The de Lohr Dynasty
Page 221
His words warmed her soul. “Then you are not angry that I came?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he admitted. “Your motives were pure, as is your heart and your soul. I am a fortunate man, indeed.”
She smiled, vastly relieved. It was a tender moment between them but it was interrupted by people entering the cathedral as Matins approached, and the priests were beginning to filter in as well. They were up by the altar, preparing for the coming mass. It was no longer just their private moment.
“Mayhap we should leave now,” Alessandria said, indicating the incoming throng of worshippers. “Mayhap we should return to Isenhall.”
Chad looked around, noting the people, but he was mostly interested in the priests. An idea occurred to him and a faint smile creased his lips.
“Not so fast,” he said. He nodded his head in the direction of the altar, far across the hard-packed floor of the cathedral. “We were denied a marriage last night. Mayhap we should speak to the priest while we are here.”
“Why?”
“So he can marry us now, of course.”
Alessandria’s eyes widened. “Now?” she asked. “Will you ask him to marry us this morning?”
Chad’s answer was to wink at her. Taking her by the hand, he led her to the front of the church where two brown-robed priests were preparing to intone the mass. The priests shied away from Chad somewhat, considering they had seen the entire confrontation with Henry and several other knights. They recognized Chad as having been part of that group but when Chad explained his wants, the priests didn’t seem so wary of him. At least he had a genuine purpose for being there. Then, a generous donation of coinage made the men of the cloth plainly eager to do Chad’s bidding.
Finally, Chad would have the wedding he wanted.
Therefore, as the sun crested the horizon in the east, shining its great and golden glow across the land, Chad and Alessandria stood at the great Norman entry to St. Mary’s Cathedral while the canon, a man who knew the de Shera family well, intoned the wedding mass as another priest, several other acolytes, and about half of the town of Coventry watched. The questions were asked of the intended couple, the responses given, and once that part of the ceremony was completed, Chad and Alessandria followed the priests into the cathedral to finish the mass.
Theirs was a relationship that had started in a priory and now came full circle in a cathedral, and Alessandria thought it was all quite perfect. Nothing could have been more heavenly or more appropriate. When she finally left the cathedral later that morning, it was as Lady Thorndon, wife of Lord Thorndon. Her husband, a worthy man from a fine family, collected his steed from the livery across the street and returned his new wife to Isenhall Castle. The lady’s extended family, upon hearing the news, threw a grand feast for the occasion in which the King of England, a man who had once been their mortal enemy, was an honored guest.
All things happen as they should, Alessandria thought as she watched Henry and Gallus and her husband, as well as a host of other knights, drink fine Spanish wine long into the night. It was a surreal experience, to be truthful, and a glorious feast, an unexpected ending to a most unexpected day.
The one thing that was expected, however, was her new husband’s behavior when he’d had too much wine. With all of that rich red wine flowing, it was only a matter of time before the breeches came off and strains of Tilly Nodden could be heard.
Unfortunately for Henry and the others, Chad and his love of good wine had him flashing his buttocks repeatedly, cheered on by Tiberius, Chris, Arthur, and William. De Serreaux, fairly drunk himself after a most strenuous day that nearly saw him lose his position as the leader of Henry’s Guard of Six, took great offense to Chad’s bare buttocks and took to throwing pieces of ember at him, trying to hit the pale white backside with something that was on fire.
Twice, he’d made contact, causing Chad to smack the man on the side of the head with a piece of kindling, much to the amusement of the others. De Serreaux thought it was humorous as well, but his Guard of Six cohorts saw it as a challenge. Soon enough, Chad and his cousins were locked in games of chance against de Serreaux and his comrades while Henry and Gallus found themselves trying to keep the peace between the drunken knights. It was a complete turn of events, with Henry and Gallus as peacemakers now, that went on long into the night. As odd as it sounded, it was something of a bonding experience for Henry and Gallus. After that, they understood each other much better.
