“If that is true, then I am honored and grateful,” she said, feeling heat in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the heat of the kitchen. The heat came from Maximus’ gaze. “At the very least, I have not offended you with my actions, and I am greatly relieved.”
Maximus found himself inspecting the arch of her eyebrows and the pert tip of her nose. She had such a magnificent face. “Nay, lady, you have not offended me,” he said, his tone gruff and soft. “You could never do such a thing. But as much as I would like to continue this conversation, mayhap we should take the food into the hall now so that my men will not faint away from hunger. My brother has come with me and he becomes quite cross when he is hungry, so do allow me to help you bring the meal to the table. It would be my honor.”
Courtly wasn’t sure she could deny his offer for help again. Truth was, she didn’t want to deny him. He was being genteel and kind, and she liked it very much. She wanted to keep him with her, around her, even if that meant carrying trays of beans and pork. If he was willing, she would let him. She smiled in surrender.
“Very well,” she said. “I should not like your brother to become angry because he is famished. I must carry this great pot out to the feasting hall so that we may distribute the stew from it. Will you help me with it?”
Maximus looked around the kitchen, noting there were no trenchers. “That is a very heavy and very hot pot,” he said. “What did you plan to serve the stew in?”
Courtly sighed, the smile fading from her face. “There is no old bread or trenchers that I can find,” she said. “However, I made bread and I thought… well, it seems barbaric for all of us to eat out of the pot, but I am not sure there is any choice.”
Maximus began poking around the kitchen, looking for something to serve guests with individual servings. Under the butcher’s table, he found four wooden trays, which he pulled out and set upon the tabletop.
“We can use these,” he said. “We can cover them with the bread you prepared and then put the stew on top of it. Do you have spoons?”
Courtly inspected the trays. “I am ashamed I did not find these before you did,” she said, shrugging when he grinned at her. “They are rather dirty. Mayhap we can rinse them with water and use them as you have indicated. It is a brilliant idea. And I have indeed found some spoons to use.”
“Excellent,” Maximus said, picking up the trays. “Where is the well?”
Courtly pointed to the kitchen yard outside. “In the yard,” she said. “I will see if I can find other things to use to serve the stew in.”
Maximus winked at her and went out into the yard, drawing water in the darkness to rinse off the dirty trays. Still lingering on his wink, Courtly went about searching for other trays, stashed or hidden, and found six wooden bowls of varying sizes that had been kept under a smaller butcher’s block. Maximus ended up rinsing those off as well, and when all was said and done, they had found eleven items that could be used to eat from.
Both Maximus and Courtly were people of thought, of resourcefulness, and in this small moment of time, in a smelly and smoky kitchen, they bonded over making the evening meal a success as neither of them had ever bonded with anyone else. It was an odd situation, to say the least, but one that brought out the best in both of them. Courtly started it when she decided not to let her dinner guests go hungry and Maximus helped ensure that Courtly’s efforts would be a success. By the time the food was actually brought to the table, in abundance, Courtly was actually proud of what she had done and Maximus admired the woman more than he could have expressed. He was the last one to be seated, ensuring that Courtly was seated and served before he was. It was a sweetly chivalrous gesture, one that didn’t go unnoticed by anyone in the room, including Kellen.
But Kellen was the only one who wasn’t touched by it. In fact, he could see that something was brewing between Maximus and his daughter and he silently scolded himself for inviting the man into his home where he could get his claws into Courtly. His daughter, however, didn’t seem to mind in the least. She spent the entire evening smiling at Maximus and speaking to him on fairly frivolous things, to which he paid careful attention. Any other man would have ignored the topics she was discussing, but not Maximus. He was listening. Any man who would listen to talk of flowers and painting and art was a fool for a woman, indeed. Kellen cursed himself for not having seen any of this at the onset.
As the evening deepened and Kellen watched the interaction between the two, he knew that he could not let it go on. Whatever was happening had to be immediately stopped.
He would have to end it.
