Chapter 5

"B elieve it or not, Roger Mortimer pulled it off without shedding a drop of blood," Guy de Beauchamp told his wife and daughter. "The Despencers have been banished, and the Marcher barons have been issued pardons for rising up against the king. Lancaster and I left immediately, but the Marchers are awaiting official writs that their lands have been restored to them."

"That's marvelous news, darling. Isabelle will be the happiest lady in England." Jory lifted her face for her husband's kiss. "Roger Mortimer could charm the ducks off the pond, but beneath his velvet glove is a fist of steel."

"Aye, beneath the polished surface, Mortimer is tough and hard-bitten, but it's a damn good thing he is."

"I'm going to miss Wolf Mortimer," Guy Thomas said wistfully.

"Wolf Mortimer is an uncouth lout. I'm surprised Father allows you to associate with the arrogant devil," Brianna declared.

"The Mortimers will be celebrating a wedding tomorrow."

"A wedding?" Brianna asked sharply.

"Roger Mortimer's son is marrying Lord Badlesmere's daughter," Guy Thomas informed his sister.

Brianna's face went pale. "Wolf Mortimer is to marry?"

Jory noticed the alarm in her daughter's voice and exchanged a look with Warwick. "No, no, darling. It is Mortimer's eldest son, Edmund, who is to wed Elizabeth Badlesmere."

"You look relieved," her father teased.

"I am relieved for Elizabeth Badlesmere. Edmund Mortimer is civilized, which is more than I can say for his brother."

That night before she retired, Brianna spoke with her mother. "Now that the Despencers are banished, I'm sure the queen will return to Windsor. Can we not go and visit with her? The gardens will be beautiful. In late summer, everything will be in bloom."

"Your father has only just arrived home. I think I'll give it a couple of days before I broach the subject. I too would dearly love to spend some time with Isabelle."

"Why don't you suggest we go to Flamstead? You know how the horses draw him. I don't think he'd be averse to spending time at Flamstead, while we visit Windsor."

"I must caution you, Brianna, that this will only be a visit . Much as I love Isabelle, being caught up in the intrigue, strife, and machinations of the royal court has lost its appeal for me. I prefer to spend my time with your father at our own castles. I have no intention of returning to court as the queen's lady."

Brianna gathered her courage and plunged in. "Do you think I could take your place in the queen's service?"

Jory smiled. She understood perfectly her daughter's desire to leave the nest, to spread her wings and become her own woman before she took on the role of devoted wife and mother. "You would make a perfect lady in waiting for Isabelle."

Brianna's eyes shone with excitement at the prospect. "You are the best mother in the world!"

"I'll talk to your father. I'm sure he will be eager to visit Flamstead and we can also visit Lynx and Jane at Hedingham."

"That's a lovely plan. I can't wait!"

At Leeds Castle in Kent, the wedding ceremony had been celebrated and the newlyweds had sought their nuptial chamber at midnight. The celebrations, however, went on long after the couple had withdrawn. It seemed that half of Kent had been invited to join in the revelry. By four in the morning, though, the castle had quietened. The villagers had staggered home, the inebriated guests had finally sought their beds, and even the servants had fallen asleep in the vast kitchens or the Great Hall.

A lone figure prowled the courtyard. Earlier, Wolf Mortimer had joined in the merriment, carousing with the best of them. He had been pursued by a bevy of females, taken a different partner for every dance, and slipped away for dalliance with more than one buxom wench. But as the night advanced, he grew more sober with each passing hour. Though Leeds was like a lovely mythic castle in a fairy tale, perched on the edge of its own delightful Kent lake, Wolf experienced an ominous feeling, as if a dark shadow had fallen over Leeds Castle, and he could not cast off the sense of foreboding that clung to the very stones.

He became aware of another presence and was not surprised that his father had come to join him on his lone walk. They fell into step in the darkness and without words Roger Mortimer became attuned to his son's mood.

Finally he asked, "What is amiss?"

"I have a sinister feeling about this castle. Was it not a royal castle once upon a time? How did Badlesmere come into possession of Leeds?"

"It belonged to Queen Isabelle, but when the king made Badlesmere steward of the royal household, he gave him Leeds in exchange for Adderley Manor in Shropshire."

