Epic Knights of Legend and Steel

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

The One-Eyed Raven Inn

T he Lady Jeniver ferch Gaerwen de Shera sat across the table from her husband’s brother at the morning meal, a surprising event considering her pregnancy often kept her in bed in the morning. But not this morning, she was actually hungry as she pulled bread apart as Gallus, Maximus, Tiberius, and the knights sat in the quiet common room of the old inn. Men were sleeping in various positions around the room, just beginning to stir, as the sun began to rise.

“Please tell me about your meal at Lord de Lara’s last night, Max,” Jeniver insisted as she popped a piece of warm bread into her mouth. “Ty said that the lord’s daughter actually cooked the meal herself. Is this true?”

Maximus smiled weakly. He was exhausted because he hadn’t slept all night. Thoughts of Courtly de Lara had been seared into his brain until there was nothing else he could think of. Her brilliant smile, her honeyed voice, and her magnificent beauty had him obsessed as he had never been obsessed with anything in his life. He’d only known the woman a day, but in that day, he’d come to discover a woman of humor, intelligence, determination, and compassion. There wasn’t one aspect of the woman that he didn’t like or wasn’t attracted to.

“Aye,” he said. “Evidently, her father and his sister hate one another. The sister resides at Kennington and when de Lara told her he’d invited guests for dinner, the woman ran off and took her servants. Rather than let her father be embarrassed in front of his guests, Lady Courtly cooked the meal herself to save the man’s honor.”

“And it was a damn fine meal,” Tiberius, mouth full of bread, spoke. “She learned her craft at Prudhoe Castle and the meal was delicious. But I came to see last night that we may have a problem with the lovely Lady Courtly.”

Jeniver’s brow furrowed. “What problem is that?”

Tiberius eyed Maximus. “I think our dear, sweet Max is fond of the lady,” he said. “She was the only one he spoke to all evening. It was as if there were only the two of them in the entire hall.”

Shocked, Jeniver looked at Maximus. “Is this true?” she asked. “Are you fond of the woman, Max?”

Maximus wasn’t ready to divulge what was in his heart yet, and certainly not to an audience. He glared at Tiberius. “Keep your mouth shut,” he growled. “My behavior is none of your concern.”

Tiberius was trying not to grin. He was sitting next to Maximus but stood up and moved away from him, fearful that he would be the recipient of a fist to the jaw. Maximus wouldn’t hesitate if provoked.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of,” Tiberius said, chewing his bread from the other side of the table where Jeniver and Gallus sat. “She is a beautiful, sweet woman, Max. Had you not met her first, I might have pursued her. In fact, if you are not interested, mayhap you will let me have her?”

It was the wrong thing to say. Maximus bolted up from the table, going after Tiberius with a vengeance. None of the knights moved to help Tiberius, mostly because they didn’t want to be in Maximus’ line of fire, but Gallus stood up and quickly put himself between his brothers as Maximus made a swipe for Tiberius’ neck.

“Enough, Max,” Gallus commanded softly. “No fighting with my wife present. And when did you become so sensitive? Go sit down and finish your meal.”

Maximus was red in the face. He had hold of Tiberius’ collar and wouldn’t let go. “You put Lady Courtly out of your mind, do you hear?” he snarled at his younger brother. “She is not for you.”

Tiberius was torn between being amused and defending himself. “Since when do you take me seriously?” he asked, trying to pry his brother’s hand off of his tunic. “Let go of my tunic. You are going to tear it.”

Maximus barred his teeth and tightened his grip but Gallus shoved at him, breaking his hold on Tiberius. As Tiberius made his way over to Jeniver and sat down beside her, knowing Maximus wouldn’t go after him if Jeniver was nearby, Gallus frowned at his middle brother.

“Go sit down and eat,” he told him. “He was just being as insufferable as usual. Why are you being so serious?”

Maximus didn’t say another word. He turned and left the common room, heading out to the livery through the back door. Tiberius and Gallus watched him go, as did Jeniver. She looked at Tiberius.

“You have struck something within him by speaking of Lady Courtly,” she said quietly. “I have never seen him behave that way before.”

Tiberius was coming to see that he probably should not have teased his brother on the matter of the lady because the truth was that Maximus had paid an inordinate amount of attention to her the night before. It had been rather astonishing to watch, as Maximus wasn’t known to pay attention to women on a conversational level. But Lady Courtly had his brother’s undivided attention.

“I did not think he would react so violently,” he admitted. “They were as thick as thieves last night. I have never seen my brother smile so much. If I had to guess, I would say the lady had thoroughly enchanted him.”