Alessandria was tolerant of her husband’s drunken antics. She rather liked watching him behave like a fool because he was really very funny. The man who would one day be the Earl of Canterbury deserved the chance to relax and laugh with friends, she thought. She certainly wouldn’t begrudge him that, as the path to this moment in time had been a difficult one for them both.
But Jeniver and Courtly soon closed ranks around Alessandria, removing her from the loud and drunken men, and escorted her to her small borrowed chamber on the top of Isenhall’s keep to prepare for her coming wedding night.
Alessandria made no hint, of course, of the fact that this would not be her first sexual encounter with Chad as Jeniver and Courtly helped her to dress in a fine dressing gown made from silk that belonged to Jeniver. Douglass didn’t participate because, being heavily pregnant, she had retired early for the night, so it was Gallus and Maximus’ wives assisting their cousin with her toilette in preparation for her new husband.
Alessandria appreciated their efforts, loving the women as she would sisters. The days of Lady Orford and her terrible daughter were long gone as she finally found acceptance with her cousins’ wives. The whole world had come full circle for her and she swore that she would never again take life, or love, for granted. It was to be treated with the greatest of care, something to be treasured, always.
Alessandria tried to stay awake that night, waiting for her husband’s return, but her exhaustion had the better of her and she ended up falling asleep on the small bed she was expected to share with him. She happened to awake at one point when she felt the bed give, having no idea what time it was, and she opened her eyes to Chad’s naked buttocks perched on the side of the bed as he drunkenly tried to remove his breeches and boots at the same time.
Your husband has a bread-dough arse and I want to sink my teeth into it!
Old Lady du Bexley’s words suddenly popped into her head. Of all the times to remember such a thing, that time was now, but it was actually quite appropriate. His buttocks did look like two unbaked bread loaves. As Chad struggled to remove his clothing, Alessandria would have the last laugh. She did exactly as Lady du Bexley wanted to.
She sank her teeth straight-away into his taut, delicious buttocks.
After that, Chad seemed to lose his penchant for flashing his arse when drunk and no one could seem to figure out why. But Alessandria knew… and so did Chad. Having discovered a wife who liked to bite him, Chad was less apt to give her the opportunity, at least in public. But in private, he rather liked her gnashing little teeth. Now, she was the only one who saw his arse. He had promised her that much.
Love, laughter, and family. Those were the things that made life worth living.
The de Lohr dynasty lived on.
EPILOGUE
Canterbury Castle, early May
1267 A.D.
If nothing else, Chad had always been entertaining.
Daniel knew this because he’d watched his son grow from a very active, somewhat devilish boy into a man who hadn’t left much of the boy behind when he’d become an adult. There was still a great deal of boy left in Chad, as Daniel was witnessing now, as the man celebrated the birth of his first child.
Katrine, they had named her, in honor of Liselotte’s mother and also in honor of Chad’s twin sister who had died at birth. A little girl that Daniel could still see, even now, with her perfectly formed features and sweet little face. His heart still ached for his baby girl, just a little, but holding Chad’s daughter had helped ease that pain. H
e hoped, through Katrine, that his long-dead daughter might perhaps live again, just a little.
And she was a big baby, too. It had taken Alessandria nearly two days to give birth to the child, struggling to bring forth a fat baby with downy-red hair who screamed the moment she was born until the moment her mother put a nipple in her mouth to feed her. Daniel had been given the pleasure of holding the baby well after her birth, when she had been fed and swaddled and was snug as a pea in a pod. But his joy in holding her had been brief because Liselotte wanted to hold the baby, and then Chad wanted to hold her again, so Daniel had been forced to admire the baby in someone else’s arms, mostly.
But he truly hadn’t minded in the least.
That had been a week ago. Chad had sent word to Gallus and Maximus and Tiberius on the birth as well as everyone else he could think of, including the king. He wanted everyone to know he had a healthy, beautiful daughter. It never even crossed his mind to be disappointed that it wasn’t a son. To Chad, it didn’t matter in the least. He couldn’t have been more thrilled.
