“Maloren, he didn’t seduce me. If anybody seduced anybody,Iseducedhim—and I’d do it again. I love him, Maloren.”
Finally Maloren understood that Bea would not be dissuaded. She sat down again. “What will I say to Lady Constance?” Her eyes widened. “Or Lord Merrick?”
“You won’t have to say anything to Constance or Merrick. Ranulf and I will go to them when the time comes and ask to be married. I’m sure Merrick won’t object.”
Maloren’s wrinkled face flushed. “You’re right about that! Lord Merrick’ll make certain that redheaded devil marries you.”
“Maloren, I wish you didn’t hate Ranulf,” Bea said as she knelt beside the stool and took Maloren’s work-worn hands in hers. “If you could have heard the things he said, you’d understand why I’m the happiest woman in England right now, except for one small thing. My dearest, most protective Maloren doesn’t like the man I’m going to marry.”
Maloren’s thin lips trembled. “He’s not good enough for you, lambkin. He’s a bad, bad man.”
Bea sighed. She was never going to be able to change her servant’s mind about Ranulf. “I’m sorry you feel that way,Maloren, because Iamgoing to marry him. I suppose Constance could find a place for you at Tregellas and you can stay in her household.”
“Tregellas?” Maloren cried, aghast. “Are you sending me away?”
Bea rubbed her forehead with agitation. “Well, if you hate the man I’m going to marry—”
“I hate all men, but I’m not about to let that stop me from looking after your children,” she declared. “My lamb and her lambkins will need me, especially with such a father. But I promise I’ll not say one word against him to you, or them, or anyone, as long as you let me stay with you. Did you ever hear me say one bad thing about your father while he was alive? No, you did not.”
This was, Bea realized, quite true.
So while Maloren’s acceptance of her marriage to Ranulf wasn’t perfect, this would be enough. And yet… “What if our children have red hair?” she asked warily.
“Thank God you’ll be their mother, then, and me their nurse. Otherwise…” She shook her head as if to say, without their good influence, Bea’s children would be doomed by the heritage of their hair.
In spite of that possibility, Maloren gave Bea a satisfied smile. “So that’s decided. I’ll tend your babies and keep my mouth shut about your red-haired devil of a husband. At least Lord Merrick will make sure you marry. Sir Jowan couldn’t make that son of his do the right thing ifhe’dbeen the one whose bed you’d shared tonight. I feared you had when I saw him creeping in the corridor in the dark as if he was up to no good.” Maloren’s expression grew as sour as Bea had ever seen it. “Sneaking around like a tomcat in an alley, he was, so if he wasn’t with you, I’d say he was meeting another woman.”
Bea found that difficult to believe. “Kiernan isn’t the sort to dally with his host’s servants.”
“Don’t tell me you’re forgetting that hussy staying here?”
IT WAS ALLRanulf could do not to start humming during mass that morning. He did hum as he followed his beautiful Bea into the hall to break the fast. It was a rollicking, happy little tune he’d heard Henry sing in the past.
This behavior wasn’t exactly dignified, Ranulf realized, and hewascastellan here, so he should at least attempt to act in a manner befitting a commander.
That proved nearly as difficult as not kissing Bea when he sat beside her at the high table.
“Lady Celeste has sent her regrets that she’s unable to join us this morning,” Bea remarked after the blessing and sliding him a glance that instantly piqued his curiosity. “Given Kiernan’s absence at mass and something Maloren saw last night, I believe she may no longer be pining over you, my lord.”
“Really?” Ranulf asked, leaning as close as he dared. Was it possible that Celeste had decided to assuage her disappointment with handsome young Kiernan, whose appearance and friendliness toward Bea had caused him some envious pangs in the past? “You think our other noble guest might be responsible for this change of heart?”
“Maloren’s convinced he went to Celeste’s chamber during the night.”
“I don’t suppose she actually asked him where he was going?”
Bea smiled and shook her head. “No.”
“Perhaps he was merely on his way to the garderobe.” Bea’s smile drifted away. “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“On the other hand,” Ranulf continued, “it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if they’d been together. Celeste knows she has absolutely no chance for me, and we both saw how Kiernanlooked at her when they met. Celeste is still a very attractive woman, after all.” He found Bea’s hand and squeezed it lightly before letting go. “She’s not nearly as attractive as my bride-to-be, though.”
Lightly brushing her fingers along his thigh, Bea kept a straight face as she whispered, “And here I thought Kiernan was desperately in love with me.”
“Just as well if he’s not,” Ranulf replied with bogus severity as his hand meandered from her knee to her hip. “Otherwise, I might have to challenge him to combat for my lady.”
Bea shifted away. “Stop that.”
“I like it,” he said softly in return. “I think you like it, too. And who has been blatantly caressing my thigh?”
