Chapter Six #5
“You’re one of the de Wolfe knights, aren’t you?” he asked.
Titus nodded. “My father is the Earl of Berwick.”
That made Griswold take a second look at him. “I see,” he said, looking Titus up and down. “You know that you should not bring your lady in here. It’s not fitting for someone of her breeding. But I’m glad you did. It was good to hear music again.”
With that, he walked away. Titus watched him go before making his way back to Katiana, who was picking at the internal workings.
“Is something wrong with it?” Titus asked, peering over her shoulder.
She stepped back and brushed off her hands. “It is out of tune,” she said. “I have little instruments at home for my aunt’s harpsichord, but these strings are different. I’m not sure they will work.”
“You know how to tune it?”
She grinned. “Fine young ladies are taught to do many things,” she said. “I can even make paints if I need to.”
He smiled in return. “Fascinating,” he said. “And speaking of fascination, did you see me speaking with a man just now?”
She shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “Why? Who was it?”
“The tavern keep,” Titus said. “He was so impressed with what he heard that he wondered if you would be willing to give his wenches lessons. He said he would pay you well.”
Her eyes widened. “Me?”
“You.”
She appeared a bit bewildered. “I… I do not know,” she said. “I suppose I could, but I do not think I would want to come back here alone to do it. How does he propose I teach them?”
“You have an instrument at your aunt’s home, do you not?”
“I do.”
“Then teach them there.”
Katiana was clearly entertaining the suggestion. After a moment or two, a smile spread across her lips, and Titus smiled in return. She had the most beautiful smile. He nodded, and she nodded, and he held out his hand to her.
“Good,” he said, clearly commenting on her reaction to the tavern keep’s offer. “It would be a good way for you to make your own money. That is never a bad thing. Now, let us finish our meal. We’ve a spice merchant to see.”
Katiana put her hand in his, and he helped her up from the stool, still holding her hand as he took her from the chamber and back into the vast common room that was starting to fill up at this time of the morning.
He took her over to their table, helping her to sit and still holding her hand.
When he sat down, still grasping her, Katiana began to chuckle.
“Titus?” she said.
“Aye?”
“I need my hand if I am to finish my meal.”
“You have another hand. Use that one.”
Her laughter grew. “Aren’t you ever going to release my hand?”
“Probably not.”
She sighed dramatically, reaching over the arm he was holding fast to collect her knife. “That may be quite inconvenient in the years to come,” she said. “I do need it for some things, you know.”
“You do not need it right now.”
He was determined to hold her hand, and she thought it was both sweet and hilarious.
He collected his cup, draining it, and then went for the pitcher.
She was watching him closely, thinking this might have something to do with the marriage comments he’d made earlier.
It was obvious that something was happening with him, and she wanted to know what.
Whatever it was, it couldn’t go any further. She knew that even if he didn’t.
Or refused to.
“Titus,” she finally said, her tone serious. “Why are you holding my hand?”
He had just poured himself more wine. “Because I want to.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.”
“I thought we were friends.”
He looked at her. “We are.”
She lifted her hand, the one he was holding, to make a point. “Do you always hold your friends’ hands so tightly?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. He was busy with his wine, with a last piece of buttered bread that hadn’t been eaten.
“I must ask you a question,” he finally said.
“What is it?”
He looked at her, full-on. “I must go away for a time,” he said. “I have duties to attend to, but when I come back, I should like to see you again.”
“Of course you may see me. You know where I live. You may see me anytime.”
He shook his head. “That is not what I meant,” he said. “You do not have to give me an answer now, but I want you to think on it.”
“Think on what?”
“Whether or not you would allow me to court you.”
Katiana yanked her hand away, looking at him with some horror. “You cannot ask me that, Titus,” she said. “You and I… It is out of the question.”
“Why?”
She was gearing up for a strong defense, because it was. For a conversation that had thus far remained pleasant and even sweet at times, the mood suddenly plummeted as she faced off against him.
“You know I am not of your social standing,” she said deliberately.
“You know I have nothing. No dowry, no family to speak of. We have discussed this. You must have a fine wife, an heiress, if you are to gain anything through marriage. You said yourself you have to earn it. Marriage is the best way to do that. Must I really explain this to you?”
He sat back, his manner serious. In fact, Katiana had never seen this side of him before. He wasn’t looking anything like the Titus she’d seen over the past couple of days.
“I am not a man who will rely on his wife for his fortune,” he said in a low voice. “I thought I made that clear. I will make my fortune on my own, through deeds and service. I would be a weak man indeed if I relied on my wife for property and money.”
“It is the way things are done.”
“It is the way weak men are made rich.”
