1606011324-Lady-Knight-Chenery Read online

  All the blood drain out of Broc’s face as his pallor turned white. “I could have been. If you had only told me who you were, I would never have married Alwen.”

  Ariel found this harder to do than she had first thought, but she pushed on. “As I said before, it’s too late. Alwen is your wife, not I.” Seeing Broc open his mouth to speak, she quickly cut him off. “And I refuse to be your mistress. I have other people in my life to think about, and someone in particular who could be hurt if I did.”

  She could see her words hurt him, but Broc had brought much of this on himself through his inability to see clearly. He looked at her now, his expression showing her he realized how stupid he had been not to see through her disguise. Now with the truth out in the open, Ariel knew Broc would never see her as a boy again. It was through his stupidity alone that he had ended up with a woman he apparently did not want.

  Neither one of them seemed to know what to do next. Ariel didn’t want him to comfort her. If he touched her, she wouldn’t be able to let him go. It hurt that he couldn’t be hers. He had to realize he had to let her go. It was the only way.

  Broc opened his mouth to say something when the sound of a child crying came from one of the chambers. Ariel’s eyes widened in panic. Then without saying a word she went to the chamber where the cries came from.

  When Ariel didn’t return, Broc crossed the room and stepped through the open chamber door. The sight that met his eyes made him pause.

  Ariel sat on the bed with a child in her arms. Her head was bent over the child’s face, obscuring it. Feeling his presence, Ariel lifted her head. The child forgotten for the moment, Broc watched a single tear slip down her cheek.

  “I never meant for you to find out this way. After your marriage, I planned never to tell you.”

  * * * *

  It wasn’t until Ariel turned the child to face him that Broc saw what she had truly meant. The child’s face spoke volumes. It was an exact miniature of his.

  Unable to stop himself, Broc sat beside Ariel on the bed. His eyes never left the child’s face. “He’s mine?”

  Ariel swallowed. “Aye. His name is Colwyn.”

  Without asking, Ariel lifted Colwyn and placed him on his lap for the first time. At first Broc held his son feeling a bit uncomfortable, but when Colwyn turned and looked up at him giving him a winning smile, he felt himself relax.

  He had a son. That thought alone almost overwhelmed him. He had never been this close to a small child, until now that is. Broc never realized a baby could smell so good. They actually had a scent all their own.

  Looking at his beautiful little son, Broc felt the loss of not seeing him grow to what he was today. It saddened him and it made him angry as well. So angry in fact, he stood up and walked out of the chamber with Colwyn still in his arms. He made it as far as the hall before Ariel let out a shout of surprise.

  “Stop Broc! You can’t take Colwyn.”

  Turning on his heel, Broc gave Ariel the blast of his anger. “Why ever not? He’s my son as well. A son you have kept from me. I had a right to know!”

  Ariel walked slowly toward Broc as she spoke. “Maybe I should have told you, but it was my decision to make. Most of Colwyn’s life you haven’t been a part of.”

  Broc became more agitated. He started to pace the floor. “Through no fault of my own, I might add. So in my absence, you arbitrarily took away my rights to my son.”

  Now Ariel became irritated as well. “You gave up those so called rights when you left. Do you know how I felt when you just turned and left? It became quite clear to me you had had your fun and nothing else seemed to matter to you.”

  What she said washed over Broc, calming him as if someone had thrown a cold bucket of water over him. “That’s not true.”

  Oblivious, Ariel continued to speak in a raised voice. “Aye, it is. You mistakenly took me for a peasant; therefore fair game. You never even asked me my name. You assumed I didn’t speak French. You could have taken the time to find out those things.”

  Broc was about to tell Ariel he had made more than a few mistakes with her, when the hall door opened and Swein walked inside. He walked up to Broc and took Colwyn out of him arms.

  “I will take the child. He should not be listening to the two of you go at each other like this. The sound of your yelling can be heard outside.” Swein gave Broc and Ariel a pointed stare. “Settle this in a quieter manner. We don’t want what is going on here to reach the ears of those who have no business knowing.”

