An Honorable Rogue (32 page)

'I understand." Adam sighed. 'At least you brought Rose safely to Fulford. I owe you a debt of gratitude for that.' He jerked his head in the direction of the arch, where Rozenn had been joined by Cecily. Both women were smiling. 'I trust my wife will be a more congenial mistress than her majesty Countess Muriel.'

Ben watched, fascinated, as Adam's cheeks darkened. No question but that his friend was head over heels in love with his young wife. If Ben had not seen it for himself, he would never have believed it. Gwenn had been Adam's life, and he had thought Adam would never love again. How wrong he had been. Aloud he said, 'Aye, the Countess and Rose seldom saw eye to eye.' His gaze went back to the two women disappearing into the orchard. 'I hope they learn to like each other.'

'They will.'

'Your lady is not only beautiful; I can see she has a kind heart."

'She has that.'

'And I hear I am to congratulate you. Already Cecily and Rose have been discussing the making of swaddling bands for your baby."

Adam smiled. 'Have they indeed? Then you think Rose may stay?"

'You speak Norman French very well, my lady,' Rose said as her brother's wife led her along a scythed path between the fruit trees. The smell of the freshly cut grass was sweet and redolent of summer and the sun was warm on her back.

'I ought to, my mother was Norman." Rose blinked. 'So you... You are half-Frank?'

'Yes, it was my father who was wholly Saxon.'

'I see." Rose's brow crinkled as she puzzled it out. 'I expect your knowledge of Norman French made it easier when you met Adam.'

They had reached the end of the orchard where a wattle gate led on to a small cultivated plot. Laughing, Cecily opened the gate and waved Rose through. 'Hardly. There was..." she hesitated '...some prejudice against him.'

'He was an invader.' Rose murmured, wondering at the nature of the relationship that had developed between her brother and his wife. She had yet to see them together, but Cecily's manner did not indicate that she was unhappy; on the contrary, her every word and gesture spoke of a woman who loved and who was loved in return. A pang of envy sliced through her. 'Yes. I see how it must have been--Adam's liege lord. William, killed your king. Adam was a conqueror. Did you see him as such?'

Cecily sighed. 'I did. I confess it. But once I had proposed to him--'

Rose's mouth fell open. 'You proposed to Adam?'

Cecily bent to pick a stalk of lavender and when she had straightened her cheeks were bright. 'Yes, shocking though that might be, I did. You see, my sister, Emma-- Emma is older than me and by rights she should have been the one to marry your brother--Emma did not want Adam, and she gave him to me, and so I...1 proposed to him. I was in the convent novitiate at the time, and...' noticing Rose's dumbfounded expression, she laughed and hung her head, but her eyes still sparkled '.. .yes, you are right, my behaviour was
most
unseemly. I was a novice and I married the man King William gave to my sister. Mother Aethelflaeda practically had me drummed out of the convent.' She lifted her head. 'But that is all in the past. Adam and I are happy now, and never more so now that you have come to join us. I am so glad you are here. Do you think you might stay? Adam would adore it if you made your home with us.'

Cecily took her hand, waiting for her answer, but Rose did not know how to respond. What about Sir Richard, whom she no longer wanted? What about Ben, whom she could not bear to lose? She reached for the cross and fiddled with the chain. 'I... I am in a slightly awkward situation,' she said. 'And I must confess I am slightly confused as to why Sir Richard is not at Fulford."

Cecily stared. 'But why should Richard be here?'

'To meet
me!
He did send for me and he must have known I would come as quickly as I could."

Cecily's gaze rested briefly on the cross Rose was twisting between her thumb and forefinger, and she frowned. 'Sir Richard sent for you?" Firmly, she shook her head. 'I think not, it was Adam who wanted you here.'

Rose's cheeks warmed. 'No, Cecily, you don't understand. Adam's message... He told me that Sir Richard has asked for my hand."

'He did?"

'Yes. And I thought I wanted to marry him, but the trouble is that now...that now...'

Cecily was eyeing her cross again, with a puzzled expression. 'Sir Richard asked to marry you? Truly?'

Rose lifted her chin. She did not want to marry the man, not any more, but it was rather galling not to be believed. 'Yes, yes, according to Adam, he did.'

Gentle fingers reached out, lightly touching the cross. 'Sir Richard gave you this, I am guessing, some years ago?'

Impatiently, Rose nodded. 'Yes. Sir Richard and I have known each other a number of years, but I fail to see what--'

Cecily sent Rose a soft smile. 'Rose, you are not the only woman to receive such a cross from Sir Richard.'

Rose blinked. 'Wh-what?'

'I have seen one that is the twin of yours. It is lying at the bottom of Adam's travelling chest. Apparently, Richard gave it to Gwenn when she married Adam."

'He... He did?"
Two
crosses? There were
two
such crosses? If true, then Rose's cross was not a particular mark of affection as she had assumed. Her heart lifted.

'Yes. It was simply a gesture of friendship.' Cecily's eyes were thoughtful, 'I do not know why Adam should deceive you in this way, Rose, but it is my belief that you have been misled. It is unforgivable of him, but I can only think that he wanted you here and was prepared to use any means at his disposal to lure you.'

