THE WARLORD (32 page)

"It seems to digest quite quickly. Ofttimes I find myself hungry again only an hour or two after such a meal."

Kenric's jaw dropped in amazement. "The pantries will be bare by the time this child is born."

"You need have no worries." Tess looked over the table of empty trenchers and platters, searching for something she might have missed. Her gaze lingered on the sweet syrup at the bottom of the spiced-apple bowl, but Kenric pulled it away before she decided to lap that up, too.
" 'Tis
not uncommon for a woman's appetite to grow less hardy as a babe fills more of her stomach. There will not be much room for food."

Tess patted her own small but full stomach, her smile suddenly fading. Soon nothing would fit in or on her. Only three gowns remained of those she brought with her from Langston, and they were dreadful.

"I have no gowns fit for court, milord. Helen has graciously offered the use of her wardrobe and perhaps if I rode in one of the baggage carts I could alter a few during the—"

"There is no need to alter my sister's gowns."

"But she is much taller than I am. Her gowns will drag."

"You will not wear borrowed clothes to court."

"Aye, milord."
She bowed her head, trying not to feel sorry for herself or to think about the embarrassment she would surely endure in
London. She would look like a beggar.

"I have a small surprise for you, wife."

Tess looked puzzled as Kenric stood up and extended his hand. He led her across the room to one of his chests, the one that was always locked. He pulled an ornate key from a hiding place behind the trunk and crooked his finger at her. She stepped hesitantly to his side, questioning him with her eyes when he placed the key in her hand.

"Open it." He urged her hand toward the trunk.

Tess opened the lock but needed Kenric's assistance to lift the heavy lid. The first thing she noticed was a girdle made of finely wrought gold set with row upon row of sapphires and amethysts. He lifted it from the trunk so she could see the way the hem fell to chevron points, each ending with a sapphire or amethyst suspended from a short gold chain. Next came a matching necklace, bracelets, earrings, and a headband so crusted with the jewels that she could see the gold setting only by looking on the inside of the band.

"This should go well with those pieces," he said, removing a gown from the trunk and draping it over her arm. The fabric was like none she had ever seen, made of whisper-thin threads of purple and black so finely woven that the colors blended to become the color of the sky just before nightfall.

"Don't you recognize the colors? The amethysts are the color of your eyes when you smile, and the sapphires are the color of your eyes when they flash with anger.
And the gown?"
Kenric wrapped her in his arms, lowering his head until their lips just touched. In that moment, his expression went from tender and amused to fiercely serious. "The gown is the color of your eyes when you burn with desire for me."

He captured her lips in a searing kiss. His mouth moved over hers insistently, yet he drew back frequently to look at her eyes, to assure himself that he was right about the gown's color. It wasn't long before Kenric forgot about the color of her eyes. The sweet taste of her mouth held his full attention. He released her so quickly that Tess had to put one hand on the trunk to steady
herself
. His hands trembled as he laid the gown and headband on the bed then turned again to the trunk, reminding
himself
that there would be plenty of time for lovemaking later. At the moment, he wanted to see her laugh in delight when he showed her all his gifts.

"I must admit that those are my favorite," he said, pulling more jewels and gowns from the chest. "You may find another outfit more to your liking. There are twelve gowns altogether, with jewelry, slippers, and undergarments to match."

Tess watched him unload the trunk in silence. The room soon looked like a jewel-encrusted rainbow, with gowns, stockings, slippers, and bliauts of every color scattered about the furniture, a myriad of precious gems winking from the folds of the beautiful fabrics.

"I had the devil's own time keeping you out of the east tower," he told her, puzzled by his wife's reaction to his gifts. Any other woman would be dancing around the room in delight. Tess looked horrified.
" 'Tis
the reason Simon told you there were criminals kept in that tower and you were forbidden entry there. I sent to
London for seamstresses and goldsmiths soon after our marriage and Simon kept them hidden away in the east tower to work in secret. They used the measurements from a gown of yours that I lent them. I thought sure you would notice it missing before I could have it returned."

"I wanted to surprise you," he went on, trying to fill the awkward silence. Did he do something wrong? What was the matter with her? "Many of the jewels and fabrics came from the
Holy Land, rewards of the Crusade. Others were given as prizes at tourneys and contests."

Tess looked around the room as he spoke, but remained silent. Her face betrayed none of her emotions, which was a true oddity for Tess. He had a sinking feeling she was about to cry again. Why she would remain dry-eyed over the prospect of departing for court then cry over a trunk full of new gowns was beyond his understanding.

