Chapter Eleven #4
“As you say,” he muttered. “All that aside, don’t you think you should practice before taking the field against St. John this afternoon? Fighting on horseback is much different than fighting on foot.”
Brogan cocked an eyebrow. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the past two weeks?”
William crossed his arms over his chest. “You tell me. In fact, you need to tell me everything. The fact that you’re here not only puts Avalyn in danger, but me as well because I know who you are.
By virtue of the fact that I have not told Aubrey, I have put myself in extreme peril.
At the very least, Aubrey and de Neville would kick me out of their service were they to discover this.
More than likely, I would be arrested and tried as an accessory. ”
Brogan’s jaw flexed. “Accessory to what?”
“To thievery. You are planning on stealing the lady, are you not?”
“Aye.”
“No liege, nobleman or king would ever trust me again if truth became known that I assisted you in your quest for the lady. I would be finished as a knight and quite possibly forfeit my life.”
Brogan was quiet, contemplating. “Will you come with us, then? I am not sure Avalyn will want to leave you here to face justice.”
William wriggled his eyebrows. “Hopefully my part in this will not be discovered.”
“Then why are you helping us?”
Round blue eyes snapped to Brogan, fixing on him.
Brogan watched the emotions rolling forth, the narrowing of the orbs.
After a moment, William averted his gaze.
“Because I am a fool for the lady, just as you are. She deserves some happiness in life. If I can help her achieve that, then I will do so gladly.”
Brogan could see something in the man’s expression. He’d suspected it from the first, but it strangely wasn’t something that overly concerned him. “You love her.”
It was a statement, not a question. William refused to look at him, instead lifting his shoulders weakly.
“She loves you. What I feel is of no consequence.” He shifted on his legs and began to move towards the knight’s quarters once more.
“Now, tell me; what have you been doing to prepare yourself for this charade as a knight?”
Brogan would not push the man on his feelings.
They were of no matter as it was. Inglesbatch had already proven himself a selfless individual and Brogan would not insult the man with inconsequential concerns.
Besides, if he thought about it, he’d known the truth from the onset and the knowledge did not bother him.
He knew that Avalyn did not return any presumed feelings.
He followed William towards the barracks. “St. Alban has been working with me day and night with sword and joust,” he said, changing the subject. “I’ve hardly slept at all. My entire focus was to be ready for this moment.”
“But two weeks?” William repeated, glad that they were no longer touching on the fragile subject of his feelings for Avalyn. It wasn’t that he did not want Brogan to know; he simply didn’t want to talk about it. “And you believe yourself ready to confront a man of St. John’s experience?”
“We will soon find out.”
William paused again, looking at him with a great deal of skepticism.
“Do you really think two weeks of practice will prepare you for this? Your patins said you had been a knight for almost twenty years. If you don’t perform like a man with years of experience, then this pretense is over.
Aubrey has been pushing Avalyn to set a wedding date, and if you do not execute to acceptable standards, then Aubrey will not accept you and any hope for this scheme will be finished.
Avalyn will not be able to delay their wedding any longer; she’s been fortunate to hold out this long. Do you comprehend?”
“I do,” Brogan replied steadily. “I will be ready.”
“You’d better be.”
They resumed their walk, eventually reaching the knight’s quarters.
It was a long building, built from the same dark gray granite stones that the rest of Guerdley Cross was constructed from.
Nestled against the outer wall, it was also close to any action the fortress might see.
In the dust and chaos of the bailey, the two men paused and looked at one another. There was heavy emotion in the moment.
“You had better go in and prepare yourself for your bout against St. John,” William said, wondering why he suddenly felt so disillusioned by this entire scheme. He was positive that Brogan was going to fail against St. John’s years of experience. “I shall come for you later.”
Brogan shifted on his enormous legs, the mail left to him from his father constricting in tender places. “I want to see her,” he said in a low voice.
“Out of the question.”
“Please, William. Make it so. I must.”
