A Stormy Knight (9 page)

Gemma woke with the sun the next morning. The world seemed remarkably still. She had slept better than she had in a fortnight and was feeling pretty good until the events of the day before came rushing back to her.

Somewhere between the kiss she had shared with Nicholas and her visit with Isabel
,
she had accepted she would become his wife. Logically, it was a good idea and even a beneficial match. The future of her family depended on his protection. Her heart, however, was left in danger. She did not want to forgive him, she did not want to forget what happened, and she did not want to live happ
ily ever after sharing his bed.

She checked on her father before heading down to break her fast. Father Darius was up and about. He shook his head solemnly when Gemma peered into the room, indicating to her there was no change. Isabel
was
coming down the passageway with a death grip on Hesse
'
s hand
, so she backed out of the room
. Her eyes were wide with the question Gemma knew she must answer.

"
Come
,
Isabel. Let us see if Leda needs assistance with the morning meal. She always needs smart
,
young ladies to taste the bread and the fresh fruit. No one wants to eat bugs,
"
Gemma rambled on with forced lightness, trying to shield her sister from so much of the pain she had lived with for so long.

"
Is
F
ather awake?
"
Isabel said.

"
Nay, sweets,
"
Gemma said while taking her other hand momentarily,
"
not yet. We must not give up hope
,
all right
? Father would want us to make sure all is well while he is sleeping.
"

Isabel nodded and pulled Hesse
toward
the steps to go out to the kitchen to see Leda. The kitchen was always a hub of activity with so many working to make sure each meal was on time and well presented. This kept Isabel busy and occupied, at least until food was served. Gemma had some time before eating, so she headed out to the garden to catch some early morning air.

When she heard the meal horn sound, she walked back up to the main hall. All of the trestle tables ha
d
been put into place, linens laid out, and most were waiting to eat when she arrived. She
peered
into the darkness of the hall. As her eyes adjusted
,
she saw Nicholas at the high table sitting next to her sister. Hesse was at a trestle table, indicating Nicholas had dismissed her.

To her relief, he had not taken
her father
'
s chair. He seemed
sure of himself as the new lord of the castle
.
S
he wondered to what lengths he would go to cement
that
idea to those
who
live
d
within the walls of Blackstone. Isabel was giggling, a sound she ha
d
not heard come from her normally lighthearted sister in days.

She sat down warily without looking at Nicholas
,
and the food began to arrive. Isabel was still giggling.
Though she
had expected him to dismiss
her as a child and a nuisance
, he
appeared to
enj
oy
her company
. There were a lot of new faces. These had to
be
the men
who
had come with Nicholas.

F
ood was placed before her. Isabel insisted on saying grace, announcing to all since Father Darius was with Father she could do it for him. Gemma felt eyes on her as she ate. Everyone must have heard by now who Nicholas was and why he was there. She suspected half of the people were living in fear and wanted someone to help them. Her betrothed, as it turned out, was a mixed blessing.

Over the hushed tones, Nicholas cleared his throat and beckoned a man to his side. It was Willis Gromme, his newly appointed seneschal. Gemma kept her eyes cast down. He said something she could not quite hear. Willis nodded, bowed in her direction, and left the great hall with long, hurried strides.

"
I hope you at least let him finish breaking his fast before you sent him off,
"
she said through her teeth
.
"
D
o you have a heart at all?
"

He said nothing as he stared her down with his dark eyes. Isabel
studied
them in confusion
,
and
she
realized she had better try harder to get along with him, at least with others around.

When he finally said something, he spoke to Isabel rather than Gemma.
"
Isabel,
when
you are finished, you can find your nurse and pick some flowers to cheer up your sister. She seems to be walking under a thunder cloud on this lovely day.
"

Isabel giggled in delight, obviously already under the spell of his considerable charm.
"
May I be excused now? Hesse is waiting!
"

Nicholas nodded and Isabel ran to get her nurse, leaving the
two of them alone at the dais.

"
I see you have charmed my sister,
"
Gemma said.

"
Would you rather I abuse her and make her scared of me?
"
he asked.

"
Of course not.
"

"
Then thank goodness for small favors and quit trying to make me out to be the enemy here. I am here to protect everyone
,
and you would do well to remember that,
"
he snapped as he took a sip of his wine and slammed his goblet down on the table before him.

