Knight of Her Heart (Conquering the Heart) (20 page)

“The sentry reports smoke from the village,” the knight announced.

The alarming news snapped Lisette out of her lustful musing.

“Send out a small party to investigate. Summon all the men and have Stormbringer saddled,” Rowan commanded.

“’Tis already being done, my lord.”

Rowan nodded. “Good. I will finish dressing and meet you in the hall, Bradford.”

“Aye, my lord.”

The knight was dismissed and Rowan closed the door and turned back toward her quickly.

Lisette wanted nothing more than for Rowan to climb back into bed with her, but knew he would need to attend to putting out the fire in the village. She was surprised, however, when he reached for his sword. “Do you expect trouble, my lord?”

“I always expect trouble.” He moved with speed toward the bed and began gathering the rest of his clothing. “I learned long ago that if trouble is always expected, it doesn’t have the advantage of visiting unawares. Only recently I was foolish enough to relax and ’twas to my detriment.” The short bark of laughter he gave was bitter. “I was sorely taken advantage of.” He shook out his tunic and began to turn it the right way out.

Her head jerked back in disbelief. “I can’t imagine anyone would ever have an advantage over you.”

“’Twas an unfair advantage and one I have no wish to discuss.” The hand he held up when she parted her lips to question him further underlined his refusal to go into further detail. “In time, I will see justice done.” The words were an ominous, deadly vow.

Turning his words over in her mind, she realised he could not be speaking of the wrong visited upon him by his half-brother, Malin. That event had taken place years ago. Another injustice had been borne by her husband? He was far too capable to allow anyone an unfair advantage over him, but his words carried as sharp an edge as his battle sword. Whoever had taken unfair advantage of the Earl of Romsey would no doubt rue their actions. ’Twas clear that whatever he referred to needled him still. The determined set of his jaw told her he was firmly resolved to remove this thorn in his side.

Edging to the side of the bed, she dragged the sheet with her as he dressed. Despite the intimacies they’d shared, she somehow didn’t feel at ease in parading naked before him. Yet she must stand and don her clothing in order to accompany him to the village.

“What are you doing?” Rowan asked as he turned toward her.

“I’ll come with you, of course.” Her tone imparted a little of her surprise that he should need to ask. Of course she would accompany him. “I may be able to help, to provide some comfort.”

“Go back to sleep, Lisette. ’Tis the middle of the night. I will sort this out swiftly and then I shall return to you.”

She frowned slightly. “Nay, Rowan. I—”

“You should be certain to be well rested upon my return.” He winked at her and the muscles in her womb clenched in response to the sheer devilry in his expression. “There is no need for you to accompany me.”

His tone brooked no argument. Everything in her railed against his ruling. It relegated her to the role of his playmate in bed when she wanted to be his partner and his equal in the same way that her parents had worked together for the good of all of Bridlemere. “There is every need for me to accompany you to the village. My place is at your side.”

“Your place, this eve, is in my bed.” The statement was an unequivocal command.

Resentment bristled through her at his arrogance. Squaring her shoulders, she sent him what she hoped was a ferocious glare. “I am not a whore whose role is merely to warm your bed and provide you with physical pleasure!”

His lips twisted, but ’twas impossible to read his exact reaction to her statement as he went about getting himself ready to leave. “Nay, you are not, although the physical pleasure we have provided each other this eve cannot be denied.”

Heat pricked her cheeks. “’Tis true we have discovered a sound foundation for our marriage, but I want more than to be your lover, Rowan.”

When he spoke, his tone was similar to one he might use when speaking to an errant child. “I have not the time to discuss this with you now while something in the village is ablaze, however I shall make my position clear. You are to wait here.”

She opened her mouth to protest again and he fixed her with a resolute expression.

“Wait here where I know you are safe. When I tell you to remain, your well-being is my prime consideration. I have no idea what awaits me in the village.”

“Rowan—”

“Upon the morrow we will speak about the many roles and responsibilities you have as my wife.”

