Chapter Seventeen
Much to Jacqueline’s relief, her suspicions were correct. She was indeed carrying Terric’s baby. The village midwife had confirmed it. Even though Forwin’s plan did not go as he had exactly pictured, he was still quite pleased with the end result. Especially since he was running out of time.
Forwin was extremely ill, and it seemed unlikely that he would live to see her child born. That made Jacqueline fear greatly for the baby growing inside her, but her husband apparently had thought of every possible contingency.
Now that she was already with child, there was no need for Nicholas, or so Jacqueline had thought. Much to her dismay, though, her husband did not send the minstrel on his way.
The child she carried gave her a small measure of control over her life once more. She was left alone, Forwin only demanding she come to his chamber each afternoon. She assumed to make sure she had not run during the night. There really was no other reason for her to be there. She dreaded each sojourn she had to make to his chamber. Even though he was ill, she still disliked the man. They had reached an even accord, which was something more than they had had before.
One day, like every other day, Nicholas was with Forwin. Her husband was unable to leave his bed, and the minstrel had taken on the role of nursemaid. He was never far away from his charge.
Jacqueline pulled a chair close to the bed as Nicholas propped Forwin up with some pillows. “How are you this day, my lord?”
“How do you think, you silly fool? I am dying,” Forwin answered grumpily.
Thinking the rest of her stay would progress the same way as all the other of her visits, Jacqueline did not expect Forwin to actually want to speak with her alone. He usually ignored her most days.
Forwin motioned Nicholas away from his bedside. “Leave us. I wish to speak to my wife.” Nicholas stood his ground, and Forwin snapped, “Do as I say. Leave.”
Nicholas hesitated for a brief second, but he left the chamber. Once alone, her husband enlightened her as to the new plan he had devised.
“I have been thinking about what steps can be taken to keep your child safe from your father,” he said. “More importantly, to keep my lands safe.”
Jacqueline braced herself, having a feeling it would not be at all to her liking. “What have you decided to do?”
“When I am gone, you will marry Nicholas. He will protect my lands, especially with you offered as the prize.”
“I refuse.”
Forwin’s face turned an alarming shade of purplish red. “How dare…how dare you go against me? You will do as I order you.”
Jacqueline shook her head. “Nay, I will not.”
Her words worsened his condition. He wheezed and clutched his chest.
“I suggest you calm down, my lord. If not, you will expire this very moment.” After Forwin brought himself back under control, Jacqueline continued. “The days that I will allow myself to be coerced into another unwanted marriage are over. There is nothing you can do to me. Now or after you are gone. The only reason I stay is because it will hurt my father. If I need protection, I can easily attain it. In the form of the father of my baby.”
Able to speak now without wheezing, Forwin asked, “Who is this man?”
“That, my lord, is none of your business. Let me just say he is a much better man than Nicholas.”
Forwin scowled. “Nicholas will not be pleased. I have already given him my word.”
Jacqueline laughed. “I cannot see such a powerful man as yourself letting a mere minstrel dictate to you.”
His voiced laced with indignation, Forwin said vehemently, “He does not!” He spoke in a more thoughtful tone. “He does need to be rewarded for his loyalty.”
“Give him a large amount of gold and send him on his way.”
He seemed to take some time to consider what she had suggested. “I can see you are not some insipid miss. You will only do what you wish. I will give Nicholas the gold you have suggested, but he stays here until I am gone. Though he plays the part of being loyal to me, I still do not fully trust him.”
She had to admit she was a little shocked by Forwin’s admission. “You have taken an awful chance involving him in your plans.”
He shrugged. “In a man of his caliber, it is expected. He can easily be bought.” Forwin eased himself back down. “Leave me. I suggest you say not a word of this conversation to Nicholas. I would hate to see you come to harm.”
Happy to be dismissed, Jacqueline left the chamber. She had much to think about.
* * * *
Nicholas grew impatient. Forwin was not expiring fast enough for his liking. The old fool just seemed to linger on and on. With each visit from the young chit who was his wife, he seemed to will himself to live another day. Nicholas did not like it one bit. The time had come to help matters along.
He looked down at Forwin’s sleeping form. It could be so easy. If he wanted this over here and now, there was no one who could stop him. All he had to do was take one of the many pillows on the bed and place it over Forwin’s face. The old man would be unable to dislodge him, but that would make the end come too quickly. It would not do to draw suspicion to himself.
Nay, that was not a possibility. Tonight, when Forwin’s evening meal was brought up to him, Nicholas would make his move. He would increase the dose of the poison he slowly fed Forwin.
