Mistaken For A Lady

Had she fled because Lady Clare—Count Myrrdin’s true daughter—had made difficulties for her?

Or had she gone because she couldn’t bear to live on in her beloved Fontaine knowing it would never be hers?

It had hurt that Francesca had left the duchy rather than wait for him to complete his duties. So many months had passed and she’d not answered a single one of his letters. That hurt too. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, surely he shouldn’t feel this way?

Now, with Francesca continually ignoring his letters, Tristan refused to waste more time. He needed to apply for an annulment. He needed a sound political marriage. He needed heirs.

He hardened his heart. The plain truth was that Francesca hadn’t taken refuge in his castle at des Iles as he had invited her to. She had fled the duchy. Her silence was yet more proof that she wanted nothing to do with him. Silence was a form of desertion. And desertion was definitely grounds for annulment.

Somewhere in the depths of his memory a pair of candid grey eyes—Francesca’s eyes—smiled back at him. Her smile had been warm and genuine. Or so he had believed. A knife twisted, deep inside.

He set his jaw. It was time to have their marriage dissolved. Francesca wasn’t an heiress. Their marriage had brought him nothing but grief—the confusion he’d felt at their parting refused to dissipate. At times it felt very much like pain. Perhaps that wasn’t so surprising. He had liked Francesca very much; her lack of response to his letters really rankled.

Bastian was staring at the gatehouse outside Count Henry’s palace. ‘Is that the palace, my lord?’

‘Aye.’

Bastian gave him a troubled look. ‘What will you do for a mask, my lord? Didn’t Sir Ernis say a mask was obligatory?’

‘Never mind, Bastian, I have the very thing.’

* * *

Francesca’s mask was green to match her gown. Standing in a stairwell just outside the palace great hall, she held her veil to one side while Mari tied it into place.

‘Thank you. Are you ready, Mari?’

‘Yes, my lady.’

Giving her veil a tweak to ensure it flowed neatly over the ties of her mask, Francesca stepped into the hall. A wave of noise and heat rolled over her. Unprepared for either the press of people or the warmth, Francesca recoiled so swiftly that Mari—who was following close behind—walked into her.

‘I’m sorry, my lady.’

Francesca’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Saints, half of Champagne must be here. It would be hard to imagine there’s room for anyone else.’

A manservant bearing a tray of goblets shot past the doorway faster than she could have believed possible, he nimbly sidestepped a small child playing with a grizzled wolfhound and narrowly avoided an upturned bench.

Behind her mask, Mari’s eyes sparkled. ‘Oh, my lady, isn’t it exciting? May Day always is the best of the festivals.’

‘It’s a pagan celebration,’ Francesca said. ‘It’s not an official one, it’s not sanctioned by the Church.’

‘All the better, we can really enjoy ourselves.’ Mari nudged her in the small of her back. ‘Well? Don’t you think we need a goblet of wine?’

Straightening her spine, Francesca pushed into the throng. The twanging of a lute floated down from the minstrel’s gallery. A drum beat softly in the background.

Truth be told, Francesca had no wish to take part in the revel, she wasn’t in the mood. She’d only come to please Mari, who had been talking of nothing else since Sir Ernis had so foolishly mentioned there was going to be a masked revel at the palace.

Mari was more of a companion than a servant and, despite her outspoken manner, she was a loyal supporter. It would have been churlish to deny her and Francesca had known Mari wouldn’t dream of coming without her. So, despite not being in the mood for frivolity, she’d been persuaded to come.

Mari’s mask made her smile. It was a dazzling and complicated arrangement of peacock feathers, gold thread and ribbons. The feathers danced and waved about Mari’s face as she squeezed through the press, tickling people as she passed them.

Francesca’s mask was far more modest. She had ignored Mari’s blandishments that a young lady like herself, one whose husband had clearly given up on her, ought to set about attracting new interest. She had cut a simple mask out of some backing, covered it with a remnant of green fabric from her gown and edged it with some glass beads she’d found rolling about in the bottom of her sewing box.

‘My lady, you really must make the most of this revel,’ Mari muttered from behind her. ‘You need to think about your future. Your marriage is over, and if you want children, you will have to marry again.’ Mari glanced pointedly towards the ceiling, where row upon row of knights’ colours hung from the beams. ‘Look at all those pennons. There are plenty of knights here tonight, you could take your pick.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Find a new husband.’

