The Brat(14)
Author: Lynsay Sands

"Well, this morning while he was dressing, Balan spotted the cross on the floor and – "

‘You left it on the floor?" Emilie said in surprise.

"Nay, I put it on the table. It must have got knocked off somehow," she said, blushing as she recalled what Balan had done to her on the table and just how it had probably gotten knocked off. Giving her head a shake, she went on: "Anyway, he picked it up, saying he thought he’d lost it and that it must have simply been caught in his clothes. And then he put it on." Emilie nodded. "He has worn the cross ever since his father gave it to him some years ago."

Murie scowled impatiently. "Do you not see? It was his cross … in my room . , . the morning after I dreamed he came to me and kissed me."

"Ah." Emilie sat back. "I see. You think it was not a dream at all, but that he came to you in person and kissed you in your bed." She paused, looking startled, and then exclaimed, "Before you were married! Why, that is scandalous. That is – "

"Not a dream at all," Murie said grimly, trying to return to the point. "I did not dream he was there; he w as there. Why?" Emilie blinked. "Why?"

"Aye. Why? We had never met before. I had never even seen him before I woke up to find him kissing me. But it was the night I was supposed to dream of the man I was fated to marry, and I woke up thinking that was him!"

"Oh, I am sure that had nothing to do with it," Emilie began, but she was looking concerned.

"Nay? Then why did he come in and kiss me – a veritable stranger?"

"Mayhap he was drunk and stumbled into the wrong room, and when he saw you sleeping there he was so overcome he could not resist kissing you," she suggested.

"Cecily told me the day after the dream that she’d seen Balan lurking in the hall when she left that night. I did not think anything of it at the time, but now . .. Lurking in the hall does not suggest he stumbled into my room by accident."

Emilie was frowning. "Murie, I prithee do not overreact to this. I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation for everything."

"Like what, pray tell?" she asked dubiously.

"I do not know," Emilie admitted. "And you will not either until you ask Balan. Just ask him."

Murie was silent for a moment, then stood with a small nod and moved to the door. "Aye, I shall ask him if he was in my room that night and why."

"Good. I am sure it will all work out."

"Aye." Murie slipped out of her friend’s room and pulled the door softly closed behind her. She then paused and peered around. She needed to talk to Balan, but this was a serious matter and must be approached carefully. She was married to the man now, with no way out until one of them died. This had to be handled delicately.

Most delicately, Murie thought as she moved up the hall. She would go for a walk and consider how best to approach the matter before confronting her husband. And then she would stop at the chapel and pray her husband’s answers were acceptable and did not prove he was a tricky, cheating lord who had taken advantage of the St. Agnes Eve superstition to get her to marry him because he needed coin for his castle.

"Balan, there is trouble. Murie knows.!"

"Knows what?" Balan asked. He and Reginald had been headed back to their rooms, but came to a halt as Osgoode rushed up.

"That you were in her room that night. That it was not a dream," his cousin explained, his voice worried.

"Oh-ho. What is this?" Reginald asked with interest. Balan ignored him and said, "And she married me anyway?"

"Nay." Osgoode waved that possibility away with exasperation.

"She did not ken ere the wedding; she realized it this morning when you picked up your cross from the table. It had not been caught in your clothing; you apparently lost it the night you were in her room.

She found it the next morn and put it on the table. You must have lost it in your struggle with Malculinus."

Balan frowned, one hand rising to touch the cross at his neck.

"Nay. There was no struggle. But mayhap it fell off when I picked him up."

"Hmm, that is possible," Osgoode agreed.

"Oh, now, you have to explain this," Reginald said firmly. "A struggle with Malculinus? In Murie’s room?"

Balan grimaced, but quickly explained the events of that evening to his friend.

Reginald nodded solemnly when Balan had finished and then glanced at Osgoode. "And you say Murie knows Balan was in her room that night, really kissing her?"

Osgoode nodded.

