Chapter Twelve
“And that’s when I took his damnable head off and took great pleasure in unseating him. The purse I won was enormous!”
Titus was boasting. He was also tipsy, which meant the boasting was coming more naturally than usual.
He was facing his brother and Damian de Lohr, who had come in from the gatehouse to listen to a wild story of a tournament in Middlesbrough that included fights, too much food and drink, and the death of a knight.
Titus was having a grand time telling the story, for there was no better storyteller in the entire de Wolfe family than Titus himself.
“Well done,” Cassius said, slamming his cup against the tabletop. “But what about the bastard that killed de Brito? What happened to him?”
Titus was sitting on the table, one foot propped on his chair and the other on the floor. He sobered at the question.
“He was a de la Londe knight,” he muttered.
“You know the house. Brutal, unethical scum, and anyone who serves them has the same character. We beat the man to a bloody pulp and then some. We let him linger for a day or two before he finally succumbed to his injuries. All the while, his men tried to take him from us. The lord who sponsored the tournament tried to buy him away from us. But we would not let him go. We let him die a long, lingering, painful death.”
Cassius nodded in approval. “Excellent,” he said quietly. “Has de la Londe protested the treatment?”
“He cannot protest the death of a man who killed unjustly. Vengeance was ours.”
“And Ronan?”
Titus lifted his eyebrows. “That is something of a story in and of itself,” he said. “He promised de Brito as the man lay dying that he would take care of his pregnant widow. I do not know what has happened since, but Ronan wasn’t too keen on it.”
Cassius frowned. “Take care of a pregnant widow?” he said, aghast. “And do what? I’m certain Ronan’s wife has something to say about that.”
“I’m sure she does, even if she is a worthless bitch.”
Cassius was a little more tactful that Titus, but he couldn’t disagree.
Their cousin, Ronan de Wolfe, had been married to a woman who didn’t seem to think marriage should keep her from having lovers.
It was one of those family secrets no one really talked about but everyone knew.
Titus reached over to grab the pitcher and pour himself more wine.
“All tragedy aside, it was an excellent tourney,” he said. “I went to London immediately thereafter, and I’ve been there ever since. And now, I am heading back to Berwick.”
Cassius took another swig of his wine. “And Lady Katiana?” he said. “Where is she bound for?”
“Callerton Castle,” Titus said. “She received word that her father is dying, and since I was going to Berwick, I offered to escort her.”
Cassius regarded him. “That is not something you would usually do.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” Cassius said. “Since when do you take the time for anything other than your own needs or wants? You’re not usually so chivalrous, Titus.”
Titus frowned. “I am the very model of chivalry.”
Cassius guffawed. “Would you be so chivalrous if she was not beautiful? I doubt it.”
Titus was unhappy with his brother’s teasing.
“Let me tell you something, you smug dog,” he said.
“Lady Katiana and I knew each other long ago. I told you that we fostered together, but only for a short time. I met her again quite by accident in London recently, and we have formed a friendship. Nay… more than that. I am going to marry the woman, Cass, so you may as well know it. I am taking her home so that I may ask her father’s permission to marry her. ”
Cassius didn’t believe he was serious for a moment because Titus had never shown any real interest in marriage. He was too wrapped up with the Executioner Knights for such a thing.
“You said her father was dying,” Cassius pointed out.
Titus conceded the point. “If he is dead by the time we arrive, then I will have a problem, because I am assuming her brother will be at Callerton.”
“She has a brother?”
“She does,” Titus said. “Ansel de Edington and I have never gotten on. The man is a brutal, nasty bastard who used to take pleasure in beating his sister. The last time I saw him, we fought. I am not entirely sure he will be pleased to see me, nor am I entirely sure he will give me permission to marry his sister.”
“What do you intend to do?”
Titus shrugged. “I am not certain,” he said. “But I will tell you this—I am not leaving her at Callerton. She’s not seen her brother in many years because the man liked to beat on her, so there is no possibility that I will leave her there and continue on to Berwick.”
“You will take her with you to Berwick?”
Titus may have been tipsy, but the conversation was sobering him up. “I will not leave her behind, Cass.”
Cassius could sense that the conversation had turned serious.
He glanced over at Damian, who had been sitting silently throughout the entire exchange, and the knight took the hint.
