is
my
betrothed.”
“You’re supposed to be dead, remember? Once the search was called off, I offered for her and her father accepted. You’re not the only knight who longs for a piece of England to call his own. My bloodlines are as good as yours; the Earl of Norwich saw no reason to return home without a husband for his daughter and asked Henry to sanction the marriage.”
Falcon lunged at him. He might have killed Sir Albert had Rosamond not appeared at that moment. “What are you doing to my husband? Take your hands off him, sir!”
Falcon turned at the sound of her voice. Rosamond staggered backward. “Falcon! This cannot be. You are dead.”
Falcon gave her a mocking bow. “As you can see, my lady, my death was grossly exaggerated.”
Beyond speech, Rosamond merely stared at him.
“What happened to you?” Sir Albert asked, keeping well out of Falcon’s reach.
“I was attacked by bandits and left for dead. I awoke hours later at Mildenhall Castle, severely injured and without a memory.”
“Mildenhall Castle? I’ve never heard of it,” Albert mused.
“ ’Tis off the beaten path, but it could have been found had the search for me been more thorough. Who was in charge of discovering my whereabouts?”
Albert cleared his throat. “I was. After a sennight, we concluded that you had been attacked by bandits after you left Norwich. We believed you’d been slain, and your body devoured by wild animals.”
“How convenient for you,” Falcon sneered.
“Even the king was convinced you were dead,” Rosamond interjected.
Falcon’s gaze sought his former betrothed. “Did you even wait a sennight to marry after I went missing? Did you even mourn me?”
“Pray do not speak to my wife in such a demeaning manner,” Albert charged. “If you wish to challenge me, do so and I will select my seconds.”
Falcon’s mouth settled into a grim line. “I will not lower myself by dueling over a faithless damsel. I will leave immediately to join the king in France.”
Turning on his heel, Falcon strode off, hurt and disillusioned by the shabby treatment he had received from his king and his friends. He no longer had a betrothed; the land he had been promised had been yanked from under him by a quirk of fate. He felt lost and without direction.
Briefly he considered returning to Mildenhall and claiming Mariah. But he discarded the notion as soon as it was born. He could not offer for any woman; he had naught to offer. Furthermore, he suddenly realized that he was fiercely angry at the Earl of Mildenhall and his daughter. Why hadn’t Lord Edmond sent someone to London to find out if a knight had been reported missing? The earl’s failure to do so was unforgivable. Falcon had lost a wife and an estate because of Edmond and Mariah’s negligence.
Falcon left Whitehall, fury and disappointment burning deep in his gut. He had a great deal to accomplish before he sailed to France. He had to let his family know that he was alive, and after that, he needed to collect his squire, who had charge of his war chest, and find out if he had enough money to outfit himself for battle.
Rosamond and Albert could go to the devil, for all he cared. What he yearned for now was a sword in his hand and someone to fight until the anger drained out of him.
Chapter Four
London, five years later
The court at Whitehall had been in a jubilant mood since a victorious Henry and his army had returned from France two months earlier. With the forces of the French King Charles VI defeated, the triumphant Henry had forced Charles to recognize him as his heir. That had been a great day for England, a cause for prolonged celebration.
But once King Henry returned to London, he immediately became immersed in affairs of state. Petitions awaited him, many too complex to act upon without further investigation. To those petitions Henry assigned advisors to act in his stead. After giving one such petition considerable thought, he sent for Sir
my
betrothed.”
“You’re supposed to be dead, remember? Once the search was called off, I offered for her and her father accepted. You’re not the only knight who longs for a piece of England to call his own. My bloodlines are as good as yours; the Earl of Norwich saw no reason to return home without a husband for his daughter and asked Henry to sanction the marriage.”
Falcon lunged at him. He might have killed Sir Albert had Rosamond not appeared at that moment. “What are you doing to my husband? Take your hands off him, sir!”
Falcon turned at the sound of her voice. Rosamond staggered backward. “Falcon! This cannot be. You are dead.”
Falcon gave her a mocking bow. “As you can see, my lady, my death was grossly exaggerated.”
Beyond speech, Rosamond merely stared at him.
“What happened to you?” Sir Albert asked, keeping well out of Falcon’s reach.
“I was attacked by bandits and left for dead. I awoke hours later at Mildenhall Castle, severely injured and without a memory.”
“Mildenhall Castle? I’ve never heard of it,” Albert mused.
“ ’Tis off the beaten path, but it could have been found had the search for me been more thorough. Who was in charge of discovering my whereabouts?”
Albert cleared his throat. “I was. After a sennight, we concluded that you had been attacked by bandits after you left Norwich. We believed you’d been slain, and your body devoured by wild animals.”
“How convenient for you,” Falcon sneered.
“Even the king was convinced you were dead,” Rosamond interjected.
Falcon’s gaze sought his former betrothed. “Did you even wait a sennight to marry after I went missing? Did you even mourn me?”
“Pray do not speak to my wife in such a demeaning manner,” Albert charged. “If you wish to challenge me, do so and I will select my seconds.”
Falcon’s mouth settled into a grim line. “I will not lower myself by dueling over a faithless damsel. I will leave immediately to join the king in France.”
Turning on his heel, Falcon strode off, hurt and disillusioned by the shabby treatment he had received from his king and his friends. He no longer had a betrothed; the land he had been promised had been yanked from under him by a quirk of fate. He felt lost and without direction.
Briefly he considered returning to Mildenhall and claiming Mariah. But he discarded the notion as soon as it was born. He could not offer for any woman; he had naught to offer. Furthermore, he suddenly realized that he was fiercely angry at the Earl of Mildenhall and his daughter. Why hadn’t Lord Edmond sent someone to London to find out if a knight had been reported missing? The earl’s failure to do so was unforgivable. Falcon had lost a wife and an estate because of Edmond and Mariah’s negligence.
Falcon left Whitehall, fury and disappointment burning deep in his gut. He had a great deal to accomplish before he sailed to France. He had to let his family know that he was alive, and after that, he needed to collect his squire, who had charge of his war chest, and find out if he had enough money to outfit himself for battle.
Rosamond and Albert could go to the devil, for all he cared. What he yearned for now was a sword in his hand and someone to fight until the anger drained out of him.
Chapter Four
London, five years later
The court at Whitehall had been in a jubilant mood since a victorious Henry and his army had returned from France two months earlier. With the forces of the French King Charles VI defeated, the triumphant Henry had forced Charles to recognize him as his heir. That had been a great day for England, a cause for prolonged celebration.
But once King Henry returned to London, he immediately became immersed in affairs of state. Petitions awaited him, many too complex to act upon without further investigation. To those petitions Henry assigned advisors to act in his stead. After giving one such petition considerable thought, he sent for Sir
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