Chapter Four #2
That caused him to sit up, looking at his sister quite incredulously. But there was also great suspicion there. “Addie, tell me that you did not say… anything about… me. Please.”
She knew what he meant and she wasn’t going to admit that she had indeed mentioned his eye color. That was something the entire family knew but never spoke of. For Julian’s sake, they’d learned not to. Therefore, she didn’t want to embarrass the man. In this case, her honesty only went so far.
“Why would I do that?” she said. “She did notice our eye color, however, and I told her that our father had the same eyes. I told her we all had similarly colored eyes. But that is all I said about it.”
Julian studied her for a moment as if trying to determine just how much truth she was telling him. “And?”
“And she said that she had seen your eyes and they were marvelous, like the rest of you.”
He didn’t say anything right away. He just stared at her, almost suspiciously. “Did she really say that?”
“I swear to you on Papa’s grave that she said it. I would not lie, Julian.”
He thought about it. The suspicion in his expression died away, replaced by disbelief and then a hint of delight. The corners of his mouth twitched as he lay back down and covered his face with his hands.
“Surprising,” he said.
Addington jumped to her feet and slapped him on the leg again.
“Is that all you have to say?” she demanded. “Julian, there is a woman who thinks you are marvelous within the walls of Berwick. What are you going to do about it?”
He didn’t answer fast enough and she spanked him again, causing him to finally grab her hands so she couldn’t hit him again.
“Whatever I do, I will not be pushed into it by you,” he said. “Stop hitting me or I’ll toss you into the wardrobe and lock the doors.”
Addington tussled with him. “I’m hitting you because you are an idiot,” she said. “You deserve to be hit if you do not do something about this. I am putting a woman in your hands and all you can say is ‘surprising’?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say ‘marvelous’!”
“Marvelous!”
Addington yanked her hands from his grip. “Then get your shoes on and go to the hall,” she said. “If you are not there when I arrive with Lista, I will tell Mother what I have told you and let the winds blow where they may.”
Julian grunted. “They will blow right into this room and Mother along with them,” he said. “Leave her out of it.”
“I won’t.”
He knew she wouldn’t. Sharply, he sighed. “Then I will agree to go to the hall under one condition.”
“What?”
“That you not tell Lady Lista that you have told me all of this. Swear it to me, Addie.”
“I swear.”
He swept his hands at her. “Then go,” he said. “Out of my sight, you little goat. Get out or I shall tell Ash that you are in love with someone else and then you can explain that to him.”
Addington gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
His eyes narrowed and he hissed at her. “Go.”
Addington complied, but not before she stuck her tongue out at him. He threw a shoe at her, but she was too fast. The door slammed and the shoe hit the wall and clattered to the ground. As Julian went to pick up the shoe, the grin he’d been trying so hard to fight off broke through.
Addington was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t among them.
At least, not where it mattered. He knew his sister well enough to know that.
What he did not believe, however, was her denial that she had perhaps prodded Lista into some sort of confession.
Addington’s heart was in the right place but she was relentless in her pursuit of her goals.
Effington and Addington together had been merciless, like the most merciless warlords he’d ever faced, and with Effington on the Welsh Marches with her husband, Addington was going it alone as the tour de force of the House of de Velt.
Even to help her brother who couldn’t seem to help himself.
Marvelous.
Somehow, that word had new meaning to him now.
“I do not see my mother and aunt anywhere,” Lista said as she took a seat at the end of the dais as Addington had indicated. “Do you know where they have gone?”
Addington shook her head as she sat down next to Lista. “I do not know,” she said. “I know they were here earlier. Would you like me to send someone to find them?”
Lista wasn’t sure. She was looking around for Amaury, too, but he was nowhere to be found, either. Lista knew that Amaury was probably with them, as he was diligent about such things. She knew he wouldn’t let them wander alone.
But she was still nervous when they were out of her sight.
“I suppose not,” she said. “I am sure our knight is with them. If they do not return to the hall in a short while, then mayhap we can send someone out to find them.”
Addington smiled, pleased that Lista was choosing to remain in the great hall and not running after her errant mother and aunt.
Now, if she could only get her stubborn, skittish brother into the hall as well, perhaps something could really happen.
Servants came around with trenchers of pork, peas, beans, and bread that had been baked with honey and rosewater.
