The Winter Promise (19 page)

Malcolm gritted his teeth and said, “I am sorry my behavior embarrasses my father.”

Robert nodded. Gruffydd glared at his son. It was not much of an apology.

“Malcolm tells me something that troubles me greatly.” Gruffydd tightened his grip on his spear. “He says you have dishonored my niece. I have fought you many times, Robert, and you have been a man of honor. But if you have done this to me, and to mine, I will burn Wessex to the ground.”

Robert bit back his first reaction.
You must get through me first.
He understood exactly what Gruffydd meant.

“I have not betrayed Lady Imma’s honor,” he said. And yet he had. Not in the way Gruffydd meant, but he had.

“Then you deny having done anything improper? I warn you, she is the daughter of my heart.”

What was wrong with stabbing people with spears? It would be easier than having this conversation.

The Welsh king glared at him when he didn’t answer right away. He didn’t think he had the words to explain any of it. He thought for a moment, then fumbled at his throat and lifted the jewel Imma had given him from beneath his tunic and chain mail.

Gruffydd inhaled sharply. “Where did you get this?”

“Imma gave it to me.”

“She gave it to you? Willingly?”

“That is so.”

“You know what it means?”

It
could
mean many things. That she was trying to convince him she had an affection for him that did not exist. That she believed a sign of her affection toward him would assuage his doubts. But he knew what it meant.

“It means she loves me.”

“And you?”

“And I love her,” he said simply, and wondered how it could have taken him so long to say it.

The king nodded again but didn’t look convinced. “Why have you not sent a messenger?”

“A messenger?”

“To negotiate for a marriage bond. Malcolm tells me she is a widow. You say you love each other. Even in England, I have heard that wives and husbands sometimes love each other.”

“I am a younger son,” Robert said. “And she is a Welsh princess.”

The king grunted. “Yes. They call you the Steward. Lord John will return and dispossess you. It is why we began our campaign before his return, for he will bring more men.”

Robert stared at him. “How do you know this?”

“Imma told Malcolm how she came into your household. She said what that man Harold’s duty was — that you were called to account. John’s returning is the only reason why that would be.”

Robert felt off-balance now. How could this Welsh king know more about his lands than he did? The old king smiled, and his smile was more ferocious than his scowl.

“I have ruled a wilder land for many years longer than you, Robert. And
I
believe everything Imma says.”

John was returning to Wessex? Robert wondered who else had divined this. He remembered how Imma had put it:
Edward has had a messenger from John.
But he had been so convinced that he could not believe her he had not thought what it might mean if she told the truth.

But Malcolm had discerned what it meant —

And Osbrycht had discerned what it meant —

He had not believed Imma, because he knew Edward would have informed Robert of what he intended, and told him to ready his household to receive Harold.

But Robert had been out fighting the Welsh at the time. And Osbrycht could have intercepted the king’s message. He could have destroyed Harold’s company. Everyone knew that John could not hold these lands without Robert. So Robert must be got out of the way. That had been Osbrycht’s plan.

Malcolm’s plan, less serpentine, had been to get the news to his father as quickly as possibly so they could attack before John arrived.

If
Robert
had believed everything Imma said —

What would she tell him to do right now?

Make the peace, Robert.

“I would not be at war with you,” he announced clearly.

Gruffydd nearly dropped his spear in surprise.

“You must win this war before John joins his army to mine,” Robert said.

“Then you have the upper hand,” Gruffydd said. “And only a fool would sue for peace.”

“I will not ride against my kin.”

This time Gruffydd did drop his spear.

“You are asking to marry my niece?” Gruffydd demanded.

“Even so.”

“You are a younger son, about to be dispossessed, and she is a Welsh princess.”

“Even so.”

Gruffydd threw his head back and laughed. “I told her she would make the peace. I just did not expect her to do it by confounding Robert the Steward. I would not have thought it possible. Very well, my lord. You may have her, if she is willing, and my blessing with it.”

They had made it through the forest. Imma turned to Jacob and said, “I can make my own way now. Go to your lord.”

