Nunnery Brides: A Medieval Romance Collection

by Kathryn Le Veque

  He read it twice. When he was finished, he simply lowered the vellum.

  “So the missive from Coldingham came yesterday after I had left,” he said softly.

  William nodded. “Aye,” he said. “Did you read all of it?”

  “I did.”

  “And?”

  Patrick cocked a dark eyebrow. “None of this matters now,” he said frankly. “I have married her and the marriage has been consummated. Not even the church can dissolve the marriage so I will simply write to the mother prioress and inform her that Bridey is now my wife. There is nothing she can do about it.”

  The veins on William’s temples were flaring unnaturally. “Aye, there is,” he said. “If the mother prioress calls on the Bishopric of Durham, which controls most of the borders, the church can take sanctions against us. Did you ever think about that? We support the church with manpower as well as coinage and your mother is a patron of Kelso. They can ban all of us from participating in communion and they can lean on Henry to punish us. You essentially stole from them, Patrick. Do you not understand that?”

  Patrick knew that butting heads with his father would get him nowhere. He’d tried before and it had never worked. William was more stubborn than his mother at times. But Patrick had returned to Questing staunchly determined to show absolutely no remorse in what he’d done yet he could see that being unmovable wasn’t going to force his father to see his side of things. In fact, it was doing the opposite. The more he resisted, the more furious William became. Therefore, he switched tactics.

  Averting his gaze from his father, he moved away from the hearth, vellum still in-hand. As he moved to one of the lancet windows overlooking the stables and kitchen yard in the distance, Kieran opened the door to the solar. Concern was written all over the man’s face, but William held up a hand to the big knight, silently telling him to keep quiet. Obeying, Kieran slipped into the solar unnoticed by Patrick, who had made it to the window and was gazing away from him. He leaned against the sill as a warm summer breeze lifted his hair.

  “I think I knew I loved her from the start,” he mumbled. “It is not a matter of defying the church or disobeying you. I had to answer my heart, Da. You of all people should understand that. You fell in love with Mother when she was pledged to your liege and you carried out a clandestine relationship with her until it was discovered. Is there anything about that you would change? Knowing what you know now, would you not have engaged in that relationship with her?”

  William took a deep breath and cleared his throat softly. He turned away from Patrick. “We are not speaking of me,” he said. “We are speaking of you.”

  Patrick looked at him. “You defied the king to be with mother,” he pointed out. “I am only defying the church. Why can you not understand that this has to do with love and nothing else? I love the woman and she is now my wife. I refuse to believe that what I did was wrong.”

  William was losing ground. He had been young and in love once, as Patrick pointed out, and there was nothing he would have done differently. In that respect, he couldn’t take the moral high ground with Patrick. Sitting heavily, he leaned on his table.

  “I am not saying it was wrong, lad, but you should have sought permission from Coldingham,” he said. “Did you read that missive? They want her back. She is meant for the veil.”

  Patrick moved away from the window. “Then I will ride to Coldingham and offer them everything I have,” he said. “If paying them will ease whatever anger they may have that I married her, then that is what I will do.”

  William shook his head as Kieran, who had been standing back in the shadows, came forward. “Coldingham used to be a rich priory,” he said to William. “They have fallen on hard times over the past few decades so I am sure a generous donation would go a long way, William.”

  William looked at his longtime friend. “Now you side with Patrick?”

  Kieran shook his head. “I am not siding with anyone,” he said. “But given the situation, it’s not as if he can take the lady back. She is his wife now. Did you consummate the marriage, Patrick?”

  “I did,” Patrick replied.

  Kieran turned back to William. “Then Coldingham is going to want compensation at the very least.”

  William knew that. God help him, he did. He knew that Patrick couldn’t take the woman back now, which meant her problems had just become his problems. Everything that was happening with the woman – her Norse father, her Scots mother – had now become a de Wolfe problem. He was so furious and distressed he could hardly see straight.

