Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

with.”

“Do you know that he won’t let any messenger read anything concerning you in a letter?”

“I guessed as much. Damn Raine and his honor! If he’d just listen for ten sentences he’d find out I’m not a traitor. The best I can hope for is to distract him for a while. I’m afraid he may decide to go after Roger Chatworth on his own, and no doubt he will if he thinks his baby brother is in danger. If his ‘little’ brother weren’t such a seducer of women perhaps none of this would be happening. But the Montgomery brothers stand up for each other no matter what.”

“Distract him?” Joss asked, smiling. “I think you’ll do that. Do you know how good you look? The violet of your dress makes your eyes glow.”

“Speaking of seducers,” she teased, looking him up and down. “I thought I’d wear simple clothes more suited for the forest, but Judith planned my wardrobe, saying beautiful gowns would make me more visible to Raine. Have I really changed?”

“Yes, you’ve filled out. Now, who is that greedy wench you brought with you?”

For a moment Alyx studied Joss. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen him so full of laughter or tease so much. “How is Rosamund?” she asked tentatively.

Jocelin tossed his head back and laughed. “You are too clever. She’s magnificent and getting better. Now, let’s go into camp. Raine will be glad to see you no matter what he says.”

* * *

Although Alyx thought she was prepared for her first sight of Raine, she wasn’t. He’d lost weight and the striations in his muscles were standing out. He was standing by a campfire looking down at two men who talked to him earnestly.

For a moment Alyx stood completely still, watching him, remembering every inch of him, wanting to run to him, launch herself into his arms, feel him welcoming her.

But when he turned, her breath caught in her throat. Hate she could have dealt with, but Raine’s eyes did not show the warm fires of hate. Instead there was nothing there but a frigid wasteland of ice: blue so cold it sent slivers of ice through her body. There was no flicker of recognition and especially none of welcome.

Without moving, Alyx watched as Raine turned his back on her and walked toward the training field.

“A mite angry, isn’t he?” Joan said from behind Alyx. “Those Montgomerys do have tempers. Did I ever tell you about the pit Lady Judith climbed into to save Lord Gavin? Of course, any woman in her right mind would risk all for such a man as Lord Gavin. And Miles, too. I’ve never been to bed with Lord Raine, though. Is he pleasing?”

“You go too far!” Alyx snapped, spinning around.

Joan gave a catlike grin. “At least I got you to quit feeling sorry for yourself. Now where do you want the tent? You decide while I fetch a few men to help us.”

With that she was off, silently slipping into the group of people who were slowly gathering about Alyx and the four loaded horses.

“We see you didn’t get much of you burned,” one man said, looking Alyx up and down insolently.

“Can’t burn real witches,” a woman said.

“Fancy dressin’,” came another voice. “Who’d you sleep with to get that?”

Alyx put her chin up. “I want to thank all of you for coming to my rescue when I needed help. I’m sure I didn’t deserve it, but thank you.”

This seemed to take the crowd back for a moment.

“Nobody meant to help you,” said a man with a scarred face. “?’Twas for Lord Raine that we went. And now, from the looks of him, he wishes we’d let you burn.”

This caused a great roar of laughter from everyone and, shaking their heads, slapping one another’s backs, they went back to the camp, leaving Alyx alone.

“You plannin’ to cry?” Joan asked nastily in Alyx’s ear. “They’d like that. Here, come see what I found.”

With one deep sniff, Alyx turned away from the forest camp. Had she expected them to see that she’d changed? She looked up at Joan, who was flanked by four large, good-looking young men.

“They’ll help us set up the tent,” Joan said, slipping her arms through two of the men’s.

Alyx had to smile at Joan, who could be made happy so easily. Judith had said Joan was a cat slipping from bed to bed. With amazement, Alyx watched as Joan began to give the young men orders, all the while giving them a caress here and there. Once Joan looked up and winked at Alyx. Insolent girl! Alyx thought, turning away to hide a smile.

At the horses she began to unload the bundles she and Judith had packed.

“Need any help?” asked one of Joan’s young men from behind her as he took the bundle from her.