Velvet & steel (15 page)

Royce took Lynette's arm, intending to drag her to some place out of earshot where he could convince her of his intentions and plead with her to put aside their bargain. Her resistance was small compared to his strength, and he might have succeeded in his intent had not a bustle of activity near the door drawn their attention.

Lynette was spellbound by the two who had just entered the room, but what she felt was small compared to Royce's reaction. His muscles tightened, and when she looked up into his face, it was drained of color and looked as fierce as if he were facing a mortal enemy.

She returned her gaze to the two people who stood framed in the doorway. The two men were standing side by side and both were gazing around the crowded room as if they were looking for someone. One took a step forward, and it was then that his gaze fell on Royce. Lynette knew these were no strangers, but they were certainly not welcome guests either, at least not by Royce. She could hardly take her eyes from them. One was considerably younger than the other, and Lynette wondered if they were father and son.

The younger man was... magnificent! It was the only word that came to Lynette's mind. He was as tall as Royce, and his shoulders as broad. His face was strong, with a gold tanned skin that was a perfect foil for the amazing and vivid green of his eyes.

Behind him stood the second man, and he, too, was enough to take a woman's breath away. His hair was a thick silver mass, as was his beard. But his years sat well upon him, for he looked strong and vigorous. He was brawny and heavy of chest and arm. His amber eyes surveyed the crowded room as if he were well used to the gathering of nobility.

Lynette would not have been alarmed except for the look on Royce's face, and the fact that beside the older man stood Oriel, with a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Who are they?" Lynette whispered to Royce. For a moment she thought either he hadn't heard her or chose not to answer.

"That is Sir Tearlach, and the knight is his nephew, Sir Beltane. They are distant relatives of William," Royce answered between clenched teeth. "Strange, I did not know Lady Oriel was acquainted with them."

"You know them well?"

"Aye, too well," he replied. He said no more, and Lynette was certain he did not mean to say more.

He also made no motion to meet them and in fact turned his back to speak to Robert, who had just joined them.

Royce knew he would have to put off the discussion with Lynette, but he would have her safely in his home tonight and would force her to listen if necessary.

"I see the Lady Oriel has returned." Royce said to Robert.

"Aye, and, in good company," Robert replied. "I did not realize she knew those two."

"Nor did I," Royce said. He was regaining control. Lynette could feel him struggle to relax his body. It aroused her curiosity about the two and their connection to him.

"Aye," Robert said uncomfortably. "William is much in Tearlach's debt."

Lynette did not miss the look that passed between Robert and Royce, and she knew there were old and unresolved problems here.

"Robert ..." Royce began, but he was interrupted by the older man, who laid a hand on his arm and smiled.

"Hold your words. They come this way."

When Royce turned to face the approaching group, it was as if he were about to speak to old and welcome guests.

"Ah, Royce, it has been some time since we have crossed paths." Beltane smiled. His gaze moved quickly from Royce to Lynette. And I see you still have the most exquisite taste in women."

"Lynette, may I present Sir Beltane. Lynette will soon be my wife," Royce added, almost as if it were a warning to Beltane.

"How fortunate you are," he murmured. "I had not thought you would ever marry again. But of course, time, the appearance of a pretty face, and some wealth are enough to draw any hotblooded man from his grief." He turned to Lynette and smiled. She returned his smile hesitantly, for she could sense that this man meant trouble for Royce. "How lovely you are, Lady Lynette. We have not seen you at court before."

"Thank you, sir." Lynette could not help the fascination she felt. He was a man of charisma, and she flushed when his eyes moved over her. "I am a simple girl of the country, Sir Beltane, and I have never been to court before."

"When is this wedding to take place?" he asked.

"Within the month," Lynette answered.

Beltane laughed softly. "That is a long time to keep a lovely creature like yourself safe. You had best be very careful, Royce, or someone will steal her from under your nose." He turned his smile on Lynette, and again she was struck by the almost perfect handsomeness of this man and the devastating power of his personality. "Lady Lynette, may I present my uncle, Sir Tearlach. He and William are distantly related."

