Epic Knights of Legend and Steel

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

London

A fter four days of travel, Tiberius’ hopes of getting to know Douglass better hadn’t exactly come to fruition.

It all started when they left Isenhall. Bose de Moray must have sensed something was up with him, as if those onyx-black eyes could look into Tiberius’ soul and know he had plans for his daughter. The entire trip to London, Bose had never left Douglass’ side and the few attempts Tiberius had made to speak with her had been summarily thwarted by the man. That went on for two days until Gallus and Maximus began to casually gain de Moray’s attention while Tiberius would make his move to speak with Douglass. However, while Bose was occupied, Garran would step in and make sure he was between his sister and Tiberius at all times. At no point during the travel was Tiberius allowed to speak with Douglass alone and the night before they reached London, Tiberius knew he was almost out of chances. If something didn’t happen tonight, tomorrow would see the end of it.

On the outskirts of the city, they had secured several rooms at the Pig and Fiddle Tavern in the dirty, crowded berg of Wycombe. Even after the sun went down, men were out on the streets, drinking and being generally loud, and the three big taverns on the main avenue through town were beyond capacity. People spilled out into the street, singing and laughing for all to hear, including Tiberius. He could hear them quite clearly. As he stood at the window of the second floor minstrel’s balcony that he and his brothers had managed to snare, they had a bit of privacy and could watch the activity in the room below.

“I am surprised de Moray agreed to stay here,” Tiberius finally said. “There are men peeing all over the place, pulling out their manhoods for all to see. He has his daughter with him, after all. I would not want her to see this.”

Maximus, who was seated at the poorly-constructed table, had a cup of very bad ale in his hand. He pointed to the room below.

“And they are fornicating, too,” he said, indicating the loud couple in a shadowed corner of the common room as they engaged in sexual intercourse. “It is making me miss my wife very much.”

Gallus, seated next to Maximus, was stuffing his mouth with food. He was starving after a very long day of travel. When he saw Troy de Wolfe collect a leg of chicken from the platter full of cooked chicken pieces that the tavern keeper had brought them, he yanked the leg right out of Troy’s hand and took a big bite. The young knight, unwilling to fight his liege over a chicken leg, made a dejected swipe at another piece of chicken.

“Watching that man poke himself into a prostitute makes you miss your wife?” Gallus asked Maximus, incredulous, with his mouth full. “I am sure Courtly would be thrilled to hear that particular sentiment.”

Maximus grinned and took another drink of the ale in his hand. “She will never know unless you open your big mouth and tell her,” he said. “But it makes me inclined to believe that we should return to Isenhall first before continuing on to Kenilworth. There is no knowing how long we will be kept there and I would like to see my wife at some point in the next few months. If we do not stop on our way to Kenilworth, we run the risk of not seeing the women for quite some time. You may even miss the birth of your son.”

Tiberius turned away from the window and the party in the street. “We will not speak of returning to Isenhall,” he said, interrupting his brothers. “I have not had one opportunity to speak with Lady Douglass alone and it has been four days. Tomorrow, she will disappear into London and I will never see her again unless you help me. What am I to do?”

Gallus took a big swallow of the cheap, fermented ale. “De Moray has made sure to be with her at all times,” he responded. “Garran, too. He must have told his son not to allow you near the girl when he was not in a position to fend you off himself.”

Tiberius plopped his big, mail-clad body down on the chair beside his brother. He was starting to smell badly again, as he always did when he had not bathed in a few days. His hands were dirty and there was a shadow of beard on his chin and, in general, he looked rather slovenly. But the glitter in those brilliant eyes sparkled with fire for the subject at hand.

“De Moray knows,” he said, disillusioned. “The man knows I am interested in Douglass and it is clear that he is trying to discourage me. I must have a few moments alone with the woman this night or all will be lost, forever. There is no more time to waste. Will you please help me?”

