Chapter Thirteen #5
Matthew refused to react. He had known the terms of his marital contract; he’d been advised of the entire thing but the terms hadn’t truly occurred to him until now.
When the contract had been written, Ryesdale was indeed a valuable ally.
But it had clearly been established recently that he was not.
Matthew was greatly disturbed to know that la Londe was aware of the private details of things that did not concern him.
“Surely you have a point to all of this,” he said, making a very good show of being indifferent.
Dennis shrugged lightly, crossing his arms. He was rather surprised, and disappointed, that Wellesbourne had not reacted. “The point is that if you pass, I am next on the list. ’Twill be me with the Wellesbourne riches and your wife. And, I must say, you will pass her into eager arms.”
Beneath her hands, Alixandrea felt Matthew tense. She was terrified that he was going to charge la Londe and there was no way she could stop him. She squeezed, tugging him away from Dennis.
“I have a great need to speak with you, husband,” she pulled harder. “Please come with me. This cannot wait.”
Matthew wanted nothing more than to pull Dennis apart with his bare hands.
He really did. But he wasn’t so blinded by hatred that he did not hear Alixandrea’s soft pleas.
He allowed her to remove him from the confrontation that la Londe was trying so hard to create, knowing it was for the best but wishing it wasn’t.
“Au revoir, la belle fille,” la Londe called after her. “Until we meet again.”
“Please, walk with me,” Alixandrea got a good grip on her husband and they moved further and further away. “Let us walk and calm ourselves.”
“I am perfectly calm,” Matthew said. “But I would like to know what you are doing here.”
She shifted her hands so that one was on his elbow while the other wound tightly around his gloved fingers. “I came to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About…,” She slowed her pace, suddenly ashamed. It seemed so foolish now. “I… I came to tell you that you have been magnificent. I loved watching you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Is that all?”
“And… and I do not want you to compete against Gaston.”
“Ah,” he came to a stop and looked at her. “So that’s it. I knew you did not come here just to compliment me.”
Her lip stuck out in a pout. “That is not true.”
“Aye, it is.”
She relented, falling forward against him and throwing her arms around his waist. “Aye, it is. I am terrified for you to go against him.”
He smirked, wrapping his armored arms around her as best he could without hurting her. He kissed the top of her head. “Wife,” he sighed. “You worry overly. Gaston cannot harm me.”
She looked up at him, his strong face against the blue sky. “Why not?”
“Because I do not compete against him next.”
She looked surprised; she did not know much about matches and the thought hadn’t occurred to her. She had been singularly focused on Gaston. “Then who do you go against?”
“La Londe.”
Her face lost all color and her mouth flew open. “No,” she rasped. “Matthew, you cannot, not after what he just said. He will try and kill you!”
He held her tightly, attempting to quiet her. “He cannot kill me.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he covered it with his own. Every time she tried to speak, he would only kiss her more deeply. He soon discovered that there were tears on her cheeks and he wiped them away with a gloved hand.
“No, love, no tears,” he murmured. “Everything will be fine, I promise.”
Her weeping was growing worse. “Please, Matt. Please do not compete against him. I am begging you.”
He smiled at her, his hands on her face, knowing how terrified she was. He could see it in her eyes.
“Do you love me?” he asked softly.
“More than my life.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Without question.”
“Then you must trust me now.” He knew that she did not understand so he explained. “If I were to forfeit the match, la Londe would think that I was afraid of him. Is that true?”
She sniffled. “Of course not.”
“So I must compete if only to prove the point that not only am I unafraid of him, I can and will dominate him and he shall never have you, or anything about you. Is that clear?”
Her tears faded and she sniffled again, nodding her head. “It is. But I am still afraid.”
“I know. And so does Dennis.”
“I am sorry,” she swallowed what was left of her tears. “He will not see it from me in the lists, I swear it.”
“Just don’t cover your eyes. Or close them.”
She gave him a sheepish look. “I will not.”
“Good.” He kissed her again and whistled to John, who ran over to them. “Johnny, take her back to the lists and stay with her. Please.”
