Enemy of My Enemy

Then,Robert gri

“Whyhas my daughter not come down? I want to see her,” A

“Iam sure you will see her, later. Isabel is rather upset right now, with both ofus, I think,” Brant said.

“Whathave I done?” A

“Sheis upset with you, because you seem to think if you can get rid of Nathaniel,and I, you will have your little girl back. I believe, she does not think thatit is such an easy prospect, to just forget her child,” Brant responded.

BrushingBrant’s words aside, A

“Whileit is still early to be sure, Isabel is likely in a delicate condition, again,among other sins. You know, like not letting her gallop off on her horse at adangerous pace, this afternoon,” Brant said.

“Youare not wasting any time, are you?” Robert asked, laughing.

LadyA

Noraappeared, to ask if all the guests would be staying the night, putting an endto the conversation. Lady A

Isabelwas conspicuously absent, from the Lord’s table, atthe evening meal. However, with Esme seated between Lady A

Withthe meal past, Brant went upstairs to retrieve Nathaniel, from his mother. Uponhis return to the hall, he instructed Rosamund, who was near the hearth withHa

WhenA

Shedrew back, saying, “I have been so worried about you. When he came after you,Brant was so angry. He is quite a large man. I swear he could break you in halfwith his bare hands.”

“Iam fine,” Isabel replied. “He has not hurt me, physically. Brant is just arutting boar, with my feelings. He always seems to be making flippant remarks,about things that bother me. He did that again this afternoon, so I took off onMatilda, to get away from him. He chased me down, and accused me of trying tolose the babe.”

A

“Youknow if you do not want the babe, there is the root mixture that will likelymake you lose it, right? Would you tell me, if he was hurting you?” A

Isabelclosed her eyes, and took a deep breath, before saying, “Rosamund, please leaveus. I need to speak with my mother alone.”

Shestepped over to stand near the door, so that she could watch the serf exit theantechamber. After she made sure they were alone, she shut the i

Ina low voice, Isabel said, “Since their sire was killed several years ago, Branthas been raising his sister, Esme. When Esme’s mother died, her half-sisterHa

“Ihad not thought of that,” A

“Ihad never been with a man before. It hurt. I fought,” Isabel explained.

“Idid not think of that,” A

Thetone of the mother’s voice, reflected her doubt aboutthe younger woman’s ability. Doubts that Isabel shared, but knew she was goingto have to overcome.

“No,but I do not see, where I have any other choice,” Isabel replied.

Asshe finished speaking the door opened, and Brantentered carrying Nathaniel. Isabel smiled at the thought that Rosamund musthave gone straight to him, when she made the serf leave.

“Heseemed to be a little fussy. I thought he might be missing his mother,” Brantsaid, handing Isabel the babe. “Are you ladies coming downstairs, thisevening?”

Isabelsmiled, thinking the babe being fussy, sounded like a plausible lie to check onthem. Obviously, her husband did not want her talking to her mother in private,and had sent Rosamond up as a spy.

Witha wry grin, she responded to his question, “Aye, I believe I will go down tothe hall, for a while. Mother?”

“Ithink I would enjoy a glass of wine, before bedtime,” A

Isabelstopped rocking Nathaniel's cradle, as the babe appeared to be fast asleep. Inthe hall that evening, he had been all smiles and coos, for the amusement ofhis sire. Brant's enjoyment in playing with the child, made it difficult forIsabel to believe, he was as angry as he implied with her. Despite his frequentbarbed reminders, of how she had deceived him into fathering the child, hisactions told a different story. It was even harder to trust his anger, when theman claimed intentionally trying to sire a second child with her, was some typeof revenge. Unless his ultimate intent was to separate herfrom both her children. That fear, was never far from Isabel's mind.Though, Brant did not seem to be that vengeful.

Isabelsnuffed out all but one of the candles, and got into bed. As she relaxed under thecovers, she realized for the first time in well over a year, she was not tensewith fear of something. There was no doubt that her father had been hersecurity, as a child. Her mother was frequently visiting, or even staying atone of the family properties, far from her father's stronghold, where Isabelgrew up. Rosamund had raised Isabel, at least as much as her mother, Lady A

Sometimelater that night, she felt gentle caresses roaming over her body. In a drowsydreamlike state, somewhere between asleep, and waking, Isabel responded to herhusband’s love making. Afterward, she quickly drifted back to sleep in hisarms.

WhenNathaniel's cries awoke her in the morning, Isabel was alone in the bed.However, she recalled Brant whispering, "justrelax", and "everything will be alright", as he made love toher, during the night. Or she thought, she remembered that. Had she dreamed it?No, he had removed her gown during the night. As she rose to get the babe,Isabel wondered, if when Brant whispered everythingwill be alright, he was thinking about last night, or everything in general.

Chapter 13

Thefollowing day, Isabel was in the hall with the babe in the cradle, beside herchair. Lady A