Page 79 of The Forsaken
Guy retreated to his chamber and sat down by the hearth. He’d consumed a lot of wine during supper, but not enough to dull his senses or calm the turmoil he’d felt since that morning when he found Kate crying, her cheek bruised. The earl had been right in everything he’d said. Guy resented Hugh, and despised him for his ill treatment of Kate. But no matter how bright his anger burned, Kate belonged to Hugh, and Guy had no right to chastise his brother for his treatment of his wife. If Hugh chose to take a whip to Kate or ride her until she bled every night, Guy had no right to intervene. The kindest thing he could do was leave. Perhaps his absence would mellow Hugh’s temper.
Guy had every intention of sending the girl away after extracting a promise that she’d tell the earl that Guy had availed himself of her body, but when she knocked on his door and entered the room, quietly standing before him, he changed his mind. She was indeed comely, with large blue eyes and long, lustrous red hair. The earl had chosen well, selecting a lass that resembled Kate, in coloring if not in feature. Guy gazed upon the girl, and suddenly, all the frustration and loneliness of the past several years came crashing down on him, overwhelming him with desperation. It’d been years since he’d enjoyed the touch of a woman, but tonight he would give in to his need. He was a man, and he had a man’s desires, and if they couldn’t be satisfied with the woman he worshipped, they’d be satisfied by one who was willing.
Guy held out his hand and the girl came to him, smiling and eager. “How do you like it, my lord?” she asked, cupping his cheek tenderly.
“How doyoulike it?” Guy asked, smiling back. He might have no feelings for her, but he’d not treat her unkindly.
The girl slid her hand downward and into his breeches, wrapping her slender fingers about his shaft and moving her hand skillfully. “I like it long and hard, my lord,” she purred.
“What’s your name?” Guy asked as a bolt of desire shot through him, leaving him breathless with lust.
“Rose,” the girl whispered and sank to her knees in front of him, her rosy mouth opening to receive him.
“Rose.” Her name turned into a moan on his lips. It didn’t take her long to accomplish what she’d set out to do, but she remained on her knees in front of him, looking up at him with the eager of one who was just getting started.
“Come here,” Guy bid her and pulled on the laces of her bodice.
“Aye, my lord,” the girl replied with a coy smile. “I think I will.”
Guy spent nearly a month at Stanwyck Hall, enjoying the hospitality of his lord and the welcoming embrace of Rose, who came to his chamber nearly every night. He lost himself in her body, but his heart remained untouched. At times, he closed his eyes and imagined Kate lying beneath him, moaning with pleasure and begging him for more. Rose didn’t mind. She understood that Guy’s heart would never belong to her, and had no expectations of him. She was a serf, the earl’s property, and his to give where he saw fit. Once Guy was gone, Rose would return to her normal duties, which might include anything from scrubbing pots to servicing the earl or his son. Guy never asked what she had donebefore he came, and they never spoke of what she’d do after he left. He simply accepted the earl’s gift and tried to make Rose’s time with him as pleasant for her as he could. He made only one request of her, that she protect herself against pregnancy. Many a man wouldn’t care if he got a bastard on the girl. Her child would simply be one more serf for his lord, but Guy couldn’t bear to leave a child of his behind. Rose inserted a vinegar-soaked rag into her quim before coming to him, to prevent his seed from taking hold. She wrinkled her nose prettily at the smell, but Guy didn’t mind it. It was a small price to pay for his peace of mind.
At the beginning of February, just after Candlemas, the earl summoned Guy. He was sitting by the hearth, his feet propped on a tapestry-covered stool, a goblet of wine in his hand. The earl’s son, Robert Ambrose, sat across from his father, enjoying a cup of wine.
“Guy, my boy,” the earl greeted him. “Have a cup of wine.”
Guy pulled up a chair and accepted the wine from the serving wench hovering nearby. It was too hot by the fire, but Guy didn’t move, not wishing to offend his lord.
“I’ve written to Dick, and had a reply just this morning.”
“Dick?”
“Richard Neville,” the earl replied, chuckling. “He’s the Earl of Warwick to you, but Dick to me. I’ve known him since he was old enough to ride his pony. I’ve asked him to take you into his service for a period of one year. Should you wish to remain longer, you only have to ask. You’re to report to him at Middleham Castle. Robert will be travelling that way in two days’ time. You may travel with him.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Guy replied, genuinely grateful for the earl’s understanding. He didn’t have to release Guy, but the older man had a soft spot for him, having been great friends with his father.
“You may take your squire with you. You’ll need him, and it wouldn’t do to arrive at Middleham looking like a poor relation. You’re my knight, and you will make me proud. Hmm?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I’ll miss having you about, my boy. And I know a redheaded lass who’ll pine for you once you’re gone.” The earl chuckled, but his son’s mouth tightened with displeasure.
Guy paid him no mind. “I thank you for your generosity, my lord.”
“Think nothing of it. There are plenty more where she came from. A man needs comely females about the place, doesn’t he, Robert?”
Robert didn’t reply.
“Robert was sick in love with Rose when he was a lad of thirteen,” the earl explained. “She was all of ten then, working in the kitchens. I promised him that he could have her as soon as she became a woman. He had to wait three years, but once she came to his bed, he held on to her for five years. Wouldn’t let anyone near her. I think he still loves her,” the earl teased.
“I have a wife now,” Robert retorted. He avoided his father’s playful gaze and stared into the flames.
“When did having a wife ever stop anyone from enjoying a satisfying tumble? I have a wife too.” The earl laughed good-naturedly. “My wife is only too grateful to let some poor wench service my needs, especially now that she’s too old to bear sons. I hope Rose was to your satisfaction,” he said, watching Guy intently.
“She was most pleasing, my lord.”
“Good. You do look a bit happier, not like a dog that’s been kicked by its master, as you did when you first arrived.”
Guy cringed inwardly at the comparison but didn’t say anything. He was excited to be leaving Stanwyck Hall at last, and putting some distance between himself and Hugh—or more accurately, between himself and Kate.
