Through The Leaded Glass (12 page)

She shivered and sank against the wall. “No,
Nicholas. We couldn’t. I’m a viscountess. You’re a baron. I won’t
make my daughters suffer for these occasional whims of the flesh
you induce.”

“
They are neither occasional nor
whims, Issy, as you well know. I could have you—”

Somehow Isobel managed to wrench free of him.
She put a shaking hand to her hair. “You
have
had me, Lord
Caversham, but no more. Shelton may have made me a laughingstock,
but I’ll not do it to myself. He
will
marry me. I
will
save my daughters’ inheritance and make them good
marriages. I suggest you find another woman to ply your wiles on.
Good day to you.” She spun and stormed off.

Nick took a deep breath. He loved her fire as
much as he loved her.

No matter what she tried, she
would
be
his.

***

After breaking their fast, Alex introduced
Kate to the people of Shelton in the hall before he set about
hearing the day’s affairs. He motioned for her to remain by his
side. Allowing her to roam free in the keep could cause more
trouble than necessary. Keeping her with him was a safer choice and
had nothing to do with wanting her beside him. Nothing. There were
hundreds of women on his land; she was no different.

Then she smiled at him.

He cursed under his breath. “Who’s next,
Stephen?”

His steward waved a hunched man and a careworn
woman forward. The dogs in the hall growled when the man shuffled
by.

Not again. Lawrence had been trailing after
several widows in the village for months, causing trouble with each
one.

“
What complaint have you now,
Lawrence?”

“
Mistress Hester didn’ give me the
coat as promised.”

Alex turned to the woman. She had five or six
young children and her husband had been killed when a field horse
had bolted and run him over. “Is this true?”

She wrung her hands. “My… my lord, it wasn’
possible for me t’give him a coat—”

“
I gave ye the bloody sheep!”
Lawrence sneered.

“
You did.” She stood a little
straighter. “You gave me
live
sheep. Our agreement was you’d
give me the skins for the coat and the meat t’feed my family. Not
that I was t’ be doin’ the killin’, skinnin’ and
tannin’.”

“
Blasted woman! Ye kill the damn
things and take their skins. What’s so difficult about that?”
Lawrence shook his head. “Women. That’d be why I’ve got a dog
t’live with and not one of
them
.”

“
If that isn’t the most sexist
thing I’ve ever heard,” said Kate.

“
Kate—”

“
He can’t do this to her because of
some archaic, misguided idea of women’s work. If they agreed he’d
give her the skins, he hasn’t fulfilled the terms of the bargain.
She’s absolutely right not to give him the coat. She should just
give him the sheep back.”

“
Kate, I will deal with this.”
While he admired her spirit and quick mind, she could not subvert
his authority.

Lawrence stepped forward. “‘Cept she killed
‘em, m’lord. Out of spite, she did.”

“
I did not,” said Mistress Hester.
“They died. Someone cut their throats.”

“
Excuses! You owe me a coat.”
Lawrence strode toward her.

Kate was out of her chair and off the dais
before Lawrence could get close to Hester.

But he was too close to Kate for Alex’s
liking.

“
Look, here, buddy.” Kate poked his
shoulder. “Since you weaseled out of your end of the bargain and
tried to ruin her good name, I say we let her keep the dead sheep
for their meat, and let her do whatever she wants with their hides.
It’s called restitution for slandering her.”

The woman didn’t have the sense to see
Lawrence’s anger was about to be unleashed—on her.

“
And another thing—”

“
Enough, Kate.” Alex stormed to his
feet. He’d seen the twitch of Lawrence’s hand. The man was about to
commit an unforgivable act. For everyone’s sake, he needed to end
this. “Kate, sit. I will handle Lawrence.”

He’d known she wouldn’t take it well. He may
not have known Kate long, but he knew she would not enjoy being
spoken to in this manner. But it couldn’t be helped; his word was
law and she needed to learn that.

“
But, my lord—” said
Lawrence.

Lawrence needed to learn it as well. “Silence.
This is the fifth time you’ve appeared before me in as many weeks.
The magistrate will no longer hear your complaints. Nor will I. If,
in the future, you wish me to hear another, I would suggest it have
merit.

“
Lady Katherine is correct. For
attempting to spoil Mistress Hester’s good name, you’ll forfeit the
sheep to her. If you still require your coat, this time you’ll
provide the shearlings and the meat as promised. And, Mistress
Hester, I shall have one of my men see to the tanning of the skins.
You’ll have your children’s food and the skins for their clothing.
That is all.”

“
But ‘tis not fair, m’ lord,” said
Lawrence. “I demand my due.”

“
Think carefully, Lawrence, before
demanding anything of your lord.” Alex paused when Lawrence scowled
at Kate and muttered something. “Do you require time in the pillory
to refresh your memory of who you are addressing?”

“
Nay, m’ lord.” Lawrence barely
managed a bow before limping toward the door.

Alex called Stephen over. “Put a man on him. I
want to know his actions for the next few days. And send Beatrice
in.”

“
Yes, my lord.” Stephen left the
room by a side door, signaling two of his men to accompany
him.

Kate leaned over to Alex. “I’m sorry for
getting involved, but he pushed one of my hot buttons.”

He needed no reminder of the passion within
Kate. Their kiss had been enough.

“
Kate, I can forgive your actions
now because you aren’t familiar with our ways, but my people are
not accustomed to someone speaking for me.” Nor was he.

“
But I couldn’t just let him
threaten her. She’s a single mom, just trying to put food on her
kids’ table and he—”

“
All things I considered, Kate. I
would have done exactly as you suggested. But you need to allow me
to do so. This is my keep and for all that you are my betrothed,
you can’t speak for me when I’m in the room. It’s not
done.”

