Conquering Passion (35 page)

***

As the Montbryce family rode back towards Ellesmere with their escort, they suddenly heard an ominous ear-splitting battle cry behind them.

“
Dros Cymru!
”

It was a deep guttural yell that echoed to the bone, and they reined in their mounts, sensing danger. They looked behind them. The spring sunshine had burned off the mist. On the opposite side of the valley, a tall man, mounted on a black stallion, held a black haired girl on his lap. He thrust his fist up in salute to the Normans as he yelled his war cry again. “For Wales!”

Rhonwen waved then too, and Mabelle, Giselle, Robert and Baudoin waved back. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, Ram raised his fist in a return salute. Rhodri ap Owain turned his horse and rode away, his wild shouts of joy echoing across the valley.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

We’ll need to stop for the babe,” Mabelle told Ram as Hylda Rhonwen screamed her hunger. “The boys would benefit from a chance to stretch their legs too.”

They were half way home. Ram reined in his horse and halted the men close by a stream. Robert and Baudoin darted off to play by the water. “Take care, my sons,” their father shouted. He nodded to Gervais to keep an eye on them.

He lifted Mabelle and her precious burden from the horse and helped settle her on a fallen tree trunk, so she could feed the child. As she lowered her dress and chemise to bare her breast, the letter she’d written to him on her last night in Cadair Berwyn fell from the folds. When she’d written it she was unsure of his love. In the excitement and relief of their rescue she’d forgotten it. He’d seen the parchment, intent as he was on watching her suckle their daughter.

“It’s a letter,” she murmured, blushing. “A letter to you.”

“From whom?”

“From me.”

He held out his hand. “I would read it.”

She handed it to him. He unfurled it with trembling hands.

To my husband Ram,

Mindful of the dangers we face on the morrow, which may yet prevent us from ever seeing each other again, I wish to share with you the feelings of my heart. I’ve known for many years I’m deeply in love with you. I’ve always hesitated to tell you of my love. This cruel separation we’ve endured has made me see the sheer folly of that. What was my fear? That you wouldn’t love me in return? If you have longed for me as I’ve longed for you over these many months—

Be assured the children and I have not been harmed during our captivity. You will have already deduced it was Giroux and Morwenna who plotted against us. Both are dead, Giroux at the hands of Rhodri himself. It was Rhonwen who avenged her mother Myfanwy’s death.

If the Fates decide we not be reunited, I cannot go to my grave thinking you didn’t know of my love. I thank you for the deep passion we’ve shared. You have made my life complete. You’re the other half of me. I long to see you again.

Mabelle

Ram rolled up the parchment and tucked it carefully into his gambeson, next to his heart. He looked over to his sons, who were throwing rocks into the stream. “You’d think they were returning from a picnic,” he remarked with a smile.

He gazed at his wife and daughter. After a few minutes, he walked over to his horse and took from his saddle bag a loaf of bread and a wineskin. Bending his long legs to crouch down beside Mabelle, he broke off a chunk of bread and held it to her lips. She bit into it. “Mmmm—the bread in Wales was good, but there’s nothing like Trésor’s.”

“Open your mouth, Mabelle.” She tilted her head back. He held the wineskin and poured the dark red liquid. Some spilled down her chin and onto her breasts. She gulped, and laughed. “I’m out of practice.”

He kissed the baby’s head and then licked the trickle of wine from Mabelle’s breast to the corner of her mouth, his tongue barely touching her skin. His eyes were full of longing, his body tense with need.

He patted his chest. “I’ll carry this letter with me till the day of my death. It will be a constant reminder to me of what a fortunate fool I am. Nothing matters to me as much as my beloved family. I’ll spend the rest of my life erasing the memory of the fear you suffered during your captivity.”

He tore off a piece of bread, helped himself to the wine, and they continued to share a silent communion, until Hylda Rhonwen was satisfied and sleepy. He took the babe, pressed her to his chest, with her tiny head resting on his shoulder, and sauntered over to the edge of the stream, where Robert and Baudoin were practicing with their miniature wooden swords.

Ram chuckled. “They’re good at it,” he shouted back to Mabelle.

“They had a good teacher.”

***

That night Rhodri and Ram made love to the passionate women they adored, Rhodri by the hearth in the cozy cottage in the Welsh hills, and Ram in the opulent bed at Ellesmere, the heavy draperies cocooning him and his cherished wife.

Both noble warriors slowly pleasured their women, kissing and arousing them in the sensitive female places where they knew they loved to be touched. They rejoiced in seeing their women moan and cry out in fulfillment.

