Chapter Nine #3
He suddenly cleared his throat and averted his gaze, looking off towards the stables where Matthew was standing watch over his granddaughters, who were brushing down the ponies.
“If men think Benoit is alive, that is impossible,” he said, knowing that this wasn’t a subject he wanted to discuss with her, feeling increasingly guilty that he hadn’t already.
The longer he delayed, the worse it was going to be when he finally told her.
“In any case, I should go retrieve my weapon while your brother is off finding his. I have a challenge to fight.”
Lysabel went to him, then, standing fairly close. “You will be careful, won’t you?” she said. “If my brother hurts you, I will be forced to beat him within an inch of his life.”
Her close proximity had Trenton fighting off the urge to pull her into his arms again. He found that nothing felt so natural, the impulse to hold her against his body.
“You are my champion, madam,” he said softly, his dark eyes twinkling. “But it will not come to that, I promise.”
“You are certain?”
“Of course I am.”
Forcing a smile, Lysabel put a gentle hand on his forearm, giving him a rather meaningful look before heading off to the stables where her father was.
Trenton put his hand over hers as she walked away, feeling her flesh slide away from his as he watched her go.
He turned to watch her, appreciating the rear view as her skirt flared out from her hips, sweeping gracefully to the ground.
She had a delicious figure from what he could see.
With lingering thoughts of her tender flesh, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, and that was destroying young William Wellesbourne, the arrogant whelp. The young knight was soon to know the meaning of pain.
He felt rather proud to know that Lysabel would be watching.
Matthew happened to turn and look in the direction of his daughter and Trenton just in time to see Lysabel place a tender hand on Trenton’s arm and he clearly saw when Trenton put his hand over hers.
It was more than the touch of friends.
Matthew had been married for many years. He knew how a man touched a woman; even the most innocent of touches could mean something warm and affectionate. Had Matthew not seen the way her daughter looked at Trenton last night, he might have simply thought it was nothing more than a polite gesture.
But he was coming to suspect that wasn’t the case.
Last night, while he entertained Brencis and Cynethryn, Lysabel and her mother sat together in conversation, mother to daughter, and Matthew had to admit that he felt left out.
He wanted to sit and talk to his daughter also, but Alixandrea had monopolized her, so he spent his time with his grandchildren, which made him very happy.
But more than once, he looked over to Lysabel to see that she was looking at Trenton rather longingly.
At first, he thought he was imagining things.
He caught her staring at the man not once, or twice, but at least five times through the evening.
Then he’d look to Trenton to see that he was looking at Lysabel, but it was never at the same time.
They always seemed to avoid one another’s inquisitive stares, but when Trenton finally excused himself and quit the hall, Lysabel had watched him go with all shades of sorrow in her expression, something that had Matthew’s full attention.
She’d left the hall a nominal amount of time after Trenton did and returned about a half hour later, seemingly dazed.
She’d sat down with her mother again for only a couple of minutes before pleading exhaustion and excusing her and her children to bed.
While Alixandrea took the three of them up to their chamber, Matthew remained in the hall, thinking that perhaps Lysabel’s attention towards Trenton was nothing out of the ordinary.
From the story he’d heard, Trenton had saved her life, so it was only natural she’d feel some sort of attachment to him.
Everything was normal.
At least, those thoughts were on his mind this morning as he’d been watching Trenton and the girls on their ponies as Lysabel stood off to the side.
Matthew thought it was all quite innocent and friendly, with the girls screaming, William teasing, and Lysabel laughing.
He was starting to think he’d imagined what he’d seen last night as his daughter and Trenton had spent their time staring at one another.
But the moment he saw Lysabel touch Trenton on the arm, and Trenton putting his hand over hers, he knew instantly that his suspicions had been right.
There was something going on between the pair.
And that was something he didn’t want to see.
Matthew loved Trenton like a son, but the man had demons. He was also married. Matthew truly hoped that there wasn’t actually anything clandestine going on, but then again, he hadn’t seen his daughter or Trenton in a very long time.
Anything was possible.
But it wasn’t something he would, or could, stand for.