"Since Shropshire is in the Marches, I warrant it was Hugh Despencer who wanted it." In deep thought, Wolf rubbed the black bristles sprouting on his jaw. "The king won't forgive Badlesmere, a steward of the royal household, for allying himself with Thomas of Lancaster. He could seek revenge and retaliate."

"Badlesmere prepared all his castles for war before he joined Lancaster. He was ready for an attack on Leeds." Roger placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. "The danger you sense has passed. We have drawn Edward's sting. Without the Despencers the king is impotent."

"What makes you think they will stay parted?" Wolf asked.

"I have confirmation that the elder Despencer has reached Bordeaux, and Hugh Despencer's ship was seen heading into the Channel. Edward knows it will mean civil war if they return."

"Hugh Despencer has his own vessels, and is a master of the seas. He and King Edward could meet secretly at any port."

"I'll drop a word of caution in Bartholomew's ear to leave Leeds Castle well guarded."

The next day, Wolf took his brother aside. "Edmund, I don't wish to alarm you unnecessarily, but I have a feeling your father-in-law may be a marked man. I sense trouble at Leeds Castle."

"Then I had better stay here with Elizabeth."

Wolf nodded. "Father is cautious. The Marcher barons will take their time withdrawing. When we get as far as Oxford our forces will likely stay put for a while just in case trouble raises its ugly head."

Queen Isabelle had no sooner departed for Windsor than a secret missive was brought to the king from Hugh Despencer. The next day Edward left London and traveled to the Isle of Thanet, just off the coast at Ramsgate.

Edward embraced his lover as if they had been parted for years. "Hugh, my dearest love, I cannot eat, and I cannot sleep without you. Tell me that you forgive me, I beg you. It wasn't my fault! The bloody barons forced me to sign the banishment papers."

Hugh pouted sulkily and did not allow the kisses that Edward craved. "Swear to me that you will be avenged against the Marcher lords who took my lands and the barons who forced you to exile me? Only then will I find it in my heart to forgive you, Ned."

"You know I will do anything that is within my power. I lust for revenge against Thomas of Lancaster. He has always thought he should have been king in my stead. He would like to see me deposed. He would like nothing better than to set Prince Edward on the throne and rule himself as regent!"

Hugh fed the fire of Edward's hatred. "It was Lancaster who murdered your beloved Gaveston and he will not rest until he has done the same to me."

"I will never allow it. I will protect you with my life!"

This time, Hugh allowed himself to be caressed and fondled. "We must think up a plot that will bring them all low, Edward."

"I cannot think of anything save making love to you at the moment. You alone know how to soothe me. Let me love you, and then we will concoct a plan worthy of our enemies."

Hugh plied him with two goblets of full-bodied red wine, then drew him into the bedchamber. He removed his garments with a deliberate slowness that was calculated to inflame the king. Finally, he stretched himself naked on the bed and watched with veiled contempt as Edward threw off his own clothes in a frenzy of need.

Only after much persuasion did Hugh roll to an accommodating prone position. "Ned, you know what I like, first," he said coyly, taking the stopper from a flagon of scented oil.

Edward dutifully massaged and caressed his lover's buttocks, though he needed no foreplay himself and was nigh to bursting.

Finally, with a satisfied smile of manipulation, Hugh drew up his knees, raised his bum, and presented himself for penetration.

Hugh was so tight. Edward moaned with pleasure. He had no idea why most men were attracted to females when there was absolutely nothing more seductive than the stimulating body of a young male.

Edward came hard and fast because he'd been forced to abstain for a time, and one ejaculation did not nearly satisfy him. Hugh was a master of manipulation, however, and knew exactly how many times the king needed to spend before he was drained of his lust and became malleable clay in his hands.

Hugh arose from the bed and poured Edward another goblet of wine. The king sat on the edge of the bed and opened his legs in avid anticipation. Hugh dipped his fingers into the potent red liquid, anointed the large, bulbous head of Edward's cock, then handed the goblet to him. Hugh went down on his knees between the king's thighs and licked the droplets of wine with his tongue. Then he took him whole into his mouth and sucked rhythmically, watching Edward writhe in ecstasy. As the king felt his orgasm start he began to swallow his wine, and it was the signal for Hugh to swallow the royal elixir that always made him feel omnipotent.

A short time later, they lay curled together in the bed. Edward had spilled all his seed and now it was time for Hugh to plant his own seeds in the fertile ground of the king's mind.

"What you need, Edward my love, is a just cause to move against the Marcher lords and those other barons who have supported your enemies."

