Chapter Nineteen
Pelinom Castle
Four weeks later
“And that’s how we met,” Julian was saying. “She yelled at me and told me I was a terrible commander because my men were undisciplined. One moment she was shouting at me and in the next, I was in love with her. In speaking to Mama, she says nearly the same thing happened with you.”
He was speaking to an enormous crypt in the small chapel of Pelinom, the one Julian’s grandfather, Keats, had built against the outer wall of his fortress. It was tucked back by the kitchens, half-moon shape in design, and it had two crypts in it – Keats Coleby and Ajax de Velt.
Jax had never wanted to be buried far from his family.
Which was a good thing considering a loud and expensive wedding was going on at Pelinom.
Jax was part of it because the family kept coming in to celebrate with him.
At the moment, it was Julian, who had put two full cups of wine on the crypt because he was marrying the woman he loved and he wanted to celebrate the event with his father.
Cole and his family had arrived for the celebration, as had sisters Allaston and Effington, all the way from Wales.
Julian had more nieces and nephews running about than he could count, more boys to take him down by the knees and try to steal his coin purse.
But there were other guests, as well.
Christopher de Lohr was among them. The man had come north with his brother, the Earl of Canterbury, and a host of knights and friends, all of them gathering to celebrate Julian’s marriage to Lista, who was a truly sweet and humorous woman.
The word from the de Lohr women was that they most definitely approved of Lista and held her in great esteem, much like her husband, who was rarely away from her side.
But for this task, he wanted to be alone.
It was a moment between father and son.
“I brought a drink for you, Papa,” Julian said, picking up one of the two cups on Jax’s crypt.
“I wanted to celebrate my marriage with you, just the two of us, because I know you would be giving me fatherly advice right about now. This would be your moment to tell me how to be a good husband because you were one for all of those years. But instead, Cole felt the need to take your place and tell me how to treat a wife. I think he lied because he told me that women like to have their hair pulled and appreciate love bites on their buttocks. I think he was drunk when he told me that because I’m fairly certain he’s trying to get me into trouble with my wife. ”
Julian chuckled as he brought the cup to his lips and drank deeply, a very fine Belgian wine provided by Lady Felkington on the event of her daughter’s wedding.
Somehow, Flora hadn’t gotten to the wine before it was shipped to Pelinom and even now, Lady d’Orbec was back at Felkington, in her chamber and under guard from Julian’s own men.
He didn’t trust the woman not to make his wedding a fiasco, so she hadn’t been invited.
She’d been restricted to her chamber until Julian could decide what to do with her.
Lista had been grateful.
While Flora’s fate was still up in the air, Meadow had come to Pelinom and Kellington had spent nearly every minute with her.
She still wanted to drink and forage in the trees for fungus that would give her a wildly intoxicated feeling, but Kellington had managed to keep her away from those things and she had actually enjoyed herself at her daughter’s wedding.
Meadow removed from Flora seemed to be a saner and more stable lady, now with the renewed friendship with Kellington Coleby de Velt, who was a much better influence on her.
It was another thing that Lista was deeply grateful for.
And Julian was, too.
“You’d like Lista, Papa,” Julian said softly, running his hand over the great stone crypt.
“In fact, I know you would grow to love her because I think she’s that greatness you once spoke about.
If you will recall, as you lay in Mama’s arms, you told me I needed to find my greatness.
I’ve wondered for six years what you meant by that and I always thought it was something to do with strength or honor.
It never occurred to me that my greatness was a person.
I found my greatness and her name is Lista. I just thought you’d like to know.”
He was smiling by the time he finished, giving the cold granite one last pat before setting down his empty cup and picking up the one he’d left for his father.
It was a poignant moment with his father, one he would remember for the rest of his life.
Having a big brother like Cole explain the ways of married men and women to him had actually been quite sweet, a bonding moment between brothers, but there had been something missing without their father present.
They both felt it. But it had been a beautiful moment, nonetheless.
“I thought I’d find you in here.”
Julian heard the voice over near the chapel entry, turning to see Cole standing there with two more cups in his hand. He came in, handing one to Julian even though he already had a cup.