Jeniver, a sensitive and caring woman, began to feel badly for Maximus, perhaps the most reserved of the brothers. She was coming to think that Tiberius’ teasing had embarrassed him.

“Mayhap I should go and speak with him,” she said, climbing off the bench and bracing herself against Tiberius’ shoulder as she moved. “Mayhap he needs a woman to speak to and not his judgmental brothers.”

Gallus was standing behind his wife, taking her arm to help her away from the table. At four months pregnant, she was moving rather stiffly and gingerly, as her belly was growing and she was just starting to become the slightest bit uncomfortable with her changing body.

“You had better let him calm himself first,” he told her. “Sit down, sweetheart, and eat your meal.”

Jeniver shook her head, moving for the door that led out to the livery yard beyond the inn. Already, she could smell the strong scents of horses and hay upon the cold, early morning breeze.

“He must not be left to stew about this,” she said. “If he truly feels something for the lady, then it was wrong to tease him about it. I will see if I can ease the man.”

Jeniver heard her husband’s weak protest as he called to her but she ignored him. Something told her that Maximus did, indeed, need someone to talk to who wasn’t going to tease him about his feelings if, in fact, he felt something for de Lara’s daughter. Jeniver had a good relationship with Maximus and she loved him dearly, as a brother. He was a good man with a good heart that he kept buried deep beneath that warring exterior. As she wandered across the livery yard, shielding her eyes from the early morning glare, she caught sight of him just inside the stable.

Maximus was bent over his black and white stallion, inspecting the right front foreleg. Jeniver came up behind him, quietly, watching the man as he tended his horse.

“Max,” she said softly. “Are you well? I am sure Tiberius did not intend to be cruel. You know how he is. He likes to tease.”

Maximus looked up from his horse to see his lovely sister-in-law standing a few feet away. Jeniver was truly a wise and gentle soul, a lady that Maximus’ mother loved dearly. Honey had accepted Jeniver from the beginning of her relationship with Gallus, and that was something that made Maximus respect his brother’s wife greatly. Lady Honey’s respect was not given lightly. Maximus smiled thinly at her, without humor.

“Aye, he does,” he said. “Someday it is going to get him into trouble. And in answer to your question, I am well. You needn’t worry about me.”

Jeniver studied the very big de Shera brother. “I do not worry,” she said. “But I would like to hear about Lady Courtly without Tiberius making jest of everything you say. Gallus told me how you two met. How very brave it was of you to save her life from a burning building. Truly, Max, that was an amazing effort.”

Maximus sighed faintly, leaning on his horse and averting his gaze. Jeniver was one of the very few people he could let his guard down with and he could feel his control slipping, wanting to confide in someone about what he was feeling. He just didn’t really know how.

“I just happened to be there,” he said. “Anyone in my position would have done the same.”

Jeniver smiled gently at the very modest warrior. “I am sure she and her father are very grateful.”

Maximus nodded. “They are,” he said. He hesitated a moment before continuing. “I will admit, I was quite astonished to know that she cooked the evening meal last night. She said she did not want her father to be embarrassed in front of his guests. She did it because it needed to be done. Most women would have lamented the fact that they had no cook and simply let everyone go hungry, but she did not.”

Jeniver could see the soft reflection in Maximus’ eyes as he spoke of de Lara’s daughter. “And you admire that?”

He nodded. “I do.”

Jeniver’s smile grew. “Is she pretty, too?”

He looked at her, then, prepared to give a vague answer but he found that he couldn’t. In all honesty, he simply couldn’t diminish a woman who, in his opinion, was quite special. She was pretty, indeed. All that and more.

“Aye,” he replied. “She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is excellent at conversation as well. Evidently, de Lara schooled both of his daughters in military matters and there was much that she and I could discuss. At least, a little bit. She seemed to want to speak of things like flowers and art, mostly.”

Jeniver was quite intrigued by the way Maximus was speaking of Lady Courtly and she could see that Tiberius was right. Maximus, the consummate warrior, was indeed enchanted by the woman. It warmed her heart to see it.

“I think that is marvelous,” she said sincerely. “She sounds like a wonderful woman. I would like to meet her.”

Maximus shrugged and turned back to his horse, slapping the beast affectionately on the withers. “Mayhap you will,” he said. Then, he eyed her a moment before breaking down in awkward snorts of laughter. “I will admit to you, and only to you, that I would like to see her again, too.”

Jeniver laughed softly and went to him, leaning up against his horse. “We will have to find an excuse to visit her,” she said. “Mayhap I should call upon her, as Gallus’ wife, and you can ride escort. Would you like that?”

