April Munday (26 page)

Rosamunde did not know how she found her way back to her bedchamber, blinded as she was by her tears and her anger. How could she have been so badly mistaken? She had recognised from the start that Richard would cause trouble, but she had not realised that he would cause such trouble for her. He had even told her in as many words from the beginning that he did not consider any woman to be virtuous. Of course he would not have considered her to be an exception. How could she have thought that he would?

She had thought that her own virtue must be obvious to anyone who cared to look, but she had been wrong. Richard had considered her to be the same as every other woman who had let him down or been led astray by him. She now knew that he had been the one to destroy the virtue of the women he had known by seducing them as he had tried to seduce her. Except perhaps Louise. No, she was certain that Richard’s wife had indeed betrayed him. She did not think he had lied about that.

She threw herself onto her bed, giving way to the sobs that she thought would break her very soul. She was lost; the man she had loved was not worthy of her love. He had betrayed her trust. It did not matter that her father had forbidden them to marry; she could have talked him round in time. Even Sir Ralf was not a huge obstacle. Her father had always shown that he valued her happiness. He would be swayed by Sir Ralf’s position, but Ralf’s lack of intelligence would count against him.

No, nothing had stood in the way of her happiness with Richard except Richard himself.

And yet, had he been entirely wrong? She had gone to him alone, undressed at night. She had told herself that it was only to fulfil her promise to him, but she had not protested when he had held her and caressed her in the way that no man should caress any woman not his wife. She had even followed him to his bed and she had enjoyed what they had done there together. Even the touch that had caused her to come to her senses had been pleasing.

Even in her anger and her grief the memory of his touch pulsed through her body. Even now she longed for him to touch her again. She hated him, but she wanted his caresses. She had never felt this from Simon’s touch, even when he had kissed her. Now she felt incomplete and it was only Richard who could make her complete again. He had tried to seduce her and she could not forgive him. There could be no going back and she would never know his touch again.

She had upset her father for the sake of a man who was less than nothing and who did not value her. She had spent the afternoon trying to reason with the duke, pointing out Richard’s good qualities and his honour. The duke had listened patiently, admitting that he had reacted badly and that Richard might improve on better acquaintance. He acknowledged that the Frenchman had protected Rosamunde and saved her from Sir Walter. The duke would not be swayed by emotion, but Rosamunde thought that she had persuaded him to consider Richard more favourably. But now it did not matter, because she no longer wished to marry Richard. She would go into a convent. No, she would marry. If she went into a convent it would only show the power that Richard had over her. Married, he would have to admit that he could never have her. But marriage reminded her of Ralf. How could she marry Ralf knowing that she could have had Richard? How could she marry any man except the man she loved who had denied himself to her? Exhausted by her tears, she fell asleep still struggling to decide what to do for the best.

Richard had fallen asleep against the door of his dungeon. He was woken when the servant who had brought him food fell over him. As the servant lay stunned beside him, Richard realised that this was the opportunity he had hoped for last night to get out of his cell. He shook his head as he stood to help the boy to his feet. There was no point trying to go to Rosamunde now. She must despise him; he had certainly earned her disgust. He and the boy retrieved the bread and cheese from the floor. The small beer was gone forever, swallowed up by the dirt that made up the floor, so he would stay thirsty.

Instead of trying to escape, he sat down on his palliasse to eat. He was not hungry, but he assumed the duke’s patience would run out today. It might be some time before he had food again.

“My lord will see you this morning,” the servant said as he left.

Richard grunted his acknowledgement. It must be later than he thought if the duke was already about and giving orders. He shivered and realised he was still naked. Leaving the remains of his food on his bed, he pulled on his clothes. He had slept only lightly before Rosamunde had come and had stayed awake many hours crouched by the door hoping that she might come back. What little sleep he had managed to get had not refreshed him and he stretched to try and get his body to work properly. His leg ached; he must have slept with it beneath him when he had slept. Determined not to limp into the duke’s presence, he began to massage it as Margaret had taught him. It was painful, but not as painful as losing Rosamunde.