PART TWO
WINDS OF CHANGE
CHAPTER FIVE
The One-Eyed Raven Inn
The Lady Jeniver ferch Gaerwen de Shera sat across the table from her husband’s brother at the morning meal, a surprising event considering her pregnancy often kept her in bed in the morning. But not this morning, she was actually hungry as she pulled bread apart as Gallus, Maximus, Tiberius, and the knights sat in the quiet common room of the old inn. Men were sleeping in various positions around the room, just beginning to stir, as the sun began to rise.
“Please tell me about your meal at Lord de Lara’s last night, Max,” Jeniver insisted as she popped a piece of warm bread into her mouth. “Ty said that the lord’s daughter actually cooked the meal herself. Is this true?”
Maximus smiled weakly. He was exhausted because he hadn’t slept all night. Thoughts of Courtly de Lara had been seared into his brain until there was nothing else he could think of. Her brilliant smile, her honeyed voice, and her magnificent beauty had him obsessed as he had never been obsessed with anything in his life. He’d only known the woman a day, but in that day, he’d come to discover a woman of humor, intelligence, determination, and compassion. There wasn’t one aspect of the woman that he didn’t like or wasn’t attracted to.
“Aye,” he said. “Evidently, her father and his sister hate one another. The sister resides at Kennington and when de Lara told her he’d invited guests for dinner, the woman ran off and took her servants. Rather than let her father be embarrassed in front of his guests, Lady Courtly cooked the meal herself to save the man’s honor.”
“And it was a damn fine meal,” Tiberius, mouth full of bread, spoke. “She learned her craft at Prudhoe Castle and the meal was delicious. But I came to see last night that we may have a problem with the lovely Lady Courtly.”
Jeniver’s brow furrowed. “What problem is that?”
Tiberius eyed Maximus. “I think our dear, sweet Max is fond of the lady,” he said. “She was the only one he spoke to all evening. It was as if there were only the two of them in the entire hall.”
Shocked, Jeniver looked at Maximus. “Is this true?” she asked. “Are you fond of the woman, Max?”
Maximus wasn’t ready to divulge what was in his heart yet, and certainly not to an audience. He glared at Tiberius. “Keep your mouth shut,” he growled. “My behavior is none of your concern.”
Tiberius was trying not to grin. He was sitting next to Maximus but stood up and moved away from him, fearful that he would be the recipient of a fist to the jaw. Maximus wouldn’t hesitate if provoked.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Tiberius said, chewing his bread from the other side of the table where Jeniver and Gallus sat. “She is a beautiful, sweet woman, Max. Had you not met her first, I might have pursued her. In fact, if you are not interested, mayhap you will let me have her?”
It was the wrong thing to say. Maximus bolted up from the table, going after Tiberius with a vengeance. None of the knights moved to help Tiberius, mostly because they didn’t want to be in Maximus’ line of fire, but Gallus stood up and quickly put himself between his brothers as Maximus made a swipe for Tiberius’ neck.
“Enough, Max,” Gallus commanded softly. “No fighting with my wife present. And when did you become so sensitive? Go sit down and finish your meal.”
Maximus was red in the face. He had hold o
f Tiberius’ collar and wouldn’t let go. “You put Lady Courtly out of your mind, do you hear?” he snarled at his younger brother. “She is not for you.”
Tiberius was torn between being amused and defending himself. “Since when do you take me seriously?” he asked, trying to pry his brother’s hand off of his tunic. “Let go of my tunic. You are going to tear it.”
Maximus barred his teeth and tightened his grip but Gallus shoved at him, breaking his hold on Tiberius. As Tiberius made his way over to Jeniver and sat down beside her, knowing Maximus wouldn’t go after him if Jeniver was nearby, Gallus frowned at his middle brother.
“Go sit down and eat,” he told him. “He was just being as insufferable as usual. Why are you being so serious?”
Maximus didn’t say another word. He turned and left the common room, heading out to the livery through the back door. Tiberius and Gallus watched him go, as did Jeniver. She looked at Tiberius.