He wouldn’t look at her, grinning like a fool. “Mayhap,” he said. “I… I was thinking of sending her some fabric and other things that ladies might like. All of her possessions were burned in the fire, you know. She hasn’t anything left to wear. She said that she does not even have a comb to use.”

Jeniver was dismayed. “Is this true?” she gasped. “Then we must go to town immediately and buy her some material. I will take it to her as a gift from the House of de Shera. It should come from me, you know, at least until you are formally courting her. Then you can provide her with all of the gifts you wish.”

Maximus looked at her, feigning shock, although he wasn’t doing a very good job. “Who said I am going to court her?”

Jeniver could see that he was very interested in the idea in spite of his protests. “Would you have someone else court her, then?” she asked in a threatening manner. “Ty, mayhap? He would willingly do it.”

Maximus’ eyes narrowed. “I would kill him if he did,” he said, watching a knowing smile play on Jeniver’s lips. He shook his head, knowing that she now understood how he felt about Lady Courtly. He had given himself away with the death threat against his brother. Therefore, he signed in resignation. “Very well, you little vixen. You may bring her the gifts and I will ride escort. But do you feel well enough to do it?”

Jeniver nodded firmly. “Of course,” she said. “I feel much better today, thanks to the licorice root and chamomile you brought me. You are a very sweet and thoughtful man, Max. Do not let Ty or anyone else make you feel ashamed because of it.”

Maximus was back to looking at his feet, away from her knowing and praising gaze. “I am not ashamed.”

“But you were ready to throttle your brother when he teased you about it.”

Maximus frowned. “That is because Lady Courtly is not to be trifled with,” he said, growing frustrated. “She is not an average woman, not in the least. I will not let Ty make sport of her.”

Jeniver patted his big arm comfortingly. “I believe you,” she said. “Shall we go into town and buy her a few things? I will take them to her with my compliments.”

Maximus was still looking at the ground, now kicking absently at it. It was a few moments before he answered. “Aye,” he said, casting Jeniver a sideways glance. “I would like to see her again today. It seems as if she is all I can think about. I could not even sleep last night because every time I closed my eyes, she was there. Truthfully, Jeni, I have never felt anything like this in my entire life. It is frightening and wonderful at the same time.”

Jeniver was thrilled by his admission. “Then I wish you the very best of luck in your pursuit of Lady Courtly,” she said. “I will do all I can to ensure there is another Lady de Shera. It gets rather lonely at times with no womenfolk to talk to. I miss your mother’s company very much to that regard.”

Maximus sobered. “I miss her very much as well,” he said. “After de Montfort’s meeting in two days, we are leaving immediately for home. Although I very much want to see to my mother’s health, now it seems as if I am reluctant to leave Oxford because Lady Courtly is here. I do not want to go away from her because I am afraid I will never see her again. It is a strange dilemma, indeed.”

Jeniver didn’t seem to take it too seriously. “Mayhap when we leave for Isenhall, Lady Courtly can go with me,” she said. “Mayhap I will speak to her father and tell him that I am in great need of a lady-in-waiting. I am a countess, after all, with only menfolk about me. That is reason enough to ask for her to come.”

Maximus was overwhelmed with the thought. “You would do that?”

Jeniver nodded firmly. “Indeed, I would, if it will please you.”

Maximus stared at her a moment, trying to imagine returning to Isenhall with Lady Courtly as company. He was nearly overcome with the joy and excitement the mere thought seemed to provoke.

“It would,” he finally confessed. “You have no idea how much it would. But if she comes with us, then I should speak to her father about courting her. I… I do believe I would like to marry a woman such as Lady Courtly. I never imagined I would have a marriage that was anything other than a convenience, but when I see you and Gallus together, I realize that I hope for such happiness, too. Mayhap Lady Courtly would bring me such joy. It would be a miraculous thing, indeed.”

Jeniver smiled at the man who seemed to have deeper thoughts than she believed him capable of. Was it true that, perhaps, there was a bit of a dreamer in Maximus de Shera? It seemed impossible from his usually warring manner but from his words, now it was seemingly probable. She squeezed his arm encouragingly.

“I hope so, truly,” she said softly, sincerely. “It is wonderful to wake up every morning next to the person you love most. I pray you know that feeling, Max. I truly do. Meanwhile, do not let Tiberius upset you so. I believe that if he truly knew the depths of your feelings on the matter of Lady Courtly that he would not be so quick to taunt.”

Maximus grunted unhappy. “I hope so,” he said. “I do not wish to kill my own brother, but if he continues along his path, it may come to that.”

Jeniver laughed softly. “Let us pray it does not,” she said. “I will make sure he understands that there is to be no mention of Lady Courtly from his lips. I am sure he will see reason.”