For Rhodri and Rhonwen, it was the beginning of their journey to know one another intimately. For Ram and Mabelle, it was a passionate reunion—learning about each other’s bodies all over again.

Both warriors called out huskily in ecstatic euphoria as their essence filled the women they loved.

Love is like salt. It gives a higher taste to pleasure, and then makes it last.

###

Thank you for reading
Conquering Passion
. If you enjoyed this book, I would appreciate it if you would help others enjoy it too.

Recommend it.
Please help other readers find this book by recommending it to friends, readers’ groups and discussion boards.

Tweet about it.

Review it.
  Please tell other readers why you liked this book by reviewing it at the following websites: Amazon and Goodreads.  If you do publish a review, send an email to anna at annamarkland dot com, so I can thank you personally.

Anxious to know what happens to Caedmon Woolgar, Ram’s illegitimate son?

A Man of Value
, Book Two of the Montbryce Legacy, is his story.

Or perhaps you’re more interested in Ram’s brothers, Antoine and Hugh? If so, you can skip straight to Book Three of the Legacy,
If Love Dares Enough
.

If you’re curious to relive this story through the eyes of the Welsh rebel chieftain, Rhodri, you’ll enjoy Book One of the Sons of Rhodri Series,
Defiant Passion
.

Happy Reading!

About the Author

Anna Markland is a Canadian author with a keen interest in genealogy. She writes medieval romance about family honour, ancestry and roots. Her novels are intimate love stories filled with passion and adventure. Following a fruitful career in teaching, Anna transformed her love of writing and history into engaging works of fiction. Prior to becoming a fiction author, she published numerous family histories. One of the things she enjoys most about writing historical romance is the in-depth research required to provide the reader with an authentic medieval experience.

Facebook~Anna Markland Novels

Twitter @annamarkland

www.annamarkland.com

Visit Anna’s
Blog
to
Subscribe to her Newsletter

GLOSSARY

A complete glossary for Ms. Markland’s novels.

CP=
Conquering Passion
(Montbryce Legacy, Book I) © Anna Markland 2011
AMOV=
A Man of Value
(Montbryce Legacy, Book II) © Anna Markland 2011
ILDE=
If Love Dares Enough
(Montbryce Legacy, Book III) © Anna Markland 2012
PIB=
Passion in the Blood
(Montbryce Legacy, Book IV) © Anna Markland 2012
DP=
Defiant Passion
(Sons of Rhodri, Book I) © Anna Markland 2012
DB=
Dark and Bright
(Sons of Rhodri, Book II) © Anna Markland 2012
WTH=The Winds of the Heavens (Sons of Rhodri, Book III) © Anna Markland 2012
CA=
Carried Away
(FitzRam Family, Book I) © Anna Markland 2012
Abbaye aux Dames
—An abbey for women built in Caen by William the Conqueror ILDE, PIB
Abbaye aux Hommes
—An abbey for men built in Caen by William the Conqueror ILDE, PIB
Abbey
—Agneta’s mare in AMOV
Abbot
—Caedmon’s roan stallion in AMOV

