Pendragon

'I don't wish to die, ma'am.'

'Then keep your nose out of things that aren't your business. Are you with child yet?'

That made Meggie nearly fall out of her chair. 'I have no idea. We've been married for a very short time.'

'You knew my son for at least three months before your married him.'

That was a shocker. Meggie said slowly, 'Thomas is a gentleman. He would never seduce me before we were married.'

'Well, my son needs an heir now that he is the earl of Lancaster. If he passes without an heir, why then, William would take his place. I cannot stomach that. Prove you are worth something, and see to it.'

'William,' Meggie said slowly, 'Libby is his mother. I don't understand this, ma'am. Did the earl of Lancaster divorce both his wives?'

'Yes, the foul wretch. There was a terrifying sickness in his brain. He desperately wanted a wife who would be loyal to him. I was as loyal as a tick, but it didn't matter. This sickness ate at him, you see, and he became utterly convinced that I had deceived him. Then he married Libby and it began all over again.' Madeleine snorted. 'I suppose we are lucky-the old bastard might have married and divorced a third wife and all of us would be here, sharing tea.'

'I have never heard of such a sickness.'

'I was told that his mother deceived his father and no one was certain that he was indeed his father's son. It corroded his soul. I would have been strong enough to have overcome this, but he wasn't. You cannot imagine the thousands of pounds he spent-mainly bribes, you know-to secure both divorces. All those lords laughed at him behind his back as they stuffed his groats in their pockets. Now, you've seen William. Although I am quite fond of Libby, her son is quite paltry. He would make a very bad earl of Lancaster and master of Pendragon.'

'Yes, I've seen William. I must admit that I was shocked to see the two wives living together. Both wives.'

'Yes, of course. Why not? That wretched man left us with sons to raise and little money to do it. He was furious when his younger brother Edward took me and Thomas in. Naturally Libby came here when he booted her out, small William with her.'

'And now Libby will have an affaire with Lord Kipper?'

Madeleine smiled at that. 'Libby is the only woman in these parts he hasn't taken as a lover. At least I think that's true. With Niles one can never be certain of anything. Isn't he a delicious man? Of course you would like to have a liaison with him, but you aren't stupid. You will wait until you present my son with his heir.'

Meggie only sighed. 'Ma'am, like you, I will stick like a tick to Thomas. As for Lord Kipper, he is older than my father. Perhaps I would knit him a pair of socks for Christmas, but nothing beyond that.'

'Ha,' said Madeleine. 'You're young. You see everything, yet you know nothing at all.'

'This is all passing strange, ma'am.'

'Mind your own business and stop thinking about it. Why did you ask about Libby and Niles? I know you want Lord Kipper for yourself.'

'In only a few years I could call him Grandfather.'

'What is your point? He is a glorious man.'

'Well, yes, he is quite beautiful. You're right about that. However, I much prefer your son.'

'Ah, go away now and send all those women back to the village. I wish you to be pregnant soon. See to it. Perhaps you will be so ill that you will leave the dust where it collects.'

Meggie slowly rose from the chair and shook out her skirts. 'As to my becoming with child, ma'am, both Thomas and I would like to have a child.' Did he really? Actually, they hadn't spoken of children. 'I wouldn't put it past you to deny him.' Meggie's head began to ache. She stood a moment outside Madeleine's bedchamber, leaning against the wall. A picture frame caught her shoulder and she moved over a bit. She closed her eyes and thought, How long have I been married now? Four days? And already I have a lump on my head. Surely marriage isn't supposed to begin like this. She remembered stories of her aunt Sinjun's trials when she'd first gone to Vere Castle with Uncle Colin in Scotland. They'd sounded so romantic, so adventurous, and Meggie had dined on those stories for days and nights at a time. She realized now that she'd been a fool. There was nothing romantic about this; there was only fear of every sound she heard and every shadow she saw.

Chapter 26

MEGGIE WENT DOWNSTAIRS to the estate room, a small back room, that gave onto a small garden that would give her stepmother, Mary Rose, heart pains to see what bad shape it was in. She wanted to find the steward, Paddy. She had things to do.

Paddy walked in just as she was about to give up. He was shorter than she was, round as a cannonball, a head thick with riotous red hair, and blue, blue eyes, darker than hers. He had lovely white teeth and a ready smile. 'My lady,' he said, bowing to her. 'At last I meet you. Is it really you now? What a pleasure, a vicar's daughter, the niece of a duke-'

'He's an earl, actually, just like Thomas.'

'Aye, niece of an earl. Ah, his lordship-it has a fine sound to it, doesn't it now? He deserves the title and the money. A good man is Thomas Malcombe, albeit very young to wield such power.'

'Yes,' Meggie said. 'He is a good man. I don't think age has anything to do with it.'

'Well, he's your new husband, now, isn't he? I am to meet his lordship here in just a moment. We have more repairs to consider.'

'I want that ancient chandelier to be rehung, Paddy, before it crashes down and mashes one of our heads. And there are stairs to be replaced. Also, I need a score of gardeners, not people who see a weed and step on it, but people who know their way about a garden and a lawn.'

'I always go around that chandelier, don't you know?' Paddy said, shaking his head. 'I'll do that, my lady, don't worry about it. And the gardens, I'll find the best men in the area. Mrs. Black is singing, so happy she is with the women we brought in from the village. Ah, here's his new lordship.'

'Paddy, I must speak to my wife in private for a moment. Please come back in a half hour.' The door no sooner closed on Paddy than Thomas said without preamble, 'My mother trapped me in the corridor just beneath a portrait of my great-great-uncle Mortimer who went to Wales just after his elder brother came into the title, so furious that he went into a coal mine and the roof caved in on him and killed him.'

'She's your mother. I suppose that she has a right to trap you whenever she wishes to.'

'She did. She demanded to know if I was trying my best to get you pregnant.'

Meggie gave him the wickedest smile. No daughter of a vicar should smile like that. 'Are you, Thomas? Trying your very best?'

'Dammit,' he said, and grabbed her. He moaned in her mouth, and that sweet sound, the taste of him, made her wild. Her hands were on his britches' buttons before he managed to pull away. He leaned his forehead against hers. He was breathing very hard, trying to get hold of himself. 'Oh God,' he whispered, leaned down to kiss her, cursed, and took four steps back.

'Why did you dismiss Paddy if you didn't want to kiss me until I jumped on you and carried you to the floor?'

He laughed, just couldn't help himself. 'I dismissed Paddy because I wanted to know what you spoke to my mother about. Her eyes were nearly red, Meggie, so furious with you she was sputtering.'

'So she's angry, is she?'

'Yes. You sound very pleased with yourself.'

Meggie felt a jab of unworthiness. 'Don't worry about it, Thomas. She and I will learn to deal with each other. Ah, did she tell you exactly what she was angry about?'

'She just said you needed discipline and I was to beat you, that it was obvious I hadn't brought you to heel yet.'

'Well,' Meggie said, giving him a sunny smile. 'Perhaps you can bring me to heel if we go riding.'

'Your head, Meggie. You shouldn't ride until tomorrow at the earliest. You should lie down now and rest.'

He was right and she said, 'Blessed Hell, all right.' Her hair was long and curling to the middle of her back, tied