Kevin did as he was told. Soon, the same two scouts were riding on fresh mounts towards Longcross to announce the arrival of the Duke of Dorset. As the scouts headed off, Kevin went back among the ranks towards the provisions wagon. The ranks were heavier back here because of the duchess and Kevin could see Thomas at the back of the column, covering their rear. But the most prevalent portion of his field of vision was taken up by Annavieve as she sat on the wagon bench next to the quartermaster.
He couldn’t tell what she was dressed in but it wasn’t any of the finery he saw her in the day before. When she’d climbed into the wagon earlier that morning, she had been wrapped in an ugly woolen cloak that seemed to conceal an equally plain woolen dress of sorts beneath. On her feet were dirty leather slippers, tied tightly. She didn’t look like a countess at all; she looked like a pauper. But given the fact that she’d come from a convent, he wasn’t surprised. She was wearing, more than likely, what she had always worn, but it occurred to him that she could wear the dirtiest of rags and still be the most beautiful woman in England.
Kevin reined his horse alongside the provisions wagon, his neutral gaze on Annavieve as she gazed up at him with her wide hazel eyes. There was softness in those eyes, something that reached out to caress him. He could very nearly feel the caress as if it were something real and tangible. Quietly, almost nervously, he cleared his throat.
“Our destination is four hours ahead, my lady,” he said to her. “We will be stopping for the night in the village of Longcross. There is a festival going on, and a tournament, and the duke would like to participate so I am unsure just how long we will be there. I realize that you are in your traveling clothesso we will stop before we reach the town so that you may change into something finer, as befitting the Duchess of Dorset. I will have your trunks brought to you.”
Annavieve’s brow furrowed. “I am afraid I do not have anything finer, my lord.”
He seemed confused. “You were wearing very fine clothing last evening,” he said. “The blue dress you wore would suffice.”
Annavieve shook her head. “The Queen loaned those garments to me for the duration of my stay at the palace,” she said. “When I left this morning, I returned her dresses to her.”
Now it was making some sense to him. “So you have nothing more suitable than what you are wearing?”
Again, she shook her head. “Nay, my lord,” she replied. “You will recall that I have spent my entire life at a convent. I have never had the need for anything finer.”
Kevin thought on that. Without another word, he reined his horse back towards Victor’s white carriage only to discover the man vomiting over the side of it, splashing brown bile down the side of the white paint. Kevin waited impassively until the man had finished retching before speaking.
“My lord,” he addressed the miserable Victor. “I have discovered an unacceptable situation regarding your wife and seek your counsel.”
Victor was wiping his mouth with an embroidered linen handkerchief. “What is it?”
Kevin glanced back to Annavieve, back in the distance. “All of the clothing you saw the duchess wear was loaned to her by the Queen,” he said. “At the moment, she has nothing finer than the clothes she brought with her from the convent and, as you can imagine, they are quite plain. It is not fitting for a duchess to appear in public looking like a servant, as you well know. It would reflect badly on your ability as a husband and provider should your wife be seen in rags. I must therefore ask yourpermission to take the woman into the nearest town and see if we can procure a seamstress. We will meet you in Longcross as soon as we are able.”
Victor eyed him, unhappy. “Great Gods,” he grunted. “Now I must pay for her wardrobe, too?”
Kevin nodded firmly. “Unless you wish to be shamed by the state of your wife’s dress, my lord.”
Of course Victor didn’t. He was a vain man. He knew that what Kevin was saying was true. Burping loudly, he pressed the linen against his lips again.
“My purse is back in the wagon, underneath the bench that woman is sitting on,” he said, sounding disgusted. “Take the coinage you need and then take her with you. Make sure she is properly clothed. You are correct, of course. If Salisbury meets the new duchess and she is dressed in anything other than the best, he will laugh at me until the end of my days. We should have thought of this in London, you know. There are fine dressmakers there.”
Kevin nodded. “Had I only known at that time, my lord,” he said. “I will do what I can to ensure she is presentable.”
He started to turn his horse about but Victor stopped him. “Wait,” he said. “I have not asked you what transpired after I left you last night. I assume you performed as ordered?”
It sounded so cold and unfeeling the way he said it.A business transaction,Kevin reminded himself. “Aye, my lord.”
“I was not able to check to see if her blood was upon the sheets.”
“It was, my lord.”
“And there is a chance she may conceive.”
“There is, my lord.”
A flicker of a smile crossed Victor’s lips. “Excellent,” he said. “You will continue to bed her at every opportunity, Hage. When you take her now to find her suitable clothing, find a tavern andtake her again. I want that woman with child as soon as possible so my cousin will know I have done my duty. If she does not conceive, he will take you away from me and we must not let that happen. I am relying on you to ensure that does not happen.”
Kevin realized that he was coming to hate Victor as the man spoke so cruelly of something that should have been respected and revered.Damnation, man, get your emotion out of it! Already, it is weakening both you and your judgment!
“I will do as you have ordered, my lord,” he replied unemotionally. “The rest is up to God.”
Victor grunted, waving at him in a dismissive gesture. “God has nothing to do with it,” he said. “Make sure the duchess conceives a child. That is your most important duty at the moment. Once she has conceived, I shall send her back to that convent where she came from for her confinement. She can have my son there and remain there for all I care. All Edward wants is a child. Well, he shall have one. A son to carry on the Dorset name and the duchess will stay in that convent and out of my sight for the rest of her life.”
Kevin simply stared at the man. He’d met some cold and unfeeling men in his time. Hell,hewas cold and unfeeling at times, but this situation was different.My son,Victor had called any child Annavieve would bear. The truth was that the child would be Kevin’s son and he realized, with great horror, that he wasn’t entirely apt to allow the duke to claim the child. Not that he had a choice, but as he listened to Victor rant, it was becoming clear to him that this situation was going to become far more complex than he had ever dreamed.
Without another word, Kevin reined his horse around and headed back to the provisions wagon. Annavieve was watching him, her attention fully upon him as he reached the wagon and had a nearby soldier reach under the wagon bench and pull forth the chest that contained the duke’s coinage. Kevin flipped openthe chest, pulling forth a rather large pouch of coins. Closing the lid, he had the same soldier shove it back underneath the bench as Kevin looked over his shoulder and motioned Thomas forward.
