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Vivienne stood there, opening and shutting her mouth. Elise put her hand on Gawain’s sleeve. ‘Gawain, there’s no need to bark at Vivienne. You’re frightening her.’
He looked at her, eyes stony. ‘I’m merely asking questions.’
‘You’re frightening her.’
‘If she has done nothing wrong, she has nothing to fear.’ He turned back to Vivienne. ‘The name of your friend, madame?’
‘I...I’ve forgotten.’
‘How convenient. Do you think André might know?’
Vivienne made a little moaning noise. Or it could have been Bruno, Elise wasn’t sure. Bruno was definitely stirring. A little fist was moving about in his cot.
Gawain’s frown scored heavy lines in his brow. ‘What does André call himself when he’s performing?’
‘André de Poitiers.’
‘Do you think he will recall the name of the friend to whom this belongs?’
‘Most likely, my lord.’ Bruno started to wail. Vivienne looked distractedly at him.
‘Please continue, madame.’
Vivienne made a helpless gesture. ‘Mon seigneur, n-no one here is bearing arms, so I don’t think we’ve broken any laws. I think André’s friend is hoping to sell the sword.’
Gawain stared at her. ‘You are selling this sword for him?’
‘No, my lord. André’s friend is going to sell it. André is simply keeping it for a time. He put it in my coffer. To be honest, I forgot it was there.’
Gawain made a sound of exasperation. Elise’s stomach was churning. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but it was clear Gawain suspected either Vivienne or André of some sort of wrongdoing.
‘Lord Gawain?’ Vivienne stepped forward, eyes anxious. ‘We haven’t done anything against the law, have we? All we are doing is holding a sword for someone who is going to sell it.’
‘Vivienne, this sword is extremely valuable.’
‘My lord, if it’s valuable, then André’s friend will get a good price for it.’ Vivienne looked questioningly at Gawain. ‘Where’s the harm in that?’
Vivienne looked so confused that Elise felt herself relax. Whatever the reasons for the sword being in her coffer, Vivienne was clearly innocent of any wrongdoing. Gawain would surely see this.
‘There is no harm,’ Gawain went on, voice stern, ‘provided the buyer is not misled as to the sword’s true provenance.’
‘My lord?’
‘Someone might be tempted to pay more for a sword if they had been led to believe—for example—that it once belonged to King Arthur.’
‘The legendary Excalibur,’ Elise murmured, staring at the golden hilt. The garnet flashed blood-red, like the eye of a dragon. ‘Those tales are just stories. They’re not real.’
‘My point exactly.’
Bruno let out a full-throated wail and Vivienne picked him up. Rocking him from side to side, she looked at Gawain with large, innocent eyes. ‘My lord, I know nothing about any legendary sword.’
Gawain looked at her. The silence was broken by a wasp buzzing in and then out of the tent.
‘Truly, my lord, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Elise found she was holding her breath. Gawain’s expression was so serious, she hardly recognised him. And when his brown eyes fixed on her, she actually shivered.
‘When’s the lute-player coming back?’
‘André? I’ve no idea.’
Vivienne shifted. ‘He’ll be back at suppertime, mon seigneur.’
‘Not before then?’
‘No, my lord.’
‘Very well.’ Gawain towered over Vivienne. ‘Is my squire still outside?’
‘Yes, my lord.’
He strode to the door flap and flung it back. ‘Aubin! In here, if you please.’
Aubin hurried into the tent and nodded awkwardly at Elise. Elise gave him a weak smile and listened as Gawain rattled off a series of commands.
‘Aubin, go straight to the Troyes garrison. Speak to Sir Raphael and to no one else. Tell him—’ He broke off, frowning thoughtfully at Elise. ‘No, that won’t do. Elise, you understand the Guardian Knights will have to be told about this?’
‘Will they?’
‘Of course. Vivienne will have to accompany me to Troyes Castle. The Captain of the Guard will want to question her about this sword.’
Vivienne gasped and went white.
