Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

FOR TWO WHOLE weeks, Alyx was content to play with her child, to create lullabies for Judith’s son and Catherine. She sent long, glowing messages to Raine describing the perfections of their daughter and parcels of medicines to Rosamund. A messenger returned with the news of the camp saying that Blanche had been caught stealing and had been banished from the forest. Alyx felt no joy at the announcement.

After two weeks of bliss, she began to miss Raine, and she left the children’s nursery in search of his family.

“I’d heard you were with us again,” Gavin teased, “but I wasn’t sure. Come and join us. Judith is with the falconer and I was about to join her.”

“Do you think the King will like this hawk, Simon?” Judith was asking the grizzled old falconer.

“Aye, my lady. There’s no finer in the land.”

Judith held the big, hooded bird on the end of her gloved arm, studying the hawk, frowning.

“Are you planning a gift for the King?” Alyx asked.

“I’ll try anything” Judith said vehemently. “Since Brian Chatworth’s death and Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the King despises the name of Montgomery.”

“And now since the Queen’s death—” Gavin began.

“Queen Elizabeth died!” Alyx said loudly, and the hawk fluttered its great wings until Judith soothed it. “I’m sorry,” she said. She knew nothing of hawks and hawking. “I hadn’t heard the Queen had died.”

“He’s lost his eldest son and his wife in under a year and his son’s widow’s family threatens to take her dowry back. The man does little but brood now. Once I could have gone to him and talked to him.”

“And what would you ask him?” she asked, hope in her voice.

“I want this feud ended,” Gavin said. “There has been a life taken from the Montgomerys and one from the Chatworths. Perhaps if I could speak to the King I could persuade him to pardon Raine?”

“And what about Miles?” Alyx asked. “He has heartily used Elizabeth Chatworth. I don’t think her brother will forgive him that.”

Gavin and Judith exchanged looks and Judith spoke. “We have corresponded with Miles, and if the King gives permission, he is willing to marry Elizabeth.”

“No doubt Roger Chatworth will welcome a Montgomery into his family with open arms,” Alyx smiled. “So! You’ll use the gift of the hawk to persuade the King. Does he like to go hawking?”

Again, Gavin and Judith exchanged looks.

“Alyx,” Gavin began, “we’ve been waiting to speak to you. We knew you wanted to spend some time with Catherine, but now there’s no more time to lose.”

For some reason, Alyx began to feel a sense of dread. Absurd, of course, but still, cold little fingers went up her spine. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Let’s go inside,” Judith said, handing the hawk to Simon.

Once the old man was inside the stone falconery, Alyx stood her ground. “Tell me what I should know,” she said flatly.

“Gavin!” Judith said. “Let me tell her. Alyx, the King doesn’t particularly care for hawking. Right now he cares for nothing or no one—except one thing.” She paused a moment. “Music,” Judith said quietly.

Alyx stood still a moment, staring. “You want me to go to the King of England, sing him a song and while I’m there casually beg him to forgive my husband and to give the hand of a wealthy heiress to her sworn enemy?” She smiled. “Never have I said I was a magician.”

“Alyx, you could do it,” Judith encouraged. “No one in the country has a voice or talent to match yours. He’ll offer you half of his kingdom if you but make him forget for an hour or so.”

“The King?” Alyx sputtered. “What do I care for the King? I would love to play and sing for him. My concern is Raine. He’s spent a year trying to make me understand his sense of honor and now I do—at least to the extent that I know he wouldn’t thank me for begging before the King.”

“But if you could get a pardon for Raine . . .” Judith argued.

Alyx turned to Gavin. “Were you in Raine’s place, would you want Judith to go to the king for you or would you expect to fight your own battles?”

Gavin’s face was serious. “It would not be easy for me to swallow such a humiliation.”

“Humiliation!” Judith said. “If Raine were free, he could come home and we could be a family again.”

“And our strife would be internal,” Gavin said. “I can see Alyx’s point. I don’t think she should go against her husband. We will all fight our own battles and keep the King out of this.”