The Countess Bride Read online

  He reached his seat without seeing any sign of her among the crowd. Taking in a breath and letting it out, Geoffrey readied himself for the evening ahead. And if Emalie’s uncontrolled laughter in the solar a short while ago was any indication, it would take all of his efforts to survive it.

  “Are you sufficiently recovered from your journey for us to begin?” his brother asked, motioning to the servants to begin serving the food.

  “With all due respect for the countess’s efforts, I fear I will never be recovered enough for what is to come.” Geoff smiled at Christian, but he knew from the look in his brother’s eyes that Christian had read the message in his words. And he knew that underlying every action Christian took was a genuine concern for his well-being. After partaking of the food offered, Geoff wiped his fingers on the napkin next to his plate. The satisfying meal he’d just eaten began to feel unsettled in his stomach now, as he thought of what was to come.

  Becoming the consummate courtier and greeting a future bride and her parents. The cream of England and France and the Plantagenet provinces sat before him, all wearing looks of great anticipation. Some simply looked hungry, and not for food….

  “Emalie has some plan on how this should work, since to insult anyone’s dignity and standing would be a pitiful start for your search.” Christian smiled, but his eyes were full of disturbing glee.

  “Most assuredly, my lord,” Geoffrey answered, his voice oozing with sarcasm. “Who has the most precedence among your guests?”

  Christian surveyed those in his hall and nodded. “The duke there.”

  “Are they enough for this evening’s work, my lady?” Geoffrey looked to Emalie, whose expression was of the most serious concentration.

  “Aye. We have a sennight of their attendance. One should not rush these important matters.” Her frown became more evident. “Besides, I have several entertainments arranged on the morrow to demonstrate your talents and skills, brother.”

  Geoffrey choked on the sip of wine he had just taken, and even Christian’s solid thumping on his back did not help. Surely, he and his sister-by-marriage had different skills and talents in mind?

  “Dancing, my lord.” Emalie looked sharply at both of them. Christian looked even guiltier than he himself. “And a hunt. Both manly activities.”

  “Of course, my lady. I but thought…” He began to tease her.

  “I know what you thought, Geoffrey. Those other manly pursuits are of no interest to me.”

  “Emalie,” Christian whispered, so that none but they heard his familiar use of her name. “I think those pursuits are very much of interest to you.”

  Geoff watched as a blush moved up her cheeks and more than words were shared between the earl and countess. She began to fan herself as though the room had become hotter, then sat back and drank from her cup. Soon she gave a subtle nod, and several musicians gathered near the dais. Ah, the demonstration would now begin.

  Geoffrey stood when his brother did, and the earl offered the countess his hand. Side by side, they strode down the steps and, with Geoff following, stopped at a nearby table. An older couple rose and met them. A lovely young woman remained seated. A trembling young woman, from what he could see of her face and shoulders. Surely she did not fear him?

  “My lord. My lady,” Christian began. “May I make known to you my brother, Geoffrey?”

  Knowing his part, Geoff bowed to both the duke and duchess and then smiled at their daughter, whose pale face turned a pasty white. Not an auspicious beginning. He held out his hand and she placed her shaking fingers in his. Lifting them to his lips, he barely touched her knuckles, as was required.

  “Would you honor me by joining me in dance?” He had the distinct feeling that she was about to refuse when her father intervened.

  “Melissande. Accept his invitation now.”

  She rose from the bench, the picture of womanly beauty. Geoffrey noticed the graceful way she stepped into the line forming for the dance, her hair flowing down her back with each movement she made. And with his blue and cream tunic and hose and her cream and blue gown, their similar hair and eye color, even their appearance seemed made to be a good match. The lovely Melissande would be a fair enough choice.

  Geoffrey tried to meet Melissande’s gaze through the steps of the dance, but she never raised hers from the floor. When he spoke to her to try to involve her in polite conversation, she simply looked away as though he had never said a word. Finally, he blamed her unease on this rather public first meeting and, since he knew his own level of expectation, figured the poor lass was most certainly overwhelmed.

  They finished the dance and he led her back to where her parents and his brother still waited. Mayhap the rest of the introductions would go easier now that the first was done. And mayhap the other prospective brides would be more at ease, now that this first one had gone so smoothly.

  He decided to be especially gracious as he ended the interval with Melissande. Geoff lifted her hand to his lips, touched it briefly and then, gaining her gaze, smiled with all the warmth and appeal that he could offer. Lady Melissande’s face flushed a bright red, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell with a thump at his feet. This was not the normal reaction of young women when faced with his masculine charms.

  In the confusion that followed, with both the duke and the earl calling out commands to the servants, and with the many other maidens chattering nervously, Geoffrey wanted nothing so much as to leave; and leave quickly. As he surveyed the great hall for a way to escape, he finally saw her.

  As always, Catherine made herself blend into the background. Her dress was plain and serviceable, barely a cut above those worn by his brother’s servants. She stood against a wall just outside one of the doors leading to the stairs. Their eyes met for a brief moment and then she stepped back out of his view. She would not intrude on his time with his family. Geoff knew from past experience that Catherine would withdraw any time his brother required his presence. She always put his needs above her wishes.

