De Warenne Dynasty 01 - The Conquerer (27 page)

He caught her chin in his calloused grip, lifting it. "What game is this?" he demanded, even as he knew he should test her by playing the game to the end. He should follow her to the creek. His temple throbbed visibly. Would she dare to commit treason again? Would she?

"No game," she whimpered, shrinking.

He was hurting her, hurting her because he wanted to go with her, wanted to watch her, wanted to take her ... while she was most likely playing at treason again. "Do you think to seduce me?" he growled, easing his grip.

"N-no."

"Do you want me, Ceidre?" he purred, dangerously.

"No! Yes! Stop!" Tears spilled onto her cheeks.

"Which is it?"

"Let me alone, leave me be!" she cried.

He released her. His heart was pounding. She was up to something, he doubted she merely lusted for him, knew he could not be so lucky. He was furious. Enraged because of her invitation, her probable motivation. "Go," he choked. "Go now. Will is your guard. Bathe or not, I do not care." He strode away.

Later he would find out what she had done. He would not follow her into the jaws of a trap and thus catch her at treason, again.

Ceidre tried not to cry, because Will was just a few paces behind her. Under the shade of an apple tree
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in the orchard, she regained her shattered composure. The plan had been awful, and she, she was the worst seductress in the world. She was humiliated. She was hurt. And . . . if he truly wanted her, wouldn't he have agreed to go with her?

It was a hot, airless day. Ceidre stared up at the sun, a burning ball, oblivious to Will, who was uncomfortable and looking everywhere but at her. She hated the Norman. She hated Edwin. She had failed-she hated herself.

She would swim, she decided abruptly. It was hot, she was hot, and more important, she was angry.

Now it would not be a seduction, she could enjoy herself, and if her guard dared look at her, she would kill him with the biggest rock she could find. Ceidre got up and marched through the orchard. She stopped so abruptly Will bumped into her, and she whirled on him. "I am going swimming," she shouted at him. "And not for ten minutes, for the entire godforsaken day. And if you look, or if you try to touch me, I'll curse you, your mother, your father, your brothers, I'll give you the pox, and you will die!"

Will recoiled, white-faced.

It had felt good to yell, but now she was ashamed at having taken out her anger on the poor soldier. She strode on, ignoring him. She would pretend he wasn't present. He would not ruin her swim, and she would pretend she was truly free.

And she would not think of how she had failed.

Chapter 36

He had to know, and that night, at supper, he singledWilfred out as everyone ate. "Did she go to the creek?"

"Yes," Will said, growing pale. "I did not touch her, my lord."

"I do not doubt it," he said, his heart beating thickly. She had gone. Had she been honest, then? Had she really only wanted a swim? If so, did she really trust him to be able to stand guard over her while she bathed? The relief he felt was vast, yet he could not shed all of his suspicion. He turned his gaze to her.

She was eating, with gusto. Her hair, coiled in a braid, gleamed from its fresh wash. His breathing was constricted.

Dare he trust her?

The next day Will sought him out as he watched his men drilling against each other. Every day they honed their skills as knights, with lance and shield, mace and sword. At the sight of Will, Rolfe grew agitated. Something had occurred or Will would not leave his post. "What has happened?" He was afraid she had relapsed into the sickness that had almost claimed her life. A dozen other equally fateful possibilities tore through his mind.

Will was panting from his run across the field. "She is at the creek. You did not give permission for her
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to go again, and I explained this, but she would not listen. Indeed, she laughed and asked if I would stop her. What shall I do?"

"You are not to leave her unguarded for a second," Rolfe said, hard. "Your orders stand, Will. Go to her now." He was furious that the boy had left her alone. Tomorrow he would set him to an unpleasant task for failing in his duty, maybe demoting him to stable duty, or those of a page. Will jogged off, and Rolfe watched him, watched him the whole way, seeing exactly where he disappeared into the trees. He memorized the spot.

He could not concentrate on his men. He kept glancing to the east, to the place where Will had disappeared, to where she bathed. So it was not a trap. She had not intended to commit treason. She had, truly, unbelievably, only wanted to swim in the creek. Was she naked? He pictured her thus. Beltain forced Guy to drop his lance in a furious charge, and he whooped.