  They remained in silence after the hall door shut behind Swein. They just stood looking at each other. Broc broke the silence between them.

  “At our first meeting, I may have gone about it the wrong way. Do you honestly believe I make a practice of using peasant women for my own pleasure? Well, I can tell you I do not.” Reaching out, Broc snaked his hand through Ariel’s hair and pulled her up close so her body was flush against his own.

  “I wanted you, I still do. You have always been with me, even after I left. I have wished to go back to that day, to do things differently, but I cannot. Please, don’t push me away.”

  He had to kiss her. Desire pounded through his body now that he held her close. He slowly lowered his head, letting his mouth hover a hair breath above hers. Ariel stiffened, but when his lips closed over hers, her body relaxed against him.

  Releasing Ariel’s hair, Broc wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. He swept his tongue along her bottom lip. Ariel opened her mouth allowing him entrance, which caused his body to crave her even more. A moan escaped her. Broc shifted so Ariel felt the full hard length of his cock pressed against her belly. He wanted her. She had to be able to feel the proof of it.

  Broc reached inside the rip in her tunic and placed his hand on her bare breast. Her skin was soft and warm beneath his hand. His touch had Ariel stiffening once again. She wrenched Broc’s hand away from her breast and gave him a hard shove. Not expecting her to reject him so violently, Broc lost contact with her lips. With his body still burning with unfulfilled desire, a questioning look flashed across his face.

  “We have to stop this, Broc. We cannot do this. It can go no further than this.”

  Desire still pulsed through his body. His heart beat wildly inside his chest. No other woman made him feel this way. Broc had felt strong desire before, but not to the extreme that existed between Ariel and himself. He wanted not to just possess her body, but her soul as well. Emptiness washed over him now that he no longer held Ariel in his arms. He needed her. It was as simple as that. Nothing could ever change that.

  “What would you have me do? I need you and Colwyn to be a part of my life.”

  Tears came to Ariel’s eyes once more. “I will not keep Colwyn from you any longer. You can be a part of his life now. There will have to be some conditions made. If you break them, I’ll make sure you never see him again.”

  Broc would do anything to see his son, and as much as she would allow, still be a part of Ariel’s life as well. “I understand.”

  “You must never tell your wife about Colwyn or me. I will still be Wulf if those guards have not already spoken to the earl.”

  A spark of anger flashed in Broc’s eyes at the mention of Ariel’s attackers. “I agree with the conditions. Don’t worry about those two. Let me assure you they will be taken care of.”

  The door opened before Broc could finish all he wanted to say to her. Much to his disgust, Ranulf stood in the doorway. Seeing the man’s eyes look so intently at Ariel made Broc tremble with anger. What hurt the most was seeing Ariel look at Ranulf with such familiarity. He knew if he didn’t leave now he would in all likelihood do something to upset Ariel. Broc gently caressed her cheek and left the hall.

  Chapter 24

  Her new life as wife to Broc had not turned out to be as pleasant as she had hoped it would be. Alwen had known there would not be much of a relationship between them from the start. It was only to be expected given the circumstances,
but she had thought Broc would not have any problems performing his marital duty.

  Since the disaster that had been their wedding night, Broc had not shared a bed with her. He wouldn’t even so much as come close enough for a fleeting touch. Something had to be definitely wrong with her husband.

  Before the Normans’ arrival on English shores, Alwen had been considered one of the most beautiful women on the island. Men had fought each other just to gain her attention, but her Norman husband wanted nothing to do with her. Before their marriage he had shown signs of willingness to bed her, but all that had changed.

  Looking at Broc where he sat beside her in the hall, Alwen felt nothing but anger toward him. Something had happened two days before, something that had turned Broc completely away from her. Her husband now didn’t even acknowledge her as being alive.

