"What more can you tell me of her?"

"I only saw her once, and she hid behind her mother's skirts."

"Her name?"

Sir Evarard frowned thoughtfully. "I am sorry, my lord. I cannot remember."

"It is Lady Leonie, my lord."

All three men turned toward the maid who had spoken. Rolfe did not like the servants to be so attuned to his conversations. He frowned.

"And what is your name, girl?"

"Mildred," she replied with proper meekness. Now that the lord's eyes were upon her, she could have torn her tongue out for speaking up. Sir Rolfe's temper was a terrible thing to behold.

"How do you know the lady Leonie?"

Mildred took heart at the quiet inquiry. "She—she came here often from Pershwick when—"

"Pershwick!" Rolfe bellowed. "She lives there? Not at Montwyn?"

Mildred blanched. She was beholden to Lady Leonie and would have died rather than hurt her. She knew her lord blamed Pershwick for the damage Crewel had suffered since his taking it over.

"My lord, please," Mildred said quickly. "The lady is all that is kind.

When the Crewel leech left my mother to die of a disease he could not cure, Lady Leonie saved her. She knows much of the healing arts, my lord. She would never cause a hurt, I swear it."

"She does live at Pershwick?" At Mildred's reluctant nod, Rolfe demanded, "Why there and not with her father?"

Mildred stepped back, eyes wide with fear. She could not say anything bad of another lord, even one her new lord might not like. She would surely be beaten for criticizing her betters.

Rolfe understood her fear and softened his tone. "Come, Mildred, tell me what you know. You need not fear me."

"It—it is only that my former master, Sir Edmond, claimed Sir William liked—drink too well since his first wife died. Sir Edmond would not let his son wed Lady Leonie because Sir William swears he has no daughter.

He said an alliance with her would gain them naught. She was sent to Pershwick when her mother died and has been separated from her father since, or so I have heard."

"So Lady Leonie and Sir Edmond's son were . . . close?"

"She and Sir Alain were only a year apart in age, my lord. Yes, they were very close."

"Damn me!" Rolfe stormed. "So she has set her serfs to plague me! She does it out of love of the Montignys!"

"No, my lord." Mildred risked herself again. "She would not."

Rolfe paid no attention to this declaration for he had already dismissed the maid from his mind. "It is no wonder our complaints were ignored if the lady herself is set against me. But if I make war on Pershwick, I make war on a woman. What do you think now of your jest, Thorpe?"

"I think you will do what you will do." Thorpe sighed. "But do consider whether you want a deformed creature as wife before you rush ahead."

Rolfe waved that aside. "What law says I must live with the lady?"

"Then why take her to wife? Be reasonable, Rolfe. All these years you avoided marriage when many great beauties were willing."

"I was landless then, Thorpe, and I could not wed without a home to offer my wife."

Thorpe began to say more, but Rolfe said flatly, "What I want most now is peace."

"Peace? Or revenge?"

Rolfe shrugged. "I will not hurt the lady, but she will regret causing me any ill if that is what she intends. See how she likes being confined in Pershwick the rest of her days and her people hanged—for the slightest wrongdoing. I will have an end to these troubles."

"What of Lady Amelia?" Thorpe murmured.

Rolfe frowned. "She came here by her own choice. If she wishes to leave, so be it. But if she wishes to stay, she is welcome. My taking a wife will not change my affections in other regards. At least my taking of this wife will not. I have no duty to please her, not after all she has done. The lady Leonie will have no say in what I do."

Thorpe shook his head and said no more. He could only hope a good night's sleep would bring Rolfe to his senses.

Chapter 4

ROLFE paced in the anteroom outside the king's chamber. It was good of Henry to see him so soon, but Rolfe hated asking favors, even if this favor would cost Henry no more than words, words on parchment.

Henry, on the other hand, loved doing favors. Rolfe's new position as one of Henry's barons had been such a favor, given without warning during a friendly talk the last time Rolfe was in London. The Kempston lands had come unexpectedly into their conversation, and Henry asked Rolfe if he wanted Kempston.

In truth, Henry had long wanted to reward Rolfe for saving his natural son Geoffrey's life. Until then, Rolfe had refused all offers, staunchly maintaining that keeping the son safe was only his duty. To be sure, that was not the first time Rolfe had helped Henry. But Henry was surprised when Rolfe accepted the offer of Kempston, for in truth Kempston was no prize and would have to be won at great cost. He immediately offered Rolfe something better, now that Rolfe was finally showing an interest in settling down. "Something closer to home? I can arrange—"

Rolfe put up a hand to interrupt before the king could tempt him further. "It is the challenge I want from Kempston, my lord. I could buy estates aplenty in Gascony, but I do not call Gascony home any longer, nor do I want land I cannot earn. I will take Kempston and thank you for it."

"Thank me?" Henry seemed embarrassed. "It is I who must thank you, for in truth I was loath to pay an army to secure it. Now it will cost me nothing and I will have a man I know I can trust to curb the lawlessness in that area.You do me a service, Rolfe, and this is not how I meant to reward you for all your other service. What else can I give you? A wife who will bring you a large estate?"

"No, my lord." Rolfe laughed. "Let me secure Kempston before I think of a wife."

Ironically, a wife was the very reason Rolfe was there, pacing the anteroom. His offer for Leonie of Montwyn had been flatly refused.

