If holding her at his remote Castle, was meant as a punishment, Isabel need only concern herself, with what he would do about her deception, with the serf “Alisa”. That deception had resulted in her babe, Nathaniel, though that had not been her intent. Yet, she really could not regret the child. Isabel was terrified, that Brant would send her someplace away from her son, that he had been deceived into siring. She did not think she could bear, to have the child taken from her.
While they were traveling to Brant’s home, Isabel had suffered sheer terror, every time he had taken the babe from her, and overwhelming relief, when he handed the child back to her. Circumstances had forced her to marry a stranger. To his way of thinking, she had committed some pretty serious offenses. Having no real knowledge of his character, she had no idea, how her husband would address these offenses.
Isabel walked to the side table, and picked up the hand mirror, that lay there beside her hair brush, to examine the dark circles under her eyes. She was spending every night, lying tensely in bed, sleeping little, while her husband presented his back to her, and seemingly, slept quite well. Brant had made no move to touch her in bed. Although he always held her arm to direct her around the Castle, presenting a perfectly normal picture of the Lord escorting his Lady.
Isabel heard the door open, and turned to see Brant enter, holding their sleeping son.
“I believe I told you to rest. You look exhausted,” he said. “Nathaniel is napping. I expect you to do the same.”
Brant motioned her to the bed, and laid the sleeping child down beside her. He watched as a look of relief washed over her face, and realized for the first time, that she was terrified he would take the child from her. With both mother, and child, lying on the bed, he went into the antechamber. He sat down at the small table, and opened one of the account books, he had carried upstairs with him.
Brant considered the frightened looks he had seen, cross Isabel’s face. She had deceived him, to get the child from him, and now she was afraid, actually terrified, that he would take the child from her. Aye, a lot of men would consider that a fitting punishment. He was certain, that he would not be separated from his son. Despite her deception, Brant could not forget the nights he had spent with Isabel, when he believed her to be a young serf. She had always responded to his passion, ardently. She could not have been pretending that, could she? Right now, lying in bed beside her at night, he was finding it quite difficult, not to exercise his right to her body. There was no doubt, he wanted to keep both the mother, and the child, so there was no way to separate her, from the babe. Part of his mind, told him she had played him badly, and deserved some punishment. Another part, told him he was quite pleased, with the turn of events. Alisa had haunted his dreams at night, leaving him frustrated, when he woke alone. There seemed to be no good way to punish her, without hurting himself. Realizing he could not concentrate on the books, he walked to the open doorway, of the bedchamber. Looking toward the bed, Brant noted that his wife and son, were both fast asleep.
As he stepped out of the solar, Rosamund was walking down the passageway. Upon arrival here, she had been assigned the care of Hannah, to limit the amount of time she had to plot with Isabel. Brant smiled, as he recalled recognizing her immediately, outside Ann’s Castle, as the old woman, who had always escorted ‘Alisa’ to his cell.
He asked Hannah’s whereabouts, and was told Esme, had taken the girl outside. Brant asked her to sit with Isabel, to be sure the babe did not roll off the bed, while they slept. As the serf entered the Solar, Brant turned to exit the Castle, intent on going to the village.
When Isabel woke, Rosamond was in the antechamber, amusing Nathaniel on a blanket, on the floor. Surprised, she sat up on the edge of the bed.
"Who did you bribe to get in here, without a chaperone?" she asked.
"No one," the maid replied, with a slight grin. "His Lordship asked me to sit with ye. Mayhap, ‘e figured since ye was sleeping, it could not do any harm. Ye been sleeping for a couple of hours, and Nathaniel's been getting fussy. I think the babe is hungry."
Rosamond carried the child over to his mother. Isabel took the babe from the maid, and moved to a high back chair by the hearth, to nurse him.
"I tried to keep ‘im quiet, as long as possible. You do not look like ye been sleeping too good, lately. I been wondering what he has done to ye," the maid finished, with a wavering tone.
"He has not done anything," Isabel replied, with a strained expression. "That is part of the problem. A powerful Lord such as him, certainly is not going to just let it go. His position demands retribution for my deception, surely. But there is no way to guess, what he might do, and Brant is not tipping his hand to me."
"His Lordship seems to be pleased with the babe. That might help ye escape any serious punishment," Rosamond offered, with a hopeful look.
"Unless he decides to keep the babe, and ship me off somewhere," Isabel replied, with a hint of bitterness in her voice.
The sound of voices in the passageway, drew the women's attention.
"That must be the girls returning from outside. I best go tell them I am in ‘ere, with ye," Rosamond said, as she rose, and moved toward the antechamber door.
Isabel merely nodded in affirmation. After a muffled conversation in the passageway, Rosamond returned to the Lord's Chamber with the two young girls. The four females spent the rest of the afternoon there, until it was time to dress, for the evening meal. Isabel found the silliness that ensued with the girls, a welcome distraction from her dark thoughts, as to the possible form, of her husband's revenge.
Late the next morning, Isabel was down in the hall, after another night of fitful sleep, when she was approached by Nora, and Rosamond. Rosamond displayed a small wooden box, that Isabel recognized as her own. She was informed that Hannah had taken it from her room, the previous day. Nora also claimed, that it was not the first time, the young girl had been caught pilfering things. The two serfs stood in front of her, expectantly waiting for her to deal with the child, which would be her place as Lady of the Castle.
Though Isabel was unsure how Brant would react, she took the box from Rosamond, and rose to go to the child’s room. There, she confronted Hannah with the evidence, and the little girl sheepishly admitted to taking things, sometimes, because they were pretty. Isabel ordered her to remain in her room until it was time for the evening meal, because pilfering was wrong. The child instantly burst into tears.
Esme, who was in the room helping her little sister get ready to go outside, interjected angrily, “We were just about ready to go out. You cannot make her stay in here.”
“Hannah must learn that taking things is wrong. Were she your age, pilfering could get her ten or twenty lashes, depending upon what she took, and from whom,” Isabel responded adamantly. “Hannah is not to leave this room.”
She gave Esme a stern look, to emphasize the point.
“It is just a stupid piece of wood,” Esme exclaimed, with a glare. “I am going to get Brant.”
“ Make sure you tell him, Nora says she has taken things before. Oh, and she took this from his bed chamber, when she was in there yesterday,” Isabel replied.
Isabel knew that theft, was a very serious offense in a Castle. Theft from the Lord’s private chamber, was even worse. She took the box and placed it back where she had it, before returning to the hall, where Nathaniel was still peacefully napping. As she watched the babe sleep, Isabel wondered if her husband would back her up. It would be unfortunate for the little girl, if he let her off to rebuff his wife’s authority.