Julie Garwood - [3 Book Box Set] (55 page)

Edmond didn’t like her answer. “For God’s sake,” he muttered.

“You shouldn’t be taking God’s name in vain,” Madelyne called out. “And why would you be asking me who Polyphemus was?”

Madelyne surmised, by the sound of fading footsteps, that Edmond wasn’t going to answer her.

Yet even the rudeness of the middle brother didn’t diminish Madelyne’s pleasure. She bounded off the bed and let out a laugh. Lord, she was finally going to get out of this room. She did not believe for one second that the door had been unlocked all week. Duncan had told her that only to get her upset. Yes, he’d have me believe I’m dimwitted if I allowed it.

Madelyne dug through her satchel. She wished she had a pretty gown to wear and then realized the foolishness of the wish. She was their captive, for heaven’s sake, not their invited guest.

It took her all of five minutes to prepare. She paced the room a long while and then walked over to the door to see how securely it was barred. With the first pull, the door opened wide, nearly knocking Madelyne down.

Duncan had obviously left the door open just to trick her. She wanted to believe that story—until she remembered that he’d left before Edmond.

Sounds floated up through the open stairway, drawing Madelyne to the landing. She leaned over the railing,
strained to hear the conversation, but the distance proved too great to catch a clear word. Madelyne finally gave up and turned back to go into her room. She spotted the long wooden slat propped against the stone wall and on impulse took hold of it and dragged it inside her bedroom. She hid the slat beneath her bed, smiling to herself over her bold action. “I just might be inclined to lock you out, Duncan, instead of letting you lock me in.”

As if she could allow much of anything, she thought. Lord, she’d been confined in this room for too long a period and surely that was the pitiful reason she found such amusement in her thoughts.

Gilard did take forever to come for her. Madelyne had already jumped to the conclusion that Duncan had lied to her. He was just being cruel.

When Madelyne heard the sound of footsteps, she smiled with relief and ran over to stand next to the window. Smoothing her gown and her hair into place, she forced a tranquil expression.

Gilard wasn’t frowning. That was a surprise. He looked fit this evening, attired in the color of the forest in spring. The warm green made him look handsome.

There was tenderness in his voice when he spoke. “Lady Madelyne, I would have a word with you before we go downstairs,” he announced in lieu of a greeting.

Gilard gave her a worried glance, clasped his hands behind his back, and proceeded to pace a path directly in front of her.

“Adela will probably join the family. She knows you’re here and she—”

“Is unhappy?”

“Aye, though more than just unhappy. She hasn’t said anything, but the look in her eyes makes me uneasy.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Madelyne asked.

“Why, I tell you because I felt I owed you an explanation so that you could prepare yourself.”

“Why are you concerned? You’ve obviously done a turnaround in your opinion of me. Is it because I helped you during the battle against my brother?”

“Well, of course,” Gilard stammered.

“It’s a sorry reason,” Madelyne told him.

“You’re sorry you saved my life?” Gilard asked.

“You misunderstand, Gilard. I’m sorry I was forced to take another man’s life in order to aid you,” she explained. “I’m not sorry I was able to help you though.”

“Lady Madelyne, you contradict yourself,” Gilard told her. He was frowning and looking confused.

He couldn’t possibly understand. He was just too much like his brother. Aye, like Duncan, Gilard was used to killing, she supposed, and he’d never comprehend the shame she felt over her behavior. Lord, he probably viewed her aid as heroic. “I think I’d prefer you had found something good in me and that was the reason you’ve changed your opinion.”

“I don’t understand you,” Gilard remarked, shrugging his shoulders.

“I know.” The words were said so sadly Gilard felt like comforting her.

“You’re an unusual woman.”

“I try not to be. It is difficult, though, when you consider my past.”

“I give you a compliment when I tell you I think you’re unusual,” Gilard returned, smiling over the worry he’d caught in her voice. Did she think unusual meant a flaw of some sort, he wondered.

He shook his head and then turned and led the way down the stairs, explaining as he went that if she slipped, she was to grab hold of his shoulders for support. The steps were wet, slick in spots.

Gilard kept up a steady monologue, but Madelyne was too nervous to listen to him. She was a bundle of worry inside over the possibility of meeting Adela.

