his wife
and pawing her between songs.

Eleanor sat on the chest beneath the window. She couldn’t keep warm. She pulled
her fur-lined mantle about herself but still shivered. Rain hurled down past her
narrow vertical opening on the world. Occasionally the wind blew some of the
wetness inside. Trickles, like tears, ran down the limed wall near her skirts.
She had had no tears of her own this morning. She felt too numb. Too sore. Her
mind jumped erratically between utter blankness and horrifically sharp images of
last night. She could control her mind no better than she could her trembling
limbs.

The door latch jumped. Eleanor flinched. A hand knocked on the door.

“Eleanor?” Geoffrey said. “This door is barred.”

Eleanor gripped the stone window embrasure. Her face hurt as she frowned. She
did not want him to come in. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She hadn’t even
had the courage to look at herself. One eye would not open. Her shame would be
livid and swollen on her face for all to see.

“Let me in,” Geoffrey said.

“My lady?” Agnes whispered. “It’s your lord husband.”

Eleanor felt the deepest reluctance to tell Geoffrey what his son had done to
her. Yet, she had done nothing to invite Ralph’s attack. The blame was his, not
hers. The shame should be his, though she burned with it. Her husband, of all
men, should have protected her against the unwanted attentions of other men.

“My dear, open this door,” Geoffrey said. “I grow impatient.”

“My lady?” Agnes whispered. “Shall I?”

Eleanor wanted it to be yesterday. When it hadn’t rained. When she didn’t hurt.
Riding with Riannon and glowing with hope and love.

“I know not what game you’re playing,” he said, “but I tire of it. I demand that
you let me in.”

“I ought to admit him,” Agnes said.

Eleanor put a shaking hand to her forehead. Her thoughts, her nerves, everything
had been bashed to tatters.

“Eleanor!” Geoffrey said.

Her husband needed to know. He had a right to. He was her protector. It was his
duty to see justice done against her attacker. Even if that man was his son.
Eleanor needed to feel safe again – to know that she did not stand alone. She
needed to hear someone tell her that she was not to blame.

“My lady?” Agnes said.

Eleanor nodded, though she continued to stare at the rain. How could there be so
much wrong in a world created by benevolent gods?

The door opened.

“Really, my dear,” Geoffrey said. “I should not be made to wait outside my
wife’s chamber. What if someone had seen?”

Eleanor tugged her mantle more closely about herself as she heard Geoffrey
approach. Part of herself wished to flee.

“I wanted to tell you, my dear,” Geoffrey said, “that you should feel free to
play and sing in company if our hostess solicits your performance again. You
have a voice pleasing to all. Being entertaining is the key to future
invitations to gatherings like this. On such a dreary day, we will all have
ample opportunity to prove our worth as guests. Now, come, my dear.”

Eleanor continued to stare out at the rain. “I… I cannot.”

“Have your woman bring your instrument.”

“I cannot go downstairs.”

“What’s this?” Geoffrey said. “If you have some chill or woman’s complaint,
you’re better off beside a hearth, not shivering up here. Come. Let’s all play
our parts to do our family credit. Ralph feels this is but the beginning of
grander things for us. He should know. Come, my dear.”

“I cannot.” Eleanor swallowed heavily down her bruised throat. “My… my
appearance will not do your family credit. Quite the contrary.”

“Your appearance? If you have some spot or redness of nose from a cold, no one
will notice, my dear. You’re being unduly vain. Now, let us tarry no longer than
we already have.”

Eleanor shook her head. He would understand if she turned around to face him,
but she did not want to.

“I know not what ails you this morn,” he said, “but this contrariness is
unbecoming, my dear. Everyone will have broken their fasts and have gathered in
the hall. Come. We’ll join them.”

Eleanor’s eyes stung with tears.

Geoffrey made a grunt of irritation. He moved closer and put a hand on her
shoulder. Eleanor twitched away from the contact.

“Really, my dear,” he said. “I’m losing my patience. I wish us to go down. Have
the goodness to obey me.”

“Goodness?” Eleanor turned around. “I have little faith in goodness today.”

Geoffrey’s eyes widened in shock. Eleanor instantly regretted letting him see
and quickly turned away.

“Atuan’s toes,” Geoffrey said. “What happened?”

Eleanor gripped the edge of the window and wished she had not started this. She
didn’t want to think about any of it.

“Have you fallen?” he said. “We must ask Lady Northmarch to send a servant to
the nearest grove for a healer priestess.”

“No,” Eleanor said. “I want no one to see me.”

“It looks painful, my dear.” Geoffrey stepped closer and peered at Eleanor’s
profile. “Did you fall from your horse? I’ve warned you about riding so fast.
That mare of yours is too spirited. I’ll buy you a more placid animal, such as
Phillipa rides.”

“I came to no harm riding,” Eleanor said.

“Who escorted you yesterday? Whoever he was is much at fault for allowing this
to happen. Was it Lord Guy? I shall have to protest to him for his laxity in
care.”

“It wasn’t Guy.” A bubble of anger rose inside Eleanor and burst. “I had no
accident. I didn’t look like this at supper, did I?”

Geoffrey frowned. “No. Then what did you do? Was it those back stairs? I’ve
slipped and almost fallen there myself. I’ve been meaning to speak to Lady
Northmarch’s steward about them. You need to take more care, my dear.”

“Why do you persist in believing I brought this on myself?”

“Well, my dear, you can be headstrong. And you don’t always heed my advice on
how best to comport yourself.”

Eleanor sagged against the cold stone wall. “How do you suggest I should’ve
comported myself when a man shoved his way into my chamber and beat me nearly
senseless?”

“A man?” Geoffrey bristled. “You allowed a man into your bedchamber last night?”