“Papa and I were just having a conversation,” Julian said. “Somewhat one-sided, but I swear I hear his voice now and then.”
“Oh?” Cole said, taking a drink from his cup. “What did he tell you?”
“That women do not like love bites on their arses.”
Cole nearly spit his wine out, managing to salvage most of it as a droplet ran down onto his chin. He wiped it off as he swallowed the drink in his mouth, grinning at his younger brother.
“If you truly believed me, then you are in more trouble than I realized,” he said. “But coming to know Lista as I have, I suspect she would not tolerate bites to her arse.”
Julian snorted. “Probably not,” he said. “But I intend to find out… gently.”
Cole chuckled. “Cori likes her a great deal, you know,” he said. “So do Allaston and Effie and Addie. Next to Cori’s younger sister, Gaia, Addie considers Lista her best friend in the entire world. I would not be surprised if she moved into Felkington with you two.”
Julian shook his head. “I love Addie, but she is staying here, with Mother,” he said firmly.
“I am not sharing my wife right now. I do not need my sister tagging along with everything we do. God, do you remember how Cassian used to do that to us when he was young? Everywhere we went, there he was. We would go hunting and he’d cry to Mother so she would make us take him along.
What an annoyance he was. Addie has the potential to be just like that. ”
Cole grinned at the memories of a little brother who was born when Cole and Julian were twelve and ten years of age, respectively. As they grew, Cassian wanted to do everything with them, which greatly annoyed the boys who were becoming men.
“He used to be like that until we got older and that dynamic changed,” Cole said. “I do not remember when it became me and Papa against you and Cassian, but that’s when we found out just how cunning and ruthless Cassian was. I never told you this, but you were fortunate to have him as an ally.”
Julian was still smiling at the recollection of his little brother who was tough and fierce, even at a young age. “I know,” he said. “I miss those times very much.”
The smile faded from Cole’s face. “I know,” he said. “Actually, that is why I’ve come. I know you wanted to be alone with Papa for a while, but I just had a conversation with de Lohr that I think you should know about. It’s about Cass.”
Julian’s good humor fled. “God, what now?” he said. “We already know about his bastard son, whom I fully intend to see at some point.”
“I know. Me, too. We shall go together.”
“Then what else is there about Cass?”
“He’s alive.”
That wasn’t what Julian had expected to hear. In fact, he was expecting to hear anything but that, so the news was like a blow to his belly. He actually had to grip the side of the crypt to steady himself, setting the cups down so he wouldn’t drop them.
“Say that again,” he said as if not trusting his own ears. “What did you just say?”
Cole put a hand on his shoulder. “Cassian is alive,” he said. “De Lohr’s men have seen him on the tournament circuit and they have confirmed that he is alive and well, competing as a tournament knight who calls himself The Dark Conqueror.”
A hand flew to Julian’s mouth. “He’s truly alive?” he hissed. “And they’re certain?”
“They are.”
Julian stared at him, shocked to the bone, but along with that shock came a question. It spewed from his lips before he could stop himself.
“But why?” he demanded. “Why is he on the tournament circuit and has not sent us word? Why has he let us think that he has been dead all these years?”
Cole was shaking his head even as his brother asked those terrible questions that he had asked himself.
“I do not know,” he said. “Christopher does not know, but he is going to find out. He plans on attending a tournament to see for himself. He said he would send us word as soon as he had spoken to Cass. I would like to think our brother has a very good reason for doing what he’s done but, at the moment, I cannot think of one.
All I can think of is Mother’s face when she thought Cass had been killed on his way to visit Papa’s grave after he was killed and I want to throttle Cassian. I really do.”
Julian did, too, and he wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “He’d better have a damned good reason for all of this,” he said. “Mayhap he was knocked on the head by outlaws and forgot who he was, or mayhap…”
“Mayhap what?”
Julian cast him a long look. “Mayhap he is one of William Marshal’s spies,” he said. “Mayhap The Marshal commanded him to feign his own death.”
Cole shook his head. “Nonsense.”
“Why?” Julian wanted to know. “You served William Marshal and his ring of spies. Mayhap the man got to Cass and forced him into service.”