Yet the man himself was so friendly, so pleasant….
His father would tell him to utterly disregard that; nevertheless, Blaidd found it hard to accept that a man could be so hospitable and encouraging to a courtier of a king he despised and hoped to ruin.
The other thing Blaidd had come to realize, although it had nothing to do with his mission, was the unusual position of Lady Rebecca in the household. By rights, and as the eldest, Lady Laelia should be the chatelaine, overseeing the food and linen and everything else in and about the hall and apartments. However, those tasks seemed to fall solely to Lady Rebecca. Keys jingling as she moved, she went from the kitchen to the storeroom to the buttery with seemingly tireless energy. She gave orders to the servants and spoke with the merchants who came to sell their goods. She apparently organized everything.
Blaidd had yet to discover exactly what Lady Laelia did except look lovely and embroider.
He wasn’t the only one getting restless here, either. Trev was clearly beginning to wish he had more to do than polish Blaidd’s sword and shield. He’d been good about obeying Blaidd’s admonitions concerning the serving women, but a bored youth and a pretty maidservant who always had a smile for him could find themselves in mischief soon, if the weather didn’t clear.
Then, after a tedious evening during which Blaidd decided he and Trev would ride out the next day, rain or not, the morning dawned sunny and warm—a beautiful spring day. Blaidd felt years younger, and he was determined to get out for a gallop across a meadow.
Blaidd was in such a good humor, he whistled as they left the chapel after Mass and headed toward the hall to break the fast. Lord Throckton walked beside him on his left, Lady Laelia glided along on his right and Trev brought up the rear. Lady Rebecca had disappeared, probably into the kitchen.
“I feel as merry as your tune, Sir Blaidd,” Lord Throckton said with a deep chuckle. “It looks to be an excellent day for hunting. Will you join me?”
“I’ll be delighted to, my lord.” Blaidd smiled at Lady Laelia. “Maybe you’ll accompany us?”
He was surprised to see her dart an uneasy glance at her father.
“Of course she will!” he cried. “Have no fear, Laelia, I’m sure Sir Blaidd will keep a moderate pace if you ask him.”
A moderate pace? Blaidd had to struggle not to betray any disappointment. But he’d been hoping for a wild gallop, and he was quite sure Aderyn Du would be wanting that, too.
Lady Laelia stared at him woefully with her big green eyes. “I’m afraid I’m a timid horsewomen, Sir Blaidd. If you’d rather not ride with me, I’ll understand.”
Being a gentleman, Blaidd battened down his frustration. He could always exercise Aderyn Du later. “Of course I won’t mind. Besides, how could I truly appreciate your beautiful countryside at a gallop? Or if you prefer, we could stay behind,” he finished, remembering he was supposed to be courting her, although this meant losing an opportunity to speak with her father.
“That won’t be necessary,” Lord Throckton said. “She’ll ride, won’t you, Laelia?”
“Yes, Father.” She looked up at Blaidd. “I’m sure you’ll be considerate of my maidenly fears,” she murmured.
Blaidd immediately thought of another young woman, one he couldn’t imagine having “maidenly fears.” He could more easily picture Lady Rebecca glaring an opponent into submission.
He tried to put her, Throckton’s other daughter, out of his mind. “Naturally, my lady. My greatest pleasure will be your company.”
God’s wounds, that was a bit much, but Laelia beamed, gazing at him with gratitude and admiration. One would think he’d offered to sacrifice his life for her.
A little while later, Blaidd stood near the stable beside a restless Aderyn Du, waiting for the rest of the hunting party to assemble. The beaters and other servants who would travel on foot were already assembled near the inner gate, talking and laughing among themselves. A groom had led out a fine brown gelding sporting an expensive looking saddle and bridle, and a white mare that was surely for Lady Laelia. Trev was still in the stables, saddling his horse and taking his own sweet time about it. Perhaps he’d gotten a bit lazy these past few days, and a reprimand would be in order. Or at least a pointed remark.