His joy was evidenced in the fact that he’d celebrated the birth, nightly, since it had occurred. His wife was still bed-bound and couldn’t join him in the hall, but Chad celebrated enough for the both of them. He’d given up excessive drink at the request of his wife and Daniel hadn’t seen the man drunk or even tipsy since their marriage, but the birth of little Lady Katrine seemed to weaken her father’s resolve to behave himself. Therefore, every night since Katrine’s birth had been something of a party with Chad front and center.
Even now in the great hall of Canterbury, the big hall they rarely used, Daniel watched the man as he sang a very noisy chorus of Tilly Nodden with his brothers and fellow knights. Rhun du Bois had a terrible singing voice and his tone-deaf baritone could be heard throughout the hall of Canterbury, causing Stefan and Perrin to throw things at him to force him to be quiet. It was quite hilarious to watch but Rhun would not be deterred. He sang bravely as bread crusts and even utensils were flung in his direction.
So Daniel sipped his sweet Spanish wine, listening to the terrible singing, and laughing at the antics of his sons and his knights. These days at Canterbury, there was much to be joyful for as well as grateful for. He was reflecting on that gratitude when he was joined by Liselotte.
Into the noise and smoke of the hall, she emerged from one of the smaller doors that led to the kitchen yard. It was dark outside, as night had fallen, but the kitchen was cooking full-force for the men in the hall. Daniel could smell the freshly baked bread as the scents wafted in behind his wife. He smiled at her as she came to the table.
“Has Chad dropped his breeches yet?” Liselotte asked as she sat beside her husband.
Daniel poured his wife a cup of wine, handing it to her. “Nay,” he said, grinning. “But I am sure that will come at some point.”
Liselotte accepted the wine. “He has not flashed his buttocks this entire week, has he?”
Daniel was silently laughing. “He has not,” he said. “He has threatened once or twice, but he has yet to complete the deed.”
Liselotte sipped the strong, sweet wine. “Let us hope that he does not,” she said. “Aless has asked me several times if he has taken to flashing his buttocks and I have told her every time that he has not. In fact, she has sent me down here to tell Chad to go attend her. She wants him up in the chamber with her, not down here with the men.”
Daniel simply lifted his shoulders. “He is having more fun down here,” he said. “Let him enjoy himself a little while longer.”
“And he cannot enjoy himself with his wife and child?”
Daniel took her free hand, kissing it. “Of course he can,” he said. “But the man cannot belt out a chorus of Tilly Nodden, can he? It will wake the baby.”
Liselotte fought off a grin, watching her eldest son as he stomped around on a tabletop nearby, singing the song of the cross-dresser, Tilly. “He reminds me a good deal of you at this age,” she said. “You were so very lively, Daniel.”
“I still am.”
Liselotte laughed softly, patting his cheek. “Aye, you are,” she said. “Forgive me, sweetheart.”
Daniel turned to his wife, grinning. They sat there for some time in comfortable silence, enjoying their wine and enjoying the entertainment that the drunken knights provided. It was good to see such joy with men who faced life and death on a daily basis. Daniel was growing weary as the hour grew late, thinking on retiring, when the door to the hall suddenly lurched open, spilling forth a collection of knights.
Since all of the knights at Canterbury were already in the hall, the sight was a curious one. Still, it didn’t take long to figure out who they were; Daniel and Liselotte turned to see three familiar faces entering the hall, bundled up against the cold May weather. Emerging from the shadowed doorway and into the light and warmth of the room, Gallus, Maximus, and Tiberius made their presence known.
“Gallus!” Daniel, surprised, called over to them as he rose to his feet. “Maximus! Welcome to my humble home!”
Gallus and Maximus headed in his direction but Tiberius, lured by the song and dance and drunken revelry, headed over to Chad and the others. Daniel hugged Gallus, and then Maximus, as the brothers sat heavily, with exhaustion, across the table from him.