When they reached the entrance to the hall, Gilard moved to her side. He offered her his arm. Madelyne denied the gallant gesture, concerned that Gilard’s change of heart might not sit well with his brothers.

With a small shake of her head Madelyne folded her hands in front of her and turned her attention to the hall. Lord, it was gigantic in proportions, with a stone hearth taking up a fair portion of the wall facing her. To the right of the fireplace, yet some distance away, was a massive table long enough to sit at least twenty. The table squatted atop a wooden platform. Scarred stools lined the length on both sides, some upright, more overturned.

A rather peculiar odor reached Madelyne, and she wrinkled her nose in response. She took a good look around her then and immediately spotted the cause. The rushes littering the floor were mottled with age. Why, they were ripe with staleness. A fire blazed in the hearth, heating the stench, and if that wasn’t enough to turn a stomach, a dozen or so dogs added their own unwashed scent as they slept against each other in a contented pile in the center of the room.

Madelyne was appalled by the mess, but she was determined to keep her thoughts to herself. If the Wextons wished to live like animals, so be it. She certainly didn’t care.

When Gilard nudged her, Madelyne started to walk toward the platform. Edmond was already seated at the table, his back to the wall behind him. The middle brother was watching her. He looked as if he were brooding over something. He tried to look right through her, just as she pretended to act unconcerned.

Once she and Gilard had taken their places at the table, soldiers of diverse rank and size filed into the room. They took up the remaining stools, save for the one at the head of the table, adjacent to Madelyne. She assumed the empty chair belonged to Duncan, for he was head of the Wexton clan.

Madelyne was about to ask Gilard when Duncan was going to join them, when Edmond’s voice rang out. “Gerty!”

The bellow washed away Madelyne’s question. The shout was promptly answered by a loud response, coming from the buttery to the right. “We hear you.”

Gerty appeared then, juggling a stack of empty trenchers on one arm and a large platter of meat on the other. Two other serving girls followed in Gerty’s wake, carrying additional platters, all brimming with food. A third servant appeared, ending the procession, with crusty loaves of bread in her hands and tucked under her arms.

What happened next was so revolting, Madelyne was struck speechless. Gerty slammed the platters down in the middle of the table, and motioned to the other servants to do the same. Trenchers flew like discs propelled on a battlefield, landing and spinning all around her, followed by
fat jugs of ale. The men, led by Edmond, immediately began to eat.

This was obviously some sort of signal to the sleeping dogs, for they bounded to their feet and raced over to take up positions along the length on both sides of the table. Madelyne didn’t understand the reason for this strange behavior until the first bone went flying over one of the soldiers’ shoulders. The discarded bone was immediately snatched up by one of the larger dogs, a Levrier nearly twice the size of the greyhounds on either sides of him. Fierce growling came next, until another bit of garbage was thrown over another shoulder, and then another and another, until all the dogs were in a frenzy of feeding, just like the men surrounding her.

Madelyne stared at the men. She couldn’t hide her repulsion and didn’t even try. She did, however, lose her appetite.

Not a decent word was exchanged throughout the meal; only obscene grunts from men thoroughly enjoying their food could be heard over the snapping of the dogs at her backside.

She thought, at first, that it was all some sort of trick to make her sick, but when it continued on and on, until all the men had filled their bellies and belched their satisfaction, she was forced to reevaluate her way of thinking.

“You’re not eating anything, Madelyne. Aren’t you hungry?” Gilard asked with a mouth full of food. He had finally noticed that Madelyne hadn’t touched any of the meat that had landed between them.

“I’ve lost my hunger,” Madelyne whispered.

Madelyne watched Gilard take a long swig of ale, then wipe his mouth on the sleeve of his tunic. She closed her eyes. “Tell me this, Gilard,” she finally managed, “why didn’t the men wait for Duncan. I would think he would demand it.”

“Oh, Duncan never eats with us,” Gilard answered. He ripped a piece of bread from a long loaf and offered Madelyne a share. She shook her head.

“Duncan never eats with you?”

“Not since our father died and Mary took ill,” Gilard qualified.

“Who is Mary?”

