Love Wild and Fair (16 page)

turned her over and took her in a way that Patrick Leslie never had. She gasped in shock and heard the king mutter thickly, “Here’s one place Glenkirk’s nae been before me.” His hands cruelly crushed her breasts. To her amazement he brought them to a quick climax. They lay quietly side by side as their breathing returned to normal.

“I hope,” said James Stewart, “that the queen does nae arrive too quickly. My love! Ye are magnificent! No wonder Patrick hasna strayed all these years!”

Her voice was trembling. “Patrick never did what ye just did to me.”

“I know,” he said. “Ye were a virgin there, but ye liked it, didn’t ye, Cat?”

“No!”

He laughed. “Aye! Ye did! Glenkirk’s used ye gently, my love. I’ll teach ye many things, including how to please me.” He rose and poured them each a goblet of wine, and added more wood to the fire. “Soon yer Patrick should return from Melrose Abbey. Within the week he’ll be on his way with some others to meet my bride and escort her home. Dinna look so sad, my love. We hae a lovely month or two ahead of us.”

T
HE Countess of Glenkirk sat quietly before her mirror while Ellen brushed her thick honey-colored hair. She wore only her white silk petticoat and a low-necked underblouse. Cat Leslie was frightened, and she did not know what to do. Patrick was, she knew, within the palace giving his report to the king. When he finally came to their apartment, would he notice anything different? She prayed he wouldn’t.

Since the twentieth of August—a week ago—James Stewart had been sleeping with her. God knew she hadn’t encouraged him! In fact after the first night she had fled the palace for her townhouse. He had quietly but firmly ordered her return. Desperate, she had confided in her favorite brother-in-law. Adam Leslie listened. Shaking his head, he said, “There’s no help for it Cat. What the king wants, he takes, and he happens to want ye.”

“If I went home to Glenkirk, Adam? Surely he wouldn’t pursue me there.”

Adam Leslie was truly sorry for Cat. She was willful and stubborn, but she loved Patrick. The agony she was enduring was unfair. Nevertheless, there was no help for it. “Ye canna leave court wi’out Jamie’s permission, Cat. Ye know that.”

For a brief moment she looked defiant and Adam spoke cruelly. “Ye canna endanger the Leslies, Cat,

because it doesna suit ye to be the king’s mistress. He’s chosen ye, and he’s even been kind enough to agree to keep yer liaison secret. If ye defy him, he’ll ruin us! God, woman! Yer no virgin, bargaining a good price for yer maidenhead! What Jamie wants has already been well used by Glenkirk!”

Briefly Cat hated Adam “Ye’ll not tell Patrick?”

“Nay, Cat. Dinna fear,” he said more kindly. He hesitated. “Cat thank ye for confiding in me. I’m truly sorry, lass, that I canna help ye, but I’m here should ye need to talk again.”

She nodded. “Does anyone else know?”

“Only Ellen,” she answered him.

Faithful Ellen vacillated between her mistress’s agony and her own pride that Cat was exquisite enough to attract the king. “If ye dinna put a smile on yer face, he will wonder what’s wrong,” the woman said sharply.

Cat jumped. “Oh God, Ellie! I feel so dirty!”

Ellen put down the brush. Kneeling before her lady, she looked up and spoke. “What is done is done, ma-dame. Stop being so selfish! Yer thinking only of yerself. Think of the earl instead, my baby. Think of the family. Of yer own bairns. If ye want peace in yer life, this episode must be secret And unless ye pull yerself together it won’t be!”

Two tears slipped down the countess’ face. Ellen reached up and brushed them away. “The king may touch yer body, my lady, but he can nae touch yer soul,” she said quietly.

“How did ye get so wise?” Cat asked. But before Ellen could answer the door burst open and Patrick Leslie entered. Cat leaped to her feet and flung herself into his arms. Ellen discreetly withdrew as the earl found his wife’s mouth. Kissing her deeply, his arms tightened about her until she cried out “Patrick! I canna breathe!” He swept her up and deposited her on the bed.

She watched as he drew off his boots and outer clothing, and then stretched out next to her on their bed. He pulled her into his arms, pushed her blouse down, and kissed her lovely breasts. “I missed ye terribly, sweetheart,” he murmured from the warmth of her. She cradled him against her, grateful he was back, and hoping he might save her from the further attentions of the king.

He raised his head up. “What were ye dressing for?” he asked.