"If you do not do better, Guy," Rolfe said, "you will find your head on a Saxon's pike."

Guy scowled, angry. Rolfe barely watched as two of his best knights rode at each other for another exchange of blows. He glanced again at the woods where his nymph frolicked. With a growl, he raised his own lance. Guy and Beltain had just separated. Neither was unlanced this time.

"Beltain,"Rolfe called, slipping on hishelmut with one hand. He picked up his shield. Beltain had readied himself, and Guy had moved aside. Rolfe nodded once and let Beltain begin. When the knight was racing toward him, Rolfe spurred his destrier into an answering gallop. He relished the feel of the powerful brute beneath him. He relished the sight of the terrain speeding in front of him. He relished the sight of Beltain on his huge bay, approaching head on. Rolfe smiled. His lance ripped into Beltain's. Beltain's own weapon barely glanced off the edge ofRolfe 's shield.Rolfe savagely reined in his stallion, whipped him around, and was attacking again before Beltain could recover. This time, his charge was so powerful Beltain was unhorsed. His men laughed and shouted.Rolfe sat panting, looking again toward the woods.

His gaze piercedGuy . "Your turn."

He called out a dozen of his men, one by one, and unhorsed half of them, brokeRoger 's lance, and cracked Beau's shield.Charles suffered a sprained ankle from his fall. The men no longer shouted and laughed. 'Twas not unusual forRolfe to participate in their drills; in fact, it was expected. What was unusual was that he would drive himself remorselessly, taking on a dozen, instead of two or three or even four. His savage mood was all too visible.

Rolfethrew down his lance and then hishelmut . His blood was bursting in his body, he was panting heavily. Sweat plastered his curls to his scalp. He looked, again, at the woods, then gave his steed his spurs.

At the edge of the line of trees he dismounted and proceeded on foot. He was no longer winded, but breathing easily, so he could hear the bell-like sounds of the running creek, and he could also hear splashing. And was she singing? He sawWill first. The boy had his back to the creek, his face toRolfe , and he gaped.Rolfe made a motion for him to be silent and another for him to leave. And then he looked.

She was not naked. He was disappointed. She was waist deep in the creek in a thin undertunic. It was opaque, hinting at the warm tones of her flesh beneath. Her hair was loose, a glorious mass of bronze and gold, only the ends wet. She was laughing, splashing about, and was beauty immortalized. Lightly, unconsciously,Rolfe touched the tumescent protrusion that was his manhood.

She ducked beneath the water and came up sputtering. Her tunic molded her body, leaving nothing
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unrevealed. Her full breasts, her slim waist, and as she climbed onto a rock, he glimpsed the lushness of her hips and buttocks. Her nipples, he saw, were hard and tight. She dove in again.

His breathing was already harsh and uneven, and he cursed himself for coming. He reminded himself that she was his wife's sister. He reminded himself of his vows to God. He was so hard he hurt. He touched himself again, through tunic and hose, and almost groaned. Never had he been so hard, this near to bursting. She surfaced. She moved thick, wet strands out of her face. Then she hopped onto a boulder, lifting her face to the sun, eyes closed, her body arched, breasts thrust up like an offering to the gods.

He was shaking. He reached into his hose, gripped the length of his cock, squeezed. She shoved thick strands of hair from her face, shaking her head like a wet puppy. The innocence of her action only heightened his need. His blood roared in his ears. His eyes slipped to what her parted legs offered to his view. His hand slid up. I should leave, he thought, and knew he would not.

She turned abruptly onto her stomach, and he was lost. He wanted to hold her lush buttocks, squeeze them, knead them, as he was kneading himself. He groaned, heard it, and knew from the way she had stiffened that she had heard it too. He didn't care. He couldn't. His hand was sweeping up and down his turgid length, no longer languid, but quickly now, he was so close, and God's blood, he needed this, he needed her now. . . .