Lynette got the feeling she was supposed to be impressed by this. Did he think she would suddenly decide Royce was lacking royal blood and turn to him instead?

"I did not expect to see you at this gathering, Sir Beltane," Royce said. "When I saw you last, you were engaged in a turn at arms ... over the favor of a lady, I understand. Tell me, did you win? Is the lady yours now?"

Beltane smiled more broadly. "You are mistaken as to the cause of the battle, and of course I won. But there has never been a woman I have raised my sword over... nor would... until now."

Lynette felt Royce stiffen, and she too felt a tingle of fear run through her. Royce and Beltane were looking at each other like predators about to fight over prey.

"Lady Lynette," Beltane said with a smile meant to charm. "You are mistress of Creganwald, are you not?"

"Aye."

" 'Tis rare for a Norman lord to be forced to marry a Saxon to retain her lands. I should think you would rather choose among your own kind. Unless .. . you put a very high price on your favors."

"I had little choice in the matter, Sir Beltane, but I believe it would have been impossible to have chosen better. Royce is a valued knight of William's. I would give my favors to no man, but I would honor the marriage William has set for me, and the man as well."

Beltane's smile froze. Robert contained his laughter with a great deal of effort, and Royce would have liked nothing better than to take Lynette in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless. But Lynette was aware only of two things, Royce's pleasure and the deepening interest that warmed Beltane's eyes.

Before anyone else could speak, William approached. His face wore a troubled look. While he introduced Lynette to several other knights, he avoided both her gaze and Royce's.

"So, Royce, we have not seen you for a number of years," Tearlach said and none could miss the viciousness in his voice. "It seems you were right to sell your sword to the highest bidder. William is now king. And this Saxon wench will be your wife. There are rich and favored lands that go with her. William has made many hasty decisions. This one must be examined."

"There is little to examine," Royce said. "The lands and the lady have already been promised to me. I keep what I have earned by the strength of my arm .. . with the strength of my arm."

Tearlach laughed a boisterous laugh. "Still the wild one, are you? Mayhap you are right, and mayhap not. Time will tell the tale. There is many a slip 'twixt cup and lip. Do not drink too hastily for fear you may choke."

"Enough, Tearlach," William said, and there was a flush of anger on his face. "Let us join the others and put away trouble for tonight."

"Of course," Tearlach said softly. He bowed slightly to Lynette and moved away to greet others.

But Beltane lingered. He had been watching both Royce and Lynette throughout the confrontation, and the glimmer of avarice and lust lingered in his eyes. If he knew his uncle, there was a way to stop Royce, and he now had his eye not only on Lynette's lands... but on Lynette as well.

He did not often see a beauty who caught his attention as this one did. She was rare; a lady of exquisite beauty, yes, but he knew there was much more. She was a woman of strength, who would turn to fire in a man's arms, he warranted. He meant to be the one to catch the flame. He also needed a way to strike Royce. His hatred of him went back a number of years, and he never forgot someone he hated as much as he hated him.

Robert was silent. He promised himself to take the first opportunity to get William alone and put a few pertinent questions to him.

"Lady Lynette," Beltane said, "William is to honor my uncle with a visit tomorrow afternoon. It would please him, I know, and it would please me, if you were to join us."

"I am afraid that is impossible, Sir Beltane."

"You disappoint me, dear lady, and I know William will be disappointed as well. If you should change your mind ..."

"I do not believe I will. I have a great number of things still to do, and so little time to do them. Mayhap, after the wedding you will honor Royce and me at Creganwald."

"Of course. I intend to renew my friendship with your future husband as soon as possible. We have a great deal in common." He smiled at Lynette and bowed slightly to Royce, then left them.