She must have told the duke what had happened by now. The duke loved his daughter and Richard’s punishment would undoubtedly be more severe than being locked in a reasonably comfortable dungeon overnight.

He had little time to ponder his fate, however, as the duke called for him almost immediately. Richard was not surprised when Guy came for him. The duke probably did not appreciate the humiliation he was heaping on his prisoner by sending his friend to act as his guard. Guy had given up his suspicions of the Frenchman the day Richard had returned with Rosamunde from Sir Walter’s manor. While Rosamunde and Thomas had recovered the two of them had run the castle, although it had seemed to other eyes that Guy had done it alone. Richard would have preferred the opportunity to make himself more presentable, but followed Guy obediently to the duke’s solar.  Guy said nothing, telling Richard how angry the younger man must be.

“I love her,” Richard said as they started to cross the hall.

Guy sighed and stopped. “That has been obvious for a long time. I did not take you for a fool. The duke loves Rosamunde above all else. Did you think he would give her to a stranger for the sake of asking?”

Richard was taken aback. Could Guy still be on his side? He obviously did not know what Richard had done last night. “He trusted me with her life; he can trust me with her happiness.”

“You are a fool after all. He didn’t trust you with her life. You were to delay her death. You were one more body between her and Sir Walter. That’s all. Your life was forfeit from the moment you gave yourself up to him.” Guy’s disappointment showed in his face. Richard thought again how wrong he had been not to trust this man from the beginning. He had underestimated Guy. The man might not be cunning, but he knew his lord.

Guy grinned. “Do not fear. You are stupid, but my lady is not. She will talk him round.” Guy at least did not know what happened.

“No, she will not. I am stupid and Rosamunde will not have a stupid man.”

Guy said nothing and the encouraging smile slipped from his face and they continued on to the duke’s solar. Richard knew that Guy was wondering what the Frenchman had done to make Rosamunde think him stupid. Let him wonder.

Guy opened the door to the solar and they entered. The duke was sitting and Thomas stood behind him. Richard did not know whether to be alarmed or relieved that Rosamunde was not present. The duke’s expression was unreadable. Richard crossed the room until he stood before the duke, then knelt. He was this man’s vassal, even if it was temporary. He kept his eyes lowered. He did not want to seem to be challenging his lord.

The silence in the room was almost unbearable. Richard had avoided catching Thomas’ eye, so did not know what expression was on his face. It might be encouraging or condemning. He did not want to know. The only thing that was important was whether or not the duke knew about what had happened last night.

“Father!” The sound of the door opening followed Rosamunde’s cry.

Richard did not dare move a muscle. He had broken Rosamunde’s heart, now it seemed that she must break his.

“Rosamunde, you do not need to be here. You have already made your feelings clear.” The duke’s voice was gentle. He did not know what his prisoner had done either. Why had Rosamunde told no one? Had no one seen her distress last night?

“No, father, I want you to understand that I am your obedient daughter. I do not wish to marry Sir Richard. I will marry the man of your choice.”

“No!” Richard could not stop the protest and jumped to his feet, only to be struck down by one of the guards he had not noticed. Wounded, he lay curled on the floor in pain, dragging in halting breaths. He had landed badly on his leg, which had given way beneath him.

“Step away from him,” ordered the duke. “That was not necessary. I doubt he intended to hurt Lady Rosamunde.”

“Here, let me help you.” Guy was beside Richard and helped him to stand.

“I apologise, my lord,” gasped Richard when he could speak. “I did not mean any harm to you or my lady.”

Now he dared to look at Rosamunde. Her cheeks were flushed with her anger and her narrowed eyes seemed to spark fire at him.

“Now, Rosamunde, what do you mean. Last night you tried to persuade me to let you marry Sir Richard and now you have changed your mind?”

“He is not the man he pretended to be.” Still Rosamunde did not turn to face her father, but held Richard’s eyes.