Gallus swallowed the bite in his mouth. “Well,” he said slowly, “it seems to me that we must play our hand. Ty, if you are serious about courting the woman, then I should probably tell de Moray. That might make him more lenient, or at the very least, more understanding. He will not be concerned that you are merely trying to make a conquest.”

Tiberius shook his head. “It might make him more defensive, too,” he said. Then, he eyed Gallus. “Did you tell him of Prince Edward’s support of de Montfort yet?”

Gallus shook his head. “There has been no opportunity,” he said. “But I suppose I should create an opportunity or, much like your Lady Douglass, de Moray will be gone tomorrow and I will not have another chance.”

“Then we pull de Moray and Garran into a private meeting and tell them,” Maximus said. “While we are telling de Moray of the prince’s loyalties, Tiberius can speak with Lady Douglass.”

Gallus wriggled his eyebrows in thought. “It seems logical enough,” he said. Then, he looked at Tiberius. “I am not entirely sure how long we can corral de Moray so if you have something important to say to the lady, say it quickly. Where is she?”

Tiberius pointed across the balcony to the area on the other side of the building where a flight of old, wooden steps led to a corridor with a series of doors in it. “The last I saw, Garran put her in one of those rooms,” he said. “We have been sitting here ever since and I’ve not see her come out, so I can only assume she is still there.”

Gallus and Maximus gazed across the smoky room to the other side. The malfunctioning hearth was spitting more smoke into the room than it was through the chimney and it was all gathering up near the ceiling, creating a choking, blue haze that burned the eyes.

“Where is de Moray?” Gallus asked.

Tiberius stood up from the chair and went to peer from the window overlooking the street outside. Across the avenue, through the torch-lit street, he could see a livery on the other side, crowded with de Shera horses. He could also see a pair of knights milling about and he pointed.

“There,” he said. “They are across the street at the livery. Garran’s horse is coming up lame and they are tending it.”

“Then Lady Douglass is alone.”

Tiberius snapped around, looking at his brothers as if a great thought had just occurred to him. She is alone! He realized he’d been very stupid, not realizing she was alone before now. As he bolted across the balcony, heading for the lady’s chamber on the far side of the tavern, Gallus and Maximus rose to their feet.

“Let’s go,” Gallus said, pulling Maximus along with him. “Let us see how long we can distract de Moray before he figures out that we are deliberately stalling him.”

Maximus grunted in agreement, hoping they could delay the old and wise knight long enough for Tiberius to say what he needed to say.

“Ty,” he called after his youngest brother. “You will hurry, whatever you do!”

Tiberius heard his brother call after him, waving the man off as he moved swiftly across the catwalk that connected the balcony with the second floor chambers on the other side. He turned to look over his shoulder, once, to see that Gallus and Maximus had descended the stairs and were heading for the front door of the tavern. Suspecting he would have minutes, not hours, to do what needed to be done, Tiberius made haste to the side of the tavern that had the series of sleeping chambers.

He’d last seen Lady Douglass enter the last door on the right so he planted himself in front of the door and knocked softly. Immediately, there was a quiet voice on the other side.

“Who comes?” Douglass asked, her voice muffled.

Tiberius could feel his heart race at the sound of her voice. “It is Tiberius, my lady,” he said. “May… may I speak with you?”

The door flew open so fast that Tiberius took a step back, startled. Douglass was standing in the doorway, clad in a dark blue surcoat that revealed a good deal of her pale and luscious décolletage. Her dark-eyed gaze was wide with surprise.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Do my father and brother know you are here?”

Tiberius shook his head, unsure how to answer. “Nay,” he said. Then, he pointed weakly over his shoulder. “They are at the livery with my brothers and I thought….”

Douglass cut him off, reaching out to grab his hand and yanking him inside her chamber. She slammed the door and bolted it.

“Praise God,” she muttered. “I have had enough of their shadowing every time you come near me. They are mad, do you hear? Mad!”

