Chapter Two #2
Douglas turned to the source of the voice.
A woman came out of the shadows, wearing something white.
Until his eyes adjusted to the dim light, all he saw was a flowing, pale garment.
Like a wraith would wear. Or an angel. It turned out to be a simple linen garment, but on her, it seemed like gossamer.
The woman’s movements were graceful, her stature short but her figure pleasing.
But when he got to her face, the real pleasure took hold.
She had a sweetly oval face, with a little nose and little chin and enormous green eyes.
He was taken aback by what he saw.
“I am not angry,” he managed to say. “I do not think any of us have slept much since we arrived. If I was sharp or loud with Lady Isabel, then I apologize.”
She smiled with rosebud lips that parted into a delightful expression. “I have heard Lady Isabel speak twice as sharply and thrice as loudly,” she said. “You were not nearly as frightening as she can be, my lord.”
He couldn’t help it. He grinned because she was. A woman like that—tiny, sweet, pixie-ish—there was no way he couldn’t smile in return. She was like a fragile little doll, porcelain and pristine, and Douglas had a hard time believing she was real.
He’d never seen such perfection.
“I see,” he said. “Then mayhap I should come in here and sit amongst the women and let her take charge of the army outside.”
“She would do a tremendous job of it.”
He snorted. “I suspect she would,” he said. His smile faded as his gaze lingered on her, like moth to flame. “What is your name, my lady?”
Those bright green eyes glimmered with mirth. “Lady Isabel would box my ears if I told you my name without our being properly introduced,” she said. “But I suppose there is no harm, considering the fact that there is no one around to introduce us. I am Lady Misery Isabella Rosalie d’Avignon.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Forgive me, but… Lady Misery?”
“Aye.”
“Misery is your name?”
She chuckled. “I have a twin brother named Payne,” she said. “Payne and Misery. My mother spent three days laboring to give birth to us and refused to name us anything other than what she was feeling at the time of our birth.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “And your father allowed this?”
“He died about a month before we were born. We were named out of grief.”
Douglas could see the overall picture, including a woman in mourning. It made some sense as to why her daughter bore such a horrific name. “A pity,” he said. “I would have thought your name to be something glorious like Eleanor or Elizabeth or Katherine.”
She was smiling as she shook her head. “I am afraid not,” she said. “But if it makes you feel any better, I am known as Mira. The first letter of each of my names—M-I-R-A. My grandmother refused to call me Misery, too.”
“Ah,” he said with approval. “Mira. That is much more suitable.”
“And your name, my lord?”
“Did you not hear me shout it before I tried to kick your door in?”
She laughed softly. “I confess, I did not,” she said. “I was one of the ones boiling water to drop on unsuspecting knights.”
He frowned, but he was jesting. “Then you are to blame.”
“I confess, I am.”
He quickly returned to a smirk. “To answer your question, I am Douglas de Lohr,” he said. “My father is the Earl of Hereford and Worcester.”
“Christopher de Lohr?”
“You know him?”
Mira shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “But I wrote the missive requesting his assistance. Since the death of Lady Isabel’s brother, the situation at Axminster has been… difficult. Tatworth has been persistent.”
“So it would seem.”
“Your presence is most welcome.”
His smile turned into one of those devastating gestures that had caused many a maiden to swoon, but for Mira, he meant it.
He wasn’t trying to get something out of her or force her to his will, as he’d been known to do on occasion.
Douglas liked women and they liked him in return. But for pretty little thing like Mira…
It was genuine.
“Thank you, my lady,” he said. “Your gratitude is appreciated. Would you do something for me?”
“Of course, my lord. How may I be of service?”
He pointed to the ceiling. “Can you check on my knight?” he asked. “That was a nasty blow. I would like for you to keep a close eye on him and report to me when I return. Will you do that?”
She nodded eagerly. “I will, my lord.”
“Thank you.”
With that, he dipped his head, silently excusing himself, and then turned for the entry door, which was still open.
He paused a minute before heading out into the rain, pulling his helm down a little to help keep the water out of his eyes, but he couldn’t help himself from glancing over his shoulder to see if Mira was still standing there.
Maybe he just wanted another glimpse of her before he headed out into the elements.
To his pleasure, not only was she still in the entry, but she was right behind him as he headed out the door.
When he looked at her curiously, wondering why she was following him, she indicated the soaked oaken panel.
“I must bolt the door after you leave,” she explained. “But I will see to your knight immediately.”
He simply nodded his head and continued on, out into the driving rain and down to the series of baileys where the Hereford and Norfolk armies had very quickly subdued Tatworth and St. Martin.
With the added men from inside Axminster, it had only been a matter of time before Tatworth and his ally were finally forced to lay down their arms. By the time Douglas hit the gatehouse, he had reports from multiple men telling him multiple things.
Unfortunately for Douglas, his mind was still back in the keep.
Mira.
He would remember that.