“My lords,” she said. “I am Gavriella de Leia. My father is Lord de Leia. I have been asked to show you to your accommodations.”
She darted off, towards the entry, and the men swung around to follow.
Andreas brought up the rear.
He was simply watching her.
Like a balm or a salve, she soothed his soul, so deeply encased in a shell of self-protection, but he felt as if simply reveling in her aura filled him with a peace he had never experienced. To hear her reasons for not meeting him in the tavern on that day in question brought about more relief than he’d ever known. She hadn’t simply left him there to make a fool of him.
She didn’t show up because of circumstances beyond her control.
God, it was good to hear that.
“The men are getting settled,” Brodie was saying. “I’ve got some of them packing into the stables because… Dray? Are you listening?”
Andreas hadn’t been. He had been watching Gavriella, several paces ahead. “I am,” he lied, though he’d heard the word “stable” and assumed what he was talking about. “You can put a few hundred in the hall, but tell them they are to keep it clean. The moment it starts smelling like wild animals live there, I will throw them out into the snow. Is that clear?”
Brodie nodded. “It is,” he said. As they headed out into the bailey, he lowered his voice. “Did you find out what is going on around here?”
Andreas nodded. “Not now,” he muttered. “When Lady Gavriella leaves us, I will tell you what the de Leia knight told me.”
Brodie was still looking at him strangely. “Are you well?” he asked. “What is wrong?”
Andreas looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you look odd.”
Andreas didn’t want to say anything, not here. He waved him off. “Later,” he muttered. “I’ll tell you everything later.”
Brodie shut his mouth.
The group entered the keep of Falstone, a massive, circular-shaped structure. Gavriella took them to two chambers on the entry level, in a corridor just off the entry so there was swift access to the exit.
The chambers were smaller and crowded, but cozy and clean. Andreas immediately ordered Gareth, Corey, and Reed into the smaller of the two chambers while he, Brodie, and Will took the larger one. Although Andreas loved his half-brothers, he didn’t want to sleep in close quarters with them. If Corey and Reed kept him awake with their fighting and chatter, he wasn’t sure how he could explain to his father that he’d been forced to smother them.
He was only able to briefly thank Gavriella for her hospitality before she left them to settle in, but not before they passed lingering looks at one another. He very much wanted to follow her and continue their conversation, but he knew she had duties with so many new visitors.
He had duties, as well.
There would be time enough for their continued reunion later.
The chamber he and Will and Brodie had settled in was crowded, but not so crowded that a table and a chair had been worked into the corner. There was a pewter pitcher there, a thick and heavy thing, and three cups. Will put his hands on the pitcher and quickly took them away.
“Damnation,” he hissed. “Hot. Who wants mulled wine?”
Brodie held up a hand. “Me.”
Will poured two cups, looking over to Andreas, who was removing his tunic in preparation for removing his mail coat.
“Dray?” he said. “Wine?”
Andreas shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “But you two indulge. There is much to tell and you should be well-fortified.”
“I suspected as much,” Brodie said, taking his cup from Will. “So you met with de Leia’s knight? What did he say?”
Once the tunic was off, Andreas extended his arms to Will, who took the hint and pulled off his mail coat. Andreas took it from him and tossed it onto the end of his bed.
“Strange things are afoot here,” he said. “All is not peaceful at Falstone.”
That brought interest from Will and Brodie. “Like what?” Will asked.
Andreas went to work on the damp padded tunic he wore underneath his mail coat. “Lukas de Dere is de Leia’s only knight, and my impression is that he is a decent man, but he has sworn me to secrecy on what he told me, so you must never repeat it to anyone.” As Will and Brodie nodded seriously, he continued. “It all started when I mentioned Hell’s Guardhouse. I told him that if it was threatened by the Scots, I was ordered to go to its defense. That brought a strong reaction from de Dere. Let them die, he told me. Let the Scots overrun them and cut their bodies into a thousand pieces and feed them to the dogs. He further said that he would rather see Hell’s Guardhouse filled with a thousand Scots than see de Soulis within those walls. He said that they deserved to die in the most hideous way possible.”
Will lifted his eyebrows. “Clearly the man hates his neighbor,” he said. Then, he rolled his eyes as if a thought had just occurred to him. “Dray, don’t tell me we’ve come here only to involve ourselves in some manner of dispute between Falstone and Hell’s Guardhouse.”
“That was my first thought, too,” Andreas said. “But it’s not so much a dispute between Falstone and Hell’s Guardhouse as it is a truly heinous injustice that Nicholas and John de Soulis have committed against Falstone.”
“What did they do?” Will asked.
Up until this moment, Andreas had been quite neutral about the situation. He’d been able to relay it without any emotion whatsoever. But Will’s question was pushing him deeper into a subject he found himself increasingly distressed over. Not just any distress; a deep-seated, painful distress, burrowed down in the pit of his belly because it had to do with Gavriella.
God, how he wanted to run to her at that moment and take her in his arms.
God, how he wanted to run to Hell’s Guardhouse and burn it to the ground.
He took a deep, steadying breath.