“You did not tell us you were coming,” Liselotte said. “I would have ordered a great feast prepared in your honor. As it is, we have venison and rabbit, for my sons went hunting today. It is plentiful but not elaborate.”
Gallus, his face sporting a few days’ growth of stubble, waved her off. “You are always the consummate hostess, Lady de Lohr,” he said. “Your hospitality is well known. We will be quite happy with whatever you can provide.”
Another loud voice joined in the chorus of Tilly Nodden and those at the table looked over to see Tiberius with a cup of wine in hand, already singing loudly with Chad and the other men. Daniel shook his head, snorting.
“Tiberius has that revelry streak in him,” he said. “I am not sure who it comes from, but someone in the de Lohr bloodlines loved a good party. I have that streak, as does Chad, as does Tiberius. My wife was just commenting on how lively I used to be.”
“You still are,” Maximus said, accepting a cup from the nearest servant. “You are as lively as a man half your age.”
Daniel dipped his head in gratitude. “You have my thanks,” he said. He took a deep drink of his wine, smacking his lips. “So you have come to help celebrate the birth of Chad and Alessandria’s daughter, have you? That is well and good. She is a fat, healthy baby and we are very blessed.”
Gallus scratched his cheek as Maximus cast him a glance. Daniel and Liselotte should have suspected there was more behind their visit than simply to help celebrate, but neither one of them noticed that, between the de Shera brothers, there was something on their minds. Their expressions spoke volumes.
“Aye, you are,” Gallus replied. “My best wishes and congratulations on the next generation of de Lohr offspring. She is healthy, you say?”
Liselotte was the one who answered. “Very healthy,” she said proudly. “And big, too. She was a very big girl when born. It took poor Aless two days to bring her forth, but have no fear – Aless is well and so is the child. Some babies simply take longer than others to be born, ’tis all.”
Gallus focused on the woman. “She was big, you say?”
“Aye, verily.”
“Then she was not… born early?”
Liselotte shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “She was right on time. Why do you ask?”
Gallus sighed heavily, looking at Maximus, before hanging his head and shaking it. Maximus eyed his brother a moment before replying. “Because Chad and Alessandria were only married in September,” he said. “That would mean this child was conceived before they were married if, in fact, she was not born early, as you say. I will be truthful, my lady – we have come because it seems that Chad had to marry our cousin, if you get my meaning.”
“I get your meaning,” he said steadily, some of the joy out of his expression. “Do you not think that has crossed our minds, also? We can count, too.”
Maximus didn’t waver. “I realize that,” he said quietly. “But we came to ask Chad the truth of the situation. It has occurred to us that Chad may have forced himself upon our cousin given that he was her escort, alone, for several days, and therefore behaved not as an escort should.”
Daniel was becoming annoyed. “Are you serious?” he demanded. “You have not spent the past several months around them, Max. You have not seen how they adore each other, so even if Chad did something unseemly, as you say, it matters not now. They love one another and they have a beautiful child as a result. Did you wait until you were married to bed your wife?”
Gallus and Maximus nodded emphatically. “I can truthfully say that I did,” Maximus said. “So did Gallus and Ty. We all did.”
Daniel pursed his lips wryly. “Then you think you are a better man than my son, who may or may not have demonstrated his love for Aless before they were properly wed?” He shook his head reproachfully. “Mayhap you waited until you were married to bed your wife, but you, Maximus, have a bastard from another woman and we all know that Tiberius was no saint, either. Many women and their angry fathers will attest to that. And you have the gall to come to my home accusing my son of forcing himself upon a woman before he properly wed her? I am shocked to say the least.”
Maximus backed down, ashamed, as he lowered his gaze, but Gallus spoke up. “We are not accusing him of anything, Daniel,” he said quietly. “We simply want to know the truth.”
Daniel was becoming angry. “Why?” he wanted to know. “Will it change how you feel about him? Will you punish him for touching her? How dare you come to my home acting as if neither you nor your brothers have sampled the flesh of a woman you were not married to. You were not virgins when you met your wives, any of you.”