  “Damnation,” he hissed. “Patrick, do you realize what you’ve done to all of us? Now we are all targets because you married her. Now she is a de Wolfe and, as our kin, we are honor-bound to protect her. Is that why you really did this? To circumvent me when it came to taking the woman back to Coldingham?”

  Patrick shook his head. “I told you I married her because I love her,” he said steadily. “I will not apologize for that. I will not apologize for any of this. In fact, I will take her back to Berwick and deal with this myself. I do not ask for your help, your pity, or your money. I will deal with this myself so that if the church is going to sanction the family, then let it only be me. You needn’t worry that I would jeopardize everyone else since that is what you seem to think I set out to do. You are not thinking of me at all, only of yourself. That is clear.”

  He started to head for the door but Kieran stopped him, putting his hands on the man’s arms. “Atty, that is not it at all,” he said softly. “You know we would never allow you to go this alone. You married the woman and she is part of us now, just as you are. ’Tis simply that this complicates things a bit.”

  Patrick’s jaw ticked angrily. He wasn’t going to be lectured by men who, in their youths, had done the same thing he’d done – defied authority to marry a woman. Their pious attitude infuriated him.

  “You were there when my father fell in love with my mother,” he said. “You saw everything. You saw how he lied to his liege, how he defied the king. And I am the one who has done something wrong by loving a woman who is in a complex situation? If I did, it is because of the example he set. He led me to believe that love was the most important thing in the world. Did he lie to me about that, too?”

  Kieran did something at that moment that he would have never done under normal circumstances. He reached up and slapped Patrick across the face, open-palmed. “You will never speak of your father that way again,” he said, his dark eyes flashing. “I will never hear those words from your lips again. Do you understand me?”

  Patrick wouldn’t answer him. In fact, he had to back away from Kieran, moving around the old knight for fear of what he might do. Any man who would strike him as Kieran did would, under normal circumstances, end up with a sword in his belly. Therefore, Patrick would not be humiliated by the man, even if he did love and respect him. He didn’t think he’d said anything wrong in the least.

  With a lingering glance at Kieran, Patrick walked around the man and quit the solar in tense silence. When the door shut behind him, Kieran turned to William.

  “He speaks his mind much as you do,” Kieran said. “But I will not let him show disrespect to you. I am sorry that I hit your son, William, but that is the way I feel.”

  William was weary of the contention with his favored son; he and Patrick had such a beautiful bond that he was deeply grieved at the anger between them. He sighed heavily. “Am I wrong, Kieran?” he asked. “Am I wrong to scold him for this?”

  Kieran moved towards the desk where William was sitting. “What does your heart tell you?”

  “That I should not have lost my temper with him.”

  Kieran snorted softly. “I should not have, either.”

  William leaned forward on the table, pondering his next move in the battle with Patrick. Perhaps there was no next move. “I wanted such a great marriage for him,” he muttered after a moment. “I had great dreams of a duke’s daughter or even a royal niece
. I wanted to see him marry well. It never occurred to me that he would have different ideas on the matter.”

  Kieran lifted his eyebrows in agreement. “Much like you, he fell in love with a woman he wasn’t supposed to have,” he said. “But he is right… love is the most important thing in the world, William. I would much rather see my sons married to women they love even if it meant living a simple life than see them married well with unlimited wealth to a woman they were miserable with. And Patrick loves Bridey, William. You should be happy for him because you, of all people, understand what it means to love a woman. He needs you now, more than he ever has. He is in trouble. Do not fail him.”

  William knew that. Now he was starting to feel uncertain and sad; sad that he’d argued with his son and uncertain for the future. But one thing was for certain; he had to stand behind Patrick and not against him, just as Kieran had said. He would not fail him. Wearily, he stood up from his chair.

  “I will go and find him,” he said as he moved to the door. “Hopefully he will not be too angry that you hit him and try to take it out on me.”

  Kieran watched him walk to the door. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  William shook his head. “Nay,” he replied. “He left this chamber so he would not strike you in return. If I were you, I would stay out of his way for the rest of the day.”