"The jewels can be reset if the designs displease you." He sighed in exasperation, certain she was unhappy with his choices. "The gowns were cut loosely enough to allow final alterations, although I doubt they can be completely undone."

The disappointment in his voice finally shook Tess from her stupor. "How could I wish to change perfection? I have never seen such beauty in my life." Amazement filled her eyes. "Your gifts are overwhelming, milord. I do not feel worthy of such riches. This is a fortune, perhaps your entire fortune. How can I accept so much when I have given you nothing? Even my holdings you must war for."

"My child is nothing?" he asked. Kenric's smile was tender but inside his heart tightened. Of course she would be overwhelmed. The clothing she brought from Langston was scarcely better than that of a servant and he'd never noticed so much as a bracelet in the way of adornments.

Even her hair ribbons were threadbare. Yet she'd never complained. "In case you have not noticed, this is not my entire fortune." He pulled several leather pouches from the trunk and busied himself by repacking the jewelry. "You have yet to see
my
court wardrobe, wife. The men at court are as vain about their clothing as the women, but we shall outshine them all." He took Tess's hands in his own, lifting first one then the other to place a soft kiss in each palm. "And I can think of no finer setting for such jewels. Your beauty outshines the brightest gem.
You
are my greatest treasure. There isn't… Tess?" He drew his crying wife into his arms, trying to soothe her tears. He should have known he'd be no good at tender words. His heartfelt vow sounded idiotic. "What is the matter, sweet? Have I said something wrong?"

Tess shook her head, still too emotional to respond. Her tears finally subsided but she kept her head buried against his chest. Her voice shook with uncertainty. "You… you have truly come to care for me?"

"I love you, Tess."

Her eyes flew up to meet his, large violet pools filled with shock and disbelief, but most of all, sparked with hope. Kenric tried to cover the tightness in his throat as he smiled down at her. "I think I began loving you the moment you started arguing with your uncle at the abbey. You became more precious to me with each passing day until I could not imagine a day without you."

"How can this be true? I caused such trouble. Damn, Kenric. I will soon cause a war! How can you possibly love me?" Her gaze turned suspicious. "You said those things because you feel sorry for me."

"I speak nothing but the truth." Kenric's frown deepened and he grunted in aggravation, knowing he should have expected this. Only Tess would be so stubborn.

"You cannot take it back." She was crying again and her voice was muffled against his chest.

"I have never told another woman that I love her," he informed her indignantly, though he placed her hand gently on his chest. "Those are not words I give away lightly, wife. You have my heart until ceases to beat."

Kenric frowned over the renewed round of tears. He comforted her the only way he knew how. Carrying her to the bed, he laid her gently amidst the jewel-colored gowns,
then
pushed the costly garments to the floor, far more concerned with a greater treasure.

Tess kept her face turned away, but he parted her robe to kiss and caress her trembling body. He lingered over the small swell in her stomach with a smile, thinking she would have been happiest if he'd gaped at the tiny bulge as if it were the size of a pumpkin. It doubtless would be in a few months. That thought made him frown with worry about the size of the child he'd put inside her. He spread his hand, realizing that just one part of him covered her womb completely, his fingers stretching across her from hip to hip.

"Is your belly supposed to be so round this soon?" His shoulders stiffened and he used both hands to explore her stomach, overlooking the fact that the swelling hadn't even been noticeable until she pointed it out. "You are so small, Tess. How will you be able to carry my child if he takes after his father?"

"He?"
Tess asked with a smile. "You are hoping for a son?"

"I would be happy with a son or a daughter," he answered truthfully.
" 'Tis
only that I know this and the next two babes shall be boys. You told me yourself when you were fevered." He nodded at her look of disbelief. "Another vision, I believe, like the one you had of Roberto."

The sudden realization that Tess would fare this pregnancy well enough to bear at least two more children brought a wave of relief. "My son would not dare grow too large for his mother," he declared. He ran his hand over Tess's belly again. "I forbid it."

His expression was so serious that Tess laughed. Disgruntled, he turned his attention to completing what was interrupted earlier. Tess was no longer laughing the next time she met his gaze. The dark look in his eyes said there would be no more interruptions this night.

