BlackWolfe

by Le Veque, Kathryn

  Grumbling and hissing angrily, the brothers stood over by the door as ordered, but they were muttering threats to Daniel under their breath. When Hector was certain his sons were going to obey him, he returned his focus to Daniel.

  “Answer me,” he said. “Why have you turned on Edward so?”

  Daniel was nearly fully dressed, a completely formidable and professional knight, the commander of a twelve-hundred-man army.

  “It is not personal,” he said. “But I feel as if I have not been treated fairly or told the truth about this situation. For some reason, your father wanted me to pursue a possible betrothal with a woman who clearly had eyes for another man. I did not know that until today, and Edward himself lied to me when we are at The Lyceum. When I told him of my interest in Lady Cassiopeia, he told me she was a rude and childish woman and that she would ruin my life. Had he been honest with me about his intentions towards her, at least I would have known where I stood. But I have been used as some sort of pawn in your father’s quest to find your sister a husband and if you think I am not going to fight back, then you would be wrong.”

  Paris and Hector looked at each other. In truth, there was a little guilt in what Daniel said was true on Paris’ part, because some of what he said was true. But he never imagined it would come to this.

  “Edward told you that my daughter was childish and rude because when they were children, she was,” Paris said. “She tormented Edward mercilessly, so what he told you was true. But as sometimes happens, people outgrow their childhood and become reasonable adults, and that is what my daughter has done. She has grown up and Edward has come to see her as a woman, not that horrid child he once knew. He did not lie to you.”

  Daniel sheathed his sword, his final act of dressing, and faced Paris and Hector. “You will forgive me if I do not believe you,” he said. “Now, I have a challenge to meet. I would hope you would not stand in my way.”

  Paris could see there was no talking him out of this, not in the least. One way or the other, Daniel was going to fight Edward, inside of Northwood Castle or outside. In Paris’ opinion, it would be better inside, in the bailey, because at least that would be a controlled environment of some kind. Outside on the road would be much more dangerous and unpredictable. But Paris wasn’t happy about this in the least and he knew William wouldn’t be, either.

  “I will not stand in your way because, in any case, you are going to go after Edward,” he said. “It is better if it is something that is supervised as opposed to an ambush out on the road. But know this; if you injure Edward, I will break the alliance with Deauxville Mount and you can explain to Wereford why he just lost one of his most valuable allies. If you kill Edward, know that you will not make it out of Northwood alive. There are several big knights and an entire army that will ensure your death is as painful as possible. Am I making myself clear?”

  Daniel remained firm. “You are, my lord.”

  “Good. So there is no mistake.”

  “Nay, my lord.”

  “Then go to the outer bailey, near the gatehouse, and do not move from there. I will bring Edward to you.”

  With that, he turned away, heading for the door of the knights’ quarters. Hector was a little slower to move, his glare on Daniel one of utter disgust and disappointment. But Daniel met his gaze steadily and Hector finally turned away, following his father and sons from the knights’ quarters, heading to the keep of Northwood Castle to help Edward prepare for something that he shouldn’t have to be preparing for.

  A serious fight.

  The small guard room by the entry of Northwood’s keep was sparsely furnished, dark at this hour as Edward bent over the hearth, sparking a blaze to bring some heat and light into the room. As he carefully arranged the kindling, Cassiopeia stood over near the door.

  “Now,” Edward said to her. “I do not want you to worry about this. I make my living negotiating treaties, and that also means I know how to end a war, so I will simply speak with Daniel before we start swinging swords. He is a man of reason.”

  Cassiopeia wasn’t convinced. “A man of reason would not have challenged you to a fight,” she said. “I told him to leave and instead, he wants to kill you.”

  Edward shook his head. “He does not want to kill me,” he said. “He is simply angry because he knows I have the advantage. He is trying to remove me, and by removing me, removing my advantage. It is quite simple.”

