Authors: Amy Mullen
A Stormy Knight (12 page)
The wedding was fast approaching, her father was getting better, but nothing seemed right. Her conversation with Leda lifted her spirits a bit for a reason she could not pinpoint. Something had shifted within her
,
and perhaps she had been a bit too harsh with the man who had come to save her family and to care for her people. Perhaps there was more to the story than either knew.
The next few days were uneventful. There was a certain peace
that
settled on Blackstone and all who dwelt within the walls. Nicholas was busy
,
and Gemma found herself without time to relax as well. She spent time with Isabel, who relentlessly chattered on about the wedding. In her excitement, she managed to talk her older sister into allowing her to
pick flowers for the ceremony.
Their wedding would be as simple and quick as possible
,
and there
would be a great feast after the mass and the vows. The
y had
no time to cry the banns, but many guests were expected. It was also a tense time. Everyone would be distracted on the wedding day. Nicolas worked tirelessly to be sure all ends were tied and all who were invited were going to be happy, but at the same time, someone would always be watching.
Gavin
'
s fate was still a mystery. He had disappeared without a trace. Gemma longed for answers. The search for him
came
up empty. He
r brother
was still missing
,
and most assumed he had met an untimely end.
Nicholas had not been around much
, but that was about to change. Their wedding was the next day. She was not surprised when he walked boldly into her chambers. He came without a sound that would have betrayed his approach. Willis and Oliver were behind him.
"
Goodness!
"
she exclaimed as they entered a few steps behind him.
"
Hesse was on the steps
,
and she assured us you were alone
â¦
and clothed,
"
Nicholas smirked and then beckoned
toward
the other two men. They were both carrying what appeared to be a large trunk.
"
What is this?
"
She feared the answer.
"
Your quarters are going to be ours. Your brother has a nice enough space, but I feel this room suits us better.
'
Tis away from your father so we may have privacy and
a room
big enough for our needs.
"
Oliver and Willis left only to return with an assortment of items they place
d
near the trunk. They gave her a quick nod and both left the room.
She stared at the trunk blankly. It was far roomier than hers and seemed oddly out of place sitting next it.
These
quarters
were hers and hers alone
for so long she felt as if her last bit of privacy had just been taken from her. There was something most unsettling about how quickly he had come to invade every corner of her life.
"
You do not mean to rest here this night, do you?
"
she asked. There was a noticeable quiver in her bottom lip. She thought she had one more night. It would not be decent for him to sleep here before they were wed, not that she
guessed
what he would ask of her after they wed would be decent either.
In a panic
,
she wondered
if she misunderstood something.
"
Worry not, little one,
"
he said as he sprawled out on her enormous bed.
"
I
'
ll not stay this night, but I thought it best to move my things in here. My wedding clothes are still in the other room, but there is no sense moving things after the feast. We shall have more pleasurable things to do.
"
Her throat constricted at the mere mention of what was supposed to happen between them as man and wife. Though Leda had tried to reassure her it could be an experience topped by no other, she believed a pleasurable experience would be reserved for those
who
were a love match.
They
might
have had a young love once, but that was no more. He was still the enemy, though he seemed a bit less threatening now than he had when he first arrived. His behavior
toward
her frustrated her. She did not deserve this
,
and
somehow
she had to prove that.
He crossed his arms behind his head and propped his booted feet up on her bed as he studied her. It was not a moment of simple pleasure
, but
almost as if he enjoyed getting a rise out of her.
"
I hear your father is doing well. He is drinking water and taking in broth. I spoke with him today about our marriage. He cannot yet walk, but he is feeling some strength back. He shall be carried down to the chapel tomorrow to see us wed.
"
"
Father must not be moved until he is well! We do not yet know what happened to him. What if that is too much for him?
"
S
he moved away from the bed, backing up against the wall. She feared he would spring up from the bed to grab her and drag her down into a compromising position.
"'
Twould appear Blaise de Vere is a
rugged
man. He recovers quickly. Your priest is most certain it was poison
that
took him down. He has no physical symptoms of any other malady. Your father must have
drunk
enough to almost kill him, but it did not.
"
"
Thank goodness for that,
"
she said, crossing her
arms over
her
chest nervously.
"
And,
"
he continued
,
as if she had not spoken a word.
"
He seems fine with our marriage and does not feel up to all that needs to be done. He seems downright grateful someone is taking charge since your brother never arrived. In fact, he has seemed pleasantly surprised to see me, as if there was never any ill will.
"
"
Why should that shock you?
"
she said, her voice rising.
"
My father never hated you. Even when he thought your family was trying to betray us, he never spoke an ill word about it after it happened.
"
"
Then why do you hold such a grudge over the imaginary thing my family was supposed to have done?
"
H
e sat up a bit with his elbows behind him, holding up his torso. He stared straight at her as if daring her not to answer.
His body was certainly much unlike that of Phillip Bigod. Nicholas was lean but muscular and moved with a grace Phillip could never hope to have. The urge to stare at his face was overpowering. It was so familiar but
more
mature now. To stare at him for too long was like staring at the sun. She had been holding her br
eath as she studied him
,
and she spun
away to let the pent
-
up air escape from her lungs.
He endured her silence and then let out a chuckle as he
surveyed
the room.
"
I told you going over the same old argument between us will do us no good. We shall learn to agree to disagree with each other
,
and that will be how it is in our marriage.
"
Before she could respond
,
he jumped up from the bed and stepped to her.
"
I shall leave you be now, but do not fear. I will know where you are at all times should you decide to run. You will not get far.