"We will have three nights together," he said, his voice roughened by the unbanked fire of desire in his eyes. He shook his head when her eyes widened fearfully. "Nay, Tess. You, I will have forever, but we will leave for
London in three days' time. There will be men there who would tell any lie to touch you the way I am touching you now."

He squeezed her breast in a fiercely tender caress.

"There are others who would face death to know what is mine alone to know."

She felt his hand move lower and her breath caught in her throat.

"I know you will not willingly give yourself to another, but know there are men who will try anything to possess you. Others will soon realize what you mean to me, enemies who have never before found a weapon to use against me. While we are at court, you must never stray far from my side." He covered her mouth for another searing kiss before she could
answer,
using his mouth to impress his will on her. He didn't lift his head again until he was certain she would remain silent.

"You belong to
me
," he told her fiercely, his voice hard with desire. His eyes burned with the ominous fire of complete, uncompromising possessiveness. "While I breathe, no other man will ever touch you the way I touch you. No other man will know the taste of you on his lips."

He tenderly stroked the curve of her cheek, his fingertips lightly tracing the outline of her lips. The affectionate gesture was at complete odds with his harsh expression. The hard, set lines of his face lacked any trace of tenderness.

"And no man will raise a hand against you and live to tell of it. You are mine, and I protect what is mine. If you ever place your life in jeopardy as you did with Roberto, I shall beat you myself." Kenric took her chin firmly between his hands. "Do you doubt what I say?"

Tess shook her head as much as his grip would allow, torn between
fear
, desire, and an insane urge to smile over his threat. She didn't actually believe he would beat her, but at this point she wouldn't dare disagree with anything he said. She turned her head and rubbed her cheek against his open palm, telling him without words that she accepted his command unconditionally.

That small caress, such a simple show of affection, unleashed something coiled deep within Kenric. In that moment he finally understood what drove men to wage wars over a woman, why a man would give almost anything to possess the woman he wanted above all others. No amount of gold, fame, or glory could come close to arousing the emotions she stirred in him.
Nothing else in the world.

The trip to
London was made longer by wet, muddy roads that bogged down carts and sucked at the horses' hooves. Kenric had originally intended Tess to ride her own palfrey, but now she rode before him on his warhorse, for he would trust her condition to nothing but the safety of his arms. He felt vaguely uneasy if she was even a pace or two from his side while they set up camp each afternoon. He hadn't allowed her from his sight during their last three days at Montague, except for occasional visits to the garderobe. The first night he didn't even sleep, half afraid he would wake up in an empty bed with the realization that nothing of the day before had transpired. His arms still tightened around her more securely at night when she simply stirred in her sleep.

It was at night that doubts began to plague Kenric's mind, the suspicion that his wishes had been granted too easily. Not just granted, but lavished on him tenfold. Tess loved him with an intensity that left him shaken. It was too perfect, his treasure gained too easily. Each morning he expected the god who had kept himself entertained by giving him these gifts would tire of the amusement and take them all away again. Tess would wake up despising her bastard husband and demand an annulment. Watching her violet eyes open and her mouth curve into a sleepy smile when she spied him was the sweetest sight imaginable. He'd been granted one more day.

Kenric knew already that he would deny God himself to keep Tess at his side, in matrimony or in sin. He'd do what he could to ensure their marriage remained valid, to defend his right to call Tess his wife, yet there was one threat that would render him defenseless. Tess could betray him at court.

She knew he intended to invalidate any claim the MacLeiths had to her. Once that was accomplished, she could turn on him too, with the protection of the church at her back. It was the reason he'd finally agreed to the annulment, thinking that was her intent anyway. If there was any vengeance in her at all, she would have him stand before
England a love-besotted fool and do what no man had ever accomplished. She would drive a sword straight through his heart.

In the light of day he couldn't even consider his suspicions. When Tess gazed up at him with her heart in her eyes, they seemed obscene. But at night, the suspicions came back to haunt him. He finally accepted the fact that he would not be free of the vile thoughts until Tess stood willingly by his side before the king and remained silent when the church declared them lawfully wed. Until then, he would do everything within his power to make sure she did just that.

The travelers finally passed through the gates of
London, winding their way through narrow streets past more people than Tess had seen in her lifetime. From the lowliest begger to rich merchants, the streets were alive with the wondrous variety of life. At last the outer walls of the palace came into sight. The
Tower
of
London
was not the impressive sight Tess had expected. Almost all she could see of the walls were scaffolds and building materials, for Edward was in the midst of adding a second outer wall and several new towers. They passed through the gates and entered an enclosed inner courtyard where they were met by the captain of the guard. After the group dismounted, he led them through a doorway into a maze of hallways so vast that Tess was certain she'd never find her way out again. Helen explained that they would normally pass through the courtyards and gardens, but they were taking the inner passages because of the weather, which had turned again to a steady downpour.