  And that was one more thing he loved about her.

  The thought roared through his mind. A dizzying blindness struck him for a moment and he reeled with the strength and clarity of his thoughts. He did love Catherine.

  “Are you unwell, also?” the duchess asked, tapping him on the shoulder. “Mayhap the beef was bad?”

  Geoff shook himself and looked around at those standing near the still-prostrate Lady Melissande. “Nay, I am well. Just concerned about the well-being of our guest.”

  He heard his sister-by-marriage calling out for more room, and he stepped back with the others. Although he could be cool and clearheaded in battle, a fainting or crying woman unmanned him. Let the countess handle things. And she did so, for a moment later Emalie and Melissande were standing.

  “I fear my stomach was so nervous I did not eat today,” Melissande whispered in a soft voice.

  “And the exertion of that particular dance was too much for Lady Melissande. Some food and rest and she will be well.”

  Emalie patted the girl’s hand and released Melissande to her own mother’s ministrations. The duchess did not look pleased that her daughter would now be removed from the center of attention.

  Geoffrey tried to ease the situation, for he feared some retribution would be directed at the girl for her actions here. If the duke and duchess had come all this way, they wanted a match between Melissande and him. If the girl failed to gain his favor, she could pay for it, if her parents were of that ilk.

  “My lady?” He smiled and waited for Melissande to face him. “Would you join me to break our fast in the morn? And I promise no dancing at that hour!”

  ’Twas the right thing to say, for the frown on the duchess’s brow lifted and Melissande offered a tremulous smile at his invitation. He could not promise her that she would be his choice, but at least she would be given a fair chance to make her case before him.

  Melissande dipped into a curtsy before the group and nodded.
“My lord, I would be most pleased to join you.”

  “Until the morn, then.” Geoffrey nodded and watched as the lady, her parents and various attendants left the room. He sensed Christian and Emalie beside him and waited for their comments.

  “Too frightened for my tastes,” his brother whispered.

  “But nice enough,” Emalie added.

  “Let’s see what the morning brings,” Geoff suggested. “Now then, my lady. Do you have another virgin to sacrifice to me before the festivities end this night?”

  If she was feeling insulted, the slight tugging at the corners of her mouth that threatened to turn into a smile gave away her amusement.

  “Come, Geoffrey. Let us introduce you to the lady Marguerite. Her father is a mere baron, but of sufficient standing and property as to not insult your future dignity, or your pompous brother’s.”

  Christian let out a snort and Geoffrey fought not to join him. Emalie had complained about Christian’s arrogance from the time they met, and it was obvious to him that that particular battle still wore on.

  “Lead on, my lady. Let us not waste the time we have.”

  Chapter Three

  Moonlight streamed in through the small window high in the alcove’s wall and made it seem like day. This small refuge between the back stairs and the kitchen was largely ignored by most, but Catherine favored it when she needed a few moments alone in the castle during a busy day. And this was the place where she and Geoffrey would meet and compare their adventures when they both visited Greystone—his of one kind and hers of another.

  She would have to accommodate herself to the idea that they would be even more different once this week ended. She would go on to her new life, alone, and he would go to his, with a wife in tow. Catherine sighed. She wanted too many things she could not have. Too many things that she was not entitled to. A man who could never be hers.

  Looking up at the rays of light and the specks of dust that danced within them, Catherine allowed herself to dream of dancing with Geoffrey, as the first two of his prospective wives had. As she’d watched from the hallway, he had led them in the steps of two dances that she knew but had never been invited to do. He had grown so much since she’d seen him—taller, his blond hair longer and his shoulders broadened by muscles not there before. Where once was the promise of attractiveness, now there was a wildly handsome, noble warrior. As if conjured by her thoughts, she turned to find him staring at her.

  “Geoffrey.”

  “Catherine.”

  She stared back at him, separated by several feet of air, and marveled at the changes in him. She wasn’t certain who took the first step but she suddenly found herself wrapped in his arms. Tears burned her eyes and throat, as his arms held her so close that it made taking a breath difficult. Her own arms found their way around his waist and she prayed that he would never let her go.

  How long they remained in that embrace, she knew not, but the cold air of reality began to seep into her soul. Catherine understood that nothing more could be between them than this holding and she relished it for the brief lapse of judgment it was. One that would not be repeated.

  Removing her hands from his back, she took in a deeper breath and let it out. He must have sensed her withdrawal, for Geoffrey released his hold on her and let her go. Now, a small distance separated them and she finally regained control of herself.

  “My lord, you look well,” she said with as much calm as she could manage.

  “‘My lord’ is it now? And I thought we were friends.” His voice had deepened, too. Its mellow resonance struck something within her and stirred feelings better left untouched.

  “Someone needs to be aware of your titles, my lord. Who better than a friend?”

  “Please,” he said, taking her hand in his. “There will time enough for formality and distance. For now, for these brief moments away from all of that, can we not simply be Geoff and Cate?”

