The Knight of Rosecliffe by Rexanne Becnel

Author:Rexanne Becnel
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Medieval
Publisher: 0
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Jasper did not like the way Josselyn studied him. “May I see Rand’s missive?” he asked. She handed it to him without speaking, then watched him the whole while he read it.

“Rand plays a dangerous game with LaMonthe,” he muttered.

“What do you mean by that?”

Jasper grimaced. He hadn’t meant to alarm her. “Just that I do not trust LaMonthe to do what he says.”

She frowned. “Nor do I. But would he go so far as to profess support for Matilda and then betray her?”

“The man is more like to pledge allegiance to both Stephen and Matilda, then watch and see which of them can benefit him most.” He thought for a moment. “LaMonthe does not concern himself with matters of the English kingdom. ‘Tis his own kingdom here in Wales that he seeks to strengthen. To ally himself with us or any of the other Marcher lords allows him to probe our weaknesses. Do not forget. He is rumored to have hastened the death of his wife’s father. And his brother-in-law, sent by him on an errand to Chester, was killed in a tavern brawl.”

“And the lands under LaMonthe’s control increased.” Josselyn’s fingers wove nervously together. “Does Rand hide anything from me, Jasper? I implore you to tell me if he does, for I cannot be a true helpmate to him if I do not fully share his burdens.”

Jasper covered her hands with his. “He keeps no secrets from you, Josselyn. But if you would help him, then do not fight him in the matter of fostering Gavin and finding a husband for Isolde.” She stiffened, but he held her firmly. “He seeks only to ensure their future, and that of Rosecliffe.”

“Is that what you do as well? Is that why you hold Rhonwen captive?”

He released her hands. “ ‘Tis Rhys I want. ’Tis he I will eventually hold in Rosecliffe’s dungeon.”

“To keep Rosecliffe safe.”

“What other reason is there?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I only wish ... I wish there were a way to peace between you and Rhys.”

Jasper ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I killed his father, Josselyn. I pulled the bow and released the arrow and he will never let that go. That it was to save you matters nothing to him.”

“Yes, I know. But I cannot help believing that in time he could come to see it differently. That he could come to see the benefit of the Welsh and English living together in peace. Together we are stronger than we are apart. Rand and I are better together than we ever were singly. Certainly Carreg Du is a better place to live since Rosecliffe Castle and the village outside have grown up.”

“Rhys is too hotheaded to care about that.”

“But he does care about Rhonwen.”

It was Jasper’s turn to stiffen. “I am well aware of that, and I plan to use that knowledge to defeat him.”

“I wonder...” she said, after a moment. “I wonder whether that is, in fact, why you wish to defeat him.

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