Chapter Fourteen #3
“You could have told me,” Gaston showed some irritation.
“It would have saved me from a few awkward moments, as the man had no idea why my men were there to escort his family back to Bath. I finally had to tell the husband that I was an old friend of the lady’s father and had promised the old man that I would look after the daughter in times of trouble.
With Henry on the move, this happened to be one of them.
I doubted he believed me. It was most uncomfortable. ”
Matthew chuckled. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
“No, you would not have,” Gaston replied, annoyed.
“I had to lie to the man to basically save his life. He has no idea he’s connected to The White Lord and, consequently, the politics of the crown.
By the way, I should tell you that I intend to enter into negotiations for a marital contract between Audrey and Trenton. ”
“You must be mad.”
“Not at all. I assume that with the massive dowry you shall provide for her, secretly of course, I can retire and live off of my son’s fortune. I shall be rich off of your money.”
Matthew’s smile vanished and his eyebrows flew up, outraged.
He was about to verbally abuse his friend when Gaston broke down in snorts and headed for the door.
Matthew could see he was baiting him in vengeance for not having mentioned the nature of familial understanding of Lady’s Mena’s husband.
Half-amused, half-disgusted, he followed him from the room.
*
Adam was healing slowly from his injuries.
Unbeknownst to his sons, the broken leg had to be amputated at the knee due to a severe infection that had taken hold.
When Matthew’s army reached Rosehill, it was clear that Adam was in no condition to travel much less act as protector to Alixandrea.
The normally robust old knight looked old, weak and fragile.
But his mind was still sharp. Matthew gave his father all of the latest intelligence on the approach of Tudor. It seemed to him that his father had aged tremendously in the short time they had been apart, falling apart before his very eyes.
Saddened at the prospect of facing a battle without his father, Matthew left Adam in the care of Livia and her servants and continued on to Wellesbourne.
The focus now shifted to John as the protector of Lady Wellesbourne, but Matthew did not broach the subject with him until the day they arrived at the castle. He supposed it would not go over well and delayed for as long as he could.
The storm began to brew four days later when Alixandrea’s last case was offloaded from the wagon and taken into the keep.
Alixandrea was greeted as soon as she went inside by the pack of happy dogs while John, Mark, Luke and Matthew remained in the ward, making sure the men were fed and watered before continuing the sixty mile trek to Nottingham.
As the meal at noon commenced on a surprisingly mild August day, Matthew pulled John aside.
They went to the solar, finding comfort among the yellowed, pocked map and heavy furniture.
But without Adam to anchor the room, it seemed strange and alien.
Things were different now; they could all feel it.
“I have a most important task for you, Johnny,” Matthew said as his brother sat in their father’s usual chair. “As you know, father is not here to administer Wellesbourne as I had planned. I believe you understand that we must have a knowledgeable knight here to secure the castle.”
John’s young face was curious. “Why?”
“Because Henry Tudor is gathering to our west and the army of Richard is amassing to our east. If Wellesbourne is somehow caught in the middle, I will have need of an experienced man to direct the defenses of the castle.”
“We have many seasoned soldiers here.”
“But we need a knight.”
John’s normally-placid expression stiffened; he may have been young, but he was not slow. “Surely you are not suggesting…?”
“I am not suggesting. I am asking.”
John was outraged. “Then the answer is nay. I am a knight; I go where the fighting is. I will not sit here and wait for it to come to me.”
It was surprising for John to become so animated, but he was growing older, and with that age he was gaining confidence.
Matthew respected that he was standing up for himself, but the fact remained that Matthew was not merely his brother, he was his commander.
If Matthew gave the order, John would have to comply.
But Matthew was trying to give John a choice, forced though it might be.
“I appreciate your position, truly,” Matthew said evenly.
“But the fact remains that there are only four knights at Wellesbourne and one must remain behind for this duty; it is out of the question for me to stay. Mark is far too strong with a sword to leave behind, which leaves you and Luke. As much as I will miss either one of you, I must make the difficult choice.”
