“Without a strong leader, the future of the empire is in danger, or at least that is the fear of the church. The bishops hoped to secure its future by dividing the empire among the king’s three sons, with Lothar at its head. But then Louis married Judith. Now there is another son, plus an ambitious queen.” Justin shrugged. “As you say, it’s complicated, and the problem will not be solved easily. Maybe not for many years to come.”
Chetwynd appreciated Justin’s ability to take the long view, but he was more concerned with the present. Hoping to return to the immediate problem, he asked, “Since we don’t really know who was responsible for Isabel’s kidnapping, how do you suggest we proceed?”
“I think you should come with me to the palace at Aachen, Chetwynd. I don’t believe the queen will be banished for long, and the king may need you to maintain peace. The best thing would be for Isabel to stay here at Aquis until things settle down and we can discover who was behind the kidnapping plot.”
“No,” Isabel said quietly, appealing to Chetwynd with her eyes. “I want to go with Lord Chetwynd.”
“I promised Isabel we would stay together, Justin. I can’t break that promise.”
Justin looked from one to the other. In spite of his frustration with Chetwynd, they were the two people he loved most in the world. He was surprised he had never thought of them together. He spoke to Isabel. “I take it you are determined to remain in this marriage?”
Isabel nodded. She knew her brother well and prayed he would recognize and accept the inevitable. She did not wish a battle between the two men she loved.
When Justin looked at him, Chetwynd held his breath.
“So be it. I suspect you’ll make a good match. I’m surprised I didn’t foresee the outcome of bringing the two of you together. You have my blessing.”
Isabel leapt from her chair and flung her arms around her brother’s neck, nearly knocking him off the bench. When he regained his balance, Justin returned her embrace, hugging her tightly. Feeling an incredible sense of relief, Chetwynd watched brother and sister as they laughed together. Then they turned to him, and he saw two sets of identical brown eyes beaming at him.
“Thank you for your blessing, Justin,” he said, his hoarse voice betraying the emotion he felt. “I will do all in my power to deserve your trust and keep Isabel safe.”
“I’m sure you will, Chetwynd. Now I’d like a tour of the estate that is to be Isabel’s future home.” Then, as though to settle the matter, he added, “Tomorrow morning we’ll all leave for Aachen.”
In bed that night, Chetwynd and Isabel discussed their long-awaited reunion with Justin. “It went a great deal better than I had hoped,” Chetwynd admitted.
“Yes, Justin listened to reason, thank goodness. But then I guess that’s his strength. It won’t be long before he comes to believe our match was his idea.”
“You’re probably right. I wish I could be as calm and reasonable as Justin. My mind seems to work best when I have to make a quick decision in battle or in a dangerous situation. But when I saw you again in the pond at Narbonne, I lost my mind. I was ruled by another part of my anatomy.”
Isabel laughed. “I assume you’re speaking about your heart.”
“That, too.” Chetwynd pulled Isabel to lie on top of his stomach and then pushed her upright so she was straddling him. “I want to look at you, Isabel,” he said reverently as he pushed her long hair away from her bare breasts.
The way he caressed her with his hands and his eyes made it hard for Isabel to sit still. When she saw that he enjoyed her movements, she didn’t even try. His caresses became increasingly intimate, and she let out a small shout. Hearing herself, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand and tried to wiggle free.
“What’s the matter, Isabel?” Chetwynd asked, holding her in place with his hands on her waist. “Did I hurt you?”
Isabel replied in a whisper. “Justin might hear us. You can become quite loud, my lord.”
“As can you, my love.” Chetwynd grinned up at her. “Don’t worry. I had Gertrude fix a room for your brother on the far side of the manor.”
“What brilliant strategy, my lord. I can understand why you are so good in battle.”
They had Justin’s blessing, and for the first time Isabel and Chetwynd came together without a touch of anxiety. Their passion seemed to increase as they made love in a carefree and joyous manner. When they finally lay exhausted, they took turns exchanging small bursts of laughter. Although Isabel was worn out and wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to move again, she didn’t want to lose him to sleep just yet.
“Tell me about Aachen, my lord.”
“Go to sleep, Isabel,” Chetwynd muttered against her ear.
“In a minute. Open your eyes and tell me one thing about Aachen.” She put her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her so she could see that he kept his eyes open.
“When we reach Aachen they should put you to work in the dungeon, torturing prisoners,” he grumbled.
“There is a dungeon? No, I don’t want to hear about that. Tell me something good about the palace.”
Chetwynd pretended to sigh, but her enthusiasm to hear more made him eager to satisfy her. “The palace at Aachen was one of Charlemagne’s favorites. Although he had many palaces throughout his empire, he spent a lot of time there. He built a church in imitation of the great Roman cathedrals he admired so much. I think you’ll like it. Everyone who comes to Aachen enjoys visiting Charlemagne’s burial place at the cathedral. Now
