Her Knight Protector

‘I dare say his Holiness might find time to see you, Katherine,’ Alain said, seeing her expression, which was a mixture of distress and embarrassment. ‘However, I happen to know that he is not in Rome at this time.’

‘Oh…then I shall not…’ Katherine sighed. ‘I had hoped, but it is obviously not meant to be.’ She looked at him. ‘Then I think I shall accept your invitation to accompany you to England, sir. I do not see what else I can do.’

‘Is there something I may help you with, my lady?’ Alain asked, sensing that she was deeply worried. ‘Anything I might do that you cannot do yourself?’

Katherine hesitated. It would be so good to share her burden with someone she could trust. Her instincts told her that Sir Alain de Banewulf was an honourable man, but still she did not dare to share her secret with him.

‘I thank you, but, no, there is nothing, sir. It was merely that my father had spoken of a meeting with his Holiness, and I would have liked to give him…something.’

‘Could you not leave it with one of his cardinals?’ Alain asked. ‘I am sure I could arrange that for you if you wished, for I had an audience with his Holiness when I was first in Rome on my return from the Holy Land.’

‘You are very kind, but, no, I shall not trouble you,’ Katherine replied, though she did not know why. It would have been easy to hand over both the treasure and the provenance that her father had documented so faithfully. Or what was left of it, for so many of her father’s notes had been lost with his baggage.

She turned away from Sir Alain’s penetrating gaze to find that Celestine was looking at her with barely concealed eagerness. Katherine felt annoyed with herself for saying so much. If Celestine had somehow learned of the treasure Katherine carried, she might try to steal it, either for herself or for the Lord Hubert, with whom she professed to have quarrelled.

Was it unkind of her to suspect her erstwhile friend? Katherine felt that it was unworthy to be so suspicious, yet she could not help it. She almost wished that she had confided the whole to Sir Alain and left it to him to solve her dilemma.

But he was telling his men to mount up and the moment had passed. Perhaps, after all, it was best to keep the secret a little longer. Soon she would be in England and from there she could find a ship to take her to France and her uncle’s home.

Until then, she would just have to carry her burden alone.

‘Is this not a beautiful villa?’ Celestine asked as Katherine met her after having been able to indulge in the luxury of a proper bath in scented water, something she had not done since leaving Cyprus. ‘My room is next to yours, and charming. I think Sir Bryne’s friend must be very wealthy to own something like this, Katherine.’

‘Yes, I believe you are right, for I understand that he owns several homes, both here and in the wine country to the north and in Salerno. It was from one of his estates that Sir Alain and Sir Bryne were coming when they met us.’

‘My home in France would seem dark and bleak compared to this,’ Celestine told her. ‘Sometimes I wonder if I truly wish to return—and yet I might if I had a companion to make me smile.’

‘I dare say you will marry again.’

Katherine felt uncomfortable; she knew that Celestine was trying to coax an answer from her and she did not wish to give it, though she did not know why. A return to her own home was not appealing. In truth, the more she thought about returning to Grunwald, the less appealing it became. She had grown used to living and sleeping in her pavilion, though that had been lost with her father’s baggage, and she had been forced to sleep under the stars until they met Sir Alain and were given shelter in his own camp.

Like Celestine, she was impressed by the villa, which had many light and airy rooms and was very beautiful with marble mosaics on the floor and white pillars to support the arches that led from one part of the villa to another. There were statues of women clothed in flowing drapes, couches with soft cushions where one might sit or lie to take one’s ease and a bathhouse with a bathing pool filled with cool scented water.

Katherine had never experienced such luxury, and knew that it was unlikely she would again. She made up her mind to thank Sir Alain for bringing her here when she saw him next, and perhaps to confide in him at least a little of her secret.

‘Shall we walk in the garden for a little before we dine?’ Celestine asked her. ‘It is very beautiful and I think there is a wonderful view out over the sea.’

‘Yes, why not?’ Katherine asked. She felt relaxed by the peace and serenity of her surroundings, and a little guilty for having suspected Celestine of wanting to rob her. ‘It is such a lovely night and we shall not see its like when we reach England, for I know it will be cold there.’

‘I have never been to England,’ Celestine confided, taking her arm and smiling. ‘Have you, Katherine?’

‘No, but I know something about it—my mother was an Englishwoman.’

‘Ah…’ Celestine nodded wisely. ‘Baron Grunwald told me that she was very beautiful, and ought to have been an heiress through her own mother—but her brother withheld the dowry because he did not wish her to marry.’

