Chapter Eight
“Nay, Garran!” Douglass leapt up, putting herself in between Garran and Tiberius as her brother burst through her shattered chamber door. “Garran, what on earth is the matter with you? Why did you do that?”
Garran’s black eyes were glittering dangerously at Tiberius.
He had come to check on his sister for the night but when he heard soft strains of Tiberius’ voice inside the room, he’d panicked.
He had busted down a fairly substantial door and now stood in the ruins, his broadsword in his hand and rage on his features.
He never took his eyes off Tiberius, not even for a second, and the tension in the room soared to a splitting capacity as Garran and Tiberius, the best of friends, now faced off against one another.
“What in the hell are you doing here, alone with my sister?” Garran growled.
Tiberius remained calm. “Truly, Garran?” he asked wryly, indicating the sword. “Are you truly here to kill me? Then I do not know why I should answer your question if you think you already know the answer.”
Garran was struggling not to shove his blade into Tiberius’ gut. “I know you,” he fired back. “I know how you operate with women. I cannot believe you would make my sister your next victim!”
Douglass was aghast. “Victim?” she repeated. “Garran de Moray, you are wicked and terrible! Whatever do you mean by that?”
Garran was enraged, a rare state for the usually calm knight. Tiberius had seen the man in the heat of battle, calm and collected, so this state of fury was unusual for him, indeed.
“What is he doing here?” Garran asked his sister angrily. “Why did you let him in? You know you should not have done that. I warned you against it.”
Douglass put her hands on her hips, incensed and furious at her brother’s behavior.
“I was alone in my chamber and I have been for hours,” she said.
“Tiberius came to talk. We were simply talking. Do you really think it was something more than that, something… unseemly? Do you really think I would allow such a thing?”
Garran’s fury was now tinged with uncertainty. “I know you would not,” he said, eyeing Tiberius. “But I have known Tiberius for many years. You have no idea what he is capable of, Douglass.”
As Douglass hissed angrily, Tiberius spoke up. “You are correct, Garran,” he said calmly. “I am capable of quite a bit, but not with your sister. I thought you trusted me more than that.”
Garran gave him an expression of disbelief. “I trust you with my life,” he said. “I trust you on the battlefield. I trust you not to let any harm befall me or my family if you can help it. But I do not trust you with my sister’s honor.”
Douglass shrieked angrily. “Tiberius has been a perfect gentleman, the same of which cannot be said about you,” she said, pointing an imperious finger at the door. “Get out. Get out and go find me a chamber with a door on it. You can sleep in this one for all I care.”
Garran refused to be made the villain in this situation. He lowered his sword, shaking his head at his sister as if she were the most ridiculous creature in the world.
“I do not care what he has told you,” he said.
“Tiberius de Shera is only interested in another conquest. He’s very good at that sort of thing.
He’ll lavish attention and gifts on a woman for a day or two and then when she believes herself in love with him, he claims her maidenhood and then runs off to the next woman.
He’s done it a dozen times before and I refuse to allow you to become his next conquest.”
Furious, Douglass reached out and slapped her brother across the face.
“In order for him to conquer me, I would have to be willing,” she snarled.
“I am not willing to be a man’s conquest but I am willing to be a man’s wife.
That is what we were talking about, Garran.
You have a dirty, nasty mind to think differently. ”
Garran’s jaw popped open in shock. He could hardly believe his ears. “Wife?” he gasped, looking at Tiberius. “You… you proposed marriage to my sister?”
This wasn’t exactly the way Tiberius had wanted to inform everyone that he had offered for Douglass’ hand but Garran could not un-hear what he had just heard. Therefore, Tiberius had no choice but to confess everything and pray Garran didn’t try to use his broadsword on him.
“I did,” he said, softening in the hopes that his sincerity would soften Garran.
“Garran, I know that you and I have had many adventures together. I know there have been… women. I have done things that I am not entirely proud of. But all men must grow up, even me. Your sister was special to me from nearly the moment I met her and I swear that I would make her a fine husband. I would be faithful to her until I die.”
Garran stared at him in disbelief. “Nay, Ty,” he muttered, begging. “Not my sister. Choose another.”
“Why?”
Garran was starting to appear ill, ill and bewildered.
Although he loved Tiberius as a brother, he didn’t want to trust the man with his precious sister.
