Love Everlasting, page 17
“It’s in Latin, not code,” Royce said. “It purports to discuss a scheme against the queen’s life.”
“Purports, you say?” Lord Cortland’s eyebrows rose. “Don’t you believe it? If it’s true, then we may have the very man who means the queen ill.”
“I neither believe nor disbelieve what’s in the letter,” Royce said. “I pray you are right and we have captured a would-be murderer. But, what if the letter is a trick?”
“I could never think in the tortuous ways that you spies do,” Lord Cortland said, shaking his head in disapproval. “When it comes to scheming, you rival the Byzantines. Still, you may be right about this, and if you are, we must continue to guard the queen most carefully.”
“We will,” Royce promised. “Meanwhile, let us leave our prisoner alone until morning, to consider the threats we made. Perhaps, if we suggest we may withhold torture, we’ll have the truth out of him then, without the need to listen to him screaming beforehand.”
“My lord, I could almost begin to like you,” Lord Cortland said. He bestowed a quick smile on Royce, then held out his hand.
“My feelings exactly,” Royce told him, and clasped the constable’s hand in a firm grip.
Chapter 11
By the time the morning of Twelfth Night arrived, Julianna had begun to wonder if she would soon go mad.
Royce seemed determined to torment her by offering no help at all in her quest for apparently important but actually useless information that she could pass along to Kenric.
Though Julianna was not officially appointed as one of Queen Adelicia’s ladies, she often filled in for Janet, who continued to suffer from morning sickness. The queen was kind, but the other ladies generally did their best to make Julianna feel unwelcome, since she was not really one of them. She could not avoid hearing their overloud whispers about Royce the spymaster and his mysterious activities, which the ladies hinted had to do with women other than his wife.
Julianna bore their not-always subtle insults with dignity, reminding herself that Royce had given her no reason to suspect him of infidelity and that he continued to bed her every night. She didn’t see how he’d have time for another woman. Telling herself that there was always the chance she’d overhear something amongst the malicious whispers that might prove useful to Royce, she continued to listen to the gossip. But she was finding the hours she spent with the queen and her women unpleasant and disturbing.
Then there was the problem presented by Marie. The maid’s snide remarks and nasty tricks while dressing Julianna or arranging her hair became more offensive every day, and Royce refused to consider dismissing her.
Kenric continued to importune Julianna for secret information. Each time he approached her, he seemed more angry than the last time. He accused her of reneging on their agreement that she would tell him everything she learned from Royce in return for his silence about her previous spying.
Faced by so many aggravations that she could do nothing about, Julianna began to count the days until the Christmas court was over and she and Royce could leave Norwich and head for Craydon. She had never liked the dismal wooden fortress that was her second husband’s primary, though neglected holding, but she couldn’t wait to be gone from court. Kenric would not be at Craydon and perhaps, once they were there, she could finally talk Royce into sending Marie away.
Julianna’s gloomy outlook deepened into melancholy at the prospect of the foolery of Twelfth Night. It was the one occasion of the year when the servants ruled the household and the nobles acted as servants. King Henry and Queen Adelicia, mindful of their royal dignity, planned to watch rather than participate in the revelry, and Julianna was certain that Royce and Cadwallon would consider themselves on duty throughout the night. So would the very sober and sensible Lord Cortland. All of which meant that Kenric would find it easy to approach Julianna, so she’d have to be on her guard against him.
“I hope you will appear more cheerful in public than you are right now,” Royce said to her as he watched her dressing for the midday feast and the celebration that would continue until midnight. He was already garbed in a splendid green silk tunic trimmed with gold at the neck and wrists. His belt was of gilded leather and the heavy gold chain around his neck supported a large, jewel-encrusted medallion. He stood before her with his fists at his trim waist and his long, muscular legs in tight-fitting green hose planted slightly apart.