Tiberius fought off a smirk. “Then you have noticed it, too?”

She threw up her hands, frustrated. “Of course!” she said. “I swear that they believe you are attempting to ravage me every time you come near me! I have had enough of them, do you hear? Enough!”

Tiberius started to chuckled. “They are only trying to protect you, my lady.”

She put her hands on her hips, angrily. “From what?” she demanded. “You? I took you down once and if you try anything inappropriate, I shall not hesitate to do it again.”

Tiberius’ eyebrows shot up as if he was fearful of her threat. “God’s Blood,” he muttered. “I shall stand right here and not make a move, then. I am not fond of being knocked on the head.”

Douglass’ angry stance took a hit and she started to giggle. “I would not really do it,” she said. “Well, I suppose if I had to, I would. But you will not give me a reason to, will you?”

Tiberius shook his head firmly. “I will not, I vow,” he said. His gaze glimmered warmly at her. “I simply wanted to speak with you. Tomorrow, you go on to London and we return home. If I do not say what I wish to say now, then I suspect I will never again have the opportunity. Will you listen?”

Douglass grew serious. “Of course,” she said, indicating for him to sit on a small stool while she moved to the only chair in the room. “Please speak. I have not had the chance to truly speak with you since this journey began. Are you well, Tiberius?”

He smiled faintly as he took the stool, folding his very tall body on top of it. “Of course,” he said. “May I say that for these past four days, you have been looking exceptionally well yourself.”

Douglass grinned. “Is that what you wished to speak to me about?”

The time was upon him. Tiberius felt a tremendous sense of urgency, fearful that de Moray and Garran would be pounding on the door at any moment. He began to grope for words, knowing that this could possibly be the most important conversation of his life and he didn’t want to sound like a fool.

“Nay,” he said after a moment. “I wished to speak to you about me. That is to say, the conversation we had back at Isenhall is all I have been able to think on. My lady, I do not pretend to be a perfect man. I am not, you know. I have my flaws. But the one area where I demand perfection is with my honor. I am an honorable man to the death. My word, once given, is my bond, and I have never broken my word. I may not be as prestigious as Tallis d’Vant but I have a lordship that provides me with an excellent income. I carry the de Shera name, which is far more impressive than the d’Vant name. And I am loyal to the death. My devotion, once given, can never be broken or distorted. Do you understand what I am trying to say?”

Douglass had an idea and her heart was full to bursting with joy. Four days of not being able to speak with Tiberius, to have him chased off every time he came close to her, had driven her to the brink of rage and frustration. Although she knew her father and brother were only doing what they felt best, for once, she didn’t want their protection. She wanted them to go away and let Tiberius come forth. She wanted to go back to that moment at Isenhall when such lovely, sweet things had been said between them. She wanted to continue that conversation. Therefore, in that respect, she suspected what Tiberius was trying to say but she wanted to hear him say it. She did not want to guess.

“I think so,” she replied. “But be plain, tell me your thoughts, Tiberius, and do not hold back. You may never have another chance.”

So she realizes that, too, he thought. It began to occur to him that she was thinking the same thoughts he was. At least, he hoped so. His heart was pounding so that he was sure it would burst from his chest as he looked her in the eye, savoring her beauty, praying that she felt the same way he did. If she didn’t, he would be crushed forever. For all of those hearts he had broken, for all of those women he had made cry when he had left them wanting for him, his broken heart would be just payment for their anguish. He would finally know what it would feel like to long for someone you could never have. He could only pray it would not happen to him.

“What I am trying to say is that I will speak to your father about courting you if you are agreeable,” he said softly. “But I will not do it if you are set on marrying d’Vant. I only wish to see you happy.”

So he said it. Everything Douglass had wanted to hear was out in the open, words of joy and happiness floating in the air between them like sparks floating upon a fair breeze. She wanted to reach up and grab these words, holding them to her heart.