“You have struck something within him by speaking of Lady Courtly,” she said quietly. “I have never seen him behave that way before.”
Tiberius was coming to see that he probably should not have teased his brother on the matter of the lady because the truth was that Maximus had paid an inordinate amount of attention to her the night before. It had been rather astonishing to watch, as Maximus wasn’t known to pay attention to women on a conversational level. But Lady Courtly had his brother’s undivided attention.
“I did not think he would react so violently,” he admitted. “They were as thick as thieves last night. I have never seen my brother smile so much. If I had to guess, I would say the lady had thoroughly enchanted him.”
Jeniver, a sensitive and caring woman, began to feel badly for Maximus, perhaps the most reserved of the brothers. She was coming to think that Tiberius’ teasing had embarrassed him.
“Mayhap I should go and speak with him,” she said, climbing off the bench and bracing herself against Tiberius’ shoulder as she moved. “Mayhap he needs a woman to speak to and not his judgmental brothers.”
Gallus was standing behind his wife, taking her arm to help her away from the table. At four months pregnant, she was moving rather stiffly and gingerly, as her belly was growing and she was just starting to become the slightest bit uncomfortable with her changing body.
“You had better let him calm himself first,” he told her. “Sit down, sweetheart, and eat your meal.”
Jeniver shook her head, moving for the door that led out to the livery yard beyond the inn. Already, she could smell the strong scents of horses and hay upon the cold, early morning breeze.
“He must not be left to stew about this,” she said. “If he truly feels something for the lady, then it was wrong to tease him about it. I will see if I can ease the man.”
Jeniver heard her husband’s weak protest as he called to her but she ignored him. Something told her that Maximus did, indeed, need someone to talk to who wasn’t going to tease him about his feelings if, in fact, he felt something for de Lara’s daughter. Jeniver had a good relationship with Maximus and she loved him dearly, as a brother. He was a good man with a good heart that he kept buried deep beneath that warring exterior. As she wandered across the livery yard, shielding her eyes from the early morning glare, she caught sight of him just inside the stable.
Maximus was bent over his black and white stallion, inspecting the right front foreleg. Jeniver came up behind him, quietly, watching the man as he tended his horse.
“Max,” she said softly. “Are you well? I am sure Tiberius did not intend to be cruel. You know how he is. He likes to tease.”
Maximus looked up from his horse to see his lovely sister-in-law standing a few feet away. Jeniver was truly a wise and gentle soul, a lady that Maximus’ mother loved dearly. Honey had accepted Jeniver from the beginning of her relationship with Gallus, and that was something that made Maximus respect his brother’s wife greatly. Lady Honey’s respect was not given lightly. Maximus smiled thinly at her, without humor.
“Aye, he does,” he said. “Someday it is going to get him into trouble. And in answer to your question, I am well. You needn’t worry about me.”
Jeniver studied the very big de Shera brother. “I do not worry,” she said. “But I would like to hear about Lady Courtly without Tiberius making jest of everything you say. Gallus told me how you two met. How very brave it was of you to save her life from a burning building. Truly, Max, that was an amazing effort.”
Maximus sighed faintly, leaning on his horse and averting his gaze. Jeniver was one of the very few people he could let his guard down with and he could feel his control slipping, wanting to confide in someone about what he was feeling. He just didn’t really know how.
“I just happened to be there,” he said. “Anyone in my position would have done the same.”
Jeniver smiled gently at the very modest warrior. “I am sure she and her father are very grateful.”
Maximus nodded. “They are,” he said. He hesitated a moment before continuing. “I will admit, I was quite astonished to know that she cooked the evening meal last night. She said she did not want her father to be embarrassed in front of his guests. She did it because it needed to be done. Most women would have lamented the fact that they had no cook and simply let everyone go hungry, but she did not.”
Jeniver could see the soft reflection in Maximus’ eyes as he spoke of de Lara’s daughter. “And you admire that?”
He nodded. “I do.”
Jeniver’s smile grew. “Is she pretty, too?”
