Mistletoe and Chain Mail: Christmas Read online

  Mistletoe & Chain Mail

  Holiday Knights Series Book 1 - Christmas

  Elizabeth Rose

  RoseScribe Media Inc.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  From the Author

  About Elizabeth

  Also by Elizabeth Rose

  Copyright © 2018 by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual organizations or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the author’s written permission.

  RoseScribe Media Inc.

  Cover created by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik

  Edited by Scott Moreland

  Chapter 1

  The Christmas Goose

  14th Century England, Christmas Eve

  His goose was cooked and there was no turning back now! If Sir Adam de Ware couldn’t complete this latest secret assignment for King Edward III, then there was no hope of ever becoming a baron.

  “Sir Adam, is this really necessary? After all, it is Christmas Eve,” his squire reminded him as they climbed the stairs of the great hall of Cavendish Castle in Sudbury. His squire held Adam’s secret weapon with two hands, balancing the covered gift that was going to be his ticket to get inside the castle.

  “Bryce, I don’t need you telling me things I already know,” said Adam, surveying the lords and ladies that crowded the landing. It was a cold day in December and a light dusting of snow covered the ground. The castle courtyard was decorated for the occasion with fir boughs wrapped around tall poles that were topped off with lit torches. This served as a lined entranceway leading to the keep for those arriving for the festivities.

  “But we haven’t been invited to the celebration,” Bryce pointed out. “We don’t even know Earl Cavendish, and I’ve only seen his daughter once in passing. As soon as the guards discover that we’ve snuck in without an invitation, they will throw us out.”

  “Keep quiet.” Adam scanned the area, noticing a drunken soldier leaning over the well in the courtyard, retching. A woman who seemed to be the castle’s whore giggled and entertained two men at once in the shadows of the mews. Another woman with a young boy stopped in her tracks as the whore lifted the hem of her gown. Covering the boy’s eyes with her hand, she yanked her son in the opposite direction and hurried away.

  Cheerful music floated in the air and the smell of mutton, braised leeks, and roasted goose made his stomach grumble. He looked over his shoulder, scowling at Bryce who was watching a serving wench instead of where he was going. He tripped, but managed to quickly right himself and not drop the gift Adam brought for Lady Eva.

  “God’s eyes, be careful, Squire!” Adam reprimanded the boy. “If that falls, I’ll have your head. I didn’t spend the last two hours basting that prized goose over an open fire in the freezing cold to have you spill it at the witch’s doorstep.”

  Bryce looked up at Adam and his eyes opened wide like a deer in the torchlight. “Lady Eva,” he whispered.

  “Aye, I’m talking about Lady Eva. Of course, I am. You know she’s said to be the stuffiest lady in all of Christendom. I’ve heard she has such a cold heart that her simple gaze can freeze a man’s blood, not unlike the gorgon, Medusa.”

  “M – my lord,” said Bryce, mumbling as always. Adam continued talking.

  “I’ve heard the woman never smiles and even at the age of five and twenty, no man has ever agreed to marry her.” He chuckled lowly. “She’d be an asset on the battlefield since most men would probably run in fear when they saw her.”

  “My lord,” said Bryce again, making a face and looking very uncomfortable. But Adam paid him no mind.

  “Quit your mumbling, Squire. I’ll admit, I’ve never seen this Lady Eva. But from the stories told by the bards, I swear she must look like a cross between a dog and a wild boar.”

  “But, my lord!” Bryce jerked his head upward a few times and rolled his eyes, looking like he was having a convulsion.

  “Squire, stop acting like a fool! You tend to be too clumsy, and I won’t have that. Not tonight,” said Adam with a shake of his head.

  Bryce jerked his head again and cleared his throat. The boy was always acting like a court jester and this wasn’t the time for it.

  “A spoiled goose will do naught to thaw the cold heart of the ice princess,” said Adam with another chuckle. “I can only hope she likes hot meat because, mayhap, then I can melt the icicles that –”

  Adam stopped short when he saw someone’s reflection on the outside of the metal lid covering the goose.

  “She’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?” he mumbled, feeling the knot in his stomach twisting so hard that his throat became tight. He felt as if he were about to choke.

  “What is the meaning of this?” snapped a woman from behind him. “I will not have my name mentioned in such a dishonorable way.”

  Adam slowly turned around, surprised to see the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on in his life. Surely, there had to be some mistake. This couldn’t be the wicked Lady of Cavendish. She looked far too fair and beautiful. Her long, oaken hair was worn loose and covered with a jeweled metal circlet with a small, thin veil attached. Her angry eyes, the color of weathered acorns, scrutinized him, causing a shiver to run up his spine by the intensity of her glare. She wore no cloak, but her burgundy velvet gown with long, green silk tippets covered her completely and looked very warm. The woman wasn’t thin, but then again, neither was she fat. In Adam’s opinion, she had just the right amount of sensuous curves to make her enticing.

  “Lady Eva, I presume?” Part of him hoped it was she and another part wished it wasn’t after what he’d just said about her with him not knowing she was listening.

  “Aye, I am Lady Eva Cavendish, daughter of the earl. Who are you, knave?”