“You know the way to the monastery from here?”

“I can see the outer wall.” Imma pointed.

Jacob hesitated and said, “Is there a message, my lady?”

She glanced over at him. “A message?”

Jacob turned pink. “For my lord,” he muttered.

“No,” she said. “He believes I have betrayed him.”

“Oh, he cannot believe that!”

“But he does. He accused me of it.”

“Well, he has a temper and does not always think before he speaks. When he thinks, he will know better,” Jacob said.

“He should not have to think to know better.”

“You know what he is like,” Jacob said. “You must tell him how foolish he is when he gets a notion like that.”

“I should not have to. If he thinks so little of me — ”

Jacob stared at her with wide eyes. “My lady, everyone knows he thinks the world of you. That is why he is so foolish. Everyone knows that.”

“You’re not making any sense,” she said crossly.

“My lady.” Jacob paused. “When I became an apprentice to the horse-thane, he often said to me, ‘You should know how to muck out a stall’ or ‘You should know how to mend a saddle.’ And he would clout me on the ear because I did not.”

She stared at him. What did that have to do with her situation?

“Well, it was foolish of the horse-thane,” Jacob explained with a shrug. “Perhaps I should have known, but I did not. If he had told me what to do, or shown me how, he would have been much less frustrated, and I would not have got my ears boxed half so much.”

Imma turned away. It was ridiculous to compare Robert to an ignorant horse-thane. Robert should —

He had been betrayed so often and loved so little. She always expected he should act as a gentleman would, but he acted exactly as a hard-pressed soldier who had been betrayed so often and loved so little would. Why should that surprise her? It had, she realized, nothing to do with
her
.

Of course, he should not accuse her of betrayal, but she had not even responded to the charge, which probably made him think he was right. She had not reassured him of the love and esteem she had for him. Which was almost certainly what he had wanted to hear —

When he returned to Wessex and found her gone,
that
would convince him that he was right.
That
was when he would be angry.

“Come,” she said to Jacob. “We must return to Athelney.”

Imma must have told a servant to alert her the moment he returned, Robert thought as he dismounted and handed the reins of his charger to the stable boy.

“My lord, welcome back,” Jacob said, but Robert scarcely heard him as he strode across the courtyard to meet Imma, his boots ringing the sound of his return across the stones.

“My lord,” Imma said and then he had her in his arms, pulling her hard against him. He knew he was dusty and sweaty from the journey, and that blood trickled from a cut somewhere on his shoulder, but that did not matter. He closed his eyes, burying his head in her neck, holding her hard against him, oblivious to onlookers.

Then he kissed her. He tasted the sweetness she offered, tangling his hand in her hair, deepening the kiss as desire surged through him.

“Imma,” he said, breaking the kiss and looking deep into her violet gaze.

“Unhand that woman!” The unexpected shout made him look up, startled, but he had no intention of letting go of Imma. Indeed, he tightened his grip on her. Then he realized the source of the shout. His king advanced upon him, hurrying from the keep and across the foreyard. Just a step behind Edward was Robert’s brother John.

Imma clutched his arm and said, “Much has happened. I had hoped to tell you — ”

“What is the meaning of this outrage, Robert?” Edward snapped. “Imma! Explain yourself! I thought you said you were contemplating the religious life.”

“My king Edward,” Robert said. “And my lord John. Welcome home.”

John gave him a distant nod and folded his arms across his chest.

“What are you doing with Imma?” Edward demanded. “It never occurred to me that you would take advantage of a lady in distress.”

“My lord Robert did no such thing!” Imma gasped.

“Your grace, you may be my king but you had better watch your tongue,” Robert said. “I have spent these weeks driving the Welsh from my brother’s lands, so perhaps you should begin with what you are doing here.”

He relinquished his grip on Imma, but upon releasing her, took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“I came because John has decided to return home,” Edward said. “That is the reason he asked me to arrange an accounting.”

“That explains John,” Robert said. “It does not explain you.”