Blaidd’s gaze roved over the buildings, and he noticed scaffolding on the eastern wall, which obviously still needed some work. There were no workmen there now. Perhaps they’d gone to work on another part of the castle. Lord Throckton had mentioned something about a gate the other evening.
Blaidd should have paid more attention to that and less to Lady Rebecca’s playing.
Aderyn Du tossed his head and shifted his feet, obviously anxious to run. Blaidd wished he didn’t have to keep a tight rein on him, but there didn’t seem much help for it. Maybe after the noon meal they could go out again. Surely Lady Laelia and her father wouldn’t miss him for a few hours.
Tapping his foot, Blaidd continued to watch the stable door, wondering if he’d have to go in and urge Trev to get a move on.
Then, to his surprise, Lady Rebecca appeared at the entrance to the stable, leading a remarkably fine roan. She was as plainly dressed as always, except that she wore a long gray cloak and gauntlet gloves of leather. Obviously, she was going riding. With them?
Why not?
Because she’d never appeared anxious to spend time with them before; her household duties seemed to occupy all her time.
She caught him watching, and his first impulse was to turn away, like a little boy caught with stolen sweetmeats.
He wasn’t a little boy, though, so he didn’t.
Then he expected her to ignore him.
She didn’t.
“You look surprised, sir knight,” she coolly noted as she led her horse near the excited Aderyn Du, who got more excited. It was as if he were anticipating a race. “Having one leg shorter than the other doesn’t prevent me from riding.”
“I’m sure, my lady, it would take a great deal to prevent you from doing whatever you set your mind to,” he replied. “I didn’t think you could spare the time from your many duties.”
A smile twitched at the corner of her lips and her blue eyes sparkled. It struck him that she seemed as anxious to be out of the castle as he and Aderyn Du were. “I’m not indispensable. I’ve been cooped inside for long enough, and I think the servants will be happy to be rid of me for a little while.”
“Command can be onerous,” he agreed. “And the weather has been dismal.”
“I thought the Welsh were used to rain,” she replied, her intriguing smile growing a little wider. It was like seeing the sun peeking out from behind a storm cloud—just as lovely, just as welcome.
“Used to it we may be, for fine sunny days are rarer in Wales than here. But that means we appreciate the sunny days even more. I’m anxious to enjoy this one.”
“Your horse seems anxious, too.”
Blaidd ran his hand down Aderyn Du’s strong neck. “Aye, he is. He needs a good gallop to calm him.”
She cocked her head and her smile altered to a rueful one. “If you’re riding with Laelia, that’s not likely.”
“So I understand. I hope to have the chance later.”
She nodded and eyed his horse again. “That’s a very fine animal. May I?” she inquired, moving forward to pet Aderyn Du’s muzzle.
“He cost me a small fortune, I admit, but he’s worth every ha’penny,” Blaidd said proudly.
Aderyn Du didn’t suffer the touch of strangers gladly, but he accepted her stroking with excellent grace. Meanwhile his master was mesmerized by the sight of Lady Rebecca’s slender, strong gloved fingers moving slowly down his horse’s smooth face.
“What’s his name?”
Blaidd stopped staring and focused his attention on her gleaming, intelligent eyes. “Aderyn Du.”
“That’s Welsh, isn’t it?”
“Aye. It means black bird. Because he flies when he runs, you see.”
She laughed, a
merry sound even prettier than her eyes. “It suits him.” She nodded at her horse. “This is Claudia. I didn’t choose that mundane name,” she hastened to explain, as if he would think the less of her. “She’s fast, too.”
“What would you have called her if you’d had the naming of her?”
Lady Rebecca pondered a moment, her brow wrinkled with concentration, her full lips pursed. Then a smile bloomed and her eyes lit up. “Firebrand.”
Oh, God help him, as she smiled at him, so pleased and happy, he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until neither of them had breath to whisper.
“Ready on time and waiting, too!”
As startled as if he’d kissed the man’s daughter right there in the courtyard, Blaidd spun on his heel to see Lord Throckton trotting down the hall steps. The man was attired in his usual fine garments, and his cloak was lined with what looked like wolf’s fur.