  Adam flinched inwardly when she called him knave since it was a low blow to refer to any knight in such a derogative manner. Still, he supposed he deserved it after his poor behavior on her doorstep. Damn, he should have been more careful. He might have just blown the whole mission with his loose tongue.

  “I am Sir Adam de Ware, at your service.” He got down on one knee and reached up to kiss her hand, but she did nothing to offer it to him. Instead, she held her hands balled up in fists, glaring at him as if she hated him even though she had just met him.

  “I don’t believe I know you,” she said in a clipped tone. “And I also don’t recall your name being on the guest list. I am aware of every person who has been invited, and you are not one of them. Guard!” she called out, raising her hand to flag over a soldier in the courtyard.

  Adam’s chin snapped upward. He had to do something fast! If he didn’t get invited to this celebration, he might just as well kiss his opportunity goodbye of being granted the title of baron. After five long years of taking on special assignments from the king as his personal spy, Adam felt he deserved to be called Baron. He’d taken many risks and worked too hard to let the shrew ruin his chances now. Nay, he had to quickly think of another approach.

  “The Bishop of Sudbury sent me,” he blurted out, getting up and brushing the snow off his knee.

  The woman wrinkled her nose as if she didn’t b
elieve him. “Why would the bishop send a scoundrel like you to my doorstep?”

  That dug into him like a knife. “It was his wish I bring this gift to the earl as gratitude for all he does for the church.” Adam was counting on the fact that the earl even knew the bishop. It was a chance he had to take. “And I must add that it’s not polite to call me a scoundrel when you’ve just met me, my lady.”

  “And I suppose it’s in good form to be insulting the hostess behind her back right on her own doorstep?” She had a point there. Adam squeezed his eyes closed, cursing himself inwardly for his stupid mistake. “Guard, throw these men out of here at once,” she commanded.

  “Nay,” pleaded Adam, holding his palms forward as the guard stomped up the stairs to get them. “I’m sorry, my lady, for my loose tongue and repeating lies that I’ve heard. I can see now that none of them are true. I have brought you a gift and hope you’ll accept my apologies. Please, allow me to join in your Christmastide celebration.” He turned to his squire. “Bryce, show the fair lady what I’ve brought her.”

  “Come on,” growled the guard, taking Bryce by the arm. “You, too,” he said to Adam.

  “What a shame,” said Adam with a forced sigh. “Bryce, I hope you’re hungry since you and I will have to eat that entire goose by ourselves.”

  He took a step down one stair, hoping he had stirred the lady’s interest. He had done his research before coming here. The word whispered through the rushes was that Lady Eva Cavendish liked to eat. Hopefully, her hunger at the moment was stronger than her anger directed toward him.

  “Wait!” she called out, causing Adam to stop in his tracks.

  “Aye, my lady?” he asked, turning his head with a raised brow, sure his ploy had worked. “Was there something more?” He saw her eyes fastened to the covered platter in Bryce’s hands. Then, when the tip of her pink tongue shot out to quickly lick her lips, he knew he’d be inside the castle within minutes.

  “Let me see what you brought. Uncover the dish,” she ordered, urgency sounding in her voice.

  “Of course, my lady,” Adam replied with a satisfied smile. “Bryce, remove the lid.”

  Carefully balancing the platter on one arm, Bryce reached out and picked up the lid with the other. The aroma of the garlic and rosemary roasted goose filled the air. Mingling together with that was the tantalizing scent of the quince, apple, and sage stuffing.

  “My lady, I have bought and cooked the prized goose from the butcher’s shop at the edge of town. I slowly turned and seared and the fine meat on a spit over an outdoor fire for hours to give it a woodsy flavor. Then I gently stroked it with a golden liquid of exotic herbs infused with its own rich juices until the skin turned crispy. Afterwards, I gently laid it in a covered pot, coating it with a drizzling of sweet cider and red, robust wine, so it would stay succulent, juicy, and tender and not dry out.”

  Adam noticed her eyes grow wide as they fixated on the bird. As if in a trance, she blindly took a step closer. He had her right where he wanted her and so he continued.

  “Just look at those plump quinces and golden apples that make up the stuffing.” He reached out and moved Bryce’s hand so the platter was closer to Eva. Then he held his fingers together and used them as a fan as he wafted at the air around the goose. “Can you smell the leeks and sage?” He made a big show of sniffing the air and releasing it with a sigh of satisfaction. “It smells so rich and nutty. And the velvety sauce made with the drippings has been topped off with just a sprinkle of cinnamon and mace. Did you want to sample it?”

  “Aye,” she said so eagerly that he half-expected to see saliva dribbling down her chin in anticipation. With one shaking hand, she greedily reached out for the goose.

  “Allow me, my lady.” Adam raised his hand to stop her. “The goose is hot and I wouldn’t want you to burn your precious mouth.” He used two fingers, grabbing a piece of meat folded over with a little stuffing in between. Holding it up, he blew on it to cool it off for her. Her mouth hung open as she watched his every move. Then he smiled and carefully held it up to her mouth.

  Like a baby bird wanting to be fed, her jaw dropped open. Adam gently placed the meat in her mouth.

