The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe

by Kathryn Le Veque

  In fact, all the English were in this position because of him. He thought briefly of asking Penelope to flee but he knew she wouldn’t; she had already demonstrated how loyal she was to him. She would defend him until the death. God, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  As Penelope and Edward were leaving, one of the old serving wenches appeared. She seemed a little flustered as she focused on Penelope.

  “Mae fy wraig,” she said, twisting her hands. “Y colli ifanc angen chi. Hi mewn ffordd wael.”

  In the entire group of women that Jordan had brought to Rhydilian, only two of them spoke English and this wasn’t one of them, unfortunately. Penelope looked at Bhrodi.

  “What did she say?” she asked.

  Bhrodi’s expression was tight with concern. “She says that something is wrong with Tacey,” he said. “Go and see to her, Penny. Hurry.”

  Penelope and Edward both bolted up to the upper floors with the serving wench scurrying behind them. They burst into Tacey’s big chamber only to find the girl writhing on the bed in pain. Penelope rushed to her side.

  “Tacey?” she asked, fear in her voice. “What is wrong, sweetheart?”

  Tacey was groaning and twisting. “I… I woke up to great pains in my belly,” she grunted. “Something is wrong with my son!”

  Penelope had been around her sisters when they had given birth to their children so she knew enough to know that Tacey was in labor. Terror surged through her and she struggled not to show it. She put her hands on the young woman’s shoulders.

  “Your baby is coming,” she explained calmly. “It is his time to come into the world.”

  Tacey groaned. “It hurts!”

  Penelope nodded and stroked her forehead. “I know,” she said. “I am told it will hurt, but you must endure. We are all very anxious to meet your son.”

  Tacey started to cry and Penelope looked up at Edward. The man had two small children with his wife, Lady Cassiopeia de Norville, but he certainly hadn’t been with her when she had birthed them. He’d been kept from his wife during the entire labor and delivery process, only to see her when she and the babies had been cleaned up. To see Tacey groaning on the bed was something entirely different to him. He gazed at his sister with some trepidation.

  “What do we do?” he hissed.

  Penelope stood up and pushed him towards the door, away from Tacey so she wouldn’t hear their conversation. Truth was, Penelope was very frightened. She had no idea what to do with a woman in labor. She’d never been near her sisters when they had delivered; that was left up to her mother and aunts. Now, she found herself in a situation she should have had some knowledge in but didn’t. Knights didn’t usually deliver children and for the first time in her life, she found herself wishing she’d learned something of womanly skills.

  “I wish Uncle Paris was here,” she whispered. “He used to be a Hospitaller. He would know what to do!”

  Edward’s expression was wry. “But he is not here,” he whispered back. “What are we going to do? She cannot have this baby now! Edward is coming!”

  Penelope rolled her eyes. “I do not think she planned it this way,” she snapped softly, eyeing the young girl who was weeping softly on the bed. “Tell Bhrodi what is happening and send the surgeon up here. Mayhap he can help.”

  Edward nodded swiftly. “I’ll see if the serving women can help also,” he said decisively, rushing towards the chamber door and happy to be leaving the frightening scene. “You must stay with her.”

  Penelope nodded as Edward fled the room. Fearfully, she turned in Tacey’s direction, watching the young girl weep and squirm. The old serving wench that had come to tell them of the trouble was beside the girl, singing softly to her in Welsh. Timidly, Penelope approached the bed.

  “Tacey?” she said softly.

  Tacey twisted and grunted. “This hurts!” she gasped. “I am afraid!”

  Penelope leaned forward and grasped the girl’s hand. “Everything will be well, I promise,” she assured her, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it. “Ask this serving woman if she knows about birthing children. She does not speak any English.”

  Between grunts and sobs, Tacey asked the woman, who immediately nodded. Penelope nearly collapsed with relief. “Good,” she sighed. “Then tell her she must prepare for the baby. Tell her that I will help her. Ask her what she needs.”