They stopped before two large oak doors that were thrown open to reveal a room nearly the size of Montague's great hall. Mullioned floor-to-ceiling windows along the far wall looked out over a garden that was lush even in the rain, brightening the gray weather with splashes of vibrant red and soft white roses. Tall oaks swayed gracefully over paths that spread through the gardens as intricately as a spider's web, as much a maze as the hallways they were just led through. Although Tess remembered climbing just a few sets of steps, they were now at least one or two stories above the ground, which made the
room
seem as if it nestled among the treetops. It would have been a very romantic spot if not for the racket of Kenric's men filing into the room behind them. Tess and Helen found a quiet corner while Kenric and Fitz Alan supervised the steady stream of trunks and baggage the soldiers carried in. There were three doors on each end of the room and, much to Tess's relief, Helen was familiar with this hall and explained that the doors led to sleeping chambers. Visiting nobility usually found
themselves
quartered in rooms suspiciously similar to dormitories, but Kenric and a few other high-ranking nobles were given their own apartments. Tess and Kenric would have their own chamber, and Helen would share a room with Miriam, while the other rooms would accommodate Kenric's knights. The remaining soldiers and servants would sleep on benches in the main hall. The arrangement also provided extra security, as any intruder would have a hall full of soldiers to pass through and six doors to choose from if they sought to harm a lord or his lady.

A full hour passed before Kenric found a moment to speak with his wife. He couldn't help but smile over the pitiful picture she and Helen presented. Both looked as if they'd been drowned. He wrapped an arm around Tess's shoulders and led her to their room. Though not nearly as big or nice as their chamber at Montague, there was a large canopied bed and the mullioned windows overlooked the same garden as the main hall. A small fire blazed in the hearth to chase away the constant dampness of castle walls and buckets of water stood ready to bathe the travel-worn guests.

"I want you out of those wet clothes," he told her, already unlacing her gown. Tess was so tired that she simply stood there, not offering to help. He loosened her ties,
then
started to rummage through a trunk. "Have you an idea where I would find a sleeping gown?"

" 'Tis
far too early for bed," she protested.

"Aye, but a nap would do you good." He found a nightgown and looped it over one arm, waiting while she struggled out of her clothing. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the trunk, allowing himself to enjoy the sight of her body. The last weeks had seen them without a dry bed even at night, and he'd used that excuse to avoid tiring his wife any more than the trip had already accomplished. He'd been truly content just to hold her. Now the outline of her soft curves beneath the damp, clinging chemise reminded him of how long it had been since they made love. He was seeing full measure what he'd glimpsed in the dimness of his tent and discovered with his hands at night. His son might have gotten off to a slow start, but he was making up for lost time at an amazing rate. Without the cover of her cloak and high-waisted gowns, Tess's condition was more than apparent. It was alarming.

"Kenric?"

It took a while before he realized she was waiting for him to hand her the gown. He was so fascinated by her body and the changes it was undergoing that for a moment he'd forgotten why he'd asked her to undress. She held out her hand for the gown but he shook his head, wagging his finger to call her closer. She crossed the room until she stood less than an arm's length away, yet he still didn't touch her. He smiled at her serious expression. "I will give you the gown for a kiss."

She looked surprised for a moment,
then
laughter entered her eyes for the first time in days. She stepped between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss she gave him said she'd missed their intimacies as well. Her mouth found its way to his ear and she whispered to him, her voice deep and sensual. "I want
you
out of those wet clothes, milord."

Kenric recognized his own words and smiled. His humor faded as he carried her to the bed, the need to possess her taking hold. He meant to be gentle, to be considerate of her condition and deny the urgency he felt, but Tess demanded his passion. She forced him to let go of his control completely until he could no longer think, but could only feel.

He wasn't given time to ponder his lack of restraint until they lay wrapped in each other's arms, reveling in the warm aftermath of their lovemaking. Some things would never change, he decided with a yawn, gently stroking her back. Tess had the ability to stir some new emotion each time they made love. When he voiced concerns about his roughness, she merely smiled at his worried frown and traced the outline of his lips with one finger.

