Goddess of Legend (31 page)

“And I, you, Isabel.”

“Leg up?” Isabel asked, holding out her arm.

“What?”

“Just a saying. Meaning please help me to my feet.”

He took her arm, and as he brought her up to him, he wrapped an arm around her and lifted her.

Still inches from the ground, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Oh, Isabel,” he said moments later. “To my dying breath, I will ne’er stop desiring your touch and your kisses.” He lowered her slowly, which was his intent, as she slid down the front of his body in the most sensual way.

“Why did you, Arthur?”

“Why did I what?”

“Why did you tell Gwen?”

He brushed hair from her cheek. “She deserved the truth.”

“You could have said nothing.”

“That might have been an option. But what does that say about me, Isabel? Would you have me hide my love for you?”

She butted his chest with her head. “If this gets out, she and Lance could be in trouble, as all of the truth will get out. Don’t you think that James would spill the truth because of his loyalty to you? There is no way he would allow you to take the blame.”

“He will if I command so.”

“And will you? Will you, for lack of a better term, fall on the sword?”

“No. If it comes to that, no.”

“How do you know?”

“That is an easy one.”

“Which is?”

“Take that one for a thousand, Isabel.”

She laughed. “I will take that for a thousand, Arthur.”

“The woman who Arthur, King of Camelot, has come to love so much that he will do anything to protect her from harm.”

Melt. Melt. Melt. Why couldn’t love come easily?

“That is a simple one,” she said when she relearned the fine art of breathing. “It would be, ‘Who is Arthur’s beloved and besotted beagle, Pix, who follows him everywhere.’”

“Wrong, my lady, although I admit Pix would be a close second. I give you another chance.”

“Pix would be a close second?”

“Lady, you would jump in front of an arrow to save Burny.”

“Oh, but he is a dog like no other. Truthfully. He is a dog like no other. And I mean that in the most, ‘what in hell is he, exactly,’ way.”

Arthur laughed and hugged her even closer. “No one knows. We do not question, we just constantly look forward to whate’er pups come about.”

“He is so sweet.”

“And he follows you around as if you were indeed his mother.”

“I did not realize you had noticed.”

“I thought I noticed every single piece of what happens around you, Isabel. Though I must admit I did not see today coming. I failed this day.”

“What? In what way?”

“I ignored the obvious, while you saw it and took action.”

“You mean with Gwen?”

“Yes.”

“You did what any good husband would do. I just happened to talk to Tom, and then talked to Gwen.”

“Which should have been my responsibility.”

“You didn’t fail, Arthur. How many burdens are you supposed to take on? Not that Gwen is a burden. We have been enjoying the afternoon. She has been delightful, Arthur. I don’t know what exchange there was between you, but she holds no bitterness at all that I noticed. In fact, she seems more at peace than I have seen her since meeting her.”

“She truly is a good woman,” Arthur said. “Just so very young. I do not know what I was thinking.” He kissed her again. “But no matter. I just had need to see you and make certain all was well.”

“Are you relieved or saddened by your talk with Gwen?”

“Much of the former, a little of the latter.”

“Understandable, Arthur.”

“And then I had this burning desire to check on your welfare. Not that I believe . . . well, that is a very lame excuse. I just wanted to see you.”

“Oh, Arthur,” she said, brushing his hair away from his temple. Wow, it had grown so much in just days. “You have many, many issues to deal with at the moment. I should be the least of your worries.”

“Worry was the pretense. Seeing you was the need.”

“We will see each other later. You need to get back to what you most treasure.”

He stared down at her. “Isabel, if I have not made this clear, you are what I treasure above all else.”

“Camelot—”

“Is but a place. Yes, I love Camelot. But am I able to hold Camelot at night? Am I able to lie with it and share what has happened on any given day? I will, without even a moment’s thought, give it up for the rest of my days if every moment of those days be spent with you.”

“Oh, Arthur, I would never ask.”