Julianna was sitting on the side of the bed while Marie fastened the ribbons that secured her slippers. She would rather have tied the ribbons herself; Marie always tied them either uncomfortably tight, or so loose that the shoes came off as soon as Julianna began to dance. But she made herself ignore what she had often suspected was deliberate incompetence on Marie’s part. Instead, she gave her full attention to Royce. She wasn’t certain whether his challenging stance was meant to intimidate her, or to offer her a view of some of his most impressive manly attributes. She was never sure what Royce’s intentions were, except when he took her to bed and put his arms around her and began to kiss and caress her.
“Julianna, you are woolgathering,” he said.
“Am I?” Deciding she’d not allow herself to be intimidated or seduced, she stared rather pointedly at the area halfway between his knees and his belt and let her mouth curve into a slight smile. “I will try my best to satisfy your wishes, my lord.”
He did not respond, but when she glanced up at his face she thought he was repressing a chuckle.
“Marie, you may go,” Julianna said.
“I haven’t finished lacing your dress,” Marie objected.
“I am capable of lacing myself,” Julianna snapped, annoyed by the way Marie always raised an objection to whatever order her mistress issued. Seeing how Royce’s eyebrows rose in surprise at her sharp tone, she spoke more kindly to the maid. “Go on, Marie; I know you will want to prepare for the feast and the dancing. Enjoy yourself tonight. You needn’t attend me at dawn tomorrow, either. I am sure we will all sleep a bit late.”
“As you wish, my lady.” Marie left the room.
“She’s rude and she never says thank you,” Julianna muttered as soon as the door had closed. “I cannot tell you how much I dislike her. I wish you would let me send her away.”
“Marie and Kenric are lovers,” Royce said, never taking his gaze from Julianna’s face.
“I know.” Irritation got the better of her and she added, “It’s one of several reasons why Kenric feels free to demand that I provide him with information. I am heartily sick of both of them. Can’t you find an excuse to have them thrown into the nearest dungeon?”
“Are you serious?” The expression on his handsome face was unreadable.
“You were right in the beginning, you know,” she admitted. “I am not made to be a spy. I hate the lies and deceptions and having to think two or three times before I speak, for fear I’ll say the wrong thing and give away - give away - oh, never mind. You wouldn’t understand. You relish your life and the work you do.”
“Stop it!” He caught her shoulders and shook her hard. “What the devil is the matter with you tonight? Julianna, look at me. Don’t turn your head away. What is wrong? What do you know that you aren’t telling me?”
“I don’t know anything. That’s the trouble. The queen is so closely guarded that I fear her life must be in danger. I hate leaving this room because Kenric is always waiting for me, insisting I must reveal secrets that I don’t have. But if I remain here, Marie harangues me about helping Kenric. Janet is either with her children or hanging her head over a basin. I have no one to talk to, and you - you don’t like or trust me and you won’t confide in me. Send me away, Royce. Let me enter a convent, where I can spend my days in prayer far from this wretched court.” She finally halted her tirade when Royce burst into laughter.
“You, in a convent? I think not, my passionate lady.” He sobered quickly and his gaze was like an iron lance, pinning her in place where she stood. “You are stubborn, arrogant, and every bit as secretive as I am, so don’t accuse me of not confiding in you. You trust me no more than I trust you, and you’ve known the terms of our marriage from the beginning.”
“Honesty,” she said, defying his claim of distrust. “We pledged to deal honestly with each other. But you are not being honest with me, are you?”
“I never thought to hear you whining in self-pity,” he said. He removed his hands from her shoulders and stepped away from her. “I have obligations to my king and his queen, and I am overdue in the great hall. I expect you to appear there within the hour, and to smile and dance and talk and be polite until the evening ends.”
“I am never rude,” she exclaimed, preparing to defend herself.
“Not to others,” he conceded. “Only to me.”
He lifted one hand and for a moment she thought he was going to caress her cheek, or perhaps hold her face still so he could kiss her. She hoped he would. The desperate need she felt for the reasurance of his mouth on hers startled and frightened her.