  Cassiopeia, who had been standing in the shadows with her arms folded tightly across her chest, came closer to Edward as the hearth began to blaze. “I never thought I would see the day when you had the advantage when it came to me,” she said, perching on the end of a chair that was situated near the hearth. “In fact, it is astonishing to me that we are having this conversation. I spent all of those years watching you at major feasts and gatherings, always with the king or his warlords or advisors, men who run every aspect of this country. You are part of that, too, Edward. So much of what you do for the king affects all of us.”

  Edward finished with the last of the kindling. “Did you ever look at me and feel great remorse for the way you tormented me?”

  She snorted. “Always.”

  He glanced up at her, a grin on his face. “Somehow, I doubt it.”

  She laughed, softly. “That is not true,” she insisted. “I always regretted the way I tormented you when we were children, especially when I saw how handsome you became. What a fool I was.”

  It was his turn to laugh softly as he stood up, taking the other chair in the chamber with a small table between them. He looked at her over the tabletop, his golden eyes glittering.

  “It is a pity you did not tell me that before now,” he said. “It might have changed things.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that I would have forgiven you much sooner had you told me how comely I am.”

  The tension of Daniel’s challenge faded as the easy, flirtatious dialogue between them flowed. “You are quite comely,” she said. “All of the women in London think so. They all whisper about you.”

  “What do they say?”

  “They wonder why you have not married yet.”

  “That is simple. Because I had not forgiven Cassiopeia de Norville yet for the hell she put me through as a child and she scared me away from all women.”

  Cassiopeia winced, but it was in good fun. “God’s Bones,” she said. “Cassiopeia is very sorry for that. Sorrier by the day.”

  He waved her off. “I told you we would not speak of it any longer,” he said. “Forgive me for bringing it up. Let’s see, we have spoken of the twenty sons we will have and…”

  “Now it is twenty?”

  He held up a hand. “Do not interrupt me,” he said. “As I was saying, we’ve already spoken of the twenty-five sons we will have and where we shall raise them, but we have not spoken of the trip we shall take on the event of our wedding. Where would you like to go?”

  Cassiopeia was laughing softly as he spoke, increasing the amount of sons they would have every time he spoke of their future brood. She looked at the man, sitting there, his big body planted into a simple chair, looking very much like a warrior from the size of him. It had her thinking that it was difficult to believe he really didn’t fight, or go into battle, because he had the size and strength for it. She knew that he was strong because when they’d danced at The Lyceum and he’d pulled her against his torso, all she could feel was his power.

  That’s when things had started to change between them.

  She was so glad it had.

  Big, beautiful Edward de Wolfe.

  “I have not really thought about traveling,” she said after a moment. “I never really thought I would have the opportunity.”

  He lifted a dark eyebrow curiously. “But you knew you would marry, eventually,” he said. “Where would you like your husband to take you?”

  She bit her lip in thought, perhaps in hesitation, thinking on his question. “When I was with Lady de
Russe, her husband had a visitor from The Levant,” she said. “Beyond The Levant, actually. He was a warlord, but he had traveled everywhere. He told us all of a land known as Misir, a land that had an enormous river that ran through it and buildings shaped like this.”

  She made the shape of a triangle in the air. Edward nodded when he realized what she was talking about. “Ah, Misir,” he said. “I have heard of it, too. It is said that a race of gods lived there thousands of years ago and they left behind many wonderful buildings and monuments. Tombs in the shape of a triangle, as you have described, and statues that are as tall as the sky. It is very far away. Is that where you want to go?”

  Cassiopeia shrugged, an embarrassed smile on her face. “Not really,” she said. “We were told that you must pass through The Levant to get there, and I do not wish to go to a place that is so full of strife and war. But Misir sounded like a fascinating place.”

  “Then mayhap someday, if you wish it, we shall go,” he said. “But in the meantime, we can go to Paris and Venice. Venice is quite beautiful, I am told. I have always wanted to go there.”

