Siege Of the Heart (9 page)

“I would speak with you first, my lady. And calling me names will not distract me from getting answers.” He cocked his head and looked at her for a long moment. “You know, you are cleverer than I originally thought.”

“You will forgive me if I do not thank you for the compliment.”

The arrogance of the man! She held herself as far away from him as she could, but still his taut, muscular body pressed into her. An inviting heat emanated from him. She tried to concentrate on the stone wall behind her and the way it dug into her body. It was no use.

All at once, the danger of Alexandre d’Évreux became astonishingly clear. How could such a hateful man have this effect on her?

* * * *

Lady Isabel looked down at his hands holding her in place before she met his gaze. “At least this time you have not hurt my injury,” she said, not bothering to hide a sneer.

Alex felt a brief stab of guilt but pushed it aside. “A terrible accident, my lady. You already have my apologies.” The girl frowned when he did not lessen his hold on her. So she would play games with him? He swallowed the blind anger rearing up inside him once more. He leaned into her face, holding her gaze. “You know I mean you no harm. Why can you not trust me? With all of your secrets?”

Isabel sniffed and twisted away from him. “What secrets? I have told you all you need to know.”

“But not what I want to know. Why did you forbid your servants to speak with us?”

“I gave no such order.”

Alex growled and squeezed her harder. “My patience grows thin, my lady.”

She faced him this time, eyes dark with anger. “I most assuredly did not give that command. If you remember, I was not here to do so.”

His grip on her lessened slightly. “Ah, yes. I still find it hard to believe you would willingly leave the safety of your home to fight the Welsh.”

“I told you we were following up reports of raids,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Yes, but why did you feel the need to be involved? Surely you could rely on your men to handle the situation.”

Her mouth worked silently before she found her voice. “In my father’s absence it falls to me to see to the safety of our lands. How could I stay behind and order my men into danger?”

“Because you are a woman, with no business being in battle.”

She scowled. “Then you are a bigger fool than I thought. If I had not provided cover with my arrows, we might not have taken the day.”

Jesú!
What kind of woman had William promised him? One who would not cower at his greater strength and would boast of her exploits at the same time. He tried not to get lost in the self-righteous gleam in her eyes. “But even your efforts were not enough,” he said, with a nod to her wounded arm. “That is how you received your injury, no?”

“I would not want to bore you with the details.”

“Curse you, girl! Tell me what happened.”

A quiet fury puckered her brow. “I cannot remember such things as I am only a simple girl.”

“You are not,” Alex said tightly.

“What is this, more praise? Indeed, sir, you overwhelm me.”

He clapped a hand to his forehead. “Impossible woman! I wonder how you have not sent your father to the grave before now.”

Isabel went completely rigid, her features stricken. Alex let go of her. What now?

She stood tall, anger mottling her lovely face. “How dare you! How dare you treat me thus! You come into my home and make demands. You stand here and expect me to tell you everything.” She advanced toward him, and he found himself taking a step back. “There is nothing about you that would inspire me to share anything with you! If I am impossible, then you have been patronizing, arrogant and disrespectful.”

With each word, she jabbed her index finger into his chest. He tensed at the wild and fearless look in her eyes.

“You talk of trust when you are but a stranger to me and to this land. You expect me to welcome you and your men with open arms, expect me to act like a foolish noblewoman. I may be a woman, but I am certainly not foolish! I—”

“My lady! What has happened?”

Likely drawn by their shouts, Captain Thomas entered the hallway. Alex simultaneously welcomed and cursed the interruption for he was dangerously close to taking Isabel over his knee and teaching her a lesson. Fists balled at her side, she continued to glare at him. He could not look away from her, from the way her chest heaved with each breath.

Isabel closed her mouth and fixed her angry stare on Captain Thomas once he reached them. They shared a few words in English. The old man’s gaze flickered toward Alex, but he could not decipher the look. Isabel opened her mouth to argue some more with Captain Thomas but shut it as she looked back at Alex. Muttering to herself, she gave them a swift curtsy and strode away, her footsteps echoing off the slate floor.

Alex watched her until she disappeared. He took a deep breath and tried to ease the tension that had rushed through his body during their conversation. He was not usually so quick-tempered, but the girl fired his blood. And he did not like it.

“Sir, you must excuse Isabel. She is always in bad humor after an illness.”

He turned his gaze on Captain Thomas. “I would thank you for your intervention, but I am disappointed I was not able to respond to her charges.”

The older man shook his head. “I must apologize for her behavior. She is used to her independence, which is threatened by your presence here. She needs time to adjust to her new situation. I ask you to be understanding.”

“Understanding? What that girl needs is a flogging.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath as they returned to the main hall.

Alex gave Captain Thomas a pointed look. “When her father returns, he had better keep her in check, for I will not tolerate any more of her temper tantrums.”

Captain Thomas cleared his throat. “Yes, well. You may find her father will not be of much help.”

“What do you mean?”

Captain Thomas hastily looked away. “I mean only Lord Bernard has granted her a good deal of freedom growing up. She can do no wrong in his eyes.”

Alex inwardly groaned. The girl was spoiled, too? William did not want to reward him—he wanted to punish him. He shook his head. “I have been meaning to ask why you are not with Lord Dumont. Surely he would want his trusted captain to accompany him into battle?”