‘She can’t do that,’ Elise said. Stomach twisting in apprehension, she stared at the sword. ‘I have no idea why this is in our tent, but I’m convinced that Vivienne is not at fault.’ She frowned at Gawain. ‘I’m even more convinced that you can’t take her to the garrison. She’s a nursing mother. What about the babies? The Troyes garrison is no place for babies and she can’t leave them behind. They need feeding at all hours.’
Vivienne swallowed. ‘Are...are you arresting me, my lord?’
‘No, I’m not arresting you. But I cannot pretend I have not seen this sword. You’ll have to explain it to Sir Raphael.’
‘Gawain, you can’t take her to the garrison, not with the babies.’
Gawain looked at her.
‘Gawain, the garrison really is no place for a nursing mother.’
‘Very well.’
Elise let out a sigh. ‘Thank you.’
‘However, I shall have to take Vivienne into safekeeping.’
‘Safekeeping?’
‘She shall accompany me to my manor.’
Elise’s eyes went wide. ‘As your prisoner?’
‘As my guest. Le Manoir des Rosières is only a few miles away. Sir Raphael can interview her there just as well as at the garrison.’ He looked at Vivienne. ‘Will that be preferable, madame?’
‘Thank you, my lord,’ Vivienne said, in a small voice. She looked so distraught that Elise’s heart went out to her.
‘Gawain, you can’t do that!’ Elise hugged Pearl to her. If Gawain took Vivienne to his manor, Pearl would have to go too. And if Pearl went so would Elise. She swallowed. She wouldn’t be parted from Pearl.
‘I think you will see that I can. Aubin?’ Gawain tapped the strange sword against his thigh. The garnet seemed to wink balefully.
‘My lord?’
‘Go back to the manor and tell Sir Bertran I need half a dozen horse soldiers to be at the ready.’ He measured Vivienne’s travelling chest and the two cots with his eye. ‘And ask him to organise a cart for tomorrow. Vivienne, do you ride?’
‘Not well, my lord. We have a cart. I usually travel in that.’
‘Pity. We need to be discreet today, so we can’t use your cart. We’ll have to get you and the babies as far as the Preize Gate. The rest of your belongings can wait until later.’ Gawain shot Elise a look. ‘After I have spoken to Raphael and André.’
Gawain went on issuing commands. Something about borrowing a cart and a couple of guards from the garrison. Elise didn’t hear much of it, her mind was in turmoil. She held Pearl to her and all she could think was that Gawain was about to take Pearl from her. Heart pumping, she stroked Pearl’s hair. Somehow, she must stop him. Whatever happened, she was not going to be separated from her baby.
‘Yes, my lord.’ Aubin was repeating his orders. ‘I am to take a cart and some guards to the Preize Gate, where they will wait. Then I am to come back here and escort Vivienne to the cart on foot. With the babies.’
Saints, Gawain was taking Pearl away and she could think of no way of stopping him. Elise’s head began to pound. For the first time it really hit home that since Gawain was the Count of Meaux, he could do anything. Against him, she was defenceless.
She found herself clutching at the flimsiest of straws. ‘Gawain, you can’t take Vivienne back to your manor. She acts as my maid.’
Dark eyes bored into her. ‘Are you telling me you cannot manage without her?’
Her cheeks warmed. ‘Naturally I can manage, but this is Vivienne’s home. You can’t simply uproot her.’
‘Watch me.’ He glanced at Vivienne, who was frantically rocking Bruno from side to side, and his voice softened. ‘Elise, you must see that I cannot let this slide.’
Unfortunately, Elise did see. Gawain, as an honourable knight—as a count—was bound to uphold the law. However, there was also André to consider. What would he do when he got back this evening and found Vivienne and Bruno gone? And what exactly was the nature of his involvement with the sword? ‘André might be completely innocent.’
The fair head nodded. ‘For your sake, I hope that he is.’
