Chapter 7
M aggie woke up the next morning, turning over on her pallet and realizing by the noise outside her door that it was already morning. It sounded as if the servants were working, clanking around dishes in the kitchen. She could smell the aroma of breakfast pottage and bacon, and her stomach growled.
“Emma, Charles, get up,” she said, yawning and walking over to light a candle since the room had no windows and the room was dark. “We overslept.” After lighting the tallow candle, she rubbed her eyes. “Charles? Emma?” They weren’t in the room.
Thinking they were out roaming around the castle, she hurriedly dressed, once again putting on her gown and the midwife apron over it. She was afraid Charles might have let Emma wander off again. So instead of putting on her cap, she stuck it in her bag and slipped the bag over her shoulder. She shoved her feet into her shoes and pulled open the door.
“My basket,” she said aloud, going back for her basket of supplies. She needed to make a hot honeysuckle drink to bring up to Lady Martine this morning. Cursing herself for sleeping so late, she hoped that Lady Martine was not having any problems with her pregnancy. Then again, if she was, Maggie was sure someone would have sought her out by now. Grabbing her basket, she headed out into the kitchen, weaving her way between the servants until she got to the hearth. “May I have a cup of hot water, Lucy?” she asked the cook, whom she had befriended the other day. “It is for Lady Martine.”
“Of course,” said the old woman, fetching a wooden cup and ladling some hot water into it from a pot hanging over the fire. “I just prepared a tray of food to bring to Ladies Martine and Eleanor. I was about to bring it abovestairs for them.”
“I can take it,” Maggie offered.
“All right,” said Lucy, ladling some pottage into a bowl and adding it to the tray with the covered dishes. “This is for you, Maggie. You need to eat to keep up your strength taking care of those two children.”
“Speaking of the children, have you seen my daughter and my brother at all this morning?” Maggie looked around the kitchen but couldn’t find them.
“Aye. They ate earlier with Sir Evan, and then they went somewhere with him.”
“What?” Her head snapped upward. “What do you mean? God’s eyes, don’t tell me that Charles let Emma climb the dais and they sat down to eat with the nobles?”
“No, not at all,” said the woman with a giggle. “But Sir Evan did sit right here in the kitchen and eat with them. Your little girl actually sat on his lap.”
“Oh, please tell me this isn’t so.” Maggie felt as if she were starting to have chest pains. Her life shouldn’t be so filled with stress the first thing in the morning. What was Sir Evan thinking? “Why was he eating with commoners?”
“I’m not sure,” answered Lucy. “However, I overheard the boy and Sir Evan talking about locks or keys or something.”
“He didn’t. He wouldn’t,” said Maggie, afraid that Sir Evan had taken Charles and Emma into town to see his blacksmith friend, Alan. Mayhap she needed to go after them. She was about to do just that when Lady Martine’s maidservant ran into the kitchen.
“Oh, Maggie, I’m so glad to find you. Lady Martine sent me to fetch you.”
“I’m on my way. Carry this tray for me,” she instructed the maidservant, reaching into her basket and grabbing a few honeysuckle flowers which she dropped into the cup of hot water. “Hurry,” she said, picking up her bag and basket. “Lady Martine needs me.”
Hurriedly making her way up the stairs, Maggie lost no time in getting to Lady Martine’s room as quickly as possible. A quick knock, and Maggie opened the door and entered without even waiting to be granted access.
“I’m here,” she cried. “How are you feeling, Lady Martine? I am so sorry that I overslept.” Maggie stopped in her tracks when she saw the bed was empty. She spun around to find Martine sitting up in a chair. Evan sat in another chair across from his cousin, with Emma on his lap. Lady Eleanor wasn’t there at the moment and neither did she see Charles. “What’s all this?” asked Maggie in confusion. She hurried over to Lady Martine and pressed her hand against the lady’s forehead. “You’re not feverish, that’s good.”
“Nay, I’m not,” Martine answered with a smile. “My stomach feels a little nauseous, but otherwise I am fine. I was tired of lying down, and Evan was kind enough to help me sit up.”
“Then you’re not in pain?” asked Maggie, trying to make sure everything was good.
“No. Not really.” Martine was actually smiling. “But my babies are very active this morning. I even let your daughter feel my belly when they were both kicking at once.” Martine put her hand on her belly and started to rub circles.
“I want a baby, Mama,” said Emma, lying back against Evan’s chest and kicking her feet in the air.
“No, you don’t, sweetheart,” she said, putting down her things. “Where is Charles? Why isn’t he watching you?”
“I gave him some time off,” Evan answered before Emma could answer. “I said I’d watch Emma for you so you could sleep late.”
“I don’t like to sleep late, and I don’t want Charles off running about while a knight is playing nursemaid to my daughter.”
“Nursemaid?” Evan made a dissatisfied expression. “I’d prefer if you never referred to me in that manner again.”
“Sorry,” said Maggie with her face turned downward, not having meant to insult a noble.
“Where shall I put the tray of food?” asked the handmaid, walking slowly so as not to spill anything.
“Put it down over here.” Evan reached out and tapped the table next to him. “Something smells good.” He picked up a lid and peered underneath. “Mmmm. Bacon, breakfast porridge, and fruit. How about something to eat, girls?”
“Oh, not yet,” said Martine. “I can’t even think of eating until the babies calm down and my stomach is soothed.”
Maggie took the cup from the tray. “I have a drink to help you with that, my lady. It is hot water infused with honeysuckle flowers.” Maggie picked up the cup and handed it to Martine. Martine peered inside curiously.