Reginald sighed. "This could be a problem, Balan. Murie will not be pleased if she thinks you tricked her into marriage. Neither will the king if he hears of it." His gaze suddenly returned to Osgoode. "How did you find out that she knows? Is word of it already spreading around court?"

"Nay. At least, I do not think so," Osgoode said. "I had my page follow Murie this morning, just to make sure Malculinus and his sister did not try to pull another stunt or cause trouble. He says she rushed out of the room shortly after Balan left, and he followed her to your room and listened at the door to what was said, then came to report to me directly after they spoke." Reginald did not look pleased to hear that Osgoode’s page had eavesdropped through his door, but then neither was Balan pleased with the information obtained.

‘You are not to set that boy on my wife again," Balan said with irritation. "She is my wife. If I deem she needs following, I shall arrange it. And she does not need following."

"Well, obviously she does," Osgoode argued. "Had I not commanded Robbie to follow her, we would not now know about this problem and could not do anything about it."

"That is true enough," Reginald pointed out, some of his annoyance fading.

"Aye." Osgoode nodded, then turned a raised eyebrow to Balan. "Now, the question is … what are we going to do about it?"

Balan scowled for a moment, then said, " We are doing nothing."

"Nothing?" Osgoode squawked, and then rushed after him as Balan continued up the hall. "Balan, you have to tell her what Lauda and Malculinus planned. ‘Tis the only way to make her understand that we never intended her to see you, that we only meant to stop Malculinus."

"I fear he is right," Reginald said with concern. "You really should tell her, Balan. She may be thinking all sorts of things right now."

Balan paused and turned to face both men with a weary expression. "Do you really think she would believe me?" Osgoode and Reginald exchanged glances, both seeming to realize it wasn’t likely.

"Then what are you going to say when she asks you?" Osgoode asked.

"When she confronts me, I will admit I was there," he said simply.

Reginald winced, and it was Osgoode who spoke. "Can you not deny it? Can you not simply suggest you were there at another time? Claim you entered the room by accident earlier in the day when she was neither there nor sleeping. That you hadn’t even realized it was her room, and – "

"I am not going to lie to my wife," Balan said firmly. "A marriage begun on lies is no marriage at all."

"But you have to give some sort of explanation – "

"Nay," he said firmly. "I will not give explanations she will not believe. Nor will I lie. She has to learn to trust me. A wife should trust her husband, and Murie cannot do that until she knows me better." Turning, he started to walk again. "She will soon learn what I am like by living with me and seeing how I deal with her and others. Mayhap then, when I know she will believe me, I shall tell her about that night."

Sighing, Osgoode shook his head and fell into step beside him.

"You are in for a troubled marriage, cousin."

"I fear he is right," Reginald said with concern. "That being the case, might I suggest it is in your best interests to leave court as soon as possible." When Balan paused to peer at him, he shrugged and said, "If Murie is noticeably unhappy so soon after wedding, it shall surely draw the king’s notice."

"Or she may run to him herself with the problem," Osgoode put in.

"Either way, you could incur the king’s wrath," Reginald pointed out.

Balan frowned. "How would I explain leaving so soon? We are expected to stay another week."

Reginald shifted, then said, "I could go to Murie and tell her that I am worried about Emilie. That she is tired and drawn of late, and I fear for her and the babe and wish to get her home where it is less wearying and she may relax."

"All of which is true," Balan said. He cocked his head. "But how will that convince Murie to leave? Especially if she is upset thinking I tricked her into marrying me?"

"The two women are as close as sisters. While it has the unfortunate effect of making Emilie determined to remain until you and Murie leave, it will also ensure Murie puts Emilie’s health and well-being above her own marital troubles. I would ask her to leave early and that our parties travel together to Reynard so that she will be there to help should a problem arise along the way."

"Which would solve both our problems," Balan said solemnly.

"I have seen you watching your wife with worried eyes."