William wouldn’t look at him, not at all offended that Brogan had used his Christian name as if they were equals.
He opened his mouth to staunchly refuse again just as Charles and Avalyn rounded the keep, coming from the stables.
Brogan looked at her but just as quickly looked away; he was trying so very hard not to be obvious in his attention.
“Please, William,” he begged again. “Just a few moments. I swear that we shall be careful.”
William could hear his pleading, watching as Avalyn and Charles headed for the retractable steps to the keep.
After a lengthy pause, he sighed heavily; he knew the moment he was alone with Avalyn that she would ask the very same thing.
As risky as it was, and against his better judgment, he was resigned to the inevitable.
“Go to the stables,” he muttered. “Prepare your charger for your coming bout with St. John. I’ll come for you if I can.”
Without a glance to Avalyn, Brogan turned on his heel and entered the dark confines of the knight’s quarters. William went into the keep in the wake of Charles and Avalyn.
He had barely entered the cavernous, round-shaped entry when he heard Avalyn’s voice in the solar to his right. Peering inside, he could see that Avalyn was showing Charles the needlepoint scene she was working on. The man’s expression was wide with astonishment and pleasure.
“It’s stunning, my lady, truly,” he was saying graciously. “I am deeply touched that you would make this for me. It’s… it’s overwhelming.”
Avalyn smiled wanly, catching sight of William at the door. She waved him in. “Come in, William,” she said, almost too eagerly. “Did you get the new knight settled?”
“I did, my lady,” he stood a few feet away but had a clear view of her needlepoint. “A fine piece of work, my lady. Most impressive.”
Charles’ smile faded as William spoke. He looked at the knight as if to wish him far, far away. Though William didn’t look at him, he could nonetheless feel the man’s animosity. He cleared his throat and moved back in the direction of the door.
“If my lord and lady will excuse me,” he said. “I have duties to attend to.”
“Nay, William, do not go,” Avalyn was well aware that Charles was, by his expression, trying to chase the man away, but she would not let him leave. “I must speak to you about my colt. It seems that he has somehow injured himself. You know so much about horses; would you please take a look at him?”
William nodded slowly. “Of course, my lady. What seems to be the problem?”
“A bowed tendon, I think,” Charles spoke before Avalyn could respond. “Go and see to him now, Inglesbatch.”
It was not a request. He wanted to get rid of him.
Displeased with the less than kind tone from the usually congenial man, Avalyn moved in William’s direction.
“Excellent idea,” she said, to both men.
“I shall go with you, William. He seems to calm when I am around him and you will be able to more carefully examine his leg.”
Charles was clearly unhappy but said nothing.
He would, as always, comply with the lady’s wishes.
His brown eyes watched with disappointment and frustration as Avalyn quit the solar on William’s arm.
He didn’t even notice Thel and Aggie, who were still in the room as they tended to Avalyn’s sewing things. After a moment, he simply walked out.
When he was gone, Thel and Aggie looked at each other. Thel lifted her eyebrows.
“He does not like William, does he?” she whispered.
Aggie lifted her shoulders. “He does not like him so close to the lady.”
Thel nodded in agreement. She set the thread aside that she had been rolling. “Did you catch a glimpse of Brogan?” she hissed.
Aggie shook her head. “Nay. Did you?”
“Nay.”
“I wonder if we should go and find him?”
Aggie cocked her strawberry blond head. “We would not attract attention, would we?”
“I do not think so.”
“Where should he be?”
“Outside somewhere. Perhaps the barracks?”
“Then let us go. Perhaps he will give us a message for my lady.”
Quietly, the girls quit the room and ran to the front door, only to run headlong into Barton as he topped the landing outside.
Skittish, they apologized swiftly and very nearly ran down the wooden steps.
Barton paid them no mind, hardly wasting a glance on them.
He didn’t even think twice about the fact that they seemed to be heading for the knight’s quarters.