That his command was issued out of concern for her safety only slightly mollified her. The Earl of Romsey needed to know she was not some fragile woman who was made of glass and in danger of breaking. It would be intolerable to think she would be locked away and brought out only to be shown off. Her father’s daughter, she was made from sterner stuff—she was not going to break for anyone. Nor was she about to lie back and await his pleasure.

“I, too, have a responsibility to the people of Romsey, my lord. After my mother’s death, I had a similar role when I lived at Bridlemere. I am well used to seeing to the needs of people.”

He shook his head. The slight exhalation of his breath told of his irritation. “As commendable as that is, you will wait for me to return—which I will do as soon as we extinguish the fire and render any assistance necessary. Tomorrow you may accompany me to the village and we will inspect the damage together in the light of day.”

“But, my lord—”

With fast, jerky movements, he pulled a royal blue tunic over his head, then he fixed her with an autocratic look. “Remember these words, Lisette...Dutiful and obedient. They define what a wife needs be.”

’Twas difficult to maintain an outwardly calm countenance as he reiterated the role he expected her to play in his life.

Dutiful and obedient be damned!
These unladylike words of denial that sprung to her mind surprised her, but her entire being revolted against the passive role he was endeavouring to cast her into. He had yet to learn her true nature if he expected those words to apply to her.

Irritation bubbled through her veins, threatening to boil over and scald him with its vehemence. ’Twould not do to detain him from investigating the fire when there was naught to be gained from continuing to argue with him. Drawing a deep breath, she gritted her teeth then tried hard to adopt an expression which she hoped would appear to be acquiescence. “I...I will not argue with you, my lord.”

Boots in one hand, he dropped to sit on the bed and pull them on his feet. “That pleases me, lady wife.”

Her mind mutinied.

Nay, I’m not going to argue with you about this. There would be no point. But you will not keep me from my people, husband. As soon as you’ve gone, I’ll be out of the castle and down at the village, ready to help or provide comfort wherever I can.

“Back to bed, my wife,” he advised before he stood and placed a brief kiss to her lips. The firm hand that fleetingly trailed the outline of her body’s curves, left her flesh humming from his touch. The only satisfaction she took was in seeing his need flare again in his face as he told her, “I truly regret I must leave you.”

The next moment he’d pivoted away. Out he went, lord of the manor, to help his vassals while he expected her to be shallow and self-centred enough to crawl back to the comfort and warmth of her feather bed and sleep contentedly—well rested so she could keep pace with his lovemaking when he returned.

The audacity and arrogance of him!

While she welcomed the thought of his lovemaking, he needed to understand that her aim was to be a support to him in the day-to-day responsibilities that accompanied their titles, not just to be an active participant in his nightly pursuits. Her parents had enjoyed a true partnership in life and her father had always maintained that he was a better man for having had the full support of his wife. Mayhap some believed the former Lady Blake’s involvement in her husband’s business affairs had been unconventional but it had worked to the benefit of all those at Bridlemere. Lisette intended to work together with Rowan so that all those at Romsey benefitted from the unity of their earl and countess. Given time, Rowan would surely see the sense in such an approach.

Even after the short period she had been here at Romsey, Lisette knew all the villagers by name. She had been diligent in learning where they lived and how they derived their living. ’Twas more than likely that the fire, coming from the direction of the village, meant at least one family was suffering a loss. As Rowan’s wife, she would be present to offer her comfort and support, even if she found she could do nothing more. ’Twas not in her nature to sit by idly while one of the village folk suffered.

She suspected she could tell Rowan all this until she turned blue. ’Twould be far better to show him she was more than capable of running his castle and dealing with any crisis efficiently. In time, through her deeds, he would learn of her commitment and capability. Earning his respect was important to her—more important than she ever would have imagined. Besides, she needed to be true to herself and act in the manner she believed was correct for her role at Romsey.

