It was a sight to see.
It was extremely rare that all of her children were in the same place at the same time, so Jordan didn’t take this moment lightly. On the contrary, she cherished it. She took a moment to look her sons over – Scott, the big and brawny blond, and his twin, Troy, who very much had his father’s handsome dark looks. Patrick, who was a head taller than his brothers, stood out like a dark-haired giant among them, while Thomas, her youngest, was still somewhat wiry and wide-eyed at the world.
And then there was Edward… placed in birth order in the middle of her brood, he was named for William’s father and had the dark, swarthy look of the de Wolfe Saracen bloodlines through his grandmother on his father’s side. His skin was darker, his face more angular, and his eyes were golden, another de Wolfe characteristic. A quiet, obedient, and introspective child had grown into a man of the same traits. But behind that introspective exterior was a man of brilliant intellect and a silver tongue. He was big and muscular, and could hold his own in a fight, a warrior born and bred as all the de Wolfe males were, but Edward had something more to him…
Savoir-faire.
While his brothers were on the battlefields of England, Edward worked the diplomatic angle like his grandfather had, once. Even at Edward’s young age, the king had seen the man’s gifts and he used them.
But all of that diplomacy and tact made Edward different from his brothers. They didn’t love him any less, but in a family of warriors, Edward had always struggled to fit in.
And to Jordan, that made him special.
“Edward,” she said after a moment, focused on the only son that would perhaps not defend James’ behavior. “Go and find James. I’ll not have him runnin’ about outside when there is a celebration goin’ on in the hall. Yer father and brothers will let him run amok, but I know ye’ll obey yer mother. Tell him tae come back because the feast is soon tae start. The last of the guests are arrivin’.”
Edward stepped forward, ignoring the stares from his brothers and father. He was bordering on being a traitor to the brotherhood of his family by agreeing to his mother’s directive but, in truth, they were glad they weren’t in his shoes. Edward was nearly the only one that their mother wouldn’t become overly angry with.
“If that is your wish, Mother,” he said in his deep, melodic voice. “But I will have to promise him that there will be no retribution. May I?”
Jordan lifted an unhappy eyebrow even though she knew he was right. “I willna punish him if he returns,” she said. “But he willna sing another improper song. If he does, I’ll blister his backside in front of everyone.”
The brothers were fighting off grins. “It was all in good fun, Mother,” Scott, the eldest, spoke in James’ defense. “James is an excellent entertainer.”
Jordan’s eyebrows lifted. “Aye, he is, but the man was singin’ of fornication,” she hissed. Then, she waved her hands as if to cease all further debate. “With a roomful of women, ’tis embarrassin’ and inappropriate. I’ll not argue the point with ye. Eddie, go find yer brother and bring him back. And no more dirty songs. Make him promise.”
Edward kept a straight face even though he could see his brothers smirking in his periphery. “I shall do my best.”
“See that ye do,” she said. “And Adonis, too. His mother should be here shortly, so I want both him and James back in the hall. The family must be present.”
“Aye, my lady.”
Satisfied that her son would carry out her wishes without hesitation, Jordan’s gaze lingered on Edward before moving to the rest of her brood in an expression that suggested she was finished with all of them if they didn’t move themselves back into the hall and behave appropriately.
It was enough to put the fear of God into them.
Edward stood there with his father and brothers, watching his mother turn and head back into the hall. A few seconds later, Thomas broke off from the group and ran after her, taking her hand as they entered the warm, smoky hall. As the youngest de Wolfe son cozied up to his mother, Troy grunted.
“Look at him,” he said. “Holding her hand and pretending to be her only obedient child. The next time I see Tommy, I am going to slap the back of his head.”
William glanced at his older sons. “Do not do it,” he warned. “Your mother does not like it when you beat up on him.”
“We have been doing it all our lives.”
“And it is small wonder that you have not irrevocably damaged his brain. You are grown men with children of your own. Leave your youngest brother alone and stop beating on his head.”
“What about the brother who sings lewd songs and makes his mother angry?” Edward said, grinning when his father and brothers looked at him. “He is the one who gets us all into trouble. Why not beat up on him?”
Troy tried not to grin; he was very good at appearing serious. “Because he is twice Tommy’s size and does not take kindly to being slapped on the head.”
Edward shook his head reproachfully. “So you leave him to me?” he said. “Mother sends me after him every time as if I can make him behave. He only laughs at me and kisses my face. I hate it when he kisses my face.”
The brothers started to laugh, mostly because they agreed with him. James was a kisser, with everyone, just like Scott was. Both of them were known to be slobbery fools.
“I do not even know why you try,” Patrick said. “He will not stop. If you force him to return to the hall, he’ll run in there and sing Tilly Nodden before the entire company and Mother will declare war on us all.”
They shook their heads at the horror of that suggestion, a bawdy song about a prostitute that was better suited to taverns or drunken sailors. If the Lily song drove Jordan to violence, Tilly Nodden would force her to commit murder and bury the bodies – theirs.
William, sensing that perhaps he needed to go into the hall and keep his wife’s Scots temper from flaring again at her lively sons, patted Edward on the shoulder as he passed by the man.
