Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Wintercroft
“P sssst!”
Douglass heard the very odd sound, like someone hissing. At sunset, she was seated in a small solar that Grayson had graciously allowed for her private use while she was a guest at Wintercroft. She had been knitting most of the afternoon, ever since her father went off with Tallis. Grayson, Garran, Davyss, and Hugh took Tiberius away, leaving Douglass to be settled by servants into the small solar. It was a lovely room and very comfortable, but Douglass was very edgy knowing that Tiberius and Tallis were wandering about somewhere, perhaps to go head to head at any moment.
“ Psssssst!”
There was that sound again and Douglass set down her knitting, peering curiously around the room. There were two long and slender holes for ventilation at the top of the room, holes that could also be used as arrow slits in case of attack. The sound seemed to be coming from there. Setting her knitting down, she dragged a chair over to the wall and stood on it to peer out of the ventilation holes.
“Greetings, sweet!”
Half of Tiberius’ face appeared in the hole and Douglass shrieked softly in surprise. She nearly fell off the chair, grasping at the windowsill to keep from tumbling over.
“Tiberius!” she gasped, precariously holding her balance. “What on earth are you doing out there?”
Tiberius’ eyes and nose were visible through the slit. “I am hiding from Grayson and Davyss, who seem quite anxious to keep company with me,” he said. “They follow me around like lost puppies, never leaving my side, and of course it is to keep me away from Tallis. But I told them I wanted to check on my horse and they let me go alone, but I came looking for you instead.”
Douglass grinned, flattered and happy to see him. “How did you find me?”
“I paid a servant to locate you for me.”
Douglass laughed softly. “Clever, my lad,” she said. Then, she sobered. “Have you seen Tallis at all? I have been consigned to this foolish room and have not seen anyone. I have not even seen my father.”
Tiberius reached a big hand through the small window and she grasped it, holding it tightly. “I have not seen him lately,” Tiberius said, caressing her soft fingers. “The last I saw of him, he was with d’Vant and, as you know, I’ve had to lose my shadows of Grayson and Davyss. They are probably out searching the grounds for me right now, so I will have to make this visit short.”
Douglass’ face fell. “Must you?” she asked, disappointed. “Must you leave so quickly?”
Tiberius squeezed her hand again. “I am afraid so,” he said. “But I must speak to you, no matter how short our time together. I have been afforded a good deal of time to think on things, Douglass. I have done nothing but think all day. It is clear that the winds of favor are blowing in Tallis’ direction. The king has selected him for this marriage and it is my sense that your father wants him as well. After all, Tallis was planned for you long before I came along. It is my feeling that your father wants to stick to the bargain in spite of what you want.”
Douglass’ brow furrowed unhappily. “I will not marry him,” she said firmly. “It is you I will marry.”
Tiberius toyed with her fingers, his eyes glimmering at her. “And it is you I will marry, too,” he murmured. “But I fear unless we take matters into our own hands that it will not happen.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean to take you out of Wintercroft and marry you immediately.”
Douglass’ eyes opened wide with shock. “But…,” she gasped. “But how can we do that? My father… God’s Bones, Ty, if my father catches you, he will do terrible things to you and you know it. It will also damage relations between the House of de Shera and the House of de Moray. Are you willing to risk that?”
“Are you ?”
It was a blunt question and Douglass was taken back a bit, pondering the question. Was she willing to risk a rift, possibly a life-long one? Gazing at Tiberius, she knew that she could not go on without the man. She could not marry Tallis d’Vant when she loved Tiberius. Aye, she loved him. She couldn’t remember when she hadn’t. Everything revolved around that enormously tall knight and his dashing smile. He was reckless, skilled, brilliant, and a rake, but he was hers. He had all of her. She clasped his rough hand with both of hers, squeezing firmly.
“I am,” she said. “Absolutely, I am. When shall we go?”
Tiberius was thrilled with her response. He honestly hadn’t been sure what her reaction would be and to hear that she was agreeable meant everything to him. With Douglass by his side, he could move mountains and to hell with those who tried to separate them. He would fight to the death for her. He already knew that. But he hoped it didn’t come to that.
