If Not For The Knight, Debbie Boek [electronic reader TXT] 📗

Calder's lascivious glances at her throughout the evening warmed her cheeks, and she felt her desire for him rising as she watched his muscular frame glide effortlessly across the dance floor.

The guests from the village returned to their homes in the early hours of the morning. The Hall was already ringing with the drunken snores of Calder's men, some of whom actually made it to their pallets. Others slept where they fell, or with their heads on the table, unfinished tankards of ale still gripped in their hands.

After tucking a blanket around Radolf, Regan turned to find Calder at her side. He smiled down at her tenderly as he took her hand and escorted her upstairs to their bedchamber, where they completed the celebration in their own way.

The feasting continued every day for a fortnight, although not on quite such a grand scale. Different village families were invited to attend each day. Some refused, as Filbert continued to do. Some came out of curiosity, but found themselves having a good time, even though they had not intended to.

Calder was able to take advantage of having them there and tried to spend time with each of them, listening to their concerns and explaining his vision of the future and what it could hold for them. He made sure that he had a lengthy discussion with Drew's father and convinced him to allow the boy to move to the Keep when it was completed and become his page. Overall, the festivities were a success as far as assuaging the bitter feelings of some of the villagers. Although it was just a handful of them, Calder was optimistic that it could be a good beginning for them all.

On New Year's Day, gifts were exchanged. Radolf received presents from all of Calder's knights, who had developed quite an attachment to him. The clothes that Regan made for him paled in comparison to the dice they fashioned from deer antlers and the board games they made for him. Draco gave him a battledore and shuttlecock. The battledore was a piece of wood whittled into a bat, which was used to hit the shuttlecocks—corks with feathers stuck in them—back and forth.

The greatest gifts by far though, were the bow and arrows that Calder made for the boy. Poor Radolf was not sure which of his presents to play with first and ended up spending most of his time chasing the puppy around the Hall, trying to retrieve one or another of his treasures from its mouth.

Regan felt like a young girl, being spoiled rotten by a loving family, which is how she had come to feel about Calder and his men. Calder gave her a magnificent woolen mantle, which was lined with ermine and etched in gold along the edges.

“But, Calder,” she said in dismay, “my gift was the bolts of cloth that you brought back from London. This is too generous of you.”

He smiled in pleasure, fondling the bone-handled dirk that she bought for him with her few silver pennies. “They were only a part of your gift, love. I just gave them to you early. Do you like it?”

“It's lovely,” she murmured, rubbing the ermine lining against her cheek. “And Draco, the brooch will go with it beautifully.”

The knight had carved her a brooch out of ivory, in the likeness of a swan. Looking uncomfortable at her praise, he stared at the table and grunted. “Lord Calder had not the foresight to give you a way to secure the mantle once you put it on. Seems I must always finish his tasks for him.”

Calder raised an eyebrow and looked at him, replying dryly, “'Tis good to always have you at my back, Draco. I need never worry about loose ends or things left undone.”

Noting the sarcasm in Calder's voice, Draco grunted again and gave him a low bow. “Milord,” he said, backing away and going in search of a tankard of ale, feeling out of place and uncomfortable in situations such as these.

“Calder,” Regan said softly, her luminous green eyes glittering as she looked up at him, “I have another gift for you, one I would like to share in private. May we go somewhere and be alone?”

“I would have thought that what we shared this morning would satiate you for a short while, you minx, but I am always at your service,” he answered with a lewd grin.

“Not for that,” she said, her face turning a deep shade of red.

He gave her a perplexed look and took her hand, leading her up to the bedchamber. When they arrived, she walked around the room, nervously twisting her hands together, not sure if she should do this or not, but unable to keep from sharing her happiness with him.

Suddenly she turned and he could not miss the radiance of her smile. “We are going to have another child, Calder.”

He sat in stunned silence for a moment, then rushed over and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. “Regan,” he murmured softly, running his hands through her hair, so happy that it felt as if his heart had actually swelled in size. “Oh, Regan, you just continue to make my life better and better. We must have a girl child this time, one who will be as beautiful as her mother and bring nothing but joy to all who behold her.”

“You are not upset then?” she asked nervously.

“Of course not,” he replied, as giddily as a child. “It is known to happen when two people enjoy each other as we do.”

“I wonder though, Calder,” she said hesitantly, “what will everyone think?”

He knew that she worried about the fact that they were not married and wanted to ease her mind, but was not sure how much he should tell her yet. The trip to London was nearing and he wanted to be sure of the King's support before taking the next step.

If the King would not give his permission, Calder would still marry her, but it would entail deceit and, ultimately, treachery against the King that he had served and respected for such a long time. They would have to leave this country, and he would have to be sure his plans were properly laid and his men taken care of first. He did not want to burden Regan with these possibilities, unless they became a reality.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course, I do,” she answered, tilting her head back to look up into the depths of his dark blue eyes.

“Then you must believe that I will make this situation right. The time is fast approaching for a resolution to everything. You must be patient just a bit longer, and then all will be as it should be.”

Regan felt her pulse quicken as she considered his words. She even allowed herself to hope that he would marry her, although he had given her no indication that was his intent. Her pregnancy would make things even more difficult for them in the village now. There would be no doubt as to the true relationship between her and Calder any longer. But she did love him, and she did trust him, and she would do whatever he asked of her.

“I know that you will do what is right for all of us. I love you, Calder, with all my being.”

“And I you, never doubt that,” he said tenderly, as he lowered his head and took possession of her lips.

The weather began to improve shortly after the celebrations ended and work began again in earnest, on the castle and in the fields. Calder had to reinstitute his decree that the villagers work every third day on the castle, but all showed for their duties. Even they could see that the end was in sight and were as anxious to end their time working on it as Calder was to have the job done.

Wallis had accomplished a great deal over the winter months and the majority of work left to be done was on the outer stone wall and the drawbridge.

The villagers were too busy preparing their fields to stir up any trouble and Calder took advantage of the opportunity they afforded him to work his knights. They practiced hard every day in preparation for the tournament.

Although he still felt tense about the tourney and about completing the castle, life seemed to go much smoother these days. He realized that lying with Regan each night could not help but improve his outlook on life. And with RadoIf near him each day, and another child soon to join them, he felt a contentment that was alien to him, but which he, nevertheless, embraced with open arms.

He did resent being kicked out of his own bedchamber each morning before dawn. Even though everyone soon would know about the child she carried, Regan still insisted that no one see him leave her. Because it eased her mind, and because he knew it would not be for much longer, he did as she requested.

The villagers no longer taunted or tormented Regan. They chose simply to ignore her rather than incur Calder's wrath. RadoIf still played with a couple of the children that he had come to know during the festivities. He became especially close with Drew, and no one tried to hurt him any longer.

His puppy had grown by leaps and bounds and now stood almost as tall as Radolf. The bullmastiff was his constant companion and, even in a friendly game of wrestling, he could get overprotective of the boy and drag his opponent off of him, whether it be another child or one of Calder's knights. No one wanted to take the chance on how he would react in a serious altercation. With Draco's help, RadoIf had named him Orvyn. It meant brave friend, and they both felt it was suitable for the beast.

Regan spent her time finishing her new clothes from the materials that Calder had given her and tidying up the Manor. She made a daily trip to the fields to collect fresh rushes for the floors and early spring flowers to dry and spread on them, hoping to sweeten the air in the Hall. With the dog and the knight's sweaty bodies, it did become somewhat overpowering on occasion.

She also began to spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen with Carina and Julian. They were very pleasant and Regan was enthralled by their tales