Martin rested his hand on the pommel of his sword and grinned at his adversary.
“You think you can take me, Little Baron?” Lord James took a step closer, looming over him.
“I know I can. Because I did. Have you forgotten so soon?”
“Are you calling me out? I could dispatch you today. Then Isabella would be mine for the taking that much sooner.”
It was a mistake to let his temper get the better of him. Martin knew that. But at the moment, his loathing for Lord James knew no bounds. The only thing that held him back was the knowledge that Isabella wouldn’t want him to do this. He’d started this absurd conversation because he wanted to give her a chance to choose freely, and she could hardly do that if he ran Lord James through with his sword.
Taking a deep breath, he deliberately relaxed his shoulders and forced himself to laugh. “And where would be the fun in that? I’d much rather watch Isabella cut you down to size when she realizes what a disappointing husband you would be.”
“If I’m so disappointing, why does she want me for a husband and not you?”
Martin carefully kept his face steady and didn’t wince, even if Lord James’s words cut deeper than any blade.
“My lord, I have spoken my piece,” Martin said, holding the earl’s gaze. “I will do everything in my power to win her heart. But if in the end she chooses you without any coercion, she is yours. I will say no more on the matter.”
The earl shook his head. “You’re a very strange man, Lord Martin. Very strange indeed. You should never have invited me to play a game you’ve already lost. But if you insist, let the games begin.”
“Indeed.” With a curt nod, Martin turned to go, heading straight out to the castle’s practice yard where he could whack the battered wooden pell to his heart’s content with his sword. Perhaps he had just made an enormous mistake, but in the depths of his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do. Now that it was done, he could only pray to God that he won.
Chapter Seventeen
Isabella reluctantly leftAdelaide asleep to go in search of the Earl of Norfolk. The healer was worried, but the poultice he had applied to Adelaide’s chest seemed to have eased her breathing. Her sister was still feverish, despite the potion the healer provided to balance her humors. If Adelaide wasn’t improved by morning, the healer was going to bleed her, poor thing. As if her sister didn’t already have enough scars on her arm from previous bleedings. But there was nothing more to be done at the moment, so it was time to secure their future.
She found Lord James in the practice yard, battling one of his men with a wooden sword. The earl was positively enormous, and each blow he dealt had such power behind it that the other man was knocked back as he blocked.
Lord James was handsome, she supposed, in a sort of rugged Viking way. She rather liked it when he’d kissed her the year before, even if he had gotten a bit handsy, forcing her to step away. Looking at him now, though, she felt none of the warmth of attraction she used to feel in his presence. Her thoughts shifted to Martin unbidden, to the kiss they had shared, the heat of which far exceeded any kiss in her experience. Her heart yearned for her to turn back, find Martin, and confess everything. But could she trust him?
No, she could not. And while she didn’t trust Lord James either, she was confident that she could manipulate him intodoing what she wanted, unlike Lord Martin who had resisted her efforts to manipulate him at every turn. The way he saw through her was uncanny.
She was unaccustomed to having anyone see past her bravado. It felt good to be seen—a little too good. Her heart beat faster at the thought of Lord Martin’s all-too-insightful eyes seeing the truth beneath her artifice. But her own heart was immaterial in all of this. She wanted to marry Lord James for Adelaide’s sake, not her own.
She caught his eye, and he immediately halted the fight. “If you’re looking for your husband, my lady, he’s with Lord Charles in the great hall.”
This might have been the only opening she got to speak to him alone, so she might as well dive in. “Actually, I was looking for you. I was hoping we might speak privately. I have important news from my father.”
The earl’s gaze flicked to his man. “Chester, leave us.”
The other man departed without a word.Good.There would be no one to overhear.
Lord James sauntered over, looking her up and down with a smoldering gaze. Did he suspect what she was about to tell him? But how could he? Perhaps he was merely depraved enough not to care that she was a married woman. The thought sent a shiver up her spine. But she was doing this for Adelaide, and she would see it through.
“So… you have me alone. What did yourfatherwish for me to know?” He smirked knowingly, and her stomach churned.
“Actually, it has nothing to do with my father. I wanted to speak with you. I have a proposition for you. How would you like to become the Royal Exchequer when Lord Henry becomes king?”
The earl’s eyebrows shot up. She had surprised him.Good.She wanted him to see her value as an ally. She had no intention of merely being one of his many conquests.
“What makes you think Henry Fitzempress is going to win this war, and why would he consider me for such a plum position when I’ve never come out openly in support of him?”
“If King Stephen had the strength to fend off his challenger, he would have done so by now. We both know the Duke of Normandy had more land, more men at arms, and more wealth than our so-called king. He is not bringing the full force of his army to bear because he doesn’t wish to destroy the land he hopes to rule, but we both know it is only a matter of time before Lord Henry wins.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “It truly is extraordinary how devious your little mind is. One might almost think you a man. Do go on. I’m intrigued.”
Isabella forced herself to unclench her fist. He could insult her “little mind” all he liked as long as he took the deal, and she got to keep Adelaide safe. “I know who the duke plans to make exchequer when he takes the throne. I also know a secret about the man that could ruin him utterly with Lord Henry. If you were the one who brought this tidbit to His Grace, you could easily insinuate yourself into the man’s position. Think of it. You would have all the wealth of the English crown at your command as soon as Lord Henry wins the war.”
The flash of greed in Lord James’s eyes was momentary, but it told Isabella everything she needed to know.