Maximus cast her a long glance. “You will not tell him what I told you?” he asked hesitantly. “I… I do not wish for him to know what I am feeling, at least not yet. I will tell him in time.”

Jeniver shook her head firmly. “I will not breathe a word of it,” she said. “But may I tell Gallus? He will want to know. He will not taunt you. Moreover, he will want to know why I am going into town to buy gifts for a woman I have never met.”

Maximus was forced to agree. “Then you must tell him,” he agreed. “He will not be able to go with us because de Montfort has sent for him this morning. Did he tell you?”

“He did.”

“I do not want Tiberius going with us, either.”

Jeniver laughed softly. “As you say,” she said. “He can go with Gallus to meet with de Montfort.”

“De Montfort called for Gallus only. Tiberius can remain here for all I care. Whatever he does, I do not want him going with us.”

“I will make sure he does not.”

Satisfied, Maximus turned back to his horse, slapping the big neck affectionately. “Let me tend to my horse first and then we shall gather gifts when I am finished. Will you be ready in an hour?”

Jeniver was already moving from the stable. “I am ready now,” she said. “But tend your horse. I will tell Gallus where we are going.”

Maximus watched Jeniver as she moved halfway across the yard before coming to a halt. Slowly, thoughtfully, she turned back in his direction.

“Max,” she said pensively, as if she were stewing on a great idea. “What if I were to invite Lady Courtly to come shopping with me rather than taking gifts to her? Your time with her would probably be better spent. How much will you really be able to speak with her if we take gifts to her home and her father is around? What if we deliver the gifts and he asks us to leave immediately? You will not be able to spend any time with her at all.”

Maximus cocked his head curiously. “What makes you think her father will not let me speak to her?” he asked. “I spent a good deal of time speaking to her last evening.”

Jeniver shrugged. “But if we bring her with us to town, then your time with her would be… uninterrupted, I would think,” she said, rather slyly. “You may even take her shopping, alone, while I go about my business. You could not do that if her father was around. I am simply suggesting that you might like some time alone with her.”

Maximus liked her idea very much. “And you would be correct,” he said. “Very well, then. We shall go to Kennington and invite her to go to town with us and shop for her needs.”

With a clever grin, Jeniver turned back for the inn, and Maximus watched her until she disappeared inside. Then, he turned back to his horse, bending over to feel for the swollen tendon he felt last night. All the while, his thoughts were lingering on the anticipation of shopping with Lady Courtly. He didn’t tell Jeniver about the rose oil. He didn’t know why. Perhaps because it was the first gift he had ever given a woman and it seemed like such a deeply personal thing, just between the two of them. He wanted to keep that memory private for the moment, something to savor.

As he headed back into the inn to make a poultice for his horse’s swollen leg, he imagined all of the grand things he would purchase for Lady Courtly. He was eager to see her expression when he bought them for her, lavishing gifts upon a woman who had lost everything. He hoped that de Lara wouldn’t be insulted by the gifts but he told himself that de Lara’s angst didn’t matter. He planned to ask for permission to court Courtly and he was sure Kellen would have no reason to deny him. He had, after all, saved the woman’s life and Kellen had declared that they were all in Maximus’ debt. Perhaps it was time for the debt to be paid.

As he thought on the joys of seeing Courtly again, he could not have imagined a very different scene happening that moment at Kennington. Had he known, he would have stopped what he was doing and raced for the manor.

He didn’t know he was about to lose Courtly before he ever truly had a chance to gain her.

*

“But, Papa… I do not understand,” Courtly pleaded. “Why are you sending us home? What have we done?”

It was after sunrise following the evening with Maximus de Shera as their guest. The morning was bright if not cold, and somewhere during the night rain had fallen, leaving the bailey a soupy mess of mud. De Lara’s men were milling about, starting cooking fires to warm over the remains of last night’s pork stew, but along with those men going about their duties, there were about ten of them forming a traveling party near Kennington’s iron gate.

It was this traveling party that Courtly was referring to. Standing in the doorway of the lower level of the wing where the bedchambers were, she was wrapped in a woolen coverlet against the morning’s chill. She had nothing else to use against the cold. Her father had awoken her and Isadora just after dawn, telling his daughters that they were returning to their home on the marches that day. Then he had turned and walked away, but the news had Courtly on her feet and running after her father to confront him. Now, the confrontation was here as Kellen turned to answer his daughter’s question.

“You have not done anything,” he said stiffly. “I am sending you home because I do not believe Oxford is a good place for you. With the fire yesterday, now you have nothing at all by way of possessions, and I do not see Ellice providing anything to you so it is best to send you home. It is safer and better for you there.”