“I am agreeable,” she said quietly, the light of joy in her dark eyes. “But you must speak to my father right away. He is planning on meeting with d’Vant very soon.”

Tiberius was grinning so broadly that his face threatened to split in two. “I will,” he said. “You… you have made me the happiest man in all of England. I swear to you that you, and only you, will have my loyalty and my heart for the rest of my life. You will be my wife and worthy of such respect. You will always be my forever, Lady Douglass. You have my vow.”

Douglass smiled, touched by his words, sweet words she’d heard back at Isenhall and sweet words that were coming to represent Tiberius in her heart and mind. “And you will be mine,” she said softly. “Mayhap… mayhap you should write up a contract for my father and present it to him. If you do that, he will believe you to be very serious indeed. It will prove to him that you mean what you say.”

Tiberius’ smile faded somewhat. “Would that I could,” he said. “I will have to have my brother draw up a contract. You may as well know that I do not write. That is, I was educated on the mechanics of it, but it is very difficult for me to do.”

Douglass cocked her head seriously. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged, realizing he was about to admit something fairly embarrassing to a woman he very much wanted to impress. “You may as well know now,” he said. “It is very difficult for me to read or write. I mix words and numbers up terribly. That is why I take to memorizing everything, so I will not have to read or write.”

Douglass looked at him with concern. “Is this true?”

“It is.”

Her concern turned thoughtful. “I knew a knight like that, once,” she said. “A friend of my father’s. He was a very smart man but he would mix sentences up all of the time when he was reading.”

Tiberius nodded, somewhat ashamed. “As do I,” he replied. “It is not something I generally tell people. Only my brothers really know of my problem. I pray it does not diminish your opinion of me.”

Douglass immediately shook her head. “Of course not,” she said. “I can read and write. The lady of Codnor Castle, my patroness, taught me how and she permitted me to teach the pages and young squires of Codnor. I truly enjoy educating people. Mayhap… mayhap you will allow me to help you read?”

Tiberius was touched by her offer, deeply touched. “Then you are not ashamed?”

She shook her head firmly. “Nay.”

He smiled timidly. “I would be honored to read with you, then,” he said. “But I warn you, it will not be an easy task for you. I can be rather stubborn about things. You may run away screaming.”

Douglass laughed softly. “I would never run,” she insisted. “I can be rather stubborn myself at times. You will learn or I will beat it into you.”

Tiberius chuckled. “It would not be the first time someone has tried.”

Douglass merely smiled, so very thrilled that they had been given the opportunity to speak their minds and declare their intentions. Now, there was nothing assumed or unspoken between. He knew her mind and she knew his. Silence settled, although it was not uncomfortable, and she indicated a pitcher on the nearby table.

“Can I offer you some ale?” she asked. “Have you eaten?”

Tiberius looked over at the table bearing the remnants of her meal; bread, cheese, fruit, and something in a bowl that he couldn’t quite see. He nodded his head.

“I have eaten,” he replied. “But that is the worst ale I have ever tasted, so you will understand if I refuse. I will make sure you have better food tomorrow.”

Douglass was already feeling protected by the man, nurtured and cared for. It was flattering and sweet. “We will be in London tomorrow,” she said. “My father usually stays in a small manor near the city’s center that belongs to my mother’s side of the family.”

Tiberius cocked his head thoughtfully. “Garran has spoken of it before,” he said. “Leadenhall House, I believe. Your mother’s family is from Chaldon Castle, are they not? In Dorset?”

Douglass nodded. “Have you been to Dorset?”

“I have been everywhere.”

Douglass laughed. “I would believe that,” she said. “Do you have a favorite place to visit?”

Tiberius pondered the question. “I like Paris a great deal,” he said. “It has beautiful… buildings. Aye, beautiful buildings.”

Douglass’ laughter grew. “You were not going to say buildings.”

“I wasn’t?”

“Nay,” she shook her head. “It is okay for you to tell me that there are beautiful women in Paris. I have heard that also.”

