The Everlasting Covenant (29 page)

Once settled in the city, she embarked on her first errand with only her loyal Jane to accompany her. She knew that she must take a grave chance.
She went to Daphne deFrayne, ex
plaining first that Anthony Woodville and the queen had both promised to help.

“
Madam, I am very frightened,
”
she said, her voice trembling.
“
I must speak to you in confidence, and I beg you, keep my words in sacred trust. I suspect you will understand.
”

Daphne nodded, pulling Anne
’
s hands into her own. But Anne could not look Dylan
’
s mother in the eye.

“
I am honorably wed to a powerful and strong man. He is very kind to me
;
he pampers me overmuch. I have a son and
I
carry my second child now. Madam, you must not tell Dylan that I have played any part in his return.
”
She looked up.
“
Please, I must not see him. There was too much ...
”

Daphne hushed her and smiled.
“
Anne, my dear sweet, if my son is brought home through efforts of Lord Scales and the queen, you cannot avoid him for very long. As you wait upon the queen, and Dylan, by the grace of God and your generosity,
works to prove his fealty to Edward through Anthony, there will be a time when you will find yourselves in the same room.
”
Anne shuddered involuntarily.
“
You must be prepared, Anne. You cannot let all your feelings show.
”

“
The longer such a meeting is delayed, the better for me,
”
she said, praying Daphne would not probe too deeply.
“
My children, madam, need their mother
’
s protection.
”

Daphne patted Anne
’
s hand.
“
Come back to me in a fortnight, Anne. On this same day, at this same time. We will talk again. By the time you meet Dylan in a royal presence chamber, you will be controlled. I will help you all I can.
”

Chapter E
leven

Jane was
Anne
’
s closest friend. Though she had been brought J
ane
into the Ayliffe household by Brennan, the servant belonged to the countess, in body and soul. After nearly five years they had become dear to each other, very nearly confidential friends. And Anne trusted her implicitly.

She told Jane some parts of her secret conversation with Lady deFrayne, the significant truth being that her own family would be appalled to learn she would even consider trying to help that family. Of course, Jane was more than sympathetic, for Marcella was a difficult woman to abide. As Anne also explained, she did not want to involve her husband lest he, too, should oppose her interference. Jane seemed to accept all this.

Jane was, therefore, Anne
’
s only escort and companion to the home of Daphne deFrayne. Two squires led their palfreys to Knightrider Street, where the women left them and walked on alone from there.

Anne frowned in concern when a man answered her knock at the modest residence. He seemed to be expecting her and asked,
“
Lady Forbes?
”
The man was
not dressed as a house servant –
he was tall and strong, under thirty years, and wore a
knight
’
s informal clothing of tunic and hose. She nodded in affirmation and stepped into the house warily, Jane following.

All her questions were answered with a rush of emotion. She saw him standing across the room and did not know what to do, her surprise was so great. Her eyes grew large and round, her hands began to tremble, and she simply stared at him, words failing her. He wore a plain linen shirt that was open at the neck and belted at the waist. His hair was overlong, his face tanned, his eyes glittering like the turquoise gems in her dreams. He wore boots and chausses and a leather jerkin, all the look of a knight at leisure, not an exile in trouble. She was silent and stunned for so long that Dylan approached her, a faint and reassuring smile playing on his lips.

“
Is this your tiring woman, madam?
”
he asked.

“
Yes ..
. yes, this is Jane. She accompanies me everywhere.
”

Dylan gave Jane a brief, informal bow.
“
I am Dylan deFrayne, Madam deFrayne
’
s son. I am sorry to surprise you, Lady Forbes, but my lady mother asked me to greet you. This is Sir Markham. He is in service to me and would take your tiring woman to the cookery for a modest repast.
”
He chuckled as if embarrassed.
“
‘
Tis modest, indeed, but will suffice to give your woman com
pany and our meager hospitality while my mother and I confer with you.
”

Anne looked at Jane and nodded, indicating she should go with the man. She tried to smile, but kept her eyes blank so that Jane would not worry. In her breast a wild mixture of explosive feelings pounded and swirled as she fought for control. She had no idea which of her feelings showed in her eyes. He was married now, she reminded herself. They were both married to other people. Which marriage should worry her most? Per
haps he loved his wife deeply. Why was he here at all? Was this how Daphne proposed to help her? She had arranged some
thing that could be either painful beyond words, or illicit beyond description.

Dylan seemed to have complete control. He took Anne
’
s hand in a very decent and courtly fashion, leading her to one of only
a few comfortable chairs in the central room at the front of the small house. He was quiet until he heard Mark close the door far to the rear of the house.

“
You did not know I would be here.
”
It was not a question, but a statement. Anne shook her head. In this humble dwelling there was very little furniture, but it was clean, and a fire lay blazing in the hearth. Still, she shivered. She uncovered her head, but pulled her cloak more tightly about her.
“
My mother is not here,
”
he said.
“
She took the decision away from us, it appears. She planned this.
”

“
Why?
”
she asked in a breath.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders but held her eyes.
“
In Madam
’
s own words,
‘
The young woman
’
s feelings shine in her eyes for all the world to see, as do your own, and if you do not have a moment alone to talk, to become reacquainted and lay your hurts and disappointments to rest, one of
you will crumble into tears ..
. perhaps in the queen
’
s own presence chamber.
’
Would you have come, had you known?
”
he asked.