Royce had been watching Lynette in fascination. Either she was the most accomplished liar he'd ever known, or she was going to go through with the wedding. He felt excited by the thought, but he intended to have his question answered as soon as possible.

Lynette wondered if he was angry at her announcement that she intended to go through with the wedding. He was looking at her strangely, as if she were responsible for difficulties in his plans.

"Lynette, would it distress you if we left now?"

"Now? But the king—"

"I shall tell him you have become ill. He will not mind. It's important for us to be alone for a while."

"No, of course not, if that is your wish."

"It is my wish," he said firmly. He took her arm and literally dragged her toward the king, to whom he made hasty excuses. He took her away before he could see William's smile fade to a dark scowl.

Robert joined William, and waited for a moment to talk. He did not like the presence of Beltane; still less Tearlach.

He knew quite well that Oriel was behind their appearance, and that this was only the beginning of whatever problems she had stirred up.

"Tearlach has not changed these past years," Robert said quietly.

"His kind of man does not change," William said coldly. "He is the kind to demand a tooth for a tooth."

"And a life for a life?"

"Robert, think you I would give any life to him?"

"Who knows better than you and I that kings are often forced to do what is good for the many, instead of what is good for the few?"

"This king does not forget those who show loyalty. There are many ways to cage a mad dog."

"Cage him," Robert said, "or he might have to be put out of his misery."

"I do not think it is Tearlach who will cause problems. I think Beltane is the greater threat. He has seen what he wants, and he has a way of getting it."

"Not this time. The last time should have made him wiser... this time, I think... Royce will kill him."

"Tell Royce," William said thoughtfully, "that it would be wise for him to keep the lady close until the words are said that make them man and wife."

"Aye."

"And ever after," William said softly, without looking at Robert. "Tell him to hold both Creganwald and the lady close, and to trust no one. There is something afoot, Robert, and I do not know what it is yet. But what he holds dear, he must protect. He knows these people well, and knows that they do not respect the possessions of others, nor are they afraid to take what they desire."

"He will be warned. And you may trust that Royce has many friends who will watch his back for him."

"Good," William replied. Others joined them, and there was little chance for Robert to ask any more questions. He sought out Oriel, and waited until he could approach her in private.

"You have played your game well, Oriel," he said quietly from behind her back.

She spun around in surprise. But Robert had to admit she was not shaken easily. She smiled.

"Robert, you startled me. I do not know what you are talking about. What 'game' do you have in mind?"

"Play the innocent with someone else. I see your fine hand in this. Leave be, Oriel, or I will put a stop to it."

"Really, Robert, I do not know what you mean. I have done nothing. I was a guest in Sir Tearlach's home, and he was kind enough to escort me here. I have no one but my brother, and we live on Royce's sufferance. My worth was taken by that Saxon. Can I be blamed if Sir Tearlach was kind enough to escort me back to my brother?"

"You are one to hold your hatred close to your heart, and seek revenge for a grievance that was not of her making. Lynette will be Royce's wife and there is little you can do about it."

"But he does not want the marriage. Mayhap he needs only a way to relieve himself of this duty."

"And find his way to your bed. Think you he would wed you instead?"

"He would have turned to me if that slut had not been forced down his throat!" She said rashly.

"No, Oriel, you are wrong. He would not have turned to anyone. It was Lynette who released him from his grief, and it is only she who holds the key now."

"We shall see, Robert, we shall see."

"I warn you ..."

"And I warn you. Stand away, before you find you face an enemy who is not so easy to destroy."

She spun away from him, and Robert watched her retreat with misgivings. One enemy was easy to face, but three were a threat to be taken seriously.

He watched William from across the room. What did the king mean when he said there was more than one way to cage a dog? There were a great many things in William's mind that Robert could never fathom.

The secret he carried himself was now a weight he would gladly rid himself of. But he couldn't. He had to keep it, and make sure it was not used to destroy Royce and all he had acquired.

