The Iron Knight (The De Russe Legacy Book 3) (24 page)

It was an emotional delivery and considering the young woman’s secret, Sophina had a feeling that the physic at Thruxton had discovered it, too. It sounded like the man was less than understanding or accepting of someone who was simply different from the rest, viewing it as a strict and narrow-minded man would. It was sad, really. Sophina could see how much it had hurt Aricia simply from the way she spoke and Sophina naturally felt some compassion for the young woman.

“Sometimes men like to preach of sin when the truth is that they are not without it,” she said. “I do not believe God has visited a pox upon you, my lady. Let us see if those things I told you of will help. I will obtain the ingredients on the morrow.”

Aricia didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t used to having someone be so kind and understanding with her. Blinking her eyes of the tears that had been forming, she quickly put the veil back over her face, once again hiding behind it.

“I do not know how to express my gratitude,” she said, her voice trembling. “I promise I will be very careful in what I eat and I will use your potions faithfully. May… may I help you procure the ingredients and watch how you mix them? I should like to be able to do it for myself.”

Sophina smiled faintly. “Of course you may,” she said. “I would be happy to have your help.”

Emmaline, who had been watching her mother with pride, smiled at Aricia. “She means that she would like to have your help because I am inept at anything she tries to teach me,” she said, watching Aricia and Juno giggle. “My poor mother did not bear a daughter she is able to pass her skills along to.”

Sophina grinned, putting her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and kissing her head sweetly. “You are good for other things, my love,” she said. She gave her a final squeeze before returning her focus to Aricia and Juno. Not strangely, she was looking at Aricia through new eyes now that she knew the girl’s secret. “We shall start on the medicines for your skin in the morning. For now, I think we should all get a good night’s sleep so we will be fresh on the morrow. It has been a rather busy day for all of us.”

Juno and Aricia agreed as Sophina pulled her daughter to the chamber door. As she opened the heavy panel, she heard Aricia’s voice behind her, softly.

“Thank you, my lady,” she said, her eyes moist once more. “For your generous nature… I am very grateful.”

Sophina smiled her reply, ushering Emmaline out into the landing and closing the chamber door quietly behind them. It was only a matter of a few steps across the dark landing before they came to their chamber door and Emmaline opened it, stepping through with her mother behind her. As Sophina shut the door and bolted it, Emmaline spoke softly.

“Mama?” she asked.

“Aye?” Sophina said as she went to light a taper in the dark room.

Emmaline didn’t reply immediately. She picked up Oswald from where the ferret had slithered out from under the bed. She hugged the creature, cooing to him. When she finally spoke, her voice was very soft.

“Does… does Aricia have a hair on her face?” she asked.

Sophina struck the flint and stone, lighting the taper. The soft glow filled the room before she answered. “Aye,” she said softly.

Emmaline pondered the answer. “I saw it in the light when you were looking at her skin,” she said. “Is that part of her skin problem?”

“Nay.”

“Then what?”

Sophina went to the hearth, bending over to stir up the embers and throw on another piece of peat. She wasn’t sure her daughter realized that Aricia was male and she didn’t feel it was her place to tell her. It was clear that Aricia had gone to great lengths to conceal her sex, for whatever reason, but Emmaline considered her a friend. She had been so very excited to have friends. Sophina knew her daughter well enough to know that her daughter was generous and accepting, but she really couldn’t be sure how she would react to a new friend who was concealing a fairly serious secret. She might be hurt by it.

Therefore, Sophina thought that Aricia should be the one to tell Emmaline the truth behind her identity. That kind of information needed to come straight from her.

“Does it matter?” she finally asked.

Emmaline shook her head. “Nay,” she said honestly, watching her mother stir up the fire. The small room began to fill with some light and warmth. “Is it just the way she was born, then?”

“Aye, Em. It ’tis.”

Emmaline considered poor Aricia and the body that seemed to be betraying her. It hadn’t crossed her mind that Aricia was male – nay, it never did. She simply thought that her new friend was different. She had some issues. But Emmaline realized that she didn’t much care. She set Oswald down on the bed and began to unlace her girdle, preparing for sleep.

“I like her,” she said decidedly. “She has been very kind to me and I will slap anyone who teases her for skin eruptions or her beard.”

Sophina stood up, brushing off her hands. “Mayhap it is not necessary to slap anyone,” she said. “But I have a feeling that Lady Aricia could use an understanding friend. She is different, that is true. The truth is that we are all different, Em. That does not make any of us better or worse than each other; it simply makes us different. And differences are nothing to fear.”

Emmaline liked the way her mother put things. She was always very logical, helping Emmaline to see things more broadly than most. When Emmaline had fostered those years back, she’d been forced to deal with some very petty girls, although the Lady of the Manor had been kind enough. All Emmaline knew was that she didn’t want to be like those silly girls who were only concerned for themselves. Even if she didn’t have the acumen for healing like her mother did, she still liked to help people. She liked the feeling she got when she was kind to someone and they appreciated it.

“Aricia is very talented, don’t you think?” she asked, pulling off the girdle. It was embroidered with flowers. “She made this. I think it is beautiful.”

Sophina could see the sympathy her daughter had for Aricia and it was touching. There was admiration there for a girl who had been so very kind to her.

Sophina finally ushered her chatty daughter into bed, stroking the girl’s hair to calm her down. That usually worked with Emmaline and had since she was a baby. Soon enough, she settled down with Oswald in her arms and drifted off to sleep, leaving Sophina wide awake and alone with her thoughts.