“John wants a wife,” Edward said, his temper clearly close to fraying.

“You mean he has already been through Anna’s fortune?”

“Hold your tongue,” John snapped.

“I arranged a suitable match for John,” Edward said. “And since he insists on being married at Glastonbury, I decided to travel here to introduce him to his bride and to attend the wedding.”

“Congratulations, John,” Robert said. “Who is the lucky woman?”

At his brother’s cold look, understanding dawned.

“Not Imma,” Robert said flatly.

“Yes, Imma,” John snapped.

“No.”

“I cannot see how you have any say in the matter, Robert,” Edward said. “Imma and John will be married as soon as — ”

“Never!” Robert shouted, dropping Imma’s hand and reaching for his sword. Imma stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

“My lord, do not be rash. Some things once done cannot be undone.” Her fingers were gentle and so was her voice, as if all the shouting had not affected her. Even though it was her future they were shouting about. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on her and upon her words.

She put her other hand on his shoulder and faced him. “My lord, look at me,” she said. He gazed down at those violet eyes, at all the love she had for him displayed there and he nearly went to his knees. He would kill John — he would kill Edward! — before he let her go. His hand crept to his sword. Her fingers tightened around his wrist.

“My lord,” she said. “You must know I love you. Is that not so?”

“I know it.”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Something to say? Overwhelmed with all of the things he wanted to say, he just stared, stupefied.

Then she touched his face. “Robert. I can only guess what you think. What you feel. You must say it so I may be sure.”

He closed his eyes. He loved her so much. What could he say, how could he express it? She would never understand. What had stopped him, why it had taken him so long, what had finally happened to make him give his heart to her. How could he tell her all of this? Then he realized she needed none of that. He did not need to explain anything. He only had to tell her how he felt.

“My lady,” he said through the tightness of his throat. “My lady. I am your thane. I will do whatever you ask of me. Make the command and I will do it.” He drew a deep breath, then gave her a ghost of a smile. “It can only be because I love you.”

“Oh, Robert,” she said.

She took his hand in hers, then turned to face Edward. “I have appreciated your many kindnesses to me, you grace. But I find I must refuse the offer Lord John has made.”

“That is fine, my lady,” John said sharply. “Consider the offer withdrawn. Bailiff, if you will escort these two off my lands — ”

“Hold, John,” Edward said, raising his hand to forestall him. “Imma, I don’t understand. Your uncle sent you here to make the peace. It is your duty — ”

“Her uncle has given his blessing,” Robert interrupted. “He will withdraw his men if I marry Imma.”

“That is a foolish bargain,” John snapped. “My army will be stronger than his.”

Robert looked at Imma. “Perhaps your king has need of a strong arm to lead his men?”

“Robert!” Edward said, scandalized. “What a thing to suggest. If your marrying Imma pleases the Welsh king, I will not stand in your way.” He scowled at John. “Nor will your brother.” Then he brightened. “Lord Andrew of Mercia died this winter. He had no issue. If I grant you his land and title as a wedding gift, the Welsh king will be well pleased. His lands will border yours. Of course, you will have to hold it against other threats.”

“My lord, you are most generous,” Robert said. “Fear not: I will hold the lands.” He glanced at Imma and a smile curved his lips. “
We
will hold the lands.”

“I still do not understand why you would not marry at Winchester, as Edward wished. Or even Glastonbury,” Elizabeth said. “But Athelney! Remote and uncomfortable. You know, I have always despised Athelney.”

Imma grinned and adjusted the circlet of flowers on her hair.

“Well, we will be in Mercia soon enough,” she said. “My lady, you will make your home with us?”

“Perhaps it is time for me to retire to a nunnery.”

“You are impossible,” Imma said, smoothing the soft woolen dress over her hips. The ivory color suited her complexion and she thought she looked very pretty in it. She doubted Robert would notice. “You know we could not do without you.”

“Very well. I shall probably despise Mercia,” Elizabeth responded, adjusting her own dress and then linking her arm with Imma’s.