Again she shook her head, tearing her eyes away from his gaze.
“
How could I?
”
she replied.

Dylan was left to stare at her forehead, her eyes lowered. He judged the richness of the cloak and the ring on her finger, and it brought him no pleasure at all. He found his unselfish love had limits.
“
What feelings did my mother speak of then?
”
he asked.
“
Was it shame my mother saw? Nay, it could not be that. How could the Countess of Ayliffe feel shame? Is the countess ashamed of the earl
’
s devotion?
”

Anne looked up in surprise and engaged those eyes again. Never tell him, Dylan had warned. He will care for you and keep you safe.
“
He is good to me, Dylan. He loves me much.
”

“
He dresses you well. I would have expected that much.
”

“
You know such thing
s have never interested me ..
.
”

“
I am told you have a son by the earl. That must endear you to him even more.
”

Anne
’
s heart felt as though it would break.
Your son,
she wanted to cry.
I married the earl to protect your son.
But the
temptation passed quickly. She had made an oath to bring Sloan into manhood with all the greatest of care, no matter what the personal cost.
“
I am with child now,
”
she said quietly.

She noticed a flicker of emotion, and what might have been pain, cross his eyes. He looked at her midsection, then her eyes. The pregnancy did not show.

“
It is early,
”
she said, her hand going to her middle.
“
Do you have children, Dylan?
”
she asked.

“
No. I have not done so well as you.
”

Anne began to tremble inside. Dylan
’
s beautiful eyes held her. What was it? There was a hardness shining there th
at had never been there before –
impatience and forced maturity. The boyish twinkle and the playful light were gone. Without even realizing it, she was examining the rest of his body, looking at his arms, hands, shoulders, thighs, ankles, feet, in much the same way she examined her husband when he returned from battle. Dylan was thicker abreast, his muscles more developed. There were lines creasing his forehead, smaller wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He was still the handsomest man in the world, but he had aged. He looked older than he was. He smiled at her, having caught her studying him. His teeth gleamed white and straight and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

“
Oh, I am whole, though it was quite a contest, the past few years.
”

“
Will you tell me about it?
”

“
Only if you will tell me about your suffering over the past few years.
”
He shot to his feet. He did not u
nderstand his own sudden anger –
he had meant to hold her in his arms, comfort her, not lash out at her. But his anger was roused by the mere fact that she needed no
comfort –
she had thrived while he was in agony still. He began to pace.
“
Will your tirewoman tell your husband that we have met?
”

“
Jane? No, Jane is the most faithful in the
--
”

“
Was there any misfortune over the cask room? He did not turn you away?
”

She stared at his profile. He did not face her and she did not understand his hostility.
“
Misfortune?
”
she echoed.
“
Nay, as you
can see, he did not turn me away. He believed some terrible half-truth and has always pampered me as if I am the pur
est
--
”

He whirled, facing her so abruptly that her answer was cut short.
“
I expe
cted he would keep you safe ..
. and well fixed.
I
can see that all my worry was in vain. I h
alf feared ... half hoped ..
. Ah! You have not changed, Anne. I have. I am greatly changed.
”

“
Dylan, I too worried,
”
she said.
“
You must believe that. But
every
day I was grateful that you had survived, escaped the
rope ..
.
”

“
Flee with me now,
”
he implored in a strained whisper. She stared at him in astonishment.
“
You said that if you could recall the moment, you would not hesitate. We can walk out of this house together, go by horse to Portsmouth and be in France in less than a week.
”

“
Leave my son?
”
she whispered.

“
Do you doubt the earl could raise him well? I would take this one you carry
--
come with me.
”

Anne nearly laughed aloud at the irony. If she did as he asked, she would be leaving Dylan
’
s son with Brennan only to take Brennan
’
s child to Dylan. She shook her head, a slight puff of laughter escaping her in spite of herself.
“
Do you know what you ask?
”
She stared at him
;
she saw his desperation.
“
Dylan, you are also married now.
”

“
Aye. You said you w
ould be my wife or my mistress –
you would only be with me. Are our marriages any more of a hin
drance than our parents were? Then a war was? Here is the moment, Anne. Come away with me.
”

“
You have not recalled the moment, Dylan. I am married to a man who owns ten thousand men. You have wed close to the crown. How far do you think we could run?
”

“
Indeed, it is a mean life, and I have already lived it. Of course, my circumstances were very different. I was g
rateful to have life at all ..
. and you ... it appears your life has not been terribly difficult.
”

“
You are angry ... with me?
”

“
Anne, I ..
.
”

“
What is it you wish to hear? That I lived in poverty and danger, as you did? That I will abandon my child and run with you now and enjoy that life? Once you only wanted me to live, to be safe. What has happened to you?
”

“
Tell me then,
”
he said gruffly.
“
Tell me that you
’
ve made your life over ..
. that you will endure your earl
’
s wealth and devotion and
--
”

Anne stood, tears coming to her eyes. She stared at him for a long moment. He silently allowed this, but his breathing was labored.
“
I
have endured, Dylan, and not in poverty. As far as gowns and jewels are concerned, there has been nothing lacking. And yes, my son and this child a-borning will have all of me until they are grown. I am sorry for all you have been through.
”

She turned away from him as if to leave, but before she had taken a step, he grabbed her hand.
“
Anne,
”
he said in a breath.