Chapter Fifteen
“There will be a wedding before I leave for home,” Harald said. “There is no reason to wait. Let us see to this wedding and be done with it.”
Back in Christopher’s solar about an hour after the joust finished, Harald was unwilling to wait a moment longer before seeing his daughter wed.
The mass competition was being organized in the great meadow next to the tournament arena, and when Christopher should have been out there, supervising, he was, instead, dealing with Harald’s demands.
The man had what he wanted and he intended to see it finished.
Immediately.
“As you wish,” Christopher said patiently. “There is no reason to be petulant about it. Essien has agreed to the marriage, so it is simply a matter of a priest’s blessing. My wife will insist on a mass as well, so that can take place easily in Lioncross’s chapel before you depart.”
Harald was walking around the solar as he spoke, a sort of stalking gait. He seemed distracted as well as demanding, and when he finally came to a half-full pitcher of day-old wine, he poured a measure into a cup and drank it.
“Excellent,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “And Essien can take Catalina and the girls with him when he leaves. There is no reason for them to come back to Eckington with me.”
Christopher watched the man pour himself another cup of wine. “As I said before, whatever you wish,” he said. “But doesn’t your daughter have possessions at Eckington that she should like to collect?”
Harald downed the cup and smacked his lips. “I will send them to her,” he said. “She does not have to return.”
Christopher frowned. “Why not?” he said. “Why are you so adamant she not return home with you, not even to collect her possessions?”
Harald paused in pouring himself yet another cup of wine, realizing from Christopher’s tone how he must be sounding. Like a man eager to get rid of his daughter. He was, but he didn’t want his ally to think ill of him for it. Therefore, he settled down in the nearest chair, trying to look relaxed.
“It is not as it sounds,” he said. “I simply mean she will want to be with her husband and start her new life. Why return to the old one that will remind her of unhappy times? That is all I meant by it. But I do want the marriage to take place immediately.”
“And I told you that we can arrange it.”
“Good,” Harald said. “I want to speak to Essien, however. Will you summon him now?”
Christopher shrugged. “He’s probably with your daughter,” he said. “She was injured when a splintered lance hit her in the face. Or did you not know that?”
Harald nodded. “I knew,” he said. “Your daughters are tending to her the last I saw. She is here, in the keep, is she not? There is nothing I can do for her.”
It was a little cold, but Christopher was coming to see that when it came to his daughter, Harald was cold. He’d never seen that side of him before and, to be truthful, he didn’t much like it. He sighed heavily, perhaps with some exasperation, and turned for the solar door.
“I’ll send for them both,” he said. “We can tell them together that their marriage is to take place before you leave.”
“I am leaving in the morning.”
Christopher had his hand on the door latch, pausing to look curiously at Harald. Everything about the man just seemed strange and out of character for him. He had never known Harald to be demanding, or apathetic about people, but he’d been both since his arrival. Toward his own daughter, no less.
Strange, indeed.
Christopher opened the door and sent one servant for Essien and Catalina and one servant for his wife.
If there was to be any wedding, Dustin would want to plan everything, even at such short notice.
She appeared first to the summons, since she was already nearby, and Christopher explained the situation.
Since Dustin loved weddings, she was excited to plan this one and dashed off about the time Essien and Catalina appeared.
Brielle and Christin were with them, fussing with the clothing Catalina was wearing because it wasn’t her own.
As they approached the solar door and caught sight of their father, Brielle spoke first.
“Sorry, Papa,” she said. “Lady de Barenton had blood on her dress from her wound and we had to find something for her to wear, but I’m too tall and Mama and Cissy are too short, so we’re trying to make one of Cissy’s dresses fit her while the servants clean the blood from her garment.”
Christopher could see that his daughters were trying to pin the dress up a little where it was gapping along the bustline.
“Thank you for taking such good care of Lord Eckington’s daughter,” he said. “I have a need to speak with her and Essien now. I’m afraid you’ll have to fix the dress later.”