Adam de Montbryce
—Son of Antoine and Sybilla PIB
Adelaide
—Daughter of King Henry I; married Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V CA
Aediva Melton
—Sister of the Saxon heroine in ILDE
Agnes
—Norman scullery maid at Domfort Castle in ILDE
Agneta Kirkthwaite
—English Heroine of Danish and Saxon descent in AMOV
Aidan Branton FitzRam
—Son of Caedmon and Agneta, twin of Blythe; named for Agneta’s brothers who were slain at Bolton. AMOV, CA
Alexandre de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Robert and Dorianne. Heir to the title
Comte
de Montbryce. Born in Caen during his father’s incarceration PIB
Alnwick
—Located in Northumbria. Site of a battle in 1093 between Roger de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria, and Malcolm, King of Scotland. Malcolm and his son were killed. Agneta rescues Caedmon from the battlefield and tends his injuries. AMOV
Andras ap Rhys
—Welshman—Friend and comrade of Rhodri ap Owain in CP and DP
Aneurin ap Norweg
—Welshman—Friend and comrade of Rhodri ap Owain in CP and DP
Angeline Hugo
—Norman peasant, rape victim of Arnulf de Valtesse CP
Anjou
—Geographic area of France south of Normandy. Its people are called Angevins. Normans and Angevins were traditional enemies. ILDE
Anna
—Dieter’s housekeeper, CA
Annalise de Vymont
—Heroine of DB. Niece of the Earl of Chester.
Antoine de Montbryce
—Norman hero of ILDE; brother of Rambaud and Hugh
ap Owain
—Welsh patronymic—son of Owain
Arnulf de Valtesse
—Norman half brother of Mabelle de Montbryce, heroine of CP. Bastard son of Guillaume de Valtesse. Murdered in CP by Simon Hugo
Ascha (Bronson) Woolgar
—Saxon mother of Caedmon; in CP and AMOV
Barat Cormant
—Norman steward brought to England by the Montbryces for Sussex properties; ILDE; son of Michel, brother of Théo.
Baudoin de Montbryce
—Norman born in England; second son of Ram and Mabelle de Montbryce; becomes 2nd Earl of Ellesmere; marries Carys verch Rhodri; appears in CP, AMOV, DP and PIB.
Bemia Melton
—Saxon sister of heroine of ILDE
Bernard Chauvelin
—Norman soldier at Montbryce Castle PIB
Bernard de Montbryce
—Father of Ram, Antoine and Hugh. Dies in 1066 while his sons are fighting in England.
Bernhardt
—Dieter’s valet, CA
Bileaud
—Norman steward at Domfort Castle ILDE
Blythe Lacey FitzRam
—Daughter of Caedmon and Agneta, twin of Aidan. Born in AMOV. Heroine of CA
Boden
—English mastiff in ILDE
Bolton
—Village in Northumbria; location of Kirkthwaite Hall
Bonhomme
—Normans; family name of the stewards of Montbryce and Ellesmere.
Brigantia
—English mastiff in ILDE
Brindis
—Horse belonging to Ram de Montbryce in CP
Caedmon Brice (Woolgar) FitzRam
—Illegitimate son of Ram de Montbryce and Ascha Woolgar. Appears in CP, PIB & CA; hero of AMOV
Caryl Penarth
—Welsh healer; appears in CP and DP
Carys verch Rhodri
—Welsh; healer; daughter of Rhodri and wife of Baudoin de Montbryce. Becomes 2nd Countess of Ellesmere. Appears in PIB, DP and DB
Catherine de Montbryce
—Daughter of Robert and Dorianne PIB
Commote
—A Welsh area of administration, similar to a county.
Cormant
—Normans; family name of stewards at Alensonne in CP and at East Preston in ILDE
Coventina Brightmore
—Saxon; friend of hero and heroine in AMOV; marries Leofric Deacon
Curia regis
—Latin for King’s Court ILDE
Dda
—Welsh surname of Rhonwen and Myfanwy; CP and DP and DB
de Valtesse
—Maiden surname of heroine of CP
Denis de Sancerre
—Angevin; son of Sybilla and adopted son of Antoine de Montbryce; dwarf ILDE & PIB
Devona Melton
—Saxon; heroine of ILDE; marries Hugh de Montbryce
Dieter Von Wolfenberg
—German hero of CA; married Blythe FitzRam
Dorianne de Giroux
—Norman heroine of PIB; marries Robert de Montbryce
Earl of Chester
—Hugh d’Avranches. Historical figure. Known by the Welsh as Hugh Vras (the Fat) PIB, DB
Edgar the Aetheling
—Saxon; historical figure. Claimant to throne of England taken by William the Conqueror. Aetheling is a Saxon term for “next in line”; appears in CP and AMOV
Edwin FitzRam
—English; brother of Blythe, Aidan and Ragna; son of Caedmon and Agneta
Elenor de Giroux
—Norman; mother of Dorianne de Giroux; wife of Francois. PIB
Ellesmere
