Chapter Thirteen #3
His grin was back. “I like it a great deal,” he said. “The White Lord is a fair and decent man. It has been my honor to serve him.”
“Thank you.”
“May I inquire to the health of your husband, Lord Benoit?”
It was an innocent and socially polite question, but one that gave Lysabel pause. It reminded her that no one, save her father and mother, Trenton, and Markus knew that Benoit was dead.
She proceeded carefully.
“He is away,” she said, avoiding the question and heading for the garden gate where her mother had disappeared with her children.
“If you will excuse me, I must find my daughters and if they behave themselves, they may be worthy of the ponies you have procured for them. It really was quite kind of you to do that.”
Ranse watched her as she walked away. “It was my pleasure, Lady de Wilde,” he said. “The ponies are in the stables when they are ready. Since Lord de Russe is no longer here, I will be pleased to watch over your daughters myself if you wish.”
Lysabel forced a smile. “Your offer is very generous,” she said.
“I would say that it is not necessary because Willie will watch over them, but knowing my brother, he would try to steal the ponies out from under them. Mayhap you would be good enough to supervise Willie while he supervises my daughters.”
Ranse laughed quietly, knowing what she said wasn’t far from the truth.
Sometimes William Wellesbourne was more of a child than most children he knew.
Lysabel gave him a polite wave as she quickly disappeared from the garden, leaving Ranse looking after her, pondering the lovely Wellesbourne daughter for a moment before leaving the garden the way he’d come.
“Cissy and Cinny want to know if you will take them riding again, Matt, and… what on earth are you looking at?”
Alixandrea had entered her husband’s solar, having left her grandchildren with the cook, who was supplying the children with the most marvelous candied grapes.
But the lure of candied grapes wasn’t strong enough to deter their desires to ride ponies again, which was the predominant theme with the pair, so Alixandrea dutifully sought out her husband to ask his permission and participation.
She found him in his solar, looking most curiously from the lancet window that overlooked Audrey’s garden. He didn’t even hear her when she entered, nor did he turn to her when she started to speak, which was why Alixandrea asked him what had his attention. Matthew pointed from the window.
“Lysabel,” he said. “I have been watching her for quite some time. I saw you talk to her. What did you say?”
Alixandrea came to stand next to him, looking from the window to see her daughter speaking with Ranse de Troyes. She avoided her husband’s question.
“What is Ranse doing there?” she asked.
Matthew shook his head. “I do not know,” he said. “He came into the garden a few moments ago and started talking to her. Did you speak to her about Trenton?”
Alixandrea sighed; he wasn’t going to let the subject go. “I did,” she said. “I told her what you told her, I am sure. I told her that although I understand her affection for Trenton, he is not the man for her. I believe that I have given her much to think about.”
Matthew continued watching the pair in the garden as they conversed. “Lysabel, as always, will do what Lysabel wants to do,” he said. “She was stubborn as a child and she is still stubborn.”
“She takes after you.”
Matthew turned to look at her with a grin. “Is that so?” he said. “You are a cheeky wench.”
She laughed softly. “That is your misfortune,” she said.
Quickly, she sobered, watching her daughter stand up from the bench as she and de Troyes continued speaking.
“I think you must give your daughter some time to come to terms with what her life has become. For her sake, and for yours, do not speak to her on Trenton again. Let me handle it from now on. She may be more apt to take my advice. I have some experience handling stubborn people.”
Matthew chuckled, his focus returning to the garden where it appeared that the conversation between his daughter and Ranse was starting to break up.
“De Troyes is a good man,” he said. “We are fortunate to have him here.”
Alixandrea nodded. “He is,” she said. “My heart is still broken over the death of his wife last year. They were both so excited for that baby.”
Matthew nodded. “He was an excellent husband to Lady Maribel,” he said. “He was quite kind and attentive to her. They were inseparable.”
“I know.”
At that moment, Lysabel departed from the garden, leaving de Troyes standing there, watching her go. Matthew’s gaze lingered on the man for a moment as de Troyes watched Lysabel.
A thought occurred to him.
“Ranse is the kind of man that Lysabel needs,” he said. “Sometimes the best medicine for a broken heart is to find something, or someone, to mend it.”
Alixandrea looked at him rather strangely. “Lysabel? And Ranse?”
Matthew shrugged. “Why not?” he said. “They are nearly the same age, and we know what kind of man Ranse is. I would have no reservation betrothing my daughter to him.”
Alixandrea hadn’t considered Ranse as a possibility, but she realized he wasn’t a bad candidate in the least. “Nor would I,” she said. “But the pain of losing Trenton is still fresh with Lys. Mayhap you should wait before you put another man in her life.”
Matthew’s expression hardened. “And wait for Trenton to come back and steal her away?” He shook his head.
“I will not wait. Although I asked Trenton to stay away, I do not believe for one moment that he really will. I fully expect him to return, and if Lysabel is betrothed or even married again, then Ranse will stand between Trenton and Lysabel. It is protection that Trenton cannot ignore.”
Alixandrea pondered that scenario a moment before shaking her head. “Trenton is a killer,” she said quietly. “You have said so yourself. He may very well kill Ranse to get at Lysabel. Do you really want to put Ranse in that kind of a position? It is not fair to him.”
Matthew knew that, but he also wasn’t willing to leave his daughter’s future to fate, especially where Trenton de Russe was concerned. Ranse de Troyes would make a fine husband for her, but more than that, he was determined to put a wall between Trenton’s wants and his daughter’s life.
“I cannot imagine that Trenton would kill an honorable knight, a man who is legally Lysabel’s husband,” he said. “I would like to believe he would do the chivalrous thing and walk away. In any case, Lysabel must marry again, and Ranse is without a wife. I believe it will be a good match.”
He sounded as if he was trying to talk himself into it.
Alixandrea didn’t respond; she’d already said everything she needed to say.
Matthew’s suggestion wasn’t a bad one, but the timing wasn’t ideal because Lysabel still felt strongly for Trenton, and surely Trenton still felt strongly for her.
To put another man in the middle of the equation was risky at best, but she knew that Matthew was doing what he felt was best for their daughter.
Unfortunately, Alixandrea wasn’t quite so sure.