Love Everlasting (10 page)

It was a dangerous course, but she already
stood in such peril that she was willing to take the risk. If she
lost she would lose life and honor, and Royce would despise her.
But that was likely to happen anyway, if she did not intervene to
stop Kenric’s treacherous schemes. If she won, whatever else
happened between them, Royce would at least respect her. And he
would not be able to call her a traitor.

Julianna required almost an hour to think it
all through. Certain details must be left to chance, but that could
not be helped; Deane had once told her that uncertainty was the
very core and essence of spying. When she saw her way clearly at
last, Julianna left Royce’s room and went in search of the one
person in Caen whom she considered a friend.

“Tell me about Lady Avisa,” Julianna said to
Janet. They were alone in the single bedchamber that housed
Cadwallon, Janet, their two small children, and their servants
while they were at court. Cadwallon wasn’t there and Janet had sent
the children off to the garden with a maid to watch over them.

“I never met her,” Janet said. “Lady Avisa
died more than ten years ago. Oh, Julianna, you cannot be jealous
of her.”

“Certainly not,” Julianna lied. “I merely
wanted to know a little about her. I found it useful to know as
much as possible about the first wives of my previous husbands.
Both of them were eager to expound upon the virtues of their late
wives, and to compare me unfavorably to them.” She was unable to
keep the bitterness out of her voice.

“Royce does not talk about his past,” Janet
said with a nod of understanding.

“He is remarkably closemouthed,” Julianna
agreed.

“How glad I am that neither Cadwallon nor I
was ever married before we wed.” Janet grinned at her. “He was my
first lover, so I had no past to confess to him. And he - well,
just let me say that my dear Cadwallon did not live an entirely
pure life before he met me. It’s the nature of men. We women are
more constrained, of course, by our parents and our other menfolk.
Except for certain court ladies, and the less said about their
adventures, the better.”

“About Royce and his first wife,” Julianna
prodded gently.

“Well, according to Cadwallon, who knows
Royce better than I ever will, it was a marriage arranged by their
parents. Royce and Avisa first met each other on their wedding day,
and both were very young. Royce was still only a squire. Can you
imagine that?”

“Yes, I can,” Julianna murmured, thinking of
a young, handsome, and remarkably virile squire. “Was Avisa
pretty?”

“I don’t know,” Janet said. “I don’t recall
ever hearing a description of her. What I do know is that those two
strangers somehow forged a loving marriage. I suppose it took
years. They had a son and a daughter, both now grown and married,
themselves, and the son and his wife have only recently presented
Royce with a grandchild. That’s all I can tell you, except that
Royce supposedly remained faithful to Avisa until her death.”

“That’s what I heard, too.” Marital fidelity
was a circumstance so unusual amongst the nobility that it was
almost always mentioned when Royce’s name occurred in routine
conversation.

“I’ve never heard him spoken of in connection
with any court lady,” Janet said. “Which means he has been a
discreet widower. But then, I’d expect him to be.”

“Yes.” Julianna sighed.

“Have you any other questions?”

“No.” Julianna was chagrinned to realize that
her eyes were filling with tears. She shook her head angrily, then
was forced to wipe moisture off her cheeks. “I don’t know what’s
wrong with me today.”

“I do know.” Janet patted her hand. “I
vividly recall the morning after my marriage. I tried so hard to
appear serene and unmoved, but the truth was, Cadwallon’s embrace
had changed me forever, in more ways than one. Wonderful though the
experience was, I could not stop crying. The poor man thought he’d
done something dreadfully wrong. We are, as you may have noticed,
somewhat disparate in size and he feared he had hurt me. I took
great care during our second night together to assure him of my
delight in his lovemaking. He was enormously pleased, and my tears
ceased almost immediately,” Janet ended on a conspiratorial
giggle.

“Cadwallon adores you,” Julianna said.
“Anyone can see it. Whereas, Royce only married me because King
Henry ordered it.”

“If you deal honestly with each other and
treat each other kindly, you can build a good marriage,” Janet
said. “Last night was successful, and satisfactory to you, was it
not? I’m sure if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be worrying now about
Royce’s feelings toward you.”

