Chapter Four #2
Diamantha eyed him as if she did not believe him but dutifully continued.
“Very well,” she said. “As I was saying, I fear I have placed a terrible burden on you by making you responsible for returning Robert to me for a proper burial. It was wrong of me to do that and since we are to be married, it is a burden you should not assume alone. I must assume it with you. Therefore, I will be riding with you to Falkirk to help you retrieve Robert’s body and I thought…
well, as a show of good faith, I thought that we should be wed before we go. ”
Cortez stared at her a moment, struggling not to openly react. “Before we go?”
She nodded. “We cannot travel together as an unmarried couple,” she said as if it was a terrible thing. “Therefore, we must marry out of necessity.”
She made it sound rather cold, but he didn’t care. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. “Before we go?” he said again, just to make sure he heard right. “Today?”
Diamantha nodded again, even before the words had completely left his mouth. “We can be married at St. Edward’s,” she said. “It is the church in the town. The priests will be happy to conduct the ceremony.”
Cortez wasn’t hard pressed to admit that he was stunned.
This was something he had not expected to hear, not in the least. He tried not to sound too excited or enthusiastic about it, fearful that it might frighten or upset her.
He didn’t want her to see the joy of victory in his eyes.
Truthfully, all he could think of was marrying her quickly so she could never refuse or deny him again because it meant that once they were married, she would have to do what he said and he could tell her that she could not accompany him north.
It was an outlandish idea, anyway. As her husband, he would demand she remain behind and she would be forced to obey. Or so he thought.
“When did you think to do this?” he asked, rather neutrally.
Diamantha fidgeted with her hands as if she wasn’t fully convinced her decision was sound. Still, she was determined.
“Now, I would think,” she said. “The priests are preparing for Matins, so I am sure they would not be opposed to performing the marriage mass afterwards. That way, we can be on our way this morning without too much delay.”
Cortez didn’t delay another second. He quickly tossed the rag aside and went about dressing in a heavy woolen tunic over the lighter one he already wore.
“Very well, Lady Edlington,” he said, rushed, as he pulled the tunic over his head.
“I accept your proposal. We shall be married immediately. Is there anything else you wished to speak to me about?”
Diamantha opened her mouth but was cut short as the tent flap suddenly snapped back and a tall young man entered.
She stepped back, out of the lad’s way, as he fell to his knees next to Cortez and began collecting pieces of armor that had been stacked next to the cot.
As Cortez’s squire went to work, interrupting a rather personal conversation, she frowned.
“Even if there were, I could not speak of it now,” she said, eyeing the big red-haired youth on the ground. “I will wait for you outside.”
Cortez held out a hand to her to prevent her from leaving. “Nay,” he said quickly. “Remain where you are. My squire will be finished in a moment and we can go together to the church. Please do not leave.”
Diamantha pulled her cloak more tightly about her in the chill of the tent but she said nothing, easing back into the shadows and watching the squire work quickly and efficiently.
The lad couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of age, with a crown of glorious red hair and very big hands, and when he stood up he was taller than Cortez.
He moved like lightning, confident in the knowledge of his job.
When he moved to collect the mail coat, which was strung over a frame that was behind Diamantha, she quickly moved out of the lad’s way to give him a wide berth.
Cortez was alternately watching her movements and his tasks as he dressed.
She seemed very quiet now and he knew she was irritated with him.
She’d had more to say but his squire had prevented it, which he was fairly certain was a good thing.
All he wanted to do now was get the woman to the church and legally marry her.
Then, whatever came after that would be dealt with, including her unreasonable demands.
In all things, and especially this marriage, his wants would take precedence.
In their brief association he could already see that she was a spoiled creature and used to getting her own way.
It was a lesson she would have to quickly learn.
“I will introduce you to my men today, men who will be serving you,” he said, simply to make conversation so they weren’t hanging about in awkward silence.
“I may as well start with my squire. Peter Summerlin is from a fine family in Norfolk. His father is Sir Alec Summerlin, who was known in his youth as The Legend. No finer swordsman has ever existed and his son seems to have taken after him. Although Peter is young, I expect to knight him myself next year.”
Diamantha looked at the big youth when the young man eyed her with some embarrassment. His cheeks were nearly as ruddy as his hair. He bowed swiftly to her even as he finished pulling the mail coat over Cortez’s head.
“He seems very efficient,” she commented, her attention returning to Cortez. “I have not seen any other de Bretagne knights since you have been here.”
Cortez lifted his arms as Peter began to secure his heavy leather scabbard, crafted in Rouen by a master tanner.
The de Bretagne crest was emblazoned upon it, discreetly, a three-point shield with a bird of prey upon it, and the tip of the scabbard was protected by a riveted steel tip.
Cortez glanced down at his beloved scabbard as Peter gave it a final adjustment.
“That is because they have remained in camp,” he told her. “I only brought two with me. The others are at Sherborne Castle, including my brother.”
Peter swept from the tent and they were alone again.
Diamantha could hear the camp outside as men began to rouse and go about their tasks, but she found herself somewhat interested in her conversation with Cortez.
She was still irritated with him for his attitude towards her concerns, that was true, but she could feel the mood of the conversation shifting to something casual and she was willing to go with it.
“I was not aware you had a brother,” she said. “Helene never mentioned him.”
Cortez strapped his purse onto his scabbard.
“That is because my brother has been in the north, serving with my father,” he replied.
“My father is the garrison commander at Sandal Castle for the Earl of Surrey, and Andres is two years younger than I am. He came to serve with me at Sherborne right after Helene died. My father sent him to tend me, I suspect, fearful of what I might do in my grief, but instead, Andres has given me something else to focus on because I am constantly having to bail the man out of trouble.”
Diamantha cocked her head. “Trouble?” she repeated. “What kind of trouble?”
Cortez fidgeted with the collar of his tunic where it chaffed him.
“The man has an eye for women and a taste for alcohol, and the two do not often mix well,” he said before he could think about who he was speaking to.
“In fact, there have been times when I have had to pull my brother out of the gutter and drown him in the nearest trough to… forgive me, but I probably should not be telling you this, should I?”
He appeared rather chagrined and Diamantha fought off a smile. “Probably not,” she said. “But tell me anyway. I would know what character of my new brother awaits me.”
Cortez could see that she was trying very hard not to smile and he grinned. “Andres is a good man and an excellent knight,” he told her firmly. “But there will be times that you may have to throw a bucket of water on him to revive him.”
“Or drown him.”
He laughed softly. “Truer words were never spoken,” he said, his gaze lingering on her and seeing a flicker of a lovely smile. It was glorious. “I would imagine that my brother will not be able to get away with his usual foolery with you around. I suspect you would not tolerate it.”
“You would suspect correctly.”
His warm gaze lingered on her, hoping against hope that they were overcoming their turmoil and soon to embark on a new chapter in their association.
Nay, relationship. He wanted more than an association with her.
He wanted the same thing he’d had with Helene, a warm and gentle relationship that gave him comfort.
He prayed Diamantha would see reason and understand that her role in his life would be one of thoughtfulness and obedience.
With a faint sigh, perhaps one to summon his courage, he approached her.
“May I be honest with you, Lady Edlington?” he asked softly.
There was something in the expression on his face that made Diamantha feel weak in the knees.
It was a warm and giddy sensation, something she had experienced with Robert back when they had been courting, but it wasn’t something she’d been familiar with much since that time.
This was an incredibly electrifying sensation, as if invisible rivers were flowing from his dark eyes and enveloping her in their liquid exhilaration.
It was enough to cause her some unsteadiness.
“Aye,” she replied after a moment.