Eliza Knight - The Rules of Chivalry (11 page)

Kent grunted. “You will, or it will be your head. My men need a steady hand to guide them. There are a few who’ve gotten out of hand as of late—thinking themselves above me.” The man shook his head, and took a large bite of an onion, chewing loudly. “You’ll have to keep them in line. And be warned—I’ve many spies.
Many ears and eyes to tell me all that goes on within my walls, my lands.”

The man was mistrustful. And
with good reason, it
would seem.
Most everyone feared him—save the few knights he spoke of. Who were the knights he claimed put themselves above their liege lord?
Men whose grandiose thoughts put them above their leaders should not be trusted.

“My lord!”
Bernard burst through the opening of the tent. He bowed his head,
then
before Kent beckoned him, the man came forth. “There is news.
A raid upon the village last night.
Two hovels were burned and a number of cows and sheep stolen.”

Kent growled. “Did they make way to the keep?”

His fear and need for spies became even more apparent. His own people despised him.

“No, my lord.”

Kent waved the man away. “What do I care then?”

Bernard’s face flashed disbelief before becoming placid.
“My lord.”
He bowed and
left,
his gait stiff and belying his easy acceptance.

“Sir Michael, we have numerous raids often. Kent is surrounded by heathens.” The man took a gulp of wine and then burped, his lips quivering from the exertion.

“What of your people?” Michael tried to keep the incredulity from his voice.

“They can fend for themselves. I give them land to work, they should be pleased enough to protect what is mine.”

Bloody hell
! The situation was worse than Michael thought. The man cared naught for his people at all.

He had to try to gain as much information as he could, or he would be useless.
“My lord, who are the heathens?
The men who raid the village?”

“Outlaws, the lot of them.
Mostly starving peasants and disgruntled old servants or soldiers who I tossed off the land for their imprudence.”

The ma
n dealt fiercely and unjustly with his people. Was it a wonder they turned to attack their own when
hungry? But why did they burn the hovels? Would they want those that suffered now, just as they once did, to agonize with further injustice?

“And the knights who’ve disrespected you?”

“Been dealt with.”

“Begging your pardon, my lord, but how can I protect your people if I know not who they are?”

“They’ve been banished. You shall have to prove your worth, Sir Michael. You are captain now, earn their respect—earn mine. Go now and speak to Lady Kent. Inform her we leave at first light.”

“My lord.”
Michael bowed, glad for the excuse to leave the man’s presence, and for the order to see to Elena.

*****

Elena paced the small length of her tent awaiting word on their departure.
Few stars shined in the black sky, covered by a haze of thin clouds.
She had much to tell Michael before they departed to Kent Castle on the morrow, and she hoped to see him before they embarked.

Outside the revelers were rowdier than ever trying to milk every last drop of the tourney that they could. She didn’t blame them. If she could have enjoyed the festivities as they did she was sure to have been right in the thick of it. As it was, her stomach was tied into knots, and her head had long since gone numb from the ache.

A rustle at the front of her tent drew her attention. Her ladies all turned wide eyes in the direction as Michael stepped into the tent.

“
Mi
—” She stopped short, her heart ready to leap from her chest. Anyone could have seen him come inside. He risked too much. Her mouth went dry with fear.

He smiled disarmingly. “There is no need to fear, my lady. Lord Kent has sent me to inform you we leave at first light.”

“Oh,” she sighed. She stepped forward, her hand of its
own volition stroking over his chest, before pulling back as though she’d been burned.

Her ladies discreetly hid their faces and pretended nothing was amiss.

“I shall ride near you on the morrow, provide as your escort,” he said, his voice gravelly. “But for now, I must prepare my men, and make acquaintance with Kent’s knights, which will prove to be a challenge, I’m sure. There was a raid on the village last night. We must take extra precaution with our caravan.”

Elena nodded. “There are often raids. I think you shall be shocked at the state of Kent Castle when we arrive.”

“I am not so sure I will, my l
ady
.” He stroked her cheek. “Seeing Kent away from his home, I imagine it is much worse on his own grounds.”

Without warning, his lips brushed sweetly across hers and then he was gone. The tent was empty and cold without him, despite her six ladies and the small fire that warmed them.

*****

The following morning, a spring rain fell in a light drizzle, as though Mother Nature waited until the drunken revelry was over to wash the mess away.

Michael
sat atop Black, his muscular thighs hugging the sides of the horse, and his arms deftly maneuvering the reins. The man was truly a master at his craft.

Elena pictured his hands as they stroked along her arms, the small of her back. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she glanced away, thankful for the small breeze that cooled her. Her mare shook her mane bringing Elena back to the present. Michael rode beside her. Her ladies rode at her back, Michael’s three men behind them. Her husband and his men were well ahead of them, having ridden out at first light, leaving Michael to escort Elena back to Kent Castle. Although she was grateful for the privacy and time with Michael, she
was all too aware of spying eyes along the road. One never knew with Kent how many spies watched you. How many spies waited to tell him lies and false
secrets.
More than one of her beatings had been from a lie pulled from the tortured lips of a servant.

“Tell me, my lady, why was the tournament so far from Kent Castle?” Michael
asked.