As the fire in the hearth snapped and hissed, Sophina found her thoughts drifting to the events of the day. So very much had happened, from the ambush of the carriage to the walk back to Spelthorne, and to meeting Lady Juno and experiencing the insanity of Susanna. So very, very much, but the most important thing of all was in meeting Lucien.

Lucien….

Her heart leapt at the thought of him. She had spent so many years being immune to men, to the thoughts of loving again, that the introduction of Lucien de Russe still had her reeling. So much of what he said rang true to her; neither one of them were terribly young any longer. They had known love at one time in their lives. They were both resigned to empty futures.

But now, meeting one another by chance as they had, it seemed that life would no longer be lonely for them. Had they only really just met today? Had it been so short a time? Perhaps it
had
happened so quickly, but in truth, nothing had ever felt so right. It felt real and hopeful and joyful. Sophina didn’t need weeks or months to tell her that Lucien was a man of his word, a man who she could quite possibly find love with again. She knew that now and, for the first time in many years, she was looking forward to what the future would bring.

For the first time in many years, she was actually happy. Once, she’d cursed her father for sending her to du Ponte, but this evening, she was thankful that he had. For once, her father did something good for her and didn’t even realize it.

With thoughts of Lucien on her mind, she finally slept.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dawn, the next day

L
ucien hadn’t slept
much the night before.

Thoughts of Sophina had been heavy on his mind, so heavy that every time he closed his eyes, she was all that he saw. He could feel her in his arms again, that soft and delicious feminine warmth that he’d missed all of these years. Her luscious auburn hair and creamy skin were glorious in his eyes, a striking combination on a striking woman. She was all things alluring. He simply couldn’t believe how much she captivated him when he’d only just met her. Perhaps he was just an old fool, after all, now rushing headlong into something because of his attraction to a beautiful woman.

Or perhaps he was simply a man who knew what he wanted.

The previous day had been eventful, to be sure. That was more than likely a good portion of why he hadn’t been able to sleep. After his encounter with Holderness in the great hall, Lucien and Laurent had spent some time in Lucien’s solar, along with Colton and Gabriel. It was just the four of them, men who had fought together, who had supported one another, and, for a time, Lucien missed that which he’d walked away from. After Bramham, he’d not seen another battle. Two years without a battle for a man who was born and bred for them was a long time, indeed.

He felt old and useless as he’d talked to Laurent, who had spent some portion of the previous year in a variety of skirmishes and military actions. They had been on Henry’s behalf and as Lucien listened to Laurent talk about the particular strategies of certain battles, he began to miss it very much. It had been part of his life for so many years that he realized he felt rather empty not being in the thick of things.

But it had been necessary for him to retire. His gilded spurs, scuffed and worn, sat on a shelf in his solar. To some, the spurs had been symbolic but to him, they were as much a part of him as his sword or his shield. When he’d taken them off and shelved them, permanently, he hadn’t realized just how much it had taken out of him. He lost the best part of himself.

But his health still wasn’t as strong as it should be. He knew that. Even sitting and listening to Laurent after the strenuous day he’d had, his back hurt and his guts hurt, organs that had been damaged by the arrow that had penetrated him. He was exhausted, feeling drained like an old man would. It was shameful. He truly hated that thought, that he was just an old man now with his glory days behind him. In talking to the young knights around him, he didn’t like that thought one bit.

Unfortunately, it was the truth.

Much of the conversation with Laurent had been about Holderness and the betrothal to Lady Juno. Lucien repeated that he had no aversion to Lady Juno and that Holderness was free to tell everyone that he, in fact, had declined the marriage to Lucien, and Laurent understood. He was a reasonable man, unlike his father. But Laurent also stressed that he did not believe his father would surrender his claim so easily because he was set on being a relation to The Iron Knight. Holderness wanted that prestige in his family. Over any protests, Holderness would stick to the bargain he very badly wanted.

Therefore, the matter wasn’t settled. Laurent told Lucien that his father had no intention of leaving Spelthorne, at least not until he’d had the chance to hammer Lucien into changing his mind. But Lucien’s mind would not be changed and he was frustrated at Holderness’ lack of respect towards his decision. That only made him more adamant to adhere to it. The immovable object had met the mountain and they would continue to push at each other until one or the other gave.

Lucien knew for a fact it wouldn’t be him.

The conversation eventually turned from Holderness and they spoke of trivial things for a while, bringing about soft laughter and fond memories. Then, about two hours before dawn, Colton and Gabriel excused themselves, Colton to sleep and Gabriel to the wall. He was the commander of the night watch at Spelthorne and thought it best to make his rounds. Laurent also excused himself to go and check on his father, who was supposed to be sleeping but whom, Laurent suspected, had found more drink. He always did. Lucien was, therefore, left alone in the solar, finally dragging his weary body out of his chair to go and seek his bed for an hour or two. It was at this point he slept fitfully, visions of Sophina filling his brain.

“Lucien!
Awake!”

Lucien was already sitting up in his bed before he even realized he had moved. He started grabbing around for his broadsword, a broadsword that was down in his solar with his spurs, only his sleep-hazed mind didn’t realize that quite yet. He was in his tent, on the edge of a battlefield, and someone had just awoken him in a panic. Battle was imminent. Blinking his eyes, he realized that Colton was standing in his dark chamber. He wasn’t in his tent or on the verge of battle. He was in his own bed and the sun wasn’t even up yet.

“What is it?” Lucien said as he staggered to his feet, wiping his hands over his face. “What is amiss?”

Colton was handing him his boots. “You will not believe it,” he said. “An army is approaching Spelthorne. A very big army.”

The words sank in and Lucien took his boots from Colton but didn’t make any move to put them on. He simply stood there, looking puzzled.