‘She fell in love with my father and the match was made with the help of King Henry II, but my mother’s brother did not approve and he would not pay her dowry. Even when she died he refused to pay what was due to her from an inheritance.’

‘That was not kind of him, for I believe your father was not a wealthy man?’

‘No, indeed. His estate is poor and the castle of Grunwald in bad repair. He had hoped he might find riches on his travels…’ Katherine sighed and stopped, for she had almost been led into giving too much away.

‘And did he find nothing?’ Celestine was struggling to hide her eagerness.

‘No, nothing that he might sell,’ Katherine said and looked at Celestine. ‘Have you heard otherwise?’

‘I know nothing of your father’s affairs,’ Celestine replied. ‘Though I did hear the Lord Hubert speak of some treasure…’ She waited for Katherine to reply. ‘But perhaps it was stolen?’

‘If there had been a treasure, it would have been taken when his baggage was stolen,’ Katherine said. ‘But my father had nothing he might sell.’ She sensed Celestine’s disbelief and was almost certain that she had been the one who had discovered Baron Grunwald’s secret and spoken to Ravenshurst of it.

‘Then you have no choice but to throw yourself on the mercy of your uncle—unless you come to me. Have you given some thought to the matter, Katherine?’

Was she genuine, or did she still believe that Katherine carried a precious treasure? Katherine wished that she could be sure.

They were standing now on a hill, gazing out at the city below and beyond it the sparkle of a blue sea. A sob rose to Katherine’s throat as she wished that her father might have lived to stand by her side and see this wonderful vista. How she missed him, and how alone she felt!

‘Do not cry, sweet Kate,’ Celestine said and reached out to take her into her arms. ‘You have friends. You are not alone.’

‘Thank you, but I was not going to cry,’ Katherine said and avoided her embrace. ‘Excuse me, the evening grows chilly. I think a storm is brewing. I shall return to my room and find a mantle to wear for supper.’

‘No—’ Celestine stopped, her cheeks flushing as Katherine looked at her. ‘I mean, let me come with you.’

‘Thank you, I shall go alone.’

Katherine turned and ran from her, feeling close to the tears that might shame her. She did not know why she should feel so distressed. After all, she had always known that she would have to return to Grunwald one day, and it had not upset her before. Perhaps it was this beautiful place, making her aware of the changes in her life? The years of travelling had been hard in many ways, but they had also been glorious.

Her feet carried her swiftly towards her room, but as she approached she heard a cry of surprise and anger, swiftly followed by a scream and then the sight of two men running away. They saw her, but turned aside and sped through the garden, obviously in a hurry to escape. As she entered the room that had been loaned to her and Maria for the next few days, she saw that her baggage had been opened and her things strewn all over the floor. Maria was lying on the floor, and Sir Alain was kneeling beside her, helping her to rise.

‘What has happened here?’ Katherine asked. ‘Maria—are you hurt?’

‘No, I am not harmed, though those rogues did their best to render me an injury,’ Maria muttered. ‘I discovered them ransacking your things, my lady, and they attacked me. Had this knight not come to my rescue, I might have been murdered.’

‘You were taken by surprise, Maria,’ Alain told her. Having ascertained that she was no more than bruised and shocked, he had a merry twinkle in his eyes. ‘I dare say your trusty weapon was not to hand.’

‘You should not mock her, sir,’ Katherine said as Maria scowled at him. ‘She has had a fright.’

‘I do not think they took anything, my lady—nothing important,’ Maria said as she sat up and was helped to her feet by Sir Alain. ‘I disturbed them before they had time to do more than begin their search.’

‘Do not fret, dearest,’ Katherine told her. ‘You are more important to me than anything they might have taken here.’

‘But your father…’ Maria began and was quelled by a warning look from her mistress. ‘Forgive me…’

‘May I ask what they were looking for?’ Alain asked, glancing from one to the other. ‘It is clear they think you have something important, Katherine. They took a risk in coming here—this place belongs to one of Rome’s foremost citizens and they could face execution for what they have done this evening.’

‘My—my father gave me something to look after the morning he died,’ Katherine said. ‘Until that time he had carried it within his own baggage, but because he suspected that he might be robbed, he gave the trust to me.’

‘My lady… Katherine,’ Maria warned, ‘be careful of whom you trust…’ This knight seemed to be all that he should, and she was grateful for his help, but, when it came to her darling’s safety, she trusted no one!

‘I think we have no choice,’ Katherine said. ‘My father discovered something, sir—something that hath no intrinsic value of its own, but which is valuable because it was once used by our Lord himself. It is something that is important to Christendom and ought to be placed in the care of the church.’