He looked at her, then, prepared to give a vague answer but he found that he couldn’t. In all honesty, he simply couldn’t diminish a woman who, in his opinion, was quite special. She was pretty, indeed. All that and more.
“Aye,” he replied. “She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is excellent at conversation as well. Evidently, de Lara schooled both of his daughters in military matters and there was much that she and I could discuss. At least, a little bit. She seemed to want to speak of things like flowers and art, mostly.”
Jeniver was quite intrigued by the way Maximus was speaking of Lady Courtly and she could see that Tiberius was right. Maximus, the consummate warrior, was indeed enchanted by the woman. It warmed her heart to see it.
“I think that is marvelous,” she said sincerely. “She sounds like a wonderful woman. I would like to meet her.”
Maximus shrugged and turned back to his horse, slapping the beast affectionately on the withers. “Mayhap you will,” he said. Then, he eyed her a moment before breaking down in awkward snorts of laughter. “I will admit to you, and only to you, that I would like to see her again, too.”
Jeniver laughed softly and went to him, leaning up against his horse. “We will have to find an excuse to visit her,” she said. “Mayhap I should call upon her, as Gallus’ wife, and you can ride escort. Would you like that?”
He wouldn’t look at her, grinning like a fool. “Mayhap,” he said. “I… I was thinking of sending her some fabric and other things that ladies might like. All of her possessions were burned in the fire, you know. She hasn’t anything left to wear. She said that she does not even have a comb to use.”
Jeniver was dismayed. “Is this true?” she gasped. “Then we must go to town immediately and buy her some material. I will take it to her as a gift from the House of de Shera. It should come from me, you know, at least until you are formally courting her. Then you can provide her with all of the gifts you wish.”
Maximus looked at her, feigning shock, although he wasn’t doing a very good job. “Who said I am going to court her?”
Jeniver could see that he was very interested in the idea in spite of his protests. “Would you have someone else court her, then?” she asked in a threatening manner. “Ty, mayhap? He would willingly do it.”
Maximus’ eyes narrowed. “I would kill him if he did,” he said, watching a knowing smile play on Jeniver’s lips. He shook his head, knowing that she now understood how
he felt about Lady Courtly. He had given himself away with the death threat against his brother. Therefore, he signed in resignation. “Very well, you little vixen. You may bring her the gifts and I will ride escort. But do you feel well enough to do it?”
Jeniver nodded firmly. “Of course,” she said. “I feel much better today, thanks to the licorice root and chamomile you brought me. You are a very sweet and thoughtful man, Max. Do not let Ty or anyone else make you feel ashamed because of it.”
Maximus was back to looking at his feet, away from her knowing and praising gaze. “I am not ashamed.”
“But you were ready to throttle your brother when he teased you about it.”
Maximus frowned. “That is because Lady Courtly is not to be trifled with,” he said, growing frustrated. “She is not an average woman, not in the least. I will not let Ty make sport of her.”
Jeniver patted his big arm comfortingly. “I believe you,” she said. “Shall we go into town and buy her a few things? I will take them to her with my compliments.”
Maximus was still looking at the ground, now kicking absently at it. It was a few moments before he answered. “Aye,” he said, casting Jeniver a sideways glance. “I would like to see her again today. It seems as if she is all I can think about. I could not even sleep last night because every time I closed my eyes, she was there. Truthfully, Jeni, I have never felt anything like this in my entire life. It is frightening and wonderful at the same time.”
Jeniver was thrilled by his admission. “Then I wish you the very best of luck in your pursuit of Lady Courtly,” she said. “I will do all I can to ensure there is another Lady de Shera. It gets rather lonely at times with no womenfolk to talk to. I miss your mother’s company very much to that regard.”
Maximus sobered. “I miss her very much as well,” he said. “After de Montfort’s meeting in two days, we are leaving immediately for home. Although I very much want to see to my mother’s health, now it seems as if I am reluctant to leave Oxford because Lady Courtly is here. I do not want to go away from her because I am afraid I will never see her again. It is a strange dilemma, indeed.”
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