Blaidd immediately covered his discomfort with a genial grin. “Aye, my lord. I’ve been admiring your buildings, too.”
Lord Throckton gestured for the groom holding the reins of the brown gelding to come toward him. Then he glanced up at the walls. “Not finished yet, but I haven’t got the coin to complete it all. Not with this year’s taxes being what they are, eh? I’m sure your father’s noticed the increase.”
“Yes, he has,” Blaidd answered honestly.
“More money for the crown, less for me, and so I have to wait until next year to finish the postern gate and some of the merlons on the eastern wall. Pity, but what can you do?”
Blaidd shrugged. It seemed an odd thing to be glad that the man might not be as prosperous as he appeared, but he was.
“Laelia will be along shortly,” Lord Throckton said. He gave Blaidd a wink. “You know how women are.”
Some women, Blaidd thought as he noticed Lady Rebecca move away toward the gate without speaking to her father.
“Where’s your squire? Isn’t he coming, too?”
“Here he is now, my lord,” Blaidd said, nodding at Trev as he appeared at the stable door leading his horse. “He’s as anxious for a ride as I am.”
“His father’s quite the famous fellow.”
“Justly so.”
“Did Urien Fitzroy train you?”
“Aye, my lord, and my brother, Kynan, and Trev, of course.”
“Perhaps one of these days you’ll have a chat with Dobbin, my garrison commander. Maybe you can teach that old dog some new tricks.” Lord Throckton chortled at his joke.
“I’d be glad to, and in truth, I should have some practice myself, or my sword arm will be getting as rusty as a blade left out all winter.”
That got another laugh from the lord. “Oh, I doubt that!”
More anxious than ever to be on his way, Blaidd glanced at the gate. Lady Rebecca was there, talking and laughing with the soldiers and servants, clearly in high spirits.
And yet there was something about her that simultaneously made her seem aloof and apart, as if try as she might to be one of them, she never would be. She was a woman, of course, but there was more to it than that. It was as if she had a maturity and wisdom they didn’t share.
“I understand your other daughter will be joining us, too,” he said, turning his attention back to Lord Throckton.
“Eh?” The man looked taken aback, until he followed Blaidd’s glance. “Oh, she is, is she?” he said, sounding neither pleased nor otherwise. “She’ll probably not stay with us for more than a little while. She’ll go galloping off and return when she wills.”
The man’s matter-of-fact tone prompted Blaidd to say, “With an escort, I assume.”
Lord Throckton frowned and shook his head. “She’ll lose ’em before they know she’s gone. Always has, always will.”
“But surely, my lord, even if your lands are safe, a lone woman shouldn’t—”
“She’ll be safe,” his host interrupted in a tone of finality. “She’s been doing this for years, and there’s not an outlaw who could catch her, anyway.”
“My lord, surely there must be a soldier or two who could keep up with her,” Blaidd persisted, appalled to think the man had so little concern for a daughter’s safety.
“And I told you, she’s been giving us the slip since she was a little girl,” Lord Throckton replied, smiling but clearly losing his patience. “I’ve tried warning her, ordering her, frightening her, and she still won’t listen. Short of tying her to her bed, I’ve run out of ideas. If you have any, young man, I’ll listen—but I won’t guarantee they’ll work.”
Blaidd realized he’d protested too much, and sought to lessen the damage. After all, Lady Rebecca was her father’s responsibility, not his. “I’m sorry, my lord.”
Lord Throckton’s annoyance fled as quickly as it had arisen, and he clapped Blaidd companionably on the shoulder. “Well, in most cases, you’d be right about the risk, but this is the exception. Still, it says a lot that you felt concerned enough to speak out. Spare me the spineless stripling who says only what he thinks I want to hear.” His hand fell as he turned. “Now where in the name of the saints is Laelia? It’ll be noon before we’re gone at this rate. Laelia!” he bellowed, the name echoing off the walls and drawing everyone’s attention.