That wasn’t the truth behind the directive and Courtly knew it. She suspected from the onset what was behind her father’s sudden decision to send her home and she would not tactfully couch her accusation. It came out in force as her father tried to turn away from her.

“That is not true,” she hissed. “Could this have something to do with Maximus de Shera, Papa?”

Kellen paused to look at her, eyes narrowing. “I do not know what you mean,” he said, trying to turn away again. “Make sure Isadora is ready to leave within the hour.”

Courtly bolted out of the doorway and grabbed her father by the arm, stopping him from going any further.

“We are not going anywhere,” she said. “I knew you were watching Maximus last night when he spoke with me. You were watching him from the moment he entered the hall, weren’t you? From the very moment the man said his first word to me, you were watching him with suspicion. How could you do that, Papa? How could you show such mistrust for the man who saved the lives of your children?”

Kellen grunted. “The man didn’t talk to the rest of us– only to you.”

“He was our guest! Was I supposed to ignore him?”

Kellen yanked his arm away from her grasp. Their first conversation of the day had become very brittle, very quickly, and he was caught off-guard by it. He didn’t like fighting with his precious Courtly and wasn’t very adept in handling his emotions where it pertained to her.

“I never said this decision had anything to do with Maximus de Shera,” he insisted, although it was weakly done. “Why would you accuse me of such a thing?”

His denial angered her. “Because it is true!” she fired at him. “You always behave the same way when any man comes within ten feet of me. You think every man in England is out to ravage me. It simply isn’t true!”

Kellen was trying not to lose ground in this argument. Maximus’ attention towards Courtly had him up all night and by morning he’d made his decision what to do about it. He knew he couldn’t chase a de Shera away as he’d done with other suitors. Therefore, it stood to reason that if he couldn’t send the man away, he needed to send his daughter away where the man could not get to her. Still, he would not admit to her accusation. He didn’t like having his decisions questioned.

“I have no idea what you mean,” he said, again. “I am sending you back to Trelystan because you and your sister have nothing and your aunt has not yet returned this morning, so it is doubtful you will have anything you need to replace what you lost.”

Courtly threw up her hands in a gesture of utter frustration. “We can just as easily go into Oxford to purchase items to replace what we lost in the fire,” she pointed out. “You would rather send us home, more than two weeks on the road, with absolutely nothing to our name? We would have to stop somewhere, at some time, to purchase something to tide us over. Why not purchase it here?”

Kellen’s jaw ticked angrily and he was having a difficult time looking at his daughter. “You will be safer at home,” he said, avoiding her question. “I should not have brought you with me to Oxford. There is too much danger here.”

Courtly grunted with frustration. “There is no danger here,” she said. “You have made up any danger in your mind. Admit it, Papa– you want to send me home because Maximus de Shera was kind to me. He showed me attention. Every time a man shows me attention, you do your very best to send him away. Now, you are sending me away because you cannot send a de Shera away. Admit it!”

Kellen growled and turned away from her. “You are mad.”

Courtly watched him march away. “Mayhap I am,” she called after him, furious. “But I am not going home!”

With that, she stomped back into the building, slamming the door behind her. When she returned to the small, dark chamber she shared with her sister, Isadora was sitting up in bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

“Why were you shouting?” Isadora wanted to know, yawning. “Why was Papa here?”

Courtly was hurt, frustrated, and angry. She sat heavily on the end of the bed, near tears. She knew what her father was capable of but this was one suitor she did not wish for him to chase away. Speaking with Maximus the night before, it was as if they were the only two people in the entire hall. Her father had been right. Maximus had only spoken to her for most of the night. He had been attentive, kind, and humorous. It was true that she had done most of the talking, but he had listened most carefully. And when he spoke in that deep, melodious voice, it was enough to send bolts of excitement coursing up her spine. She could have listened to that voice forever.

But she knew her father had been watching. He’d been watching both of them since the moment they came back from the kitchens. Although Maximus’ brother was able to engage Kellen in conversation, monopolizing the man for the entire evening, it was clear that Kellen had been distracted by the conversation going on between Maximus and his daughter. Courtly had been fully expecting her father to make a comment about it but she certainly hadn’t expected the man to make an attempt to send her home. Well, she wasn’t going no matter what he said.

“Papa wants to send us back to Trelystan,” she finally said, answering her sister’s question. “I told him we are not going.”

Isadora appeared puzzled. “Why does he want to send us back?”

Courtly looked at her sister, then. “Because he wants to send me away from Sir Maximus,” she said. “He did not like the attention the man paid to me last night. We knew this would happen, Issie. It always does.”