“Mmmm it smells and looks pretty,” said Martine, blowing on the hot liquid. “I’ve never had this before.” She took a sip and nodded. “It is delicious.”
“Maggie picked the honeysuckle yesterday at the smithy,” Evan told his cousin.
“Flowers are growing inside a blacksmith’s shop?” Martine giggled.
“Nay, climbing up the wall outside,” Evan corrected the conversation.
“Oh, is this the same blacksmith shop that Daegel took Charles to this morning?” asked Martine, taking another sip of the hot drink.
“Daegel took Charles to town? Why?” Maggie’s gaze shot over to Evan. “Please don’t tell me he is going there to talk with the blacksmith about Charles being his apprentice.”
“No, he’s not going there to talk about it,” said Evan, making Maggie release a quick sigh of relief. But it didn’t last long. “He’s going there to start his first day of work,” continued Evan. “You won’t believe how excited Charles was when I told him he’d be learning to be a locksmith, just like his father.”
Maggie was so angry at Evan right now that she was about to explode.
“What is this?” asked Emma, picking up a sweetmeat in her fingers from the food tray and sniffing it.
“That is candied fruit,” Evan told her. “Try it.”
“Mama, can I eat this?” asked Emma, her wide brown eyes looking up at Maggie, waiting for her approval.
“Emma, you already had food to break the fast.” She looked over at Evan. “How could you do this? Without even talking to me first.”
“I didn’t think giving the children food earlier would upset you. They were hungry.”
“That’s not what I mean. I am talking about Charles and the apprenticeship.”
“Emma, sweetheart,” said Evan getting up and taking the little girl from his lap and setting her down on the chair. “Why don’t you eat that sweetmeat while I talk to your mother in private.”
“If you have something to say, then say it,” demanded Maggie, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Perhaps you two could go into the wardrobe for a bit of privacy, while Emma and I enjoy our treats,” suggested Martine, still sipping the honeysuckle water.
“Fine,” said Maggie, not wanting to leave Emma. She stormed over to the adjoining room that was used to store clothes. Evan followed her into the small space. Lady Martine had gowns hanging up, and there were shelves holding shoes and extra hose and undergarments, too. There were more clothes and headpieces than Maggie had ever seen in her life. With barely any room to move, Maggie found herself standing toe-to-toe with Evan. “You knew I didn’t want Charles to work in town, and yet you had your cousin bring him there. How could you?”
“Now, that’s not fair, Maggie.” Evan raised his hands in surrender. “You never said that to me, so how would I know?”
“You heard me tell Alan that I have no job and that we are not staying in Hythe.”
“Yes, I heard you say it, but it’s not true. You do have a job. Right here at the castle.”
“You don’t understand. I need a permanent job,” she told him, feeling like he didn’t listen to her at all. “Charles is not becoming an apprentice because we are not staying in Hythe.”
“Maggie, relax. Everything will work out if you will just stop fighting it.”
“I am not fighting it, I am—” Her words were cut off as Evan pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his. She started to push him away, but when he deepened the kiss and wrapped his strong arms around her, she felt herself melting into him.
Her eyes closed and her head fell back as he kissed her again, but this time with more passion. God’s teeth, it felt wonderful to be kissed by a man. George had barely been more than a boy when she first married, and he wasn’t even fond of kissing. To be kissed by Evan in this manner was something she’d never experienced before.
“That’s better,” he whispered, his breath hitting her wet lips, creating a sensuous tingle. “You have quite an extraordinary mouth. When it’s used for kissing, instead of yelling at me.”
“I enjoyed that,” she admitted, still feeling like naught more than clay in his hands. She was more than willing to let him mold her into anything he wanted her to be. “Kiss me again,” she said, reaching up and putting her hands around his neck. Lost in the moment, Maggie forgot how angry she was with him.
“Gladly.” They kissed again, and this time she felt him part her lips with his tongue. Then his tongue filled her mouth, and she thought she would die with elation because of the vibrant feelings that were coming alive inside her. She heard a moan of desire and to her surprise she realized it was coming from her!
They might have stayed there, kissing longer, but the loud rapping of someone’s knuckles against the bedchamber door took their attention and they stopped.
“Come in,” she heard Lady Martine call out, followed by a male voice.
“Martine, have you seen Evan? I cannot find him anywhere.”
“It’s my father,” whispered Evan. He released Maggie and ran out into the bedchamber. Evan recognized the tone of concern in his father’s voice. Something was wrong. “Father, I’m here. What it is?” he asked. Maggie followed him out of the wardrobe, looking down and running her tongue over her lips. She silently went over, picked up Emma, and stepped off to the back of the room, standing next to the maidservant.
“Evan?” His father, Garrett, narrowed his eyes. “What were you doing in the wardrobe with the midwife?”
“Uncle Garrett, you sounded as if something is wrong when you came in,” Martine thankfully interrupted. “What is it?”
“Evan, Martine, one of the king’s messengers just arrived at the castle with some very disturbing news.” Evan’s father ran a weary hand over his hair.
“Tell us. What is it?” Evan wet his lips with his tongue, savoring the taste of Maggie, trying to still his heart and subdue his excitement after kissing her and having her return his kiss with such passion.
“The king is gone,” he told them.
“Gone? Where did he go?” asked Martine.
“Nay, you don’t understand.” Garrett shook his head. “I am sorry to have to tell you two, but I’ve just received the news that King Edward III is dead.”