Eleanor peered one-eyed at him in disbelief.

“I can scarce credit that my wife has admitted that she allowed a man into her
chamber!” Geoffrey hit his hand with a fist. “Ralph warned me there was one in
this company who might try to take advantage of his position. I should’ve
listened to him. He’s always right. And you should not have let whoever it was
do this. You’re my wife. My family’s honour is at stake.”

“
Let?
” Eleanor blinked away tears. “You think I had a choice? He might have
killed me. You think I wanted him to –”

Eleanor turned her face to the wall. Gods, this couldn’t be happening. She
wanted everything to stop and go away. Tears dribbled over her split lip.

“Well,” Geoffrey said. “Who is he? I shall have to approach Lord Northmarch
about this. Mayhap the Earl Marshal, too. They’ll ensure justice is done, though
it’s unfortunate that this will expose our good name to a stain and cast a pall
on this hunt. Still, there’s no helping it now. I must have redress. Whether you
invited him in or no, he has no right to beat my wife. Who is this man?”

Eleanor wanted to dissolve with the rain and seep away into the earth. Yet, part
of her wished she had the courage to go down into that hall and call Ralph to
account for what he did in front of all those witnesses. Make him feel his
guilt.

“If you had no part in inviting this man to your chamber,” Geoffrey said, “you
won’t try to protect him from the consequences of his actions.”

“It was Ralph.”

In the ensuing silence, Eleanor heard the rain drumming down outside and
Geoffrey’s faintly wheezing breath behind her.

“He’d been drinking,” Eleanor said. “I asked him to leave. He pushed Agnes out
and – he hit me.”

“But –” Geoffrey paced away and back. “This is beyond – There must be much
you’re not telling me. What did you do?”

“I asked him to leave.”

“He would not have come here without good reason. Did you invite him?”

“No.”

“Why did he come?” Geoffrey grabbed her shoulder. “He’s younger than me. Is that
it? Because I’ve been unable –”

“No!” Eleanor pressed her forehead against the hard stone. “Holy Mother, no. Do
you honestly believe I would want anyone to do this to me? He was drunk. I
thought he would kill me.”

“You must’ve provoked him.”

Eleanor turned until she could see him. The whole of creation had stopped making
sense. She was surprised not to see the floor littered with broken fragments of
reality piled around Geoffrey’s feet.

“I know my son. He would not have acted without cause.”

“He accused me of dalliance with Lord Guy.”

Geoffrey nodded. “I’ve noticed that you two are always smiling and more than
friendly.”

“No. Gods, no. I have never lain with Guy. And if I had, how could you think
that would justify your son beating me bloody and raping me?”

Geoffrey’s expression hardened. “Your language is unseemly. I’ll talk with
Ralph. We must decide what to do. Lord Guy is the Earl Marshal’s brother. This
is a heavy accusation indeed.”

“It’s false. A lie!”

“Now I see how it was. Ralph merely chastised you for wantonness that imperilled
our family good name. Yes.” Geoffrey nodded. “That is what happened. You will
remain here, madam. You are to see no one and communicate with no one through
that woman of yours. You will obey me in this. I’ll not have you causing
scandals that will make my family the meat for gossip and derision. Ralph and I
must decide how to proceed. We’ll deal with you when we get home. Mayhap,
because of you, we might have to curtail our visit. This is not well done.”

Eleanor heard the door shut behind him. Beyond disbelief, and beyond despair,
she found fear.

Riannon saw Geoffrey appear in the far doorway. He was alone. He sent a servant
to his son sitting amongst a noisy group at the other hearth. Ralph looked
annoyed but rose and went to join his father. Whatever Geoffrey said made Ralph
sneer. He grabbed his father’s arm as if he might shake him. Ralph leaned close
to his father to speak. Geoffrey nodded several times and looked around the
hall. His gaze snagged on Guy and Humphrey. Ralph clapped his father on his
shoulders, laughed, and strode back to his drinking companions. Geoffrey,
looking worried, departed. Riannon’s frown deepened.

Guy strolled across the hall and stopped beside her. “How about you take your
turn at the game board with our host?”

“Did you beat him again?” Riannon asked.

“Can you doubt it? That is why you should play. It’d cheer Humphrey considerably
to thrash the Vahldomne.”

“Perhaps later. I’m in the wrong mood.”

“Are you ever in the right mood to lose badly?” he asked. “I needs must be when
I get caught betwixt you and Nell. My wit is no armour against the shafts from
your tongues.”

Guy laughed. “I told you that she’d make this trip merry. Though I am close to
throwing that dog turd stepson of hers into the nearest midden.”

Riannon and Guy glanced across to a loud burst of laughter. Ralph returned their
gaze with an expression close to an insolent sneer. He said something to his
companions which provoked another burst of laughter.

“The whoreson has been doing that to me all morn,” Guy said. “I’ve no notion why
he wishes to raise my hackles, but if he persists, I’ll forget the courtesy I
owe our sister as our hostess and the trouble it’d cause Nell. I’ve long wanted
to ram his teeth down his throat.”

“Have patience,” she said. “We’ll not always be restrained, nor he protected by,
our obligations to others.”

Guy flashed her a grin.

“What miserable weather, eh?” Henry planted himself in front of the fire to warm
his backside. “We’ll have to persuade Eleanor to play for us. We –”

He broke off to frown across at the raucous group across the hall. “I could wish
that Geoffrey’s son was the same worth as his father. He has a fondness for
talking about more than he does. And it’s not seemly to use such language in
company with ladies. He forgets that he’s not in an Irulandi brothel. I’ll not
have my wife exposed to such language.” Henry stomped across the hall. Riannon
did not witness the effect of his arrival on the rowdy group because Joan
returned.