Chapter Eighteen
Months passed, and Jacqueline’s pregnancy progressed. Forwin, though still extremely ill, seemed to be clinging to life. He seemed determined to see her baby born.
She had not told Forwin about the incident that had taken place in the bailey on the day of Terric’s visit, but she was much more guarded while in Nicholas’s presence. Forwin was not a stupid man, though. He quickly noticed the change in her behavior. It was during one of her daily visits when Nicholas had briefly left them alone, something he very rarely did. Nicholas seemed to want to keep her and Forwin from ever being alone together.
Forwin gave her a simple warning. “We must tread carefully.”
Jacqueline made sure the chamber door was shut tight by quickly glancing toward it before she spoke. “More than you know, my lord. Nicholas is not what he wants you to believe. I think he is capable of doing anything.”
Forwin nodded gravely. “You have confirmed my suspicions. I think I have invited a viper into our midst.”
“Then why keep him here? When he finds out you are not going to keep your end of the bargain, he could retaliate.”
“It is very simple really, my dear. It’s better to have Nicholas here where he can be watched and contained.”
Jacqueline still felt uneasy about that reasoning. “After you are gone? What then?”
Forwin gave her a wink and slyly said, “You, my dear wife, are quite capable of looking after yourself. I know from firsthand experience just what lengths you will take to save yourself. I have all confidence that you can protect your child from Nicholas.”
He was right. She would use all within her means to keep her child safe. She had already taken the first step. With the help of Mabel, a missive was even now on its way to her mother.
As for Forwin’s change of heart about Nicholas, it just meant he had come to see her as a more useful tool to keep his lands from her father. He had not once told her why he hated the earl to that extent, but Jacqueline did not really care. It was good enough that they had a common goal—seeing her father thwarted from getting what he wanted. She also knew why Forwin wanted to keep her at Nunney instead of sending her home where she would be safer. If she left, there would be no one to stop Nicholas from completely taking over.
Nicholas appeared a short while later. Where he had been, he did not care to share with them. The way his glance kept shifting between Forwin and herself made Jacqueline feel extremely uneasy being under his scrutiny. She stood and left the chamber.
* * * *
Lady Elizabeth read the missive she held once again. Jacqueline really had herself immersed in a fine mess. Most of it was not her doing. Damn the earl and his scheming ways. If only he could have just left them alone. Jacqueline and Terric would be happily wed and eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child.
Sighing deeply, Lady Elizabeth sadly shook her head. Her daughter had already suffered enough at the hands of her father, the greatest blow being the death of William. Now she had to suffer losing Terric as well.
Jacqueline was not going to have to go through this all alone. Her family would stand by her. When Forwin left this world, she would personally make sure Terric got his due—her daughter as his wife.
* * * *
“So you have given up. Just like that.”
Terric scowled at Edwin, who sat next to him. “What would you have me do? She is wed to another and expecting a child.”
Edwin shook his head. “I thought you were smarter than that.”
“Just what, pray tell, do you mean by that?”
“I mean, how sure are you the child Jacqueline is carrying is not yours?”
Terric roamed his gaze over the other patrons of the inn where they sat and thought about Edwin’s question. He had thought of that, but Jacqueline had had plenty of opportunity to tell him before that Nicholas had shown up.
“Nay, the babe is not mine,” he said.
“You have to admit there is a chance it could be.”
“A very slim one.”
Terric drained his tankard of ale, then thumped it onto the table. He caught the eye of the buxom serving wench and signaled her to bring another round.
The woman sauntered over, seductively swinging her hips, carrying a pitcher of ale. She stood behind Terric and reached around him to fill his tankard. She purposely pressed her ample breasts against his back while she poured his drink.
“Anything else you would like, sir?” she asked in a seductive tone.
It was blatantly obvious what the wench offered. He looked at her. She would be considered pretty by some, but there was a coarseness about her. At one time, he would have seriously considered her offer, but now he found her not the least bit alluring.
Terric shook his head. “Nay, the ale is all I want.”
The wench stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. “Well, if you change your mind, just ask for Lucy. I would be happy to…oblige such a one as you.”
“Many thanks for the offer, Lucy, but I do not think I will change my mind.”
Once the serving wench left their table, Edwin chuckled. “You have it bad.”
“What do I have bad?”
“Love. Lady Jacqueline still holds your heart. There was a day when yonder wench would have found herself in your bed.”
“Since when is my bed sport any concern of yours?”
Ignoring him, Edwin continued. “You love her. I know you do. So you should not give up hope. While you were at the castle visiting Lady Jacqueline, some of the villagers shared an interesting bit of information. More than one bit, actually.”
