Read Online Midnight Magic by Shari Anton - Free Book Online Page B

door.
    “My lord? ’Tis Garrett.”
    “Enter.”
    The knight did so, his gaze flickering to each of the females in turn, then landing for a long moment on Nicole. Assuring himself she hadn’t yet been beaten? Likely.
    Garrett finally closed the door. “My lord, I have been informed of the events in the hall. I ask you to consider that Nicole is a mere child.”
    “A willful, malicious child.”
    “Not usually, though she does tend to act before she considers the consequences. These past days have been very hard for her, as they have for us all. The girl needs time to adjust.”
    Alberic had known from the beginning that everyone at Camelen needed time to grieve for the old and become accustomed to the new, especially the daughters of Hugh de Leon. He’d tried to accommodate them, hold them on a loose rein. Too loose, apparently, for Nicole.
    “Nicole’s actions cannot go unpunished.”
    “I agree, my lord. I merely ask you to consider her sex, youth, and noble birth.”
    So what did one do with a young noble female who’d attempted to stick a dagger in his gullet?
    Send her away.
    One to marry, one to court, one to a convent.
    Alberic downed the last of his wine. He’d planned to put off deciding on the dispersal of the sisters for another fortnight or so, using that time to best judge which would suit as his wife, and which of them would be best suited for convent or court. But at the moment, the answer seemed so clear.
    He dare not trust Nicole to behave in reputable fashion. If he sent her to court, when surrounded by the king’s men she detested, she might well find another dagger and target another victim. The girl would surely benefit from the peace and discipline of a convent.
    While Emma seemed a pleasant enough woman, he didn’t want a sickly wife. She might do very well for herself at court, and perhaps the physicians there could find a cure for her ills.
    Which left Gwendolyn to become his wife. Not that he trusted her, either, but she was certainly the prudent choice.
    He’d heard her name several times during his inspection of the castle, each time said with fondness and respect, as with Mistress Biggs when visiting the village. Gwendolyn knew the workings of the household, got on well with all. Good wifely qualities.
    Nor would he find her abhorrent to take to bed. Indeed, peeling off her surcoat and chemise to unveil the swell of her breasts and softly rounded rump might give him a great deal of pleasure. The stir in his loins confirmed her physical appeal.
    Alberic put the empty goblet on the table. Arms crossed behind his back, he faced the females.
    Not a one of them would be pleased with what he was about to tell them, but not a one of them was disposed to like him anyway. At the moment, all considered him lower than a worm for his part in William’s death.
    United against him, they might never fully believe he’d come by Camelen honorably, even if Garrett confirmed the tale. Separated, he would have a chance to convince one, Gwendolyn, that he wasn’t the devil incarnate.
    “This seems a fitting time to tell you the whole of the king’s orders. When he gave me Camelen he bade me to hold it in his name, then gave instructions on what to do with Hugh de Leon’s remaining offspring. I will assume you are aware that on your father’s death you became royal wards.”
    Nicole’s eyes narrowed, ready to disbelieve whatever he was about to say. In Emma he saw a hint of curiosity, a spark of the adventurous he wouldn’t have attributed to her before.
    Gwendolyn crossed her arms, preparing to bend to the ill wind she sensed coming.
    “He bade me take one of you as my wife, send one to his court, and give the last to the Church. Today’s events have convinced me it is time to follow through on those orders.”
    “That is outrageous, my lord!” Emma declared.
    “I do not believe you!” Nicole stated.
    Gwendolyn looked to Garrett for salvation. “Did you hear the king give this