Kiss of the Rose (35 page)

“I will answer to my superiors, not to you.”

“As you wish.” The blade of Marcus’s dagger flicked out and nicked Christopher’s cheek. “Someone will let you know when the meeting is.”

Christopher didn’t acknowledge either the words or the blood now trickling down his face. There was nothing he could do to avoid the summons, and in truth, he didn’t want to. It was high time for him to confess his doubts about the Cult.

What a pity that the only way to leave the Cult of Mithras was by death.

Rosalind slid the smallest of her daggers into her hanging pocket and retraced her steps down to the stables. As she walked, the stiff, embroidered green skirts of her favorite riding habit brushed against the lush summer foliage. The thought of getting on a horse again didn’t please her, but she had no choice. She needed to see King Henry and to meet with Jasper, who had been watching over the king in her stead.

“Good morning, Rhys.”

“Good morning, my lady.” Rhys was already busy saddling her horse. “I assumed you’d want to follow the masses to Hampton Court this morning.”

“Indeed.” Rosalind made sure her headdress was securely fastened and pulled on her thick leather riding gloves. “You are going to accompany me, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“I’m
hoping
to see the king and Jasper.”

“Jasper, eh? Not Lord Christopher Ellis?” Rhys tightened the girth on her horse and stood ready to help her into the saddle. “I wonder why Jasper wrote to your grandfather.”

“So do I. He’s always been convinced he would be far better at guarding the king than I would, so asking for my help must have been hard for him.”

“Well-nigh impossible, I should think. Things must indeed be bad.” Rhys laced his hands together, waited until she placed her booted foot on his palms, and then threw her up into the saddle. She wanted to groan when her bottom hit the leather.

She waited until he mounted his horse with his usual easy grace, and then she set off after him. They passed through the great brick arch of the gatehouse. The clatter of the horses’ hooves on the cobblestones made it impossible to speak or hear a thing.

As they emerged into the warm sunlight, Rhys glanced at her. “Are you still sore, my lady?”

“I’m quite well, thank you, Rhys,” Rosalind answered and forced a smile.

He shrugged, making his muscled shoulders bunch in his leather jerkin. “As you wish, my lady. It isn’t that far, less than twelve miles, I gather.” He slowed his horse to come alongside her. “I hear that Cardinal Wolsey made Hampton Court a palace fit for a king.”

“The king obviously decided the same thing.”

Rhys chuckled and eased his horse into a smooth trot. “You might be right. They say Wolsey gave it to the king in a last desperate attempt to win back his favor, but obviously it didn’t work.”

Rosalind urged her horse into a trot. She could endure a short ride if it meant she was able to see Jasper and find out what was going on. Anticipation surged through her. After a year of almost no activity, she was anxious to return to fighting the Vampire foe. Excite-ment of another sort threaded through her as well. She might see Christopher again.

Eventually, they both gazed down at the moat and gatehouse leading up to the newly renovated Hampton Court. The gleaming red brick still looked pristine, the scars of the new building not yet concealed by the parks and gardens encircling the vast house.

“It seems the cardinal did very well for himself— very well, indeed, for the son of a butcher,” Rhys said.

A cold shiver rippled through Rosalind. King Henry never liked to be shown up by anyone, and this imposing structure was far grander than most royal palaces. It wasn’t surprising that Wolsey had felt compelled to hand it over. “Too well, I suspect.”

“Aye. The king’s favor is a fickle thing.” Rhys nodded in the direction of the gate. “Shall we go in?”

Rosalind followed him down the treelined avenue and waited as he inquired at the gate. One of the king’s guards seemed to recognize Rhys, and they passed through without incident into the Basse court and then through an imposing archway into another courtyard. Rosalind’s gaze was caught by the large astrological clock that dominated the enclosed square.

Rhys turned in the saddle to survey the lines of windows. “The guard said the state apartments are in this area. After we stable the horses, we should find the king there.”

Rosalind followed him through to the vast and busy stables and waited as he ascertained that the horses would be taken care of. She’d forgotten how good Rhys was at getting people to do his bidding with just a smile and a polite turn of phrase— far better than she would ever be. It was a quality he shared with Christopher, who could charm the birds from the trees when he put his mind to it.

