Captive Heart (47 page)

She found her tongue at last. “I suppose I should be flattered that you have bothered to dress in so handsome a fashion, but perhaps it is not simply for my benefit that you have done so.”

Confused by her remark, since it seemed to hold more of an insult than a compliment, Mylan pushed her feet to one side and sat down beside her. “I did not mean to startle you so badly by wearing Father Bernard’s cloak, but it afforded me an opportunity to speak with you before you see Robert, and I did not want you to go to him without being warned of what he will ask. I am certain you understand why I do not trust you to give him a reasonable answer on your own.”

Sitting up so she might face him squarely, Celiese allowed herself to take a cautious breath before she dared hope the answer to her question might make a difference in her fate “He means to kill me at dawn, doesn’t he?” she whispered softly, terrified that the duke had such a ghastly plan.

Mylan frowned, surprised by her question, and yet he would not lie to save her from a prospect that clearly already had her badly frightened. “This has been a very long week, Celiese, and a most tiring one, but you are safe for the moment, and this day will not be your last unless you behave as foolishly as you did when last you saw the duke.”

Her cheeks burning with embarrassment, Celiese responded bitterly, “At least I have never turned my back on my friends!” Friend was too soft a word, she knew, but she’d not call him lover, for it implied too little, nor could she say husband, for that term implied far too much. There was no word to describe their relationship, but she knew when she had needed his help most desperately he had failed her in every way possible.

Disgusted by her anger when he considered it completely misplaced, Mylan began to swear, then caught himself. “Is that what you think I did, turned my back on you? You are an even greater fool than I thought then, for the only reason you are alive today is because of me!” Rising to his feet, he began to pace the small room with the seething power of a caged beast. His steps were even now; after much practice he no longer had to make a conscious effort to walk without limping and his stride was graceful and sure. Unable to contain his fiery temper any longer, he released it in a torrent of frustration. “I obviously wasted my time, too! You have so little sense I should simply make you take the punishment you deserve!”

He was tempted just to walk out on her, simply to leave her on her own to face whatever Hrolf’s whims might be, but when he turned to give her a murderous glance her expression was so innocent, so devoid of guile that he was suddenly ashamed of himself for being so cross with her. She had provoked his anger with her insult, but knowing now that she had misunderstood his motives so completely he sat down again by her feet and attempted to explain his actions in so calm a tone she could not fail to comprehend what his true feelings had been. “I was more shocked than Hrolf, than Robert.” He corrected himself quickly, trying to remember to use the man’s Christian name. “I was appalled by the outrageous manner in which you chose to insult Robert when I had warned you repeatedly that we had to behave with the utmost discretion, but you just blurted out your grievances as if he would be powerless to retaliate.”

Lifting her chin, Celiese returned Mylan’s accusing stare with a steady glance. “I know that was lunacy, but we seemed to be making no progress whatsoever in our true reason for coming here, and I had had more than enough of that hateful man’s company!”

Taken aback by that burst of unexpected anger, Mylan asked softly, “And my company as well?”

For a moment Celiese could not find her voice to respond; a painful knot filled her throat and she had a difficult time forcing it away. “I have had very little of your company since we came here, Mylan, for you seemed to prefer Hrolf’s to mine.”

Mylan sighed sadly, beginning to feel his cause was truly hopeless. “Well, as usual, you were wrong!” Exasperated that she did not seem to see the justification for the most obvious of his actions, he had to force himself to continue. “What choice did I have when Robert struck you? Had I jumped him at least ten of his men would have come running to join the fight, and I’d have been thrown in the cell next to yours, and neither of us would have had anyone to help us regain our freedom. At least that is what would have happened if I’d been lucky enough to survive what would surely have been a most brutal beating if not a ready sword thrust through my back. If you think I wanted to see you lying in the dirt or dragged off to the tower you are mistaken, but I have to consider my actions fully before I take them, since you continually fail to see the consequences of yours until it is too late to undo them!”