  Other slight changes had happened as well. Her father’s guards had all of a sudden disappeared, and they had left in a very great hurry. If the rumors going around Elmstead were accurate, Broc had run them off, threatening them with their very lives. It had all centered on Wulf, who was another thorn in her side. The boy was just too beautiful for the male gender. Broc had started spending a great deal of time with Wulf at the old thane’s hall. Alwen had not been asked to join in any of those visits.

  Broc ate beside her, trying hard not to have any kind of speech with her. Alwen didn’t have to look very hard to find out why he was so silent. He watched Wulf and Ranulf. Now that the boy had started having the evening meals in the main hall, he always sat with the other knight. Broc’s eyes never left them during the entire meal.

  Something had to be done. When the first opportunity presented itself, she would confront Broc and demand to be treated as his wife should be.

  * * * *

  God she’s beautiful in full armor, Broc mused to himself.

  A week had gone by since that fateful day. Broc just couldn’t get enough of Ariel. Every day he found little excuses to be around her, even making it a point to go to the practice field to watch her train with Ranulf, something that took place right at this very moment.

  He knew he caused himself undo pain watching them together, but he was afraid of what would happen if he left them alone, especially now with Ranulf always at her side.

  The sun flashed brightly off their chain mail. The sound of their swords clashing together echoed around the field. Broc focused on Ariel’s moves and knew the moment she would send Ranulf’s sword flying. He still had a hard time believing this extraordinary woman had actually given him a son.

  Thinking of Colwyn brought a smile to his lips. He had come to mean a great deal to Broc, which surprised him a little. Small children had not been a prominent feature in his life. To be quite honest, he hadn’t been very interested in any he had seen. Even William’s children had not interested him. Now that he had Colwyn, Broc had begun to understand how William could be so attached to his children.

  The sound of laughter brought Broc out of his musing. Ariel’s laugh was music to his ears. He hadn’t heard much of it since he returned from London. It irked him to know he was not the one to make her laugh.

  After the training session ended Broc walked over to the pair. Both Ariel and Ranulf fell silent as he approached. “Well, Ranulf, I see you’re keeping Ariel in fighting form.”

  Ranulf refused to look at Broc and kept his eyes on Ariel. “It would seem so. Truth be told, Ariel is the one who comes to me to train with her.”

  Ariel let out a small laugh at Ranulf’s words. It seemed they had a joke only they knew about. Reaching the end of his patience, Broc barked an order at Ranulf. “You may leave us. I need to talk to Ariel alone.”

  Ariel opened her mouth to protest, but Ranulf stopped her with a shake of his head before she could utter a word. He then left the field.

  Broc watched until Ranulf was out of sight. He turned to look at Ariel and found the flat of her sword swinging toward him. Caught completely off guard she managed to land a blow on his shoulder.

  Broc yelped in pain. He then watched Ariel leave the field. “Wait, you have to hear what I want to say.”

  Ariel angrily marched back to Broc. “Whatever you have to say to me, I do not want to hear.”

  Broc grabbed her and stopped her from leaving. “Aye, you will listen. It has to do with you and Ranulf.”

  “What about us? I know what this is all about. You don’t like Ranulf spending so much time with me. In fact, you damn well hate it. Correct?”

  “Maybe it does bother me.”

  Ariel shook her head. “That would explain a lot, you watching us whenever we’re together. You can’t take your eyes off us. How dare you? If you’re going to tell me to stay away from Ranulf, you can just keep it to yourself. I enjoy being around him and I will continue to do so, no matter what you say.”

  Broc gritted his teeth. “That is exactly what I was going to say. Stay away from him.”

  “Nay.” Ariel glared at him with anger showing in her eyes.

  “You will. Remember, you are the mother of my son. You have to think of him first before yourself. It’s bad enough you walk around wearing men’s clothing, wielding a sword as a man, but you will not flaunt your lover around Colwyn.”

  Ariel went completely still, her face showed no emotion. When she spoke, she talked in a quiet, level voice. “Is that what you truly think of me? As for Ranulf being my lover, he’s not. Not that it is any of your business anyway. I may be the mother of your son, but I’m not your wife. For your information, Ranulf is not ashamed of what I was forced to become. If anything, he likes that I’m a knight. He has asked me to be his wife on a number of occasions. I have given it a lot of thought lately. So I’ll let you be the first to know, I will accept his offer.”