  “I do not care where we go. I am sure wherever it is, it will be wonderful.”

  He smiled at her. Then, he held out his hand on the tabletop, extending it to her. Cassiopeia could feel her cheeks grow warm as she put her hand in his and he squeezed it. It was enough to make her swoon.

  God, was this real? Truly, truly real?

  “When I am finished with Daniel, I will take you someplace special, if Uncle Paris will allow it,” Edward said quietly, his fingers caressing hers, getting his first real feel of her soft skin against his. “Mayhap to York or even Lancaster. Those are big cities with big merchant districts. Have you ever been?”

  Cassiopeia shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “Which town do you like better?”

  He shrugged. “Either one,” he said, “although in Lancaster, there is an inn built on the foundations of an old Roman house and it is the most decadent place imaginable. The rooms are large and luxurious, with silks and the finest carpets on the floor, and the food is incredibly lavish.”

  Cassiopeia was enthralled. “You have been there?”

  “Twice, when I was in Lancaster on business for the king.”

  “What did you eat?”

  He shrugged, thinking. “Eggs with honey and black pepper,” he said. “Fried sweet cheese curds, fish with grapes. Many things. It was all quite tasty.”

  Cassiopeia nodded eagerly. “I would like to visit such a place.”

  He grinned at her enthusiasm. “Then we shall,” he said. Then, his smile faded. “I have a feeling we have much to make up for, Cassie. It’s strange… I felt very strongly that I needed to return home, as I told you. I needed to see my father and my family. I felt as if something were drawing me back to Castle Questing, but it never occurred to me that it might be for another reason.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He tried to put his thoughts into words. “Without sounding like a mystic, I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we are where we are meant to be, at the right time, although we cannot realize those reasons at the time. It is only hindsight that makes us see the wisdom of fate. I felt very strongly that I needed to come home at this time but now I am thinking that it was not because of my father or my family. Mayhap it was because of you.”

  She looked surprised. “Me?”

  He nodded faintly, his gaze moving over the lovely lines of her face. “Mayhap it was fate telling me to come home because there was something here that was going to change my life.”

  She smiled bashfully as she understood his meaning. “If nothing else, we have cleared the air between us. We have become friends.”

  “And I hope we become much more.” As he watched her flush, he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers gently. That first kiss of his lips against her skin was magical. “Whatever happens with Daniel, know that I do not intend to give up my stake in all of this. I’ll not have Daniel de Motte dictating the direction of my life.”

  Cassiopeia watched his smooth, lush lips as they gently suckled her hand. It was enough to cause her to become lightheaded. “Nor will I have him dictate mine,” she assured him, struggling to breathe. “No matter what happens, you are my choice. But I will admit that I am concerned. He should not have challenged you.”

  Edward stopped kissing her hand, now gently squeezing her fingers. “I know,” he said, rising to his feet and taking her with him. When they were facing each other, gazing so openly at one another, he lifted a hand to her face. “I am sorry this is worrying you. I did so want our time together to be without stress. You finally stopped throwing rocks at me, but now Daniel wants to beat me to a pulp.”

  Cassiopeia grinned, chuckling softly, but her attention was on his hand as it caressed her soft cheek. Her struggle to breathe was only growing worse. “I have learned that men do not like it when you flirt with rocks,” she breathed, leaning her cheek into his hand. “They like it much better when you are kind to them.”

  Edward’s other hand came up, now cupping her face. He simply stood there and looked at her, inspecting every freckle, every lash. He’d never studied a woman more closely in his entire life and the warmth of her face was pulsing down his arms, into his chest, causing his heart to race. He’d never had that happen, either. Without a word, he bent down and kissed her soft, warm mouth.

