Midnight Eyes by Brophy, Sarah (well read books .TXT) 📕

the face of Lady Deformed for the first time. Courtiers had almost killed themselves in their rush to get to his chambers with the news, each eager to be the first to tell him that Lady Deformed was a beauty without equal. They had all wanted to see his reaction, wanted to be the first to know whether the king would treat this innocent beauty as his lover’s sister or as a traitor’s wife.

Their descriptions had varied wildly, but the central astonishment had remained true in every telling of the tale. Each of them had said in their own way that Lady Deformed was even more worthy of the title “angel” than was her brother.

William had gritted his teeth and refused to let them know that he was as genuinely astonished as they were. He couldn’t let it be known that he was as ignorant as everyone else of the truth. He hated the thought of people knowing that Roger had never once seen fit to tell him that the rumors about his sister had been no more than a tissue of lies. Never once had he tried to tell William the truth, not even in the relative privacy of the royal bed.

In fact, until Roger had unexpectedly suggested the marriage between Imogen and Robert as a vicious joke, he had never once spoken of his sibling, and William had foolishly assumed that the silence was the result of discretion. Now that he could see for himself that there had been no need to hide this lady, however, he had to also admit the unpleasant truth that he had never really known what deep game Roger had been playing.

He dreaded finding out, but this woman was going to make it impossible for him to hide from the truths that would tear apart his life.

He dropped her chin suddenly and moved over to look out the window. “So, why exactly have you decided to invade my fortress, Lady Imogen?” He paused, then added bitingly, “I doubt your brother requested your presence after all this time.”

“Like any other dutiful wife, Your Majesty, I have come to be with my husband.” As she said the dangerous words she kept her face carefully lowered. “I have also come to prove him innocent of the gross accusations that have been leveled against him.”

William turned toward her and leaned against the windowsill, crossing his arms over his stocky chest. “You would dare plead for the life of my would-be assassin? It is a very dangerous thing to do in the circumstances,” he said coldly, but was unable to hide a faint flicker of admiration. He watched her lift her chin slightly when most men he knew would be cowering at such a display of royal disdain.

“Robert is innocent,” she said simply, her voice clear and strong with her conviction.

“There are many who would say otherwise,” William muttered darkly.

“Like my…brother?” She spat out the last word as if it was poison.

William narrowed his eyes and couldn’t help but recall that it was on Roger’s insistence that Robert had been held prisoner.

“Perhaps,” he murmured cagily, dark suspicions already starting to find a home in his mind.

“Well, Your Majesty, I hope you won’t be offended if I tell you that you are a fool if you believe Roger over Robert.”

“It is not normally considered entirely intelligent to call your king a fool,” William said with a faint smile.

“I’m sure a king needs to be told the truth just as much as any other man,” she said before she realized what she was doing. “Sorry, I forgot myself,” she said stiffly.

William tut-tutted. “I’ll have none of that now, my dear. I like it much better when you spit fire. It’s more honest, if not entirely pleasant.” He contemplated her for a moment and then reached a decision. He gently raised her to her feet and guided her over to a chair. “Now, I think it is time for you to tell me all the…uh…truths that you know.”

With her hands clenched tightly in her lap she began. She stammered as she started her story, but slowly her voice strengthened. She told him of Roger’s strange obsession, told him of his act of violence that had led to her blindness, told him of the isolation and fear that had held her all but captive. The king’s strangely understanding silence gave her the confidence to tell of her dark fears concerning the truth about her parents’ death, of Robert’s arrival in her prison, of his kindness. Her voice rang with certainty as she pledged his total innocence in any of Roger’s schemes, but when her story finished she found herself holding her breath. She could hardly expect to unravel Roger’s coils in a mere hour and she couldn’t help but fear that somehow, by coming here, by telling all she knew, she had managed only to play into his hands.

“And you have the messages that prove this?” William asked slowly.

She nodded and pulled the small bundle out from the hidden pocket in her cloak.

She waited silently as William carefully looked over each and every one, her nerves stretching steadily thinner.

“I knew that there had to be more to this than there seemed,” he murmured absentmindedly to himself. “And you still have in your possession the ring that belonged to your mother?”

She ran a light finger over the cold metal, then slid it slowly off her hand, glad to be rid of its sad weight. William took it and placed it carefully on top of the letters, his face turning grim when he recognized it as the ring Roger had often worn on a chain round his neck.

“Well, Lady Imogen, you have given me much to think on. I thank you for your bravery and for daring to tell the king about these truths.”

She could hear cold anger in those words, and couldn’t help but shiver, realizing too late the extent of what it was she had dared to do.

Unexpectedly he changed the topic,