‘Mari, please.’ As Mari’s words shivered through her, Francesca was gripped with a horrid suspicion. Had Mari insisted on coming to the revel, not for her own entertainment, but because she wanted Francesca to choose a new husband?

Well, that day might almost be upon her. Her separation from Tristan was bound to be formalised soon, even so, she wasn’t ready to start husband hunting. Not until she had heard from Tristan himself.

The long silence probably meant that she would at any moment receive notice that he had asked the Pope to annul their marriage. Tristan had good cause to do so. She’d failed him in the most damning of ways, she was a nobody, a nobody who had not provided him with an heir.

Determined not to give the knights’ colours another glance, Francesca kept her gaze trained on the trestle tables arranged around the walls. She had come here tonight so Mari could let her hair down. As to her future, she had already discussed moving to Monfort with her friend Helvise, she would think more about that another day.

Francesca forged on, heading for a tray of goblets next to the wine racks. Heavens, she’d never seen tables so laden—great platters of venison, mountains of pastries, honeyed almonds... Unfortunately, her stomach felt like lead and she doubted she could eat a bite.

It would help if she could forget how she had enjoyed Tristan’s company. The trouble was that every time Mari spoke about Francesca’s plans for the future, Francesca found herself dwelling on her brief time with Tristan. Until she had discovered she wasn’t related to Count Myrrdin in any way whatsoever, she had been so happy.

My life has been a lie. None of it was real.

Tears rushed to her eyes and the tray of goblets seemed to waver in a mist. Blinking fast, she stiffened her spine. She knew what she had to do. She must step aside and allow Tristan to make a more propitious marriage. With a noblewoman. With an heiress who would give him heirs.

Francesca reached for a goblet and wrenched her mind away from Tristan. ‘Count Henry is generous,’ she said brightly.

Mari was staring wide-eyed at a stand that was bowing under the weight of so many wine barrels. Her peacock feathers shivered. ‘Dieu du ciel, God in heaven, Count Henry’s steward must have raided the stock of every wine merchant in Champagne. That rack will surely break.’

‘I am sure the barrels will soon be empty.’ Francesca handed the goblet to Mari as one of her maid’s peacock feathers flicked across the face of a large man with a shock of white hair. The man sneezed.

Francesca took another goblet. When she turned back, wine in hand, Mari was gone.

‘Mari?’

Francesca could see no sign of her. No, wait, there she was, halfway across the hall. At the centre a space had been cleared, dancing was about to begin. The man with the shock of white hair had taken Mari’s arm and was drawing her into the crowd. Mari glanced over her shoulder, Francesca saw the glint of her eyes behind the mask. She was smiling.

Returning the smile, Francesca mimed for Mari to join the dance. With any luck, Mari would soon be so engrossed that Francesca could sneak back to the ladies’ bower and retire. She really wasn’t in the mood for a masked revel. And she certainly wasn’t in the mood for husband hunting.

Pensively, she took a sip of wine and skirted round the edge of the hall. She hadn’t gone more than a couple of paces before a tall man with untidy yellow hair stepped in front of her.

He gave her a flourishing bow. ‘Will you dance, fair lady?’ he asked, holding out his hand.

The man’s mask was black and Francesca caught a glimpse of blue eyes. Her heart missed a beat and she immediately thought of Tristan. Heavens, this had to stop! She was seeing Tristan in every man she met. It was ludicrous, this man didn’t even have the right colour hair.

Was he a knight? Francesca didn’t want to dance, however, if he was a knight, there was a danger she might insult him by refusing. He certainly held himself confidently enough. She dipped into a curtsy. ‘I am sorry, sir, I do not dance.’

‘Dommage. Pity,’ he said, easily enough.

A woman squeezed past Francesca, elbowing her in the ribs. ‘Excuse me, mistress.’ She jerked her head at a wine barrel. ‘I can’t reach the tap.’

The fair man took Francesca by the arm. ‘Come, we are in the way here.’ He guided her away from the serving tables. It didn’t take long for Francesca to realise that he was making a beeline for one of the corridors—a corridor that at this hour was dark and shadowy and lit by a line of lanterns. Francesca resisted the tug on her arm.