"I was outraged that Badlesmere, a steward of my royal household, turned his coat, joined Lancaster, and supported my enemies!"

"You must take your revenge against the Kent baron and his family. If your cause is just , the people will support you."

"The people hate me. They give their love and support only to Isabelle." Edward's voice was filled with petulant self-pity.

"The people are like sheep, Ned. With a little manipulation they can be led in any direction. We must use this blind devotion they have for Isabelle to our advantage."

"You have been blessed with a quick, brilliant intellect that I do not possess, Hugh. Explain how I can take advantage of the people's love for the queen."

"Badlesmere will have prepared his castles for war and will be expecting an attack on his main seat at Leeds. If you send an armed force to take back Leeds because you have restored it to Queen Isabelle, its rightful owner, Badlesmere's castle guard will attack them. The confrontation will rally the people to champion the queen against Badlesmere. The outrageous slight to your beloved consort will give you just cause to take up arms against Badlesmere."

"But I want bigger fish than Badlesmere—I want the Marcher barons and most of all I want that swine, Lancaster!"

"And you shall have them, Edward my love. When the bigger fish come to the aid of Badlesmere, you will net them all and punish them for the disobedience and contempt they committed against the beloved Queen of England."

"It's a trap!" At last Edward understood the plot.

"A trap that gives you just cause to be revenged against the enemies of the queen, enemies who just happen to be your own."

"All I have to do is tell Isabelle that Leeds Castle is hers once more. She loves the place so much, I am certain she will want to visit before winter sets in. I will provide her with an armed guard as escort for her own protection."

"Edward, your brilliant intellect far outshines mine."

"My dearest Jory and Brianna…welcome to Hedingham. I was overjoyed when I got your message yesterday that you were at Flamstead and were coming to visit us." Jane de Warenne's face, wreathed in smiles, told them how happy she was to see them again. "Jory, you look exactly the same, not an hour older than when I saw you last, but, Brianna…oh my, you have blossomed into a beautiful noble lady, exactly like your elegant mother. It is no wonder that Lincoln Robert has not stopped talking about you since he returned from Warwick."

Brianna, thrilled that she lingered in Lincoln's thoughts, blushed prettily. "That was more than four months ago, Aunt Jane, I'm sure you exaggerate."

"Not even a tiny exaggeration. He's been up on the battlements since first light watching for your arrival. Any moment he will come dashing down the stairs to greet you."

Jane's words proved prophetic as her eldest son arrived before she finished her sentence, prompting everyone to laugh aloud. "You are just in time to carry our guests' luggage upstairs. Brianna, I want you to have the chamber your mother occupied when she lived here at Hedingham."

"Jane, you are always so thoughtful, not to mention sentimental. Your hospitality is ever warm and welcoming." Jory kissed her sister-in-law's cheek. After all these years she still marveled that her brother Lynx had had the good sense to make the gentle Scottish lass his wife. Though he had been heir to an earldom, he'd chosen a commoner to be the mother of his children.

Lincoln Robert hoisted Brianna's trunk to his shoulder. "We do have a staff of servants to do this, but Mother believes menial chores strengthen the character."

Brianna threw him an admiring glance. "It certainly strengthens the muscles." She picked up her jewel case. "I shall come upstairs with you…Lead the way."

Lincoln let the trunk slide from his shoulder to the wide bed. "Mother has little concept of how a countess should delegate responsibility to her staff. She has no ladies in waiting and instead she makes friends of the kitchen maids and sewing women."

"She wasn't brought up noble, and that is what your father loves about her. She is sweet and kind with no false airs whatsoever. She is without ambition and has never even visited the royal court, let alone sought a position there. Her husband and her sons are her life, her entire world. You are fortunate indeed."

"I agree, Brianna, that I am blessed to have such a mother, but I am heir to a great earldom and seek higher qualities in a wife. Qualities that befit a countess, such as noble blood, a fine education, and a certain refined elegance that sets her high above other females."

"A paragon indeed," she teased.

"Qualities that you have in abundance, Brianna."

"Flattery begod!" she said lightly, trying to dispel the air of seriousness that had settled about them.

"Don't swear, Brianna. It detracts from your loveliness."

Brianna raised her brows in amusement. "Bugger, bugger, damn, and bugger! Don't try to make an angel out of me, Lincoln Robert. It makes me want to scrawl rude words on the walls."