—Location of castle given to Ram as a reward by William the Conqueror. Ram and Mabelle eventually turn a derelict Anglo-Saxon earthwork into a vibrant, thriving castle.
Emrys
—Cook at llys Powwydd. DB
Enid
—Saxon maid of Ascha Woolgar. CP & AMOV
Espérance
—Cat who brings solace to Robert de Montbryce during his solitary confinement. The word means ‘hope’. PIB
Etienne Robert de Montbryce
—Second son of Baudoin and Carys; DB
Fernand Bonhomme
—Norman; second generation of his family to be steward of Montbryce Castle. Father of Mathieu and Honore. Married to Vangeline.
FitzRam
—Norman patronymic surname bestowed on Caedmon by Ram. AMOV
Fleurie Mabelle de Montbryce
—Daughter of Baudoin and Carys. Her mother almost dies giving birth to her. DB
Fortis
—Black stallion; Ram’s favourite mount; saves his life at Hastings CP
François de Giroux
—Norman father of Dorianne and Pierre de Giroux PIB; sworn enemy of the Montbryces ILDE
Frederika
—Dieter’s first wife, CA
Gallien Rambaud de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Baudoin and Carys DB
Gareth Bronson
—Saxon brother of Ascha Woolgar; takes Ascha to Scotland. CP & AMOV
Gawain Bronson
—Saxon nephew of Ascha Woolgar; CP & AMOV
Gervais
—Norman soldier; Ram’s second in command; CP & DP
Gerwint Isembart de Montbryce (Izzy)
—Second son of Hugh and Devona. Named for his grandfather and great grandfather, and the rat catcher, Joubert. Prefers to be called Izzy.PIB
Gerwint Melton
—ILDE Saxon grandfather of heroine
Gicotte
—Norman soldier at Montbryce Castle; PIB
Giroux
—Norman surname of the family sworn to avenge Guillaume de Valtesse's cruelty to their ancestor; CP, ILDE & PIB
Giselle
—Norman maidservant who accompanies Mabelle to England and becomes chatelaine of Ellesmere; kidnapped with Mabelle; CP
Glain verch Llewelyn
—Welsh bonesetter in DB
Guillaume de Valtesse
—Norman father of Mabelle; his cruelty begins the feud between the Valtesses and the Giroux family; CP
Hastings
—Site in Southern England of a historic battle in 1066 that changed the history of England and Normandy CP
Heinrich
—Historical figure; Holy Roman Emperor; CA
Hélène de Fleury
—Norman wife of friend of Montbryce brothers killed at Hastings. CP
Hugh de Montbryce
—Norman-virgin hero of ILDE; brother of Antoine and Ram CP, PIB
Hylda
—Christian name of Mabelle’s mother, purported to have been strangled by her husband, Mabelle’s father.
Hylda Rhonwen de Montbryce (Rhoni)
—Daughter of Ram and Mabelle born in captivity in Wales; CP, AMOV
Isembart Joubert
—Rat catcher from Montbryce; instrumental in saving the lives of Hugh and Devona; ILDE
Isolda verch Llewelyn
—Welsh healer, heroine of WTH
Johann Dieter Marius von Wolfenberg
—Dieter’s son by his first marriage, CA
Joleyne
—Norman mistress of Ram de Montbryce before he meets Mabelle; CP
King Harald Hardråda of Norway
—Historical figure; pretender to the English throne; killed by King Harold’s army at Stamford Bridge; CP
King Harold II of England
—Historical figure; Saxon brother-in-law of Edward the Confessor. Claimed the throne on Edward’s death; slain at Hastings by the Conqueror’s army; CP
King Henry I
—Norman king of England; son of William the Conqueror; known as Henry Beauclerc; succeeded his brother William Rufus on the throne. Historical figure; PIB
King Malcolm Canmore of Scotland
—Historical figure. CP & AMOV
King William I of England
—William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandie. CP, ILDE; historical figure
King William Rufus
—William II of England; son of the Conqueror; AMOV; historical figure
Kirkthwaite
—Surname of Agneta’s family AMOV
Kirkthwaite Hall
—Ancestral home of Agneta’s family, destroyed in a raid by the Scots AMOV
Köln
—German (Saxon) town, known as Cologne in English; CA
La Cuisinière
—Legendary Norman cook at Montbryce Castle; her name simply means ‘The Cook’ CP
Lande Pourri
—A wooded area outside Caen PIB
Leofric Deacon
—Saxon friend of Caedmon AMOV; badly injured at Alnwick; marries Coventina Brightmore
Llys
(plural Llysoed)—A building that served as a royal court for a commote in Wales. Stone castles were virtually unknown in England and Wales before the Conquest
Lothar von