“Do what you can, Eddie,” he said. “If you need help, take Atty with you.”
Edward shook his head. “I am confident I can bring him back myself,” he said. “But if he sings Tilly Nodden…”
“Let us hope he does not.” William came to a pause and looked at the rest of the brothers. “Come along, lads. Paris and the rest of the family will be arriving soon, de Norvilles and Hages included. Let us make this a feast to remember because I cannot recall the last time all of us were together like this. In fact, we will see some that we’ve not seen in quite some time, so it will be a special night.”
He was referring to the extended family from both Castle Questing, his seat, and Northwood Castle, an allied fortress not far from Castle Questing. Both castles were related by blood and marriage, part of a network of de Wolfe allies and other de Wolfe family held castles along the stretch of the Scottish border from Berwick to Carter Bar.
When William had met Jordan in his younger days, it had been in the course of his duties as a knight for the Earl of Teviot. William’s dearest friends, Paris de Norville and Kieran Hage, had also served the earl. When William married Jordan, she came with two cousins, Jemma Scott and Caladora Scott, and those women had married Kieran and Paris, respectively.
From those six people had sprung over twenty-two children, not including any grandchildren, and those numbers were growing. The offspring had all intermarried for the most part, so William and Paris and Kieran shared many grandchildren.
Therefore, the bonds of de Wolfe, de Norville, and Hage were forged in blood and steel, making for some of the most powerful alliances in England. When William spoke of the de Norvilles and Hages as family, that was because they literally were, and a gathering of the families like this outside of the walls of Castle Questing or Northwood Castle were rare, but everyone was coming for the marriage of William’s nephew to the daughter of the commander of The Lyceum, a man he’d known many years. It was a marriage that William himself had helped facilitate, an
d it was definitely something to celebrate.
Which brought them around to James’ behavior and why they were all standing outside the great hall of The Lyceum in the first place. Jordan wanted this to be a fine, memorable occasion and, so far, it had been.
But for Edward, it was about to become more than that.
His first inkling was when his father mentioned the arrival of the rest of the family. After his father’s statement, his brothers were already starting to filter back into the hall, but his father’s words prevented Edward from going off to seek James.
“What do you mean, Father?” he asked. “Who else is coming along with Uncle Paris and Uncle Kieran that we’ve not see in some time?”
William shrugged, a thoughtful gesture. “Kieran is bringing your sister, Katheryn, and her children, and Paris is bringing Evelyn and her children. I’ve not seen my grandchildren lately. And Kevin Hage has come up from the Marches and Lioncross Abbey, as well. As I said, I think the last time all of us were together like this, as I recall, was last Christmastide. Oh, and Cassiopeia de Norville returned home from London last week. I believe she is coming, as well.”
Edward lifted his eyebrows as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “Cassiopeia?” he repeated. “She is back?”
William didn’t catch on to his son’s tone right away. “I saw her last week when I was at Northwood and she had just returned.” Then, he saw the look on Edward’s face and he grinned in realization. “You still remember that annoying girl, I see. It has been several years since you’ve seen her, Eddie. She is quite beautiful, and mannerly, and I am certain she has outgrown the behavior of her youth.”
Edward hissed an unhappy sigh. His pleasant night had just taken a downturn. “It has been almost twelve years exactly since I last spoke to her,” he said. “And I have relished every single peaceful moment of it. So she has returned, has she? I can see I shall not be making any visits to Northwood.”
William laughed softly. “Do not let her keep you away,” he said. “She probably does not even remember your name. But given that you spent time in London with the king, and she was serving in the household of Lady de Russe, who served in the court of the queen, surely you two have crossed paths over the years. Did you never see her?”
Edward shrugged, disinterested. “I did see her on more than one occasion, but I did not acknowledge her and she did not acknowledge me, and that is the way I like it.”
William continued to chuckle as he patted his son on the shoulder. “I would not worry over her, then,” he said, pointing to the darkened yard beyond. “Go find your brother. Your mother will want you all in the hall, so hurry along.”
Edward stood there while his father headed back into the hall, unable to shake the news of his nemesis’ return. His father had been so casual about it, but Edward’s memory was long. He remembered even the most distant memories as if they’d happened only yesterday.
So the de Norville brat had come home from London, had she? It was true that he’d seen her in London from time to time, as he’d told his father, and he’d seen her at more than one feast. But she had stayed to her people and he’d stayed to his, and he’d been more than happy with that arrangement.
For a man who tried to get along with everyone, and was considered a great diplomat, the fact that Edward felt so strongly against Cassiopeia de Norville was something of an irritation to him perhaps even more than she herself was. All of these years, she’d been a mild annoyance in the back of his mind, an unfavorable memory he’d hardly ever recalled, and with good reason.
But now, she was back.
Already feeling frustrated at the mere thought of her and trying to fight it down, he turned for the darkened yard beyond where his brother and Apollo had disappeared, struggling to focus on bringing his naughty brother back to the hall. He refused to waste his time being unhappy about Cassiopeia’s return home, but he did know one thing – if she thought to resume her annoyance of him now that she’d come home, she would have a very rude awakening. He wasn’t going to tolerate it.
