Where Love Has Gone (39 page)

“Ah, no,” Desmond said, laughing. “Were I to
turn you loose upon poor Louis, war with France and Flanders would
be inevitable. Stay here, see to your mother’s health, and pretend
to be the meek daughter she wants. Cadwallon and I will return in a
few days.”

“We are commanded to leave at once,”
Cadwallon told him.

When Desmond boldly slid an arm around her
waist and kissed her hard, Elaine did not protest. Nor did she weep
when he and Cadwallon bid her farewell. She told herself she was
learning to control her emotions and she met Royce’s assessing gaze
with calmness.

“We need to speak about your dowry,” Royce
told her when the other two men were gone. “As you know, your
father left your dowry and Aglise’s in my trust afer his death. I
have today obtained King Henry’s permission to combine the two
properties into one large dowry, to hold for you until your
marriage.”

“I don’t want it.” Elaine discovered to her
chagrin that she wasn’t in as firm control of her emotions as she
had imagined. The thought of Aglise brought her close to tears.

“Dear girl, be sensible,” Royce said.
“Aldwynd and I were close friends, so I can say with complete
confidence that he would have wanted Aglise’s portion to go to you,
as his only surviving child.

“Now, if you have a preference in a husband,
you may speak to me, or directly to King Henry. Unless your choice
is completely and dangerously outrageous, neither of us will be
inclined to refuse your wishes. I suggest you decide for yourself
who you want, and that you do so before your mother revives enough
to voice her opinion, or before King Henry can choose a husband for
you. Henry means well, but he may choose a man whom you cannot
like. You’ve been through a difficult time these past few months
since Aglise disappeared, so I’d like to see you happy in your
marriage. A good marriage is one of life’s great blessings.”

Royce fell silent, his head bowed, and Elaine
knew he was recalling his own happy marriage to a woman he had
dearly loved and whom he had made no secret of missing since her
early death. Knowing of Royce’s past gave her the courage to speak
her mind without reservation.

“Desmond is too proud ever to marry as Sir
Lamont did, in order to gain control over his wife’s property.
Besides, Desmond relishes his work as a spy. I’ve seen how he
craves the excitement of it. He will not want to give up such vital
stimulation; it’s too important to him.”

“Perhaps you should speak to Desmond on the
matter,” Royce said with a faint smile.

The subject of Aglise’s dowry and Elaine’s
marriage rose again that evening, while Elaine, Royce, and Lady
Irmina were eating in Royce’s office. Lady Irmina was a bit pale,
but otherwise seemed quite recovered, and she insisted on getting
out of bed. Wearing a bright blue robe that was unusually plain for
her and no face paint at all, she sat in Royce’s own big chair,
which he had relinquished to her when she claimed to feel a bit
weak. Weak or not, she ate more heartily than Elaine did, making
quick work of two small game birds and a large slice of meat
pie.

“What will become of me now?” Lady Irmina
asked Royce. “And of Elaine? Sir Lamont’s estate is sure to be
confiscated, as the properties of traitors always are. How shall we
live?”

“Because of your brave actions in King
Henry’s behalf,” Royce told her, “he has agreed to return your
original widow’s portion to you. So, you will once again hold the
property that Aldwynd left to you in his will.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Lady Irmina sipped her
wine, frowning a little as if she was thinking deeply. “What about
Aglise’s dowry? Shouldn’t it come to me, too, in addition to my
widow’s portion?”

“No,” Royce said firmly. “It belongs to
Elaine.”

“I don’t like that arrangement.” Lady
Irmina’s sharp gaze rested on her daughter. “However, I suppose it
doesn’t matter too much, as I shall choose Elaine’s husband.
Arranging her marriage is my prerogative, and I shall insist upon a
nice piece of property being granted to me in the marriage
contract.”

“Since Aldwynd designated me as guardian of
his daughters’ dowries,” Royce said, “I have a say in the decision.
I think Elaine should marry Sir Desmond of Ashendown.”

“That rude knave? Never!” Lady Irmina
exclaimed. “I will not tolerate the match. If you insist upon it,
Royce, I shall speak to King Henry against it. The king will not
deny me my rights as Elaine’s mother.”

“I have already spoken to King Henry,” Royce
told her, “and he agrees with me that Desmond deserves some reward
for his work during the past month.”

“Work as a spy!” Lady Irmina cried.
“Disgraceful work!”

