Chapter Nine #2
Emmeline nodded. “Exactly,” she said. “My mother gave it to my father because he was worthy of her. Now, I give it to you because you are the only one worthy of it. You have shown me such kindness and understanding since our introduction that I can’t imagine giving it to any other.
It would mean a great deal to me if you kept it.
Mayhap you will remember me with a smile when you look at it, a woman who was very grateful that you saved her life. ”
Addax still wasn’t sure if he should keep it, but a glance at Corisande showed that she was nodding at him, very faintly.
Keep it, she was telling him. Truth be told, Addax very much wanted to keep it, to remind him not of saving Emmeline’s life, but of Emmeline herself.
Given that she had married Maximilian, it would be the only thing he ever had of her.
He was coming to regret that more and more.
“Very well,” he said, tucking it back into the pocket alongside the Black Dragon dagger. “If you wish it, I will keep it.”
Emmeline smiled. “Good,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Nay, lady, thank you.”
She chuckled softly, smiling at the man she couldn’t seem to stop smiling at.
But the crowd was dispersing around them and there were people clamoring for Addax’s attention, so he waved at them and then indicated for the ladies to follow him back to the competitor area of the tournament field.
The general population wasn’t allowed in that area, but he made sure Emmeline and Corisande were admitted.
Cole was there along with Essien and Beau and Maximilian.
When Maximilian saw his wife coming, he went over to meet her.
“Good,” he said. “I was going to send a servant to fetch you, but you’ve saved me the trouble. I spoke to my father last night, and we are going to depart for home on the morrow. I want you to be ready to leave.”
Emmeline had known the day would come, but it seemed that it was coming fairly soon.
Not that she’d expected to stay for months in Berwick, but she was rather enjoying it here.
She was making friends. Except for Maximilian, she was seeing the positive side of things.
One positive was that he hadn’t come to her last night.
She’d spent the evening alone, in her borrowed chamber in Berwick Castle, and he hadn’t joined her at all.
There had been a feast in the hall that night, which she hadn’t attended, but Corisande had made sure supper was sent up to her.
After spending most of the day with Addax and his friends, watching the sword bouts and stuffing themselves with coffins and beef and fruit pies, Addax had returned her to the castle before evening fell.
He had things to attend to, which was sad for her because she’d thoroughly enjoyed his company, but spending the evening alone had afforded her time to think about Addax.
He wasn’t the man she’d married, but she was quickly growing attached to him. She could feel it.
Hence her reason for not attending the feast.
That meant she was wide open for Maximilian’s arrival, but it never came.
She’d been more than grateful. In fact, she hadn’t even seen the man until that morning.
She knew he’d hurt himself because she’d seen the bandages on his right arm during the sword bouts, but she hadn’t asked about the injury, and no one told her about it.
Frankly, she didn’t really care. Quickly, she was building up an indifferent attitude toward him, purely as self-defense.
If he wanted a businesslike marriage, then she would give him one.
It was the only way to survive.
“As you wish,” she said after a moment. “I am already packed, so it is simply a matter of loading my trunks into the carriage, but I was hoping we might spend a little more time at Berwick. Lord and Lady Blackadder have been gracious hosts.”
Maximilian nodded impatiently. “I know, but there is no reason for me to remain, considering I have this bloody broken arm now,” he said. “I may as well return to Alston Castle and assess my new property, at least until my arm heals. I’ll rejoin the tournament circuit at that time.”
Bloody broken arm. Now she knew it was broken, but how it happened, she didn’t care.
She wouldn’t ask. In fact, he’d just outlined his plans for the next few months, and she was nearly giddy with the thought that he intended to leave her at Alston Castle while he went back to the tournament circuit.
As she pondered that bit of news, others were starting to join their little circle of conversation, Cole and Addax included.
“What’s this you say?” Addax said to Maximilian, pulling off his heavy gloves. “You’ll rejoin the circuit for the autumn season?”
Maximilian nodded. “I think so,” he said. “I shall return to my new lands for the summer and allow my arm to heal before returning in the autumn. Why not come with me, Ad? Take the summer off from getting battered and bruised on the tournament circuit.”
Why not come with me?
That was the invitation Addax had been hoping for. It came to naturally, so organically, that it was an effort not to agree immediately. He didn’t want to seem as if he’d been eager for the invitation, so he slowed down. He fussed with his gloves, finally shrugging as he looked at Cole.
“What do you think?” he said casually. “Should I take the summer away from my adoring throng?”
Cole chuckled. “The question is if they can stand being away from you,” he said.
“But I think Max may have an excellent suggestion. Besides, he may need help with that arm the way it is. He’ll need a knight riding escort to protect his wife, at the very least, with his sword arm injured. You’d be doing him a favor.”
Cole was making it so very easy for Addax to agree, as if the entire situation made perfect sense. Addax had planned to ingratiate himself to Claudius, who hadn’t shown his face yesterday or today so far, ever since Addax saw him in the church with the Scots, but none of that needed to happen now.
Maximilian had given him a way in.
“I could probably use the rest away from the tournament circuit,” he said, trying to make it sound as if he was still relatively undecided. “How soon do you need my decision?”