“Another damned masque in honor of the Danish match,” she answered.

“I think, considering I’ve been away, that Jamie might not miss us.” He pushed her petticoats up past her thighs.

A smile lit her face, and she held out her arms to him.

But James Stewart did miss them. ? dinna see Glenkirk and his wife,” he said casually to his cousin the Earl of Bothwell. “He came back from Melrose today.”

“I’m nae surprised, Jamie,” said Bothwell. “I imagine that Glenkirk has taken his wife to bed. If she were mine, and I had been away from her a week, that’s what I would do.” He grinned wickedly at the king. “The most virtuous woman at court! A pity, eh, majesty?”

“Considering the morals of most of the women at this court,” said the king sharply, “I think Lady Leslie is refreshing. I intend making her a lady of my wife’s bedchamber.”

Oh ho, thought Bothwell. Cousin Jamie is interested in our beautiful countess. But he hides his lust nicely. I’ll wager that only I, who know him so well, have spotted it.

The earl chuckled to himself. Because James was affectionate with those about him, and these were mostly males, he was thought to be homosexual. The plain truth of the matter was that the king, having been surrounded by men since his infancy, gave his affections where he

could. Stewarts were loving creatures. Until recently there had been no suitable women for the king to fix his attentions on.

James had, in a burst of romanticism, willed himself half in love with his blond bride. But Bothwell knew that the king needed someone right now. If that someone was the Countess of Glenkirk, then well and good. She was neither ambitious nor a schemer. However, the earl did not think the king stood a chance. The lady seemed quite content with her dull but loving lord. A pity, really. Cat Leslie was a gorgeous creature, obviously made for love. Bothwell couldn’t help but wonder if Glenkirk had awakened her completely.

James endured the evening. When he could leave without causing undue comment he did so, and suffered himself to be put ceremoniously to bed. He then called his chamberboy to him. The lad was invaluable, being mute but not deaf. His name was Barra, and he was privy to all the king’s secrets.

“I’ll be in the secret passageway,” said the king. “I am locking the bedroom door from my side. Have ye yer key?”

Barra held his up.

“Good,” said the king. “Dinna let anyone disturb me. If there’s an emergency, you come after me alone.”

The boy nodded wisely, and left the room to keep watch outside James’ door.

Locking the door from inside, James walked to the fireplace and touched a small carving on its side. He took a lighted candle from the mantel sconce, counted off six paces, pushed the wall, and walked through the opening into the passage. He waited until the door had swung shut behind him and then moved quickly through the secret passageway until he came to his destination. He placed his candle in a holder high on the wall. Lifting a small flap, he peered into the room beyond.

Patrick Leslie stood naked by the table pouring out two goblets of wine. God, thought James, he
is
handsome, and well hung too—though not quite as well as I am.

The king watched as the earl moved back to the rumpled bed. Cat lay naked. Lazily she reached up for the goblet Patrick sprawled next to her.

“Jesu, sweetheart, I hate being away from ye,” the earl said.

“Then let’s go home, Patrick! Ye were right when ye said we should nae involve ourselves wi the Stewarts.”

“Why, hinny, I thought ye were enjoying yerself.”

“I was, but these people who live at court and feed off it frighten me. I want to go home wi ye now!”

“We canna, sweetheart I didna tell ye because I didna want our reunion spoiled, but Jamie has asked me to go to Denmark wi a group of nobles to escort the little queen home. I could nae refuse him, and we leave in a week.”

Cat swore. She knew the king had planned to send her husband off, but she had not expected him to act so quickly and had hoped she could foil the royal plans. “Yer sending me home, Patrick, aren’t ye?”

“I wanted to, hinny, but the king has asked that ye remain at court. He wants ye to be a lady of his wife’s bedchamber. He has a high regard for ye, sweetheart.”

Trapped! She was again trapped by James Stewart! The earl put down his goblet and, pulling Cat under him, kissed her hungrily. “I hae only a few days, madame,” he said, “before I must leave ye. It will be two months or more before we see each other again.” His big hands caressed her breasts, her hips, her thighs.

Cat needed no encouragement She yielded eagerly to her husband, unaware that the king himself was watching them.

James could not tear his eyes away from the scene below him. When the figures reached their simultaneous climax James felt the hardness in his own groin break, and the sticky fluid spurt down his leg.