Katiana shook her head in exasperation. “Have it your own way,” she said. “But courting me… marrying me… I cannot give you anything, Titus, and I refuse to allow myself to hope that we could have a successful marriage.”
“If the past two days are any indication, we could have what most men only dream of.”
Katiana sighed and averted her gaze. “You cannot base your life on two days of glory,” she said softly.
“We’ve not had to deal with anything that is real—families or money or anything else.
It has only been the two of us, seeing each other again for the first time in many years.
We are happy to see one another, that is true, and the past two days have been wonderful.
I will not deny it. But you cannot base the rest of your life on so short an experience. ”
Titus knew that. He knew it all too well.
But he also knew that she made him feel a way he’d never felt before.
The logical part of him knew that she was right in everything she’d said, but the impulsive part—the part that sometimes ruled him—was keen to ignore it.
He only knew how he felt when he was with her.
He didn’t want to think about anything else.
“Let’s get through the day, then,” he finally said. “Let us experience more of this glory together, and then we shall discuss it again. But know that I am serious, Katia. When I return from the north, I want to court you. And I want you to let me.”
Katiana could see that he was serious. She’d never seen him so serious.
But she had a heart and hope to protect, and she wouldn’t let either be destroyed because of Titus’ refusal to face facts.
But there was a large part of her that very much wanted to agree with him, damn the cost and consequences.
“Let us get through the day,” she said, repeating what he’d said. “I am anxious to get to the spice merchant and show you all of his wonderful things.”
Titus smiled faintly, but it was without much humor. “Then let us finish here and be gone,” he said. “I’m not entirely sure where the street…”
He suddenly trailed off, catching sight of something outside the window. He was tracking something, or someone, and Katiana turned to see a big, fair-haired knight pass the front window and come in through the entry door. He was heavily armed, bearing the tunic of the royal house.
Titus was on his feet.
“Denys?” he said, calling to the man over the heads of the patrons between him and the entry door. “Over here.”
Denys’ head snapped in Titus’ direction, and he pushed between the tables until he came to him. He didn’t even look at Katiana seated at the table. He was solely focused on Titus.
“I thought I might find you here,” he said, his voice low. “De Lohr sent word. He wants to see you immediately.”
Titus’ brow rippled with concern. “What’s happened?”
Denys glanced around, finally noticing Katiana sitting at the table and looking at him curiously. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he returned his focus to Titus.
“Not here,” he muttered. “Get to Lonsdale without delay.”
Titus didn’t have to be told twice. He picked up his saddlebags, digging in his purse and throwing a few coins onto the tabletop.
“I must take the lady home first,” he said. “I will make all haste to Lonsdale when I am done.”
“Nay,” Denys said shortly. “I will take her home. You are needed now.”
Titus didn’t like the urgency in Denys’ tone, but he didn’t argue. He turned to Katiana, who was on her feet by now, and forced a smile.
“This is Sir Denys de Winter,” he said. “He is the captain of the king’s knights. He will see you home safely, my lady.”
Katiana nodded, sensing the same apprehensive urgency that Titus was. But she didn’t ask questions, nor did she argue. Titus was an important man, far too important for her. She simply nodded her head.
“Thank you,” she said, addressing Denys before turning to Titus. “Be safe in your travels, Titus. And thank you for a lovely meal.”
Titus nodded firmly. Then he took her hand and kissed it. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then he released her hand and quickly bolted from the table and out the front door. Katiana watched him go, not realizing there was a hand in her face until Denys cleared his throat softly.
“My lady?” he said. “May I escort you home now?”
She smiled wanly at him and headed for the door as he politely took her elbow. “I live on Coleman Street,” she said. “If it is too far, I can make it home myself. I do not wish to be any trouble.”
Denys grunted. “If Titus found out I allowed you to return home on your own, I would be the one in trouble,” he said. “Clearly, you do not know that side of Titus. When he makes a request, it is as good as a command and is not meant to be disobeyed.”
Katiana glanced at him as they passed through the entry door. “I knew Titus when he was a young man,” she said. “I fostered at Roxburgh, and he was my personal protector.”
“Is that so?”
“It is,” she said. “His grandfather appointed him to my side.”
That brought a genuine smile from Denys. “Ah,” he said. “The great William de Wolfe. Another man whose requests were not meant to be disobeyed. That means you must be very important.”
Katiana grinned. “Not really,” she said. “But Titus seems to think so.”
Denys’ smile faded as he looked at her. “That,” he said, “was obvious.”
Katiana wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but she could guess. She’d seen that look in Titus’ eyes as he’d looked at her.
And so had Denys.