  Tacey relayed the information as she wept and the old woman, surprisingly, swept into action. The first thing she did was pull off the coverlet. Then, she tossed up Tacey’s sleeping shift to expose the girl from the belly down. Penelope got a good look at Tacey’s enormous belly, smooth and perfectly shaped, and her skinny little legs. As she watched, she could see the belly tightening with the contractions as the girl wept through them. It was both fascinating and frightening. The old serving woman put her hands on Tacey’s belly as Penelope knelt beside the bed and held the girl’s hand.

  “Do not be afraid,” she said softly. “We will help you. You do not need to fear.”

  Tacey held on to Penelope’s hand tightly, so tightly that she was cutting off the circulation in Penelope’s fingers.

  “How long will this take?” she wept. “Will it be over soon?”

  Penelope had no idea how to answer that. “It will be over soon enough,” she said. Then she tried to distract her. “What names have you chosen for your son?”

  Tacey was hit with a rather large contraction and she grunted and moaned until it was over. “I… I will name him after his father,” she said. “His name was Perri.”

  Penelope smiled, stroking the girl’s head. “I like that name,” she said. “But what if it is a girl?”

  Tacey frowned. “It will not be a girl,” she said. “My son’s name is Perri.”

  Penelope had to chuckle at the confidence. “Perri it is,” she said. “Boy or girl.”

  As Tacey lay there and tried to recover from the last contraction, more serving women began to pour into the room, chattering excitedly in Welsh. They were pointing at the girl, discussing the situation, as another serving woman appeared with a bowl of water and a rag. She set it down on the nearest table, soaked the rag, and came over to the bed to wipe down Tacey’s forehead and arms. It was really quite efficient, as if the woman knew exactly what she was doing. Penelope began to feel comforted; it seemed her mother had known what she was doing in hiring these women. They knew what Penelope did not.

  Another serving woman entered the chamber and Penelope recognized her; it was Dilys from the kitchens. She spoke English and Penelope waved her over.

  “Lady Tacey is having her baby,” she said. “What more can we do for her? She is in pain.”

  Dilys looked at the young girl with kindness. “Your mother told us this day would come,” she said to Penelope. “We are prepared.”

  “But what can you give her for the pain?”

  Dilys shook her head. “She will have to suffer as all women have since the beginning of time,” she replied. “She will know now what it means to be a true woman.”

  Penelope wasn’t happy with the answer but she returned an encouraging smile to Tacey. As Penelope sat on the floor and held the girl’s hand, the serving women were crowded around the bed, hands on Tacey’s belly and discussing the situation in their native tongue. As she tried to whisper encouraging words to help the girl through a difficult contraction, she heard hissing at the door. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Edward motioning her to him.

  She kissed Tacey before letting her hand go and moving to her brother. She couldn’t help but notice that the man looked concerned.

  “What is wrong?” she asked. “Why do you look so?”

  Edward’s face was grim. “The sentries have spotted an incoming army,” he said. “They should be here in an hour or so. It is either Father or Edward; in any case, you must come with me.”

  Penelope felt a stab of fear as she gave one last glance to Tacey over on the bed. Surrounded by women, Penelope knew the girl wa
s in good hands. She pushed her brother out of the chamber and quietly shut the door.

  “Does Bhrodi know?” she asked.

  “He is the one who told me to bring you.”

  Penelope sighed. “Then let us find out who approaches,” she said, her tone suggesting caution. “I pray it is Papa because we are not nearly prepared enough to fight off Edward. God’s Blood; why does everything have to happen all at once?”

  Edward smirked. “Mayhap that is your lot in life, dear sister,” he said. “You are not meant to have a moment’s peace.”

  Penelope hoped he was wrong, but her apprehension was growing by the minute.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “I feel as if we have only just been here,” Paris said drolly as he looked at the walls of the great keep of Rhydilian.