He laughed ruefully. "You take delight in teasing me."

"Perverse delight. It stops you from being stuffy. And speaking of stuffy, let's let some fresh air in." Brianna could not bear the sensation of being stifled. She turned to the window, drew back the drapes, and saw the shutters were closed.

Lincoln's arms moved around her to unfasten the iron bolt. The shutters swung open and the scent of lemon verbena wafted into the chamber. Brianna deliberately turned in his arms and smiled invitingly into his green eyes.

When Lincoln took her by the shoulders and set his lips to hers for their first kiss on the mouth, Brianna felt triumphant. It works every time . "Why did you never do that before?" she whispered.

"You are a gently born lady. I did not want to give you a disgust of me, Brianna."

"Perhaps I would be more disgusted if you didn't want to kiss me," she teased.

"We shouldn't be here alone in your bedchamber, my sweet. I don't want to blemish your reputation or your innocence."

She wound a strand of his tawny hair around her finger. "Not even a little?" she tempted wickedly.

"You are a minx, like your mother. I shall have to keep a tight rein on you."

"Tight rein? You make me sound like a filly you intend to ride."

He groaned and turned away from her, trying valiantly to control his physical response. "Come, I will take you back downstairs. I should go and greet your father and your brother. They are more than likely at the forge looking at the new shields our armorer has designed."

At the evening meal, Brianna was amused to see that Lincoln Robert was once again eager to be close to her. He took the seat beside her and served her with all the most succulent pieces of game. As they sat flanked by their two younger brothers, their conversation and laughter flowed easily, and Guy Thomas proudly answered all the questions the de Warenne brothers asked about his exploits in the Welsh Marches, when he had helped to take back the castles and properties that the evil Despencers had stolen from the barons.

Brianna saw her parents as well as Lynx and Jane cast glances at their table and knew that she and Lincoln Robert were being discussed. She smiled inwardly, happy that the parents of her future husband already loved her. They were like one family, and Brianna felt blessed that she would not be wed to a stranger when she turned eighteen as her mother had been.

After dinner Brianna and Lincoln played backgammon. She won the first game and laughed with glee. But when she won a second time, she suspected that her partner was deliberately losing. "I believe you could have won that game if you had tried, Lincoln."

He covered her hand and squeezed it gently. "You enjoy winning so much. I enjoy seeing your eyes gleam with victory."

The two younger boys were playing an uproarious game of fox and geese. Jamie's hunting dog kept stealing the pieces from the board and when they chased after him, the clever hound dropped them in Jane's lap for safekeeping.

Lynx laughed. "Stalker is supposed to be Jamie's, but all the animals at Hedingham believe they are the sole property of Jane."

The next day Lincoln looked everywhere for Brianna and finally found her in the castle stillroom with his mother and her young maid, Rose. "I should have guessed that Mother would be monopolizing you," he teased.

"You are quite wrong. I am the one who begged your mother to help me make some verbena-scented candles. I love the fragrance of lemon."

Jane smiled inwardly at her son's interruption. She knew he was enamored of Brianna and had wondered how long it would take for him to run her to earth. "Rose dear, fetch me one of the small flagons of verbena oil I have distilled."

Rose brought the small bottle to Lady de Warenne.

"Try a few drops of it in the water when you wash your hair. I'll have Rose take it up to your chamber."

"What a lovely idea. Thank you, Jane…thank you, Rose."

"It's such a warm sunny day, I warrant it is an unconscionable waste to spend it indoors," Lincoln declared. "I was hoping you would ride out with me around Hedingham. I'd like to show you the river and the woods we acquired last year."

"I would like that above all things. It will take hours for the wax candles to set. I don't need to stand vigil over them."

"Why don't I get cook to pack you a lunch, then you won't have to come rushing back here to eat?" Jane suggested. "My son has the appetite of an ox and, like most male animals, is at his best when regularly fed and watered."

"I'll go up and change. Don't leave without me."

"No need to hurry, Brianna. I'll saddle Venus for you."

Brianna changed into her green riding dress, pulled on her boots, and made her way to the stables. She realized it may have been wiser to use the feminine trick of keeping him waiting, but she knew there was no need to pique Lincoln's interest in her. He made no secret of the fact that he was enamored of her.

She felt his hands linger at her waist after he lifted her into the saddle. "Did you remember the food?"