Addington dug in with gusto, pointing as she chewed.
“That’s my brother, Cole, sitting with his wife, Corisande,” she said. “You met Cole earlier today, but I do not think you have met Cori. She’s terribly sweet.”
Lista took a bite of her food and quickly realized she was famished. She hadn’t eaten all day. “Nay, I have not met her yet,” she said. “Julian said he had a brother and three sisters.”
“Correct.”
“Where are your other sisters?”
Addington broke apart the bread. “My oldest sister, Allaston, is on the Welsh Marches with her husband,” she said. “Effington is also on the Welsh Marches, only to the south, towards Gloucester. Her husband is a garrison commander for the de Llion family.”
“Welsh?”
“Aye.”
“Have you ever been to the Welsh Marches?”
Addington shook her head. “Regretfully, I have not,” she said. “Have you?”
Lista shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “But I would like to go someday.”
“So would I.”
“Mayhap we can go together? It would be a better trip with someone to enjoy it with.”
Addington’s features lit up. “I would like that,” she said. Then, something caught her attention and she quickly smoothed at her hair before wiping at her mouth to make sure there were no crumbs. “One of my brother’s knights is approaching. Have you met him?”
Lista looked up to see a handsome young knight bearing down on them. He was well-proportioned and muscular, and he smiled when he saw Addington.
She smiled back.
“Good eve, Lady Addington,” the knight said. “I was hoping to see you tonight.”
Addington beamed. “It is agreeable to see you also, my lord,” she said. “Have you met my friend, Lady Lista de la Mere?”
The knight shifted his focus to Lista. With the same rather devilish smile, he took Lista’s hand and kissed it sweetly.
“Anteaus de Bourne at your service, my lady,” he said. “Welcome to Berwick.”
He seemed rather suave and full of himself. Lista took back her hand. “Thank you, my lord,” she said. “It is an honor to meet you.”
Somehow, Anteaus took that as an invitation to sit down and he did, eagerly.
He took a seat on Addington’s left hand because Lista was on her right.
More food was brought in as Anteaus told stories about his home, a castle known as The Keld.
He had two older brothers who came out looking like terrible bullies in his stories, but they were quite humorous.
Lista chuckled at the antics of the de Bourne brothers but it was clear during the course of the conversation that Anteaus was paying special attention to Addington.
He wasn’t being rude to Lista in the least, but it was clear that he was focused on her. There was romance in the air.
Smiling at the subtle flirting, Lista went back to her food.
“May I sit, my lady?”
Lista heard the words, having no idea they were meant for her until she caught sight of a big body on her right hand. Startled, she looked up to see Julian standing beside her, indicating the chair.
Cheeks flushing madly, she nodded.
“Please,” she said.
Julian sat down as servants rushed forward to bring him food and drink, but he wasn’t looking at his food.
He was looking at Lista.
“I see you are wearing the dark blue garment,” he said. “It suits you.”
Lista looked at herself, dressed in the dark blue dress with the silver embroidery. “Thank you,” she said. “Your sister was very kind to lend it to me.”
“And the food? Is the food to your liking?”
Lista nodded. “It is very good,” she said. “Do you always eat so well at Berwick?”
Julian wriggled his eyebrows, or at least the one eyebrow Lista could see. “Cori sets a fine table,” he said. “The finest in the north. There will be more courses after this, so do not eat too much. There is more to come.”
“Ah,” Lista said. “I will have to be careful that I do not break the seams of your sister’s dress with all of my gluttony.”
Julian’s glittering gaze lingered on her a moment before returning to his food.
“You would be in good company, I assure you,” he said.
Silence settled between them for a moment because he was staring at her so much, so he hastened to find something to talk about, fearful that it was about to become awkward.
“Do you come to Berwick often, my lady? To the market, I mean.”
Lista shrugged. “Often enough,” she said. “My mother likes to visit the apothecaries every month or two. And will you do something for me?”
“Anything, my lady.”
“Will you please call me Lista? Addressing me as ‘my lady’ sounds so formal and we are friends now, aren’t we?”
He looked at her, surprised. “Are we?”
“I hope so,” Lista said. “Unless my insults to you earlier have ruined any chance we have of a friendship and we are now mortal enemies.”
His lips twitched with a grin. “We are not enemies,” he said. “And your insults were hardly anything at all.”