  “I can still hold my own against him.”

  William cracked a smile. “You are dreaming if you think so.”

  He left the chamber, leaving Kieran standing by the cluttered table, smiling. Kieran knew he was dreaming, too, but he had to show a good front. But staying out of Patrick’s way for the rest of the day wasn’t a bad idea.

  The missive from the mother prioress was still over by the windowsill where Patrick had left it so Kieran went to retrieve it and bring it back over to put it on William’s table so the man wouldn’t lose it. There was so much clutter on the table that Kieran wasn’t entirely convinced it was a good place for the vellum but he dropped it there nonetheless. He was just heading for the door when the panel shifted open and in came his wife along with his son, Kevin, and Apollo de Norville. The young knights had a rather curious but restrained look about them but Jemma didn’t hold back. She went right to her husband.

  “Well?” she demanded. “Did William banish Atty? I saw Atty leave the solar and head tae the upper floors, but when William came out, he headed tae the hall. What has happened?”

  Kieran frowned. “Were you watching the solar door?”

  As Jemma prepared a staunch retort, Kevin spoke. “Mother was coming down the stairs and Apollo and I were just entering from the bailey. I didn’t see Patrick go upstairs, but I saw Uncle William head to the great hall. What happened, Papa? What did Uncle William say about Patrick’s marriage?”

  Kieran sighed. “I am sure you can imagine that he is not happy,” he said. “Especially after we received the missive from the mother prioress yesterday. Patrick may have gotten himself into trouble by marrying a woman he did not have permission to marry.”

  “Pah,” Jemma said. “A big enough donation tae Coldingham and he can buy permission. The lass told Jordy that she wanted tae marry Atty, and she’s of age. It wasna as if he forced her.”

  Kieran shook his head. “It does not matter. Patrick should have asked for permission before marrying her.”

  Jemma still didn’t see the issue. “And so he didna,” she said, hands on her hips. “Bridey is a lovely lass and Atty did well enough tae marry her. Ye can see that they love each other and the church canna separate them now. It is finished.”

  Kieran wasn’t so sure. “If they are angry enough, they can demand his arrest,” he said. “They can have Patrick locked up for what he has done. That would separate them.”

  Jemma faltered at the realization. “Oh… Kieran,” she breathed. “Ye dunna think they would do that, do ye?”

  Kieran lifted his big shoulders as his son and Apollo stepped forward. “We will not let them get their hands on Patrick,” Kevin said firmly. “I suggest we return to Berwick immediately so the church does not move against Questing. We will seal Berwick up and wait out Coldingham’s anger. They’ll not get Patrick while there is breath left in my body.”

  Kieran put his hand on his son’s cheek affectionately. “You are a true and loyal friend,” he said. “But Patrick will not go this alone. His father will not let the church arrest him, even if he has to defy Henry himself. And since Patrick is going to London to assume his post as Lord Protector, it is my thought that mayhap he should go now and take his wife with him. The further away from Coldingham for them both, the better.”

  “We have more men on the border than the church could summon in all of Northumberland,” Apollo said, arrogant in his youth. “My father carries thousands as the captain of Northwood Castle and between all of Uncle William’s garrisons, there has to be ten thousand men. The church would be foolish to take on the whole of de Wolfe and his allies for one small postulate.”

  Apollo was an astute young man and enthusiastic, much as Kevin was. Those two were usually the ones to charge headlong into any conflict before anyone else had the chance. Looking at the pair, Kieran could see that they were more than willing to draw a sword on Patrick’s behalf. But he didn’t need them cutting nuns in half in order to prove a point. He sought to soothe the savage young blood.

  “William will do what needs to be done, I am sure,” he assured the eager pair. “Meanwhile, the best thing you two can do is ride to Paris at Northwood Castle and inform him of the situation. He is very close to Berwick and if there is some kind of military undertaking, he must be informed.”