He did not touch her. He dropped his hand and left, not even looking back at her. When he was gone she sat for a time without moving. Then, with a sigh that ended on a sob, she pushed herself off the edge of the bed and went to the washstand. She poured water into the basin and washed her tears away, and laced the sides of her gown, and then retied her shoes the way she wanted them tied.
“I will take a lesson from Royce and do as he does,” she vowed, speaking softly in the quiet room. “I will observe as if from a slight distance; I’ll watch everyone and listen carefully to what people say. Perhaps I’ll learn something to tell Kenric that will make him leave me alone. Better yet, I may see or hear something that will be of use to Royce. Oh, Royce,” she ended on a sad little breath.
Warning herself not to be a fool where Royce was concerned, she lifted her chin to its most arrogant height, squared her shoulders, and followed her husband to the great hall.
She found the celebration already under way. On this festive night servants sat at the tables, while the nobles carried large platters from place to place, offering food as if they were the humble folk. The feast went on for hours. Julianna assisted with the serving for a time. She nibbled at a bit of bread and swallowed a few sips of wine, but after her argument with Royce, her stomach was clenched into such a tight knot that the thought of consuming more food made her feel ill. In addition, she was assailed by a deep uneasiness.
When the eating was done - though not the drinking, which would continue until midnight - the games and boisterous dances began. The revels were directed by the castle butcher, who had been chosen as Lord of Fools for the occasion and who wore a tin crown on his bald head and carried a broom for a scepter.
With her stint as a server finished, Julianna watched the merriment from a distance. She took up a position next to one of the pillars that supported the galleries, and there she stood, apart from the crowd, yet close enough to the dais to watch the nobles at the high table. King Henry and Queen Adelicia were sitting there, along with a few of their relatives and closest friends. Royce and Lord Cortland came and went periodically, speaking to the king or to each other. Julianna was sure that Royce had noticed her, but he did not speak to her. Worn out by weeks of deception and by the certainty that she meant nothing to him, she was unwilling to step onto the dais and take her rightful place as the wife of a great nobleman.
As Julianna looked around the hall she saw Marie in a garish red gown and a tawdry false gold necklace set with glass stones. The maid seemed to be looking for someone, and Julianna guessed the someone was Kenric.
Still possessed by the uneasiness that had dogged her all afternoon and evening, Julianna continued to watch the celebration while remaining separate from it. She sought Kenric in the crowd, as if finding him innocently enjoying himself, or even discovering him drunk, would prove that the odd forebodings she was experiencing were groundless.
She saw Lord Cortland pushing his way through the revelers to the high table. He appeared somber, but that was not unusual for him. He spoke to Royce and the two of them left the table. No sooner were they gone than Cadwallon moved to stand directly behind the queen. Flanking Cadwallon, Julianna saw Lord Dunstan and Michael, of all people. But then, Royce’s secretary was also an experienced spy. She was sure Lord Dunstan was, too. Three spies so near the queen....
Definitely, something was amiss; all of Julianna’s overwrought senses told her so. But what was wrong? Who could possibly want to hurt the queen, that kind and gentle lady? No, the ultimate target would not really be the queen herself, Julianna decided. Harming the queen would constitute an indirect blow at King Henry. If her guess was correct, then Louis of France was likely involved.
“There you are,” Kenric’s voice grated in her ear. “I’ve been looking for you.” He caught her elbow and dragged her behind the pillar and into the shadowy area beneath the gallery, where it was a little quieter and not quite so crowded.
“Let me go,” Julianna cried, trying to wrench her arm free.
“Will you stop complaining? If I let you go, you’ll only run away.” Kenric thrust his face close to hers. “You’ve been no help to me, Julianna. You have revealed nothing of importance and you continually evade my questions.”
“Your demands, you mean.” She tried again to pull away from him, but Kenric’s grip on her arm was painfully tight. “I have done the best I can for you. It’s not my fault that Royce is impossibly secretive. If you are wise, you will tell me your latest demand and then leave me. Royce will be returning at any moment, and he’d be delighted to have an excuse to kill you.”