She sighed, but thankfully did not pursue the
matter. He would not relish punishing Kate.

“
I get it. I don’t
like
it,
but I undrestand.” She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs.
The hem of her dress rose and Alex caught a glimpse of smooth
golden skin. He chose not to advise her that such displays were
also not done.

“
But it should please you to learn
that, as my countess, you will have your own say in other areas.
Beatrice has had command of the staff since my wife’s death, but
that responsibility is to be yours. I’ve sent for her to teach you
what you need to know.”

“
But I’m not going to be here long
enough for it to matter, Alex.”

“
We hope, Kate.” Well,
she
hoped. Alex wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Her presence put off
the need to marry someone else a little longer. “But if it takes
longer than we’d like for you to return, it will be easier for
everyone if you assume your role—and they expect it.”

Everyone but him. He’d had a difficult time
imagining Isobel in Jeanne’s place; imagining Kate in it was
difficult for far different reasons.

Thankfully, Beatrice arrived before he went
further with that thought. “Will you do this?”

She sat up straighter. “I guess I
can.”

“
Of
course
you can. You are
an Assistant Vice President, after all.”

“
Very funny.” Kate didn’t bow
before she followed Beatrice from the hall—not that he’d expected
her to.

He watched her go. Funny? No, not funny.
Nothing about Kate was funny.

Especially not what he was beginning to feel
for her.

***

The looks passing between Alex and that woman
were almost amusing. It was all the hunch-backed man at the back of
the hall could do to keep a sneer from his face. Apparently, there
was more than one way to bring
Lord
Shelton to his
knees.

He shuffled toward the far corridor, dragging
his game leg behind him, his worn, grey, woolen cloak brushing the
fine coating of mud and straw from his equally worn black breeches.
He tugged on the rim of his felt cap, pulling it low over the one
eye not covered by a tattered patch, then drew straggly strands of
graying hair onto his face. He scratched at his beard. Damn thing
itched. He’d always hated beards.

One of the serving wenches stepped back. Good.
He wanted no one’s attention. His plan depended on it.

But there sat Alex. With yet another
woman.

Let them plan their life, their future. Let
them believe in their happily-ever-after. Their joy would be
short-lived—as short-lived as Alex’s days as the earl.

He
would ensure it.

Chapter Seven

“
Are you sure meeting William is
such a good idea?” Kate followed him into the orchard once the
morning’s business was concluded. “I’m not so sure about
this.”

Of course she wasn’t. Kate thought too much.
Women in her time must make it difficult for a man to be a
man.

Though Alex most assuredly felt like one
around her.

“
Of course it is, Kate. As my
betrothed it is expected that you’ll care for William.”

“
But what happens when I leave?
Won’t that cause issues for him?”

“
We won’t explain who you’re
supposed to be. He’ll never know he’s lost another
mother.”

The words seared Alex’s heart. He’d loved
Jeanne and when she’d been taken from him, it’d almost destroyed
him. William had been too young to understand, the only blessing in
the entire nightmare. But William was growing up and needed a
mother. That and his promise to the king were the only reasons he’d
marry again.

He took William from Maude, the nurse,
dismissing her so the three of them could spend time together
alone. Well, as alone as possible with the contingent of guards
along the curtain wall; he was not about to gamble with his son’s
life.

“
William, this is Lady
Katherine.”

“
Hello, William.” Kate held out her
hand.

William leaned over it with a smacking kiss.
“‘Lo.”

“
An earl in training,” Kate
laughed, her eyes sparkling like the Shelton ring when the sun
struck it.

He shook his head. He was turning into a bard,
something he hadn’t even done for Jeanne. “A
Shelton
earl,
Kate. He is, after all, my son.”

“
There’s no denying that, Alex.”
She ran her fingers through William’s black curls, so like his own,
and the image of Kate doing the same to him rose, unbidden, in his
mind.

Something else rose, unbidden, in his
braies.

“
Down, Papa!”

Thank God for William. Alex used the
opportunity of setting him down to gain control over his
inopportune thoughts and body. God’s teeth, it’d only been a kiss
or two. She shouldn’t affect him like this.

“
I can’t wait to have my own
daughter.” She patted William’s head as he played with the wooden
balls Alex had also played with as a child.

“
I thought you already
did?”

“
Well, that is, she’s not mine yet.
I’m adopting her.”

“
Are you barren?” He hadn’t
considered that possibility. If she didn’t return to her time,
would he be bound to a woman unable to give him heirs? Had he
merely substituted one end to his dynasty for another?

“
Barren? Look here, oh great lord.
Just because I haven’t given birth doesn’t mean I can’t. There are
thousands of children around the world who need families. Just
because she didn’t come from my body doesn’t make her any less
mine. Doesn’t mean I love her any less. I’m going to be able to
give her a good life—”

“
Kate, you misunderstand.”
Such
passion in her
. He thrust that thought aside—and thrust the
thought of thrusting aside. “I’m certain you’ll love your child,
but I must marry a woman able to bear children.”

“
Which would be a good argument if
we were actually going to get married. But we’re not, remember? You
were going to send some men out to find my window? Ring any
bells?”

Oh, yes, they were ringing. But ‘twas only
because of the color in her cheeks and the flash in her eyes when
she admonished him. Alex had to work to keep the amusement off his
face—and the passion from his blood. God’s breath, she was a
distraction when he did not need one.

“
My men are out searching as we
speak, Kate But if they can’t find it and we do marry, I need to be
certain that you will be able to provide me heirs.”