The Marriage Prize (46 page)

she was completely alone.

When her pain subsided, she tried to calm herself. I'm only two

miles from Deerhurst. . . . I'l be able to walk. She stood up and

walked to the iron-studded castle door. Then the wrenching

pain came again, so swiftly it almost cut her in half, and she

knew she couldn't make it to the stables, let alone al the way

to Deerhurst. She clung to the oaken door to prevent herself

from fal ing, then, when the pain subsided once more, she

crawled back to the stairs.

Rosamond loved this baby beyond reason. She wrapped her

arms about her bel y protectively, having no fear for herself but

only for the survival of her child. How ironic it would be if she

saved al her husband's treasures, but in doing so, lost the

thing that was most precious of al ! She knew the task of

removing Tewkesbury's furnishings to the safety of Deerhurst

had brought on early labor, and asked herself why she had

done it. The answer was amazingly simple. These things were

precious to Rodger, and Rodger was precious to her!

It was like a revelation to Rosamond. She had continual y

denied that she loved him because she was afraid to admit it.

But now she realized that al the denials in the world could not

stop love. It had insinuated itself inside her, fil ing her heart

and her soul until her very being overflowed with love for

Rodger de Leyburn and for his child that flourished within her.

Fear clutched at her heart. To love someone was to lose them!

No! Rosamond vowed, not this time! I wil fight to my last

breath to save this child! She remembered the feather

mattress upstairs, and managed to crawl up two more stone

steps before the next pain slashed into her. When it eased,

she rested, but she was panting and damp with exertion.

Somehow she found the strength to climb to the bend in the

stairs, where the stone slab was larger than the others, but the

next agonizing pain exhausted her and she lay down.

She bit her lips to stop the tears from fal ing when she thought

of Nan and of a castle fil ed with capable women, al proficient

as mid-wives. Then she remembered the lovely bayberry she

had gathered to ease the pain of childbirth, and an unbidden

tear rol ed down her face.

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She dashed it away with an impatient hand. I need no

bayberry! But then a hard contraction turned her body rigid,

and she cried out, "Oh God, I do need it, I do!"

Time seemed to stand stil for Rosamond. It seemed as if

hours had passed, yet no one came to look for her. She had

aided enough women during childbirth to know that she was in

hard labor and the head of the baby should be presenting

itself. She pressed down on her distended bel y and felt the

child's head was not in the proper position. She knew she

needed help, but she also knew she would not get it. Vivid

pictures of tragic births she had attended at Kenilworth

flooded her mind, then the more recent memory of the dead

foal that Nimbus had delivered haunted her. She pushed the

images away, determined that Death would not cheat her.

Fervently she began to pray, remembering a few words of a

psalm: "For He shal give His angels charge over thee, to

keep thee in al thy ways." Her words turned into a scream as

a crescendo of pain engulfed her and merciful y swept her

beyond consciousness.

******************

outdistanced his knights as wel as his squire Griffin, who had

been put in charge of transporting a large wooden cradle

carved with lions. De Leyburn was glad he had attended

Parliament, for it had confirmed al his suspicions. It had been

wel attended by commoners, and he had counted over a

hundred members of the clergy, but only a scant twenty barons

had shown up to offer Simon de Montfort their support. King

Henry had been there, propped up like a puppet, but he was

so aged and frail, he was only a shel of his former self.

As Rod rode into Tewkesbury's bailey, he lifted his visor and

looked around, shocked to find it empty. When no grooms

rushed out to aid him, apprehension gripped him. Had

Tewkesbury been attacked and raided? An eerie silence hung

over the castle, clearly warning him that much was amiss.

When an agonizing scream shattered the silence, Rod drew

his sword and began to run.

The chambers were empty of people and furnishings, and he

could not comprehend why this was so. He started up the

stairs, and then he saw her. "Mother of Christ, Rosamond!" He dropped his sword and threw offhis helm, then he gathered

her into his arms and lifted her off

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the cold stone landing. She opened her eyes and moaned his

name in agony. Only then did he realize she was in labor.

"Hush, love . . . I'm here, I'm here."

Rodger de Leyburn was furious at the servants for leaving

Rosamond alone, but he had no time for anger at the moment

and resolutely set it aside. He carried her to their chamber,

astonished to find it empty, and laid her gently on the feather

mattress. Firmly pushing away the panic he felt closing in on

him, he spoke to her calmly, softly. "I'l help you ... we'l do this together."

She gripped his hands, digging her nails into his flesh, and he

knew the torment she suffered. Then her hands went slack as

she spun down into the vortex. "Rosebud, don't leave me!"

The command was so sharp, her eyelids fluttered open, then

closed again. Rod's mouth went dry as he saw his child's

buttocks and knew it was coming arse-first. Some instinct

guided him to make a swift decision. With two fingers of each

hand, he pressed down and back on her bel y as firmly as he

could.

Rosamond screamed, no longer drifting in and out of

consciousness, and his heart was sore that he added to her

travail, but miraculously he had manipulated the baby into a

more normal birth position. When he saw the head, he

ordered, "Push, love, push!" She did as he bid her, but it was agonizingly slow. He talked her through the long, drawn-out

ordeal, encouraging, praising, cajoling, and when she was

ready to give up, Rod urged, "Show me your anger,

Rosamond!"

Suddenly his child was in his hands, its cord wrapped about

its neck. With shaking fingers he untwisted the cord, terrified

that he would have to tel Rosamond that her baby was dead.

Be calm, be calm! he told himself as he gently squeezed the

cord attached to the child. Al at once the baby took its first

breath, and Rodger laughed with relief. He had a knife to cut

the cord, and a ribbon from Rosamond's shift to tie it off, but

he was in no hurry; his hands were shaking too much.