“Lamont was a spy and until this day you
claimed to love him,” Elaine reminded her. “As to my marriage, I
refuse to be anyone’s reward, or to be given away for the sake of
my dowry, or as the means of my mother acquiring still more
property.
I
will have the final say in my choice of husband.
Desmond and I will talk after he returns from Evreux.”

“Evreux? What is he doing there?” Lady Irmina
asked. In a tone of contempt she added, “More spying, perhaps?”

“King Henry sent Desmond and Cadwallon on a
diplomatic mission to convince Louis of France to end his invasion
and withdraw to his own lands,” Royce said. “Desmond, having done
his best to uncover the plot against King Henry and to warn him in
time to save his life—”

“
I
saved King Henry’s life,” Lady
Irmina interrupted.

“So you did,” Royce responded mildly. “Now,
Desmond is determined to stop the invasion Sir Lamont encouraged,
thus benefiting all of us and perhaps saving King Henry’s life a
second time. In view of what Desmond has accomplished, how can you
say he doesn’t deserve the finest reward King Henry can possibly
bestow upon him, – your daughter’s hand?”

“I don’t
like
Sir Desmond,” Lady
Irmina declared in the sulky tone of a thwarted child.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Elaine spoke up before
Royce could respond. “Desmond is not a man to be manipulated by
feminine wiles. That is why I refuse to say yes or no to this idea
of a marriage between us until after he returns to Caen and we have
a chance to speak together, without interference from others.”

“With your dowry combined with Aglise’s, you
could make a far grander marriage,” Lady Irmina insisted. “I will
oppose your marriage to Sir Desmond with my dying breath. You do
not have to accept a mere knight.”

“You did.” Elaine felt not the least twinge
of guilt when her mother winced at the harsh reminder.

“Lady Irmina, perhaps you don’t know,” Royce
said smoothly, “that Desmond’s older brother is Baron Walcott of
Ashendown. Desmond’s twin brother, older by half an hour, is
Magnus, lord of Brixton Manor in Kent, and a man highly regarded by
King Henry. I advise you to think carefully before you criticize
Desmond’s origins. I will vouch for his resolute character, and I
strongly suggest that you allow Elaine to decide for herself
whether or not she wants to marry him.”

“Am I permitted to return to my own
apartment?” Lady Irmina demanded of Royce. “Or am I still a
prisoner here?”

“You are free to go,” Royce said.

“Good.” Lady Irmina rose and headed for the
door. “I want a bath, perfume, my hairdresser, and a fresh gown
before I make my appearance in the great hall this evening. Come
along, Elaine.”

“No, thank you, Mother.” Elaine stayed where
she was.

“You cannot attend the king in that dress!”
Lady Irmina exclaimed. “He has already seen it. You will disgrace
me before all the courtiers.”

“Only you can disgrace yourself,” Royce told
her. “In fact, I have ordered a new gown for Elaine, and I have
found a maidservant to help her dress.”

“Here? In your private rooms? Oh, this is
outrageous!”

“Not as outrageous as treason,” Royce said,
his quiet words momentarily silencing Lady Irmina.

“Since I have already spent two days and a
night in Royce’s chambers, a few more hours cannot damage my
reputation any further,” Elaine told her mother. “I will join you
in the great hall later.”

“Ungrateful child!” With that, Lady Irmina
exited the room.

Elaine’s new gown was pale green silk, shot
through with silvery threads. The clothes chests Elaine had packed
at Warden’s Manor had been delivered to Royce’s chambers. Royce
examined every item in Aglise’s chest before sending the lot on to
Lady Irmina. Elaine’s chest he gave to her at once, so she had her
own undergarments and shoes, and her few pieces of jewelry to
wear.

The maid whom Royce had hired combed her hair
into its usual thick braid, but she added silver ribbons to the
arrangement, tying off the end of the braid with an ornate twist of
ribbon.

Elaine did not object to the embellishment.
Her current dealings with Lady Irmina had led her to understand
that her lifelong refusal to make the most of her appearance was a
form of rebellion against her mother, and it was almost as childish
as Irmina’s behavior.

But that was in the past. Elaine had changed.
She wanted Desmond to find her beautiful. More importantly, she
wanted to look her best for her own sake, as evidence of her quiet
pride in what she had accomplished by her own determination since
Aglise’s disappearance. The reflection she saw in Royce’s shaving
mirror bolstered her sense of wellbeing. She left Royce’s chambers
for the great hall with a smile on her lips.