He puffed out his cheeks, relieved. “As beautiful as they are, they cannot compare with you,” he said sincerely, watching her flush prettily. His gaze was soft upon her. “Truly, I shall murder your brother for not telling me of you sooner. I could have offered for your hand years ago. As it is, I find myself scrambling to prevent a catastrophe.”

Douglass grinned. “It is not as bad as all that.”

Tiberius snorted. “That remains to be seen,” he said, rather ominously. But he didn’t want their precious time together spent with negative thoughts, of him perhaps doing battle against d’Vant to win her hand, so he shifted the subject. “Let us instead spend a few moments and speak of nothing else but you. I want to know all about you. What do you like to do to fill your time, Lady Douglass?”

Douglass laughed softly as she reached over into a small satchel on the bed and pulled forth what looked like two big, iron pins. She also pulled forth a neat roll of silk thread, although it was thicker than the thread used to sew. It was a beautiful, red color and Tiberius could see that, on the other end of the thread, some kind of weaving was taking place. He watched with interest as Douglass used the two big pins to continue weaving the silk thread into some manner of finely woven material.

“The lady of Codnor Castle, Lady Peverel, discovered this wonderful way of weaving when she and her husband traveled to Italy last year,” she said, holding up the woven square she was constructing. “One knits the thread into this fabric. I have made a pair of gloves already. This will be a pillow cover for Papa’s bed. I have been passing the time doing this since we have been on our journey but, of course, you would not know that since you have not seen much of me.”

Tiberius’ eyes glimmered with humor. “I would like to see much more of you from now on.”

He let his eyes trail down her body when he said it and Douglass opened her mouth with some outrage. “That is a bold and lascivious statement, my lord,” she pointed out. “You are seeing as much of me as I will allow.”

She was indicating her state of dress, awkwardly trying to cover up her bosom with her arms, and Tiberius burst out laughing.

“I did not mean see that part of you,” he said. “I simply meant in general. I hope to see more of you in general, my lady. I meant nothing lascivious in the least.”

Douglass fought off a grin as she resumed her knitting. “Then I apologize,” she said. “I thought you were being most improper.”

“For once in my life, I am not.”

Douglass was prevented from replying when something heavy and powerful hit the chamber door. Tiberius leapt up, putting himself in front of Douglass, as the door suddenly exploded and Garran stood there, his massive broadsword in hand. Tiberius could see, by the look on the man’s face, that this was not a social call.

Garran had come to kill.

*

“Leaving Tiberius to spend time alone with Lady Douglass is not the best or brightest thing we have ever done,” Maximus said as he and Gallus opened the entry door to the tavern, spying the livery across the street. “You know how he is with women. I cannot believe we are trusting him not to do something unsavory to de Moray’s daughter.”

Gallus stepped out into the avenue, kicking aside a drunkard who wandered too close to him, begging for coins for more drink.

“Our baby brother has promised he does not want another conquest,” Gallus said. “He swears that his intentions are honorable.”

Maximus was torn. He knew what Tiberius was capable of when it came to women yet he wanted to believe that his younger brother truly wanted to mend his wicked ways. He truly wanted to believe that Tiberius had met the woman that would tame him. He grunted unhappily.

“I know what he said,” he replied. “I heard him. I want to believe him. But is it truly wise to do so? With Garran’s sister, no less?”

Gallus didn’t reply. He was thinking the same thing. He did not want to doubt Tiberius but the man’s reputation spoke volumes. “Quiet, now,” he told Maximus. “De Moray is up ahead. Careful he does not hear us.”

Maximus didn’t say another word as they slugged through the mucky livery yard, full of animal dung, approaching Bose from behind. The older knight was bent over Garran’s big, brown steed with Garran holding the animal’s head. Garran was the first to see the de Shera brothers approach.

“My lords,” he greeted.