As her ears adjusted to the noisy bustle, she heard cheering from somewhere in the grounds. “Is the king outside?”

A passing stable boy answered her, his freckled face ablaze with excitement. “Indeed, he is, my lady. He and some of his courtiers are playing tennis in the pavilion.”

Rosalind caught Rhys’s attention and gestured toward the grounds. “Apparently, the king is playing tennis.”

“Shall I find Jasper while you deal with the king?”

“Yes, please.” Rosalind let out her breath. She’d much rather meet the king, and anyone else who happened to be included in the royal party, without Rhys at her shoulder. She picked up the skirts of her green riding habit and wished she was wearing something less heavy and concealing. It was hot in the sun, and she was sure she was red in the face. But it couldn’t be helped. The king would have to take her as she was, as would everyone else.

She followed the roars and applause of the crowd, and came to a low, covered building with one side open to the air. Galleys filled with courtiers lined three sides of the enclosed space as the king and his opponent played a game of tennis on the court. Rosalind squeezed into a small space and wiggled her way forward through the packed courtiers. The king made another shot, and the crowd erupted.

By the time she reached the front, King Henry had finished his game and been replaced by another familiar figure, one that made Rosalind’s heart beat faster. Christopher Ellis looked as lean and elegant as ever in his shirtsleeves and stockinged feet, his right hand gripping a racquet, his left holding the small ball in the air ready to serve.

He seemed quite friendly with his opponent, their laughing banter inaudible to Rosalind over the noisy crowd, but obviously not to each other.With a sigh, Rosalind sat back and watched Christopher. She’d missed him so badly, had cried for a month after leaving him.

She wrapped her arms around herself. She’d been too afraid to stand up to her grandfather and demand that he allow her to marry her family’s worst enemy. Instead, like any silly woman, she’d skulked at home, waiting for her grandfather to resolve matters for her. But he hadn’t resolved anything, and now she had to face Christopher again. In some part of her soul, it shamed her that she cared so much for Christopher that she was willing to abandon everything she had been brought up to believe in.

She turned to the man sitting next to her.“Excuse me, sir. Who is the man playing against Lord Christopher Ellis?”

“That is Lord George Boleyn, a gentleman of the king’s Privy Chamber. Surely you must know of him?”

“I’ve recently returned from the countryside, sir. I don’t believe I’ve met him before.”

The man gave a snort. “If you stay at court, you’ll meet him soon enough. Thanks to the influence of his sister, the man rides high in the king’s favor.”

That gave Rosalind plenty to think about. The match drew to a close, and George Boleyn claimed victory as Christopher laughingly complained. Rosalind stood with the rest of the crowd, her gaze fixed on Christopher as he headed for the exit. She stiffened as he and George Boleyn were surrounded by a bevy of beautiful court maidens. One of them even dared to mop Christopher’s brow with her lace handkerchief. Not that he seemed to mind at all.

Rosalind set her jaw and stamped down from the viewing galley to the ground floor, her intentions unclear. Part of her wished to find Christopher and ask him whether he’d missed her at all; the saner part of her knew that would be a mistake and urged her to use her common sense and go find the king.

But it was too late; the group containing Christopher, George Boleyn, and their admirers was fast bearing down on her. Rosalind stiffened her spine and tried to look anywhere but at Christopher. A woman hung on each of his arms, and he was grinning like a fool who had not a care in the world.

Her smile died, and she raised her chin. She would not cower before him. She had nothing to be ashamed of. Christopher’s laughing blue gaze swept past her and then returned.

“My lady, I didn’t realize that you had returned to court.”

“Obviously.”

His smile was a challenge. “Did you imagine I would languish in despair without your presence?”

“That would have been nice, seeing as we are supposed to be betrothed.”

“Are we?” He took two hasty steps toward her, blocking out the light, his chest still heaving, either from his recent exertions or from his current fury. She inhaled the scent of his warm skin and yearned to place her mouth over his and just breathe him in. “I wasn’t sure, seeing as you haven’t bothered to communicate with me for almost a year.”

“How could I? It was a matter to be settled by our families.”

