Chapter Five #2
Embarrassed, Lista nodded. “You must think that I complain terribly,” she said. “It seems that all I have done is tell you of our problems. I did not mean to, I swear it, but I thought you deserved an explanation as to why things are the way they are.”
Kellington patted her on the arm. “Not every family is perfect,” she said. “You do not need to explain. But I do hope things get better.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
The flash of armor caught her attention and she turned to see Julian and Ashton as they came riding up on their warhorses.
Julian looked exactly the way he did when Lista had met him the day before – enormous, built for war.
He was a de Velt, after all, and even if she knew very little about the family itself, she knew enough to know that if there was a battle, they were in the middle of it.
That included Julian.
Lista was so involved in watching the man that she failed to see the carriage that had been brought forth from the stables. It was a small carriage with a small cab, with wooden sides fortified with strips of iron, a door on one side of it, and small windows that looked out from either side.
Kellington grasped Lista by the hand.
“Come, my lady,” she said. “I thought it might be more comfortable for you to ride in my carriage. It really is quite comfortable – there are two cushioned benches, enough for four women to ride quite happily together. It will also be much safer.”
She had reached the carriage by that time, pulling open the iron latch on the door and revealing an extremely comfortable cab inside. The walls were lined with brocade and there were two small, cushioned couches facing one another. Awed, Lista stuck her head in to get a good look at it.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I have never seen anything like it.”
Kellington grinned. “Get in,” she said. “I will bring your mother and aunt.”
Lista did. She climbed into the carriage and sat down on the couch facing forward.
There was a small window next to her, enough for ventilation but not enough for anyone to climb inside should there be trouble.
She sat down but as she did so, an enormous hand reached in and took the satchel she’d been carrying.
Startled, she looked up to see Julian standing in the doorway.
“Where did you come from?” she said. “The last I saw, you were on your horse.”
She couldn’t see his face because his helm was on. “I still am,” he told her, heaving the satchel onto the top of the carriage, which contained a big, locked box that was bolted to the top of the cab. “You do not see me.”
He was jesting with her and Lista fought off a grin. “A pity,” she said. “I thought it was my friend, Julian, but I suppose I am mistaken. Mayhap you shall be my new friend instead.”
The helmed head turned to her. “No one but me shall be your new friend,” he said. “Remember that.”
“I thought you weren’t Julian?”
His helm was on but it wasn’t secured yet, so he bent over and pulled it off, revealing his handsome face set within his hauberk.
And his hair wasn’t covering his right eye.
“There,” he said. “Now do you recognize me?”
Lista started laughing. “I do,” she said. “I’ve not had the chance to bid you a good morn.”
He smiled, his dimples deep. “Good morn, my lady,” he said. “Are you feeling… better this morning?”
He meant after such a horrific night and Lista struggled to maintain her smile. “I do not know yet,” she said. “But I will tell you a secret.”
“What is it?”
“Knowing you are escorting us home makes me feel better already.”
He was still smiling, though her gentle flirt had him shifting nervously. “Did you think I would simply let you go and not do what I could to assist you?”
“I did not think that, but I am glad we are traveling together,” she said.
“Your sister will be my guest for a few days, it seems. You are also welcome to stay if you wish. I am sure Addington will need an escort home when she decides to return, so you may as well stay unless you have pressing duties elsewhere.”
It was an unexpected, but not unwelcome, invitation and his cheeks flushed in the slightest. Mostly because he very much wanted to accept. He’d spent his life being shunned one way or another, so an invitation from a lovely young woman had his heart fluttering.
“I do not have pressing duties elsewhere, at least not for the moment,” he said. “I accept your invitation.”
Lista grinned at him and he grinned back, but it was an embarrassed sort of grin and quite charming.
But Lista was precluded from saying anything further when Kellington arrived at the carriage with her mother and aunt.
They climbed in, lethargically, and sat on the couch facing backwards in the cab.
Neither one of them were happy, with aching heads and bellies from everything they’d ingested the day before.
“Do not forget, Meadow,” Kellington said. “I will see you in a few days for a nice, long visit. I am looking forward to it.”
Meadow smiled weakly. “As am I,” she said. “I am so glad to have seen you again, Kelli. I hope this means we shall not lose touch again.”
“We won’t, I promise,” Kellington said, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
Just as she did so, she was buffeted by Addington, who had just arrived.
She shoved her satchel at Julian and climbed into the cab, pushing past her mother as she sat next to Lista.
“Ah, Addie is here. Safe journey to you all, ladies. I shall see you soon.”
Addington waved at her mother, excited to be going on a new adventure, as Kellington stepped back and Julian shut the door and bolted it.
They could hear the knights outside the carriage, mostly Julian, shouting orders to the escort and Lista realized that not only were the knights accompanying them home, but there were evidently about forty de Velt soldiers coming as well.
It made for quite a secure escort.
The carriage lurched forward and the rocking motion had Meadow and Flora sleeping before they’d even left the village of Berwick.
As the pair snored away, Addington pulled out a deck of painted cards and she and Lista settled down to a card game where each player had to come up with card combinations totaling the number ten and setting those cards aside until there were no more cards left.
Lista had never played it before and it was a lovely way to pass the hours until they reached Felkington Castle on a rather clear and blustery day, but no matter how focused they were on the game and their conversation, Lista kept her ears open for a certain young knight who seemed to be riding directly next to the carriage.
Every time she looked up from her card came and to the window behind Addington, she could see Julian there.
In spite of the cargo they carried, it turned out to be one of the more enjoyable trips home.