“You will always be my forever, Douglass,” he whispered. “I will make a good and true husband, Douglass, I swear it. You will never regret it.”
She smiled, holding his hand against her cheek. You will always be my forever . Those sweet words rang so true. “I know I will not, my love,” she agreed. “Every moment I am away from you is absolute torture. When shall we go?”
Tiberius thought on that particular question. He’d been pondering stealing her away most of the day but he hadn’t a particular plan in mind because he wasn’t sure she would agree. Now that she had, he was forced to think quickly.
“Whatever we do it must be stealthy,” he said. “It must be done under the cover of darkness and it must be well planned. Let me ponder what will be done and we will discuss it tonight at some point. There will be an evening meal that both of us will be attending, so I will see you there. I will find a way to speak to you, I promise.”
Douglass was giddy with fear and excitement, but she was also apprehensive about her father and how he would react to marrying Tiberius without permission. Bose de Moray was extremely formidable and she didn’t want her father killing the man she loved in a fatherly rage.
“Will you do something for me, Ty?” she asked softly.
“Anything.”
“Will you please speak to my father one last time about marrying me the proper way before we take matters into our own hands?” she asked. “As much as I want to be your wife, the thought of being at odds with my father for the rest of my life is sorrowful. He and I are very close. I would hate to lose that bond between us.”
Tiberius was able to pull her hand out of the ventilation slit enough so that he could kiss two of her fingers. “Of course I will speak to him one last time before we take this matter upon us,” he said. “I would rather have your father as an ally than an enemy. That does not please me. But seeing you married to d’Vant would please me even less.”
Douglass smiled gratefully. “Thank you,” she whispered. “But know whatever comes that I am with you. You, and only you, will always be my forever.”
Tiberius started to say something but voices caught his attention. He could hear men approaching the north side of the structure where he was and he was almost certain that it was Davyss and Grayson, so he quickly let Douglass go and moved well away from the building. The last Douglass saw of him, he was walking casually away from her, pretending not to even notice the structure behind him. He was looking up at the sky overhead, seemingly without a care in the world.
Douglass climbed off the chair and moved it away from the window, back to its original position by the small hearth. Her knitting was still there, crumpled upon a stool, and she reclaimed her seat and collected her knitting, all the while keeping her ear cocked to the faint male voices in the bailey outside. She could pick Tiberius’ voice out as he spoke to whoever was out there with him. She thought she heard her father but she could not be sure. Still, to hear Tiberius’ voice made her heart swell. We must take matters into our own hands, he had said. She was ready. It was a terrifying and thrilling prospect, but she was ready.
A knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts and she glanced at the door, seeing it was unlocked. She called out to the caller.
“You may enter,” she said.
The door opened and instead of seeing Bose or Garran, or even one of the de Winters, Tallis was standing there instead. Shocked at the unwelcome sight, Douglass lowered her knitting into her lap.
“My lord,” she greeted. “How may I help you?”
Tallis smiled confidently. The man seemed to have an abundance of confidence, as she’d seen from the start, and this moment was no different. He remained by the door and made no attempt to enter.
“Your father has given me permission to speak with you, my lady,” he said. “May I come in?”
Douglass’ brow furrowed. She didn’t like the idea of being alone in the room with the man. “Nay,” she said. “You will remain where you are. It is not proper for you to be alone in this room with me without a chaperone.”
Tallis wasn’t discouraged. “I was going to leave the door open, of course,” he said. “But if you are more comfortable with me in the doorway, then I will happily remain here. I was hoping we might come to know one another and your father agrees it that it is a good idea. I have had a long talk with him, my lady. I like your father a great deal.”
Douglass knew she couldn’t dissuade him completely so she didn’t try, but she wasn’t going to let him come past the door. If he tried, she had two iron knitting needles that could be turned against him and she would not hesitate. She returned her focus to her knitting in a gesture that suggested she had little interest in coming to know d’Vant. The message was clear.
