strictures forgotten, Aude stepped forward to block Hugh’s path. His sun-kissed hair was ruffled and, thanks to his exertions, a fine sheen of sweat gleamed on his splendid chest. Heavens. Those childish fantasies she had once built up around him; those dreams she had had only last year of kissing him, of cuddling him—well, she couldn’t possibly apply them to the man standing before her today, she wouldn’t dare. Spring fever, it had been spring fever. Breath constricted, Aude found herself staring into stormy eyes that were mid-way between blue and grey. Dark lashes, such long, dark lashes…Hugh’s eyes had always been breathtaking. To look at them was to ache with longing.
‘Excuse me, ma dame.’
His voice was curt. Rude. It hit her like a slap in the face. His voice was a stranger’s voice, and it reminded her that in the past Hugh had irritated her as often as not. She stiffened. Hugh must recognise her; she had known him, despite only seeing him a couple of times in recent years.
A chilly ball formed in her stomach. Hugh and Edouard might once have been close as peas in a pod, but times had changed. Today Edouard was refusing to acknowledge Hugh—or was he…?
There! Hugh and her brother exchanged the briefest of glances; indeed, Aude was almost certain she saw Hugh gave Edouard the slightest of nods. She frowned. Maybe it was only in public that Edouard was not acknowledging Hugh. What happened in private?
She sighed. Whatever was going on, it seemed she must follow her brother’s lead. Count Hugh de Freyncourt, or rather, the former Count Hugh de Freyncourt was in enough trouble, there was no point drawing attention to him. She would act as though she took him for a common sailor.
‘That packing case,’ Aude pointed, her tone was haughty. ‘And those travelling chests—why have you removed them from the ship?’
‘They were in the way.’
‘You can’t do that!’
The wide shoulders lifted. ‘I just have. Excuse me, ma dame.’
Aude inserted herself between Hugh and the plank. This was not quite the way she had envisioned informing her brother she had brought her plans forward, but that could no longer be helped.
‘Those are my belongings you are throwing about,’ she said, grandly. ‘And since I have paid for my party’s passage to Honfleur, I demand to know why you have seen fit to unload them.’
At her side, Edouard caught his breath, but Aude ignored him as she was focused on Hugh.
Hugh’s jaw clenched. A large hand was shoved through the sun-bleached hair; stormy eyes pierced her to the quick. A strange awareness made itself felt in the region of Aude’s belly, like a slow tightening. It was not unpleasant. Sweet Mother, one thing was inescapable. Hugh was disconcertingly well favoured, even when he was scowling.
‘As I told you, ma dame, they were in the way.’ He strode past her and on to the gangplank, only to return to the jetty with yet another of her travelling chests.
Aude turned to her brother, somewhat surprised she could actually think with Hugh parading that fine body before the entire port. ‘Edouard, your support here would be most welcome.’
Edouard simply folded his arms and looked blandly at her. Truth to tell, he looked more amused than angry to have had her secret out of her. And, yes, he was clearly relieved she had not acknowledged Hugh by name.
‘My support? I think not. When did you plan to leave?’
‘This afternoon.’ She gestured at Hugh. ‘Please, Edouard.’
He shook his head. ‘You intended to sneak off to Honfleur without so much as a word to me, and you expect me to back you up? No, Aude, I would have your full confidence before I give you support of any kind.’
‘I was going to tell you!’
‘Before or after your interview with the Abbot?’
‘Before! I was about to tell you when Hu…that clod starting tossing my belongings all over the quayside.’
While Aude and her brother had been talking, Hugh Duclair reappeared. With studied care he put the last of Aude’s travelling chests down next to the others. He was about to step back on to the gangplank, but this time she stopped him by placing her hand in the centre of his chest. He felt hot and he was muttering under his breath, something which sounded like, ‘If you want something done, sometimes you must do it yourself.’
She caught a faint whiff of male sweat, fresh male sweat. Oddly, it was not displeasing. Hugh might have adopted the manners of an angry barbarian but he was heart-stoppingly attractive. Even at Beaumont, tales of his wild ways with women had reached her. Aude had heard that even the most chaste of women found him irresistible—today she could believe them all.
He was affecting not to have the slightest idea of her identity or status. It hurt to see those breathtaking eyes look down at her with undisguised irritation. In the past, behind the teasing, she had sensed warmth and affection, but she could sense none now. Had the events of the last year changed him so much?
‘I must speak to the ship’s captain,’ she said, clearly and slowly.
Strong fingers peeled her hand from his chest. The curl of his lips was so arrogant it was nothing less than an insult. Regret pierced her. Had Hugh taken against them because they were not openly acknowledging him?
‘The ship’s captain,’ Hugh said, and there—again—she thought he exchanged the briefest of glances with Edouard, ‘is at the Abbey negotiating a price for shipping out a consignment of wine. When he returns, I will give him a message, if it pleases you.’
Behind her, Edouard let out a snort.
Aude whirled on him, anger rising. ‘Really, Edouard, you might help, rather than standing there sniggering.’
‘No, no.’ Edouard’s eyes were laughing. ‘This is far too entertaining. To see my sister, Aude de Crèvecoeur, brawling with Co…a common sailor…you do not need my help.’
Aude fixed Hugh with her eyes, wishing with all her might that he could see into her heart, that he could understand she had no wish to ignore him. ‘I have booked passage to Honfleur. You will be so kind as to return my things to the ship.’
‘Not a chance. This vessel is fully laden.’
‘It wasn’t earlier.’
‘It is now.’ Hugh made no attempt to hide his annoyance. ‘You will have to find another, ma dame; this is not the only river barge going as far as Honfleur.’ He pointed upriver. ‘Try that one.’
He was indicating the furthest jetty, but from her standpoint Aude could only see a rowboat stranded on the mud by the falling tide.
‘That is far too small, I need a proper river barge.’
‘There’s a barge there, take my word for it. It is tucked out of sight behind the jetty, and it sails tomorrow at high water.’
Take his word for it? Aude set her jaw. ‘But I paid passage on this one. Leaving today.’
Heaving a sigh that unfortunately drew Aude’s