She whipped upright, looked around, saw him, saw what he was doing. For one instant their gazes locked. When he closed his eyes, he still saw her, shocked, gasping. He released himself, then jerked faster, faster, and he cried out, coming violently, again and again.

His heart had not slowed when he opened his eyes, sure she was gone. She wasn't. She stood now on the far side of the creek, eyes wide, mouth parted, quivering, arms folded across her breasts. Staring. He pulled his hose up. "Would you still trust me to guard your bath?" he asked harshly.

She shook her head wildly.

He wiped his hand on the tree near him, never removing his gaze from her. The next time, he wondered, would he be able to resist what he truly wanted? The question did not have to be answered. He had lost control of the situation. Therefore, the situation had to be changed.

"What?"Alice gasped.

"Bethtold me, Lady,"Mary said eagerly, correctly assessing her mistress's surprise as interest.

"They were here,"Alice cried, still stunned. "Are you sure? If this is a mistake, I will have you flogged and thrown in the dungeons!"

Maryshrank, her pretty mouth trembling. " 'Tis the truth.Beth only saw Morcar, but he saidEdwin had come too. She was sent to fetch Ceidre so they could meet."Mary eyed her. "Are you not pleased with me?"

"Oh,"Alice breathed, her heart pounding. "I am pleased!" Absently she extracted a gold coin from her girdle, then pushedMary toward the door. "Leave me, I must think!"

WhenMary had left,Alice sank, trembling, upon the bed. She had known it would come to pass! Ceidre
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was playing at treason again. Only this time she had not been caught. What punishment, she wondered, wouldRolfe inflict this time? Surely he would not let her get away with this! Meeting her own brothers right under his nose!Alice knew exactly what she would mete out, and she clapped her hands, smiling.

This was her chance to get rid of her sister, finally.

She knew precisely how to proceed. Hurriedly she rose and ran downstairs to find her lord. He was just coming inside, looking quite relaxed, without his customary grimness, andAlice thought that this was most fortuitous. The gaze he turned upon her, at her greeting, was level and even, not annoyed. "I must speak with you,"Alice said huskily.

He smiled slightly. Indeed, his mood was good. His gesture was expansive. "A chair, my lady."

"There must be no ears to overhear us," she said. "Can we adjourn to our chamber, my lord?"

His look was bemused, but he allowed her to precede him upstairs. Trying not to be dramatic,Alice closed the heavy rosewood door behind them. She turned to findRolfe seated on the bed, indolently lounging there. "My lord, I have spies about, my own spies."

He looked at her. "Indeed?"

"Yes. And I have just learned something of great import that affects us both."

"So it seems. Continue."

"The afternoon you were hunting, Ceidre met with bothEdwin and Morcar."

Rolfestared.

"'Tis true. They came right into the village once you had left. She is planning treason again, my lord!"

"This is a serious accusation. Do you have proof?"

"Yes! The maid,Beth , relayed a message betwixt MOscar and Ceidre. She may lie and deny it, for she is most fond of Morcar - indeed, 'tis said one of her brats is his-but if you beat her she will tell the truth."

Rolfestood and paced to the dark, unlighted hearth, his back toAlice . He turned slowly. "You are quick to wish your sister ill,Alice . Rightly, I think, I am suspicious of this accusation."

Alicewent to him, and brazenly touched his sleeve. "My lord, I am lady of Aelfgar. I intend to continue to remain so. If treason against you rears itself, I will fight it-for treason against you is treason against me. I have, for the first time in my life, what I want. I will not willingly give it up. Your interests are mine, thus I protect us, not just you. True, we are not close, but you must know I am loyal. Me you can trust."

"A pretty speech," he murmured.

"A true one."

He did not respond.

"What will you do?"Alice asked boldly.

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His glance skewered her, but she was too intent, and she did not falter. Seeing this, he almost smiled bitterly. "I see you are eager to impart your thoughts. Please continue."

She smiled, a quick, lightning smile. "She will be your downfall, my lord-our downfall. She is here among us, yet she is a spy-she is too dangerous. You have few choices. Truly, if she were a man, she would already have hanged. As you can see, this guard you have set upon her has failed you. Therefore, you must lock her away, forever."