When Celiese did not interrupt, but instead sat staring at him wide-eyed, Mylan was encouraged to go on. “So, rather than commit suicide by attacking Robert, I waited until his temper had cooled and proposed the most reasonable solution to the problem he faced with you.”

“Oh, I see, I am regarded as no more than a temporary problem that must be solved in the most efficient manner?” Celiese’s temper flared anew at that remark. “And just what was this wonderful solution you proposed?”

Mylan clenched his fists, tempted to try Robert’s method of silencing her himself. “Have you learned nothing in this past week? I had hoped you’d spent your time thinking about what a terrible mistake you’d made in revealing your identity and resolved to control your willfulness, which could easily cost both of us our lives.”

Intrigued by his remark, Celiese leaned forward. “But he knew I was here in France and had men out searching for me, Mylan; I heard Jaret and the other man who took me to the tower say so.”

Surprised she knew so much, Mylan decided after a moment’s hesitation to share the information he had. “Robert guards his lands jealously, but you’ve seen for yourself that what peasants remain to work the farms are desperately poor. Perhaps it was no more than one man passing the word of your arrival to another, giving him hope their lot would improve; then that man told someone else from the next village and so on until the news reached Robert’s ears. By then we had left your home to come here, but the peasants knew only that the beautiful Lady d’Loganville had been there to remind them of far better times and then had vanished. I had no idea men were searching for you until Robert told me after you’d been so stupid as to reveal your identity yourself. By then it was too late for me to work on anything more clever than a plan to save your life.”

“I am grateful you were at least able to do that, then!” Celiese replied with bitterness. Her head ached with a painful throb, and she still felt dreadful, weak and sick to her stomach. Perhaps it was only fright, but she’d not thought herself such a coward. “I am sorry to be so spiteful, but I’m afraid I’m going to be ill. I should not have drunk that wine.”

Alarmed, Mylan leaned forward to take her hands in his. Her skin was cool to his touch, but he could do no more than rub her fingers lightly to provide warmth. “Celiese listen to me, this is no time to give in to such weakness. You must do as I say while Robert is of a mind to let me handle your defiance myself. I have no idea what ghastly alternative may occur to him tomorrow, but I’ll not risk any delay now that the advantage is mine;”

“Is this no more than a game to you, with the advantage belonging to Hrolf’s side or to yours?” Celiese asked softly, certain her fate meant little to him other than the challenge avoiding it seemed to present.

“Ours!” Mylan corrected her sharply. “I have done little this week but try and persuade Robert that despite occasional fits of uncontrollable temper you are usually the most reasonable of young women. Now you must behave that way for both our sakes!”

His bright golden eyes shone with a demanding gleam, but Celiese knew his request was not a frivolous one and readily agreed. “I would never do anything to harm you, don’t you know that?” She seemed to continually anger him, and she had not meant to do so when it was Hrolf who was her enemy, not him.

Taking advantage of her more sensible tone, Mylan hastened to enlist her support for his plan. “All right then, now listen carefully while I explain what we must do.” Taking a deep breath, he hoped he could be concise as well as persuasive in his explanation. “The time I have not spent with Robert this last week I have been with Father Bernard, for the only way I can remain here in France is to swear my allegiance to King Charles and to accept your religion as my own.”

“What?” Celiese gasped sharply, astonished that he would even consider making such enormous sacrifices, “But you—”

“Just be still and listen as I told you,” Mylan cautioned sternly. Hoping she would be silent for another moment or two at least, he continued, “I managed to satisfy the good priest that my conversion to Christianity is a sincere one. I was baptized yesterday and have taken the name Michael, since it is a Christian name and closest to my own. Now we are going to be married again, in a Catholic ceremony this time, so that there will be no question as to whether or not you are truly my wife.”

“You would do all this for me, Mylan?” Celiese was near tears, she was so touched by his gesture. It was so completely unexpected and so dear that she was deeply moved, and yet she did not dare hope his actions had been motivated by love alone.