"Surely the same feat that made our babe could not harm him," she reasoned, looking innocently concerned, even though her eyes told a much different story. The things he found to worry over in her pregnancy provided her with a near constant source of entertainment.

He considered her words then decided she was probably right. Not that it would take much reasoning to convince him. He would deny himself when the time came, but he wanted to enjoy her just as often as possible until then. He kissed her forehead then began to stroke her back again.
" 'Tis
time to sleep now, sweet. In a few hours I will send Miriam in to help you dress for dinner."

"I do not think I shall be able to sleep, knowing what lies ahead of us this eve," she said. Kenric frowned at the fear in her eyes. She pressed a kiss against his chest. "I trust you to see us safely through this
ordeal,
still I cannot help but dread facing Dunmore MacLeith again. He has frightened me for as long as I have known him."

"Shh," he whispered, pressing a finger against her lips. "Do not think of that now. I would have your head filled with thoughts of your husband."

His words were light, but Kenric couldn't wait until the man and his son were no longer a threat to his wife's peace of mind. By rights he should be with his king at this moment, learning more of the situation before they faced everyone at the evening meal. Yet he couldn't leave her until she fell asleep, warm and safe in his arms. He knew it might very well be the last time he held her this way, his marriage intact, his heart cradled gently in her hands.

Five minutes later, she was so soundly asleep that he had little trouble slipping the nightgown on over her head without waking her. He spent a few minutes just holding her as she slept, every doubt in his mind making the feel of her in his arms nearly painful. He pressed a gentle kiss good-bye on her sleeping lips then dressed and slipped quietly from the room. Nearly two hours had passed since their arrival and he knew the king would be waiting, probably most impatiently by now. Kenric smiled grimly on his way to the king's quarters, knowing the MacLeiths' time on earth was drawing to an end, wondering if he was hastening his own.

The meeting with Edward did not go well. As usual, his father was reserved, nothing in his behavior revealing any parental feelings he might harbor for his bastard son. Plantaganets were not known for being particularly fond of their legal heirs. As a bastard, Kenric had never expected recognition and he'd never received it. Any favor the king showed him had been earned on the battlefield, the bond of fealty more binding than blood. Edward was pleased that Kenric's part of the plan was proceeding without incident, relieved to learn that Tess had conceived. A babe would ease their difficulties. An unplanned threat had arisen in the months since Kenric's marriage and the church now had its hand in their scheme. Cardinal Jerome would be attending tonight's dinner to offer God's guidance in deciding the validity of the marriage.

With Cardinal Jerome's Scottish heritage and the likely promise of a good portion of Remmington land from the Scottish king, both Edward and Kenric were certain of the real reason for the cardinal's sudden interest. There was every possibility the cardinal would not decide what was best for
Scotland or
England, MacLeith or Kenric, but what was best for the church.

Edward tried to weigh the odds in their favor and had arranged for three English bishops to attend the meeting as well, but a ruling by the cardinal in MacLeith's favor would override the bishops' combined objections. Opposing Cardinal Jerome's judgment of the marriage could also jeopardize Edward's standing with the church, which already stood on shaky ground because of his past criticism of the church's greed.

It was a tangled mess and one Kenric had no liking for. Strategy on the battlefield was a simple affair. Yet no matter how he racked his brain, a sound strategy for this situation remained elusive. The only good news was that Dunmore MacLeith sent his son in his stead, claiming a broken leg left him unable to travel. Kenric suspected that Dunmore MacLeith was remaining entrenched at Remmington should the decision not be in his favor. Appearing at court would render him far too vulnerable.

Kenric was so lost in thought that he didn't immediately notice the strange silence when he entered the main hall of his apartments. The odd way each of the thirty or so men in the hall watched his sister's door finally penetrated his concentration. Only Simon and Fitz Alan seemed oblivious to whatever seemed so fascinating about Helen's door. The two men were engaged in a rather quiet game of dice that ended when Kenric took the seat next to Fitz Alan.

"What goes?" Kenric asked, perplexed by his men's strange behavior.

Simon leaned back in his seat and laced his fingers together behind his head, his smile smug. "You will know soon enough, Baron."

" 'Tis
your wife," Fitz Alan explained, putting one hand on Kenric's shoulder to discourage him from standing up. Kenric was already half out of his seat. "She just went into Helen's room wearing one of those new gowns you gave her."