‘Sir, if you please. I have arranged to meet a friend in the ladies’ solar.’

‘All in good time.’ Behind the black mask, blue eyes—the wrong blue eyes—gleamed. ‘First, we shall step into the quiet and introduce each other properly.’ His grip firmed and before Francesca could protest she found herself in the corridor.

* * *

From the minstrels’ gallery, there was a bird’s-eye view of the goings-on in the great hall. This was just as well because Tristan was wearing his helmet instead of a mask. He’d had to put it on before the pages would admit him and the view through the eye slits was somewhat restricted. None the less, he would surely spot Francesca easily from up here. And he would know her, he was sure, even if she was wearing a mask.

After nodding briefly at a lute-player, he turned back to the guard rail. His gaze was caught by a slender, dark-haired lady in a group standing by the hearth. A brief perusal told him it wasn’t Francesca, the lady’s hands didn’t look right. Too many rings. He skimmed quickly over a group of would-be dancers forming in the middle, again, one or two of the women had Francesca’s build. None of them had her grace. Next, he studied the revellers by the serving tables as they jostled to reach the meats and the wine barrels. One lady in a crimson gown with a mask to match looked too young; another in a blue gown and heavy silk veil was too small; another— No, none of them resembled Francesca.

His gaze moved on, sliding over more guests until at last, by the door that led into a corridor, Tristan caught sight of a large, fair-haired man pulling a tall, willowy woman in a green gown towards one of the doors. The hairs rose on Tristan’s neck. Francesca!

Before he knew it, he was tearing down the twisting stairs.

He hadn’t seen her face, she had lost weight and her ebony hair was hidden beneath her veil, but he didn’t need the details to know he’d been looking at his wife. Swearing under his breath, Tristan shoved his way unceremoniously through the revellers.

His mind raced. What the devil was she doing leaving the great hall in the company of a stranger?

A name jumped unbidden into Tristan’s brain. Joakim Kerjean. His pulse thudded and his mind filled with questions.

Before setting out from Château des Iles, Tristan had learned that a yellow-haired knight named Joakim Kerjean had been enquiring after Francesca in the village. Never having met the man, Tristan had followed up with some enquiries of his own. He’d not got far, all he’d learned was that Sir Joakim Kerjean held title to some land not far from Francesca’s manor at St Méen. That in itself was fairly innocuous. What was more worrying was that after Sir Joakim had been told that Francesca was living in Tristan’s Champagne manor, he had gone on to ask for precise directions as to how to get there. Clearly, this Kerjean was determined to find her. Why?

If Sir Joakim’s manor bordered with Francesca’s, he might be after her land. He might be considering marriage.

Was the man a fortune hunter? Tristan might be considering an annulment, but he had no wish for Francesca to fall into the hands of a fortune hunter. If Francesca were to remarry, it was Tristan’s duty to make sure she married someone who treated her with the respect she deserved. Sir Joakim would have to prove himself a decent man before Tristan allowed him anywhere near her.

Tristan shouldered through the throng. That yellow-haired man might not be Kerjean, what mattered at this moment was whether Francesca was going with him willingly.

That man could be her lover. Tristan clenched his fists, filled with an emotion so raw he couldn’t begin to analyse it. He was about to petition for an annulment, what Francesca did was no longer his concern. So why in hell did the sight of her walking into a shadowy corridor with another man have him in knots?

‘Excuse me, sirs.’ Tristan pushed past several knights with barely concealed impatience. The very fact that he’d found Francesca at this revel argued against what he’d believed about her living quietly at Paimpont Manor.

Before Tristan had left her to join the Breton council in Rennes, he had made a point of telling her how important it was that he proved himself a loyal subject of the duchy. He’d been sure she understood, he had to do his duty.

Tristan had long been aware that of all the duchess’s vassals, his hold on his county was tenuous. He held it on sufferance. The trouble was that if he put a step wrong, he’d lose more than his county. Tristan hadn’t told his wife that he wanted to make up for the shameful mess that his father had left behind him. That would have felt too much like betrayal.

Before parting from Francesca, he had warned her that he would only be able to write to her occasionally. She had given him one of her dutiful smiles and had said that she understood. He’d been sure she would wait for him. Yet she hadn’t replied to any of his letters and here she was, sneaking into a corridor with a stranger at a revel. It was hardly the act of an innocent.