He would not let his daughter have an affair with a married man if he had anything to say about it and he had to believe that he had raised Lysabel better than that, to respect the boundaries of marriage and not to cross into another woman’s territory.
Even if that woman was Adela.
Therefore, as Lysabel approached him and Trenton headed off towards the keep, Matthew returned his attention to his granddaughters, who were now starting to braid their ponies’ tails.
His mind was on Lysabel, and on his next move.
He wasn’t going to ask her outright if there was anything going on with Trenton, but he thought perhaps a bit of unsolicited fatherly advice might be in order.
For Lysabel’s sake, he had to.
“Mama!” Brencis cried when she saw her mother approach. “Can we put ribbons on Snowdrop’s tail?”
Lysabel looked at her father, who simply chuckled at the child. When he caught Lysabel’s eye, he lifted his shoulders as he had no control over anything little girls did.
“She will get the ribbons dirty, Cissy,” Lysabel said. “I do not think it is a good idea. But you may brush her tail and braid it.”
Brencis frowned. “But I want to put a ribbon at the end of the braid!”
“If you cry about it, I will make you go inside this instant and sit with Grandmama.”
Brencis shut her mouth, but she wasn’t happy. It was clear that she had great beauty ideas for her pony. As her girls fussed over the ponies, Lysabel turned to her father.
“You do not have to watch over them any longer, Papa,” she said. “I will do it.”
Matthew smiled and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. “I have not seen them in a long time,” he said. “It is no trouble. Besides… I have not had much of a chance to speak with you since you arrived yesterday. Your mother has been taking up all of your time.”
Lysabel smiled up at her father, the man she adored most in this world. “I am here now,” she said. “You have me all to yourself.”
He smiled in return, his gaze drifting over her lovely face.
She looked so very much like Alixandrea with a touch of his mother mixed in.
She had Audrey’s eyes, which he had, and so did Brencis.
Big, blue, bottomless pools. But in looking at her, he saw his little girl, his first born.
And all Trenton had told him came tumbling down upon him as he realized this was really the first time they had a moment to speak on what had happened, the very reason why she was here.
“It is nice to have you all to myself,” he said, lowering his voice. “It has been a very long time since that was true. Lys, Trenton told me what happened with Benoit. He told me… everything.”
Lysabel’s smile faded. “I know,” she said.
“He told me. I wanted to tell you myself but you took Trenton aside before I could tell you. Papa, before you say anything, I want you to know that I was never going to tell you any of this. I knew how guilty you would feel, and how terrible, and I knew you would be moved to murder. I did not want to reduce you to that. As much as I hated Benoit, I loved you more, so please do not be angry that I did not tell you.”
Matthew stared at her, hearing her selfless sacrifice. He found himself blinking rapidly to chase off the tears. “I am not angry with you, but I am sorry, Lys. So very sorry. I feel as if I have failed you.”
Lysabel shook her head. “You did not,” she said softly.
“You did not know how this would end up, Papa. None of us did. After we were married, Benoit… changed. I could never tell you any of this, but it was true. It started after you would not give him my inheritance. After that, I could see any warmth or affection he ever had for me disappear, day by day. When Cinny was born, he was so disappointed that it was not a boy. When I was pregnant with Cissy, it was the best he had treated me in a very long time. I think he was fearful to take a hand to me and risk damaging his son, but when a girl-child was born, he became worse than ever before. But I felt strongly that it was my burden to bear.”
Matthew felt sick as he listened to her speak. “I wish you had not,” he muttered. “I wish you had told me.”
Lysabel gave him a squeeze, unsure what more to say. Brencis and Cynethryn rushed up to Matthew and begged him for a comb for the ponies, and not a brush, and he sent them to the nearest stable servant, who went on the hunt for a comb. With the girls away, Lysabel turned to her father.
“The girls were never touched, and other than hearing what their father did to their mother, they were spared the brunt of Benoit’s rages,” she said.
“But they, too, are healing slowly. Cinny is still very fearful of loud sounds and Cissy is afraid of the dark, so I am hoping that they will heal at Wellesbourne. I do not want to return to Stretford, Papa. May we please remain here?”