Or her.
The rules of engagement would be established early on.
“Look at everything, alight with incandescent glory. It looks like the great houses of London when they have their grand celebrations.”
The observation came from a young woman riding in a fortified carriage painted with the colors of the Earls of Teviot, the Lords of Northwood Castle. As the vehicle lurched and bumped up the road to the gatehouse of The Lyceum, the massive keep beyond could be seen for miles, lit up with hundreds of torches against the night sky.
“It is glorious,” an older woman seated next to her observed, craning her neck to peer from the narrow window. “I canna recall when I was last tae The Lyceum. ’Tis a grand and glorious place on any occasion, but I am sure it canna compete with the parties ye’ve seen in London, Cassie. For the north of England, however, it is as grand as it gets.”
Cassiopeia smiled at the woman. “It is very grand, Mama,” she said. “And being with you is grand again, too. I’ve missed you so much.”
Lady Caladora de Norville wrapped her arms around her youngest child, hugging her tightly. “I’ve missed ye, isean,” she said softly, using the nickname she’d given her babe when the girl had had been very young – chick. Little Cassiopeia had been skittish and wild, and a follower, and in that respect, she’d been very much like a baby chick. “Now that ye’re home again, ’twill be like the old times.”
Cassiopeia’s head was resting on her mother’s shoulder. “It will, won’t it?”
Caladora nodded, gripping the side of the carriage when it lurched roughly. “Aye,” she said. “And tonight is only the beginnin’. I will finally have my entire family around me again.”
Cassiopeia’s head came up, peering from the window as they passed beneath the big gatehouse of The Lyceum. The passage smelled dank and cold, the strong scent filtering into the carriage.
“How exciting that we shall all be together,” she said. “It has been so very long since I have seen everyone.”
“They willna recognize ye.”
“Do you think so?”
Caladora nodded firmly. “Ye’re a grown woman now,” she said. “In fact, there will be many eligible men here tonight. We may find a husband for ye.”
Cassiopeia’s happy expression faded as that unwelcome subject arose. “Mama, please,” she said, turning away. “Not tonight. I want to enjoy myself tonight without listening to you and Papa harass me about a husband.”
Caladora watched her girl as the woman’s mood shifted. She had always been the soft touch with her children, gentle and kind, whereas her husband had always been a bit more strict and to the point. When it came to an unmarried daughter who had been of marriageable age for the past five years, Paris de Norville couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
“No one will harass ye, lass,” she said, wondering if that was really true. “If it were up tae me, I would keep ye tae my bosom for the rest of yer life. Ye’re my youngest, my baby, and I will admit it has been difficult for me tae let ye grow up. Ye dinna go tae foster until ye were nearly eleven years of age because I couldna stand ye being away from me. And now… just over ten years later, ye’re a woman grown.”
Cassiopeia smiled. “Thank you, Mama.”
“But ye’re also much older than ye should be without a husband.”
Cassiopeia’s smile vanished. “It is not my fault,” she said. “There simply haven’t been any men I would consider husband material.”
Caladora cocked her head. “So ye havena found anyone in London,” she said. “But here in the north, there are single men tae consider.”
“God’s Bones, who?”
“Nathaniel Hage, for example”
She was speaking of Kieran and Jemma Hage’s youngest son and Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. “He is three years younger than I,” she said. “The last time I saw him, he would pick at his nose and then wipe his fingers all over his tunic. It was positively
green.”
Caladora fought off a grin. “He was a young lad then. He doesna do that any longer. What about his brother, Kevin? He is quite handsome.”
Cassiopeia shook her head firmly. “He has only had eyes for Penny de Wolfe, even when she was small. He will marry her, I am certain.”
“I wouldna be too sure.”
“I do not want to marry Kevin Hage, Mama.”
Caladora could feel the carriage coming to a halt, knowing her private time with her daughter was limited. “What of Eddie or Tommy de Wolfe? Those are two fine young men.”
Cassiopeia could feel the carriage slowing, too, and she was suddenly quite anxious to disembark and see family members she had not seen in years. “The last time I saw Tommy, he was wild and uncouth, and Edward has half the women in London following him around. He was the topic of many conversations while I was in London. Edward can have any woman he wishes.”
“And why not ye?”
The door to the carriage suddenly jerked open and Cassiopeia cast her mother a long look as she rose to exit. “Not Edward, Mama.”
With that, she was through the door, straight into her father’s arms. Paris de Norville, tall and blond and handsome, hugged his youngest daughter before setting her to her feet, whereupon she was lovingly attacked by her brothers, Apollo and Hector. The men hadn’t seen their sister since her return home because they served at Berwick Castle with Patrick de Wolfe, so this was their first chance to see their baby sister since her arrival.
“God’s Bones, Cassie,” Hector, her eldest brother, exclaimed softly. “Is it really you?”
Dressed in a yellow silk gown that was striking with her golden-red hair, Cassiopeia smiled bashfully. “Would you not have known me, Hector?”
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