There was something in his tone. John understood; he knew that Matthew was asking him a particular favor.
If something did indeed happen to him, he wanted John at her side to tend to her.
John took Alixandrea by the elbow and escorted her back to the entrance to the lists.
Matthew stood there and watched them until she took her seat.
“Matt,” Mark was standing beside him. “You are up next. Time to get mounted.”
With a lingering glance at his wife, Matthew turned back to the cluster of Wellesbourne men waiting to assist him. He did not say anything to his brother about la Londe’s pledges and promises. He did not have to.
They all knew the stakes.
*
Even Gaston was watching from the north side of the tournament field as Matthew and Dennis took their places against each other. The crowd, having heard the final match ups, had swelled enormously as more people joined the spectators.
Alixandrea’s eyes never left Matthew as he secured the lance and waited for the field marshal to drop the flag.
Dennis seemed to be taking some time in finishing his preparations, causing a delay.
But it was a calculated delay; the longer his opponent was kept waiting, the more likely he was to become nervous.
Dennis was as devious as he was skilled.
The crowd was ripe with anticipation. Alixandrea had to make a conscious effort to shut out the noise around her.
Even John seemed nervous, which did not help her state.
Audrey was tired and had a belly ache from too many sweets, so Caroline and Mena took her from the lists.
Alixandrea was glad; with all of the tension surrounding this match, she did not want the little girl to see something that might upset her.
Lady de Russe and her son were still seated in front of her, now further off to the right and next to the royal box.
Mari-Elle was even talking to the king. As the unrest of the crowd grew, Alixandrea caught movement from the corner of her eye and noticed that Gaston was now standing just below the platform, almost directly in front of her.
He turned to look at her and caught her attention.
Then he extended a hand to her. Realizing that he wanted her to come to him, she rose from her seat and obediently went.
He did not say a word as he took her by the hand and lifted her off the platform to stand beside him.
She had a closer, far better view of the field from this position.
He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow, all the while remaining stoic and silent.
But Alixandrea was no idiot; she realized he had done it because he was concerned.
He wanted to be with her if something should happen to Matthew and the knowledge that he was apprehensive scared her to death.
“You are worried, my lord,” she said to him softly.
He did not look at her. “I simply thought you might like a better view.”
“I could see fine from where I was sitting.”
“Would you rather go back?”
“Nay,” she studied his strong profile. “I would rather stand here with you.”
He did look at her, then. The smoky gray eyes were intense. “He shall be victorious, my lady.”
“Then why do your eyes tell me otherwise?”
The corners of his mouth twitched and he looked back on the field in time to see the flag drop.
The knights gored their chargers and the beasts thundered towards one another, collectively thousands of pounds of flesh and bone and armor hurling through space.
It was much louder where she was standing and far more frightening.
Dennis broke a lance on Matthew’s hip and Matthew broke a lance on Dennis’ shoulder.
Splinters went flying and the crowd went mad.
Matthew made his customary wide circle and made a thundering pass before the lists.
Alixandrea could hear them chanting his name and it gave her courage, thousands of people giving encouragement to her husband.
She started chanting his name, too. Matthew slowed his horse when he came to where she was standing with Gaston and flipped open his visor.
“What are you doing down here?” he asked.
“Gaston invited me,” she said. “You were wonderful.”
Matthew’s gaze moved from her to Gaston and back again.
He knew exactly why Gaston had hold of her; should Matthew become injured or incapacitated, Gaston wanted Lady Wellesbourne close at hand to make sure she was safe.
It was a gesture only a comrade of Gaston or Matthew’s magnitude would understand.
It was what true friends would do for one another.
Matthew nodded his thanks to Gaston, flipped down his visor, and continued back to his starting point.
The second glance was benign, though Matthew managed to get a piece of Dennis’ shoulder again.
It put Matthew ahead in points and the crowd could smell blood.
Alixandrea was actually fairly calm by this point, watching Dennis and her husband prepare for their last glance.
When the lances were finally in place, the field marshal dropped his flag again.