The duke frowned. “What has changed since then?”

“I have discovered something about him that reflects badly on his character.” Her eyes burned into him and he wished that she would turn away.

Richard knew, from his earlier dealings with the duke, that this would not help his cause. The duke was honest and straightforward. Everything he had learned about Simon, Rosamunde’s betrothed, indicated that he had been open of character. That, of course, was why Rosamunde had loved him. Her own virtuous character was clear for anyone to see. It was only his own stupidity that had blinded him to it. Now it was too late. He had finally learned that not all women were like Louise and he had lost the woman he loved by treating her as if she had betrayed him, when, in reality, he had betrayed her.

“And what have you learned?” The duke’s quiet question broke into Richard’s reverie.

“That he is a seducer of women.” Richard hoped that he alone had heard Guy’s gasp, but the surprise on Thomas’ face was clear for all to see. Then Thomas frowned and looked directly at Richard. Since Thomas had helped Richard to be alone with Rosamunde, Richard knew that it was guilt along with anger that showed on his face. How he wished these people were better at dissembling.

The duke smiled tolerantly. “Many men behave so.”

“But I will not have such a one for my husband.”

“Speak plainly, Rosamunde. Do you now mean not to have this man?” The duke grew impatient.

Rosamunde turned to her father, but not before Richard had seen the unshed tears in her eyes. “No, father, I will not have him. I will have the man you choose.” She lowered her eyes as if in deference, but Richard knew she did not want her father to see her tears.

“You know that my friend Sir George has proposed that I marry you to his son?”

Rosamunde nodded. “He mentioned that Sir Ralf was now a widower and in need of a wife.”

The duke looked doubtful, his earlier assertion that he had chosen a better man for her forgotten. “He is not the kind of man I would choose for your husband, although he has the wealth and status that you deserve. This is not a decision to be made in haste, Rosamunde.”

Rosamunde considered. She turned back to face Richard momentarily. Was that fear on her face? Richard took a step towards her.

“No!” hissed Guy, putting out a restraining arm. Richard stopped. It was not enough that she was lost to him, now she had to promise herself to another man. He could not bear this. No one else should have the delights he had barely tasted last night.

“Rosamunde, please,” he begged. “You do not need to do this. Do not take a man not worthy of you just because I disappointed you.”

Now she turned her fury to him. “You dare to speak to me? You are not a man of honour. You are less than nothing. I will be guided by my father. Unlike you, he has my best interests at heart.”

“Rosamunde, he will not love you as I do.” He hated to speak to her like this in front of others, but he had no choice if he was to stop this.

“Do not speak to me of love. You do not love. You want to possess and destroy. There is no room for love in you.”

“I love you. I do not ask for a second chance. I know that there can be none, but I would ask that you do not throw yourself away on a man you do not know and cannot love.”

“Do not flatter yourself that I love you.”

“I do not.” And he did not, not any longer. Through the night he had hoped, but now he knew how things stood. She had made a mistake when she had fallen in love with him, now he had to try to prevent her making another mistake with this Ralf. “I do know that you cannot love a man you do not know.”

“I will be guided by my father, but I know that I will not marry you.”

Richard had known that there was no hope for him, but his heart was broken. He loved Rosamunde and she was lost to him. She would marry a man who did not love her and who she did not love and it was his fault. She would be unhappy and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Sir Richard!” He turned back to the duke. “It seems I have brought you here under false pretences. I take it that I do not need to keep you in my dungeon any longer?”

“No, my lord.” Richard was ashamed and lowered his head. He had laid himself bare before his enemy. He had tried to forget it over the last few weeks, but the duke was his enemy. Now he had truly lost everything. He could not go home and he could not stay here. He had thought his life was over when he had discovered that Louise was not the woman he had believed her to be, but it was nothing compared to this. Rosamunde did not love him and was going to marry a man she did not know to get away from him. He had ruined himself and her.

“And you will keep away from my daughter?” The duke’s voice pulled him out of his reverie.