The Velvet Promise (Montgomery/Taggert 2)

“Now, we must plan. You cannot go to him. He would gloat over it for years to come, and besides you would make a poor job of it. You would no doubt be cold and logical when you should weep and sigh.”

“Weep and—!” Judith was offended.

“See you what I mean? Once you said I make too much of a person’s appearances, and I said you make too little of them. For once you are going to use your beauty to its best advantage.”

“But how? Gavin has seen me in every way. My appearance will have no affect on him.”

“You think not?” Joan laughed. “Listen to me and in a few days I will have Lord Gavin groveling at your feet.”

“It would be nice for a change,” Judith smiled. “Yes, I would like that.”

“Then leave it to me. There is an Italian cloth merchant downstairs and—”

“I need no more clothes!” Judith said, glancing at the four large trunks in the room.

Joan smiled in a secret way. “Let me handle the men. You just rest. You’re going to need your strength.”

The news of Judith’s desire for a divorce spread throughout the court like a fire. Divorce was not uncommon, but Judith and Gavin had been married only a short while. The reaction of the people of the court was unusual. The women—orphaned heiresses, young widows—flocked to Gavin. They sensed that his long love affair with Alice Chatworth was over. Obviously his lovely wife had no hold on him. They saw Gavin as an unattached man who would soon need to choose one of them for a wife.

But the men did not run to Judith. They were not given to acting first and thinking later. The queen kept Judith at her side, giving her preferential treatment, or, as the men saw it, guarding her as a bear with her cubs. The men also knew that it was unusual for King Henry to keep the warring couple at court. The king didn’t like divorce and usually sent the couple away. True, the Lady Judith was lovely and very rich, but too often a man felt Gavin’s eyes on him when he stayed too long at the golden-eyed beauty’s side. More than one man voiced the opinion that a good beating would have kept Judith from making their differences public.

“My lady?”

Judith looked up from her book and smiled at Alan Fairfax. The new gown she wore was extremely simple. It had a plain square neck and long, tight sleeves. It hung past her feet so it made a small pool of fabric when she stood. She had to throw part of it over her arm in order to walk. The sides were laced tightly. But what was truly unusual about the gown was its color. It was black—solid, midnight black. There was no belt, no mantle. About her neck was a collar of gold filigree set with large cabochon rubies. Her hair was uncovered, left loose to hang down her back. She’d objected when Joan showed her the black dress and she wondered at how appropriate it was. She had no idea that the black made her skin glow like a pearl. The gold of the collar reflected her eyes and the rubies took second place to the blaze of her deep, rich auburn hair.

It was all Alan could do to keep from staring with his mouth agape. Judith obviously had no idea she was driving the men of the court wild, as well as her husband. “You sit inside on such a lovely day?” he finally managed.

“It would seem so,” she smiled. “If the truth were known, I haven’t been very far outside these walls in several days.”

He held his arm out. “Then perhaps you would like to walk with me?”

She rose and took his arm. “I would indeed enjoy that, kind sir.” Judith held his arm firmly. She was glad to talk to a man again. For days they had all seemed to shy away from her. The thought made her laugh aloud.

“Something amuses you?” Alan asked.

“I was thinking that you are a brave man. For the last week, I had begun to fear that I had the plague—or perhaps even worse. If I only look at a man, he scurries away as if in mortal fear.”

It was Alan’s turn to laugh. “It’s not you but your husband who sends them into the shadows.”

“But he may…soon be my husband no longer.”

“May?” Alan asked, one eyebrow raised. “Do I hear a note of uncertainty?”

Judith was quiet a moment. “I fear I am transparent.”

He covered her hand with his. “You were very angry and rightly so. The Lady Alice—” He stopped when he felt her stiffen. “It was unkind of me to mention her. You have forgiven your husband then?”

Judith smiled. “Can one love another without forgiveness? If it’s possible, then that is my fate.”

“Why don’t you go to him and end this estrangement?”

“You don’t know Gavin! He would gloat and lecture me on my waywardness.”

Alan chuckled. “Then you must make him come to you.”

“That is what my maid says, though she gives me no lessons on how to return my husband to my side.”

“There is only one way. He is a jealous man. You must spend some of your time with another, and Lord Gavin will soon see his mistake.”