Desiree Read online

  Alex restrained a sigh. From what he had seen of the men he commanded, Godric knew his work and was good at it. Unfortunately, he seemed to be the kind that would take no action without an order from his master even though his master was now hardly more than a lump of flesh. Who knew if he would even call out his men to defend the keep without orders to do so? Of course, it might not be Godric’s fault. That might have been his master’s preference.

  “First,” he said to the master-at-arms, “get some men up on the wall so that the whole is patrolled.” An expression of consternation came over Godric’s face. Alex shook his head. “No, I do not expect any attack and Sir Simon and I saw no hostile forces while riding here, but times are changing. There is a threat of invasion and the walls should be manned at all times. When you have seen to that, see to making the quarters ready for Sir Simon’s men.”

  Godric bowed and turned to his troop to give orders.

  “Byford,” Alex said to the troop leader he had brought from Roselynde, “I am going up to the keep to see if Sir Simon wants me. Check on the stabling and on the lodging Godric says is available. I doubt he will be willing to make any changes without my authority or Sir Simon’s, but you can come and let me know if there is any real problem.” He hesitated and then added with a grimace, “And if the man is willing to talk, find out why he is not able to so much as scratch his ass without instruction.”

  Byford came down from his horse, his narrow, dark face alight with interest and amusement although his expression was perfectly sober. Alex nodded at him and turned Lothaire toward the gate of the inner bailey. He hoped that Sir Simon would not decide the keep needed a more experienced castellan and not appoint him after all.

  At least a groom came running out of the small stable for the lord and his guests in the inner courtyard and took Lothaire with what was obviously respect for the uncertain temper of destriers. Alex mounted the stair of the forebuilding and opened a heavy iron-bound door, which let him immediately into the great hall.

  There, to his relief, he saw Sir Simon standing near the large hearth, which held two burning tree trunks. The hall was lit by two windows, each flanked with deep window seats. Near Simon was a small woman, who was shaking her head and speaking earnestly.

  As Alex approached, he heard her say, “I dare not urge him. When he is troubled he can hardly speak at all, and sometimes he becomes confused or seems to fall asleep right in the middle of what he was saying.”

  “Poor man.” Simon sighed. “I promise you that the young man I am naming to help you is competent to manage all aspects of defense of your keep. However, if you desire, he will explain directly to Sir Frewyn what he has ordered at such times as you feel it would do Sir Frewyn no harm.”

  “Oh, I am not sure poor Frewyn should be troubled about any changes Sir Alex makes.”

  Simon shrugged. “If you prefer, he will tell you what he is doing and why, so that you can tell your husband or not tell him as you see fit. In any case, Alex will send me regular reports of his progress and problems. If I can, I will come myself to be sure all is well. If not, I will send Sir Andre. And, of course, feel free to send a message to me if you have any complaint… Ah, here is Sir Alex now.”

  Alex bowed to Sir Simon and then to the lady.

  “Alex, this is the lady you will serve, Lady Desiree, Sir Frewyn’s wife and holder by inheritance of Exceat Keep, the fishing vills of Seaford and Cuckhaven and some outlying farms, the names of which I cannot at the moment remember.”

  “My lady,” Alex said.

  “Lady Desiree, this is Sir Alexandre Baudoin of Lessai, my sister’s son. He is a strong man of his hands, courteous in his manner, and with all the knowledge necessary to defend Exceat and to make it ready to resist invasion.”

  Sister’s son? Nephew? More like own blood son, Desiree thought cynically. She was no longer the naive innocent who had married Sir Frewyn. Frewyn had liked a good gossip as well as the next, and Desiree found herself looking at a very young Simon. Sir Alex’s hair was a solid sandy red rather than heavily mingled with gray, but the misty gray-blue eyes and their direct and honest gaze was the same as Sir Simon’s, as was the square determined chin und the well-shaped mouth. He was not handsome—not like the lover in a romance—but his face…one could depend on such a face.