  Leaving Broc to stew over her words, Ariel walked away.

  * * * *

  Feeling as if everything right in his life had now gone completely wrong, Broc walked into the main hall. It was deserted except for his father-in-law. Theodoric sat before the hearth, drinking as usual. The man had done nothing except drink the days away since he arrived at Elmstead. Broc disliked the man immensely.

  At the sound of Broc’s footsteps, Theodoric looked up. “Ah, there you are. My lovely daughter was looking for you.”

  Exactly what he needed now—a confrontation with his wife. “Was she? I was at the practice field.” Needing a drink himself, Broc headed to the table where a jug of mead and goblets sat.

  Theodoric didn’t seem to notice Broc’s foul mood and kept on talking. “Watching Swein’s son again? He is good with a sword. I remember seeing him cross swords with the other warriors of the fryd. Never seen one so young handle a sword with such ease. I can understand why you trained him to be a knight.”

  Broc responded blandly, trying to show his lack of interest in the subject. “Aye, Wulf is talented.”

  “That he is. Oh, by the way, Alwen is waiting for you in your chamber.”

  Broc downed the mead in one gulp and headed to the chambers at the back of the hall. Just what he needed. He wondered what the hell Alwen wanted now.

  At first Broc thought the chamber empty. Then he happened to glance at the bed. Alwen was stretched out in the middle of it with the covers tucked around her chest. Her arms lay on top of the covers, bare. Glancing at one of the chairs in the room, Broc noticed her gown had been neatly draped across it.

  Broc had not touched Alwen since the night they wed. He didn’t remember that night since he had drunk too much mead. In the morning the bloody sheets were evidence enough to show Broc had done his duty. But now that he knew about Ariel, he had no urge to take his wife again. Even her beautiful face couldn’t make his body stir to life.

  Alwen smiled an invitation at him. Broc stared back. The woman in the bed was his wife, by rights he could take her anytime he wanted. After his conversation with Ariel, Broc decided to use what was his.

  Moving toward the bed, Broc slipped off his cloak and unbuckled his sword
belt. Alwen flung her arms wide, catching him close when Broc stretched his full length atop her. Before his lips met hers, he closed his eyes. He knew if he had to look at Alwen’s face he would not be able to go through with this.

  Her lips were warm and soft. At first Alwen followed Broc’s lead, letting him possess her mouth, but soon she responded with passion. Pulling the sheet away from her chest, Broc fondled one of her breasts. Alwen arched her back and pushed herself closer as he rolled her nipple between his thumb and finger. Releasing her breast, Broc skimmed his hand down her body until he reached the spot between her thighs.

  A moan escaped Alwen as he moved his thumb, rubbing against her clit. He then slipped a finger inside her. What he found caused him to rip his mouth away from her lips and jump off the bed.

  Alwen reached for him, trying to bring him back down onto the bed. “What’s wrong?”

  He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. “How can this be? How can you still be a virgin?”

  Alwen sighed. “Is that what is bothering you? Well, that can be easily rectified. Come back to bed.”

  Broc stepped away from the bed. “Wait a moment. The morning after we wed, the sheets were stained with blood and I lay beside you naked.”

  Alwen cleared her throat. “Very well. You were so far gone in drink you passed out soon after you came to me. I wasn’t going to let everyone see you had not made me your wife. I took your clothes off and cut my arm to stain the sheets.”

  A small cut could be seen on the inside of Alwen’s forearm, a mark that proved what she said was true. Broc felt angry over her duplicity. Then all she had said hit him hard. It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him.

  He picked up Alwen’s gown and flung it at her. “Get dressed. I’ve decided you don’t interest me as you did before.” Grabbing up his cloak and sword, Broc left a confused Alwen lying on the bed.

  Chapter 25