“My father is a great man,” she said simply. “What is it you wish to know about me?”
Tallis could see, in that moment, that this would not be an easy task. Not that he expected it to be. The woman seemed fairly determined to marry de Shera and Bose had explained that Douglass could be stubborn. But in order to give Tallis a fighting chance to win the lady’s affection, Bose suggested that Tallis open some manner of dialogue with her. He was giving the young knight that opportunity. As Bose had gone off to find the youngest de Shera knight and keep him distracted, Tallis had made his way to the small solar where the lady was occupying her time.
“Let me see,” he said, pretending to be thoughtful when he already knew a great deal about her thanks to her father. “Tell me what your favorite food is.”
Douglass was rather surprised by the question. She glanced at him as she continued knitting. “Apples with honey and cream,” she said, not particularly friendly. “What else?”
Tallis fought off a grin, amused by her stiff demeanor. He decided to try another approach. “When I was a young boy, my father took me down to St. Austell Bay because a great, pirate ship had docked,” he said, watching her knit furiously. “It was called the Gemini and the pirate was a friend of my father’s, for some odd reason. As it proceeded, I was taken aboard this ship and I found it an incredibly fascinating and incredibly terrifying experience. The men shipboard were unlike anything I’d ever seen before; sunburned, dirty, smelly rats. I was horrified. As I was walking towards the bow or, as was really the case, cringing in fear with every step I took, the rail of the ship suddenly came alive and this terrifying vision with no teeth came up over the side, hurling threats at me as he fell to the deck. In truth, it was a shipmate who was simply doing his work, but to my eyes, it was a monster out of the sea. Well, I was so terrified that I ran blindly until I hit the rail on the other side and flipped over the railing, plunging to the sea below. Fortunately, I could swim, but I heard my father and the pirate laughing on the rail overhead until they choked. That is one of my fondest childhood memories.”
By this time, Douglass had stopped knitting and she was listening to him. He was an engaging storyteller. When he finished with a rather comical conclusion, she fought off a grin.
“Fond?” she repeated dubiously. “It sounds terrible.”
Tallis laughed softly. “At the time, it was,” he said. “At least, to me it was. But in hindsight, I suppose it was rather humorous to watch a terrified child flip his way over the side of a boat.”
He continued to snort and Douglass’ grin broke through. But when she realized she was smiling, she quickly straightened her lips and turned back to her knitting. She didn’t want him to think she actually found his story charming.
“I have no such humorous memories,” she said, somewhat stiffly. “My childhood was all quite normal and my father is not friends with a pirate.”
Tallis could see that she was being stubborn, which he didn’t mind in the least. He rather liked a challenge. It would make the victory all the sweeter.
“Surely you have a humorous story somewhere in your history,” he said, encouragingly. “Something with your sisters, mayhap? Or your brother?”
Try as she might, Douglass couldn’t stop thinking about one incident in particular when she, Garran, and their younger sisters were caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Even thinking of it made her smile and, inevitably, she couldn’t help but tell the tale. Perhaps if she did, Tallis would be satisfied and go away.
“Well,” she said reluctantly. “When I was small, our sow gave birth to a litter of piglets. I was around six years of age, I believe, and Garran was nine or ten. It was just before he was sent to foster. My younger sisters were quite small. Lizbeth was four and Sable was no more than two. Garran wanted very much to see the piglets and play with them but my mother had warned us against going near them because the sow was very mean. Still, Garran insisted, so one day we snuck down to the stables and to the pen where the sow and her piglets were. Of course, we had to take the piglets out of the pen and play with them, but they made such a racket that our mother, who had been inside the kitchens, heard us. We heard her voice and panicked, and put the piglets back as quickly as we could. Garran, however, was inside the pen and the sow began to chase him. As my mother came outside to see what all of the fuss was about, Garran was running circles in this pigpen, trying to keep away from a sow that was easily four times his size. My mother screamed, my father came running, and he managed to pluck Garran out of the pen before the sow got to him. My father was quite calm about it but my mother took hold of Garran and spanked him soundly. He couldn’t sit down for a week.”
