Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

hreatened to smack him in the nose.

“Alyx, you really are trying my patience. Don’t you have even one kind thought for me? I’ve been through an awful couple of days. I had to scale that tower wall at night, kill the guard on the roof and put on his armor, all so quietly the other man wouldn’t hear me.”

As he held both her wrists, she could feel herself melting. No matter that it was his fault that she was facing being burned; he had risked a great deal to rescue her.

“Aren’t you pleased with me just a little?” he murmured against her lips. “Aren’t you just a little bit glad to be married to me?”

As Alyx felt her body dissolving, disappearing under his strong will, she wasn’t aware of how he was pulling her across the tub. With a great loud splash, he pulled her onto his lap, water sloshing over the sides.

“Now I have you,” he laughed as she tried to sit up. “Now I’ll make you pay for your lack of gratitude.” He laughed again as Alyx tried to protest, her voice croaking, but as he began to kiss her, she forgot about speaking.

Chapter Fifteen

ALYX’S ARMS WENT about Raine’s neck and all thoughts of anger were gone. It had been so long since she’d seen him, and her hunger for him was overwhelming. Eagerly, she pulled him closer to her, her mouth clinging to his, her tongue invading his mouth, seeking as much of him as she could reach.

“Alyx,” he whispered into her hair, and there were tears in his voice. “I saw you as I went up the wall, sitting alone in that tower room, crying softly, so little, so sad. Right then I wanted to kill all the guards, but I knew I couldn’t rely on the men from the forest to help me. If my brothers had been free, I would have tried it, but I wouldn’t risk injuring you.”

Her head came up at the mention of brothers. Elizabeth!

“What is it, Alyx? What’s wrong?”

She tried to get out the word “Elizabeth,” but it was unintelligible. After several more attempts she managed to say “Miles.”

“Did you meet my little brother? No, you couldn’t have. He’s been on the Isle of Wight. After Mary . . . died, Miles nearly went crazy and Gavin persuaded him to go visit Uncle Simon. He left the Isle a few weeks ago.”

Raine was puzzled at Alyx’s vigorous shaking of her head. Miles, she kept mouthing. “Has something happened to Miles? Is he in danger?”

Alyx nodded yes, and before she had made one more nod, Raine was out of the tub, Alyx under his arm. Hastily, he set her down, wrapped a cloak around her and pulled on his loincloth. “We’ll go see Gavin and you can write what you have to say.”

Alyx’s face was red the instant they left their room. She wore only a wet sheath under the cloak while Raine wore practically nothing as he pulled her through the holy monastery. They found Gavin in the stables.

“You aren’t ready to ride so soon, are you, brother?” he teased. “Surely your bride deserves some attention.”

Raine ignored his jibe. “Alyx says Miles is in trouble. She’ll write for you what’s happened.”

Gavin’s face immediately turned serious. “Come to the monk’s study.”

He led the way with such long strides that Alyx would not have been able to keep up if Raine hadn’t grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. He’d better enjoy this time while she had no voice, she thought.

The monk in the study protested a woman’s presence, but the men ignored him.

“Here!” Gavin said, thrusting paper, pen and ink before her.

It took her several minutes to write the story of Pagnell’s tying of Elizabeth Chatworth and his plan to deliver her to Miles. Raine and Gavin hung over her shoulder until her palms began to sweat.

“Elizabeth Chatworth,” Gavin said, “I thought she was still a child.”

Alyx shook her head.

“What does she look like?” Raine asked seriously.

Alyx’s expression was enough to make them understand.

“The King isn’t going to like this,” Gavin said. “He has placed a heavy fine on the Chatworth estates and ordered Roger away from all Montgomery land.”

“Land!” Raine shouted. “Is that all you care about? Chatworth kidnapped Bronwyn and killed Mary. What does it take to make you consider people instead of land?”

“I care more for my brothers than any land. What will happen if Miles rapes this Chatworth girl? It will look as if we are disobeying the King, and who will suffer then? You! He will never pardon you and you will have to spend your life in that forest with that army of cutthroats. And how will the King punish Miles? By outlawing him, too? I’m worried about losing two of my brothers because of Pagnell’s nasty tricks.”