Chapter Twenty #2
Then he’d gone off, presumably to prepare for his journey, while Katiana and Kristiana spoke of sewing kits and haggard tunics.
As Katiana left her chamber and emerged from the keep into the bailey, with the great hall straight ahead, she realized that she was happy.
Happy for the first time in her life, and she had been since the day her horse had run wild in London.
The day she saw Titus again for the first time in many years.
That’s when this otherworldly joy she was experiencing commenced.
She felt as if she was walking on clouds.
Already, she was feeling comfortable at Berwick.
It was the largest castle she’d ever seen, enormous in scale and population, but it had a good feeling to it.
Patrick was an excellent lord, and he governed fairly, so his subjects seemed to be content.
Twice, she’d ventured out into the village of Berwick with Titus, who had taken her to the shores where the fishermen brought in their catches.
There was a woman down there who cooked the fish over an open fire, and for a pence, Katiana had enjoyed the most succulent fish she’d ever tasted.
Then they’d brought some home for the family, but Patrick hated fish, so he’d had beef instead while the entire great hall smelled of roasted fish.
It was a good thing she was feeling comfortable at Berwick, considering she was going to be living there while Titus went about his duties.
It was a world away from Aunt Ethyl and her London manse, or the spice merchant that everyone was so mad about, but Katiana didn’t care. She was thrilled for it.
Thrilled for her new life to begin.
The great hall was open, and she went inside to see that servants were sweeping up from the previous night, while a couple of them were attempting to clean a blockage out of the chimney.
Katiana found herself standing behind them, watching them clear the blockage, offering a couple of suggestions because she’d supervised the same thing at Ethyl’s manse.
She knew how the kitchen worked, how to clear chimneys, how to repair tables and floors or, at the very least, how to supervise the workmen.
She wasn’t a stranger to that kind of thing.
But deep down, she wondered if she’d ever have a home of her own to manage.
She’d always hoped for such a thing.
It seemed that the de Wolfe family liked to live in the same place, although Titus’ three older brothers all had their own homes.
Markus, whom she’d talked to at length last night, had Trastamara Castle, Cassius had Edenthorpe, and Magnus had Raechester.
Titus seemed to be the wanderer of the group from what she could gather, but she heard Markus and Titus speaking of an outpost called Lamberton, situated right on the border to the north.
It was small as far as castles went, but it guarded an important road in and out of Scotland, or so she had heard.
Markus seemed to think that Patrick was going to grant it to Titus.
Perhaps she’d spend her life in a border castle after all.
But it seemed like a dream, all of it. Meanwhile, she was very happy to remain at Berwick and make herself useful.
Now, that seemed to consist of watching the servants as they finally cleared the blockage and a big pile of soot was purged from the chimney, landing smack on the stones and spraying out all over the servants.
Katiana had the sense to jump back and stay clear of the black dust, but the servants were covered in it.
When they turned to look at her, all she could see were eyes and teeth as they laughed at their misfortune.
It was rather funny.
“My lady?”
She was being addressed. Katiana turned to see a maid standing behind her, and the woman silently handed her a small, folded piece of vellum.
Katiana accepted it, but she looked at the woman curiously, who simply bobbed a curtsy and nothing more.
Puzzled, Katiana opened the folded vellum to find a note written to her.
Lady de Wolfe, wife of Titus –
I would like to extend my gratitude for your invitation to celebrate the event of your wedding.
Before I depart for home, I should like to thank you personally.
I should like to ensure that we shall be friends someday.
As a petty child, I did not realize the value of kindness or friendship.
If I was ever cruel to you in the times we met, I humbly ask forgiveness.
I should like to make a new friend of you, since our families are allies.
I hope it will be a new beginning for us all.
I am waiting in the kitchen yard for you at this moment, should you have the time to come to me.
I remain respectfully yours,
Zora de Allery
Katiana read the note twice. Then she looked at the maid again.
“Did Lady Zora truly give you this?” she asked, just to make sure.
The servant nodded. “Aye, my lady,” she said. “She asked me to find you and give it to you.”
Katiana looked at the note again, noting the location of the requested meeting. “And she is in the kitchen yard now?” she asked.
“I believe so, my lady.”
Katiana shrugged and lowered the note. “Right,” she said. “Well, I can think of better places to meet than a kitchen yard. I will find her and bring her into the great hall. Will you send for refreshments and have them put on one of the tables?”
The maid nodded and fled. Leaving the servants at the hearth to shake off the soot and clean the mess on the floor, Katiana headed out of the hall.
The kitchen yard was right next to it, to the east, along with the kitchens, the buttery, and a few other things.
As she headed for the gate that led into the yard, built into a wall that was about seven feet tall and several feet thick, she noticed Markus and Magnus on the wall in the distance.
It took her a moment to see that Titus was with them.
With a smile at finally having located her husband, she opened the gate to the kitchen yard and stepped through.