"
He grabbed her shoulders
,
and she flinched. He lowered his head
toward
hers.
She gasped as she realized he was about to kiss her again. Something in her warned her to fight
,
but she found herself moving in as he leaned down. A lingering scent took her back in time. His essence was familiar. It had matured as he had but was still the same.
Lips, soft and warm,
touched hers.
He slipped his tongue
between her lips with urgency, en
couraging them to open as well.
She shuddered as his tongue met hers. Something strange happened within her as she forgot she hated him
and marveled at the sensations
moving through her body. The feelings were new but no
t entirely unwelcome. H
is hand move
d
down her body, softly skimming the curve in the small of her back. He abr
uptly pulled her closer to him.
The kiss intensified
,
and she found her limbs had a mind of their own. Her hand reached up and gently touched the back of his neck. She leaned in without realizing it, allowing her body to meld against his. It felt right being close to him. His other hand released her shoulder and moved down her arm, sending a zing of electricity up her spine as
her stomach tightened
.
His breath was hot, charging the air around them. He moved his hand up her flat stomach, moving higher. She stiffened. A spell wove around them. He moved down to her bare shoulder with his lips, slowly sampling the sweetness of her skin.
The closeness
warmed her, causing a tingle that shot through her like a lightning strike.
She moaned without realizing it
,
and her knees threatened
to
buckle beneath her. His hand deftly encircled her shoulder.
An
urge she could not name
erupted
, an urge so strong it was almost painful. Alarmed, she threw herself
backward
out of his embrace.
Trembling, she
fell to the floor with her feet tucked underneath her kirtle.
For a moment, Nicholas seemed startled and dazed. He snapped out of it quickly with a frown and backed away.
"
Yes, that will do nicely,
"
he said simply and walked out of the room as if he did not have a care in the world.
****
Nicholas went to his temporary quarters, now empty except for the bed. He was as unsettled as he had ever been because of that woman.
In need of a distraction, h
e ordered his squire to inquire about a bath, but he did not want it warm.
It had to be
cold. That was the only thing that was going to ease his misery. Gemma may have ruined his life, but she was the only woman who drove him to distraction just by walking near him. The kiss he just shared with her
all but put him over the edge, and h
e was no longer sure he was in control.
He took the steps quickly and walked down into the great hall. All was quiet there, except for a few servants getting ready to retire for the night. The fire was almost out. The air was cool
,
and the crickets hummed in the bailey outside. It would have been a great night to sit and look up at the stars after a long, hot day. He always enjoyed being outside at night. The air was always crisp, cool, and invigorating just an hour after the sunset.
In the crisp night air he tried to focus on the last death at the castle. Thorough inspection of the ale the young girl drank turned up nothing useful. There was no tell-tale smell of poison or anything amiss with the liquid. He had spilled it on a dark cloth, hoping something would be left behind as the ale dried, but there was nothing. Short of asking someone to drink it, there was no other way he knew to detect poison. The people here were in real danger
,
and he had
to make it
a
priority to stop it.
Out of nowhere an image of Gemma sitting in the grass next to him, sharing a skin of wine intruded
,
and he lost his train of thought.
Curse that woman!
He came here bent on his revenge. The opportunity to get satisfaction for the wrong done to his family had fallen into his lap. Now, that little wisp of a woman was threatening all of that. He expected to enjoy her body, but all he could remember was how good he felt around her all those years ago.
His betrothed
was still the same in spirit, which was what had attracted him to her in the beginning. Everything about her seemed tenuous and fragile, but she hid within her an incredible strength. The mix was intoxicating.
He decided to
clear his head
by going to each of the towers for a status report.
Normally, he would summon
Willis to take care of it, but the activity would do him good. As he walked
,
he tried to return his mind to business. It was for naught. She wiggled into his thoughts no matter h
ow hard he tried to banish her.
How could such a woman with her quiet defiance and her questionable past encompass his thinking so deeply and completely? He was determined to hate her and to make her squirm, but that feeling was slowly losing its delicious flavor. No matter how cold he was
toward
her, she was weaving a spell over him all over again.
Reports from his men reassured him all was well. He sensed trouble tomorrow
,
and he would come down hard on anyone
who
dared stand in his way. Blackstone would be his home.
H
e
deserved some luck and the chance to avenge what was done to his parents. They were fre
e now
,
but that wasn
'
t enough. It was imperative he
keep his thoughts straight and remember why he was there.
Blaise was an issue. He did not react to the news of the marriage in the way Nicholas expected. Instead of becoming irate
,
the older man seemed relieved.
The old lord
was still terribly ill, but the reaction was authentic. Nicholas was down one suspect. Had the elder de Vere been behind the lie that destroyed his fa
mily, he would have objected, but he
had not. How could a man seek revenge when he was unsure of his target?
Then who? Did this mean he had been living a lie this entire time? He directed his anger at Gemma and her father without question. There was more at play than he had realized
,
but now, things were changing. It was hard for him to admit his anger
might
have been misplaced all these years.
He didn
'
t want to be wrong
,
but the evidence thus far suggested otherwise.
However, h
e considered different possibilities
,
but none came to mind. Perhaps Gemma had told someone different, someone else with an agenda. The more he thought about it the more he knew it was not Blaise. The old man would not agree to a marriage now had he
opposed
it so venomously in the past. Could Gemma be innocent too?
His thoughts stopped dead in their tracks. Having found nothing amiss outside, he shook his head and headed back, hoping his cold bath was now ready. Something had to cool him off.