Elise bit her lip and shot Vivienne a look. Was she entirely innocent? She must be. There was no way that Vivienne would be involved in anything underhand. But she was not certain she could say the same about André. The previous autumn, Elise hadn’t been able to rest until she’d found out how her sister had met her untimely death. She hadn’t wanted to leave André and Vivienne to fend for themselves, but it had been obvious she couldn’t take them with her. She’d hoped that leaving them to manage without her would encourage André to grow up. And when she had rejoined them at the turn of the year, she’d been pleasantly surprised to see how well they had coped.
But what if they hadn’t coped? Recently, André had actually had plenty of money, whereas before he’d always been short. Where had it come from? Had he fallen in with felons in his efforts to provide for Vivienne? She stared at Vivienne, heart like lead, and prayed that neither of her friends had done anything wrong.
‘If you’re taking Vivienne to your manor, you will have to make room for me too,’ Elise said. Yes, that would answer very well. She need not be separated from Pearl. She would go with them to Gawain’s manor.
Gawain’s eyebrows lifted. When he simply looked at her, tension balled in her stomach.
I will not be parted from Pearl. Clutching Pearl to her, Elise rushed on. ‘Vivienne can’t go on her own, she...she’ll need help with the babies.’ This wasn’t true, Vivienne was a wonder with the babies, but Elise couldn’t stomach the idea of Vivienne being thrust into a strange environment where there would be no familiar faces. Vivienne might have become used to the wandering life, but for years she’d always had either Elise or André with her. We are a family.
Not that she could expect a man like Gawain—a loner—to understand that.
Gawain nodded a dismissal at his squire. ‘Thank you, Aubin. Carry on.’
‘Very well, my lord.’ Aubin ducked out of the pavilion.
Elise stared at the father of her child and bit her lip. Gawain Steward, Count of Meaux, was ignoring her. He had taken Vivienne into custody and she wasn’t sure he was going to take her to his manor. Heaven help them.
She drew in some air. He must take her with him! ‘My lord, I insist on accompanying Vivienne and the babies back to the manor.’
He looked sharply at her. ‘You insist?’
‘Yes, my lord, I insist.’
Vivienne shifted. Her eyes were huge with concern. ‘Be careful, Elise.’ Muttering under her breath, she took Bruno outside.
‘Gaw...Lord Gawain.’ Elise turned to face him squarely. ‘I am sorry if this inconveniences you, but I feel most strongly about this. Vivienne needs me with her. If you insist on taking Vivienne to your manor, I shall have to come too.’
‘I understand.’ Gawain grimaced. ‘In your shoes I would feel the same. However, much as I would personally enjoy offering you hospitality at the manor, I have to tell you that I cannot entertain you there.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘You would offer space for Vivienne and the babies, but have none for me?’
‘I’m afraid not. My circumstances have changed since your last visit to Troyes, and I suspect you don’t know the full extent of the changes.’
Her brow puckered. ‘Enlighten me.’
‘After my uncle’s death I left Troyes—this was a few weeks ago. I have returned to meet my betrothed.’
She caught her breath. ‘You’re to be married? You’re right, I hadn’t heard. Congratulations, Lord Gawain.’ A cold stone lodged in her chest.
‘My thanks. The marriage is a political one, to the daughter of an old ally of my uncle. It has the blessing of the King of France.’
Elise nodded. She bent over Pearl to hide her expression. Heavens, could matters get any worse? If he was going to be married there was no way he would want her at his manor! ‘May I enquire the name of the lady you are to marry?’
‘Lady Rowena de Sainte-Colombe. Her father has estates near Provins.’
‘I wish you both well, Gaw—my lord. Now I understand why my presence at the manor might be awkward.’
He gave her a mocking bow, tapping the sword against his thigh. ‘I thank you for your understanding.’
Her jaw worked. Her mouth was dry. ‘None the less, I will not be separated from the babies.’
‘Don’t be difficult, Elise.’
‘I’m not being difficult! I am merely telling you that I will not be separated from the babies.’
He shoved his hand through his hair. ‘Elise, for God’s sake—’