“My father wants to return home tomorrow,” Maximilian said.
That drew some surprise from Addax. “So soon?”
“He wants to go home.”
Addax looked at Cole, at Essien, before finally nodding. “Then I suppose I could go,” he said. “Es, come with us. Let us enjoy some rest away from the constant battle of the tournament field.”
Essien, who was well aware of the situation with Claudius and the Scots as well, nodded to his brother’s invitation.
“Sounds intriguing,” he said. “But we’ve got squires and a smithy and soldiers who depend on our winnings for their livelihood. What about them?”
“I will put them to work at Berwick,” Cole said, stepping in. He didn’t want anything keeping Addax and Essien from going to Alston Castle with Maximilian. “You needn’t worry about them. You can send word when you want them to rejoin you.”
“Excellent,” Addax said, slapping Cole on the shoulder. “In that case, I’ve much to plan before tomorrow, but first I intend to make sure de Wolfe wasn’t seriously injured, and then I will collect my purse.”
Maximilian, in particular, seemed relieved. “Many thanks, Ad,” he said. “It will be a pleasure having you at Alston for the summer. Just like old times. Penrith and Carlisle aren’t terribly far. There are many good taverns there.”
He meant drinking and women, something Addax knew a little something about. Not particularly the women, because he wasn’t a womanizer like Maximilian was, but he’d had his fair share of drink.
Then he caught a glimpse of Emmeline.
She was looking at her feet as Maximilian spoke of taverns and old times.
Addax realized that he was glad to go with Maximilian, not because Cole had asked it of him, but because Emmeline would be there.
He’d be able to see her every day. He’d enjoyed talking to her so much that he was looking forward to that. But only that.
He knew damn well it could go no further.
But that didn’t stop him from being happy about it.
“It will be a summer to remember, to be sure,” he finally said. “Of course, I should like Lady de Grey’s approval. I have a feeling I will be taking her husband away from her more than she might like.”
As Emmeline looked up from her feet, surprised that he should take her feelings into consideration, Maximilian spoke for her.
“I would not worry,” he said. “What I do does not concern her.”
It was a callous thing to say, but Addax didn’t comment on it. There was no use. He did, however, see that Corisande was eyeing Maximilian quite unhappily.
He could only imagine what was going on in her mind.
Like nearly everyone else in Cole’s inner circle, Corisande knew how poorly Maximilian had treated Emmeline from the start.
She’d been sickened to hear that the woman had tried to kill herself over it the night before.
Emmeline seemed to have new resolve this morning, but there was no telling what would happen when the months and years dragged on and Maximilian deliberately ignored his wife, leaving her alone and despondent.
“Max,” Corisande said casually, reaching out to take Emmeline’s hand. “Why not leave Emmy here with me whilst you inspect your new acquisition? We have gotten along famously, and I would like her company.”
Maximilian looked puzzled. “Emmy?”
“Your wife,” Corisande said patiently. “Her friends call her Emmy. Or didn’t you take the time to find that out yet?”
Cole cleared his throat loudly as his wife began slinging insults.
“I think the weather should hold for your journey home,” he said, turning to block Corisande’s view of Maximilian and putting his hands on the man to steer him away.
“This time of year can be misty in the morning, but I do not anticipate any storms. I’ve got a man who swears he can read the weather, and he’s been accurate so far. ”
Maximilian was moving toward the encampment with Cole and Addax right behind him.
He said something about the weather in general as Cole looked over his shoulder and cast his wife a threatening look that she promptly ignored.
As the men began filtering away and Addax departed to check on de Wolfe and collect his purse, Corisande turned to Emmeline.
“He deserved that, the stupid goat,” she muttered, but realized it was not her place to chastise him, and she smiled weakly. “I apologize, dearest. But men like that make me furious. He has such a beauty in you. He needs to recognize that.”
Emmeline forced a smile. “I do not think he cares,” she said. “But no matter—you heard him. He is going to heal from his broken arm and return to the tournament circuit, leaving me alone at Alston. And that is a pleasing prospect for me. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Corisande thought that sounded very sad, but she refrained from commenting.
Everyone’s life was different and everyone’s marriage was different.
She shouldn’t have said what she did, but she’d never liked Maximilian.
The man had always seemed rather foolish to her, like a child who never grew up.
She didn’t like him more now that she’d seen how he treated someone as sweet as Emmeline.
But there was nothing she could do about it.
“Well,” she said, taking Emmeline by the hand. “I think we should return to the castle and pack your belongings. And I will have the cook make a great basket of food for you to take with you.”
Emmeline’s smile turned grateful. “That is very kind of you,” she said. “And I promise that the first missive I send you will have pressed flowers from Alston’s garden. Will you send me seeds from Berwick to plant?”
Corisande loved that idea. “I will,” she said as the women began the mile trek back to the castle. “Send me things from Alston that I can plant here as well. It will remind me of you.”
It was a sweet sentiment, a turn in conversation that Corisande had planned. She was trying to make Emmeline’s return to Alston Castle seem as if it was nothing at all. As if she wasn’t going back with a cold husband and an uncertain future. But Corisande knew better than that.
And so did Emmeline.