Of course the fools who lived there had no inkling of what he was about. They were all so trusting, or his acting abilities were better than he had originally thought. Even Forwin had been easily taken in by his charade. He did everything Nicholas suggested, even before he had married Jacqueline.
The woman was not so easily fooled, and Forwin seemed to listen to her more than he did to him these days. So far, she had changed the direction of his plans, but he would not allow her to mess them up any further. He had invested too much to let it slip through his fingers.
* * * *
Jacqueline had feared the worst when her father had brought her to Nunney, but this new life, though not one of her choosing, was tolerable.
She had found friendship and allies among the castle staff. The kitchen became the central hub of life at Nunney, at least for herself. She avoided the part of the castle where Forwin resided as much as she possibly could, except for her daily visits with him, of course. The ever-present Nicholas made her extremely uncomfortable. He had done nothing menacing, but having him watch her every move made her skin crawl. The man damn well knew it.
On this particular day, Jacqueline decided not to give Nicholas the upper hand. When she had to be in his presence, she would just simply ignore the man. Entering the kitchen, she received a warm greeting from Mabel.
“How are you this day, my lady?”
“Very well, Mabel.”
The cook smiled and shook her head. “You are lucky. When I carried all of mine, I was sick as a dog in the beginning.” Mabel had four sons, all working in various positions within the castle.
“I suppose I am.”
Jacqueline went to the worktable and took some of the bread dough Mabel worked and kneaded it. “Has Nicholas been down yet today?”
The cook sneered in disgust. “Nay, which pleases me. I have had enough of that one’s demands. The way he struts around here you would think he was master of Nunney.”
Jacqueline could not agree more. Nicholas already acted as though Nunney were his. So much he knew. “Aye, he does, but for now, he is harmless.”
Mabel shot her a questioning look. “What exactly do you mean by that? We all know there is more than one reason that knave is still here. He cannot be looking after our lordship out of the goodness of his heart. That minstrel does not own one.”
Jacqueline punched the dough down with more force than needed for the task and remained silent. She hoped Mabel would let the subject be, but the cook was not quite ready to give up just yet.
“My lady…Jacqueline, all of us who work in the castle know there is more going on. More than Nicholas’ scheming, and that you are mixed up in it.” Mabel placed her hands atop Jacqueline’s, stilling her movements. “We know your baby is not your husband’s as well.”
Jacqueline clenched her hands into fists and brought her gaze up to look at Mabel. Worry was etched on the cook’s face. “No fear, Mabel. The baby is not Nicholas’. I was already pregnant when I first came to Nunney.”
“What happened?”
Jacqueline brushed the flour off her hands and seated herself on a stool. “It is a long story. To put it simply, my father stole me away on the very day I was to wed another.”
“Oh, child.” Mabel wrapped Jacqueline in a motherly embrace. “Men and their schemes. Well, once Forwin is gone, you can get your man back.”
“Mabel!” Jacqueline said laughingly.
“I only speak the truth. As a widow, you will gain your independence. You can wed whomever you wish.”
As Mabel returned to the task of bread making, Jacqueline mulled over what the cook had said. It was possible. She could marry Terric once Forwin left this earth, but there was only one hurdle she would have to face first. Would Terric believe her when she told him how she had been forced to write that missive? The chances were slim.
* * * *
Terric rode through the village of Nunney as he headed toward the castle. He studied his adversary’s home as he drew nearer. The basic plan of the castle was one of four equal-sized large drum towers set at the corners of a rectangle. The south-west and north-east pair had a short connecting wall between them. While the north-west and south-east pair had a much longer one. He noticed the castle walls were finished in ashlar masonry of high quality.
As he approached the causeway, he glanced at the high conical roofs atop each of the towers. Terric crossed the wooden drawbridge and passed through the castle gate unchallenged. Apparently, Forwin did not expect any trouble, which marked him a fool. A man who left his castle open to attacks usually got one.
No one took any notice of his arrival until a servant came to the well, which was near the north-east tower. Once he was spotted in the bailey, the girl hesitated for a moment, then turned abruptly and went back inside the main building. Knowing Forwin would be notified of his presence, Terric dismounted.
* * * *
Jacqueline was in the kitchen when the young servant girl came rushing in, looking for her. “My lady, you must go to the bailey. A strange knight sits out there on his horse.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be Terric? She brushed flour from her hands, then headed for the bailey. She prayed it was not him. With everything she was embroiled in, he needed to stay as far away as possible from her, at least until Forwin made his exit from this world, anyway. Terric could all too easily fall prey to either her husband’s or the earl’s conniving plans.
