Carol Townend - Lord Gawain's Forbidden Mistress

Vivienne glanced at the sword in Gawain’s hand. She bobbed into a curtsy, deposited Bruno into his cot and stepped forward with her hand out. ‘I’ll put that away, shall I, my lord?’

Slowly Gawain shook his head. ‘I’ll hang on to it, thank you,’ he said, voice like ice.

‘But, my lord—’

Elise rubbed Pearl’s back.

Gawain took a deep breath. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Vivienne. ‘I’d like you to tell me what a sword like this is doing in your belongings. A sword the hilt of which is, if I am not mistaken, pure gold.’ An eyebrow lifted as he touched the garnet. ‘And this gemstone is genuine. The setting is really very good.’

Vivienne’s mouth worked. ‘I don’t know much about it, mon seigneur . It belongs to a friend of André’s. I think he wants to sell it.’

‘And the name of this friend, if you please?’

Vivienne stood there, opening and shutting her mouth. Elise put her hand on Gawain’s sleeve. ‘Gawain, there’s no need to bark at Vivienne. You’re frightening her.’

He looked at her, eyes stony. ‘I’m merely asking questions.’

‘You’re frightening her.’

‘If she has done nothing wrong, she has nothing to fear.’ He turned back to Vivienne. ‘The name of your friend, madame ?’

‘I...I’ve forgotten.’

‘How convenient. Do you think André might know?’

Vivienne made a little moaning noise. Or it could have been Bruno, Elise wasn’t sure. Bruno was definitely stirring. A little fist was moving about in his cot.

Gawain’s frown scored heavy lines in his brow. ‘What does André call himself when he’s performing?’

‘André de Poitiers.’

‘Do you think he will recall the name of the friend to whom this belongs?’

‘Most likely, my lord.’ Bruno started to wail. Vivienne looked distractedly at him.

‘Please continue, madame .’

Vivienne made a helpless gesture. ‘ Mon seigneur , n-no one here is bearing arms, so I don’t think we’ve broken any laws. I think André’s friend is hoping to sell the sword.’

Gawain stared at her. ‘You are selling this sword for him?’

‘No, my lord. André’s friend is going to sell it. André is simply keeping it for a time. He put it in my coffer. To be honest, I forgot it was there.’

Gawain made a sound of exasperation. Elise’s stomach was churning. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but it was clear Gawain suspected either Vivienne or André of some sort of wrongdoing.

‘Lord Gawain?’ Vivienne stepped forward, eyes anxious. ‘We haven’t done anything against the law, have we? All we are doing is holding a sword for someone who is going to sell it.’

‘Vivienne, this sword is extremely valuable.’

‘My lord, if it’s valuable, then André’s friend will get a good price for it.’ Vivienne looked questioningly at Gawain. ‘Where’s the harm in that?’

Vivienne looked so confused that Elise felt herself relax. Whatever the reasons for the sword being in her coffer, Vivienne was clearly innocent of any wrongdoing. Gawain would surely see this.

‘There is no harm,’ Gawain went on, voice stern, ‘provided the buyer is not misled as to the sword’s true provenance.’

‘My lord?’

‘Someone might be tempted to pay more for a sword if they had been led to believe—for example—that it once belonged to King Arthur.’

‘The legendary Excalibur,’ Elise murmured, staring at the golden hilt. The garnet flashed blood-red, like the eye of a dragon. ‘Those tales are just stories. They’re not real.’

‘My point exactly.’

Bruno let out a full-throated wail and Vivienne picked him up. Rocking him from side to side, she looked at Gawain with large, innocent eyes. ‘My lord, I know nothing about any legendary sword.’

Gawain looked at her. The silence was broken by a wasp buzzing in and then out of the tent.

‘Truly, my lord, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Elise found she was holding her breath. Gawain’s expression was so serious, she hardly recognised him. And when his brown eyes fixed on her, she actually shivered.

‘When’s the lute-player coming back?’

‘André? I’ve no idea.’

Vivienne shifted. ‘He’ll be back at suppertime, mon seigneur .’

‘Not before then?’

‘No, my lord.’

‘Very well.’ Gawain towered over Vivienne. ‘Is my squire still outside?’

‘Yes, my lord.’

He strode to the door flap and flung it back. ‘Aubin! In here, if you please.’

Aubin hurried into the tent and nodded awkwardly at Elise. Elise gave him a weak smile and listened as Gawain rattled off a series of commands.

‘Aubin, go straight to the Troyes garrison. Speak to Sir Raphael and to no one else. Tell him—’ He broke off, frowning thoughtfully at Elise. ‘No, that won’t do. Elise, you understand the Guardian Knights will have to be told about this?’

‘Will they?’

‘Of course. Vivienne will have to accompany me to Troyes Castle. The Captain of the Guard will want to question her about this sword.’

Vivienne gasped and went white.

‘She can’t do that,’ Elise said. Stomach twisting in apprehension, she stared at the sword. ‘I have no idea why this is in our tent, but I’m convinced that Vivienne is not at fault.’ She frowned at Gawain. ‘I’m even more convinced that you can’t take her to the garrison. She’s a nursing mother. What about the babies? The Troyes garrison is no place for babies and she can’t leave them behind. They need feeding at all hours.’

Vivienne swallowed. ‘Are...are you arresting me, my lord?’

‘No, I’m not arresting you. But I cannot pretend I have not seen this sword. You’ll have to explain it to Sir Raphael.’

‘Gawain, you can’t take her to the garrison, not with the babies.’

Gawain looked at her.

‘Gawain, the garrison really is no place for a nursing mother.’

‘Very well.’

Elise let out a sigh. ‘Thank you.’

‘However, I shall have to take Vivienne into safekeeping.’

‘Safekeeping?’

‘She shall accompany me to my manor.’

Elise’s eyes went wide. ‘As your prisoner?’

‘As my guest. Le Manoir des Rosières is only a few miles away. Sir Raphael can interview her there just as well as at the garrison.’ He looked at Vivienne. ‘Will that be preferable, madame ?’

‘Thank you, my lord,’ Vivienne said, in a small voice. She looked so distraught that Elise’s heart went out to her.

‘Gawain, you can’t do that!’ Elise hugged Pearl to her. If Gawain took Vivienne to his manor, Pearl would have to go too. And if Pearl went so would Elise. She swallowed. She wouldn’t be parted from Pearl.

‘I think you will see that I can. Aubin?’ Gawain tapped the strange sword against his thigh. The garnet seemed to wink balefully.

‘My lord?’

‘Go back to the manor and tell Sir Bertran I need half a dozen horse soldiers to be at the ready.’ He measured Vivienne’s travelling chest and the two cots with his eye. ‘And ask him to organise a cart for tomorrow. Vivienne, do you ride?’

‘Not well, my lord. We have a cart. I usually travel in that.’

‘Pity. We need to be discreet today, so we can’t use your cart. We’ll have to get you and the babies as far as the Preize Gate. The rest of your belongings can wait until later.’ Gawain shot Elise a look. ‘After I have spoken to Raphael and André.’

Gawain went on issuing commands. Something about borrowing a cart and a couple of guards from the garrison. Elise didn’t hear much of it, her mind was in turmoil. She held Pearl to her and all she could think was that Gawain was about to take Pearl from her. Heart pumping, she stroked Pearl’s hair. Somehow, she must stop him. Whatever happened, she was not going to be separated from her baby.