She was trying very hard not to laugh as she finished with her story and Tallis, too, was biting back a snort. When she saw that he was ready to burst into laughter, she broke down into gales of it. Tallis followed, laughing deeply at the thought of Garran de Moray being chased by a sow. As he’d hoped, however, now the mood between them was lightened. Tallis was very clever that way.
“And you?” he asked. “Did you permit your brother to take all of the punishment?”
She shrugged lazily. “Of course,” she said. “I would not tarnish my image as a perfect angel.”
Tallis liked that but he sighed in mock disapproval. “I see,” he said, pretending to be critical. “Then I am sure you have more stories like that where you have permitted your brother to take the blame for other things you were a part of.”
“Of course I do. But I will never speak a word of it.”
“Tell me.”
“I will not!”
It was a playful exchange but when Douglass realized it, she quickly turned back to her knitting. Tallis d’Vant was quite charming and she realized, with some horror, that if she had not met Tiberius first, she would have been most agreeable to a marriage contract with d’Vant. He was kind and humorous. But the fact remained that she had met Tiberius first and he had her heart. She didn’t want to give Tallis hope where none existed. Rather than be coy or cold about it, she thought it would be best to be honest with the man again and try to persuade him to end his suit.
“Sir Tallis,” she said after a moment, dropping her knitting into her lap again. “May I be truthful?”
Tallis leaned against the doorjamb. “I would expect nothing less.”
Douglass sighed softly. “Then may I say that I am very flattered with your interest in a marital contract, but I still must stress that I wish to marry Tiberius de Shera,” she said, looking at the man. “You asked me earlier today if I love him and the truth is that I do. I want to be his wife. You deserve a woman who wants to be your wife and that woman is not me.”
The warm expression on Tallis’ features faded. “I see,” he said, but his manner was still pleasant. “May I ask how long you have known Tiberius?”
“A few days.”
“So you have only just met him.”
“Aye.”
Tallis didn’t reply for a moment, but he was most certainly thinking. The lady thought herself in love with a man she’d only known a few days. That bespoke of infatuation, not true love. That being the case, he wasn’t ready to concede yet. He was going to have to play harder and dirtier than de Shera was. If the lady was only infatuated with de Shera, surely he could turn her head and change her mind. He was determined to try.
“I hope you have enjoyed our conversation as much as I have, my lady,” Tallis finally said, pushing himself up off the doorjamb. “I will leave you to your tasks, then, and see you tonight at sup. May I have the privilege of escorting you?”
Douglass sighed, frustrated. “You will understand when I say I would rather not.”
Tallis nodded his head graciously, not at all deterred. “I will abide by your wish, then,” he said. “I look forward to seeing you later when we can speak further on piglets and raging sows.”
Douglass didn’t reply as he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. But even after he left, his presence lingered, so much so that Douglass eventually had to put her knitting down.
Tallis d’Vant was a very nice man and a perfect knight. There was nothing unsuitable about him in the least and, in that respect, she felt badly that she had no interest in him. Running off with Tiberius would surely upset d’Vant and it would definitely cause him to see the de Morays as a dishonorable family. Was that really what she wanted her father’s legacy to be? A rebellious daughter who defied him and shamed him? Certainly, she didn’t want that. She loved her family too much. But she also loved Tiberius and she did not want to be married to Tallis d’Vant. Much like letting Garran take the blame for the sow incident, she hadn’t taken responsibility for her part in it. Maybe, for once in her life, it was time to act responsibly. Perhaps that meant not running off with Tiberius and doing what her father wished for a change.
Confused, sickened, she set her knitting down completely and wandered to the slit window, the last place she had seen Tiberius. God, she wanted to be with him so badly, but was it right to be so selfish?
All she knew was that once she chose her path, there was no turning back. There would be no reversing the harm she had done.
Would it be a matter of sacrificing her happiness for the sake of her family’s honor?
She wondered.