John was red around the ears. “So you think me less than a knight than Luke?”
“Nay. I think you more of a knight because you think before you act. Luke is often too rash. That is why I must trust you with Wellesbourne.”
It was a compliment and, for a moment, John was flattered. But he was on to his brother’s game and felt tricked.
“What you ask of me is not fair,” he retorted, miffed at being manipulated. “If there is a battle, I must fight it. You have said so yourself, Matt. Do not diminish what I am.”
“I am most certainly not, Johnny,” Matthew said sincerely.
“But I must think of what is right for Wellesbourne. If I am killed in this coming skirmish, if Mark and Luke are killed, then I must die with the comfort of knowing that the best and brightest Wellesbourne is still alive to ensure that our family survives. And that hope is you. Do you not see the logic in this?”
John began to show signs of relenting. “You have never left anyone behind before. We have all gone off to fight together. Why now?”
“Because this is perhaps the greatest conflict we’ve yet faced and Wellesbourne is sitting far too close to the action.
Moreover, there is father and Alixandrea and Caroline to think about.
Who will take care of them if the rest of us are gone?
” Matthew braced his massive arms against the map table, leaning over so that he could look his brother in the eye.
“Please, Johnny. This task is far more important than any combat we may face with Henry Tudor. Will you not do this for Wellesbourne? For your family?”
John squirmed like a miserable child. “Matt.…”
“John, I must have your pledge. And for something else.”
“God’s Bones, what else could there be?”
“Alixandrea,” Matthew said. “If I should fall in battle, I want your pledge that you will marry her.”
John’s eyes widened, all of the displeasure gone from his movements. “Marry her?”
Matthew nodded; it was difficult for him to think about it and even more difficult for him to spit out.
“She must stay a Wellesbourne,” his voice was low. “Father had it written into the marriage contract that if something was to happen to me that she, and all of Wellesbourne, would become a ward of Howard Terrington. This cannot happen.”
Obviously, John did not know any of this. He sat a moment, stunned, seeing the motivation behind Matthew’s request. “Is… is that really why you are leaving me here? As a husband to her in case you should die?”
“I am leaving you here for the reasons I stated. But if something should happen to me, I would die with the comfort that my beloved wife will be well taken care of by my beloved brother.”
John did not look happy in the least, but he was forced to see the reasoning his brother was presenting.
He could no longer meet his gaze and looked to his lap, fidgeting with a hole in his breeches.
He tore a bigger hole contemplating his brother’s request, pulling at the leather until he grew frustrated and emitted a heavy sigh.
Only then did he look back at his brother, who was still hovering over the map table.
The mood between them was as sharp as a knife, as brittle as kindling.
John felt disappointment more than anything.
“As you say, Matt,” he finally said. “But if you survive this battle, do not ever expect me to stay behind again. Consider this the one and only time I shall do this, and not because you forced me to.”
Matthew was more relieved than he let on. “I did not force you, Johnny. But I would be lying if I said that I did not feel a far sight better at this moment than I did when we first entered the room.”
John just made a face of distaste and went back to fumbling with the hole in his clothes. “Next time, leave Luke.”
“I am not sure that would be wise. Luke would take far too much pleasure in marrying my widow.”
John shrugged in agreement, finished picking at his breeches, and stood up. Matthew slapped him on the back in an affectionate gesture as they left the solar.
“It is your castle now, Johnny,” Matthew said. “Do what you must to make her strong.”
His castle. John rather liked the sounds of that.
As the youngest brother of four, there was rarely a chance for him to play lord and master.
As he went outside to begin assessing the wall strength of what was now his castle, Matthew had eyes only for the stairwell that led to the upper floors.
He knew Alixandrea was up there and it was time he bid her farewell.
Time was pressing and Richard’s army would be expecting him.
More than his meeting with John, and more than his looming confrontation with Henry Tudor, he did not relish this moment.
With a steadying breath, he mounted the stairs.