Isadora yawned again although she was becoming more lucid. “I saw Papa,” she said. “He watched you and Sir Maximus all night.”

Courtly sighed heavily and hung her head. Her frustration and anger was wearing off, being replaced by a powerful sense of disappointment. Not this time, Papa. I will not let you do it this time!

“Why does he do it, Is?” she sighed. “I did not much care when he chased away my first two suitors, old men who had summoned me because they had heard I was beautiful. I did not even care when he chased away that young knight who had been traveling from Ireland. What was his name? De Royans? And if Papa knew that Kirk St. Héver has tried to show me attention, he would dismiss the man forever. But with Sir Maximus, I do not want to go home and never see him again.”

Isadora watched her sister’s sad expression and felt very sorry for her, as sorry as a child could feel. She didn’t yet understand the allure of men and of marriage, but someday she would. She didn’t want to face what her sister was facing. Climbing out of bed, she went to her sister, snuggling against her, trying to give the woman some comfort.

“Papa is afraid,” she said simply. “He is afraid someone will take you away from him.”

Courtly sighed. “I wish it was that simple,” she said. “It seems as if there is something more than that, something….”

She was cut off when the door to the chamber suddenly swung open, revealing Ellice in the doorway. Isadora gasped with fright at the unexpected sight of her aunt, who looked damp and disheveled, as if she had been running all night long. Her eyes had an edgy gleam to them. Courtly, however, did nothing more than meet the woman’s gaze. She was in no mood for the woman’s games, now appearing as if Lazarus had just returned from the dead, when she had been missing all night.

“Greetings, Auntie,” she said without enthusiasm. “We missed you last eve.”

Ellice eyed her niece. “I was told you cooked the meal,” she said. “Is this true?”

Courtly looked away. “I had little choice,” she said. “You ran off and took your servants with you, including the cook. We could only find one girl to help. I suppose she was the one who told you that I cooked.”

Ellice remained in the doorway, the stench of moldering leaves wafting into the room, so much so that Isadora actually put her fingers to her nose. Ellice smelled as terrible as she looked.

“There were others,” Ellice said vaguely. “I will commend you for doing what needed to be done. I did not know you had such strength in you.”

It was as close to a compliment as Ellice had ever come, a surprising comment, but Courtly was unimpressed. “It does not matter,” she said. “Papa wants to send us home so you will not have to worry over us any longer. I am sure Papa will leave Kennington, too, so you can return to your normal life without all of us underfoot.”

Ellice was only interested in a small part of that statement. “Why is he sending you home?”

Courtly simply shook her head. She had no intention of telling the woman the truth, but Isadora, being unable to keep her mouth shut, spoke.

“Because Papa does not like that Maximus de Shera paid attention to Courtly,” she told her aunt. “Sir Maximus was our guest last night at the feast. He is the one who helped save us from the fire. Papa wants to send us home so Sir Maximus will forget about my sister.”

Ellice stared at the girl. At that moment, something shifted in her eyes. A twinkle, a glimmer, perhaps an inkling of remembrance came to the woman’s expression. Her pale, damp face seemed to change also and her cheeks began to grow pink. Flushed, even. Coming into the room, she slammed the door behind her and focused on Courtly.

“Tell me everything,” she demanded quietly. “What did my brother do?”

Courtly wasn’t sure why her aunt was asking such questions, questions she surely didn’t want to answer. She glanced at the woman but made no real move to respond.

“He did not do anything,” she said, looking away. “Papa simply said he wants to send us home.”

Isadora jumped into the conversation because Courtly didn’t seem apt to tell their aunt what she knew. She didn’t stop to think that it was because Courtly didn’t want the woman to know.

“Papa does not like it when men pay attention to Courtly,” she said. “He has sent away six suitors already and last night, Sir Maximus was very kind to my sister. Papa does not like that and he wants to send us both home.”

Ellice digested what Isadora told her. “Did he say anything to your guest? To Sir Maximus?”

Isadora shook her head. “I do not think so,” he said. “Papa spoke with Sir Maximus’ brother all night long. I do not think he spoke to Sir Maximus at all.”

“What is this to you?” Courtly asked, interrupting Isadora. Her gaze was both pleading and frustrated upon her aunt. “This is not your business, Auntie. This is between Papa and me. You do not need to know these things. Surely you do not care.”

Ellice gazed steadily at her niece, her lips twitching with a shade of a snarl. She was very good at snarling when provoked, something that was both intimidating and frightening. But instead of snapping off a bitter retort, she abruptly turned for the door, muttering to herself as she moved.