  Sir Alex was as tall as Sir Simon—both very tall—but Sir Alex was not quite as broad, for he was young enough not to have developed his full power. And yet, though he was standing perfectly still, Desiree felt the strength in him. She did not at first understand why that feeling of leashed power drew her until she wished he could lend some of that strength to Frewyn—and then she realized she was contrasting Sir Alex’s vibrant energy with poor Frewyn’s limpness.

  “Sir Alexandre,” Desiree said and bowed her head.

  Alex had not noticed the brief hesitation while Desiree studied him. His eyes had already passed over and beyond her. The only impression Lady Desiree made on him was to observe that she was much younger than he had expected.

  It was the hall that claimed Alex’s attention. He saw to the left a partition that doubtless led to another chamber closed off by a door. To his right was a much heavier wall, likely a supporting wall for the floor above. An open door in that wall showed another chamber; Alex could see a torch holder fixed to the stones of the far wall, but guessed that meant the chamber was large enough for a cot and a table.

  Perhaps the room had been used for guests. However, he would need some place to be private to work and give instruction to Byford and Godric—if Godric could be salvaged. So unless the lady objected, he thought, he would make that his room.

  Sir Simon had waited a moment, as if he expected one of them to say something more. When neither did, he continued, “Unless you find him in some way unsatisfactory, Lady Desiree, I will hereby appoint Sir Alexandre to be your castellan, to oversee the defense of Exceat and its titled properties and to solve for you any other problems you wish to present to him. Will you accept him?”

  Desiree glanced briefly at Alex, who clearly did not find her attractive enough to hold his interest and was now looking at the window recesses. Well, she thought irritably, since he does not find me irresistible, at least he will be no threat to my person. Her lips tightened, but she only said, “I will.”

  However, Alex was not nearly as indifferent as he had seemed. True, he had no real idea what the lady looked like and did not much care, but he had been afraid to watch her expression while she decided whether to accept him as castellan or not. When she agreed, Alex’s held breath eased out, but his eyes did not go to Desiree, in whom he had little further interest, they went to Simon.

  “Alex?”

  So easily as that a dream was made real. Blood drummed in Alex’s ears as he bowed again to Simon. “Thank you, my lord. I will do my uttermost to protect and defend Exceat.” Then he took the lady’s hand in his. “Your servant, madam,” he said, and raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  Desiree’s eyes widened and she raised her gaze to his face, but saw at once that the gesture was a formality. Sir Alex still did not notice her. He had immediately looked back at Simon, only now his eyes were alight.

  “We will need to make my appointment clear to the castlefolk,” he said, absently and abruptly releasing Desiree’s hand, allowing it to fall.

  Desiree drew a deep breath, thoroughly annoyed at being ignored, but she did not speak. She had accepted this graceless fool, and he was sister’s son—that Sir Simon had used those words rather than nephew was significant. Sister’s son was a special relationship. Before the Normans came to England, in many tribes it was sister’s son who inherited. After all, a man only had his wife’s word for who had fathered his sons, but no matter who fathered his sister’s sons, they were of his blood and bone.

  Simon, since his association with Alinor had begun, had become more sensitive to female reactions, but he, like Alex, was thinking of Exceat rather than Desiree. “Of course,” he agreed,
“but that can wait until the evening meal when they are all gathered together.”

  “Good enough.” Alex nodded. “But if Exceat is in my charge, I must see to a few things that cannot wait. For now, I will go down and be sure about the lodging for your men. I also want to check as to whether Godric did send men up to patrol the wall over the river.” The words had been tumbling out, but now Alex hesitated. “I will need to discuss with you a problem about the master-at-arms, my lord, but—”

  “With me?” Simon said, raising his brows. “Listen to yourself, Alex. Go and see that the men have somewhere dry and warm to stay, and check the walls. Remember that I will be leaving at first light tomorrow. You will need to use your own best judgment about the Exceat master-at-arms.”

  Alex smiled. “It is habit to ask your advice, my lord. I beg pardon.” And he turned about and walked away toward the door, not once having looked at the mistress of Exceat.