Gallus forced a pleasant smile as Bose stood up and faced him. The elder de Moray wiped a bit of sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

“Lord Gallus,” Bose greeted. “What are you doing out here? It is much more pleasant, I am sure, inside with drink and food.”

Gallus shrugged. “It is very loud and very smelly in there,” he said. “In truth, Maximus and I have come to speak with you on a matter of great importance and I fear if we do not do it now, we will not have another opportunity before tomorrow morning. You are continuing on to London tomorrow, are you not?”

Bose nodded. “Indeed we are,” he said. “Henry is expecting us.”

“Business with the king?”

Bose regarded the man for a moment. “Are you asking for de Montfort or simply making conversation?”

Gallus’ pleasant expression faded, mildly insulted that de Moray would not have more faith in him than that. “If I were asking on de Montfort’s behalf, I would certainly not ask you to your face,” he said. “Moreover, I have a horde of spies in my employ who would tell me when you met with Henry, what you spoke of, and what you drank. And you would know absolutely nothing about it.”

Bose could see that he had offended the man. “My apologies,” he said. “It was a foolish question. Forgive me, please.”

Gallus waved him off. “Suspicions are what keep us alive during this troubling time,” he said. Then, he cast de Moray a long glance. “As we have said before, sometimes blood or friendship is stronger than loyalties to a king or to a rebel. This is one of those cases, as I am about to tell you something that no one outside of de Montfort’s inner circle knows. You must not tell anyone, not even Henry.”

Bose grew serious. “Why not tell the king?”

Gallus lifted an eyebrow. “Because he would want to know where you heard it and you could not tell him the truth,” he said. “To do so would be to jeopardize your position with the crown. What I tell you must be kept in confidence but it is information I must tell you for your own good.”

Both Bose and Garran, who was listening closely, looked around to make sure there was no one within earshot. Gallus did as well, going so far as to send Maximus to prowl around and chase any servants or nosy soldiers away. With Maximus off stalking in the warm summer night, Bose spoke quietly.

“I am listening,” he said to Gallus. “What is it?”

Gallus’ voice was soft. “I have received word from de Montfort that Prince Edward has joined his cause,” he whispered. “I am not sure if Henry knows this yet so it would be prudent not to tell him. It might throw you into a world of suspicion with the king because he will want to know how you knew. It is better to keep it to yourself for now, but in case you have future dealings with Edward, know that he has joined de Montfort against his father. Protect yourself.”

Bose’s black eyes glittered in the moonlight as his mind mulled over all of the possibilities that bit of information entailed. “I will say that I am not shocked by the news,” he finally said. “Edward has been rumored to have been unhappy with his father for quite some time. I do not believe Henry wants to believe it, but if what you say is true, he will have to.”

Gallus folded his arms across his broad chest as he considered the situation. “De Montfort might be happy to have Edward but I am not,” he said. “There is something strange going on here, something I cannot quite put my finger on to say it is the definitive cause. Edward is siding with de Montfort because he wants the French out of England as we all do, but there is something more to it. I can feel it.”

Bose knew that. “Whatever it is, take your own advice,” he said. “Protect yourself. Do not trust Edward, at least until you know and understand his motives.”

Gallus thought of the missive he had received, asking him to come to Kenilworth. “De Montfort is expecting me at Kenilworth very soon,” he said. “I am assuming Edward is there with him but I do not know that for certain. When the morrow comes, we will be heading there.”

Bose sighed heavily, leaning against the hitching post. He didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking, none of them did. It was convoluting an already complex situation because the stakes were changing. If Prince Edward sided against his father, then that would give de Montfort a tactical edge. With Edward came power.

“So the son sides against the father,” Bose murmured. “That move alone will weaken Henry’s ranks because now the dynamics will change within his power structure. Henry has many close Savoyard relatives that advise him. Edward was the only buffer between the French and his father. Now, with Edward gone… it will be interesting to see what happens.”

