The Faithful Heart (10 page)

“Never let your guard down,” Crispin
admonished him, a grin in his eyes but not on his face. “Keep your
focus at all times.”

“Oy! Not fair!” Jack wheezed, working hard to
pull in a breath.

“Tell that to Ethan and his outlaws,” Crispin
panted, brushing back the damp hair that had fallen into his face.
He turned to Aubrey, only to find her staring at him with hunger in
her eyes, biting her lower lip. He returned her glance with a
smoldering look.

With a wink to Madeline, Jack smacked Crispin
with the flat of his right-hand sword. Crispin was too busy ogling
Aubrey to protect himself. “Oy!” Jack mocked when Crispin jumped
and whipped around, scowling, “Never let your guard down,
mate.”

Crispin glared at Jack for a moment then
shook his head, face as grim as ever. Jack wasn’t fooled. Crispin
was in as good a mood as he ever was these days. He glanced to
Madeline. She tried to send him a disapproving stare but couldn’t
hide her wicked grin. He straightened and tried to make himself
look impressive. She whispered something behind her hand to Aubrey
and the two women giggled.

His eyes traveled past her to where Lydia had
just stepped out of the castle’s kitchen with a tankard on a tray.
Her smile sent a now familiar jolt of uncomfortable warmth straight
through his groin. He flickered a guilty glance to Madeline to see
if she’d noticed.

“Don’t stop on our account,” Aubrey spoke to
Crispin, drawing attention away from him. “I was just getting into
it.”

“Aubrey,” Crispin lowered his head and his
voice, sending a scorching warning look across the practice square
to her. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Resting?” She crossed her arms over her
bulging belly.

Crispin nodded to Jack. “That’s enough
practice for one day.”

“Nonsense.” Aubrey strode forward, snatching
one of Jack’s swords as he headed over to Madeline. “Some of us
haven’t had a chance to practice at all yet.”

“Aubrey,” Crispin shook his head, unable to
hide the spark in his eyes. “Aren’t you feeling unwell?”

“Never better,” she shrugged him off.

Lydia reached Jack and offered the tankard to
him with a curtsy. “Some refreshment, my lord.” She lowered her
lashes and sent a smug look past him to Madeline. There suddenly
wasn’t enough air in the courtyard. Jack cleared his throat and
swiped the tankard of ale from the tray, downing a long swig.
“Watch this.” He nodded to the practice yard where Crispin and
Aubrey circled each other. “You’ll never believe your eyes.”

“I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never actually
seen it.” Madeline slid closer to his side. The smile dropped from
her face as she glanced past him to Lydia. Jack’s back prickled in
warning as his eyes flicked between the two women.

Crispin had been training Aubrey in armed
combat since they had both recovered from the injuries they had
sustained last Fall. The corners of Jack’s mouth twitched at the
way Crispin faced his wife as if she were any old opponent out for
his blood. He held his sword at the ready, keeping his eyes locked
on her, and when she began her first lunging attack he swung into
action and defended without reservation. He deflected her blow and
swung around to return the attack with just as much ferocity.
Aubrey directed every last ounce of her energy into speed and
precision. She spun and slashed at his leg, was deflected, and
changed her position, twisting the blade and trying to slash at his
chest. He smacked her blow away with a loud thump that would have
seen sparks if their blades hadn’t been padded for practice.

Jack turned from the fight to watch Madeline.
Her eyes and mouth were both wide open. Maybe it was because of the
way Aubrey dodged a complicated attack that would have laid any
other opponent on their back. He didn’t care. Courtyard or no, he
wanted to lay her on her back and trace the shape of her lips with
his tongue. He wanted to nibble the freckles that played across the
dip of her throat and follow them down to the tempting valley
between her small, pert breasts. He wanted to-

“Will you teach me to fight with a sword like
that, my lord?” Lydia’s breathy voice interrupted his fantasy. She
grabbed his arm.

“Wha? Oh, uh, sure.” He cleared his throat
and gulped at his ale. A spark deep in Lydia’s eyes made him hotter
than he’d already made himself. He finished his ale and handed the
empty tankard to her. “Only I’ve just been learning myself.” He
glanced to Madeline and found her still watching the sparring
match, but her face was now tight and her lips closed in a line.
Bloody hell.

