Chapter Eight
Langley Castle
Northumberland
Wynter didn’t realize they were going to spend the night at Langley Castle until they were very nearly upon it and she could see the big, dark-stoned structure looming on the crest of a not-too-distant hill.
Then, she knew.
Frustration bloomed.
The last time she had seen Brian was at Ashleven, just a few days ago before they left for Durham.
They’d had a rather meaningful conversation about the trouble Brian had been obliged to deal with from Boothe de Reyne and the mercenaries he’d been forced to hire as a result.
They were supposed to speak more that evening at sup, but Wynter had pleaded a headache so she wouldn’t have to see him.
She’d had a moment of weakness that afternoon in her father’s solar, thinking she should simply surrender to de Luci and get it over with, but she found that she simply couldn’t do it.
Now, with Gage returned to England, Brian de Luci didn’t stand a chance.
He never truly had.
That made this unexpected trip to Langley more unwelcome than ever.
“Look, Wynnie!” Spring said happily. “We’re going to visit with Lord Brian for the evening. How delightful!”
Of course, Spring would find it delightful.
Jolted from her thoughts, Wynter looked at her sister, seeing the glow of happiness in her eyes.
Spring was thinking of de Luci the way Wynter should think of him but couldn’t manage to.
Perhaps Spring was even thinking about dancing for him again, but John had warned Wynter against allowing Spring to dance.
She was coming to think that he was right because the last thing Wynter wanted to do was turn Brian against Spring.
Quite the contrary – she wanted the man to notice her sister.
That was her only hope of salvation.
“Brian told me that he has golden ponies,” Spring said, her gaze on the great castle she hoped to be lady over one day. “I would very much like to have one.”
“Ask him,” Wynter said. “Ask him for a pony and I am sure he will give you one. I know the man has eyes for you, Spring. Did I ever tell you that?”
Spring’s eyes widened with surprise as she looked at her sister. “Me?” she repeated. “He has eyes for me?”
Wynter turned to her. “You,” she confirmed.
“You must be very kind to him. You must be obedient. But do not dance for him anymore. Papa was right when he said it was unseemly for a woman to dance for a man who is not her husband, so no more dancing until after you have married him. Then, you can dance as much as you like.”
Spring was electrified by the idea. “Do you truly think he likes me?” she said. “I know that Papa wants him for you, but you…”
She trailed off, unwilling to provoke her sister now that Wynter was seemingly on her side in this matter.
However, Wynter saw how she could get back at her parents for thrusting Brian upon her and win this Battle of the Betrothals.
If she could play matchmaker between Brian and Spring, then she would be out of the equation forever.
“It is not that I do not think he is a kind man, because he is,” she said.
“It is only that Brian and I have nothing in common. We have different ways, different interests. I have nothing terrible to say about him at all. I simply think you would make a better wife for him than I would, but you must do as I say. I will help you capture his interest and mayhap he will finally ask Papa for your hand.”
Spring had a look on her face that suggested all of this was too good to be true. “What shall I do, then?”
Wynter’s focus turned to the castle that was looming ever closer and Spring failed to notice that rather calculating look in her eyes.
“You will be kind and obedient,” she said.
“You will make yourself amusing and pleasing. Tell him stories. Tell him about our visit to Durham. Wait… mayhap you should not tell him about The Rabbit Burrow. But you may tell him about Autumn’s abduction.
The man will be compelled to show sympathy for what we have been through. ”
Spring nodded quickly. “Kind and obedient and tell the man stories,” she repeated. “I will do that. And this will endear me to him?”
Wynter looked at her sister again, looking her over. She was well-dressed, but her features were pale and plain. She looked quite a bit like their father, who was a handsome man, but those same features on a woman simply weren’t attractive.
“I am not sure if he will be endeared all in one motion,” she said. “But pay him compliments. Every man likes to be complimented and told how strong and handsome he is. Brian is no different.”
Again, Spring nodded swiftly. “Compliment the man,” she said, more to herself than to her sister. “I will do that. Is that all?”