She squirmed in her seat.
"
I was worried you would be cruel to all. You have been so angry since you arrived.
"

"
My anger is
toward
you, Gemma, as you had a hand in what happened to my parents. I was never good enough for your family. Someone must pay for what happened, but until I know who that person is
,
I will not alienate those
who
would serve me.
"

Anger rose and then ebbed quickly as she tried to contain herself. She tried desperately to be thankful for what he had just said, even though he had implied she herself
might
suffer. So be it. He was deluded about the past
,
and she would show him the truth no matter how long
it took or what she had to do.

He continued,
"
The wine you are drinking is mine. I brought it with me
,
and the stores in your castle are to be monitored and dumped if needed. Wine and ale are the easiest way to poison someone, and I
'
ll not have it happen again.
"

Alarm surged through her
as she stared at the goblet before her.
In all that had happened,
she had not
thought of her own safety.
"
You sound sure my father has been poisoned.
"

"
I have seen poisonings before.
'
Twas no different than what has happened to your father. I cannot be sure, but
'
twould seem obvious.
"

Her heart sank
,
and she was unable to eat another bite from her trencher. She moved to stand when he stopped her with a few words
.
"
I have not excused you yet.
"

For the second time that morning, she put a clamp on her temper and said nothing. She would not be the one to cause a
commotion at the morning meal.

"
There have been other changes made,
"
he said as he continued to sip his wine and picked at the fruit before him.
"
I have people in all areas of the castle, and there are more men-at-arms coming today. They will bring provisions I have personally chosen, supplied by Henry. I am not taking any chances. Until we know what is going on, you will do as I say and be where I tell you to be. Isabel is at risk, as she is so young and trusting. A man will continue to be with your father so no one can harm him. No one comes or goes without my permission, and everyone is suspect. You will not go anywhere without my blessing
,
and you will be guarded at all times.
"

She did not want him to see the tears in her eyes. The tears were not about him, they were about her life and the people she cared for the most. Her happy home had become a prison, and she did not know who
m
to trust. There were so many changes co
ming
,
and she resisted them all.

"
You can go now, Gemma,
"
he said simply.
"
I need nothing from you at the moment.
"

Standing, she lifted her tear
-
rimmed eyes to meet his. In a whisper she said,
"
Congratulations. Your revenge is already in place. You have made my home a prison
,
and I no longer wish to be here.
"

She whipped around, no longer caring who was watching, and dashed out the door.
Without direction, she ran, needing
to get away from him.

Once out in the bailey she headed instinctively
toward
the garden, the only place where she felt any semblance of serenity and peace. Summer would begin in earnest soon, filling the garden with glorious blooms. She sought peace among the plants
, a
needed respite from a storm not of her making.

She did not get far before she heard a shriek coming from within the hall. Was it Isabel? Terror ran through her like ice, and she moved without thinking
toward
the sound.

When she arrived seconds later, she saw the laundress
'
daughter lying on the floor, not her sister. The girl was of only fourteen years, and assisted her mother as an apprentice so one day she could take her place. Her long, blond
e
braid
lay
across her face
,
and her blue eyes were lifeless. It appeared as if she ha
d
fallen
backward
from the bench. An ale mug was lying in the reeds on the floor next to her
,
and food was scattered everywhere.

Nicholas was already there, and Father Darius was coming down the stairs. He rushed over as those
around her tried to get her up.

"
Leave her be,
"
Nicholas roared as he
searched
frantically around the room. Gemma
searched
too, terror gripping her as she watched him snap up the mug from the stone floor. Father Darius bent down to the girl and searched for signs of life. He found nothing.

"
I fear she is gone,
"
he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Gemma backed away in shock as the girl
'
s mother let out a wail and threw herself down on her lifeless daughter. Father Darius moved to close her eyes and tried to help calm the woman
to no avail. Servants scurried in dis
array
,
and someone began to sob.

"
Come with me now,
"
Nicholas commanded. He grabbed
Gemma
by the arm and pulled her from the scene, taking the mug with him. She followed
, not knowing
what else to do.

"
Apparently you are not the only one who does not fear me,
"
he began
,
as they moved near her father
'
s desk and away from the ears of everyone else. He tipped the mug so she could see within and said,
"
There is a bit of liquid in here still. I would guess if she was poisoned, this would be how. I believe even more strongly your father was also poisoned. Mayhap he drank far less of it than she.
"

"
But how do we know?
"
She reached for the mug, her delicate hand shaking.

"
Nay,
"
Nicholas pulled it from her grasp,
"
do not touch it!
"