“Of course you would not. Another reason why I love you, Isabel. But do not ever doubt my priorities.” He kissed her, and then let go. “You have not correctly questioned my answer,” he said.

Isabel stood totally dazed, confused and with a heart filled with so much emotion, she didn’t know what to deal with first.

“I forget the answer,” she finally said.

“I will repeat. ‘The woman who Arthur, King of Camelot, has come to love so much that he will do anything to protect her from harm.’” He grinned. “The first response was slightly insulting, as it was a slobbering dog. I will, however, forgive that one and allow another choice.”

“Who is Countess Isabel?” she whispered.

“Oh, so correct, Isabel.”

“I have one for you.”

He smiled. “As you say many a time, hit me.”

“The woman who refuses to allow you to give up your lands, your dream, your love just for her. The woman who is so ready to follow you into battle to keep the dream of Camelot alive.”

He took her face in his hands. “The question would be, Who is the one I would hold captive afore I e’er allowed her to run into harm’s way on my behalf? It will not happen, Isabel. I cannot even believe of such.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that women could actually help behind the lines? Allow us to take part.”

“No. I will not have women harmed. And you . . . I could not live if you were harmed. I just could not.”

“And yet you expect me, or any of us, to stand by and watch you be injured, or worse?”

“I do. It is what I must do. Please, Isabel, do not make me worry about you, should it come to this. I could not do my job.”

“Is it coming to this?”

He hesitated, but finally nodded. “It appears a possibility. Those not invited to the table have banded together, according to reports. We must prepare.”

“Then we will.”

“Isabel, no.”

“I will not allow anyone to harm you without a fight. Wouldn’t you do the same for me?”

“’Tis not the same.”

“It is exactly the same. If you think women are incapable of doing what they must to protect their king, their castle, their life, then you are underestimating us all.”

“I do not underestimate. I have need to protect. You, most of all.”

“How much time do we have?” she asked.

“Isabel—”

“How much time, Arthur?”

“My best estimate with my men’s information is three weeks. We believe they plan to attack when all of the knights invited to the table have gathered.”

“That sounds like a pretty stupid plan to me.”

“Not should there be traitors sitting amongst us.”

“Do you know which?”

“I have a fair idea.”

Isabel growled. “The women will not only aid, we are going to kick ass.”

“Isabel.”

“Yes, Arthur?”

“You excite me and drive fear into me at one and the same time.”

“I hope you bring the excitement with you this evening. The fear, allow me to take care of that.”

“Isabel, I am to protect you.”

She thumped his arm. “Just for once, Arthur, get used to the idea that women can be very useful in taking care of their men. Just once.”

“I will not allow you to go into battle, should this attack occur. Isabel, please, I cannot even stomach the possibility. I love you. Do you not ken?”

“Oh, yes, I ken. How about if I promise that none of us, not a single woman, actually enters any type of battlefield?”

He peered at her. “You have a sneaky plan, Isabel.”

She offered him the falsest innocent face imaginable. “I swear, I truly swear, that we will not enter the field of battle.”

“You have another plan.”

“I swear, I swear we will not enter the field of battle.”

“I do not know whether to laugh or shake with worry.”

“I choose Laugh for one thousand, Alex.”

“Isabel, I could not bear if anything happened to you. The love I have for you is . . . just so . . . I cannot even describe the feelings. I only know that should I lose you after I have just found you, I . . . I cannot imagine going on.”

She chuckled as she looked up into his hard, warm, worried face. “I am not the one readying herself for battle, Arthur. How do you think I feel, knowing you are?”

“’Tis what I do.”

“Oh, yes, ’tis what you do. And I am supposed to smile, pack you a lunch, send you off and say, ‘Hope you’re still alive by supper, Arthur. It would be such a shame to waste your favorite meal. However, Pix might enjoy it.’”

He glared at her for a moment, and then just laughed. He pulled her close. “This has been the strangest conversation I have e’er had. I love you so much.”