It wasn’t what he would have expected of the young woman he had married. I thought you were daughter of the Count of Fontaine. I thought you were innocent.

Hell burn it, it wasn’t pleasant to have one’s illusions ripped away. When they had first married, he’d been beguiled by her innocence. Yet how innocent had she been? He wasn’t sure about anything any more. Who was she? What was she? What drove her? He had no idea.

Is that man forcing her? Is it the man who was nosing around des Iles? Is it Joakim Kerjean? Digging his nails into his palms, clenching his jaw, Tristan brushed past an embracing couple and stepped into the corridor.

Candles were burning in a row of lanterns set in wall sconces, the rest was gloom. At the far end of the corridor, he caught the flash of a green skirt.

‘Let me go!’ Francesca’s voice was sharp. Anxious. ‘Unhand me, sir!’

‘My lady!’ Tristan lurched towards her, swiftly closing the distance between them.

A large shadow moved. The lantern light fell on the man’s yellow hair as he glanced Tristan’s way before bending purposefully over Francesca.

Tristan heard a sharp crack as she slapped the man’s face. Relief—this was no tryst—warred with anger. The cur, how dare he molest her! Tristan reached them and all he could think was that he wanted Francesca safe. Her green mask was crooked, her breast heaving.

He forced his way between them and tore off his helmet. It fell to the floor with a clang. He was vaguely aware that he ought to know better than to mistreat a Poitiers helmet in such a way, it had cost a fortune. It wasn’t important. Ignoring Francesca’s gasp of surprise as she recognised him, he glared at her molester. ‘Touch my wife again and you die.’

The man’s jaw slackened. His gaze dropped to Francesca and he scowled. ‘You didn’t tell me you had a protector.’

Francesca lifted her chin and the beads glinted on her mask. ‘You didn’t bother to ask, sir,’ she said. ‘And even if I had told you, I doubt whether you would have listened. You may leave.’

The man’s mouth tightened. ‘There’s a word for women like you,’ he said, voice surly.

Anger surged, dark and primitive. Tristan felt like pounding the man into the floor. ‘Watch your mouth.’

Muttering obscenities, the man shouldered past him. Heavy footsteps receded down the corridor and Tristan discovered that learning whether or not the man was Kerjean had become utterly irrelevant.

Was Francesca unhurt?

A candle flared, spitting and hissing as it guttered and went out. It didn’t matter. Tristan wasn’t aware of anything save for Francesca standing before him, a door at her back. Her face was in shadow. Her mask glinted.

Francesca dipped into a curtsy even as she whipped off her mask. Her grey eyes were shining with what looked very much like happiness. ‘Tristan! How wonderful to see you.’

Tristan found himself returning her smile before he recalled why he was here. Count Myrrdin, the man she thought of as her father, was dying and he had promised to bring her to him.

She touched his hand and every nerve tingled. ‘Your arrival was most timely. I thank you.’

Tristan curled his fingers round hers. ‘We can talk in here.’ Pushing through the door, he pulled her with him into the chamber. He had a dim recollection that it was used as an office by the palace steward, Sir Gervase de Provins. It was cramped and dark. No candles. No matter.

Kicking the door shut with his heel, Tristan felt for the bolt and shoved it home. All he could think was that they were together again. At last.

Tugging Francesca to him, he slid an arm about her waist. He had to kiss her. One last kiss. God save him, after their wedding she had tasted so sweet, he had to see if that had changed. One kiss. He touched her face, fingers lingering on her cheek. So soft. Warm. A faint, womanly fragrance reached him—jasmine and roses. She’d always liked jasmine. Francesca.

‘Tristan.’ Her voice trembled. Her body did too.

Lowering his head, his lips found hers. He intended to keep it gentle and brief. He ought to tell her about Count Myrrdin and he would, as soon as they had finished this kiss. This kiss—their first in almost two years—was everything.

Feeling engulfed him. Lord, it was almost too much. Finally, he had her in his arms again and her lips were as soft as he remembered. She stood trembling in his arms as he went on kissing her, nibbling at her mouth, waiting—aching—for her to respond. Lightly, lightly. He tasted cinnamon and honey, she’d been drinking spiced wine.