“De Dere told me that last year, Lord de Leia’s daughter, the woman you just met, was in the nearby village of Deadwater,” he said, trying to maintain his neutrality. “To make a long and sordid story short, Nicholas de Soulis abducted and violated her, an attack that left the woman with child. Rather than seek justice, Lord de Leia has instead chosen to ignore the situation in the hopes that it will simply fade away. De Dere believes he is hoping it will be forgotten as to not jeopardize her chances of marrying well. In any case, de Leia is turning a blind eye to it all.”
By this time, Will had closed his eyes and hung his head, fighting off the very idea of Nicholas de Soulis violating an innocent woman. Brodie grunted unhappily.
“Bastard,” he muttered. “You mean that very woman who was just here?”
“The same.”
“Christ,” Brodie said, shaking his head. “The poor lass. She’s quite lovely. What a terrible, terrible thing. And her father did nothing?”
“Not a thing.”
“No wonder there is bad blood,” Will said, lifting his head to look at Andreas. “Hell, I agree with de Dere. Let the Scots overrun Hell’s Guardhouse and give them what they deserve.”
“I do not disagree with you,” Andreas said. “But there’s something more going on, something very odd that may be linked to de Soulis. About six months ago, a female servant showed up here, saying she was a gift from an ally for Lord de Leia. She made herself indispensable to him, if you understand my meaning. The woman has worked her way into de Leia’s bed. De Dere isn’t sure why de Soulis would send her to Falstone, and he’s not even sure that’s who sent her, but the woman is here and her arrival coincided with the bouts of madness Lord de Leia seems to be having.”
Will frowned. “De Soulis sent her to drive de Leia mad?”
Andreas lifted his big shoulders. “Possibly.”
“And that is related to the attack on the daughter?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Andreas said. “No one seems to know, and no one can get close to her or to de Leia. According to de D
ere, the woman has separated the man from everyone.”
“Then she is in control,” Brodie said softly.
Andreas and Will looked over at him. “It seems that way,” Andreas said. “That is why we must be wary of any orders coming directly from de Leia. I’m not entirely sure what is going on here, but I intend to find out. With the Scots on the rampage, a mad lord, and a neighboring castle that could possibly have an eye for this place, that is what I meant by Falstone not being peaceful. There is a good deal happening here.”
That was an understatement. After a few moments to ponder the situation, it was Brodie who finally spoke.
“De Soulis is known to be greedy, Dray,” he said. “You know the man taxes his vassals into the grave. He’s a cruel lord and master. And Falstone is not far from them. Mayhap he sees something here that he wants. What if the attack on de Leia’s daughter was only the beginning? What if this servant was sent by him to also bewitch the lord himself? And if that doesn’t work, will they go back to the daughter again? I think this is a more dangerous situation than it appears.”
Andreas thought he was doing quite well at behaving objectively on the subject, but Brodie brought out the fears he couldn’t quite bring himself to voice. He suddenly sank back onto the bed and sat there, fighting off visions of de Soulis putting his hands on Gavriella’s soft body. Again.
As if one attack hadn’t been good enough.
He couldn’t be objective any longer.
“Will,” he finally muttered, unable to look at them. “Do you remember when we were in London those months back?”
He was off the subject, causing Will to look curiously at his lowered head. “Of course.”
“And when we went to Gomorrah?”
“I remember that very well. Why?”
Andreas sighed faintly. “The woman who ran into the chamber where we were, the one who was hysterical. The one I escorted out. Do you remember her?”
Will’s brow furrowed. “I remember the event, but I do not remember the woman specifically. Why do you ask?”
Andreas lifted his head to look at him. “That was Lady Gavriella.”
Will’s eyes widened. “That was her?”
“Aye.”
Now, Will’s mouth popped open. “The one you took to Southwark?”
“The one who left me sitting in the tavern, alone, for days until you came for me.”
Will was astonished. “God’s Beard,” he hissed. “Dray… did you know this? Did you know she was de Leia’s daughter?”
Andreas was shaking his head before William even finished asking the question. “She never told me her family name, remember?” he said. “That was why I went to the tavern that morning. She was going to tell me everything. But she did not come and I returned to Northumberland to find her. I was well on my way when this madness with the Scots started and I had to focus on that. But now… now, I find her here. She’s been here the entire time.”
Brodie really had no idea what was going on, but Will did. He went to Andreas, dropping to his knees in front of the man as he sat upon his bed.
“Dray, speak to me,” he pleaded seriously. “Meeting that woman changed you. I know you were heartbroken when she failed to show herself. Did she even tell you why?”
Andreas nodded. “She told me,” he said. “She was staying at her aunt’s home in London and her aunt disapproved of her going to Southwark with me. There was some sort of fight between Gavriella and her cousins because of it, so her aunt sent her home immediately. That is why she never came to the tavern.”
It made sense to Will, but he still wasn’t satisfied. “And now that you’ve found her,” he said. “I know you felt something for her and when she left, it was as if there were a dark cloud hanging over you. We could all see it. She left you in a dark and unhappy place. I am delighted that you have found her, for your sake, but given what you’ve been told about de Soulis… are we going to find ourselves laying siege to Hell’s Guardhouse?”