"Aye. She is tiring much more quickly than she used to. She claims ’tis normal and she is fine, but…"

Balan placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and nodded.

"This is perfect," Osgoode said, drawing them all out of their somber mood. "Emilie will be home where she may rest, and Murie away from court and the king until this matter is resolved between you."

"Aye." Balan nodded.

"And, of course," Reginald added, "once at Reynard, your party is more than welcome to rest a day or two, or even a week before continuing on."

"I may take you up on that. I think Murie would enjoy it," Balan said. Then he frowned. "I am not so sure the king will take our leaving early well, though."

"That is a consideration," Reginald admitted. The three men were silent for a moment, each considering the matter. Then Balan sighed and said, "I shall have to broach the matter carefully."

"Aye," Reginald and Osgoode agreed.

"Come," Balan said, turning away. "We will have to think on this, and I think better with an ale in my hand."

Murie watched the men leave from the opposite end of the hall. She’d been looking for her husband and had just started around the corner to the hall near their chamber when she’d heard Osgoode hailing the two men. Pausing abruptly, she’d ducked back out of sight and listened to the entire conversation. Leaning her back against the wall now, she closed her eyes and allowed a small smile to curve her lips. Emilie had been right. It hadn’t at all been what she’d thought.

So, the trickery had been Malculinus and Lauda’s…. She shuddered at the thought of waking to find that man’s lips on hers. She might very well have been fooled into marrying the deceitful lord.

But Balan had saved her from Malculinus’s machinations. What a wonderful husband she had!

Her smile widening, Murie pushed away from the wall and started up the hall the men had taken, sure they were far enough away that she would not run into them. She wished she could say with honesty that she would have believed Balan if she’d had the chance to confront him and he’d told her the true state of affairs, but she feared he was right. In truth, she hardly knew her husband and might very well have taken him for a liar. Overhearing this conversation, however, had gone a long way toward increasing her trust in him. Not only had he had honorable intentions the night he was in her room, he’d flat out refused Osgoode’s suggestion to lie to appease her. She had a good man for her husband. She owed St. Agnes a good deal for sending Balan to her.

Murie paused and pursed her lips thoughtfully as she reached the stairs. She was not at all upset about leaving court early. She too was worried about Emilie; besides, she had no great love for court. She only feared that the king could be difficult about such things and might not take Balan’s request well if he used the wrong approach. She, on the other hand, had a great deal of experience in how to handle the king. She would deal with the matter for him.

Chapter Eight

" ‘Tis busy," Reginald murmured as he peered at the lords milling around them. They had already given their names to Robert, making their request to see the king, and had found a spot to wait in the corner. "We shall be lucky to get in to see him at all today."

"Aye." Balan scowled at the crowded waiting room outside the king’s chamber. He’d been hoping to get Murie away from court today to prevent their marital problems becoming fodder for the court, but at this rate, it wasn’t looking likely.

"Is that not Murie?"

Balan turned at Osgoode’s surprised words and saw his wife bustling out into the hall. She moved quickly, a smile on her face, looking neither left nor right, so she did not see the three of them. Frowning, Balan took a step to follow her, intending to ask what she’d been about, only to pause as he heard his name called.

"Lord Gaynor?" the speaker said again, closer this time. Balan tore his gaze from his departing wife’s back and peered at Robert as the man reached his side. "Aye?"

"You may see the king now."

"What of Lord Reynard? We asked to see him together," he said, glancing toward his now frowning friend.

"I was told to send for only you," the servant said simply. "This way, please."

After the briefest hesitation, Balan nodded and followed. His eyes sought Edward the moment he stepped through the door. There was no fury or upset apparent on the king’s face, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He was well aware that His Majesty could hide his emotions when it suited his purposes. If Murie had been here to complain about her husband tricking her, Edward might very well hide his emotions until he was ready to tear layers off Balan’s back.

"Ah, Balan." Edward smiled in greeting. "Good. I asked you here to speak about Murie."