Chapter Six #4
Scott was up, following her towards the windows.
He didn’t even know why. Perhaps he was afraid she was going to go mad and try to jump through one even though it was only a few feet to the ground below.
Moreover, the windows were big enough to climb through.
Still, he felt the need to move close to her in case insanity swept her.
Although Courtly had proven herself stout and reasonable, women were odd creatures sometimes, especially when it came to those they loved.
“Nay,” he said firmly. “I strongly believe he had no knowledge of the boy. You know Max. Had he known, he would have brought the boy to live here at Isenhall or, at the very least, arranged for his schooling. He would not have ignored him.”
“Scott is right,” Jeniver said, rising from her chair. “Max would not have neglected his own flesh and blood and, had he known, he would have most certainly told you. Do not think he was keeping a secret from you, Courtly. I am positive Max knows nothing of this.”
Scott nodded. “As am I,” he said. “But he must be told. I have already sent a soldier with a message for Gallus. Gallus must tell him.”
Courtly looked at Scott. She was pale with shock but not unreasonably so.
In fact, she had handled the entire situation quite calmly until this point.
More calmly than either Jeniver or Scott had given her credit for.
But it was clear she was struggling with the news as her features tensed and twisted, powerful emotions flooding her heart.
After a moment of contemplating Scott and Jeniver’s opinions on what Maximus did, or did not, know, she simply nodded her head and looked away.
“Aye,” she said softly. “He should be told.”
Jeniver was moving towards her, her heart aching for the woman. She could hear simply by her tone that perhaps all was not as well with her as she was laboring to pretend.
“Tell me what you are feeling, Courtly,” she murmured, putting her hands on the woman’s shoulders. “I know this must be terribly shocking to you. Please tell me what you are feeling.”
What am I feeling? Courtly rolled the question around in her mind.
In truth, she didn’t know. She was still too stunned to feel anything at all.
She needed to go off by herself to think.
As much as she loved Jeniver, she didn’t want to talk about her feelings, at least not at the moment, and certainly not in front of Scott.
Her first conversation about her feelings should be with Maximus.
She would give her husband that courtesy.
“I… I am not sure what I am feeling,” she said.
She looked up at Jeniver, seeing pity in the woman’s eyes, and it angered her.
There was pity there because, in her eyes, perhaps Maximus has shamed her.
But Courtly didn’t feel shame, not in the least. She looked at Scott.
“You said you have sent word to him already?”
Scott nodded. “Aye, Lady de Shera.”
All Courtly could think about was the return of her husband.
She wanted him back at Isenhall. She had to see him, to ask him what this bastard son meant for the future of their own children.
Was it possible that this boy, this son of a peasant, would usurp her own children?
Now, she was starting to feel some angst. It was starting to come.
She could feel it building up in her chest, unreasonable feelings of anguish and sorrow.
He loved Rose, after all, before he loved me.
Will he love this boy more than he loves our own children?
So much of her mind was in turmoil. She could feel it building.
“Please,” she begged softly, pulling away from Jeniver and heading for the chamber door. “I… I need to be alone. I must think. Please… please let me be alone.”
She fled before Jeniver could stop her. Her footfalls were rapid on the stairs that led to the first floor and they heard her chamber door slam, hard.
It reverberated against the old, stone walls that had seen much pain and sorrow in the de Shera family.
They would soon see more. Wide-eyed at Courtly’s quick flight, Jeniver looked at Scott.
“He had better come quickly,” she hissed. “Dear God, Max had better come quickly and sort this mess out. Meanwhile, you keep that smithy and the boy in the knights’ quarters. They are not permitted anywhere else in the castle, including the hall and the keep. Is that clear?”
Scott nodded. “Aye, Lady de Shera.”
“They are not allowed anywhere outside of the knights’ quarters unless I say so.”
“Aye, my lady.”
Frustrated, and rubbing her swollen belly, Jeniver left the chamber as well, heading up the stairs to be close to Courtly if she needed her.
Scott remained in the solar long after the women had left, thinking over the day’s events and hoping, praying, that Maximus would be able to deal with it all. For certain, something like this could tear families apart and to a new marriage, an event such as this could ruin it for life.
Scott hoped that Maximus and Courtly were stronger than that. For all concerned, this was a nightmare.