  Lady Desiree, eyes wide, watched him as he disappeared into the gloom of the landing and, presumably, started down the stair. Then she turned to Simon.

  “Man the walls above the river? Why? This is not so rich a holding that I can afford a private army. If my few men-at-arms must watch walls no one but a lunatic would try to surmount, they will be fit for nothing else.”

  Simon blinked, and then smiled at her. Plainly this was no Alinor, whose walls, even more unassailable, were guarded inch by inch. But this Desiree was no meek fool, either, who would accept any statement made by a man. She wanted to know why and how changes in her keep were being made.

  “A dangerous conviction, my lady,” Simon said. “If I came to attack Exceat, I would send a small force to the front gate to distract your defenders while the rest of my attacking force climbed the cliff—which now has a goodly number of bushes and other growth to assist a climber. Exceat would be overwhelmed in an hour, and with little loss to the attacker.”

  Desiree stared, shocked, a hand raised to her lips.

  “Moreover,” Simon continued, “in these times when invasion threatens from across the narrow sea, it is likely that boats would come up the river so that any attack from an invading force would come from the river.” He smiled now and patted her shoulder kindly. “Do not trouble yourself, my lady. To be sure such a thing cannot happen is why Alex is here. Only I beg you not to hinder him—although you may, indeed you should, ask him to explain what he is doing.”

  “But I have not enough men—”

  “Alex will begin to train local men to provide a good-size troop, and I am leaving twenty of the forty men I brought to add to your force. I did not know from your letter how bad your situation might be. Sometimes when a leader fails, men-at-arms desert.”

  “Oh, no, they would not. A few are my father’s men but most came with Frewyn—”

  “To force you into marriage, Lady Desiree?” Simon’s voice was suddenly hard and cold as ice.

  “No, no, you must not think ill of my dear Frewyn. He is the best of men, the kindest. He had no choice. There was no other way to save me. When my father died, Nicolaus of Lewes came and said he would marry me. He had asked for me aforetime—soon after my brothers were dead—and my father refused him.”

  “With good cause. As his heiress, your father could look far higher for you than Nicolaus of Lewes.”

  She shuddered. “I did not like him, either. He bruised my arm when I said it was too soon for me to think of marriage, that he should let me mourn my loss. He bespoke me ill and would not accept my answer. And he was about to…to rape me, I think, so I could not refuse, but I screamed for help and the servants ran to us. I swore that I would refuse before the priest and tell him that I was forced and my servants would stand witness. Then Nicolaus left but he threatened me, promising to take my keep and treat me so that I would crawl to his feet and beg to marry him.”

  “Why did you not send a messenger to the sheriff?”

  “Sheriff?” Her voice rose in angry passion. “I did not know then what a sheriff was. I knew how to order the servants to cook and sew and spin and weave. That was all I knew. The only help I knew of was my grandfather’s old friend Frewyn. I sent for him and he came. He sent a messenger to the sheriff at once, but you were gone to France to join the Crusade and your deputy was in London, neck deep in some political trouble.”

  “Longchamp,” Simon muttered to himself.

  If Desiree heard, the name meant nothing to her and she continued, “Nicolaus burned out a farm and sent a message that he would destroy my land farm by farm until I agreed to marry him. Frewyn’s son came at his behest and drove off a second raid, but Paul said the only way to stop Nicolaus was to put me beyond his reach. Then Frewyn asked if there were any man I favored to marry at once, but there was no one, so he said he would marry me himself.”

  “And you still could not think of some young man you would prefer?”

  Desiree shook her head. “I was fourteen and my father had banished me to the women’s quarters after my brothers died, saying he could not bear to look on my face, the only one left when two fine sons were dead.”

  “That was wrong,” Simon said. “It was no fault of yours that your brothers died.”