“I’m sure there’s plenty you could teach me.”
Lydia took the tankard with one hand and squeezed his arm with the
other.

Crispin’s face was a mask of concentrated
energy as he fought off Aubrey’s clever advances. Jack wished he
could say the same for himself. Lydia stroked the length of his arm
and his chausses felt as if they were fastened too tight.
Madeline’s jaw only got harder as she stared stiffly ahead, eyes
unfocused. Jack chewed his lower lip, face flushed, sweat trickling
down his back.

Crispin shifted his grip as Aubrey lunged at
him and pulled his sword around in a tight arch, thumping her hard
on her hip. She blew out a frustrated breath. Jack echoed the
sentiment, dropping Lydia’s arm and stepping back so fast he trod
on Joanna. “Oy, sorry.”

“You’re letting your arms drop too far,”
Crispin corrected Aubrey, still tense on his feet, swaying from
side to side. “Economy of movement. Keep your stance tight.”

“I’ll keep your stance tight,” Aubrey
growled, flowing back into attack position and thrusting at him.
When he parried her blow she used her momentum to spin to the side,
skirt flaring, and attack him from the back.

Lydia sidled back to set the tankard down on
a bench and brushed her hand along Jack’s thigh. Madeline crossed
her arms over her chest. Jack feigned fascination with the sparring
match and scooted out of Lydia’s reach as Crispin swirled to block
Aubrey’s back-hand slice at his arm. He made contact with her blade
and twisted his sword around it, forcing her to retreat to keep
from losing her weapon.

“You’re losing your center,” he shook his
head.

“I know!” Aubrey grimaced in frustration at
the same time that Jack muttered, “Bloody right!”

Crispin took advantage of her frustration and
brought his sword up to attack her from the side. Aubrey let out a
furious, high-pitched shout and wheeled her sword around, barely
deflecting his blow. Madeline yelped as if she had been offended by
the sneak attack and surged forward. Her eyes flickered to the side
before she stepped back, wedging herself between Jack and Lydia. A
sardonic grin curled her lips.

Crispin jumped away as Aubrey sliced at him,
grinning now that he knew he was under her skin. He circled around
to thrust at her shoulder. Lydia inched to Madeline’s side and trod
on the hem of her kirtle. Aubrey parried with an angry grunt and
spun to attack Crispin’s left side. He hit her sword away, swinging
his blade around to try an overhead attack. Madeline jumped in
excitement and her skirt ripped. She whipped to glare at Lydia as
Aubrey and Crispin’s blades thunked together above their heads.
Aubrey and Crispin twisted their swords around and attacked
simultaneously as Madeline grabbed a fistful of Lydia’s loose hair
and yanked. The swords clashed with bone-jarring force and Lydia
yelped in pain. She whipped to glare at Madeline. Aubrey dropped
her sword and smashed a fist into the side of Crispin’s face.

“I’m sorry!” Aubrey snorted as she tried not
to laugh. Crispin raised a hand to his jaw, eyes fiery. “I didn’t
mean it. Really, I didn’t.”

“I did,” Madeline sniggered to Lydia.

“Oh you did, did you?” Lydia swayed towards
Madeline, eyes blazing.

Crispin threw his sword down with a loud
clatter and lunged at Aubrey. Without a word he scooped her into
his arms. Face grim as death he turned to Jack and muttered,
“Excuse me,” before marching off towards the castle, Aubrey
laughing too hard to do anything other than kick her feet in the
air and pound Crispin’s arm as he abducted her.

Jack forced a laugh, eyes darting between the
two women at his side, their claws out. What the hell was going on
between them? He stepped between the two of them as Madeline opened
her mouth to take on Lydia, grabbing both by the arm. “And that’s
enough of that,” he muttered, voice low. He glanced over to Joanna,
whose face was red as she bit her knuckles to keep from cracking
up. At least someone thought this was a joke. He would never, ever
understand women.

Lydia feigned calm and rested her hand on his
arm as he walked them to the bench under the tree. Madeline’s face
was flushed and she couldn’t bring herself to look anyone in the
eye, especially not Jack.

“Now then,” he handed the ladies off to sit
on the bench and pretended like the whole scene had never happened,
“who wants to compliment me on how brilliantly I fight?”

Madeline opened her mouth but Lydia got the
first word. “I was serious, my lord.” She sat forward on the bench
and slid a hand up his arm, ignoring Madeline completely. “I want
you to teach me to fight with a sword, like the Countess.”