“As you should,” she said, still feeling grumpy and afraid. She’d had no idea that danger might be close at hand. He had managed to keep that little piece of information close to the vest. Or tunic. Or chain stuff. “We will not sit by, Arthur. We have ways.”

“Should it come to this, I will not allow women to rush in. And most definitely not my woman.”

“Women will not join in the stupid wars you men fight.”

“Meaning what?”

“We are much more resourceful than you think.”

“Betimes you worry me, Countess.”

“I should worry you at all times.”

“This is what concerns me.”

“As well it should.”

“May I see you tonight?” he asked.

“What is, ‘The woman who wants to be with Arthur tonight more than any other on this earth.’ For a thousand, Alex.”

He grinned down at her. “I have yet to figure a thousand what. However, I just won them.”

“For a thousand. I really, truly want to hear it from your lips.”

“Who is the woman Arthur loves and desires beyond all others?”

“Oh, that is so correct. Double bonus for you.”

“Tonight, then, Isabel?”

“Oh, yes, please.”

As he left the room, she heard him say, “I do hope your toes have dried by now, Mary. And yours as well, Gwen.”

 

 

“WE must move up the date of your wedding, Mary,” Isabel said, even as she was getting over total embarrassment. Good gods, they had been right outside of the door. Both, however returned as if they had heard nothing. And then the three of them looked at each other, and once again could not contain their humor. They laughed, but then sobered when she said, “The women of Camelot . . . and guests such as myself,” she added, nodding to Gwen, “need to prepare to protect the men. I have a plan. Or a partial one. We need to scheme, and we need to involve all of the servants to pull it off.”

She held up her hand. “Are we in?”

“I am,” Mary said, joining hands.

“As am I,” said Gwen, clasping both of her hands around theirs.

“Good, because, Gwen, to pull this off, I need you to put on that crown and use it for all it’s worth.”

“Consider it donned.”

“Good. Mary, how would you like to marry James day after tomorrow?”

Mary’s eyes widened. “Are you jesting?”

“No. Your dress is ready, is it not?”

“It is.”

“I can take care of the feast,” Isabel said. “Gwen, you have such a touch with flowers and decoration. You can make the hall lovely, I trust.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Excellent. Tomorrow, I fear, game time is going to be spent airing out those rushes and scrubbing the great hall. When Mary and James exchange vows, it is going to smell like spring, not like a sty.”

They both nodded. “Mary, I fear you are going to have to work tomorrow. James needs a haircut, and so does Arthur.”

“And Lance,” Gwen said.

“And Lance. Although I must say he looks kind of cute shaggy,” Isabel said.

Gwen smiled while still admiring her toes. “Yes, he does. Yet a trim could not hurt.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“M’LADY,” a man said as he passed Isabel in the great hall, where she was on her knees, scrubbing the floor.

She glanced up, down, up, down, then up again. “James?”

He stopped, his face, free of hair, went a little red. “Yes, Countess.”

She jumped up, pulling his burly self around to face her. “James! Oh, good gods, look at you!”

“I am not able to do that, Countess, as I am looking at you.”

She laughed and wiped her brow. “Why in the world have you been hiding that handsome face behind so much . . . fur?”

“I . . . Countess, are you jesting? I feel almost disrobed.”

“Holy smokes, James,” Isabel said, truly shocked. Without all of that hair, he looked like a young Clooney, albeit beefier. About a foot taller. And way better. “Why have you been hiding your good looks? I mean, truly.”

She was sincerely almost at a loss for words.

“I did not know I was doing such. But I appreciate it, Countess. Yet right now I feel as a newborn babe,” he said, rubbing his jaw.

“Mary takes no prisoners.”

“Oh, she does indeed. Right now her prisoner is the king.”

She smiled. “Now I see what Mary has always seen. What a lucky bride to have such a handsome groom.”

“I am the lucky one, Countess.” He glanced around. “And her toes are pretty,” he whispered.