She must feel something, she must respond, she must.

His blood began to heat, yet he held himself in check. They would talk in a moment, but first he had the absurd wish that she should respond in the old way.

It didn’t take long. He felt a last shiver run through her body, one moment she was hanging in his arms, apparently nothing more than a bundle of nerves, and the next she gave a small sigh and her body fell against his as it had done in the early days of their marriage. The ache inside him intensified, it became actual pain. Mon Dieu, he had missed this—she had him in flames with a touch. He’d never known anything like it.

A couple of heartbeats later, small hands took firm hold of his shoulders. She eased back and her soft murmur reached him through the dark. ‘Tristan.’

Triumph flooded every vein. The cracks of light edging round the door were thin, the dark almost absolute. If she was little more than a shadow, then so was he. ‘My heart.’ The old endearment slipped out before he had thought. And his hand slid round her head, he was unable to stop himself urging her mouth back to meet his. They fell into each other’s arms in the old way and went on kissing. The kissing got deeper. Wilder. It was as though Tristan had been dragged back in time and they were newly wed. While they were kissing, Tristan could almost imagine that he had never felt guilty for keeping secrets from her. He could almost imagine that they had never separated, and there had never been this silence between them. His blood pounded in his ears. It was impossible to breathe. There was so much to resolve, but it was drowned by the need to kiss and touch.

With difficulty, he eased back. He had to tell her about Count Myrrdin. Talking was the last thing he wanted to do, he was hard as iron. He wanted to go on touching her; he wanted to keep her close; he wanted to kiss her until they both lost their senses. He was halfway there already. Lord, he would never let her go.

His thoughts blurred and despite his resolution—I must tell her Count Myrrdin has summoned her to Fontaine—all he could think was how much he wanted her. He fought the impulse to press himself against her and caught himself wondering if an annulment might, after all, be a mistake. Then the old bitterness stirred. She never came to des Iles, she deserted me. She never replied to my letters.

He heard her swallow, her breathing was unsteady. ‘Tristan, it is marvellous to see you, but should we be kissing with so much unresolved between us?’

It was on the tip of his tongue to reply that she was his wife and he had every right to kiss her. He had to remind himself that she had fled Brittany and never looked back. ‘Probably not. Francesca, I bring news from Fontaine.’

Damn the gloom, he couldn’t read her expression, all he could see was her shape. Her very feminine shape, temptingly outlined by the light creeping round the door. Desire coiled inside him, dark and angry. Francesca wasn’t the woman he’d thought her to be and their life together had disintegrated into an utter shambles. He needed a titled lady with a spotless reputation. Despite that, he’d never wanted a woman more than this one and he had no words to tell her.

Blindly, he reached for her, but his arms closed on thin air.

Chapter Two

Francesca drew in a steadying breath, stared at the dark shape that was Tristan and tried to analyse the warmth that had flooded every vein. It was heaven to be with him again, pure heaven, so much so that it was almost impossible to concentrate on what he had said. Something about news from Fontaine.

She felt most odd. Light-headed. Dizzy with happiness. Tristan had come for her! He had received her letter and he had come for her. Her heart thumped. Had he decided their marriage would stand? He had acknowledged her as his wife before that bully of a knight—that had to be a good sign.

Unless—Francesca’s stomach sank—Tristan was extremely possessive. Perhaps he had come to tell her their union was to be dissolved and he had claimed her only because until their marriage was over she remained his. Sad to say, the decision was in Tristan’s hands, she would have little influence. Tristan le Beau was Count of the Isles, she was no one.

Pushing the news from Fontaine to the back of her mind, she cleared her throat. ‘Have you called for an annulment, my lord?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Why not?’

‘Why the hurry?’

She gave a quiet laugh and felt the happiness slowly ebb away until there was only the familiar uncertainty. What were his intentions? ‘Why the hurry? Tristan, it’s been two years since we have been in each other’s company, that is hardly a hurry.’

A loud knocking made her start.

The door rattled and Tristan groaned. ‘Holy hell.’

Another bang had the door jump on its hinges. ‘Who’s in there?’ It was a man’s voice, edged with impatience. ‘Open up!’

Tristan made for the door.