Smothering a growl of frustration, she faced her first hurdle as she drew her gown over her head and struggled to do up the fastenings. ’Twas impossible to dress properly in the garment without her maid’s assistance. The young maid was most likely curled up asleep on her pallet in the great hall. Lisette would not use the bell-pull to summon her when another solution was at hand.

Clutching a pair of ankle-high boots, Lisette left the room. Barefooted and with the back of her gown gaping open, she went as quickly as she could down the hallway. ’Twas hardly decorous or befitting of her station, but there was a need for expediency as she headed toward the room Rowan had occupied prior to this eve. Once there she saw the great storage chest at the foot of the bed which housed most of his garments. Clothes flew from her hands as she rifled through it to find all the articles she required.

In no time at all she was attired in male hose and tunic, with her hair caught up under a hood that had a full mantel covering her shoulders. ’Twas the first time she’d worn male garb. The freedom of movement it afforded her was liberating and she found herself envying men. ’Twas no wonder they were able to do so many more physical tasks when their movements weren’t confined by their garments.

Able to take the stairs two at a time, she reached the great hall quickly and was surprised to see that ’twas almost deserted. Her lips thinned in irritation. ’Twas fine for Rowan to rouse and employ the assistance of the rest of the household—’twas just her aid that he hadn’t wanted.

As she raced into the bailey, acrid smoke assaulted her nostrils. ’Twas thick in the air. Trepidation made her blood surge through her veins. Surely for there to be so much heavy smoke the fire must be extensive? It must be the village mill that was on fire.

She sped past the sentries at their posts. They didn’t stop her. Presumably, as she was leaving the castle, she posed no threat. Mayhap re-entering the castle she may need to remove her hood and reveal her identity. Distant shouting, and sounds of people and animals panicking, travelled to her on the night air. Horror balled within her as she saw that the night sky in the direction of the village was illuminated by an orange-red light. Pushing her body into faster motion, Lisette sprinted toward the village. The voices grew louder, audible over the fierce crackling of flame.

The scene that greeted her as she rounded the bend in the road caused her steps to falter.

Dear Lord! The entire main street of the village was ablaze. Great plumes of black-grey smoke billowed up into the moonlit sky. Ahead of her, ash floated to the earth like charred snowflakes.

Two lines of people formed separate human chains. All industry, one line of village folk conveyed pails of water to the fires from the town well, the other passed water along the line from the stream that was further away.

She searched frantically for Rowan among the chaos. His sheer height should make him stand out among men, but initially, he was nowhere to be seen. Then she spotted him running toward a burning building.

God in Heaven! Her heart contracted sharply as she realised he wasn’t going to stop.

“Nay!” she cried out.

He dashed straight through a curtain of flames that buffeted at the doorway of the dwelling. Her voice wouldn’t carry over the terrifying roar of the flames. Precious seconds passed. Every beat of her pulse was slow and sluggish. Dread leeched through her veins and made her legs weak. Sheer fear paralysed her to the ground where she stood. Both helplessness and hopelessness assailed her, rendering her incapable of doing anything more than staring at the spot where Rowan had disappeared. The flaming entryway was like the mouth of a fiendishly hungry serpent. The beast was intent on a feast as it coiled itself around the dwelling and consumed everything in its path. Believing ’twas impossible that Rowan could survive, she was frantic with worry.

What in God’s name had he been thinking to venture straight into the fire? Tears stung her eyes and they weren’t caused merely by the sting of smoke. Tension caused her fingernails to dig into and score her palms. The desperation that welled within her was greater than any she had known as she waited for and willed him to re-appear. All she could do was send up a fervent prayer for his safety. She scanned the blazing building but there was still no sign of him.

He was taking too long.

Why had he done it?

In the next instant the reason for Rowan’s mad dash into the inferno was clear. His heroism became evident as he re-appeared from the side of the building and carried an elderly man over his shoulder.

Relief surged through her. The need to throw herself into her husband’s arms and know that he was safe was almost overwhelming. Advancing in his direction, she saw him hand the elderly man over to another. A few more steps and she stopped as she heard the cry of a baby and a faint female voice call for aid.