  Kevin and Apollo were more than ready to ride with that message. “Aye,” Apollo replied. “Shall I tell him anything else?”

  Kieran shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “If anything else occurs, I will send him a missive right away.”

  With their orders, Kevin and Apollo left the solar, preparing for the short ride to Northwood Castle, a massive bastion where Apollo’s father served the Earl of Teviot. With the two hotheads out of the room, Kieran turned to his wife, who was now seemingly quite worried about the situation. When she saw her husband’s attention on her, she shook her head sadly.

  “Poor Atty,” she mumbled. “When the man finds happiness, it isna without a great price. And she is such a dear lass, Kieran. Even now, she is upstairs with the children, playing with them as if she doesna have a care in the world.”

  Kieran went to her, pulling her into his big arms, holding her snuggly. It was something that he drew strength from and had for almost thirty years. For all of Jemma’s spit and fire, she was a woman with a heart of gold and Kieran adored her. He was whole when she was with him.

  “I do not want you worrying her,” he said. “When you see her next, do not mention this conversation. Everything she hears, she should hear from Patrick.”

  Jemma’s head was against Kieran’s chest, hearing his heart beating in her ear. “I know,” she said. “I willna be the one tae tell the lass anything.”

  “Thank you.” He kissed the top of her head and let her go. “I think I will go upstairs and play with the children, too. I must stay away from Patrick for the rest of the day.”

  Jemma looked at him, confused. “But why?”

  “Because he accused William of lying to him so I slapped him.”

  Jemma’s eyes widened. “Ye slapped that mountain of a man?” she gasped. “Saints help us; what were ye thinkin’?”

  Kieran took her by the elbow and headed for the solar door. “I was thinking that he insulted his father.”

  “So ye hit him?”

  “Slapped him.”

  “’Tis the same thing!”

  Kieran shook his head. “Had I hit him, I would have knocked him cold.”

  Jemma scowled. “Atty? I doubt it. Did he hit ye back?”

  Kieran opened the solar door. “Do I look like he hit me back?”

  Jemma peered at his fac
e. “Open yer mouth,” she said. “Are ye missin’ teeth?”

  He frowned at her and urged her through the door. “I am not missing teeth.”

  Jemma only shook her head, a worried expression on her face. “For now,” she muttered. “I think I will stay with ye the rest of the day. Atty wouldna dare strike ye in front of me.”

  Kieran had to roll his eyes; it wasn’t as if he was a weakling. He was an enormous man of great power, but from the way people were reacting when it came to him and Patrick in a showdown, he was either dreaming he could win or, like now, his wife wanted to protect him. If people weren’t careful, he was going to start feeling emasculated.

  True to her word, Jemma stuck by his side for the rest of the day.

  ‡

  William saw the back of Patrick’s head as he entered the stable.

  It was cool and somewhat dark in the stable, with beams of light steaming in from the ventilation windows. Patrick was saddling a small palfrey, evidently trying to repair a buckle on a lady’s saddle, and he didn’t see William when the man entered the stable. Not wanting to startle his son, who was probably in no mood to be surprised, he knocked quietly on the stable entrance as he entered, simply to alert Patrick that someone was coming up behind him.

  Patrick turned to see his father and promptly turned back to what he was doing. William’s gaze lingered on the man, thinking on how to start the conversation when Patrick was clearly still upset with him. He cleared his throat quietly.

  “Patrick, you do not need to leave,” he said. “I have had my tantrum. I’ve said what I needed to say. Now we must figure out how to solve this problem together, just as we have always done. When did you become so thin-skinned to my rantings?”

  Patrick paused. “I have just been told that I am an utter idiot by the man I love most in this world,” he said. “How thick-skinned would you be?”

  William leaned against the stable wall as Patrick went back to fixing the buckle. “I did not say you were an idiot,” he clarified. “I said that you were irrational. But you would not run from me if I was in trouble and I will not run from you. Now that I am calm, I gather that returning Bridey to Coldingham is out of the question?”