  Kieran, weary from the hard ride, sighed heavily. “That is because we have,” he muttered. “I am coming to hate this place.”

  William came up behind them, removing his gauntlets as he pushed between the pair. “It hates you, too,” he mumbled. “Shut your mouth and come with me. I am anxious to see my daughter.”

  Kieran and Paris followed, their exhaustion evident in their movements. Besides the three of them, they had also brought a little over two hundred men as well as the sons that had accompanied their fathers into Wales.

  Taking command of the men and provisions wagons were Scott, Troy, and Patrick. While the other sons and cousins had escorted the women back to Questing and had remained there to protect the castle, all of the de Wolfe sons had gone with their father. They tended to travel in a bunch, anyway, and it was difficult to separate them so William no longer tried. It was a given fact that his sons went where he did, and they all went together. That bond only grew stronger after James was killed. Now, the de Wolfe sons settled the troops in the bailey of Rhydilian, telling the men to bed down and take a few hours of sleep while they could, as their father and uncles headed into the keep.

  William had no sooner put his foot on the bottom step leading up to the keep when Penelope appeared at the top of the stairs. With a shriek, she flew down the steps and threw herself at her father, who nearly toppled over as she hit him squarely in the chest. Penelope’s arms were around his neck, squeezing.

  William coughed because she was strangling him. “Penny, lass,” he hugged her tightly. “Loosen up on my neck a bit. You’re about to make me lose consciousness.”

  Giggling, Penelope did as she was told. She kissed him loudly on the cheek and let him go long enough to hug Paris and Kieran.

  “I’m so happy to see you all,” she exclaimed. “We were afraid it was Edward.”

  William’s smile faded. “Not yet,” he said. “But soon. Come; let us go inside and discuss it. How is your husband?”

  Penelope turned and headed up the steps with her father and uncles in tow. “He was very bad when he arrived the other night and now he has a fever,” she said, trying not to sound as concerned as she felt. “We must go up and see him right away. He will want to speak with you.”

  William cast a long glance at Paris and Kieran. “And I will want to speak with him.”

  As they reached the keep entry, the big gaping door that led into the cool innards, Penelope came to a stop and faced them. Her expression was very serious.

  “Are you really going to fight with Bhrodi, Papa?” she asked.

  William put a hand on her shoulder and turned her for the keep. “We will be discussing one of many such options with your husband.”

  Penelope dug her heels in and ended up ramming her father in the gut with her elbow when he tried to push her along. As he grunted and rubbed his belly, she smiled contritely.

  “Papa, of course I love you for wanting to help, but you cannot jeopardize everything you have worked for,” she said firmly. “You are such a great man and you cannot damage what you have become.”

  William didn’t say a word. He made it very clear he did not wish to discuss it with her. He turned her around for the second time and pushed her inside.

  “Where is your husband?” he asked again.

  Penelope pointed up the stairs just as Edward and Thomas were emerging from the hall. William smiled wearily at his two boys, men he had been worried about ever since he had been unable to locate them in the chaos of Penelope’s raid at Edward’s camp. He had held hope that they had escaped and as the men came towards him, he simply opened up his arms. Edward was hugged first and then Thomas. William cupped Thomas’ face with his big hands, staring at the man as if to reaffirm that he was indeed alive and well.

  “I heard you both went along on your sister’s assault into Edward’s camp,” he said, swallowing tears of joy. “I am very relieved to see you both unharmed. Thomas, how is your arm?”

  Thomas moved it about gingerly. “The wound hurts but it is healing,” he said. “I can hold a sword well enough.”

  William smiled at his youngest son. “It would take more than a simple scratch to keep you down,” he said. Then he started looking around as if missing something. “Where is Kevin?”

  “Sleeping,” Penelope told him. “He was exhausted. He should be awake soon. Bhrodi wants to meet with everyone to discuss the defense for Edward’s approach. Come; let us go up and see him before he attempts to climb out of bed and come down here.”