The yard was divided into two specific areas—one for livestock, and the other, near a postern gate that dumped out into a steep gully behind the castle, cluttered with old barrels and implements used in cooking, including massive iron spits.
A tree grew up in this corner of the yard, surprisingly, an almond tree that had been stripped and stripped again of both leaves and nuts.
Katiana was about to go into the area where they kept the livestock, but she caught sight of Zora over near the walled postern gate area.
The woman was in a pale blue garment, waving to Katiana when she caught her eye.
Katiana headed right for her.
“I received your note,” she said to Zora. “It was very kind of you to write it.”
Zora smiled, but it was an odd, pasted-on sort of smile. “It was no trouble,” she said. “I’m glad you came.”
Katiana came to within a few feet of her. “I’ve had refreshments sent to the hall,” she said. “That is a much better place to speak than a kitchen yard.”
Zora seemed resistant. “I think I would like to stay here,” she said.
“You saw how everyone was yesterday when you suggested escorting my father and me to the table laden with food. The knights make me nervous, and if we go to the hall, we will surely be interrupted. I’m not sure we could even have a conversation. ”
Katiana didn’t think there was anything strange about that request, because given the incident she was referring to, Zora was more than likely right.
“As you wish,” she said. “But it was very nice of you to send the note. I’m glad you were able to come to the feast. I think we should have crossed paths back when we were much younger, since we both fostered for de Wolfe, and I do remember seeing you, but I do not think we ever spoke. How long did you foster at Berwick?”
“Just a few years,” Zora said. “Then I went to Alnwick.”
“Did you like it there?”
“A little,” Zora said, moving over toward the almond tree. “But I have happier memories at Berwick. I made friends here. I knew Magnus and Titus. We enjoyed our time together.”
That wasn’t what Titus had told Katiana, but she didn’t comment on it. If Zora remembered her time at Berwick with fondness, then good for her. But Titus told a completely different story.
Ironic how memories could be so subjective.
“It is good that you enjoyed your time here,” Katiana said. “What have you been doing since you returned home from Alnwick?”
Zora was at the old almond tree, which was next to the shed that held the cooking implements. Reaching up, she picked at one of the leafless branches.
“My father keeps me busy,” Zora said. “I am chatelaine at Thornton Tower. That is our home. We keep bees there, which make lots of honey that we sell in market towns. It has been a good crop.”
Katiana warmed to the conversation, moving deeper into the smaller area because Zora had moved over by the tree. “I never thought of bees as a crop,” she said. “How clever. Are… are you sure you would not like to go into the hall? It is quite vacant in there. No one will bother us.”
Zora shook her head. “Nay,” she said. Then she looked up at the almond tree, running her finger along a branch. “Look how barren this is. Do you know anything about trees, Lady de Wolfe?”
By this time, Katiana was over by the tree because Zora seemed interested in it. “Nay,” she said, looking up at it. “But you must, given that you keep bees. I know that the almond trees flower in the spring. They are quite lovely.”
“I like almonds.”
“So do I.”
“Have you ever had almond pudding with rose petals? It is delicious the way our cook makes it.”
Katiana opened her mouth to answer, but she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t have time to turn around or even react before something heavy was slammed against the back of her skull.
She dropped like a stone.
Ansel had made his appearance.
“God’s Bones!” Zora hissed, slapping her hand over her mouth in shock. “You killed her!”
Ansel dropped the rock he’d been holding, the one that had been his companion as he’d lain in wait for his sister. Now it had his sister’s blood on it. Bending over her, he lifted an eyelid.
“Nay,” he said. “She is alive. But hopefully, she’ll stay unconscious until I can get her on the horse and get her away from here. Grab my bags and come with me.”
As he scooped up Katiana, Zora let out another hiss. “I do not have your bags,” she said. “I thought you brought them!”
Ansel looked at her in exasperation. “I told you to do it!”
“How could I do it when you told me to bring your sister to you!”
Ansel was furious. “Christ,” he muttered. “You stupid cow.”
“Insulting me won’t help!”
Ansel was seriously struggling with his temper. “Then go now to the knights’ quarters and get them,” he said through clenched teeth. “My chamber is the second one on the left. Get my bags, and my weapon, and bring them. Quickly or all is lost!”
Zora bolted. With a limp woman in his arms, Ansel kicked open the postern gate with his foot and headed out to the trails that led behind the castle, down into the gully where his horse was tethered at the bottom.
The animal was shielded by a few trees from the walls of the castle, but the slope wasn’t.
It was clear of trees or growth because of its proximity to the castle.
Until Ansel could get down the slope and into the trees, he would be visible to any sharp eyes on the wall.
But it was a chance he had to take.
With all due speed, he fled down the trail, praying he wasn’t seen, praying he could make it.
He had what he’d come for, and it would be cruel, indeed, were he to be thwarted before he could carry out his plans.
Off to Thornton Tower he would go, as Zora had suggested, and the vault would be Katiana’s home until he could get her to Lancaster.
Ansel could feel that coinage lining his pockets already.
He was going to be a very rich man.