“My lord husband feared a riot, and should we
be
far enough away from Kent, the castle and surroundings wouldn’t suffer for it.”

“A riot?
Do his people riot often?”

“Not just his people
—
anyone.
Men can become quite insensible with enough provocation and ale.”

Michael suppressed a harsh
laugh at the offhanded comment. T
o Elena the words she spoke were true and his laughter would not be welcome. She had suffered greatly at the hands of Kent’s men, and Kent himself.

“I see.
’
Tis smart of his lordship. I suppose your people are
happy he would protect them in such a way
.”

Elena narrowed her brows at him. “Protect them?” She snorted. “They are more likely to riot than anyone else. Do you not recall he murdered a young boy yesterday?”

Michael nodded grimly. He did remember. He’d purposefully not attended. As the new Captain of the Guard, he wanted to make it clear where he stood. Surely his actions had not gone unnoticed.

“My apologies, Sir Michael.
I fear I’ve become quite bitter over the last few years.”

“No need to apologize, my lady.”
Michael needed to change the subject
. This ride to Kent would be another three hours and he wanted to see Elena happy. “I have news from
Enniscorthy
.”

Her face lit up for a moment and then faded. “What news?”

“Your brother Richard has married young Lady
Alyssa,
they are expecting their first babe sometime around
Michaelmas
.”

A smile touched the corner of her lips, and she bowed her head, examining her hands. “He must be very happy and proud. Ho—how is my father?”

Michael bit the inside of his cheek. What a fool he was to bring up the topic of home when it would surely bring her only more pain. “He is doing well, my lady.”

She nodded, jutting out her chin. “You can tell me the truth Michael. He was not himself when I left.”

“’Tis true, my lady.
He still mourns your mother.”

“He’s never written me. I’ve sent him more letters than could fit in a wagon.”

Michael sighed. He’d often wondered why she still remained with Kent. From what he’d witnessed, if her father had known…

“He loves you still, Elena. Did you write your brother
…of your situation
?”
The latter was said under his breath.

Elena answered in kind.
“
Aye.
Richard told me I was exaggerating, and that all new brides had the same worries as I. He told me to wait it out, and soon I’d grow fond of my husband. No doubt he was very busy with his own situation. He lost his first wife only weeks after mother passed.”

“’Twas a horrid plague.”
Several people in his own household had succumbed to sickness, one of his younger sisters among the victims.

“Aye.
There has been many a night I wished I’d perished instead of coming here.”

She wasn’t the only one. He’d been so angry for so long after losing her. Then there’d come a sign, a hope for better things to come. “Don’t talk like that, my love,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you too.
 
’
Twas hard enough when they wrenched you from my arms.”

Elena looked down at her hands, her voice soft. “I
confess
,
thoughts of you have been my salvation.”

Emotion ripped through Michael like he’d never known. He felt burned, branded. He had to change the subject again. This was too much for him, she belonged to another, and he couldn’t think these thoughts.

Then she looked at him.

Sharp green eyes filled with longing connected with his. Her lips parted, and a hunger stirred inside him, took control. He grasped the reins of her horse and veered off the road.

“My
lady,
must attend to her needs. You all
are to
stay here.” He didn’t even look back to see how their traveling party reacted. He didn’t care. All he wanted was to be alone with Elena, to pull her into his arms.

By the time they were deep enough into the woods that he felt no one could see them, his heart pounded out a song.

“Michael—”

He picked her up from her horse and transferred her onto his lap. Warm arms came around his waist as she steadied herself.

“Elena, I have waited so long to have you for myself, and even now you are not mine. Please allow me another kiss like we shared the other night. Just a taste of your sweet mouth will satisfy the immeasurable ache within me.”

“
Aye, k
iss me.” Her words were said on a sigh as she melted into his embrace. Her head fell back, eyes closed, mouth parted.

She offered herself up for the taking, and
take
her he did. His mouth crashed down upon hers in a kiss that was at once possessive and ravenous. Lips pressed against lips, his tongue swept into the crevice, between her teeth and oh, joy—melted against the velvet of her own tongue. She kissed him back just as eagerly, her hands curling into his hair, massaging his scalp, tugging on his hair.

Good God, he couldn’t get enough of her. As they
kissed he couldn’t help feeling remorse at not shoving her father’s man aside and rushing after her. At once he berated himself. He wouldn’t ruin this moment of bliss with thoughts of regret, things of the past. What’s done is done, and now he could only move forward.

She
moaned
and wiggled closer. He welcomed her soft body against his own. His hands roamed under her cloak, massaging the turn of her hips, and then rose higher. “What is this?”

He pulled away from her, staring at her in question, his hands resting on the thick hardness of her stays that lay between his hands and the softness of her waist and breasts.
He’d felt it the last time he held her in his arms, but hadn’t the chance to ask.

Color flooded her face and she looked away.

With the tip of his finger on her chin he pulled her back to face him. “Don’t be shy with me, Elena. Why are you wearing this?”

“It hides my body from those who wish to ravish me.”

From Kent and his men
,
in other words.

“I’m still ravishing you,” he teased.

He was pleased when
a light blush covered her cheeks. S
he smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling.