Choose the Sky: A Medieval Romance (Swordcross Knights Book 2) (31 page)

“You’d love her, Father,” Mina said. “When you’re better, we can ride out to the meadow and watch her hunt. Luc gave her to me as a gift. You haven’t really met Luc yet,” she added, “but you will. He’s…well, he’s…” Mina trailed off, unable to put her ideas into words at the moment. Her feelings for Luc were too complicated.

After visiting Godfrey, she returned to the keep, and found Luc and Eva in the solar. The two were talking in low tones with the monk, Brother Paul.

“Ah, it’s Mina!” Eva said, seeing her step into the room. “Come and sit, dear. You’ll want to hear this.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Joscelin?” she asked. “Where is he? I went to the chapel earlier, but he wasn’t there.”

Eva raised an eyebrow. “You know, I wanted a word with him several days ago, but when I was told he’d be at prayer, I couldn’t find him either. That’s poor practice for one who claims to want to be a priest.” She gave a light laugh, but also looked a little annoyed, as if Joscelin was a disappointment. “Oh, well. Let’s get on with it. We can tell your cousin the news later.”

Both Luc and the monk had risen to their feet at Mina’s entrance, but they resumed their seats when Mina sat next to Luc, who had chosen a padded, highbacked bench near the fire. He put a hand on hers. “How are you feeling?” he asked, concern in his eyes. “You still look a bit peaked.”

“I’m well,” she reassured him. “It’s my father’s health I wish to discuss.”

“Yes,” said the monk. “I can’t tell you exactly what happened, my lady, but I can be sure it was not connected to what’s been ailing him these past few years.”

“No?”

Paul shook his tonsured head. “This was a sickness of the body, not the mind. His first symptoms were sweating and vomiting, followed by a rapid fever, and much discomfort in his belly. All of that is quite different from the usual problems described to me.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Mina said. “I was just so worried he wouldn’t last the night.”

“I think the danger is past,” Brother Paul said. “So long as whatever caused the sickness does not linger.”

“But how can we know what caused it?”

“The signs are similar to the sickness caused by tainted food,” Paul explained. “It’s possible he ate something he should not.”

“He eats what the kitchen prepares,” Mina said. “But I’ll have a word with the cooks. Perhaps a bad bit of meat got in a pot.”

“See the kitchen is well cleaned,” Paul advised. “Filth has no place where food is prepared. You’re lucky no one else took ill.” He paused then. “Has anyone else in the castle reported feeling sick?”

Mina herself had felt a twinge of nausea, but she dismissed it, for it passed already. “I don’t think so,” she said, “but I’ll ask. Thank you for coming to tend to him.”

The brother smiled at last, his face wrinkling up in pleasure. “What use are my skills if God gives me no opportunity to use them?”

He rose then, saying he wished to see Godfrey once more before he began the journey back to the monastery. “I’ll leave instructions with the servants,” he promised. “And you must send for me should the symptoms return.”

“Yes, brother,” Mina said. “Will you add his name to your prayers?”

“No fear, my lady, for I already have.” With a little bow, he excused himself.

Mina sank to the seat again, thinking hard.

“Well, this is good news, isn’t it?” Eva asked.

Luc nodded in agreement. “It is, though I will also send to London for a physician my family knows there. He’ll come when the weather improves. Perhaps he can offer some insight into Godfrey’s other complaint.”

“But the cost…” Mina murmured.

“Unimportant,” Luc said, taking her hand in his again. “I already told you. Don’t worry about it, Mina.”

“Very well.” She took a breath, letting it out slowly. It felt so strange to say that, to allow someone else to take her problem away and simply…deal with it. She felt oddly light, as if the burden of responsibility had somehow been physically punishing.

“There is another topic to discuss,” Luc went on. “Eva must return to Braecon, and I think you should go with her.”

Both women looked at him in surprise. “Leave so soon?” Eva protested, just as Mina said, “Leave my father?”