“Here, Father! There’s no need to shout,” the lady said as she appeared at the entrance to the hall, blushing and looking prettily upset. “I was just putting on my cloak.”
And a beautiful cloak it was, of soft, dark blue wool trimmed with fox, with a hood that framed her beautiful face. Beneath the cloak, Blaidd spied a skirt of lighter blue wool.
The groom holding the white mare led it forward.
Blaidd immediately offered to help Lady Laelia, an offer she didn’t decline.
As he held his hands for her to step into, he glanced toward the gate again, to see Lady Rebecca swing into the saddle unaided.
He could just imagine the look she’d give him if he’d offered to assist her.
The pressure of Lady Laelia’s foot in his palms reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing.
And that he should pay attention to her, not her sister.
Chapter Six
There was one good thing about the delay leaving Throckton Castle that morning: the road was much less muddy than it would have been earlier. Although there were plenty of puddles, the higher ground was quite dry.
It was damper in the wood the hunting party entered. The hounds sniffed at nearly everything, and the horses’ hooves squelched in the mud. Several startled sparrows flew up into the cloudless sky and scattered. Occasionally a squirrel paused as it ran by on a branch, and stared at them as if wondering what they were doing there.
The beaters had gone on ahead, and the other servants, whose tasks were to transport the weapons, tend to the hounds and carry home the game, came behind, their voices hushed as they whispered together. Occasionally some of them laughed, and often in that burst of laughter, Blaidd distinguished the musical merriment of Lady Rebecca. She seemed to be having a wonderful time. He, meanwhile, was riding between a silent Lady Laelia, who looked a little pale as she gripped her reins, and her father.
Another burst of laughter sounded, and this time, in addition to Lady Rebecca’s mirth, he recognized Trev’s boisterous, youthful crow of delight. Blaidd twisted to look over his shoulder, and sure enough, Trev had joined the lady, and the men walking on foot beside her mount.
“You must forgive my younger daughter,” Lord Throckton said, his lips a little thinned and his gray brows lowered in what was almost a scowl. “Becca spends too much time with the peasants. Always has. I can’t break her of that any more than riding away from her escort.”
Blaidd noticed that Laelia didn’t look pleased by her sister’s actions, either. “It’s a rare lady who feels so at ease with her servants and tenants,” he said, without indicating whether he approved or not.
In truth, though, he was reminded of some of the stories his father used to tell about his mother. She’
d been delicately reared and had had, when they first married, a very firm and limited notion of what a lady did and what her relationship with those considered beneath her ought to be. Blaidd had always found that hard to believe, for the woman he knew cared for their tenants as if they were her family. He couldn’t imagine living in a castle where the nobles treated their servants like slaves.
“Tell me, is it true the queen is with child at last?” Lord Throckton asked.
Blaidd tried not to look surprised at the unexpected question. Perhaps Lord Throckton was desperate to take attention from his seemingly impossible younger daughter. “Yes, she is.”
The older man grinned. “From what I have heard of Henry’s affection for the girl, I’m surprised she hasn’t borne him an heir already. It’s been what, nearly two years since he married her?”
Blaidd shrugged. “Who can say why such things happen, even in the happiest of marriages? And she was little more than a child when they wed.”
“Too young,” Lord Throckton murmured, glancing at Laelia, who didn’t seem to hear.
“Already there have been several Masses of thanksgiving, and prayers for a son,” Blaidd noted.
“Naturally,” Throckton acknowledged with a nod. “Every man wants an heir.”
Blaidd heard an undercurrent of bitterness and didn’t begrudge the man. All noblemen hoped for a son to inherit their name and title and lands. So did Blaidd, although he wanted daughters, too. His father always said that with sons came grave responsibilities, while daughters gave a man joy.
“Or if God does not see fit to send a son, a man longs for a fine son-in-law to give him grandsons, if He wills,” Lord Throckton continued.
Blaidd smiled at his host. “My mother can hardly wait for grandchildren.” He looked woeful. “I’m afraid I’ve been a disappointment to her there.”
Margaret Moore - [Warrior 14] Page 6