The ride back to Royce's home was a silent one. Wrapped in her cloak against the cold, Lynette failed to notice that Royce watched her closely. She did not care if he was angry. She herself was upset and more than a little afraid of Beltane.

She had been wondering if she could have seen him before, and now it came to her. In her mind she had always had a vivid picture of the favored angel of God, Lucifer. He was beautiful, the fathers had told her, and in his conceit had been expelled from heaven. Well, Beltane had that look of wicked beauty that could lead anyone astray.

She had felt his eyes on her, and could still feel the heat of them. She wondered if this had angered Royce. It was not her fault that Beltane looked at her as he did. She was glad she had made it clear she would wed Royce, even if it had made him angry.

If he wanted to ask William for freedom from his pledge, so be it, but she would have to tell him tonight to find his own reasons, for she could not say the lie that she wanted to be free. She could only tell him of her love and make him understand that she would choose no other.

Royce was as deep in his thoughts as she, but his were far different. He had heard her words and hoped they were true. He had made her a bargain, but he did not mean to hold to it. Whether she cried deception or not, he meant to make her his wife.

When they arrived, their horses were taken and they went inside. Lynette started up the stairs and Royce followed behind her. But when she walked to her door, he took her arm and she was forced along with him to climb the second set of stairs to his chamber. Once inside, he closed and bolted the door behind them, and they turned to face each other.

The fire had been fueled against his arrival home and it lit the room with a mellow glow. The room was warm and Royce went to her and took the cloak from her, leaving her standing there while he walked to the opposite side of the room to lay it aside.

He turned to face her again. Lynette watched him approach, and spoke before he could say the words she didn't want to hear.

"I am sorry if I have set your plans awry, but I could not speak words I know to be a lie."

"And what is the lie, Lynette?"

"Royce, when you came to Creganwald, I was angered that I should be given away by a king who was not even mine. But you came, and you were not as I expected. I wanted to hate you ... but I cannot. I have come to care for you more than I had thought it possible to care for any man. Royce, I ... I would put our bargain aside, I would wed you, and I would tell you that ... I ... I have come to love you."

Royce wasn't sure he had heard right, for her voice had grown soft, and he could see her hands clenched at her sides. He strode toward her and took her by the shoulders in a grip so tight, it drew her up almost on her toes. She gave a soft cry of fright.

"Lynette, have I heard you right? Did you say... "

"I know this does not please you, and if you wish your freedom, I will go to the king and plead for it."

"Freedom!" He laughed. "Freedom from you is the last thing I will ever want. Lynette, I have tried to adhere to our little plan, but in my heart I have wanted to hear you say it is no longer your wish."

"You... you have ..."

"I have come to love you, little Saxon," he said gently. "And I have ached with the wanting of you. I was certain it was you who wanted your freedom."

"No! Oh no, I do not." She half laughed and half cried. "I do not."

"Then you shall never have it," he said as he gathered her to him. Their lips met in a flaming union, his seeking the fullness of the truth and hers answering with all that she had stored in her heart.

Her arms slid about him to hold him even closer, while she sent his senses soaring with the heat of her passion. It grew within him like a force, draining him of all the old, familiar pain while it replaced sorrow with a joyous overflowing of love. He filled himself with the taste and the feel of her, forcing the light of her love into every dark corner and brightening the shadows until they were no more.

When he released her lips, it was only to frame her face between his two hands and gaze into her eyes. They were warm with newly ignited passion, and he saw there all he would need to sustain him.

"Lynette." He sighed her name as one speaks a prayer. "I had thought it impossible to know love again. I was closed in the darkest of hells. 'Tis you who bring the light."

"Royce, I would give you all that I am if it would bring you the full knowledge of peace and the love I have for you. I would speak my vows before God, and feel the full joy of knowing we are one."

Royce was filled with so many emotions that he could hardly find his breath.