  Cassiopeia gasped, a soft moan somewhere in the back of her throat, and Edward took it as an invitation. His mouth slanted over hers more forcefully, his tongue licking at her lips, his mouth suckling on hers. It was passion like he’d never felt in his life and before he realized it, he had her in his arms and he was holding her so tightly that he was surely crushing her. She was so soft and warm against him, her body fitting against his as if she were made for him. Nothing awkward, nothing uninviting. Everything about her was inviting.

  He’d never known such a kiss.

  He could feel her hands in his hair. She wasn’t timid about it and his mouth left her lips, nibbling her jaw, suckling on her neck and feeling her tremble. He sucked so hard that he suddenly pulled back, afraid he was going to leave a blemish. When Cassiopeia opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised, he started to laugh. So did she.

  “Your father would destroy me if I left a mark on you,” he said, backing away and examining her neck from a distance. “Mayhap… mayhap I should stand over here so I am not tempted to feast on you again. I could so easily do it.”

  Cassiopeia was flushed and breathless. Sinking back into her chair, she gazed up at him with bright eyes. “And I could so easily let you,” she said softly. “Thank you for kissing me, Eddie.”

  He smirked, cocking his head curiously. “Why should you say that?”

  “Because now I know what I have been missing. And I shall not let you get away.”

  He took another step or two in the opposite direction, putting space between them. “Now I am going to put even more distance between us,” he said. “If you are so willing, I will have no self-control.”

  “I hope you never have any when it comes to me.”

  “I am certain that will be the case.”

  He winked at her and she grinned, looking at the man as if she were already madly in love with him. There was a glow on her face that hadn’t been there before. But the longer she looked at him, the more her smile started to fade.

  “God’s Bones, I wish Daniel would simply go away,” she said fervently. “Why does he have to be so difficult?”

  Edward could feel the mood become edgy again, uncertain. “I am sure he does not see it that way,” he said. “Let us hope your father can talk some sense into him. If not, then I will try to talk to him to avoid a physical confrontation. The man’s pride his hurt.”

  Even as he said it, Edward was suddenly taken back to the incident with Niven Kerr. Only the man’s pride is hurt. When pride was involved, a man was willing to do almost anything to reclaim whatever honor
he felt was damaged, as Niven had proved. Realizing that gave Edward a very bad feeling about all of this, knowing how he’d failed to negotiate The Lyceum out of a skirmish.

  Now he was about to try the same thing with Daniel.

  He couldn’t fail.

  As he sat there and pondered his future, the door to the chamber creaked and opened, revealing Paris and Hector with Edward’s saddlebags and equipment in hand. But Edward really didn’t pay attention to what they were carrying so much as he was looking at the expression on Paris’ face.

  “Well?” he said, reaching out to take his equipment from Hector. “What did Daniel say?”

  Paris sat heavily in the seat Edward had been sitting in moments before. He looked weary and angry, as if he had just aged ten years in the past ten minutes. “He has a false sense of vengeance,” he said, both baffled and disgusted. “He is convinced I lied to him, and that you lied to him, and he is doing what he feels necessary to punish us both, I suppose, only in this case, he is going after you.”

  “Me?” Edward said, confused. “When did I lie to him?”

  Paris looked at him. “At The Lyceum, you evidently told him that Cassie would ruin his life. He thinks you tried to discourage him not out of concern for him, but because you wanted to pursue her yourself.”

  Fortunately, Edward had already told Cassiopeia what he’d told Daniel, so he could only grin contritely as she scowled at him. “It is true that I told him that,” he admitted. “But at the time, I sincerely had no aspirations of pursuing your daughter. That came afterwards.”

  Paris shrugged. “In any case, that is what Daniel believes. I could not talk him out of this challenge.”

  Hector spoke up. “Papa tried, but Daniel told us that if you did not fight him here at Northwood, then he would wait for you outside of the gates and fight you there,” he said. “He would even wait for you on the road and possibly ambush you. So, it is best if you simply get it over with here. I am sorry, Edward. I have no idea what has possessed Daniel to do this.”