"I did. My saddlebags are filled with tempting delights."

She threw him a saucy glance. "Perhaps it's a good thing your mother warned me about your appetite."

The pair rode slowly, their stirrups almost touching, so they could talk, as their horses cantered over the vast Hedingham holdings. The orchard trees were laden with fruit and Lincoln picked them each an apple. He watched in fascination as Brianna bit into it with relish, then licked the juice from her lips.

It was harvest time and they rode past fields of wheat and barley that had been scythed and bundled into sheaves. The hay too had been cut and stacked so it could dry for a few days in the September sun before being gathered and stored for the winter. Their horses flushed a covey of wild game. The birds had been gorging themselves on the scattered seeds.

"We should have brought the dogs," Lincoln said.

"Oh no, it thrills me to see the birds take flight and know they are in no danger. The iridescent feathers of the pheasants are brilliant in the sunshine." She spied a blue-green tail feather on the ground and impulsively dismounted and picked it up.

Lincoln dropped from his saddle, plucked the feather from her fingers, and stuck it into his tawny hair. "It's a cock feather, far too vivid for a well-bred lady." When she tried to snatch it back, he danced away from her. "Catch me if you can."

She was after him in a flash, joining the game with zest. She grabbed his shirt with one hand and jumped high enough that her fingers were able to filch the feather from his locks.

His hands encircled her waist and she dropped to the ground and tried to scamper away from him. He clung tight and the pair of them rolled against a haystack, knocking it over and scattering the hay stalks all about them.

He pinned her beneath him and as he gazed down at her, his laughter fled and his face became serious. "Brianna, I think you know how I feel about you."

She laughed up at him. "Not really. Why don't you tell me?"

"I'd much rather show you." Lincoln bent his head and kissed her full on the mouth.

The kiss put her in a decidedly playful mood. "I concede," she said breathlessly, adorning his hair with the vivid feather. "You have presented me with irrefutable evidence that you are the cock and I am the hen."

"Brianna de Beauchamp, you say the most outrageous things."

"Therein lies the attraction, mayhap." At his quick frown, she said, "Surely I don't shock you?"

"Sometimes," he admitted.

"Yet you don't consider that rolling me in the hay is shocking, Lincoln Robert de Warenne?"

He looked down into her eyes. "Are you shocked?"

"Not yet, but the day is young." She grinned up at him with mischief brimming in her eyes. She quickly wriggled out from beneath him and ran to her horse. By the time he got to his feet, she had mounted. "Perhaps when we get to the woods you can try again." She touched her heels to Venus and they took off, leaving her silvery laughter dancing on the breeze.

For their midday repast Lincoln chose a shady spot where the river skirted the edge of the woods. Brianna sat down on the grass dotted with lacy white saxifrage and purple Michaelmas daisies. She immediately removed her boots and hose, so she could wade in the water. "You will have to add impulsive to my faults."

"I'll add it to the things that make you irresistible," he said gallantly.

She moved to the wide river's edge. "Oh, how lovely…the fish are darting about like silver daggers."

"We bought the river for the fish and the woods for the game. They help supply Hedingham with food."

"How prosaic and practical. Don't spoil my illusions. I imagined they were acquired to add a romantic atmosphere."

"Let's eat, I'm starving. We can wade later." Lincoln emptied his saddlebags of the food that had been wrapped in linen cloths.

Brianna joined him on the grass. "What are the tempting delights, Scotsman? D'ye have a haggis hidden under your kilt?"

Lincoln gave her a quelling glance as he unwrapped freshly baked bread and soft cheese. "I have venison pies and quince tarts—I also brought a flagon of wine."

"Ah, now you're talking. Mother prefers ale, but I have recently discovered wine and I like it excessively." Brianna nibbled on some cheese and enjoyed a pie, while Lincoln devoured everything else. He had a man's healthy appetite and she took pleasure in watching him eat. Each time she drained her cup of wine, she held it out to be refilled.

After her third cup, she lay back among the wildflowers, replete and happy. The wine filled her imagination with daring thoughts as Lincoln Robert stretched his great length beside her. He leaned on an elbow and gazed down at her.

The corners of Brianna's mouth lifted in a secret smile. You want something. Dare I hope you will challenge me to a naked race across the river?

Lincoln threaded his fingers into her dishevelled curls, and touched his lips to her wine-red mouth. "I love you, Brianna. Will you marry me?"