When his mouth took hers this time it was in a gentle tasting, meant to stoke the passion already simmering. She responded completely, her hands caressing and her body coming fully against his. The kiss grew deeper and deeper until she felt as if she were melting, her body reforming itself to mold more perfectly to his.

Only when she felt as if she were adrift on a sea of white-hot need did he snatch her up in his arms and carry her to the bed. Beside it he stood her on her feet, and was pleased when she began to remove his clothes. With fingers that trembled, he helped her to remove her clothes. Then they stood, her slim, golden form pressed to his hard, muscled one. He let his hands roam for one moment to caress soft shoulders, slim curved back and hips, then to the warmth of her breasts, where his hands lingered to feel the sweet swells.

Her hands were just as busy, for she did not fight the urge to know him as he would know her, all and completely. She explored the breadth of his shoulders and the hard muscles of chest and arm, then put her arms about his waist and pressed herself against him, her lips touching randomly and with building heat.

They found the softness of the bed together, responding fully to each other, as if each knew what the other desired and what would heighten the pleasure more.

He heard her whispered murmurs of pleasure and delighted in them, more than he had ever known. She gave so completely that hot blood surged through his veins and crashed against his spirit like waves upon a welcoming shore.

As he entered her body, her lips were hot and moist beneath his, and her body arched to meet him, giving as fiercely as he, demanding as fiercely as he. The rapidly building passion ran like a river of molten lava through their veins. They were left with no other thought than the pulsing need for appeasement.

His kiss and the hungry heat of his body drove her beyond the brink of sanity to the burst of fulfillment. It left them both gasping and clinging to each other while they rode the crest, then tumbled from the heights to a quiet peace that filled their spirits with a warmth neither had known before.

When he looked down into her eyes again, he saw the warmth of her love and the promise in her eyes. He smiled.

"Our bargain is well met, my love."

"Aye," she whispered softly. "And the next bargain we make will be vows before God. I would wed you, Royce, and return home to Creganwald. I need not the conflicts of the court nor the conspirators here." She smiled up at him. "Especially those who conspire to win you."

"Is this jealousy I hear?"

"Aye, my lord. 'Tis jealousy. You are mine and I would share you with no old lovers. That is a day past, and I would snatch you from temptation."

"Ah, Lynette, the only woman who tempts me is here in my arms. There is no other I would seek." He bent to kiss her lightly. "But I would return to Creganwald as well, for there are, as you say, forces here that would entangle us. There is contentment at Creganwald, and I have found a promise of peace there."

"Must we wait for the king's word to seal our vows?"

"Aye, we must. But I will speak to him tomorrow and urge him to all speed."

Lynette did not know why she suddenly felt a cold breath pass over her, and she clung to Royce in a fierce embrace.

"What is it, my love?"

"'Tis nothing. A moment's fright."

"Fright? Of what T

"I do not know. I ... I only wish we were back at Creganwald now, and the vows already taken."

"As do I. There is nothing to worry you. William has already promised Creganwald to me, and he does not reward loyalty with betrayal."

"Our marriage is not a fact yet, and he need only give Creganwald to another and provide your reward with something else."

"Then I must urge the marriage, to ease your mind and to assure you that I will not surrender you or Creganwald to another." He could still sense her unrest. "Lynette, is it William's or my intentions you question?"

"Nay! Royce, it is... those three at the king's dinner. It is the hatred I could feel, and their parting words. It was as if Tearlach knew something more than we, and Beltane ..." She shivered.

"Beltane is to be considered, for I have bested him more than once, and he is not one to forget such things."

"And Oriel?" she questioned softly.

"I have only recently discovered that Oriel can be cruel, but she wields no power." He took her chin in two fingers and lifted her head to look deeper into her eyes. "I will tell you true that I thought to seek her out once, but my spirit fell against the cold walls of hers, and when I found the truth of her cruelty to Cerise ... Lynette, this treasure I have found here is not a moment's, nor a year's, but the joy of a lifetime. I would willingly make my promise to you that I lay before you my life and my love for as long as there is breath in my body."