“Was it?” He stared into her eyes, and she swallowed uncomfortably at the fire in his gaze. She had no sense of him in her mind at all. Perhaps the connection had been lost. “How foolish of me to believe that it was a matter between
us
.”

His glare intensified as he looked over her shoulder. “Ah, here comes your watchdog. I’m sure I’ll see you again, my lady. Tell Rhys I send him my greetings.”

Christopher turned and stalked away, straight into the center of the laughing crowd of courtiers.The hint of the scent of fox drifted back to Rosalind, and she wondered which of the male courtiers was a Vampire, and whether Christopher had noticed it. He didn’t look back, so Rosalind stayed where she was, her legs trembling and her heart racing so fast that she thought it might leap out of her chest. What right did he have to be so annoyed with her? What had he expected, a series of love letters?

She swung around and saw Rhys approaching her, his hand raised in salute. Beside him walked her cousin Jasper, who wasn’t smiling. Not that he ever smiled much. Unlike most men, he tended to speak only when he had something important to say. He bowed and kissed her hand.

“Cousin Rosalind, I am pleased to see you again.”

“And I you, Cousin.”

“I’m glad that you were able to return.” Jasper grimaced. “But this is not the best place for us to talk. Let us meet later tonight by the entrance to the maze. We will not be disturbed there.”

Rosalind glanced uncertainly up at Rhys. “I’m not sure if we are staying here for the night.”

Rhys looked resigned. “It seems as if we are now. I’ll go and seek some accommodation in the stables. I suggest you find a member of the queen’s household and do the same.”

“Is the queen here, Jasper?” Rosalind asked.

Jasper lowered his voice. “She is not welcome here. King Henry and his current companions have made that very clear.”

Jasper took her arm and led her back toward the main buildings. “For all intents and purposes, the lady Anne Boleyn behaves as if she is the queen.”

“Anne Boleyn?” Rosalind frowned. “I don’t believe I’ve met her, although I just saw her brother playing tennis.”

“She and her brother are much together, and their influence over the king grows daily.Anne returned to court a year or so ago. She was raised mainly in France.”

“Is she here now?”

“Yes, though to keep the king’s interest, she has been known to deliberately absent herself from court in a sulk.” Jasper’s smile wasn’t pleasant. “I believe it is the first time in his life that the king has had to woo a woman for more than a day or two. He seems invigorated by the challenge.”

Rosalind’s unease grew. It seemed that the rumor was true. Queen Katherine had indeed fallen far from the king’s favor if he was openly parading his new love in her place. And if that news wasn’t bad enough, she dreaded what else Jasper had to reveal about their Vampire foes.

With a shake of her head, Rosalind went to find the controller of the queen’s household and beg for a bed for the night. Whatever else happened, her mission to keep the king safe from the Vampire threat remained. It was far easier to focus on that than to delve into the unpleasant swirl of emotions Christopher aroused in her.

Hampton Court was crowded with the king’s courtiers, and despite its size, the Great Hall seethed like an overcrowded ant hill. Rosalind arrived for the evening meal and made her way across to the trestle table, where some of the queen’s ladies had gathered. She was greeted warmly, although there was also an undercurrent of unease among the women. Rosalind knew they were worried about their positions at court now that the queen was no longer in favor.

She glanced up at the High Table, where the king sat, surrounded by his favorites. To his right was his chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, dressed in his black-and-gray robes, a thick gold chain around his neck. To the king’s left was a woman Rosalind hadn’t seen before, no doubt the much talked-about Lady Anne Boleyn.

She wasn’t beautiful by current court standards and was nothing like her sister Mary’s gold-and-pink lusciousness. Her eyes were very dark, her chin pointed and her body slender. Not beautiful at all, but she had something that drew the eye.

Rosalind turned back to her dinner and tried not to look across the hall to the king’s gentlemen. She’d already spotted Christopher’s dark head bent toward George Boleyn. The two seemed companionable, sharing not only a trencher but an equal interest in the women who constantly paraded before them.

Rosalind set her teeth. Christopher might think he had a right to amuse himself when she wasn’t there, but she intended to set him right on a few matters before they were done. Much depended on what Jasper had to say to her about the Vampires.