  The six of them headed up the stairs to the upper floor with the older knights dragging down the pace. They were weary and the steps were steep and near the top, Paris simply came to a halt and would have refused to go any further had Kieran not pushed him up the last few steps. Penelope was already in the doorway of the master’s chamber.

  “Bhrodi?” she called softly to make sure the man wasn’t asleep. When he turned and looked at her, she smiled. “My father is here.”

  William entered the room, smiling weakly at Bhrodi, who immediately tried to sit up. Penelope rushed into the room to keep him from injuring himself further.

  “Be still,” she murmured. “You do not have to get up.”

  Bhrodi, wracked with fever, tried to push his wife aside. “I will greet the man in an upright position.”

  William could see that Bhrodi wasn’t well. His face was pale, his eyes red-rimmed, and his dark hair was stuck to his head with sweat. He, too, pushed the man back to the bed. “If I was in your condition, I would not worry about sitting upright,” he said. “Injuries such as yours can be deadly if you do take care. I would be focusing my energies on getting well again if I were you.”

  Ashen and perspiring, Bhrodi gazed up at the big knight. “What would you know about my condition?”

  William pointed at his patched eye. “This,” he said. “It nearly killed me. Had it not been for my wife, I would not have survived. Therefore, you must listen to your wife. She will take great care of you.”

  Bhrodi’s gaze moved to Penelope, who was smiling down at him. He reached up, clutching her hand and bringing it to his lips for a sweet kiss.

  “She had already taken great care of me,” he murmured, looking into her eyes. “She has risked all for me. I owe her everything.”

  William’s smile faded; in that brief statement, he could immediately see that this contract marriage was far more than that. He looked at his daughter’s face and saw an expression he had never seen before; it was soft and gentle and, he thought, full of adoration. God’s Blood, he thought. She’s in love with him! The impact of the realization was enough to cause him to catch his breath.

  Now, the scheme had changed; if Penelope was in love with de Shera, then removing her would not be a simple thing. She would not want to go – at least, she would not go willingly. She would want to remain with her husband. William suddenly felt very, very exhausted and discouraged. So much for taking his daughter and fleeing a man she had only been married to for a week. Somewhere over the past few days, the stakes had changed and he should have guessed all of this when she launched the raid into Edward’s camp. Only a woman in love would have taken such a risk. He began to feel
defeat already.

  “Papa, how far behind you is Edward?” Penelope asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  William looked at her, fighting down his sense of doom. “I am not entirely sure,” he said. “We left under the cloak of darkness but if I know Edward, and I do, he had men watching me. If I could guess, I would say he is no more than three or four hours behind me. He has probably already amassed his men and is heading for the ferry at Menai.”

  “How many men do you believe he will be carrying?” Bhrodi asked quietly.

  William shrugged. “He has thousands in Wales,” he replied, “but he knows it will take time to cross the Menai Strait on a ferry, so it is my guess he will not bring more than a thousand if he can help it.”

  Bhrodi pondered that thought. “A thousand men can do a great deal of damage,” he said softly. “Most of my men are in Wales with Dafydd. I barely have a hundred here.”

  William glanced at Paris and Kieran before continuing the conversation; if he was going to discuss his solution to the problem, then better to do it now. They needed time to escape so to delay the conversation that needed to take place, and the ensuing resistance to come, did not bode well in their favor. When Paris nodded faintly, as if to encourage him to go on, William took a deep breath and faced his daughter and her husband.

  “I brought a little more than two hundred men with me,” he said. “De Shera, I will be honest with you; there is no way to hold Edward off. I have spent all night trying to figure out how we could fend him off and the truth is that we cannot. He has more men and is better supplied than we are. Once he comes here, he will bottle Rhydilian up and wait for you to starve to death. He more than likely will not even launch an attack. He’ll simply settle in around the castle and wait you out.”