Lynette was overcome with a flowing warmth, and she reached up to put her hand at the back of his head and draw his mouth down to hers. Their lips met and the kiss was a seal that each knew would never be broken.

The kiss slowly grew into a rare and deep passion that had more than just the heat of desire, but a calm and perfect blending. It moved slowly, like the flow of a tranquil and deep river, and they surrendered to the perfection of it.

They savored the feel and the taste of each other with hands and lips. They sought to give as much pleasure as they received, and as it steadily grew it blazed into a passion that was met with joy and complete surrender.

Later Lynette gave in to contented sleep, and Royce lay holding her and trying to control the nagging feeling of worry. He looked down at her sleeping face and felt again that possessive hunger. He knew in his heart that a day would never come when he would not need the sweet and healing woman who lay so relaxed in his arms. Slowly he put the past behind him, and for the first time felt the peace that had eluded him for so long. He reached for the memory of Sybella and knew that from this point on, he would be able to think of her without pain and to remember only the happiness they had shared.

Lynette's head rested on his shoulder, and he could feel her soft breath against his skin. One of her legs was lying across his and one hand rested upon his chest.

He lifted her hand gently so as not to waken her and held it to his lips. Her hand was delicate, and he wondered that the touch of it could set him on fire and restore all that had been stolen from his life.

Again he thought of Sybella. He allowed the memory for a moment, then put it away, for Lynette was his saving grace and she deserved all of his heart... without shadows.

His arm tightened around her and she stirred. She sensed his thoughts and looked up at him.

"Are there ghosts in your heart, my lord?" she whispered.

"Nay, Lynette, only happiness and gratitude. I have held on to my ghosts too long. I had lived... no, I had died, and you were the breath of life that reanimated me. There will be no more shadows, for I have found the fullness of love in you and I would put the memories away. I would share a happy life with you."

Lynette felt tears sting her eyes, and her heart swelled with the love she felt for Royce. Words were not necessary, for he brushed away the tears with gentle kisses and soon they turned to more. They spent the coin of their love freely and with the deepest of pleasure.

Others could not find the night so full of pleasure. William stood looking out over the city, his mind deep in the problems that tormented him.

A man of his word, he cursed the day he had made a promise he now did not want to fulfill. He could not betray a man who had given so much, not only to his cause but to him as well.

But there were those of lesser honor who would insist on the fulfillment of a vow made long ago, despite the agony and difficulties it would cause.

He found it hard to understand the need for vengeance. Nor could he understand the man who would take vengeance by using another. He understood the enemy who met him with armor and sword, but not the one who contrived in secret.

He had wrestled with his thoughts for hours, and no solution presented itself. A test of honor he could understand ... a test of honor ... for the first time in hours, a smile curved his lips.

***

In a distant part of the city others thought the same thoughts, only with more satisfaction.

Tearlach sat with a drink in his hand and chuckled over his cleverness. Near him Beltane, too, smiled the smile of one who nears success in an endeavor. Oriel sat nearby, caught in her own private dreams.

"Find your bed," Tearlach said to Oriel. "It is not necessary for you to bother your mind about the outcome of this. Creganwald is as good as Beltane's, as is the maid Royce covets so. He will find his sword has won him naught but broken promises and lost dreams."

"All is done?" Oriel asked quietly.

"Before the two are wed, he will find all that he thought his is gone. We will see the pride of this knight in the dust yet."

"I would have us wed before his eyes," Beltane said with a serpent's smile. "And I will display my ardor while he watches and curses his king." Beltane looked closely at his uncle. "You have never told me why your hatred of him is so strong. What has he done to gain it?"

"That is not your concern," Tearlach said harshly. "It is enough that you know I seek your gain as well as mine."

Oriel said nothing. She simply rose to her feet and went from the room to her chamber. Although Giles had argued against it, she had decided to remain a guest in Tearlach's home.