Chapter Twelve #2
“Mayhap,” he said. His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he gestured at the castle. “I really must go. Was there something you wanted?”
Lista cocked her head curiously. “Wanted?”
“Your aunt said you wished to speak to me. To bid me farewell, I assume.”
Lista was greatly puzzled, but when it came to Flora, nothing was a mistake. She wasn’t sure what was going on, or why her aunt had told Louis that she wanted to see him, but she suspected it was some kind of tactic to throw them together. She tried not to let her frustration show.
“Aye,” she said, trying to maintain her smile. “I wanted to bid you a farewell and thank you for what you did last night. I shall walk back to the castle with you.”
“I would be honored.”
Greatly annoyed at Flora, Lista came around the grapevines but the moment she did so, she put her foot in a patch of slick mud and ended up falling heavily on her right hip. Louis wasn’t close enough to grab her but as she sat up in the mud, he bent over her with great concern.
“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked.
Lista rubbed her sore hip. “Other than my pride, I do not think so,” she said. “I am usually much more graceful than that.”
“I believe you,” Louis said, reaching down with both hands. “Let me help you.”
He pulled Lista up easily but the moment she put weight on her foot, pain shot up her leg and she nearly went over again. Louis had a good grip on her as she winced.
“It seems I twisted my ankle,” she said. “Do you mind helping me into the castle?”
Louis’ response was to bend over and scoop her into his big arms. Lista gasped at the unexpected move as her arms went around his neck to support herself.
“You do not have to carry me,” she insisted. “I can walk.”
Louis turned for the castle. “I can move faster than you can.”
“I can walk.”
“Let a man be chivalrous, will you?”
He said it with humor, but he was mostly serious. Lista opened her mouth to say something but movement caught her eye. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she gazed up at the garden gate, the one that led to the road beyond.
“Strange,” she muttered.
“What?”
“I thought I just saw Julian standing near the garden gate.”
“He’s still sleeping, isn’t he?”
Lista gripped his neck again as he proceeded up the slippery slope. “The last I checked, he was,” she said. “Mayhap it is the sun playing tricks.”
Louis nearly slipped himself in the mud, gripping Lista tightly as he carried her out of the garden and through the gate. He was rather sorry he was going to have to put her down at some point, but he was enjoying it while it lasted.
Little did he know what the brief moment of pleasure was going to cost.
“Ashton, wake up.”
Ashton had been dreaming about a trip he’d taken to London years ago, dreaming of the golden Thames at sunset and boats that were being pulled by swimming horses. It was a weird dream. But he opened his eyes to Julian’s grim face.
“What’s wrong?” he said, quickly sitting up. “Are the Scots back?”
Julian was dressed for battle. In full protection, his saddlebags slung over his shoulder, he was prepared.
“Nay,” he said shortly. “I am leaving Felkington now. I want you to escort Addie home first thing in the morning.”
Ashton rubbed his eyes. “You’re leaving now?” he said, thinking he hadn’t heard right. “Why?”
Julian’s jaw was ticking faintly. “Because I am,” he said. “Thank Lady Lista for her hospitality but bring Addie home tomorrow. Do not delay or I will send men for you.”
Ashton frowned, becoming more lucid. “Julian, what is wrong?”
Julian’s jaw was ticking so furiously now that he was about to break his teeth. “Do not ask me that,” he said. “As long as you live, do not ask me more than you already have. If I want you to know, I will tell you.”
Ashton was at a loss. Julian was serious about not asking any further questions, so he didn’t. He watched Julian leave the chamber, not bothering to close the door, but then he quickly climbed out of bed and put his clothing on.
He had to find Addington.
“What do you mean that he is leaving?”
The question came from Addington. Sitting on the floor of the great hall, she had been bandaging a man who had taken an ax to the arm and the doctor had just cleaned the wound thoroughly. But the rather grim statement from Ashton had her pausing in her duties.
“Just what I said,” Ashton said, quietly and seriously.
“He just came to me and told me that he’s leaving.
When I asked him why, he said never to ask him that question again.
I am afraid he will take my head off if I ask him again, so you must find him quickly.
He must be in the stables gathering his horse, so you must hurry. Something is wrong, Addie.”
Frowning with concern, Addington turned the bandaging over to a servant and let Ashton pull her to her feet.