I’ll nae put up wi this for a week, he thought. The delegation to Denmark will leave as soon as I can arrange it.

Using the pose of an eager bridegroom, James waved his nobles off three days later. Cat knew why her husband had been torn from her early and was furious. The Eral of Bothwell suspected, and laughed to himself over the king’s eagerness.

Suspecting that she would be angry with him, James stayed away from his reluctant mistress for two days. On the third day, however, Barra shyly pressed a rose on the countess’ tiring woman. It was the signal for James to come that night. Ellen told her mistress.

“I’ll nae receive him!” shouted Cat furiously.

“Be silent!” Ellen snapped. “Do ye want the whole world to know?”

Cat began to weep uncontrollably, and Ellen, sensing disaster, sent a Leslie servant running to fetch Adam. By the time he arrived, Ellen had already poured several drams of whisky into her mistress to calm her down.

“I am going to kill myself,” the countess announced dramatically.

“Fine,” said Adam Leslie. “ ‘Twill be far less of a scandal than if ye openly refuse the king’s attentions.”

“Ye’d let me do it, wouldn’t ye, Adam? Have ye no feelings for Patrick, who loves ye?”

“'Tis because I love my brother I’ve come. How do ye think he’d feel to return from Denmark to discover all he possesses forfeit to the crown, including the wife he adores? Christ, Cat! The king’s already had ye! Why this sudden attack of nerves?”

“I dinna want to be any man’s whore,” she said. “ ‘Tis my body, and I should hae some rights over it!”

“Well, ye don’t,” said Adam, angrily slamming his hand against the side of the chair. “Ye belong to the Leslies, and it is up to ye to do what is best for the family! Damnit, Cat! I am nae wi’out feeling! I hate the thought of Jamie Stewart lying wi my brother’s wife, but ye know that if the king had gone straight to Patrick and asked for ye, Patrick would hae said yea. This way at least he need not know. Do yer duty by the Leslies, Cat.”

He did not understand at all. The whisky had calmed Cat somewhat, and she knew she had no choice. The king would use her as he wished. “I’m all right now, Adam,” she reassured him. “I dinna know what came over me. I suppose it is because I miss Patrick. We’ve never been separated, ye know.”

He nodded, relieved. “Then I’ll be on my way home.” He smiled at her. Thank God she wasn’t going to cause any further fuss.

“Gie my love to Fiona,” Cat said softly. Then, unable to resist, she added, “And best ye keep from court, Adam, lest Jamie decides to change his luck. Yer wife would have to do her duty by the family, ye know.”

Adam hastily left his sister-in-law, her mocking laughter ringing in his ears.

T
HE whisky had made her slightly drunk. “What time is it?” she asked Ellen. “Past one,” came the reply.

“I shall sleep till just before the evening meal. Wake me then. I’ll be back here at ten. Have a bath ready for me. Put fresh linens on the bed, and be sure there is plenty of wood for the fire. I want wine, both red and white, and fruit and cheese in the cabinet. And marchpane. The king is mad for marchpane.”

At eleven that evening the king entered the Countess of Glenkirk’s bedroom through the secret passage. She rose from the bed and walked slowly across the room to him.

“Stand still!”

She stopped, and James feasted his eyes on his unwilling mistress. Her nightgown was exquisite, and had obviously been designed with seduction in mind. Of pale-green silk, it had long, flowing sleeves and a deep V neckline. The bodice appeared to have been painted on, molding her glorious breasts and tiny waist The skirt rippled with hundreds of tiny pleats, and he could see the pearly sheen of her hips and legs shimmering through the silk.

Her tawny hair was piled at the top of her head and secured with several small gilt and pearl pins. She stared back at him proudly. She was so beautiful that he was

almost afraid to touch her, but then desire overcame awe and he drew Cat into his arms.

His amber eyes never left her leaf-green ones, and when his arms closed tightly around her he could feel her trembling slightly, and was pleased by what he believed was her awe of him. He held her thus imprisoned for what seemed a lifetime, and then he bent and his mouth captured hers. Reaching up, he pulled the gilt pins from her hair, and it tumbled down over her shoulders in a perfumed cloud.

He pulled at the thin silk ribbon at her waist, and the gown opened easily. He watched as it slid to the floor. She turned without speaking, walked to the bed, and got into it. James forced himself to disrobe slowly, but once in bed with her he did not think he could wait. She knew it, yet she held him off.