“He will not do this again,” she hissed. “Not again. I will not let him do this again.”

With that, she was gone, leaving Courtly and Isadora looking rather perplexed by her abrupt departure. But the mumbling had Courtly on edge and she stood up, going to the door and watching as her aunt disappeared through the doorway that led out into the ward. She could still hear the woman muttering.

“What is wrong with Auntie?” Isadora wanted to know.

Courtly shook her head, puzzled. “I do not know,” she said. “But mayhap I should follow her and find out.”

Leaving Isadora still upon the bed, Courtly followed her aunt’s trail, pursuing the woman out of the building and into the ward of Kennington. The day was deepening and the sun had risen, casting its golden rays across the land. The mud, which had been so heavy in the early morning, was starting to dry up a little. Smoke, heavy from the cooking fires, blanketed the complex. As Courtly looked around for her aunt, she began to hear yelling. Following the sounds, she came to the northwest corner of the two-storied building, noting her aunt and father several feet away. Ellice was clearly livid as she spoke to her brother.

“Will you do this again, Kellen?” Ellice was saying. “First with me and now with your own daughter? Will you be the one to drive men away from her so that she grows up embittered and lonely? You cannot do this to her.”

Kellen’s back was to Courtly as he angrily waved his sister off. “You speak of things long past,” he said. “You are speaking of things that happened twenty years ago.”

Ellice was nearly shrieking. “Twenty years, aye!” she cried. “But to me, it was yesterday. It was yesterday when you sent my love away and he never came back. Don’t you realize what that did to me and to my life? I had to hear that he married another and I wanted to die from the sorrow I felt. And now you will do the same thing to your own daughter? I cannot allow it. You are a selfish, cruel man to want to keep the womenfolk in your family alone and unattached and utterly dependent upon you. Still, I am dependent upon you and ever will be. I hate you for it!”

Kellen shook his head, trying to move away from her. “I will not discuss this with you.”

Ellice followed. “If you do not, I will follow you around and speak of terrible and private things until you listen to me. Do you want your men to hear how you chased off every suitor I ever had until no one came? Do you want them to hear how you controlled me and used money to either reward or punish me, so long as I did what you wanted?”

Kellen whirled on her, bellowing. “You are chattel,” he roared. “You are my responsibility and I did what I felt best for you. I will do it for my daughters as well and you will not question me, you ungrateful cow.”

Ellice had that snarling expression upon her lips again as she watched her brother yell at her but, at this point, Courtly stopped listening. She’d heard far too much already. It was shocking to hear how her father had treated his sister, how he had chased away the man she loved. Now, so much was clear as to why Ellice behaved the way she did. If what she said was true, and Kellen’s answers seemed to support it, then Ellice’s manner was a direct result of Kellen’s control over every aspect of her life, even suitors. It was little wonder why Ellice was the way she was. Now, it was all starting to make some sense. And that thought scared Courtly to death.

I do not want to be like my aunt , she thought to herself as she scurried back for the door that would lead back inside the structure. Is it really true? Did Papa chase off all of Auntie’s marital prospects? But even as she thought it, she knew it was true because her father behaved the same way with her. Old patterns repeating themselves, now with his own daughters. But if Courtly had anything to say about it, the pattern would not be the same. She intended to destroy it for her sake as well as for Isadora’s sake. She couldn’t let the man deliberately turn them into spinsters. The mere thought was sickening.

As she headed back to the house and to her sister, she heard commotion at the gate but she didn’t pay any attention. Soldiers were calling to one another and somewhere in the middle of it she heard St. Héver’s distinctive bellow. But she entered the building after that and heard no more, moving into the small bedchamber where Isadora was pulling on her stockings and shoes. The girl looked up from her right foot when her sister entered the room.

“Where did you go?” Isadora asked. “What is Auntie doing?”

Courtly was lost in thought, mulling over what she had just heard and the implications of it. She looked at Isadora, shock and confusion on her face.

“She is talking to Papa,” she said. “Oh, Issie, you would not believe what they are speaking of. Auntie said… she said that Papa chased away all of her suitors and that is why she is so unhappy and nasty. She said she is lonely and bitter and that Papa is the cause.”

Isadora’s brow furrowed. “Papa chased men away from her, too?”

Courtly nodded. “That is what she said,” she replied. “He is doing the same thing to me and will do the same thing to you. I do not want to end up like Auntie, old and alone and mean.”

Isadora was still a bit too young to fully grasp what Courtly was saying. Suitors and men had no real meaning in her world. But she knew that someday, they would mean a great deal.

“What will you do?” she asked, concerned.

