to the great
hall. Delightful! So come, Rose dear. I believe my, other knights have rudely
started without us."
Chapter 10
Adele's grip on her flesh was so tight that Maire bit
her bottom lip to keep from crying out. She wondered dazedly if Adele's retinue
might outnumber Duncan's, now that he was away with so many of his men, and
what that could mean if poor Clement resisted. Truly, she didn't want to see
the friar hurt, didn't want to see anyone hurt. Mayhap if she simply played
along . . .
"Rose, if you do not wish this . . ." Clement
started to say to her as she passed by with Adele, the woman still holding fast
to her arm, yet the stout friar fell silent when Maire summoned a shaky smile.
"Truly, I'm fine. It was the smell of food that
brought me downstairs—"
"There! You see, friar?" Adele exulted, no
matter that a frown came to Clement's brow. "She is much on the mend
already. Wonderful! Just what I had hoped."
Adele walked so fast into the massive hall that Maire
had to struggle to keep up, her awkward gait only exaggerated by such a pace.
She heard sniggering behind her, and glanced over her shoulder to see Rufus
cruelly mimicking her, one short leg dragging behind him as he rocked from side
to side with a broad grin on his face.
Maire doubted she had ever felt such humiliation. The
entire hall seemed to erupt into laughter from the knights seated on a dais and
the lesser soldiers dining at long trestle tables to the buxom maidservants
waiting upon them. Adele's entourage? Maire guessed as much at the many grim
expressions, too, on the faces of Duncan's knights who had remained behind as
well as men-at-arms and Irish servants, all no doubt having heard by now of the
calamity that had brought her to Longford Castle and clearly sharing Lord
FitzWilliam's sentiments, which heartened her.
She could see at their greater number that she had
misjudged her fear for Clement, but the decision was made and she doubted that
Adele would release her. Lifting her chin, she bore the escalating noise
bravely as Adele's knights roared with laughter and pointed, though Maire could
not help remembering another time when her face had burned as hot with
mortification. But then it had been the look of repulsion by only one man,
Colin O'Nolan, that had shattered her most precious
dream.
"What a somber lot, Duncan's men," Adele said
with clear disdain as they approached the steps to the dais. "Especially
that one there, Reginald Montfort."
She followed Adele's gaze to a strapping older knight
with graying hair and as grave an expression as any she'd seen. He was seated
at the opposite end of the high table. Maire winced when Adele's grip grew
tighter.
"Wretched fellow, testy as a bull. Duncan's left
him in charge while he's away—with strict orders that my retainers and I are
not to leave Longford Castle. Ridiculous!"
Maire didn't know what to make of such a revelation,
but Adele clearly didn't expect a comment as she finally released Maire and
climbed the five steps with elegant grace, indicating that Maire should follow.
She did, though walking up stairs had always been difficult for her, and once
more Rufus the Fool parroted her movements while fresh guffaws greeted his
antics.
He even went so far as to take a tumble to the floor
when Maire nearly lost her balance, her hand catching the edge of the table,
which was the only thing that saved her. Her face burning, her courage
faltering, she sank gratefully into an empty chair between Adele and Henry
FitzHugh, not seeing that Reginald Montfort had risen from his place.
"God's breath, Lady Adele, enough of this pathetic
folly! Call off your fool, or I'll see him from the hall myself!"
"Really, Sir Reginald, Rufus means no harm, his
only joy in life to amuse and entertain," Adele answered with a brittle
smile that only made Duncan's knight swear and retake his seat.
"You see?" she said in a low aside to Maire
as if Adele had made no note that the dwarf's
hall. Delightful! So come, Rose dear. I believe my, other knights have rudely
started without us."
Chapter 10
Adele's grip on her flesh was so tight that Maire bit
her bottom lip to keep from crying out. She wondered dazedly if Adele's retinue
might outnumber Duncan's, now that he was away with so many of his men, and
what that could mean if poor Clement resisted. Truly, she didn't want to see
the friar hurt, didn't want to see anyone hurt. Mayhap if she simply played
along . . .
"Rose, if you do not wish this . . ." Clement
started to say to her as she passed by with Adele, the woman still holding fast
to her arm, yet the stout friar fell silent when Maire summoned a shaky smile.
"Truly, I'm fine. It was the smell of food that
brought me downstairs—"
"There! You see, friar?" Adele exulted, no
matter that a frown came to Clement's brow. "She is much on the mend
already. Wonderful! Just what I had hoped."
Adele walked so fast into the massive hall that Maire
had to struggle to keep up, her awkward gait only exaggerated by such a pace.
She heard sniggering behind her, and glanced over her shoulder to see Rufus
cruelly mimicking her, one short leg dragging behind him as he rocked from side
to side with a broad grin on his face.
Maire doubted she had ever felt such humiliation. The
entire hall seemed to erupt into laughter from the knights seated on a dais and
the lesser soldiers dining at long trestle tables to the buxom maidservants
waiting upon them. Adele's entourage? Maire guessed as much at the many grim
expressions, too, on the faces of Duncan's knights who had remained behind as
well as men-at-arms and Irish servants, all no doubt having heard by now of the
calamity that had brought her to Longford Castle and clearly sharing Lord
FitzWilliam's sentiments, which heartened her.
She could see at their greater number that she had
misjudged her fear for Clement, but the decision was made and she doubted that
Adele would release her. Lifting her chin, she bore the escalating noise
bravely as Adele's knights roared with laughter and pointed, though Maire could
not help remembering another time when her face had burned as hot with
mortification. But then it had been the look of repulsion by only one man,
Colin O'Nolan, that had shattered her most precious
dream.
"What a somber lot, Duncan's men," Adele said
with clear disdain as they approached the steps to the dais. "Especially
that one there, Reginald Montfort."
She followed Adele's gaze to a strapping older knight
with graying hair and as grave an expression as any she'd seen. He was seated
at the opposite end of the high table. Maire winced when Adele's grip grew
tighter.
"Wretched fellow, testy as a bull. Duncan's left
him in charge while he's away—with strict orders that my retainers and I are
not to leave Longford Castle. Ridiculous!"
Maire didn't know what to make of such a revelation,
but Adele clearly didn't expect a comment as she finally released Maire and
climbed the five steps with elegant grace, indicating that Maire should follow.
She did, though walking up stairs had always been difficult for her, and once
more Rufus the Fool parroted her movements while fresh guffaws greeted his
antics.
He even went so far as to take a tumble to the floor
when Maire nearly lost her balance, her hand catching the edge of the table,
which was the only thing that saved her. Her face burning, her courage
faltering, she sank gratefully into an empty chair between Adele and Henry
FitzHugh, not seeing that Reginald Montfort had risen from his place.
"God's breath, Lady Adele, enough of this pathetic
folly! Call off your fool, or I'll see him from the hall myself!"
"Really, Sir Reginald, Rufus means no harm, his
only joy in life to amuse and entertain," Adele answered with a brittle
smile that only made Duncan's knight swear and retake his seat.
"You see?" she said in a low aside to Maire
as if Adele had made no note that the dwarf's
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