Interesting, but not in a good way , Gallus thought as he watched Bose lean against the post, fatigue and concern evident on his face. “What will you do now?” Gallus asked.

Bose shrugged his shoulders. “I am not entirely sure there is anything to be done,” he said. “I will simply continue along my same path.”

Gallus hesitated a moment before speaking. “De Moray, you are English,” he said. “Don’t you hate to see hordes of greedy French taking over prosperous and strategic English properties?”

Bose was nodding before Gallus even finished speaking. “Of course I do,” he said. “But it is the king’s privilege to do as he wishes with crown properties.”

“It is wrong.”

“He is our king and beyond our reproach.”

The last two sentences were spoken over one another, choppy and with passion. It was clear that Gallus and Bose saw the situation two different ways. Bose was a staunch supporter of the monarchy because he owed a life-debt to Henry for having saved his life once. Had he not owed such a debt, things might have been different. The fact remained, however, that the situation was irreversible for him, no matter how foolish or corrupt or careless Henry seemed to be. Bose would support Henry until the death. De Moray finally took a deep, long breath, struggling to clear his head.

“For now, my loyalties lie with Henry,” he said simply. “There is nothing more I can do about it, although I greatly appreciate your confidence in telling me. I will not repeat it, I swear.”

Gallus knew that. Men like Bose de Moray did not give their word lightly. “I know,” he said softly. “I just wanted you to be aware in case you have dealings with Edward. He is not allied with his father.”

The mood surrounding them was now somber, almost edgy. The situation was changing rapidly and that made all of them uneasy. The future, for now, was murky as loyalties shifted from one to the other, back and forth. Soon, they would not know enemy from ally. But one thing was certain. The strength between the House of de Shera and the House of de Moray would never change. Bose was grateful.

“You have been a true friend and ally, my lord,” Bose said sincerely. “We shall never forget what you have done for us. We owe you a great deal.”

Gallus smiled weakly. “You saved Max’s life on the battlefield,” he said. “It is we who are indebted to you.”

Bose’s lips twitched with a smile, remembering that moment in time Gallus spoke of. As he thought on it, he looked over his shoulder to his son, knowing how hard all of this was on him. Garran hated Henry and he hated Edward even more. The only reason he was allied with his father was because the man had asked it of him. Bose wanted to say a few things to Gallus without his son hanging about so he thought swiftly for an excuse to send Garran away.

“Garran,” he said, turning to the horse that was sporting a big wrapping on its right foreleg. “Go and make sure your sister is settled in for the night and then go to the kitchen and have the cook make another mustard plaster. If we cannot settle the swelling in this animal’s leg by morning, we will have to leave this very expensive horse behind.”

Tiberius is with Douglass , Gallus thought, feeling some panic at Bose’s directive to Garran. He wanted very much to tell the knight not to go but to do so might look seriously odd, enough to put Bose and Garran on their guard. They would question why Gallus did not want Garran to go and check on his sister. And then they would look around and realize that Tiberius was missing.

A ruse . They would then know it was a ruse to allow Tiberius to get close to Lady Douglass with her father and brother occupied. Therefore, Gallus had to keep his mouth shut and pray that Tiberius had been truthful when he said he had no plans for Lady Douglass to become another conquest. He had to have faith in his brother in that nothing unseemly was happening between him and the lady, because if it was and Garran discovered it, the situation might turn very bad indeed. Still, he had to act as if nothing was amiss. He had to pretend all was well!

“Garran,” Gallus said casually. “If you happen to see Tiberius in your travels, please send him to me.”

Garran was already moving away. “If I know Tiberius, he is curled up with some wench on his lap,” he said, grinning. “I will check the common room. If I see him, I will send him to you.”

He is probably curled up with some wench on his lap . Gallus cringed as Garran said it, hoping that wench wasn’t Douglass. And if it was, he hoped Garran didn’t see it.

Please, Ty… for once in your life, do not be improper with a lady!