This was a conversation meant for the brothers only, given the subject, so Damian got up from the table and headed out, making some excuse about checking posts for the evening.
But Cassius was glad to have him away.
“Titus,” he said when Damian had disappeared from the hall. “Are you serious about all of this? I’ve never heard you speak this way before. You’ve never once mentioned your desire to marry.”
Titus was looking at his cup of wine. “And you never once mentioned your desire to marry before you met Dacia,” he said, finally looking at his brother. “Things change. Men meet the right women and things change.”
“Even so, you must do this the right way,” Cassius said. “Let’s hope the father isn’t dead, but if he is and Lady Katiana is the ward of her brother, then you must, unfortunately, deal with him. Mayhap the man has changed over the years.”
“I doubt it,” Titus said. Then he started to look around the hall. “Where are the women, anyway? Why are they not here, with us?”
Cassius looked over his shoulder and spied one of his most trusted servants. He called the man over, muttered a few words to him, and sent the servant off at a swift pace.
“I’ll summon them,” he said. “Does Lady Katiana know how you feel about the situation?”
Titus nodded. “Of course she does,” he said. “She’s a brilliant woman, Cass. She can sing and play an instrument. She writes her own music. She’s witty and kind and elegant. She’s everything a woman should be but seldom is.”
“And you want to marry her.”
“Very much.”
Cassius still wasn’t sure if he believed him, but Titus seemed convinced.
“I’m not entirely sure you should go to Callerton Castle alone,” he said.
“Mayhap I should go with you. Me and about four hundred men. Why not let me negotiate for your bride? If the lady’s brother has the final word, it might go better for you if I do. ”
Titus looked at him as if surprised by the offer. “I do not like the sense of not fighting my own battles,” he said. “But… but I want this badly, Cass. I would not ask you to intervene on my behalf, but if you’re offering, I shall accept.”
That was a little shocking to Cassius, who had been certain Titus would refuse. But that was the moment Cassius began to think that Titus truly was serious about all of this. If he was asking for Cassius’ help, because Titus asked for no man’s help, then he must want it badly, as he’d said.
That told him his that his brother’s intentions were real.
“Very well,” Cassius said. “I’ll go with you. Where is this Callerton Castle, anyway?”
“On the northern edge of the Pennines, south of Newcastle,” Titus said. “At least, it’s in that area. I planned to stop and ask for directions in Darlington or Auckland.”
“Does the lady know?”
“I’ve not asked her.”
Cassius put his cup to his lips. “You would think she would know where her home is,” he said. “Ask her.”
Titus shrugged and went back to his wine, thinking on Katiana and feeling strongly, more than ever, that he wasn’t going to leave her at Callerton.
He could tell by the way Cassius was looking at him that he believed him to be mad, or worse, that this was some kind of whim, but Titus had never felt more whim-less in his entire life.
He was determined.
Since the hour of the evening meal was rapidly approaching, soldiers began to wander in from the bailey and take their seats at one of several tables in the great hall.
Damian even came back in, but he stayed away from the dais where Cassius and Titus were sitting.
Titus was still seated on the table, now into his third cup of fine Spanish wine, but his back was to the door.
He didn’t see when Dacia and Katiana entered the great hall until Cassius thumped him on the leg.
“Titus,” he muttered. “Get off the table and sit in your seat like a well-bred man, unless you want Lady Katiana to see how ill-mannered you are.”
Jolted from his train of thought, Titus was already off the table, turning to see Dacia and Katiana approaching the dais. Truth be told, it was difficult for him to keep his astonishment off his face.
He’d never seen anything so beautiful.
Katiana was wearing a gown of dark red silk, something that looked stunning with her coloring. Dacia had her by the hand, leading her up to the table, and Titus couldn’t take his eyes off her. He came off the dais as the women drew near.
“Good eve to you, my lady,” he said, having eyes only for Katiana. “Did you bring that dress with you?”
Katiana was close to flushing because of the way Titus was looking at her. “Lady Doncaster was nice enough to loan it to me,” she said. “I did not bring anything suitably nice for a feast in a duke’s hall, so I am grateful for her generosity.”
Titus turned to Dacia, who was smiling openly at Katiana. “Thank you, my dearest girl,” he said, grabbing Dacia by the upper arms and kissing her rather forcefully on the cheek. “Thank you so very much. She looks beautiful.”