“I wish I were certain of my feelings toward
him.” Knowing that Royce did not love her, what she really needed
was a way to make certain of his attitude toward her, which was why
she was questioning Janet about his previous marriage.

“I’m not surprised,” Janet said. “You were
given no opportunity to think about what you wanted, or to say yes
or no to the king’s plans for you. That cannot be changed now.
Julianna, would you like to wash your face before we go to the
great hall? I believe young Alexander has left us one clean towel.
Who would believe that a four year old child could wreck such havoc
on a room? Not that his little sister doesn’t do her part.” Janet
snatched up a wooden horse and a cloth doll and tossed them into a
basket that sat in a corner of the cluttered bedchamber.

“Do you love your children?” Julianna asked,
the sight of the small toys awakening a long-forgotten
yearning.

“Almost as much as I love Cadwallon,” Janet
replied. “Perhaps you and Royce will have children.”

“I cannot. I am barren.”

“Are you sure?” Janet looked at her as if she
wanted to say something more on the subject. Then she shook her
head and issued an order. “It is growing late. We must go. Wash
your face at once.”

Julianna obediently splashed yet more cold
water onto a face that must be sadly swollen after a morning of
almost constant weeping. She was glad no mirror was available, so
she couldn’t tell how ugly she looked.

“Your nose is red. No matter,” Janet declared
briskly. “If anyone remarks on it, just say you’ve caught a cold
and you expect Royce to have it by tomorrow.”

That made Julianna laugh. She and Janet
linked arms and hurried down to the midday feast.

They were late in reaching the great hall.
King Henry and Queen Adelicia had already entered and taken their
seats on the dais when Julianna and Janet slipped into the room.
Julianna saw Royce standing next to the king. His gaze roved around
the hall, scanning the assembly, seeking troublemakers, perhaps
counting the spies sent there by King Louis, or by the Holy Roman
Emperor, or by any number of other kings and dukes.

She was certain that Royce was not seeking
his own wife. Then, suddenly, his gaze met hers and a faint smile
lifted his beautifully chiseled lips. Though the smile was quickly
gone, it left her feeling as if she’d been welcomed to the crowded
room. He knew she was there and he was glad of her presence. He was
looking elsewhere now, watching the merrymakers again, yet
Julianna’s heart lifted a little. Her concentration on Royce was
diverted by Cadwallon’s voice.

“Janet, my heart, where have you been?”
Cadwallon asked, taking his wife’s hand and tucking it into his
elbow. “You know we are supposed to gather here before the king and
queen arrive.”

“It’s my fault,” Julianna said. “I delayed
her. Blame me, Cadwallon.”

“No, I’ll not do that,” Cadwallon responded
with a grin. “I know how Janet dislikes court life and how readily
she will sit and talk, rather than attend a court feast. Now, Lady
Julianna, if you will allow me, I’ll escort you to the high table
before Janet and I take our places. Dear wife, you will be happy to
know that we are at one of the lower tables, so we have some hope
of finding seats together,” he said to Janet.

Julianna was in the act of placing her
fingers on Cadwallon’s arm when Kenric intervened by grabbing her
wrist.

“I will see my dear Aunt Julianna to the high
table,” Kenric told Cadwallon.

“No, you will not!” Julianna had to exert
considerable force to pull her wrist from Kenric’s grasp, but she
managed it and took Cadwallon’s arm instead, clinging to it as if
seeking safety in a storm. “Kenric, I told you earlier today that I
do not wish to see you again.”

“In that case, begone, Sir Kenric,” said
Cadwallon in his usual mild and amused tone. “Do not annoy the
lady. You must be aware that Royce is watching over her. As am
I.”

“I beg your pardon for any offence, Aunt
Julianna,” Kenric said in a harsh tone. With that, he stalked
away.

“Thank you, Cadwallon,” Julianna
murmured.

“It was my pleasure.” Cadwallon bent his head
as if to whisper a secret. “Being very tall and very muscular does
have its advantages. I seldom have to fight anyone.”