His knights arrived at Tewkesbury at almost the same time

that Master Burke and Nan returned, looking for Rosamond.

Nan was the first to discover him, kneeling beside his wife,

with his son in his hands. Nan quickly tied off the cord and

Rodger cut it with his knife, then he gently laid the baby in

Rosamond's loving arms. Nan rushed off to get water to

cleanse the new mother and child, and when she returned,

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Rodger joined his steward and his men, who waited below.

"What the devil happened here, Burke?"

"Alyce de Clare, Countess of Gloucester, brought news that

the queen had decided to confiscate Tewkesbury and al your

goods were to be seized. Lady Rosamond immediately

ordered that everything of value be taken to Deerhurst for

safekeeping."

A foul oath dropped from Rodger's lips. "The queen has no

authority to confiscate property! It is Simon de Montfort who

rules England at the moment."

"Then shal we move everything back, Sir Rodger?"

"The people and the ordinary furnishings can be moved back,

but perhaps Rosamond was wise to remove Tewkesbury's

treasures, since Earl Simon has ordered that al royal castles

be placed in his hands."

A baby's cry came from above and the men raised their

heads in disbelief. Rod flashed them a grin. "I have a son!

Griffin, you'd best bring up that cradle." The men cheered and

a dozen eager hands hoisted the cradle and headed up the

stairs, while others lit torches against the gathering darkness.

Nan met the men at the door of the bedchamber. "They wil

need a bed, and linen, and food, and—"

Rodger held up his hands. "Tonight, we need nothing, save

each other." He stepped across the threshold and firmly

closed the door. Seeing Rosamond with his son at her breast

brought a great lump to his throat.

She gave him a tremulous smile. "Rod, thank you for coming, I

needed your strength," she whispered.

He shook his head, "You were far stronger than I." Rodger

picked up his riding cloak and tucked it about her, then he

undressed and lay down beside her. With one finger, he gently

touched the baby's dark hair. "Thank you for giving me a son,

Rosamond. I kiss your heart."

"I love you, Rodger de Leyburn."

He brushed his lips against her temple. "My sweetheart, I've

known that for a long time." With their child nestled between

them, de Leyburn knew that tonight, he was the luckiest man

on earth.

Twenty-five

At Hereford Castle, Lord Edward was on the best of terms

with the young men who guarded him. He was a model

prisoner who gave his cousin, young Henry de Montfort, no

cause for suspicion. In their childhood, they had been

playmates, and their friendship had lasted al their lives. Henry

had received his knighthood at the hands of Lord Edward,

whom he greatly admired, and he total y trusted him to honor

his agreement to be held hostage.

But, in truth, Edward Plantagenet was fil ed with such a

consuming fire to take up arms and vanquish the man who

now ruled England that he was determined to escape

Hereford and join his friends who were gathering a force only

a few miles away. Edward, Henry, and their attendants spent

each afternoon in an open meadow outside the castle, riding

their horses for exercise. The high-spirited young men often

organized races to al eviate their boredom, and each day

Edward watched the woods and waited for a signal.

When it came, Edward was ready. He spurred his horse

forward, easily outdistancing both Henry de Montfort and the

attendants who guarded him. Just inside the woods, Lincoln

de Warenne and his men awaited him with fresh mounts, and

it was impossible for Henry de Montfort to prevent the prince

it was impossible for Henry de Montfort to prevent the prince

from escaping with his heavily armed escort. They rode

directly to the castle of Wigmore, where Mortimer's wife,

Maud, awaited the royal fugitive and de Warenne with food,

clothes, and warm hospitality. Although Wigmore was only

twenty miles from Hereford, it was in wild border country,

which made it a safe haven. Under cover of darkness, they

rode north to Ludlow Castle on the banks of the River Jug,

where the royal army was being gathered.

At Tewkesbury, Rodger de Leyburn was content to fil his days

273

with domestic affairs while he waited for Edward's inevitable

escape from Hereford. Rod knew it would be only a matter of

time, and he took advantage of the respite to enjoy his wife

and new son.

Rosamond quickly recovered from her ordeal, and basked in

the attention her husband lavished upon her. It was clear to

everyone around them that they were in love, for the pair,

seldom apart from each other, spent most of their time talking,

touching, whispering, and laughing. Rod had fal en into the

habit of carrying Rosamond down to the hal each night, after

he watched her feed their son and rock him to sleep in the

carved cradle.

When Nan arrived to watch over the sleeping baby, she rol ed

her eyes as Rodger picked up Rosamond to carry her down

to dinner. "I can walk," Rosamond protested, but Rodger held her possessively. In the hal , he sat her down beside him on

her possessively. In the hal , he sat her down beside him on

the dais, seemingly oblivious to the grins of his knights.

Rosamond blushed. "Rod, I have legs," she murmured,

"perfectly good legs."

He nuzzled her ear. "Mmm, I know. Have you any notion how

many times I pictured them while you were playing the ice

maiden? When I actual y saw them, I couldn't believe how long

they were. They are what made me fal in love with you."

She gave him a provocative look. "I thought it was my hair."

She tossed the golden mane back over her shoulder and

watched the green fire spark in his eyes.

"That too." He reached out and caught a tress between his

fingers. "After I take you upstairs and undress you, I'm going to brush it until it fal s in waves about your naked body. Then I'm

going to wrap myself in it while you wind those long silken legs

about me."

The lovers shared the same wine goblet, aching for the

moment when the meal was over and they could withdraw to