“Was,” Gilard corrected her. “She’s dead now.” He belched before continuing. “She was housekeep. It was years past her time to die,” he went on, rather callously in Madelyne’s opinion. “I thought she’d outlive all of us. Adela wouldn’t hear of replacing her, said it would hurt her feelings. Toward the end, Mary’s eyes went bad on her and she couldn’t find the table half the time.”

Gilard took another huge bite of meat and casually flipped the bone over his shoulder. Madelyne was forced to dodge the garbage. A fresh spurt of anger washed over her.

“Anyway,” Gilard continued, “Duncan is lord of this manor. He separates himself from the family as much as possible. I think he prefers to eat alone too.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Madelyne muttered.

To think she’d actually looked forward to getting out of her room. “Do Duncan’s men always eat with such enthusiasm?” she asked.

Gilard looked confused by her question. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “When they put in a full day, it would seem so.”

When Madelyne thought she couldn’t watch the men a moment longer, the ordeal abruptly came to an end. One by one the soldiers stood, belched, and took their leave. Had it not been so disgusting, she might have found the ritual humorous.

The dogs also retreated, lazily making their way back to form a new pyramid in front of the fireplace. Madelyne decided the animals were better disciplined than their masters. None of them belched their farewell.

“You didn’t eat anything,” Gilard said. “Didn’t you enjoy the meal?” he asked. His voice was low. Madelyne thought he kept it that way so Edmond wouldn’t hear.

“Was it a meal?” Madelyne asked, unable to keep the anger out of her voice.

“What would you call it?” Edmond interjected with a scowl the size of the hall.

“I would call it a feeding.”

“I don’t understand your meaning,” Edmond said.

“Then I will be most happy to explain,” Madelyne answered. “I’ve seen animals act with better manners.” She nodded, emphasizing her comment. “Men of breeding eat their food, Edmond. What I have just witnessed wasn’t a
meal. Nay, it was a feeding by a pack of animals dressed as men. Is that clear enough for you?”

Edmond’s face had turned flushed during her speech. He looked as if he wanted to leap across the table and throttle her. Madelyne was too angry to care. It had felt good to let go of some of her anger.

“I believe you’ve made your position quite clear. Wouldn’t you agree, Edmond?”

Oh, Lord, it was Duncan speaking, and his deep voice came from right behind her back. She didn’t dare turn around, else lose her newfound courage.

He felt terribly close. She leaned back just a little and felt his thighs touch her shoulder blades. Madelyne realized she shouldn’t have touched him, remembering all too well the power in those muscular thighs of his.

She decided to knock him off the platform. Madelyne stood up, turned at the same time, and found herself plastered up against Baron Wexton. He hadn’t given an inch, and it was Madelyne who was now forced to edge around him. She lifted her skirt and stepped off the platform, turned again, fully intending to tell Duncan just what she thought of his barbaric dinner. Then she made the mistake of looking up at him, stared into his gray eyes, and felt her courage run right out of her.

It was unfortunate, this mystical power he seemed to have over her mind. He was using it now, she told herself, robbing her of her thoughts. God help her, she couldn’t even remember what she wanted to say to him.

Without a word of farewell, Madelyne turned and slowly walked away. She considered that victory enough, because she really would have preferred running.

Madelyne made it halfway to the entrance of the hall before Duncan’s command stopped her. “Madelyne, I did not give you permission to leave.” Each word was slowly enunciated.

Her back stiffened. Madelyne turned, gave him an insincere smile, and returned her answer with the same exaggerated tone.

“I didn’t ask it.”

She saw his astonished expression before she turned her back on him again. Madelyne started walking, muttering to herself that she was nothing but a pawn, after all, and pawns
certainly didn’t have to do the bidding of their captors. Aye, the injustices dealt out to her were so unfair. She was a good, gentle lady.

Because she was busy muttering to herself, she never heard Duncan move. He acted just like a wolf, she thought a little frantically when she felt his big hands settle on her shoulders.

Duncan applied subtle pressure to stop her, but it really hadn’t been necessary. As soon as he touched her, he felt the stiffness leave her shoulders.

Madelyne sagged against him. Duncan felt her tremble. He realized then that she wasn’t paying him the least attention. Nay, Madelyne was staring at the entrance of the hall. She was staring at Adela.