Annavieve nodded. “It is,” she said, her expression softening as she gazed at him. “Where will you go now?”
He could see the warmth in her expression and it was difficult not to reach out and pull her against him. He was looking forward to the coming night and the time they would share together, more than he’d ever looked forward to anything in his life. Now that he knew how she felt about him, all he wanted to do was shower her with affection. The floodgates were opening and everything was starting to pour forth.
“As I said, back to Salisbury’s camp,” he told her, his voice quieter now. “Have no fear, my lady, I shall return for you in time for the mass competition. It is important to me to have you in the stands. You will greatly inspire me.”
Annavieve blushed sweetly. “I am honored,” she murmured. “I have never inspired anyone before.”
Kevin took a step closer to her but dare not touch her, fearful of witnesses. “Tonight I will show you justhowmuch you have inspired me,” he said softly. “Know that my thoughts are only of you. Go upstairs, now. Eat and rest. I will be back in an hour or two.”
Annavieve nodded obediently and turned for the steps. But she paused, just a moment, to look to him one last time.
“Until I see you again,” she whispered, “I will miss you.”
She was gone before he could reply, running up the stairs to the very first door. He stood there and watched as she knocked on it and Magda, the old nurse, threw the door open and practically yanked her inside. The door slammed and he could hear the bolt being thrown.
With a smile on his face, Kevin left the inn and headed back towards the encampment on the edge of town, thinking giddy thoughts about Annavieve the entire way back. He had no idea that he’d left her with perhaps the greatest threat against him, and now against her, lurking in the shadows.
The dark French knight had heard everything.
*
“Magda, quiet!” Annavievebegged. “I am fine! I am not injured and everything is fine!”
The old nurse was nearly hysterical as she clung to her charge, a young lady whom she’d not seen in over a day. Having never been separated from Annavieve since birth, the old woman had taken the separation hard. She’d hardly slept the night before, fearful and distressed.
“Thee is finally here,” the woman said, hugging her. “Thee is well!”
Annavieve had to grin at her nurse. She hugged the woman tightly and then tried to push her off. “I am,” she assured her.Quickly, she tried to distract her. “Look at all of these trunks, Magda. They belong to me. Come and see what I have now!”
The room was lined with the trunks that men had brought up from the wagon. The old woman wiped her tears away, laboring to compose herself, as Annavieve went to the very first trunk she came across and threw back the bolt. Lifting the old, heavy lid, she proudly pointed to the contents.”
“Look!” she told Magda. “All of these fine things belong to me now. I have twelve new dresses!”
Magda was distracted from her emotional upheaval as she peered at the garments with great interest. Annavieve threw open the remaining trunks, including the small jewel box, to proudly display her acquisitions. The old woman began pulling out the neatly packed garments, gasping when she saw the beauty of them. Annavieve pulled a lovely yellow and blue scarf out of one of the boxes and went to Magda, wrapping it around her shoulders.
“This is for you,” she said, smiling as the old woman inspected the scarf with delight. “I have five scarves. I want you to have this one.”
Magda was overwhelmed. “Where did thee get all of this?” she wanted to know. “And what has happened since the night at the king’s table? I have not seen thee since then, my sweet Anna. What has happened?”
Annavieve thought on that question. She trusted Magda with her life and knew the old women would never repeat what she had been told. Besides, she couldn’t keep the truth from the old women, especially when Kevin showed up that night and expected to have access to her. She didn’t want Magda and Kevin to start throwing punches at one another when Magda denied the man. The old bird was very protective and very determined. Annavieve sighed faintly and sat down on the well-stuffed mattress.
“So much has happened,” she said softly. “I do not even know where to start. But I suppose I should start from the beginning– you undoubtedly saw how resistant the duke was to marriage.”
It was a statement, not a question. Magda nodded seriously. “I did,” she replied. “He does not want a wife, Anna.”
Annavieve nodded, her mood somber. “I know,” she said. “In fact, he does not want a wife so much that he refused to consummate our marriage.”
Magda’s eyes flew open wide with shock. “Say it is not so!” she gasped. “What did he do to thee? Was he terrible? Did he hurt thee?”
Annavieve shook her head, tugging on Magda’s arm and forcing the woman to sit beside her. “He did not touch me,” she said. “Magda, you must never repeat what I am about to tell you. It is shocking and I have been sworn to secrecy. Do you understand?”
Magda nodded solemnly. “Of course, sweet Anna,” she said. “What happened?”
Annavieve took a deep breath. “Because my husband did not want to consummate the marriage, he ordered his knight to do it for him,” she said, watching Magda cover her mouth in shock. “He ordered Sir Kevin to consummate the marriage and beget me with child.”
Magda gasped in horror. “How could he do that?” she cried. “He is thy husband! Yet he orders another to do his duty?”
Annavieve nodded, holding the woman’s hands tightly. “I do not know my husband and do not know his mind,” she said. “All I know is that he ordered Sir Kevin to consummate the marriage and he did. You will not judge Sir Kevin, Magda… he did as he was ordered to do, as did I. He was bound to comply. He had no choice.”