With a rueful smile, Mylan warned her again to be still. “You have not heard all of this yet, Celiese. Robert needs men he can trust to be loyal to him in order to make his claim to this portion of French soil he has been given a lasting one. That I have a French bride as he does is all the better, for it ties his new rule to the old in a way even the most ignorant peasant can understand. He will give me land to call my own in return for my promise to remain here and serve him loyally. Naturally, I asked for the estate of the d’Loganvilles, since that is your home.”

When he paused to judge her reaction, Celiese could barely speak she was so outraged. Color flooded her cheeks as she demanded he explain more fully. “My land will be yours, is that what you’re saying? That no matter what I do, my home will always belong to a Dane? If not to Raktor, or to Hrolf, it will belong to you?”

Insulted that she would group him with two such ruthless men, Mylan got to his feet and moved away. “I convinced Robert that you would do nothing to undermine his rule in this province, that you would be as loyal to him as I am willing to be. After we are married he wishes to speak with you. What you say to him will be your choice, but I can do no more than warn you in the strongest terms possible that what you are truly choosing is to live as my wife or to cease to live at all.”

Confused by his insistence upon marriage, Celiese inquired with open hostility, “Why are you bothering to marry me? You will have my land whether or not I am alive, so what is the difference?” The advantage was indeed his as he had said, but she could see no reason for him to marry her when he already had everything he wanted without the unnecessary aggravation of taking her as his wife.

Mylan was ready to shout the vilest of insults when he recalled where they were and had no choice but to lower his voice and speak calmly. “I am bothering to marry you, Celiese, if that is the way you wish to look at it, because it will save your life. When you are usually so bright, why does my reason escape your comprehension so completely?” He raked his fingers through his curls in a vain attempt to control his temper rather than turning her over his knee and spanking her as he would a naughty child. That was all she was, he realized with a start, a beautiful, headstrong child. “You are no more than seventeen, Celiese; you need a responsible adult to care for you, and I am willing to do it. Just be grateful for that.”

“Somehow, I did not think it was gratitude you wanted in a wife, Mylan,” Celiese taunted him with a toss of her curls, but she did not expect his reaction to be so immediate nor so hostile.

Mylan swept Celiese up into his arms, then sat down upon the couch to place her across his lap. Winding his fingers in her curls, he ravaged her mouth with a brutal kiss, demonstrating forcefully exactly what he did expect from his wife. “There, does that satisfy your curiosity? I want you for my bride because you arouse my passions as no other woman ever has, and I am certain my touch weaves the same magical spell upon your senses.”

Celiese found the effort to struggle against him exhausting and soon had to sit still, despite her determination to break free of his confining grasp. Since she had no way to fight him except with words, she did so. “That is a remarkable story, Michael. You will leave your country to take up residence in another, swear your allegiance to a king you’ve never met, change your religion, indeed, exchange all that you have known as a Dane for the life of a Frenchman simply because you cannot control your lust for me? Since you will not tell me the truth, I wonder what preposterous lie you told the duke to whom you’ve become so loyal!”

Mylan’s eyes filled with an evil light, the darkness of his thoughts shockingly plain. Were they not in a church he would have shown her just how difficult the desire she inspired was to control by taking it to its limit. Knowing that would result in the worst of reactions from Celiese, however, he restrained himself from being so foolhardy. “The priest will join us in a moment. I must have your answer now, do you want to be my wife, or not?”

He had not proposed to her the first time they were wed, she had simply been sent to him to be his bride, but she knew he was capable of thoughts of the sweetest sort and was heartbroken that he had not at least attempted to win her consent in a loving manner. She raised her hand to her temple, her pain now so intense she could no longer see clearly, and she knew she could neither accept nor refuse no matter how his proposal might have been worded. “Please take me out of here, Mylan, I’m going to be sick, and there’s no way I can avoid it.”