Jacqueline stepped outside into the bailey and sharply sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth. It was Terric who stood waiting by his horse. He had his back turned to her and had not seen her.
Seeing him, as large as life, made all the feelings she had for him resurface with a vengeance. She wished she could rush over to him, hold him in her arms, and beg him to take her away from all this. The need was so great within her it almost became an unbearable ache, but she would do no such thing. She loved him too much to risk losing him. Jacqueline took a deep breath for courage, then walked to Terric and did what had to be done.
Terric turned. Jacqueline stopped a short distance from where he stood. “What do you want, Terric?”
He ran his gaze over her. “When your father sent word of where you were to your mother, she wanted me to check and see if it was true. We have been searching for you, Jacqueline.”
“You have found me.”
He gave her a perplexed look. “What has happened to you?”
“All my father said is true. I am now Forwin’s wife.”
Terric frowned. “Why? You could have refused. No woman can be forced into marriage. It is church law.”
Jacqueline shook her head at what he said. “That law means nothing, and you know it. My father does what he wishes. He can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”
“Could you have not held him off for a time? You are a very capable woman. You could have thought of something to delay the marriage from taking place.”
“What good would that have done?”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I do not know. You had to have known I would come looking for you.”
Jacqueline swallowed around the painful lump that had formed in her throat and shook her head once more. “Did you ride out searching when you found me missing that day?” His silence spoke volumes. She blinked back the tears that threatened to rise to the surface. “You did not, did you? You believed every word I wrote.” Terric tried to take a step closer, but she did not allow it. She held out her hand to stop him.
“Your missive hurt, but I was a fool to take it to heart,” he said.
“You must have known how I felt about you.”
“I thought I did. The missive made me think you never really cared for me at all. You never said.”
At his words, a single tear fell her cheek. He reached out and gently brushed it away. Jacqueline roughly shoved his hand from her face. “Just as you never spoke those same words to me. Now it is too late. The damage is done.”
Terric grabbed Jacqueline by the arm and pulled her toward his waiting horse, but before he was able to take more than two steps, an all-too-familiar voice hailed them. Jacqueline caught sight of Nicholas heading in their direction with a smile and silently groaned. The man had perfect timing. She wiped her eyes with a quick swipe of her sleeve as she pulled herself together. She did not want to give Nicholas any indication of how she felt about Terric.
“Jacqueline, are you not going to invite our guest into the hall?”
She scowled at Nicholas. “He is not staying.”
Nicholas’ sharp gaze shifted from her to Terric, seeming not missing anything. “From the way you were conversing, I thought you were well-acquainted with each other.”
Jacqueline caught Terric’s gaze and stared intently into his violet eyes, hoping he would keep silent. Either he did not understand what she wanted him to do or he ignored her entreaty. He spoke to Nicholas.
“Lady Jacqueline and I are…were very close at one time. When I heard of her marriage, I came to pay my respects.”
Nicholas smiled slyly. “I can see you two were very…close indeed. If that is the case, Jacqueline must have told you the good news.”
Cringing, Jacqueline closed her eyes and swore under her breath, calling Nicholas every bad name she could think of. If she had had a knife in her hand, she would have happily stuck it into his gullet.
“What would that be?” Terric asked quietly.
“Why, Lady Jacqueline is carrying the next Earl of Somerset. Forwin’s heir.”
Terric looked at her. “Is this true, Jacqueline? Are you with child?”
Sadly, she nodded. “Aye, I am.”
Terric silently turned and retrieved his horse. After mounting up, he turned his steed around and left the bailey. Not once did he look behind him.
Once Terric disappeared from sight, Nicholas said sarcastically, “He must not have been happy with your good fortune.”
Jacqueline whipped around and slapped Nicholas across the face, leaving her handprint on his cheek. “How dare you? What right do you have to be involved in my affairs?”
Nicholas took her roughly by the arm and pulled it painfully up behind her back, forcing her against him. Anger flashed in his eyes, making them turn a stormy gray. “You will not strike me like that ever again. I see you have a lot to learn about being an obedient wife. I will take great pleasure in educating you once Forwin is gone. As mine, you will show me the proper respect I am due.”
He thrust Jacqueline away, then returned to the hall. Rubbing her arm, a shiver of true fear caused her to shake uncontrollably. She needed help. Nicholas was a much bigger threat than she had realized. Once Forwin was gone, there would be no one to keep the minstrel in check. It was time to enlist the help of her mother.
* * * *
Now that she had made the decision to ask her mother for help, Jacqueline needed a way to sneak a missive out of Nunney. She was no fool. Nicholas watched her every move. She needed help from those within the castle. They were allowed the freedom she was not permitted.