  With an intake of breath and her eyes narrowing slightly, she chewed the goose slowly, savoring the flavor. “It’s delicious,” she said, her voice sounding almost orgasmic. “It’s the best goose I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’d like more.”

  “Really?” Adam asked, brushing his hands together. “Well, I’m sorry, but my squire and I are going to eat the rest of the goose by ourselves as we celebrate Christmas in the cold out in our tent. Bryce, cover up the goose,” he commanded with a flick of his wrist. “We want to save the heat that holds in all those tantalizing flavors.” He nonchalantly looked over to the guard next. The man was also staring at the goose with want in his eyes. “All right, we are ready to go.”

  “Nay! Stay,” Eva begged him as she hurriedly followed him down the stairs.

  “What’s that, my lady?” he asked, sarcastically holding a hand to his ear as he turned back to see the desperation in her eyes. There was no way she was going to let him leave now. Not after all that. Adam felt confident that it was one of his most persuasive performances to date.

  “Why don’t you and your squire bring the goose into the great hall,” she suggested in a meek voice. The bold confidence he’d heard earlier in her words seemed to have suddenly disappeared. “You are welcome to join us for the meal.”

  Adam looked at her and cocked his head. “But, my lady, we are not on the guest list, or did you forget?”

  She bit her lip and looked in the other direction. Her chest heaved in and out, giving notice to her full breasts hidden beneath the fabric. It was almost making him feel randy. He could tell she struggled with her decision as it took her a moment to answer. “I’ll make sure your names get on the list,” she finally said.

  “Well, then, I guess we’ll join you,” said Adam with a wide smile. “My name, again, is Sir Adam de Ware, and my squire’s name is Bryce.” He bowed, just to be proper.

  “Guard, let them pass,” she commanded to her soldier. “They’re with me.”

  “Aye, my lady,” answered the guard, heading back down the stairs.

  “This way, both of you,” said Eva, motioning with her head toward the keep. “And whatever you do, don’t drop the goose, you fools.”

  Chapter 2

  Kissing Boughs and the Lord of Misrule

  Lady Eva Cavendish entered the great hall with her guests trailing behind her. She was sure her father was going to like the Christmas goose brought by Sir Adam. This could be just what she needed to help her father regain his strength. She had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. It reminded her a lot of her late mother’s cooking. But ever since her mother’s death five years ago when Eva took over as Lady of the Castle, things had not been the same.

  Eva couldn’t get the cooks and servants to produce any food that, in her opinion, was worth eating. She had prayed for help not only with the food but also with her father’s health. So when Sir Adam appeared on her doorstep on Christmas Eve, she realized he had to be a sign from God. Aye, perhaps this man was somehow an answer to her prayers. Things had to get better now.

  “Sir Adam, you’ll sit next to me at the dais. Your squire will put the goose on the table and then eat below the salt with the others,” she instructed.

  “Of course, my lady,” said the handsome Sir Adam, following her up the stairs to the raised platform where the nobility ate. The long table was covered with a white cloth and set for the holidays with plates and goblets made of silver. In front of the plates were candles in jars that were covered with holiday greenery. During the twelve days of Christmas, the nobles made sure that everything was at its best.

  The man had dark brown hair and a small mustache and beard. His amazing, bright blue eyes scanned the room, taking in his surroundings like a bird of prey. This knight was alert and aware but, at the same ti
me, his blue orbs seemed to hold many secrets behind them. His brows were thick and craggy. A padded gambeson covered his chest and leather wrist guards and a mail hauberk marked him as a seasoned warrior. For such a cold night, she found it surprising that he didn’t even wear a cape.

  “Father, this is Sir Adam de Ware,” she said when they reached the center seat of the dais. “Sir Adam, this is Earl Albert Cavendish. And next to him is my grandmother, Lady Barbara.”

  “My lady,” said Adam, taking her grandmother’s hand and kissing it. He bowed at the waist and held one hand behind his back. His half-closed eyes glanced down at her grandmother’s hand and then up to settle on her eyes. Lady Barbara blushed and smiled. He had good manners and was quite charming, even with older women it seemed.

  “Nice to meet you, Sir Adam,” said her grandmother, loving the attention.

  Next, Adam turned to the earl and bowed again. “Thank you for your hospitality on this cold night, Earl,” said Adam, reaching out to shake her father’s hand.

  Her father turned his head and grunted. “Aye,” he mumbled, but said nothing more. Adam moved his hand closer, still waiting for the earl to shake it. Eva held her breath. Her father wouldn’t respond in the expected way because he couldn’t.

  “That’s enough!” snapped Eva, not wanting Adam to know of her father’s condition. It was better if he thought the man was just being rude. “Take your seat. The meal will start now.”

  Eva didn’t want to sound like a shrew, but she had to say something to stop Adam from asking questions. Since her father’s fall from his horse six months ago, he no longer had control over the right side of his body. This was her family’s secret and Eva would do anything to keep it from others. She especially didn’t want the king to know her father was no longer capable of serving him. Never again would the earl be able to fight for King Edward, let alone rule his own castle. A secret like this being revealed could ruin her father as well as her family name.