Luc said, “I have yet to resolve the matter of Haldan. I’ve put some of the men-at-arms at all the locations where we think he may show up, but who knows when I’ll actually get word.  Meanwhile, Haldan could be anywhere. There was an attack not so long ago. Braecon will be safer for you both.”

They argued, predictably. Luc was at a disadvantage, considering both Eva and Mina objected. Mina used the opportunity to push for Eva’s safety over hers, and Luc eventually seemed to concede that one victory was better than two losses. He got Eva to agree to return to their family home, where she could share the news of her adventure to Trumwell while remaining safe.

The packing would take a day or two, so Mina helped Eva prepare for the journey. Luc helped by instructing the visiting men-at-arms to guard Eva with their lives, or face Luc later on.

“He’s
so
possessive of what he considers his,” Eva said with a roll of her eyes when she heard the news. “You must get used to it.”

“I suppose I must,” Mina agreed easily. In truth, she was learning to enjoy many aspects of Luc’s possessiveness, not least what occurred in their bed, where Mina was growing to adore being possessed.

If only her mornings would improve as much as her nights had. Once again, she rose a bit late. Luc had woken earlier, and left the room after kissing her cheek softly enough that she barely woke.

But an hour later, she did wake up, and barely got to the chamber pot in time before she heaved the contents of her stomach into it. She crawled to the window and flung open the shutter, but quickly returned to the chamber pot, for she felt as bad as before.

What was
wrong
with her? This lingering tiredness and the daily nausea was unlike any illness she’d experienced before. Could she be falling ill with something serious? Or…

Mina sat still for a long moment, inhaling the cold winter air and willing her stomach to not rebel. After a little while, the worst of it passed, and she could relax a bit.

She’d heard the women around the castle speak often enough of this symptom that she knew exactly what was happening.

Dear God, I’m with child. Luc’s child.

The idea both terrified and thrilled her. What would Luc say? Would he be pleased? Would he still want to touch her, to be near her at night? Would they fight over what to name the child?

“Of course we will. We fight over everything,” she muttered. Yet the thought filled her with an absurd joy, and she burst out laughing a second later.

She was absolutely certain of what was happening. As soon as the truth dawned, she felt a bit better. She stood up, leaning against the wall, wondering what to do with this revelation.

She would wait to tell Luc. Just until the right moment, when the mood was right. And until then, she’d have her own secret. Luc had once said she always liked to have a secret, and she felt the power in hidden knowledge.

Mina couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she told him, and anticipating his reaction made her so giddy that she wanted to cherish the feeling for a while. Of course, she should wait to be certain. That was the wisest course of action. In her heart, though, she knew it. She and Luc were going to have a child.

* * * *

Eva left the castle early the next morning. A last minute protest did nothing to sway Luc.

“Who knows what next may happen here?” he asked Eva. “Our parents would disown me if anything happened to you while you’re under my protection.”

“I still think you should keep half the men-at-arms who escorted me here,” Eva said. “They may be of use, and six will be more than enough to protect me.”

“No,” said Luc. “You’ll take them all back with you. I’m not bringing this up again.”

“Yet I expect you’ll bring up
your
suggestion again,” Eva said.

“It’s no use. I am not leaving Trumwell,” Domina said. She’d had quite enough of that discussion. Luc thought she’d be safer at Braecon, which might be true. But Mina had many reasons for staying at her home.

Eva reached out to pull Mina into an embrace. “No matter what, you must be careful,” she said. “I have only just gained you as a sister—it would be cruel to lose you at this point.”

Mina returned the gesture, feeling an unexpected warmth. She’d never had a sister, and never knew how much she wanted a sibling until Eva. “I’ll mind your words, especially because I’ve yet to meet my other sisters.”

“They’ll love you just as much as I,” Eva said. Then she added with a sly look, “Though not so much as Luc does!”