The English knight looked embarrassed by the question. “I am afraid my age prevented me from accompanying my lord. The Welsh are not to be taken lightly, and Lord Dumont felt I would better serve him here defending the castle than by his side.”

“I see.”

“
Eh bien
,” Captain Thomas said, eager to change the subject, “I will speak with Isabel tomorrow, after she has time to calm down. As she said, she is not without sense and can be made to see reason.”

“How much did you hear?” Alex asked with a sidelong glance.

“Enough to know your handling of the situation also left much to be desired.”

7

The first thing Isabel spied when she woke from sleep was Matilde’s stern face. With a groan, Isabel sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Well? Out with it,” she said when Matilde remained silent. “You are no doubt here to tell me I behaved childishly last night.”

“At least you have sense enough this morning to recognize your foolishness,” the woman replied.

“You do not know what you speak of.”

Matilde did not cower at her harsh tone. “I know you insulted Alexandre, and he could not spare anyone a kind word for the rest of the evening.”

A night of fitful sleep had done naught to quell her fury at the man or herself. “Then know he insulted me first.”

“Such anger. I have never seen you so quick to temper. What is troubling you?”

Isabel opened her mouth to speak, then shut it. How could she possibly explain how tenuous her status was now with Father gone? How Alexandre’s presence threatened any means she had to protect herself and her family’s lands?

The older woman sat next to her and placed a comforting hand on her forearm. “My dear, you would be wise to mind yourself around Alexandre and his men—”

Isabel pulled away from her touch. “I know, I know. I must set the example for everyone else. But his attitude, Matilde. He has only to look at me and I feel my blood boil like a stewpot on the fire.”

“What did he say to you?”

Isabel sighed. “It is not so much what he says but how he says it. He is suspicious of my involvement in the scouting party, he is concerned about my father, and I am certain he is looking for any reason to take control of Ashdown.”

“You have good cause to be concerned for your future. We all do. That does not excuse your behavior last night,” Matilde lectured. “You must apologize to him for your conduct.”

Her stomach clenched at the thought. “Yes,” Isabel said softly. Matilde patted her hand as though she assumed the matter settled. Isabel wished she could do the same, but recalled too well the way his body felt as he pressed her into the wall last night, the touch intimate despite the situation. She shuddered. Her reaction to Alexandre made him even more dangerous. Despite how much she disliked him, she had behaved abominably and would have to endure the consequences.

Matilde departed, and once Averill finished with her hair, Isabel left her rooms to attend Prime. Father Joseph’s familiar voice leading the prayers was a relief after so much upheaval. Following the ceremony, she clung to her normal routine, answering the frantic questions of the household staff, approving the meals for the week and ensuring the household accounts were current.

The weak winter sun had reached its highest point in the sky when she finally remembered her promise to apologize to Alexandre. With her duties complete, she had no more excuses. She swept through the grounds and found the Norman outside, instructing his men in a drill.

Captain Thomas observed their routine and more of her soldiers watched, some in awed curiosity, others sneering at the display. As soon as Captain Thomas saw Isabel, he hastened to her side, trying to head her off.
 

“Not now, Captain. I would speak with Alexandre.” Captain Thomas had already conveyed his displeasure at her conduct in front of their guest. She paid no heed to his long-suffering sigh, but the way the chill air cut through her mantle was harder to ignore.

Alexandre must have heard her voice, for he turned around. “My lady, it is a pleasure.” He smiled as he surveyed her, and she was not surprised to see it did not reach his eyes.

No matter. He would hear her whether he willed it or not. “I must apologize for my behavior last night,” she said in a strong, insincere voice. “Nothing has gone right since my injury, and I have been ill-mannered because of it. If you have been arrogant, you probably have cause to be so.” Some of his men snickered at the comment, but after a sharp glance from Alexandre, quieted. “If you have been disrespectful, it was probably done inadvertently.”

“Isabel…” Captain Thomas warned.

She ignored him. It was past time she put Alexandre in his place. “I am not sorry, however, for calling you patronizing. You have treated me like a child when I am more capable of running and defending my home than you are.” The Norman straightened at the charges, his face cut from stone. “You also forget I need not answer to you or your men. As William’s errand-boy, your jurisdiction here is questionable at best, and I ask you to remember that in your conduct with the members of my household for the remainder of your stay here.” She looked over his men before returning her attention to Alexandre. “Now, pray continue with your training exercises.”

She turned on her heel, but the knight swiftly reached her side. “My lady, I ask for a chance to respond. I was denied the opportunity last night, and I have no desire to lose another.”

Isabel sighed, her breath visible in the air. By now, the cold had crept past her clothing and she was already chilled through. She wished she had not been so eager to seek out the Norman. Facing him again, she crossed her arms to keep her body heat from escaping. She was surprised to find his countenance full of wry amusement. She expected annoyance, anger even. Not the hint of a boyish grin.

“If I have failed to treat you with the proper respect you deserve, I can only say the manner in which we were acquainted did not flatter either one of us.” She had not forgotten the Norman’s heated glances when she first woke from her illness. Isabel shifted her feet and prayed her cheeks did not redden at the memory. “By your leave,” Alexandre continued, “I would ask we try to find some sort of accord in which we can work together.”