Mary flushed. He was dangerously annoyed. “Why do you ask me to say what the whole world knows?”
“Speak.” His smile flashed, unpleasantly. His knife also flashed, tossing the lamb to the hounds. They fell upon the small piece, snarling. “What does the whole world know of Stephen de Warenne? What do you know?”
Mary trembled. “I know of your ambition,” she finally flung, unable to resist temptation.
His eyes grew black. “Ah, yes, my fearsome ambition.”
“’Tis fearsome! For it rules all that you do. I know that peace is your last concern, and that if you could, you would put your son upon my father’s throne!”
Stephen sent his dagger into the table at the same time that he lunged to his feet. The blade quivered, the hall fell silent. Mary blanched but held her ground. For years Malcolm had accused Northumberland of coveting even more of Scotland than what they already had. She had only spoken the truth.
“Ourson,” Stephen said, his eyes glittering. “’Twould not be my son—’twould be our son.”
Mary could only wet her dry lips.
“You are not as clever as you think you are, demoiselle,” he said, towering over her. “I do not want your wretched land, filled as it is with dozens of warring clans. I want only peace.”
Mary pursed her mouth tightly shut, wisely refraining from ridicule.
“But I do not care what you think, not now, and not later, when you are my wife.”
Mary managed not to cringe beneath his furious glare. He strode from the dais, calling for his steward. Mary watched as the man came running. A moment later Stephen had whirled from the hall.
Mary trembled then, slumping now that he was gone. Whatever had possessed her to accuse him so? She did not doubt his ambition, but to fling it in his face was an invitation to disaster.
“You will go far with a pretty smile, Princess, and winning ways, but to enrage him so is surely folly.”
Mary’s gaze flew to Geoffrey’s.
“Why do you seek to push him to his limit?” the archdeacon asked. He was not smiling—his look was very somber—but he was not unkind.
Mary stared at him. “In truth, I do not know.”
“Perhaps you should consider the fact that Stephen never fails in what he is determined to achieve. That you are going to become his wife, because he has never been more determined. You are no fool, Princess, so knowing this, why do you not cease sowing the seeds of discord?”
Mary looked at Stephen’s dagger, where it stood upright, its lethal blade buried in the table nearly to the hilt. Most women would realize the folly of defiance and the inevitability of the marriage and act accordingly. But she was not most women. “How can I?” she whispered, finally meeting Geoffrey’s intense blue gaze. “When I know my father—my King—demands such loyalty?”
Geoffrey’s mouth narrowed.
An alarm sounded, interrupting them both.
Mary started. Geoffrey, Brand, and the many retainers in the hall instantly broke into action. Mary had recognized the blast of the horn as one of danger and warning. Now it was followed by the frantic ringing of the chapel’s bell. “To the walls,” Brand shouted to the men.
The men raced from the hall. Mary did not move. Isobel was being herded by her two ladies and her nurse into the solar, where they would undoubtedly wait out the crisis as ladies should. Isobel balked. “I want to go with my brothers!” she shouted. “I’m old enough—I want to know what’s happening!”
“You will come with me this instant, young lady,” her nurse, Edith, cried, boxing her ears sharply.
Mary made an instant decision. She raced across the hall, ignoring the cries of the ladies behind her. She chased after the men.
Her skirts raised to her knees, she flew across the bailey with the speed of a deer. She reached the bailey walls as Stephen and his brothers began to rush up the steps to the watchtower. Mary flew after them.
There was too much chaos for her appearance to have yet been remarked. But Stephen suddenly whirled upon the steep stairs, as if alerted to her presence. Instantly he saw her and his gaze widened with shock.
Mary did not stop her headlong flight.
“Jesu! Gerard, take the princess into the keep, now, and see that she remains there!” Stephen bellowed. And then he disappeared from view.
Strong hands caught Mary from behind, lifting her off of her feet. Mary screamed, struggling wildly. She was carried back across the courtyard and into the hall and then to the solar, where the ladies had all assembled. Abruptly she was deposited back down on the floor.