When they reached the dais, Royce met them
and took Julianna’s hand. He thanked Cadwallon, offered a word of
greeting to Janet, then leaned forward to say something to
Cadwallon that Julianna could not hear. After the two couples
parted, Royce conducted Julianna to her seat at the high table,
just a few places away from King Henry.

“What did Kenric want?” Royce asked as soon
as they were seated.

“What he hopes to do,” Julianna said, “is
take advantage of my new rank as your wife. Later, when we are
private, I will talk to you about him. I’d rather not discuss the
matter now.”

“As you wish, my dear. Do, please, smile and
try to appear content, if you cannot look happy. It’s discouraging
to a new bridegroom to see his wife with tearswollen eyes and a sad
face.”

“Any sadness you see in me is not your fault,
my lord. It’s my own doing, and I must correct it.”

“So, we’re back to ‘my lord’ again.” Royce
gave her a sharp look. “I hope you will let me know if there’s
aught I can do to help.”

The smile he sent her way was so devastating
that Julianna’s heart all but turned over in her bosom. He was so
handsome, so charming, and he’d treated her with such warmth and
respect that she found it difficult not to care for him.

That idle thought took her breath away. She
could not allow herself to care for him! She must keep her guard up
and stay alert at all times, so she could carry out the plan she
had formulated earlier that morning. Perhaps later - much, much
later - if she succeeded and the danger was over and Kenric no
longer mattered, then she could give in to her warm feelings toward
Royce.

“There is something you can do to help me,”
she said in response to his question.

“I am delighted to hear it, my dear lady.
Only tell me what you want.”

Love me. The words rose in her mind so
insistently that she almost spoke them aloud. She swallowed them,
refusing to speak at all until she could control herself.

“I have noticed,” Royce told her, “how you
swallow hard before you say something that is obviously not what
you originally intended.”

“May we discuss it later?” she asked with a
trembling smile.

“Later, and later again. Mystery piled upon
mystery.” He looked straight into her eyes and Julianna saw the
heated promise in his gaze. “I foresee a busy and very interesting
night.”

* * * * *

When the long hours of feasting were
finished, the dancing began. Royce led Julianna onto the cleared
space in the center of the great hall and danced the first set with
her before turning her over to King Henry, who had decided to honor
his former ward by acting as her partner. Since Queen Adelicia was
already moving down the line of dancers beside the count of Maine,
Royce was free to wander off to an uncrowded corner of the great
hall. There, not by chance, he met Cadwallon and Michael.

“Well?” Royce asked quietly.

“I talked to your men who used to watch Deane
of Craydon,” Michael said. “They all confirm that Lady Julianna was
an obedient and dutiful wife. Deane was an irascible old fellow,
not above striking his wife, whom he reputedly treated with
contempt.”

“I already knew the marriage was an unhappy
one,” Royce snapped, adding, “Any man who hits a woman is a
coward.”

“Here’s an odd fact that I uncovered,”
Michael said into the momentary silence that followed Royce’s angry
remark. “Deane was an expert with the short bow and often hunted
with one. It’s common knowledge at Craydon that he once aimed a
nocked bow at Julianna at close range and threatened to kill her if
ever she disobeyed him. Your man reported that she faced him down,
telling him she knew a wife’s duty and she’d do it. Reportedly, she
did not flinch as most women would. Whatever else Lady Julianna is,
she’s brave.”

“Aye, I’ll give her that much,” Royce said,
wishing Deane were still alive so he could kill the dastardly
creature with his own hands. “What else have you learned?”

Michael told him of Julianna’s morning visit
to Royce’s office and repeated what little he’d been able to hear
of Julianna’s conversation with Marie and Kenric. Then Cadwallon
spoke, providing yet more information from Royce’s people who had
been watching both Deane and Kenric. At the end of the discussion
Royce knew only a little more about Julianna’s activities as
Deane’s wife. What his agents had uncovered was a thin veil of
suspicion, of hints, and of tantalizing possibilities.

“Either she really is a secret agent and a
traitor,” Royce summed up, “or else someone is trying to cast
suspicion on her as a way of protecting himself. Or herself,” he
added, thinking of Marie.

“What shall we do next?” Cadwallon asked, his
brown gaze entirely too knowing as he regarded Royce.