Terric could see Edwin itched for him to ask what he had heard as he squirmed. He picked up his tankard and took a sip. He decided to see how long it would take for Edwin to break down and tell him without being asked. It only took a few seconds before the squire broke.
“Fine, do not ask. I will tell you anyway. They said Forwin is ill and near death. It is said he might not even live long enough to see his heir born.”
It seemed Jacqueline felt it was unnecessary to relay that information to him as well. “So Jacqueline will be a widow soon.”
Edwin continued. “You see, there is more. Apparently, Forwin fell ill right after his marriage and has been practically bedridden ever since. So I feel Lady Jacqueline’s babe is yours. How could a deathly-ill man father a child?”
Having heard enough of Edwin’s assumptions, Terric stopped him from speaking further. “Shut your mouth, Edwin. The subject of Jacqueline is closed. I do not want to hear another word about it from you,” he snapped.
Thoroughly chastised, Edwin wisely kept his mouth shut.
* * * *
Their small party of travelers entered the bailey of Nunney Castle. Beth was accompanied by Sir Guy along with four men-at-arms.
After dismounting, Sir Guy stepped to Beth and helped her down from her palfrey. He put the bailey and castle walls under close scrutiny. Obviously, finding them both lacking, he snorted in contempt. “This castle is just begging to be taken. No portcullis, only a simple wooden drawbridge operated by a manual crank.”
Beth had to agree with what the older man said. The lack of defenses was appalling, to say the least. Allowing a party of strangers to enter the castle unchallenged made it even worse. “We must find Jacqueline.”
“Aye, and quickly. The sooner we establish ourselves in the household the better.”
Beth nodded as she picked up her skirts and headed in the direction of the hall. “Remember now, Sir Guy, what Lady Elizabeth wants us to do. We must not give our true reason for being here away.”
“Fear not, my lady. I know exactly what has to be done. I will not put the lass in any more danger.”
Beth pushed the hall doors open, and added, “Good. Now let us see what we are up against, shall we?”
The hall was just as empty as the bailey had been. Beth looked at Sir Guy, and he shrugged. It was midday. Usually, the hall would be filled with the occupants of the castle eating their first large meal of the day.
This was ridiculous. They could be left there all day before someone noticed their presence. Thoroughly disgusted, Beth decided to take matters into her own hands. She went in search of the kitchen.
After finding the stairs leading down to the bowels of the castle, she and Sir Guy descended to the kitchen. The sound of voices talking animatedly drifted up to them the farther they went. Beth recognized one of the voices amongst the others. Jacqueline was indeed down there. She entered the kitchen and found her sitting at the worktable, happily conversing with the kitchen help.
Clearing his throat loudly, Sir Guy made their presence known. “Is this any way to welcome guests, lass? By hiding in the kitchen?”
Jacqueline let out a squeal of surprise. She slipped off her stool, then ran to greet them. “I was not expecting you. Why did you not send word of your coming? I would have been better prepared.”
Beth gave Jacqueline a quick embrace, then took a step back to take a closer look at her friend. “I must say you have widened a bit since our last meeting.”
Jacqueline appeared not to know whether she should laugh or cry. “I am so glad you are here, Beth. You too, Sir Guy.”
The older man smiled warmly. “Do you think your mother would leave you to face your time of trial alone? She sent us here to be of service to you.” He stared intently into her eyes, then said pointedly, “To serve you in all matters, to the very end.”
Jacqueline gave Sir Guy a quivering smile. “I will gladly accept your help. Your presence brings me much comfort. You have no idea how much.”
* * * *
Why did those two have to come? Nicholas silently gnashed his teeth in rage. All he had worked so hard to obtain was slipping through his fingers like so many grains of sand. The arrival of Lady Beth and Sir Guy marked the beginning of subtle changes within Nunney’s walls. He could not prove either one was the cause of them, but he just knew they were.
All meals, which he was expected to attend, were now served in the hall. It seemed they tried to keep him from Forwin. What he found most disturbing was the now manned walls.
Sir Guy had been very unobtrusive about what he was doing. At first, the four men-at-arms who had accompanied him there took shifts patrolling the walls. Now, five more men had been added to their ranks. Where they had come from, Nicholas did not know and could not find out either. Those men were very close-mouthed and could not be easily drawn out in conversation. One thing that was true about all of them was that, to a man, they were all very well-trained. Sir Guy held daily training sessions in the bailey. Nicholas had watched one and observed how well those men handled their swords.
Having planned for the last few years to be the next owner of Nunney Castle, he was not prepared to just walk away. He would silently bide his time. Once Jacqueline bore her brat, then things would change. No one was going to stop him from getting what he had striven so hard for. Not the shrew Lady Beth, and not that old knight. He would show them all in the end.