He knew too much about him, too many unsavory things.
The entire situation, as he was coming to realize it, was overwhelming him.
Tiberius wanted Douglass and Douglass wanted Tiberius.
It was a nightmare any way he looked at it.
“Because,” he said simply, shaking his head, shocked and perplexed. “You are not a man who can be tied to one woman. Haven’t you told me that before?”
Tiberius nodded patiently. “I did,” he said. “Many times. But that was before I met Douglass. I… I cannot tell you what changes a man’s mind, only that minds do change. Men change. Will you not at least allow me that opportunity?”
Garran looked at his sister, seeing her expression of hope and disappointment and resentment. There was quite a mixture in her features, which confused Garran all the more.
“He is not a man I would pick for you,” he said earnestly. “You must have a man who… who….”
Douglass cut him off. “How many times have you told me how much you love Tiberius?” she demanded, although there was no force behind it. “How many times have you told me that he is a loyal, perfect knight? And now he is not good enough for me?”
Garran was losing the fight. He could sense it. He grunted unhappily. “He treats women as if they are disposable commodities,” he said. “I have seen it time and time again. I do not want him to treat you like rubbish, too.”
“And I won’t,” Tiberius said firmly. “Garran, I am not entirely sure how much clearer I can be about this. Your sister… she has changed something in me. You must believe me. I would have her and no other. Either you believe me or you don’t. Have I ever lied to you?”
Garran shook his head without hesitation. “Never.”
“Then you will believe what I am telling you. It is the truth.”
Garran stared at him, pain in his eyes as he felt his defeat.
He was surrendering, unable to fight against Tiberius and his word of honor.
No man in England had a more powerful bond.
If Tiberius said that Douglass was the woman he wanted to marry and that he would honor and respect the woman as his wife, then Garran had no choice but to believe him.
If he didn’t, then his relationship with Tiberius would be damaged forever.
He found himself faced with a horrible, life-changing choice… to believe or not to believe.
To have faith in a man’s honor or spit upon it. God, he was so torn….
“Drop the sword, Garran.”
Maximus’ voice suddenly filled the chamber. Garran immediately dropped his sword, feeling the sharp tip of Maximus’ weapon in the small of his back. Douglass gasped, frightened, as Tiberius put up his hands to ward off Maximus’ threat.
“He was not going to use it, Max,” Tiberius said steadily. “Everything is well.”
Maximus didn’t drop the sword. He kept it against Garran’s back as he looked at the smashed door.
“I can see that,” he said drolly. “This door looks well, indeed.”
Tiberius went to his brother and put his hand on his sword, removing it from Garran’s back. “Ease down, brother,” he said, a smile on his lips. “All is well, truly.”
Garran wandered into this sister’s chamber and sat heavily on the small bed, despondent, as Maximus looked between Tiberius and Douglass. They both had smiles on their faces so he surmised that perhaps all was not as it seemed. He was growing confused.
“Why is the door shattered?” he wanted to know, “and why was Garran armed? Why do I come up to Lady Douglass’ chamber and find things in shambles?”
Douglass blurted before Tiberius could answer. “The lock on my door was stuck,” she said, lifting her shoulders as she spoke as if that would convince Maximus she was telling the truth. “Garran had to break it down.”
Maximus didn’t believe her for a moment but he didn’t say so. He merely turned to Tiberius. “What really happened?”
Tiberius chuckled softly. “Do you not take a lady’s word for it?”
Maximus emitted something that sounded between a grunt and a groan. It was meant to express his impatience and disbelief.
“Then you will tell me later,” he said. “Meanwhile, I believe Gallus and de Moray are finished speaking so you had better come with me. It is time to leave the lady to her sleep.”
Tiberius looked at Douglass, who was smiling timidly at him. He didn’t want to leave her but he knew he had to go. Reaching out, he took her hand gently as Garran, seeing the gesture, buried his face in his hands.
“I will speak to your father immediately,” he assured her softly. “Come the morning, we shall see if you, in fact, go to London. You may just as easily come back with me to Isenhall.”
Douglass squeezed his big fingers. “I can only hope so.”
Tiberius squeezed her hand in return and let it go. He thought kissing it might be too much for Garran to take. He looked at the man, sitting despondently upon the bed.
“Well?” he said. “Are you coming, Garran?”