Even Lady Irmina could find nothing about her
daughter’s appearance to criticize. Not that she paid much
attention to Elaine. Clad in a bright red silk gown and much
elaborate jewelry, with her face carefully painted, Lady Irmina was
enjoying her heroic status as the woman who had taken a knife
thrust meant for the king. Whenever the attention of the courtiers
seemed to be wandering from her, she moaned softly and pressed a
fluttering hand against her injured side. King Henry indulged her,
smiling and kissing her hand, making a great public display of
thanking her again.

“She’ll make the most of her momentary fame,”
Elaine said to Royce. “She will never change.”

“I underestimated her; she’s far more clever
than I thought,” Royce said. “She extricated herself from a
difficult situation just in time. Have you noticed she no longer
speaks of making an important place for herself at the French
court? We will probably never know just how much she knew about
Lamont’s schemes.”

“You cannot think she was actively involved?”
Elaine cried, dismayed by the possibility.

“As I said, we will never know for sure. Any
more than we can know exactly how much Aglise knew or guessed about
the conspiracy, or how culpable she was in her liaison with
Bertrand.”

“My sister would never—”

“Let it go, Elaine. It’s over. One thing I’ve
learned after years of spying and of directing other spies, is that
all questions do not have complete answers. Life is full of
mysteries. The pleasure of the game lies in trying to answer the
questions and solve the mysteries, even while knowing it cannot be
done. All that really matters is trying in the right cause.”

Elaine looked deep into his eyes, noting the
lonely shadow lurking there, perhaps as a remnant of treacheries he
had uncovered, or men he had sent to their deaths in the name of
loyalty to King Henry.

“I’m not sure whether you are half mad, or
very, very wise,” she said. “But I love you, anyway.”

“You love Desmond,” Royce said, smiling at
her. “When he returns, forget maidenly modesty and tell him
so.”

Royce commandeered a small bedchamber for
Elaine to use, and she settled into it gratefully, glad to be free
of her mother’s oppressive presence. When she inquired about the
two squires, Royce told her that both Richard and Ewan had
recovered enough to ride to Evreux with their masters. However,
Captain Piers remained in port, so she went to visit him aboard the
Daisy
.

“I came to thank you for helping us,” she
said.

“‘Twas a pleasure, and I’ve been well paid
fer me trouble.” Captain Piers bowed over her hand with a gallant
flourish worthy of a great nobleman. “If ever ye need my help
again, my lady, I’ll do whatever I can fer ye. Fer a price, o’
course.”

“Where do you sail next?” she asked,
smothering a chuckle over the open way he expressed his desire for
as much money as he could extract from his passengers. If only
noblemen – and noblewomen – were half so honest.

“
Daisy
an’ me are off ta Scotland this
very evenin’,” Captain Piers revealed.

“Carrying spies again?” she teased.

“Ye know better than ta ask such a question,”
the captain said with a merry twinkle in his eyes. “Now, why should
King Henry send secret agents ta Scotland?”

“Why, indeed?” Elaine laughed, knowing it was
probably exactly what King Henry was doing. Or Royce, in the king’s
name. Henry’s late queen had been the sister of Alexander, king of
the Scots, and Alexander was married to Sybilla, one of King
Henry’s many illegitimate daughters, so the two kings were bound by
close family ties and there was, supposedly, peace between England
and Scotland. Even so, Elaine was sure Royce could find a
treacherous plot being fomented among the Scottish nobles, if he or
his spies looked hard enough.

She bid farewell to Captain Piers and
returned to the castle, to another afternoon and evening of
feasting and music, and of watching her mother flirt outrageously
with the most handsome of King Henry’s nobles.

Elaine was already bored with courtly life.
She longed for Desmond’s presence, at the same time she worried
about his true feelings for her.

During his absence her one genuine pleasure
lay in preparing Jean for his trip to Kent, where he was to serve
as page to Desmond’s sister-in-law. An elderly nobleman who was
bound for London was recruited by Royce to escort Jean to Brixton
Manor, and Elaine saw to it that the boy had two new suits of
clothing before he left. She bid him farewell with tears in her
eyes, after giving him some coins for himself and a letter she had
written to the lady of Brixton, in which she extolled Jean’s
intelligence and good heart.