Page 20 of The Forsaken
It was well after midnight by the time Kate finally got into bed. She’d eaten, washed thoroughly, and was now wearing a clean shift Joan had brought her.
“Ye may wish to keep wearing that filthy habit, but if ye change yer mind, I’ve brought ye some clothes,” Joan said as she laid out a sky-blue gown made of fine damask, complete with an embroidered stomacher. There was also a chemise, silk stockings, and a gauzy veil.
“These are very fine,” Kate said as she looked at the items. “Whom did they belong to?”
Joan sighed. “They belonged to Marie de Rosel, the boys’ mother, God rest her soul, but she no longer has need of them and ye do. She’d want ye to have them.”
“Won’t they object to me wearing their mother’s things?”
“Marie’s been gone for a long while now. I doubt the boys even remember what she wore. I kept her trunk. Shame to throw away such beautiful gowns, and ye never know when a comely young postulant will show up at the door,” Joan said with a sour smile.
“Thank you, Mistress Joan,” Kate replied, paying no heed to the sarcastic comment. She caressed the lovely bodice of the gown. The style was outdated, but the gown was still beautiful and well made, if a bit low-cut. Kate hadn’t worn anything this finesince she left home, but the thought of wearing something that didn’t cover her from head to toe was daunting after two years of living in a nun’s habit.
“Ye’d best get used to it,” Joan said, as if reading her thoughts. “Ye’ll never be a nun now.”
“No, I don’t suppose I will.”
“Once King Edward establishes his court, the ladies will display all their finery, hoping to catch his eye. He’s still unwed, our new king, and handsome from what I hear. I doubt he’ll marry one of his courtiers, not if Warwick has any say in the matter. Edward will be needing a foreign alliance to secure his throne, but to be the king’s mistress is a great honor, and can be very lucrative for the family,” Joan added. “Will your sire be taking ye to court then?”
“I doubt it, and I’m not looking to catch anyone’s eye. Besides, I’m hardly worthy of the notice of the king.”
“Ye never know. Ye never know,” Joan repeated thoughtfully.
She left the clothes and walked out, leaving Kate to rest. Kate set aside the gown and climbed into bed.What an odd household this is, she thought as she lay sleepless.The lady of the house is treated like a child, while the old nurse rules the roost and holds some rather astute opinions regarding the future of the Crown.
Kate had yet to meet young Adam, who was four years old, but as she finally succumbed to sleep, she couldn’t help wondering what the future held for the de Rosels now that a child was the head of the family.
TWELVE
JULY 2014
London, England
Quinn laid the rosary aside and stared at it thoughtfully. So, the rosary and the sword had belonged to two different people. It stood to reason that the remains they’d found were of Guy de Rosel, who’d been buried with his sword and Kate’s rosary, but why was he buried in the kitchen? Hugh de Rosel had made it clear that it was very important to him to bury William properly at the parish church. Why would Guy not receive the same treatment, especially if his death was the result of a battle wound? And what had become of Kate? Was it possible that she’d given her most prized possession to a man she barely knew?
Quinn sighed. She couldn’t wait to share what she’d seen with Gabe, but she’d have to brave his ire first. She smiled, feeling a bit smug. Gabe’s curiosity about his ancestors would overcome his irritation. Gabe was a historian, first and foremost, and he’d want to hear every detail of what she’d seen. Quinn was sure that Gabe knew every name on his family tree and could recall the backstory, no matter how brief, on every person, but she wasn’t ready to find out what had happened to Guy and Hugh de Rosel. She wanted to see for herself and watch their destinies unfold without already knowing how the story ended.
Quinn left the study and returned to the bedroom. Her earlier nightmare was forgotten, and she could still get a few hours of sleep before it was time to get up. She curled up next to Gabe and was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Quinn gazed up at Gabe, bleary-eyed. “What time is it?”
“Just gone eight.” Gabe had just come out of the shower. Normally, Quinn would have appreciated the sight of him with his hair damp and a towel wrapped about his trim waist, but at the moment she was too tired to admire anything other than a cup of strong tea.
“Did you not sleep again last night?” Gabe asked as he bent to give her a kiss. “You should have woken me.”
“I snuck down to your father’s study,” Quinn confessed.
Gabe’s mouth stretched into a tight line as he crossed his arms and glared down at her. “You promised.” He spoke quietly, but his voice was laced with anger.
“I had the nightmare again, and I just needed a distraction.”
“You could have watched television or read a book. You didn’t have to go sneaking behind my back. You’re not taking any of this seriously. You are endangering yourself and the baby.” He strode toward the bureau and grabbed the portable blood pressure kit. “Give me your arm.”
Quinn sat bolt upright as irritation flared within her. “I’m not a child, Gabe, and I don’t need to be lectured. Seeing into someone else’s life is a lot less traumatic than reliving the nightmare of being locked in that tomb, thinking I’m going to die and you’ll never find out what happened to me or our child. I would never,EVERendanger our baby.” She didn’t mean to get emotional, but tears of hurt slid down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms about herself in an effort to keep it together and prevent Gabe from getting the blood pressure cuff around her arm.
Gabe set aside the kit, sat on the edge of the bed, and drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you. You seem so fragile these days.”
“I’m not fragile.” Quinn sniffed into his shoulder. “I’m as tough as a pair of old boots.”