She was dressed in one of her nicer gowns, one she had brought to go visiting in, but over the gown was a coarse and dirty apron that had blood and dirt on it.
She made a paradoxical sight, so nicely dressed, doing rather dirty work, but that was Addington.
She grew up in a castle that had seen many battles, so she was used to such things.
But she wasn’t used to Ashton’s tone where it pertained to Julian.
“I do not understand,” she said as she began to remove the apron. “He just said this to you?”
“Aye.”
“But nothing more?”
Ashton shook his head. “He had that look in his eyes that your father used to get when he was verging on tearing someone’s head off,” he said. “You know that look. I did not want to press him. But you can.”
Addington pulled the apron off, tossing it aside as she headed out of the hall with Ashton on her heels.
“In the stables, you say?” she said.
Ashton was right behind her. “That is my assumption,” he said. “Unless he is already gone. Julian moves like the wind when the mood strikes him. I would not be surprised if…”
“My lady!”
They were just at the stairwell, the spiral steps built into Felkington’s thick walls when a shout caught their attention. Addington had her foot on the top step but paused to see Louis heading in their direction.
He seemed distressed.
“Sir Louis?” Addington said. “Is something amiss?”
Louis nodded. “I just brought Lady Lista inside,” he said. “She has hurt her ankle. Will you see to her?”
Addington frowned. “How did she hurt her ankle?”
Louis threw a thumb in the direction of the vineyard. “We were near the ruined vineyard and she slipped in the mud,” he said. “I picked her up and carried her inside because she could not walk. Will you come?”
Addington wanted to but she had more pressing things with Julian. “I will, but in a moment,” she said. “You can help me in the meanwhile.”
“Tell me what to do, my lady.”
“Get a basin of cold water and some rags,” Addington said. “Put the rags in the cold water and put them on her ankle. I will come as soon as I can.”
Louis took the orders like a good knight and rushed off to carry them out. Addington continued down the stairs with Ashton still behind her, perhaps even hiding behind her because of Julian’s mood. Given that he’d told Addington what had occurred, Julian might even be angry at him for it.
As he’d told her, he’d seen Julian like that before.
It never ended well.
They came off the stairs and headed out into the courtyard, which was crisp and cold at that hour with the sun’s rays angled so that the courtyard was mostly in shadow.
The ground was a little slick, a little wet, as Addington held her skirts up and quickly walked towards the stables, which was through a large, arched entry on the opposite side of the courtyard.
At that point, Ashton held back and waited just outside the entry as Addington went in. He didn’t want Julian to see him, knowing he’d summoned Addington. He did, however, eavesdrop. His ears were open, listening for the conversation that was sure to come.
It didn’t take long.
Addington spied Julian as he slung his saddlebags over the back of his saddle. He was securing them as she approached.
“Julian?” Addington said, sounding both concerned and curious. “Where are you going?”
Julian was strapping the saddlebags to the saddle with leather strips. He glanced at her when he heard her voice.
“Ashton ran to you, did he?” he said.
Addington hesitated before shaking her head. “I saw you through the window,” she lied, not wanting to get Ashton into any trouble. “Why are you leaving?”
Julian finished with one strap and started on the other. “I told Ashton to bring you home tomorrow,” he said, avoiding her question. “Thank Lady Lista for a nice visit and come home.”
Addington shook her head. “I do not want to go home yet,” she said. “I did not think you did, either, so what has happened? Why are you leaving?”
He finished with the tie and looked at her. “I do not wish to speak of it,” he said. “I will see you at home.”
He moved to mount the charger but Addington put herself in front of the horse.
“Tell me why you are leaving or I will not move,” she said, more firmly.
“You are going to have to go through me to get out of this stable block and if you try, I will tell Mother. Worse still, I will tell Cole and you will have a lot of explaining to do. Stop being so evasive and tell me what has happened.”
He stopped short of climbing into the saddle because her threat was a real one.
He knew she wouldn’t move and he didn’t want to hurt her, but given Addington’s determined nature, he probably would have to plow through her to leave and he wasn’t going to go that far.
So he stood there for a moment, thinking on the answer he didn’t want to give.
He snorted softly.
“I am a fool,” he said simply. “Can we just leave it at that? I am a fool and I belong at Pelinom.”
Addington didn’t understand him in the least. “Why?” she begged softly. “Please tell me, Julian. You know you can trust me. I would not betray a confidence.”