Courtly shook her head, trying not to become despondent. “I do not know yet,” she said, running her hand over her hair, which was mussed from sleep and also from the fact that she had no comb. She began to run her fingers through it, trying to smooth it down. “But I know that I will not become a spinster. Why does he do it, Is? Why does he chase men away? He knows that I want to marry someday. Why is no man good enough?”

Isadora didn’t have an answer for her. She put her other shoe on and stood up, going to her sister and running her hands over Courtly’s hair. She liked brushing her sister’s hair, and braiding it, so she took over the duties as her sister stewed about their father’s predilection towards running off suitors. It was of much greater concern to Courtly than to Isadora, especially since there was now a knight that Courtly was interested in. She could sense her sister’s sadness and disappointment.

They fell silent as Courtly brooded and Isadora brushed her sister’s hair with her fingers. She was able to smooth it enough so that it looked moderately combed and then she braided it into an elaborate braid. Having nothing to secure it with, she ended up tearing a strip of linen off the end of the coverlet and using the piece to tie off her sister’s hair. Having no clean clothing, soap or water to wash with, it was the best they could do in order to groom themselves. As Isadora finished with the braid, there was a knock on the chamber door.

Isadora scooted over to the panel and opened it. One of their aunt’s servants was standing in the darkened corridor outside, an older woman, and she looked directly at Courtly.

“M’lady,” she said. “Lady Ellice asks you to come to the ward.”

Courtly sighed heavily. She was so depressed that she didn’t even question the servant’s instructions. She simply stood up and left the room, following the woman out into the ward.

Courtly could feel the chill as she stepped outside but she had left the coverlet wrap back in the bedchamber and she pondered returning for it. However, it occurred to her that there were a great many unfamiliar people in the ward and her focus was diverted to the crowd. It took her a moment to realize that there were soldiers in the bailey bearing colors of black and yellow. She had noticed those colors on one of the knights who had accompanied Sir Maximus on the previous evening and her heart suddenly leapt into her throat. She could hardly breathe. Was it possible that Sir Maximus had returned? Suddenly giddy with excitement, yet with some confusion, she made her way towards the group.

As she drew closer, she could see that her father was standing next to a carriage, speaking with a beautiful, young woman inside it. Her aunt was standing several feet away, watching the entire circumstance suspiciously, but Courtly headed in the woman’s direction. It was her aunt who had sent for her, after all. She wanted to know why.

“Auntie?” she said as she approached. “What is happening?”

Ellice, hearing her niece’s voice, whirled around and reached out, grasping the woman by the wrist and pulling her close. That was an unusual move for Ellice who usually kept everyone at arm’s length. Courtly was hit with the smell of rotten, moldering leaves as she drew near her aunt. The woman smelled of compost.

“Your Sir Maximus has returned and he has brought reinforcements,” Ellice hissed at her. “See the woman in the carriage? That is the Earl of Coventry’s wife. She is asking for you.”

Shocked, Courtly looked at the carriage. It was very fine, painted in colors of yellow and black, and the woman inside was quite elegant and lovely. She had very dark hair and a porcelain-like face, now speaking very politely to Kellen. Courtly couldn’t hear the words but she could see that the lady was smiling at Kellen, obviously engaging him in pleasant conversation. Courtly had no idea what to make of the situation.

“But why is she here?” Courtly asked. “Where is Sir Maximus?”

Ellice shook her head. “I do not know him on sight but I heard the lady mention him,” she said quietly. Then, she gave Courtly a shove towards the Coventry carriage. “Go, now. Show yourself. The countess wishes to speak with you!”

Courtly stumbled as her aunt pushed but she caught herself and moved towards the carriage as instructed. She was fixed on the lovely woman speaking to her father, quite curious about her appearance here at Kennington. But she was eager to see Sir Maximus again and her eyes darted about, trying to find him in the group of Coventry men, but they were all dressed in armor and tunics that made them all look alike.

Her hunt for Sir Maximus abruptly ended when she finally locked eyes with the Countess of Coventry and Kellen, seeing the countess’ shift in focus, turned to see that his daughter was nearly standing next to him.

Startled by Courtly’s unexpected appearance, Kellen’s initial reaction was one of anger. He almost ordered her away but realized that he could not, not in front of all of these people. In truth, he had been preparing to tell Lady de Shera that his daughter was unavailable when Courtly appeared. Therefore, he did the only thing he could do. He hastened to make introductions.

“Lady de Shera,” he said, sounding displeased. “This is my daughter, Lady Courtly. It is she who you have been inquiring about.”

Kellen would look back on that moment as the day that changed his life forever.