He indicated for Catalina and Essien to enter the solar, throwing out an arm when his daughters tried to follow.
He cocked an eyebrow at them, pointing toward the stairs, silently telling them to go away because he did not want them as part of this conclave.
With a shrug, the women turned away, heading back to their business, and Christopher closed the solar door.
Catalina was sitting down in a leather chair, tugging at the linen dress where it was binding her a little.
Christopher took a moment to look her over—she was a truly lovely woman with wavy, dark hair and big eyes that were a dusky shade of blue.
She also had a big gash on the left side of her jawline, cleaned up and exposed to the air, and Christopher smiled politely at her when their eyes met.
“My lady,” he said. “I hear you had a bit of misfortune at the tournament earlier today.”
“My lance broke and the wood went flying into the lists,” Essien said, answering for her. “Actually, Addax’s lance broke as well, so there was a good deal of wood bursting into the lists where everyone was. My lady just happened to catch a shard in the face.”
Christopher peered at the wound without touching it. “It does not look too terrible,” he said. “Who put the stitches in it?”
“Lady Hereford,” Essien said. The man looked positively miserable about what had happened. “She put two very small stitches in the gash. She said it should heal very well and there will hardly be a scar.”
Strange how the man was far more upset about it than the woman’s own father. Catalina knew this, and she turned to look at Essien.
“It was not your fault,” she insisted softly. “I wish you would not be so distressed about it.”
His answer was to reach out and take her hand, in front of her father and in front of Christopher, as if he had been doing such a thing all his life. He forced a smile at her.
“I cannot help it,” he said. “I know it was an accident, but I feel terrible about it.”
Catalina smiled at him and squeezed his hand.
He couldn’t seem to stop looking at her, stop hovering over her, and Christopher watched it all with some astonishment.
He knew that Essien could be emotional about things, but it was clear that the man had no sense of restraint in comforting a woman he felt that he’d injured.
But not just any woman—the woman he was going to marry.
Christopher thought this was as good a moment as any to tell them the news.
“Essien, the lady’s father and I have been talking and we do not see a reason to delay your marriage,” he said. “If you are agreeable, we would like for the two of you to be married this evening, after the games for the day.”
That had Essien snapping his head up, looking at Christopher in surprise. “Tonight?” he said.
Christopher nodded. “Any objections?”
Wide-eyed, Essien shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “Not from me. My lady? Do you have any objections?”
They were still holding hands as Catalina shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “I do not. Where shall we be married?”
“Lioncross has a chapel,” Christopher said. “I have put my wife on organizing the mass, so more than likely, all you need to do is show up and exchange your vows. Dustin will arrange everything you need for the ceremony. Harald? Do you have anything to add to this?”
Harald was over by the empty wine pitcher. He’d been watching the clear affection between his daughter and Essien and, like Christopher, was surprised by it. He came away from the table, moving to stand in front of the pair.
“There are no objections to this?” he said, pointing to Catalina though he was speaking to Essien. “You are agreeable?”
“I am,” Essien said. “Thank you for this opportunity, my lord. I am honored.”
“Are you actually happy about this?”
It was a question full of surprise. Essien didn’t really have to think about it. He looked at Catalina a moment before answering.
“I am,” he said, his eyes glimmering at her. “Your daughter is a good woman, a kind woman. Thank you for considering me worthy of her hand.”
Harald looked at Christopher, clearly incredulous, and Christopher fought off a grin. What had started out as a forced marriage between two people who had no desire to marry had turned into something else. It was rather difficult to believe.
“Astonishing,” Harald muttered. “You do understand that you shall be continuing my legacy, as the Earl of Mercia.”
“I do, my lord,” Essien said. “I shall endeavor to honor the title, always.”
Harald’s gaze drifted over him, the tall and powerful knight who had been born in another kingdom, someplace far away.
He looked like royalty, with his straight, strong features.
Harald had seen him in the tournament and knew the man was extraordinarily skilled.
What he didn’t know was the man’s mindset over the gratitude he was showing.
Was there something more behind those brown eyes?