Mina smiled, a sense of shyness coming over her as she remembered the secret she held. “I hope to see you again soon, and the rest of your family.”

“Indeed!” said Eva. “I’ll be waiting!”

Luc gave Eva a kiss, along with several warnings she was sure to blithely ignore. Then her entourage headed out of the gate, the bright presence of Eva of Braecon now just a memory.

“Well,” said Luc. “I suppose things will be quieter here.”

“For now,” Mina agreed, smiling at him.

Indeed, over the next days, they enjoyed the relative calm of the castle in winter. Joscelin was reclusive, often staying in his room to study his theological texts, except for the times he went to the chapel to pray. Mina asked if he needed to return to London, but Joscelin said he felt the Lord wanted him to remain at Trumwell for a while.

“The Lord spoke to you?” Mina asked.

Joscelin gave her a decidedly non-ecclesiastical grin. “In the form of a snowstorm that blocks the roads all through the south of England until some of it melts. Don’t you listen to travelers’ gossip, cos?”

“No, and you should not listen to any gossip,” Mina teased. “How unlike a holy man!”

Joscelin shrugged. “The church isn’t always holy, nor are all the men in it.”

“Then I’m glad the church will soon have you,” she said, looking at him proudly.

“Thank you, cos.” Joscelin looked away. “Your faith in me is very heartening.”

The pace of life at Trumwell was slow. They waited for roads to clear and for news to be brought. Until either of those things happened, not much could be done. Mina and Luc spent a fair amount of time together, doing nothing more than the usual chores and tasks that fell to them. Mina never knew that sitting by a fire mending clothes could be a pleasure, but it was when she could look across to see Luc nearby, especially when he caught her eye and gave her a half-smile in the flickering firelight. It occurred to her this was exactly what married couples did.
How dull
, she thought,
and how delightful
.

A servant entered the room just then. “Apologies, my lord, my lady. This is unexpected.”

“What is it?” Luc asked, for the servant was eying him.

“You have a visitor, my lord. He gives his name as Drugo, and says he serves the king.”

On hearing that Drugo was
there, Luc’s good mood vanished. “What’s he doing here?” he muttered.

“Who is this?” Mina asked, instantly picking up on his discomfort.

“A messenger of the king,” Luc said in explanation. “It may be a minor matter.” He didn’t want Mina to grow concerned, or in fact to even speak to Drugo—though as the lady of the castle, she naturally would greet him. Damn.

“Shall we go down?” she asked.

There was nothing to do but bull though it. With luck, he’d be able to send Mina away fairly quickly, then tell Drugo what he needed to know before getting him back on the road to London.

Luc knew that the chances of things going his way this time were next to nothing. Still, he didn’t anticipate how bad it would actually get.

Drugo bowed politely upon greeting Domina, though the flat look in his eyes was anything but courteous.

Domina, of course, was always courteous to her guests, even unexpected ones, so she immediately welcomed Drugo and asked his purpose in coming to Trumwell.

“I must speak with Luc of Braecon,” he said, “on a matter of great import.”

“So it must be, for you to ride all the way from London,” she said, “instead of sending a letter.”

Luc braced himself, recognizing Mina’s early circling as she prepared to go in for the kill. Drugo had no idea how good Mina was at putting pieces of a picture together.

Drugo quickly made things worse for himself. “Nothing to worry you, my lady. I am falconer to the king and have some business in the area.”

“Of great import,” Mina said, nodding innocently. “What counts as great import to a falconer? Is Luc expected to bring tribute in the form of gyrfalcons from Wales?”

“Ah…”

“That’s rather more west and northerly,” she went on. “So a stop at Trumwell Castle doesn’t make much sense.”

“Well…”

“Once you do acquire the birds, how do you intend to transport them? Surely you will not manage all the cages yourself?”

Drugo opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

“Tell me, sir,” Mina said in a deceptively sweet voice, “just how long have you been a falconer to the king? Your knowledge of the general subject seems somewhat lacking.”