“For now,” Wynter said. “I will do what I can for you, so if you see me in private conversation with Brian, know that I am doing it for you. I will be telling him what a fine wife you would make.”
Spring could hardly believe her sister’s turn of heart.
Usually, she and Wynter were at each other’s throats constantly, so to have an ally in Wynter was…
strange. Strange but encouraging. Not knowing what to say to that, and unable to thank the woman because she’d never been able to thank Wynter for anything in her entire life, Spring turned her focus forward, watching Langley Castle as it loomed ever closer.
She was indulging in a daydream about how wonderful it would be to be the Lady of Langley when she heard a shout go up from the men at the front of the escort.
Weapons began to come out.
“Back up, ladies.” Etienne, who had been riding behind them, suddenly charged forward, his sword unsheathed. “Move closer together, please.”
Wynter obeyed without question. When knights gave a command, she knew enough to obey first, ask questions later. She reined her palfrey closer to Spring, who was looking off to the west were most of the attention seemed to be.
“What is happening?” Spring asked anxiously.
Etienne was watching Clark and Dirk, up at point.
They were speaking with a couple of their own scouts and as the group came to a crest in the road, with the trees parting, they could see a small army encamped on the south side of Langley’s walls.
Clark had his arm up, motioning to the column behind him, and the men came to a stop. More than that, they began to back up.
Etienne turned to Wynter and Spring.
“Go back with your mother and sisters immediately,” he said. “They are towards the rear. Go now.”
He said it in a tone that suggested they not argue with him, so the women turned their palfreys around and headed down the center of the column, protected by soldiers who were drawing their weapons.
The rear of the column had already come to a halt.
Towards the rear was a fortified carriage, an enormous box on wheels, with wooden sides fortified by iron bars.
Maryann insisted traveling for any distance that way, as she was fine for a short while on a palfrey, but for anything of length and distance, she liked her comforts.
For all of its prison-like appearance, the interior of the carriage was quite comfortable.
Both Summer and Autumn were inside, Autumn because Maryann insisted on keeping her youngest close since the incident in Durham and Summer because she simply didn’t want to ride with her sisters.
Wynter and Spring reined their palfreys next to the carriage, watching the front of the column with some apprehension.
“What do you think is happening?” Spring asked.
Wynter shook her head. “I do not know,” she said. “But there is an entire army camped outside of Langley’s walls. Clearly, that was not expected.”
“Do you think they are attacking Langley?” Spring said fearfully.
Wynter didn’t have an answer. She wasn’t exactly afraid, but she was curious.
She could see the Ashington men forming a line along the western side of the road, protecting the women and the carriage.
She was coming to wonder why they hadn’t evacuated the carriage altogether, but she could see Clark speaking to some men she didn’t recognize.
Dismounting, Wynter handed the reins of her palfrey over to Spring and made her way to the edge of the road, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening in the front.
Unfortunately, the line of soldiers wouldn’t let her pass through them to see, so she was stuck for the moment, blind to what was going on. Frustrated, she went back to her horse.
“Get off,” she told Spring. “Get off and get into the carriage.”
Spring slithered off, her eyes full of fear. “Why?” she asked. “Is something awful happening?”
Wynter shook her head, taking the reins of both palfreys from her sister. “I do not know,” she said. “Get inside with Mama and Summer and Autie. I will wait and see what is transpiring.”
Spring wasn’t much for courage, so she didn’t have to be told twice.
She scurried to the rear of the carriage where there was a fortified door and her mother opened it from the inside to let her in.
Wynter could hear Maryann calling to her, telling her to come inside, but Wynter wasn’t ready to fold yet.
She very much wanted to see what was happening.
It didn’t take long.
Etienne returned to the rear of the column, charging back along the line and telling the men to get moving. He ended up a few feet away from Wynter, his horse kicking up rocks from the road. Wynter had to step back or risk being stoned to death.
“Well?” she demanded. “What’s amiss?”
Etienne waved a big arm at the men towards the rear of the column, encouraging them to move forward.
“It seems that it is a mercenary army encamped outside the walls,” he said. “Lord Tynedale says we are quite safe, so let us move forward into Langley’s bailey quickly.”