Jacqueline read over what she had written to her mother and could not help but feel homesick. The isle had been the only home she had known. What bothered her the most was not being able to have her mother with her. She was the one steadying constant in her life. She was always there to help her through any troubled times.
Satisfied with the missive, she sanded it, then sealed it closed. She hastily shoved it into the bodice of her gown, then left her chamber to seek out Mabel in the kitchen.
As she walked past Forwin’s chamber, the door opened, and Nicholas stepped into the hallway. He effectively blocked her way. “Is there something you want, Nicholas?”
He smiled, blatantly looking her up and down. “What I want is not yet mine to take. So instead, you can give me information I seek.”
Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. “What information?”
He bestowed her with one of his most charming smiles. If she were easily turned by a man’s good-looks, she would have fallen under the spell he tried to weave. Luckily, she knew what Nicholas truly was—nothing but a snake in the grass.
“That knight, the one who came to visit you. Who is he?”
“Just someone I know. If you will excuse me, I have other things to attend to.” Jacqueline tried to step around him, but he blocked her path.
“Come now. You can tell me. He is the father of your baby. It was not hard to miss how you were panting over each other.”
She glared at him, her disgust for him deepening. “Even if I admitted that he was, it is still none of your business. I do not have to answer to you.”
Nicholas’ charming facade dropped. He took her by the shoulders and forced her against the wall. “Oh, but you will. Very soon.”
He grabbed Jacqueline by her chin and roughly kissed her. She managed to bring her hands up to his chest and forcibly shoved him away. Nicholas sniggered as she scrubbed the back of her hand across her mouth, trying to remove all traces of his kiss. He gave her a mocking bow, then returned to Forwin’s chamber.
Jacqueline patted the missive still concealed within her bodice as she hurried to reach the kitchen. How her future would turn out hinged on this single missive reaching her mother.
She safely arrived at the kitchen, sure her face was still red with indignation. Mabel, ever observant, placed her hands on her ample hips and questioningly looked at Jacqueline.
“What has the snake done now?”
“He cornered me outside my husband’s chamber.”
Mabel picked up the meat cleaver she had been using and muttered angrily under her breath. As she headed toward the door, cleaver still in hand, Jacqueline realized she intended to confront Nicholas.
“Oh no, you cannot, Mabel.” Taking hold of the cook’s arm, she steered her back inside the kitchen. She tried to stare sternly at Mabel, but found herself unable to do so. The very idea of the older woman chasing after Nicholas with her meat cleaver was highly amusing. Laughter bubbled inside her.
The more she conjured up the image of Mabel chasing a screaming Nicholas around the bailey with cleaver held high, the harder she laughed. At the perplexed look upon the older woman’s face, Jacqueline managed to sputter, “The meat cleaver? Really now, Mabel? That would be a sight to see. You taking Nicholas to task with it.”
Almost as if she had forgotten what she held, Mabel seemed mildly surprised to see the cleaver. She too laughed at the absurdity of it. “I guess you are right, my lady. That would be something, though.”
Once their laughter dissipated, Jacqueline reached inside her bodice and withdrew the missive. “Mabel, do you recall the discussion we had pertaining to Nicholas? About how he is here for another purpose?”
“Aye.” Mabel eyed the missive Jacqueline clutched.
“Well, you were right. I had thought I could handle him myself, but I know now that is no longer the case. I need your help.”
“I would do anything for you. Tell me what has you so worried.”
Jacqueline took a moment to collect her thoughts, then launched into the story of her life. She trusted Mabel implicitly. So, to better help the other woman understand her situation, she started her tale with the first betrothal arranged by her father to Forwin. From there, the rest just poured out of her. She left nothing out—the loss of her brother at the hands of her father, how she had assumed William’s identity to meet the earl in the list, and she finally spoke of Terric.
Once Jacqueline reached the end, Mabel dabbed her eyes with the corner of her apron. “The knight who came here? It was Terric?”
Jacqueline nodded sadly. “Aye.”
“Does he know you carry his babe?”
“Nay. Nicholas broke that particular piece of information to Terric before I could tell him.”
“Just another strike against the rat,” Mabel grumbled. “Well, if it is help you need, help you will get. What do you plan to do?”
Jacqueline placed the missive on the worktable. “It is time I call in the reinforcements. I need you to get this missive out of the castle and arrange to have it delivered to my mother.”
“Consider it done, my lady.” Mabel snatched up the missive and placed it in one of the deep pockets of her apron.