Andreas looked at his cousin. He was only a few months older than he was, so they were the same age. They’d grown up together. They’d experienced life and death together. Their fathers were brothers and their mothers had been sisters so, in a sense, Will was a brother to him a well.
He wasn’t going to lie to the man.
“Not at the moment,” he said, smiling weakly. “I have a task to complete here and I am trying very hard to keep my priorities straight. But truthfully? I wish I was with her right now instead of you two. Now that I’ve found her… I made the decision in London those months ago that I was going to speak to her father about courting her. That has not changed. But I will not speak to him until the crisis with the Scots passes. I am not impulsive, nor am I foolish. I am a commander of a de Wolfe army at the moment and that is where my focus is. But that woman is never leaving my sight again.”
Will looked at him, seeing the sincerity and feeling some relief to hear that. He put a big hand to Andreas’ cheek. “Good lad,” he murmured. “But what about de Soulis?”
Andreas’ expression hardened. “Even if her father will do nothing, I do not subscribe to that inaction,” he said. “When I marry Gavriella, and I do say when, it is clear that Nicholas de Soulis took that which belongs to me – her innocence. The woman bore his child, for Christ’s sake. The torment he put her through is beyond belief. What about de Soulis, you ask? The man is going to pay with every last bone in his body. When I get finished with him, being overrun by Scots will have been preferable.”
Will believed him implicitly. Given what he’d seen in battle with the man over the past several months, Andreas was more than capable of tearing both John and Nicholas apart given the chance.
He had a feeling this task to protect Falstone was going to turn into something much bigger for the House of de Wolfe.
At least, bigger for Andreas.
He put his hand on the man’s knee. “If you marry the lass, then it is your right to seek vengeance,” he said. “But not today.”
Andreas shook his head. “Nay, not today,” he said. “Now, I am going to retrieve my saddlebags from Gareth, wash some of this stink off my body, and find Gavriella before the evening’s meal begins. And that is all I have to say about the situation. For now.”
Will remained crouched down as Andreas stood up and used him for leverage to maneuver through the small chamber and to the door. Once he quit the chamber, Will stood up and looked at Brodie.
“We are in for a good deal of trouble,” he muttered. “He’s going to drag us all into a battle against Hell’s Guardhouse.”
Brodie, who had pieced enough of the conversation together to realize what the situation with Andreas was, glanced at the man.
“And you blame him?” he asked quietly.
Will shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “That’s the problem – I don’t. Neither will Uncle Troy, or Poppy, or my father. No one will blame him. And they’ll go to war because of it. Hell’s Guardhouse is going to fall.”
Brodie, who had been around longer than Will and Andreas, nodded slowly in approval. When he spoke, his words were full of venom.
“I hope so.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The snows came.
Gavriella stood at the kitchen door, the one that opened up into a small yard, watching the men struggle with the canvas they’d strung over the enormous iron pot filled with stew, bubbling away on the fire. They’d set it up like a tent. The snow was falling steadily, but the men had to make sure it didn’t build up too much on top of the canvas and collapse it right into the food.
It was an ongoing task.
The meal in the great hall was in full swing. Because of the snowfall, men were crammed into every corner of the room. The hearths were working overtime, belching out heat and smoke and flames against the frigid night. There were four long tables in the hall and it could seat hundreds of men at any given time, and those tables were completely filled. They were so full that men were even sitting on top
of them in some places. Dogs wandered underneath.
Gavriella was overseeing the meal, making sure that the army that had come to protect Falstone was satisfied. Jocosa had prepared that lovely stew and the men were gobbling it up. Because the hall was so full, there were still men out in the bailey, in the tent city that had been erected to house them. There were several fires going out there to stave off the icy temperatures, but the men outside were provided with the same meal as the men inside – plus extra ale to help with the cold. There were a few servants moving out in the bailey, making sure that the men were taken care of, as Gavriella remained in the kitchens to ensure that the food stayed hot and plentiful.
It was a busy night.
It was also a difficult night.
Andreas…
She was still reeling with shock at seeing the man. Part of her still thought she was dreaming. Women like here weren’t blessed with good things. It was a strange God who allowed something horrible to happen to her, and then brought the only man she’d ever cared for back to her doorstep. Was it God’s apology for the de Soulis attack? Gavriella could only wonder. She’d only had a few brief moments with Andreas alone before her duties had taken her away. She so desperately wanted to see him again.
She desperately wanted to talk to him again.
It seemed to her that he was still the same Andreas she had left in London. All of her fears that he might hate her for leaving him sitting in that tavern seemed to be for naught. She had lived for the past six months with the fear that he would have grown to hate her for it, but that didn’t seem to be the case. When he’d looked at her today, she could see the same warmth that had been there six months ago, and when he kissed her hand, it felt the same as it did back then.
Delight…
Joy.
Everything felt the same.
But that didn’t mean the situation was ideal.
There was still something about her that he didn’t know.
WolfeBlade: de Wolfe Pack Generations Page 27