  “Tell that to a child of twelve, already grieving for two kind brothers.” She shrugged. “In any case, my father had few guests after my brothers died. I did not know any young men. Still, I wept when Frewyn said we should marry because he was so old. I felt betrayed by my last hope. But Frewyn promised he would ask for no marital rights and pointed out that he could not live long.” Desiree shuddered. “He promised to teach me my rights over my land and said when he was dead I would be free to choose my next husband for myself.”

  Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “But I do not want another husband,” she sobbed. “I have been so happy with Frewyn for four wonderful years. He valued me. Everything I did was right and he was always glad to have me with him. And he was as good as his word, better. He taught me about crops and about fishing. He showed me how to manage my land and took me among the serfs and villeins so that they should know me and obey me. He taught me my rights and to whom I should appeal if wrong were done me.”

  Simon expelled a sigh of relief. He had always thought Sir Frewyn an honest and honorable man, and he was glad to learn his opinion was correct.

  “Do not think ill of him,” Desiree begged. “He could have given me to one of his grandsons, but he would not do that. He said I would be able to choose among many fine men when he was dead, and I was old enough to know my own mind. But I do not want another husband. I want Frewyn.”

  Simon patted her shoulder consolingly, and she flung herself onto his breast and wept in earnest. Simon held her gently, his heart twisting hard in his chest. He remembered how he had said to Alinor when they married that when he was too old for her he would go away to his own keep and leave her free. But Alinor would be no less loyal than this girl. She would not let him go, but keep him and nurse him…and love him too.

  A few moments later the door to the right opened, and the thin, elderly man who had escorted him into the keep came out. “Sir Frewyn is awake, Lady Desiree.”

  She sniffed and stepped out of Simon’s loose embrace, wiping away her tears on the hem of her sleeve. “Frewyn is getting better,” she said to Simon. “He is. At first he could not move at all or speak. I only knew he was alive because he could blink his eyes. Now he can move a little and if he is not rushed or worried, he can speak.”

  “I pray he will recover completely,” Simon said, wondering as he spoke whether Sir Frewyn would consider that a kindness. “And if you do not think it will do harm, I would like to see Sir Frewyn to assure him all will be well.”

  “I am sure that would do him only good,” Desiree said, smiling. “He has been waiting eagerly for you to send a castellan. It preyed upon his mind that he could not do the things he should be doing to protect the keep. He will be greatly relieved to know that you have come yourself. Elias, be good enough to make sure
your master will have no need to be ashamed of his appearance, and tell him that Sir Simon requests the honor of visiting him.”

  The thin old man withdrew.

  “It may be a little time,” Desiree said. “Sometimes for a guest Frewyn would want his gown changed.”

  Simon nodded and assured her with outward calm that he was in no hurry while within his soul cringed and he prayed to be struck down in battle before he came to such a state. And as the minutes passed, his spirit sank ever lower, he felt he could not bear to look on an image of his possible future and was about to find some excuse to leave, when the door opened and Alex came across the hall toward them.

  He had an odd expression, partly satisfied and partly worried, and he shook his head as he came close and said, “All is arranged. I have one of our men accompanied by one of the Exceat guardsmen patrolling between each tower. Within three watches we should have men who can instruct others. Another double patrol tomorrow and the next day with Exceat guards should cover any mistakes.”

  “That sounds good, Alex,” Simon said heartily.

  “But one thing is making me uneasy,” Alex continued. “The men and servants here seem willing to take direction from anyone at all. What if I had been Prince John’s henchman? I have no idea of how to instill a healthy suspicion in them without making them rude and aggressive.”

  Simon began to chuckle. He was very well pleased indeed with his nephew, who showed remarkable common sense as well as ability in arms. And he was even more pleased to be shaken out of his morbid fears.

  “You need not worry about instilling suspicion. First, it is because the men of the keep have been for so long without a master. They are eager to be told what to do and also that what they have done in the past is right. However, once you are established as acting for the master, they will be less prone to take orders from just anyone—and, naturally you will tell them that orders are to come only from you.”

  Desiree’s throat tightened with fear. Sir Simon and Sir Alex, talking about Exceat as if it was theirs! Did they intend to reduce her to nothing, as her father had done?