'You think there has been no offer from Sir Richard?' A smile began to tug at the corners of Rose's mouth.

'No. I... I am sorry. Rose...
Rose?
You are not angry?'

Laughing, Rose shook her head. Her relief was such that for a moment she could not speak. Her mind whirled.

Adam
had sent for her. Adam alone! Her brother had wanted her to come to Fulford, while Sir Richard... Why, Richard of Asculf probably did not even know Adam had summoned her! Rose took a moment to examine her feelings. She might have expected to feel hurt at this revelation; it was something of blow to discover that the man she had been dreaming about had probably not spared her a thought since he had left Brittany. Sir Richard was not, and most likely never had been, the least bit interested in suing for her hand.

How odd. There was no hurt, no frustration, no sense of injured pride, only a deep underlying relief, as though a terrible storm had passed her by. Except...a sense of dread lingered. One particular storm may have moved elsewhere, but other more threatening clouds were massing on the horizon.

Rose gazed through the gate and across the orchard towards the millpond. Several fruit-laden boughs obscured sight of either Adam or Ben. but she heard a great shout. Then came a cheer, swiftly followed by a gust of laughter. Rose did not have to see to know what must be happening. Ben would be playing to the gallery, as usual. And no doubt in a moment Adam would toss Ben in the pond, and Ben would return the favour. Horseplay. Exactly as though they were boys again. It was good to see that they had put their disagreement behind them.

'You are thinking of Benedict, I think.' said a soft voice at her elbow.

'I... I... Yes. I am sorry, my lady, you were asking me something?'

'Cecily, please. I was expressing the hope that you will make your home with us. I do not expect you to answer at once of course, but promise to consider it, for Adam's sake."

'I will. Yes. of course I will--and I do thank you.' Rose forced a smile, but it was hard work, because suddenly one thought dominated and it was not a happy one. She did not want to stay anywhere unless Ben was at her side. Yes, Ben had escorted her here, and, yes, he might stay a while. A week maybe, a month at most, since this was Adam's holding and they were no longer at odds with one another. But after that Ben would shoulder his lute and climb on Piper's back and...

Briefly, she closed her eyes--she would have to arm herself against that day. She would try to be ready, yes, indeed she would. When she looked again. Cecily's face was full of concern.

'Rozenn? You are fatigued after your journey, you need to rest. Come, let me take you somewhere quiet where you may lie down for a while.' Taking her elbow. Cecily made as if to lead her from the herb garden.

'No, I am fine, thank you." Rose said. She glanced pointedly about her, seeing the herb garden properly for the first time. It was laid out in neat sections, with low lavender hedging, and the whole plot was surrounded and sheltered by hazel fencing. 'I should like you to show me your garden, if you please.' Anything, she thought, anything to distract me from the thought of bidding Ben farewell, 'It looks to have been recently planted."

Cecily's face lit up.'It has; the old one. the one my mother ordered, had run wild. Adam had this one dug for me, and most of the planting was done just before Lent. See, this bay tree has taken well, and this rosemary too.' She gave a little laugh. 'You will have to excuse my enthusiasm. I am a much keener gardener than I am a needlewoman."

'What I know about gardening would not fit on the head of a pin."

'Perhaps we could teach each other,' Cecily suggested.

Rose did not know what to say. Cecily's friendliness was warming, but Rose realised that if she committed to settling in Fulford she would be settling on her own. Ben would not be with her. Sick at heart, Rose chewed the inside of her mouth, for the moment oblivious of Cecily, who was awaiting her response. How could Ben stay here? A wandering minstrel could not put down roots. No, if Rose made her home in Fulford, she might see him occasionally, for he would doubtless add Fulford to his regular itinerary. But would a yearly visit be enough?

Her vision blurred. A yearly visit? To see Ben but once a year? What kind of a life would that be?

Blindly, she turned her face towards the woman who had married Adam. 'Cecily...' Her voice cracked and Rose knew her decision had been made. When Ben announced his departure there was only one course open to her...

'Come, Rose." Cecily said, in her kind voice, and, taking her hand, she led her to a bench by a rosemary bush. 'We scarcely know each other, but I can see you are troubled. I would be honoured if you would consider me your friend and confide in me.' A white butterfly flew past, and Cecily's gaze fastened on it. 'You could begin, perhaps, by explaining your feelings for the charming Benedict Silvester...' Rose threw Cecily a startled look, but Cecily merely smiled and continued. 'I am a trifle confused, but it strikes me that you are in love with him.'

Rose gulped, and found herself confessing. 'Yes. I... I am."

Cecily tilted her head to one side. 'He loves you too, I think.'

'No, no, there you are wrong. He is fond of me, but Ben loves only his music, that and the road. And he has a secret life, I think--important enough for him to conceal it from me--some kind of work for the Duke of Brittany. But I should not have said that!'

'Well, about Ben himself. I think you are the one who is in the wrong. He loves you."