Jack’s eyes flickered to Madeline and he had
to concentrate to reply to Lydia. “I’m never a very good teacher.
‘Cept maybe dancing.”

“But you seem so accomplished,” Lydia barged
over Madeline’s attempted reply. Madeline pressed her lips shut and
cleared her throat as she folded her hands on her lap.

“Nah,” Jack brushed off the compliment.
Madeline’s stony stare made him want to sink into the ground. “If
you want to see me do something impressive then give me a few
knives.”

“Shall I fetch you some from the kitchen, my
lord?” Joanna couldn’t contain her giggle as she offered.

Jack crossed his arms in an imitation of
Crispin as he scolded her with a glance. Joanna laughed and moved
to stand behind the bench so that she could rest her back against
the wall of the armory while she watched him struggle to smooth
ruffled feathers.

“How do you fight with that bracelet?” Lydia
scooted even farther to the end of the bench and reaching for
Jack’s left arm. He let her take it and when she touched the beads
of the rosary Madeline flinched. He swallowed as Lydia turned his
wrist over and saw the crucifix tucked under the beads against his
skin. “Oh! It’s a rosary! How quaint.”

“It’s my most prized possession.” Jack’s gray
eyes flashed to Madeline.

A playful smirk lit Madeline’s face. “What,
that trinket?” She relaxed back against the bench.

“Yeah.” Jack shrugged, pulling away from
Lydia’s hands. “Got it from a nun I pulled from a tower. You’d be
amazed how much trouble nuns get up to these days.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes and glared at
Madeline as she figured out where the rosary had come from. “Why
don’t you come inside now, my lord.” She got up and stood where
Jack could view her to her best advantage, gesturing towards the
castle. “You’re all sweaty and tired. I could draw you a bath.”

Madeline stifled an irate squeak beside
him.

“Oy, look, about that.” Jack winced and
stood, planting his hands on his hips. “I think it’s time I found
you a better position in my household, mate.”

“What position did you have in mind, my
lord?”

Madeline rose and stood where she could see
Jack’s face, arms crossed, frowning as if she wanted to know the
answer too.

“I dunno,” he shrugged, no idea why he felt
as though he was in an argument he couldn’t win. “Come out to
Kedleridge. I’m sure Simon will know where you’re needed.”

For an instant Lydia’s face flushed but
before Jack could give it much thought she had lowered her lashes
and was blinking up at him again. “Don’t you need me, my lord?”

“Well, I-”

“Don’t you need a true and faithful servant
to see to your every need?”

“I mean, the castle has-”

“Don’t you need someone who is there for you
to show you the respect that you deserve?”

“Oh please,” Madeline muttered.

Jack let out a breath, shoulders
dropping.

“I would like to see Kedleridge.” Madeline
now wore an over-bright smile where moments ago she had been
frowning.

“Yeah?” He perked up. “I’d love for you to
see it. Oy, you gotta meet Simon. You’re gonna love him. Runs the
place like he was born doin’ it.”

“He was,” he thought he heard Lydia
mutter.

“I mentioned you to him when I popped home
the other day to check on things. I mentioned both of you.” He
glanced back to Lydia. Her expression had gone blank and her cheeks
were red. Funny, but Simon had had a similar reaction when he
mentioned her to him. “Anyhow,” he brushed on, “I was plannin’ on
spending at least one night out there before this Council of Nobles
thing. You wanna come?”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,”
Madeline nodded.

“None at all.” He stood there smiling at her,
feeling the sunshine all the way to his bones in spite of the cool
breeze that had his sweaty shirt sticking to his back. It lasted
until Lydia cleared her throat, reminding him of his other
responsibilities. “Oy, you wanna come too?”

Lydia sighed and glanced up as if she was
considering. She brushed a hand through her hair, spreading it to
catch the sunlight. “You’re too kind to me, my lord,” she said in a
low, honeyed voice. “But no, I’ll pass this time. I think I can be
of more use here.” She brushed her hand against his arm before
smiling up at him and turning to sashay back towards the
castle.

Jack watched her go, hypnotized by the sway
of her hips, blonde hair bobbing against her back. He could bloody
well see why the woman was happy to be in service. Hips like those
shouldn’t be allowed to roam free.