Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

“And . . .”

“Yes?” he encouraged.

“Please pardon Raine,” she said. “He’s so good. He isn’t trying to raise any army against you. The people in the camp are outlaws and out-of-works. Raine only trains them to give the criminals something to do and to keep the others from dying of melancholia.”

“Melancholia,” the King sighed. “Yes, I know of that disease. But what of Lady Elizabeth? Is she willing to marry Lord Miles?”

“She is intelligent and she’ll no doubt see the sense of the marriage and if Miles is like his brothers, how could she refuse him?”

“Someday I’ll have to learn the secret of the Montgomery men and the loyalty they can inspire. If Lady Elizabeth is willing, I’ll allow the marriage if for no other reason than to give the child a name.”

“And Raine?”

“For that you will have to work. What say you to spending a week here with me and singing for me night and day?”

“I will dedicate my life to your pleasure if it will save my husband,” Alyx said fiercely.

“No, do not tempt me, child, I have enough problems. Now go and sing and I’ll have the papers drawn.” He waved to one of the men behind him who quickly left the room.

Alyx sang for the rest of the day, until her throat was raw. It was only after the sun had long ago sunk that the King fell asleep in his chair.

“Go and rest now,” said one of the King’s retainers. “Lord Gavin waits outside for you and he’ll show you to your rooms. I’m sure His Majesty will call you early in the morning.”

As soon as Alyx saw Gavin, her weariness left her. Grinning from ear to ear, she flung herself into his arms. “He agreed! He agreed!” she croaked.

Gavin held her tightly, spun her around. “Let’s tell Judith and do something about your voice. Besides, we’re about to start some ugly gossip.”

Alyx stiffened as soon as Gavin released her and formally he escorted her through long drafty corridors hung with riotously colorful tapestries and into the set of rooms reserved for them.

Alyx drank the honey concoction Judith prepared for her and sat down to wait—a waiting which took days. King Henry kept Alyx at his side constantly and, like a trained dog, showed her off to his son Henry and to his late son’s widow, Catherine. Alyx was involved in the court gossip, hearing that the King himself planned to marry the young princess. She very much liked the big, good-looking twelve-year-old Prince Henry. If ever anyone seemed like a King, he did.

Instead of the week King Henry had asked for, Alyx remained at court for two weeks before the papers for Raine’s pardon and an order for Miles and Elizabeth’s marriage were drawn up. Both Gavin and Judith were pleased at leaving court, but Alyx was very worried at seeing Raine again. What would be his reaction to her interference?

It took days to pack all their belongings that they’d needed at court and more days to return to Montgomery Castle. With a pounding heart, Alyx dismounted and waited, hoping Raine would be there.

He wasn’t, but messages awaited them. Roger Chatworth had refused to rel

ease Elizabeth, but Miles wrote that he’d found her. Gavin groaned at this, lamenting his little brother’s disregard for the law. They’d been married not far from the Chatworth estate and immediately after the ceremony, Elizabeth had returned to her brother. This puzzled them, but Miles gave no hint of explanation.

A week went by and there was no word from Raine. At the end of the second week, Gavin sent messengers to the forest, but the men came back saying they were not greeted by guards as usual but had wandered for two days, finding no one.

The next day Gavin and his men rode out and it was a week before they returned.

“Raine’s at his own estates now,” Gavin reported. “And he’s brought all the forest people with him. He must have five farmers in every field and he insists on paying them all. He’ll be a beggar himself in three years.”

“Gavin—” Alyx began.

Gavin touched her cheek. “He’s angry now, but he’ll get over it.”

Quietly, Alyx left the room, Gavin and Judith watching her.

“Tell me the truth,” Judith said.

“Damn that brother of mine!” Gavin shouted, pounding his fist on the table. “Raine says Alyx has insulted him for the last time, that he can bear no more. He says he’s warned her repeatedly but she won’t listen to him and he knows she never will.”

“Perhaps Stephen could talk to him—” Judith began.

“Stephen tried, but he won’t listen. He’s spending all his time with those criminals . . .” He stopped and laughed. “The oddest thing has happened. Alyx always complains that she owes those people in the forest so much and could never repay them. There’s a singer with the band, Jocelin, I believe he traveled with Alyx, and this Jocelin met a man who’d been in the room the day Alyx first performed for the King. I’m not sure what happened that day, but according to the witness, Alyx was magnificent and one of the things she asked for was security for the people under Raine.”