  He knew. He knew that whatever they shared would be over by the end of his visit. Her heart lurched with the pain of it, but she vowed not to let him know how sad she was about it.

  “Of course. Sit, Geoff, and tell me of your journey here. Was it a smooth crossing?” Catherine loosened her hand from his, stepped aside and let him sit down on the stone bench in the alcove. They would have shared the bench for their talks in the past, but now there was no room for her next to him.

  “’Twas a good journey, though accomplished with some trepidation about the destination.”

  “You worried about coming here?”

  “Well, it would be nearer the truth to say that Emalie’s plans made me worry.” He paused and smiled at her. “She is more devious than my brother.”

  “They want only the best for you, Geoff.” She almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but stopped herself. They needed to rebuild the distance between them, now that it had been challenged.

  “Cate, I do know that or I would have pulled up the drawbridge at Château d’Azure and never left it.”

  The image of him doing that, closing himself in his castle and not coming out, reminded her of the boy she’d met on her first visit to Harbridge. Or mayhap that was her on her first visit here from the convent? The worldly estate where life pulsed so fully had terrified her and she had been tempted to never return. It had been only the gentle requests of the lord’s brother that had convinced her to come back.

  “But, my l… Geoff, when did you ever resist a challenge?”

  He moved to one side of the stone seat and beckoned her to sit. She thought to refuse, but that part of her that knew it was over between them could not. Gathering her skirts close, she slid against the wall, seeking to press against it and not him.

  “Everything changes with this visit, Cate. My life, my duties. I step into the larger stage of the world when I marry and accept the titles I am destined to receive. I have no misunderstandings of the importance of the lands I will hold on the Continent,” he said. He leaned his head back and let out a deep grumble of frustration. “Langier lands stand between those who would rule all of France and England, and I do not know if I am equal to the task of holding them and managing them.”

  He had given her his deepest secret. He showed his manly bravado and outgoing nature to the world, even to his brother, but he had gifted her with his innermost fear. She must give him something in return.

  “You have listened well to your brother and his lessons of administration?”

  He nodded.

  “And you have surrounded yourself with wise men to counsel you?”

  He nodded again.

  “And you plan on using the wits and intelligence that God gave you, and not acting like a witless fool?” Those words gained a smile and eased the frown on his brow.

  “Then I am certain that you will be successful in keeping the trust your brother places in you. The earl does not give it easily and would never take this step if he did not believe you were ready.” Geoffrey laughed then. “’Tis amusing?”

  “’Twould seem you know my brother well, for those were nearly the same words he used to me.”

  “I am gladdened that you have shared your fears with him and that he has tried to reassure you of your nature and your abilities.” She chose her words carefully, so as to not let her true feelings for the earl show. Apparently, she did not do it as well as she hoped.

  Geoffrey reached over and took her hand once more, entwining his fingers with hers this time. “I know not what is at the base of this dislike you have for him and he has for you, but I am touched that you both go to such lengths to disguise it and keep it hidden when I am here.”

  Catherine could not find words at that moment, for this seemed to be a time of sharing truths, and there were none that she could share with him. At least none that would not make this more difficult than it already was.

  He stood, drawing her up at his side, not releasing her hand. With his other hand, he reached up and brushed away to loose wisps of hair that always seemed to be
separated from her orderly braid. Her breath caught and she could feel the heat in her skin where his fingers had touched.

  “You should retire, for it is late and I know that you will be kept busy with the countess tomorrow.”

  “Aye. She tires easily now and I am glad to give her whatever assistance I can.”

  “Would you give me aid, as well?”

  “Anything, Geoff. But what could I do for you?”

  He paused as though trying to frame his request. Was it something dishonorable? Of course it could not be! Something dangerous? He would not put her in danger.

  “Would you give me your counsel about the women who are to be considered for marriage?”

  Would she help him to choose his wife? Pain, like the thrust of a dagger, pierced her heart, leaving her without breath. Could she help him choose the woman who would bear his name and his children and possibly his love? The woman who would live with him and be his countess? It could never be her, but could she help him pick who it would be?

  “You ask much of me, Geoff.”

  “I can only ask it of a friend, Cate. Someone who I trust with my life.” He lifted her chin so she could not escape his dark gaze. “I know it is not fair to ask you, but I do so all the same.”

  “I will,” she said, knowing the impossible task she set for herself.

  She wanted to untangle their fingers and leave quickly, but still he did not release her. As his head tilted down, she feared and prayed for the same thing. His lips touched hers with a gentleness that broke her heart again. Their warmth had barely been shared when he pulled away.

  “Promise not to leave without a farewell when this is done.”

  Had he read her thoughts? Saying goodbye would tear her to pieces. She shook her head, not certain if it was in agreement or denial of his request.

  “Promise me,” he insisted.

  “I promise,” she said.

  A noise in the corridor caused them to step away from each other. Was someone there? She heard nothing more, but it roused her from the confusion she felt and made her realize that their behavior was inappropriate at best.