Süpplingenburg
—
Saxon Duke who became Holy Roman Emperor CA
Löwe
—Dieter’s Rottweiler, CA
Mabelle de Montbryce
—Norman heroine of CP; wife of Ram de Montbryce; Countess of Ellesmere and Comtesse de Montbryce; AMOV, PIB, DP
Mabelle de Valtesse
—Maiden name of Mabelle de Montbryce; CP, AMOV, PIB, DP
Magnus Braunschweig
—Dieter’s comrade, CA
Margaret, Queen of Scotland
(Saint Margaret)—AMOV, CP; historical figure known for her piety; Saxon; second wife of King Malcolm Canmore; sister of Edgar Aetheling.
Marguerite de Montbryce
—Daughter of Robert and Dorianne
Martin Bonhomme
—Norman steward at Ellesmere; son of Mathieu
Mathieu Bonhomme
—Son of Fernand; goes to England to be steward at Ellesmere, father of Martin Bonhomme
Mathieu de Montbryce
—Son of Antoine and Sybilla. PIB
Melton Bernard de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Hugh and Devona; named for Devona’s family name and Hugh’s father. PIB
Michel Cormant
—Norman steward at Alensonne; father of Barat, Theo and Paul; CP
Montbryce
—Noble Norman family at the heart of the Legacy
Mont St. Michel—
Abbey church of Carolingian origin built on an island off the French coast.
Morwenna verch Morgan
—Welsh; betrothed to Rhodri; villain; mistress of Phillippe de Giroux; CP, DP
Myfanwy Dda
—Welsh mother of Rhonwen; healer; murdered by Phillippe de Giroux; CP, DP
Myfanwy Mabelle verch Rhodri
—Eldest child of Rhodri and Rhonwen; becomes a Prioress. DP, DB
Neuadd
—The communal great hall in Welsh buildings
Northumbria
—North east part of England; site of constant conflict between Scots and Normans.
Oda
—maidservant to Sybilla ILDE
Paul Cormant
—Norman steward (Alensonne)
Phillippe de Giroux
—Norman villain; CP, DP, PIB
Pierre de Fleury
—Norman soldier; friend of the Montbryce brothers; killed at Hastings; CP
Pierre de Giroux
—Norman villain PIB; brother of heroine, Dorianne
Ragna FitzRam
—English daughter of Caedmon and Agneta; holy terror; becomes known as The Wild Viking Princess.
Rambaud (Ram) de Montbryce
—Norman nobleman; hero of Hastings; confidant to William the Conqueror. First Earl of Ellesmere;
Comte
de Montbryce; eldest son of Bernard de Montbryce, brother to Antoine and Hugh. Hero of CP. AMOV, PIB & DP
Regis
—Antoine’s stallion ILDE
Renouf de Maubadon
—Norman (Angevin) villain of PIB
Rhodri ap Owain
—Welsh villain turned hero. CP, AMOV, DP
Rhonwen Dda
—Welsh/Saxon heroine DP. Healer CP
Rhun ap Rhodri
—Welsh patriot; son of Rhodri. Twin of Rhydderch. Redhead. DB, hero of WTH
Rhydderch ap Rhodri
—Welsh patriot; son of Rhodri and Rhonwen. Redhead. Twin of Rhun. DB, hero of WTH
Rhys ap Rhodri
—Eldest son of Rhodri; hero of DB. Appears in AMOV
Robert Curthose
—Son of William the Conqueror; became Duke of Normandie on his father’s death; coveted his brother Henry’s throne; captured by Henry at Tinchebray and imprisoned for the remainder of his life. PIB
Robert de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Ram and Mabelle; born in England. Becomes
Comte
de Montbryce. CP, AMOV, DP; hero of PIB
Ruyton
—Location of Shelfhoc Hall
Schnell
—Dieter’s greyhound, CA
Shelfhoc Hall
—Ancestral home of the Woolgars in Ruyton, Shropshire, England.
Sibell
—Mabelle’s mare in CP
Simon Hugo
—Norman serf at Alensonne who murders Arnulf de Valtesse to avenge his daughter. CP
Stephen Marquand
—ILDE Norman neighbour of Meltons
Sybilla de Taloche
—ILDE; heroine; Angevin; widow of Denis de Sancerre, mother of the dwarf, Denis de Sancerre. Marries Antoine de Montbryce
Théobald Cormant
—Norman steward; brother of Barat
Torod
—Norman villain; thug, henchman of Renouf ILDE
Trésor
—Cook at Ellesmere. The French word means ‘treasure’.CP
Tristan Bonhomme
—Son of Honoré; steward at Montbryce
Tybaut
—AMOV; steward at Shelfhoc Hall; Norman
Vangeline Bonhomme
—Wife of Fernand; dies in 1066; CP
Velox
—Hugh’s stallion in ILDE
Victoire
—Cook at Domfort Castle; ILDE
Vormund
—Hovawart breed dog; saves Dieter’s life
Wilona Melton
—Saxon mother of Devona, heroine of ILDE
Woolgar
—Married name of Ascha Bronson, widow of Sir Caedmon Woolgar, a housecarl of King Harold who died at Hastings; CP, AMOV
Wyvern
—Caedmon’s horse; saves his life at Alnwick. AMOV