looked at her for a moment, his ice blue eyes unreadable, before giving her a short nod. Matilde arrived moments later with two servants.
“It looks like you will be well tended, my lady. When you are through here, perhaps we can continue where we left off.” It was not a request.
“Impossible, I am afraid. I have left the running of the household to Matilde for too long.”
Alexandre studied her for a moment, silently challenging her. “Très bien. I look forward to seeing you at the evening meal.” He gave her a slight bow and mercifully left the room.
6
Captain Thomas met Isabel as she reached the high table. “I see you have heeded some of my advice,” he said as his gaze lingered on her gown.
For the meal, she had selected a soft green dress she trusted would remind all in attendance of her authority. The last time she had worn the kirtle trimmed with silk, she had successfully chased her latest suitor—all jowls and hair—away after tricking him into demonstrating his understanding of taxes in front of the other guests at the high table. The poor fool could not add or subtract. The guests’ uneasy laughter soon had him fleeing the room.
Somehow, despite her dress or her cleverness, she did not think Alexandre would be chased away so easily.
Nevertheless, she was proud of her composure even though her hall was filled with strange men who wanted to take her away from her home. She did not want to greet William the Bastard, who had thrown her world into turmoil. As soon as William realized she was on her own, he would marry her off without a care to her father’s wishes or her own. She could not let that happen.
She gave Captain Thomas a rueful smile. “If only the rest of my flaws were so easy to change as my clothes.”
“Now, now. You are twisting my words.”
“If I cannot tease you, then this meal will be most tedious indeed.” She took her place in the central seat with Alexandre and Captain Thomas flanking her. The rest of the men and women took their seats, and the meal was served.
Captain Thomas shook his head as he surveyed the room. “You placed all of Alexandre’s men at the lower tables, hmm? I did not realize you wanted to command all of his attention.”
Isabel grew hot, and it was not because of all the bodies gathered in her father’s hall. “I intended no such thing! Indeed, I did it to make him uncomfortable since he would have no one to talk to.”
Captain Thomas chuckled. “My dear, you would be wise to not provoke him so. You have clearly captured his interest,” he said with a brief glance at the Norman looming beside her. “And he will expect your attention over the course of the meal.”
“Then you must simply keep me engaged in conversation.”
He sighed. “I fear I have spoiled you.” But he gamely talked to her about the training of the men and other household activities that had occurred during her illness.
When Matilde checked on the high table for the third time, Isabel called the older woman to her side. “Everyone is enjoying the meal. Please rest and find someplace to enjoy it yourself,” she said severely. Matilde opened her mouth to protest but Isabel stopped her and spoke in a softer tone, “Promise me.”
“As you wish.” Matilde gave a stiff curtsy before she headed toward the lower tables.
“You should be kinder to her, my lady. You had her so worried,” Captain Thomas said after Matilde left.
Before Isabel had a chance to respond to his admonishments, Alexandre’s shadow fell over her. “What did you say to Matilde? She seemed upset,” he said in French.
She had spoken sharply to Matilde out of concern, not anger. No doubt Alexandre misunderstood the exchange since he had no understanding of English. “I bid her to eat something. There are more than enough servants to administer the meal. She makes more work for herself than is required.”
Isabel turned toward Captain Thomas, but Alexandre drew her back with a warm hand on her elbow. “I also wonder why you speak with Captain Thomas so long.”
She bit down on her lip, reminding herself to remain civil. “He is my father’s advisor. There is much to discuss.” She thought she made it clear she was not interested in speaking with him. Captain Thomas’s words came back to her. This was her fault since she made all his men sit elsewhere. She would not feel sorry for him. He could not expect her to be happy to have him as a guest.
“Why is he not with your father?”
“At the time, Captain Thomas was of better service here.” Tired of Alexandre’s probing questions, she tried to recapture Captain Thomas’s attention, but he was suddenly in deep conversation with the man sitting next to him.
“Surely you would have been of better service here as well,” Alexandre said, his voice impossibly close to her ear. Isabel stiffened. Captain Thomas saw her predicament and laughed. Alexandre leaned toward her once more. “What is so amusing?”
She faced him and was startled at how close he was. So close she could not concentrate on his face—just pieces of it. The small scar on his chin, his strong nose, his blue eyes… His gaze darkened, daring her to ignore him again.
She cleared her throat. “If you are so interested, why do you not ask him yourself?”
“You know very well I cannot.”
“Indeed?” Isabel smiled very sweetly at him before turning to Captain Thomas and asking him in French, “Would you please tell this Norman oaf what it is you find so amusing?”
Captain Thomas looked from Isabel to the puzzled Alexandre. Isabel nodded for him to speak. “The lady does not like you,” he said simply to the knight in serviceable French. “And I have no desire to be caught between the two of you, as she well knows.”
Isabel tried to hide her amusement as the Norman processed Captain Thomas’s words. Alexandre tightened his hold on his eating dagger and sudden tenseness squared his shoulders.
The knight sent her a sharp look but nonetheless feigned his good-natured reply. “That may be true, but she has the whole trip to London to know me.” She nearly scoffed at his proprietary tone.
Captain Thomas laughed and said with a shrug, “As you say, lad. As you say,” before he resumed his conversation with his neighbor.
People were finishing up with their meals. Isabel hardly touched her trencher, having long lost her appetite. She took a last sip of wine before she made her excuses. She was almost out of the hall, when she heard someone behind her. Alexandre, no doubt.
She refused to slow her pace or give any indication she knew he followed her. Their little trick had probably upset him. However, it had been a wise decision for Captain Thomas to command everyone to speak only English in her absence, and she refused to apologize for it.
She entered the hallway, readying herself for the coming argument. He would tell her how disappointed he was. She would explain how—
A hand grabbed her uninjured arm. Alexandre pulled her back and forced her against the wall. Her breath left her in a rush.