There were ways other than marriage to end the troubles, he knew that. He could always hire more men to patrol the borders of his land and keep her serfs out until Kempston was secured. But then, the cost of hiring enough men to patrol the whole area would be huge, he told himself.

"Damn me, she will not dent my purse more than she has already!"

Rolfe exploded aloud, then saw to his embarrassment that Henry had entered the room.

"Who will not dent your purse?" Henry asked, chuckling as he came forward. "The lady Amelia? Have you brought her with you?"

"No, my lord. She is in the country," Rolfe replied, uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

Rolfe was never at ease in the king's presence. Rolfe was the bigger man by far, but Henry was the king of England and unlikely to encourage anyone to disregard the fact. He was also heavily built, with broad shoulders, a thick neck, and the powerful arms of a fighter. Henry had red hair which he kept cut short in the current shaggy fashion, and which emphasized his florid face. He was not lavish in his dress, unlike Queen Eleanor, though no one saw her often since Henry had confined her to Winchester for instigating the battles between him and his sons.

Henry was in superb shape for a man forty years old. He could outwalk and outride his courtiers and usually exhausted anyone who tried to keep up with him. He was a man of such energy that he seldom even sat down. His meals were usually taken standing up, walking about his hall. Court etiquette prevented everyone else from sitting as well, a bother much complained about, though never in the king's hearing.

After the amenities had been dispensed with and they were seated, each with a silver goblet of wine, Henry asked with a twinkle in his gray eyes, "I did not expect to see you for some time. Have you come so soon to curse me for Kempston?"

"All goes well there, my lord," Rolfe quickly assured him. "Four of the eight keeps are mine, and the other four are closed tightly, waiting to be secured."

"So the Black Wolf has lived up to his reputation!" Henry cried, delighted.

Rolfe flushed. He hated the name, certain it was inspired by his dark looks rather than by any wolf like prowess. It embarrassed him.

"My coming has less to do with Kempston as a whole than with Crewel particularly, your majesty. I have a neighbor there who has set her people against mine. I am not a man to deal with domestics."

"What fighter is?" Henry chuckled. "But you say 'her people'? Your neighbor is a woman? I can think of no widow in that area."

"She is no widow, nor wife to an absent lord. She is daughter to Sir William of Montwyn and residing on her dower property which lies next to Crewel."

"Sir William." Henry considered, thoughtful. "Ah, now I have him. A baron who wed one of my earl's daughters, the lady Elisabeth I believe, yes, daughter of Shefford. But he closed himself up in his estates some six years ago when Elisabeth died. A tragic affair. They were a love match, and he suffered terribly at her death."

"He has closed his daughter up in Pershwick and forgotten her, I am told."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems the man does not wish to be reminded he has a daughter."

Henry shook his head. "I remember her. Not a comely child, but spirited. She had a nervous disorder, I believe her mother said. The poor woman was forever having to run after the child with medicine. You say Sir William is neglecting her? There is no excuse for that. Why, the girl would be around twenty years old. She should have been wed long ago.

Even if finding her a husband proved difficult, there is always some man who can be bought, isn't there? If she is not for the church, then she must have a husband."

"I agree, my lord." Rolfe leaped at the ideal opening. "And I would be that husband."

There was a shocked silence, and then Henry began to laugh. "You jest, Rolfe. That face of yours sends my loveliest ladies swooning, yet you would settle for a plain girl?"

Rolfe flinched. He supposed it was too much to hope that the ugly duckling had grown into a swan.

"Few marriages are made for preference," Rolfe replied stoically.

"But . . . you are your own man. No one is telling you you must marry this girl, so why would you wish to?"

"Not counting the domestic peace she will bring me, she and I are neighbors. She has lived there for a long time, and can help me in dealings with my other neighbors. Then, too, she has retainers. I have nine knights who follow me, but some are not suited to command and I need men to hold the other seven keeps."

"I can see your reasoning, Rolfe, but I can find you a wife who can accomplish at least half your purpose and is pleasing to look at."

Rolfe shrugged. "There are always women like Amelia."

Henry understood that very well. He was living openly as man and wife with Princess Alice of France. As long as a man had his mistress, what matter his wife's looks? It was true.

"Very well," Henry concurred. "Is it only my permission you require?"

"More than that, Your Majesty. I have offered for the girl and was refused. Without explanation."

"To deny his only daughter a husband?" Henry growled. "By God, you will have her three weeks hence. I will have the banns posted immediately and my messenger will reach Sir William on the morrow."

Then, in a less aggrieved tone, he asked, "But you are certain this is what you want, Rolfe? You have no hesitation about this marriage?"

He certainly did, but that need not be mentioned. "I am certain," he declared, and Henry grinned. "Then you will be pleased to know the lady is sole heir to Sir William, and Montwyn is worth five knights' fees, as I recall. She was also her mother's sole heir, and her mother left her a dower of three keeps." Henry chuckled here. "The vassal at Rethel has six sons you might find useful. Lady Leonie is also niece to the earl of Shefford, and there are other uncles and aunts, most of them well placed.

It does not hurt a man to be well connected, eh?"

Rolfe was shocked. She was an heiress with a much richer dowry than he'd known about, and highborn relatives as well. He supposed all this ought to please him, but in truth he had believed her a solitary woman, and now he began to wonder if his anger had made him take on more than he wanted to.

Chapter 5