Page 59 of Wed By Proxy

The realization rocked him. It was at this moment that his ears were assailed by Julia’s melodious tones.

“Ah there you are Guy,” she announced swooping down the staircase toward him. She paused a moment on the first landing, almost as if giving him the opportunity of taking in her appearance in her burnished copper color dress and the matching headdress. “I must needs have a word with you,” she said, and glanced back over her shoulder. “This creature you have set on me cannot be borne!” she hissed. Guy glanced up the stairs and saw Lettys, Temur’s wife hanging back, clearly keeping Julia in her sights. He watched as Lettys turned to contemplate a gloomy portrait of Guy’s great grandfather with seeming absorption. He had almost forgotten his notion that she should be set on Julia’s heels. He would have to tell Temur that he approved of his choice of wife after all.

“You brought no chaperone of your own Julia,” he pointed out. “So, I have provided you with one. Lettys has obliged me by agreeing to stay at the house for the duration of your visit. Incidentally, she is by way of being a kinswoman of mine through marriage,” he pointed out. “So, I would expect you to keep a civil tongue in your head when you speak of her.”

Julia’s fixed smile wavered slightly. “I did not know,” she said with a toss of her head. “She seems scarcely…” She broke off her words with a moue of distaste. “But anyway, regardless of her suitability, I have not needed a chaperone since I was a girl!”

“How you conduct yourself elsewhere is your affair,” he answered coolly. “But in my house, you will abide by my own notions of respectability.”

She gave a short, shrill laugh. “I had no idea you were so old-fashioned in your notions, Guy!”

“Didn’t you?” He was bored of the conversation and didn’t bother to disguise the fact.

Two red spots of color appeared in Julia’s cheeks. She gave a tight smile. “There can be no impropriety, surely? We have known each other since we were children. I would beg you to reconsider this wholly unnecessary—”

“If it does not suit you to abide by my rules,” Guy cut across her words. “Then I will understand if you feel obligated to cut short your visit.” She gave a faint gasp at this. “The choice is yours, Julia,” he said as he turned on his heel and strode into the Great Hall, leaving her staring after him. It was ill-mannered in the extreme for him not to have escorted her to the table, but for the life of him, he could not at that moment have offered her his arm. Not when he could even now still feel the press of Mathilde’s hand there.

XXIII

Guy sat slumped in his seat, trying not to resent his role as host. He’d bet that Mathilde and Robin were partaking of a far more pleasurable meal right now than he, certainly a far less formal one. He glanced across at Lettys, who Julia had thus far ignored for the entire meal. Temur’s wife seemed to be bearing her duties stoically enough, despite the fact her husband had not joined them for supper. Temur was seeing to business for him in the nearby city of Helesport and would not return until the morrow. Lettys’ heavy gold braids were coiled around her ears and peeked out from under the square of navy-blue cloth she wore on top of her head. She was a handsome, heavy-set young woman with a determined chin. She was now tucking into a hearty meal, seemingly oblivious to Julia’s resentment of her presence.

“And how have you passed the day, lass?” he asked her. “Temur tells me you’ve set his father’s house to rights this last month or so.”

“Well enough, my lord,” Lettys answered cautiously, crinkling her brow. “It’s as well to give my father-in-law the time to miss me, now he’s got used to some order about the place.”

“If your father-in-law will miss you, then you must make haste to return, of course,” Julia said condescendingly.

Guy opened his mouth to point out it was not Julia’s decision to make, when Lettys forestalled him.

“Oh no, my lady. In truth, I’m glad of the change of pace. And Father will likely realize all the things I do to make his life more comfortable, when I’m not there to do them for him,” she said with a satisfied nod.

Julia shrugged a shoulder peevishly and promptly lost interest. Guy made some effort to engage Lettys in some conversation around her father-in-law’s property, which was a large farm at the very edge of his property. “In truth it lies closer to Acton Dymock than Little March,” Lettys told him and Guy reminisced about a country fair that used to be held at Acton Dymock every spring.

“And still is, my lord,” Lettys enthused. “For last year saw its first return since the war. Temur took me and lost a purse full of pennies while we were listening to a minstrel’s tale. Right wonderful it was how he could spin a yarn. Temur said as how he likely had an accomplice in the crowd who cut his purse strings, when he was distracted, but I think it was just a regular sneak thief,” said Lettys with a contemptuous sniff. “It’s a good thing Temur’s got me to take care of him, that’s what I say.” Guy laughed, and Lettys cast him a look of curiosity, doubtless thinking him much changed from her wedding feast.

“Tell us then, how a good wife would prevent her husband falling victim to an opportunistic thief?” Tristan asked with interest, setting down his goblet. He too gestured for more ale, and a servant hurried forward.

“She would sew his coin into his seams, good sir,” Lettys answered promptly. “If he was going someplace disreputable by himself. Or, if she was with him, she might take the keeping of the purse into her own hands.”

Tristan nodded gravely. “But what if he has need of his money?” he asked. “Would it not be most inconvenient to try and retrieve it?”

“Oh no, sir,” Lettys replied. “For what manner of man don’t have a pen knife about him? ’Tis a matter of mere moments to unpick.”

Julia yawned ostentatiously, but between them, Guy and Tristan endeavored to keep Lettys’s flow of conversation steady. She told them all about the whimsical tales the minstrel had regaled them with. Of fantastical creatures and heroes and villains of unsurpassed bravery and beauty. It crossed Guy’s mind that he should take Mathilde to the fair come spring. She would doubtless enjoy the spectacle and he would enjoy taking her there. He imagined her pleasure and smiled in anticipation of it. Perhaps the four of them could go together as a party?

After supper, he made for his study and immersed himself in the estate business he had been neglecting of late. He worked until past midnight, and the candles had almost all guttered. Light was failing as he closed his last ledger, when a knock on the door heralded the arrival of a servant with fresh candles.

“Don’t bother,” Guy barked at the tread on the floorboards. “I am done here for the day.”

When he looked up however it was his steward who stood hesitating in the doorway. “Firmin,” he uttered in surprise. “I thought it was someone come to light the sconces.”

“Nay, Guy. May I enter?”

Guy waved a hand in assent, as he locked his account books in his drawer.

“You are going to the lodge?” Firmin asked, pursing his lips.

Actually, he wasn’t, but that was not his steward’s business. “What if I was?” Guy pinned him with a level gaze.