“Perhaps he would, but not for your sake,” Kenric said. The familiar sneer curled his hard mouth. “No man could possibly care about you deeply enough to resort to violence for your sake. Royce is using you for his own ends, just as your other husbands did. I’d be doing him a favor if I killed you. Since what little use you were to me has ended, I just may relieve Royce of his unwanted wife. By the way, he won’t be returning soon. He and Cortland are presently being kept busy at the main gate, where the bloody body of a man-at-arms has just been found. I’m very clever at making arrangements.”
Julianna refused to answer Kenric’s claims. She had wrestled her arm free at last and she headed directly for the high table. She’d speak to Cadwallon, or to Michael. Kenric wouldn’t dare to approach her again while either of them was near, and she’d tell them what he’d said about the trouble at the main gate. They’d send a squire or a man-at-arms to bring Royce back to the hall before whatever Kenric was planning could occur. Her sense of uneasiness increased.
Then she saw Marie edging toward her through the crowd. Presumably, Kenric had seen Marie, too, for he was hastening to intercept the maid. Julianna hoped Marie would keep Kenric busy long enough for her to reach the dais, where the queen’s ladies were tittering at something that was happening directly in front of the high table, out of Julianna’s line of vision. It was most likely just part of the entertainment. Then again, it could be another of Kenric’s “arrangements.” With a chill gripping her heart, Julianna broke into a run.
As she rushed forward, she noticed how Queen Adelicia was sitting in her chair with her ladies clustered a few steps away, at the edge of the dais. For just that moment the queen was unprotected save for the men at her back, who were also watching whatever was going on before the high table.
Julianna saw a flash of red cloth rush past her and she saw the gleam of metal. At first she thought it was a servant carrying a silver pitcher of wine, until she recognized Marie in her garish holiday gown. The maid was entirely too close to the queen, and she was holding a knife.
Julianna opened her mouth to cry out a warning, only to discover that she could not utter a sound. She was so afraid for the queen’s sake that her voice refused to work.
Up on the dais, Michael turned slightly and noticed her. He must have seen the look on her face, for his welcoming smile faded and he spun around to see what was happening at his back. He put too much weight on his damaged left leg too abruptly and stumbled, falling off the end of the dais and sprawling onto the floor. Julianna was already close to the dais. She ran past Michael and grabbed at Marie’s arm.
“No!” Julianna screamed, finding her voice as she wound her fingers into the red fabric of Marie’s gown.
She was vaguely aware of Kenric dangerously close behind her, trying to catch her skirts and stop her forward progress. Kenric tripped over Michael and went down, caught by the secretary-spy’s flailing limbs and then held fast by Michael’s hands.
Everything seemed to be happening with unnatural slowness. Julianna kept her grip on Marie, trying with all her strength to stop the blade that was aimed at the queen’s left side. The queen turned toward Julianna, her lips parting as if to ask what she was doing there. Cadwallon stepped between Marie and the queen, deflecting Marie’s intended blow with a quick upward chop of one big hand. Outraged beyond all discretion, not caring who saw, Julianna slapped Marie hard.
“You bitch!” Marie yelled at her, face distorted with rage. Pulling out of Julianna’s grasp with a sound of rending fabric, Marie picked up her red skirts and ran for the nearer of the two stairways to the upper galleries. She still held the murderous knife in her right hand.
Julianna followed. She didn’t know where Royce was at that moment, and she knew his men assigned to the dais were occupied, Cadwallon and Lord Dunstan protecting the queen from any further attack, and Michael still on the floor, trying to hold on to Kenric.
Surely, Royce had stationed other men in the hall, but Julianna didn’t know who they were. If she could capture Marie and hold her until Royce or some other honest spy arrived, they could get the truth out of that miserable maidservant and learn the full extent of the plot.
