Chapter Ten
“Will you chase me?”
Penelope was sweaty and flushed from having run around the kitchen yard a few times, but she was still game for anything.
On a bright morning, Annaleigh had been standing with the cook, discussing the evening’s meal, when Penelope ran up and grabbed her by the hand.
She was playing with Thomas, Rose, Edward, and little Nathaniel, all of them running and tagging each other around the kitchen yard.
Nathaniel was too little to really be much of a threat and kept getting “tagged”, or touched, and put into an imaginary cage.
By the fourth time, he began to wail and Jemma came out into the yard to drag her tired, grumpy four year old into the keep so he could nap.
That left Penelope and her endless energy focused on Annaleigh.
“I’m busy right now, lassie,” Annaleigh said as Penelope tugged on her. “Play with Thomas and Rose. I’ll join ye when I’m finished.”
“Please!” Penelope begged, dragging out the word. “Chase me!”
“Not now. Later.”
That left Penelope grossly unhappy. Truth be told, Annaleigh couldn’t have chased a one-legged man at that point, even if it was guaranteed that she could catch him. She was completely exhausted from what little sleep she did get the night before, but it had been worth it.
Very worth it.
She didn’t even know what time she went to bed because it seemed as if she and War had talked all night long.
They talked for several hours at the very least and only stopped talking when the great hall grew silent and the servants began dousing the tapers because everyone had gone to sleep.
War had escorted her out of the garden and to the door of the keep but he would go no further, thanking her for a “most pleasant evening” before making sure she went inside and shut the door.
Annaleigh didn’t get an abundance of sleep after that.
The entire evening with War kept rolling through her mind as she tried to force herself to sleep.
He was a gentle giant of a man who had earned a prestigious reputation as one of the greatest young knights in England.
The king loved him, so much so that he gave him an esteemed post at Bamburgh.
Everyone who was anyone in the warring circles of England knew the name of War Herringthorpe.
The man named War.
She could easily see what had everyone so enamored.
He had a quiet way about him, self-depreciating at times, but arrogant in others.
He knew his worth. God knows, the man knew his worth.
He was the most talented man in the room and he knew it, but when he was in the room with William or Kieran, he also knew his place in the hierarchy.
They were on top, he was working his way up.
He was humorous – very humorous – but he also spoke with a wisdom and seriousness beyond his years.
He was brilliant, interesting, and kind. At least, he was with her.
He was perfect.
Did she fancy the man? After last night, she did, but that was something no one could ever know. She was Scots; he was English. A great English knight. He would be expected to marry a lord’s daughter, or an heiress or a countess or even a princess. A man like that needed to marry well.
Not a clan chief’s daughter.
Even Annaleigh knew that.
It was a sad and disappointing realization.
But that still didn’t mean she wanted to entertain Talus or Anthony. Perhaps she should just return to Scotland and forget all about War Herringthorpe. The sooner, the better, because as it was, one more long conversation with the man and she’d probably be madly in love with him.
“Annie!” Penelope cut into her thoughts, tugging on her hand again. “Please chase me! Just a little?”
Annaleigh sighed heavily, glancing at the cook only to see the man smirk.
Everyone knew that Penelope’s wishes would be obeyed.
Therefore, Annaleigh surrendered to the inevitable.
As the cook walked away, Annaleigh growled like a bear and Penelope screamed in delight.
As she ran off, Annaleigh went in pursuit.
All of the children were screaming happily as Annaleigh pretended to be a vicious animal.
She growled and made claw-like gestures with her fingers, giddily terrifying the children.
She finally caught Rose, who managed to slip away from her and bump into Penelope, sending her to the ground.
It was enough for Annaleigh to capture Penelope.
More screaming.
Penelope, however, didn’t want to play the game the correct way. She refused to go into the cage, which was really just a box drawn in the dirt. Annaleigh insisted she go to the cage if she wanted her to continue playing the game, so Penelope flopped on her back in the box and cried angrily.
Annaleigh stood over her, hands on hips, shaking her head.
“It seems to me that someone has done Lady Penelope wrong,” Talus said, walking up behind her. “I cannot imagine what that could be.”
Annaleigh turned to look at him as he entered the kitchen yard from the stables. “Can’t ye, now?” she said, smirking. “Lady Penny has been playing a game and quite imperiously consigning young Nathaniel tae this cage, but when she herself is put in it, she refuses tae comply.”
Talus’ eyebrows lifted in understanding. “I see,” he said. “Well, every hive must have a queen. She is clearly the queen and the rules do not apply.”
Annaleigh rolled her eyes at him. “Ye are far too lenient, Talus,” she said. “Even Penny needs tae learn tae play by the rules. Life is full of rules.”
“I suppose,” he said. Then he leaned over Penelope as she cried in the dirt. “May I help you to your feet, my lady?”
Penelope’s face was streaked with dirt where she wiped her snot and tears. “Nay!” she said. “I want out of the cage!”
“I am offering to help you.”
“Will you give me your sword?”
“Regretfully, I will not.”
“But I must fight my way out.”
Talus shook his head. “Not with my sword, my lady,” he said. “You must find another way to escape.”
Penelope sat up and started wailing again. Talus looked stricken, as if he’d done something wrong, but Annaleigh shook her head at him.
“Not tae worry,” she said. “Ye did the right thing.”
Talus shrugged but was prevented from replying when William came through the kitchen gate, straight for his screaming daughter.
The man could hear her anywhere, anytime, and would gravitate in her direction.
His older sons would do it, too, and Penelope knew that if she cried long enough and loud enough, it would bring reinforcements.
She was right.
“Why the screaming?” William asked, spying his daughter in the dirt. “What happened?”
Annaleigh had been at Castle Questing long enough to know how William reacted to his youngest child and how Jordan did. While Jordan was firm, William was the soft touch. Had it not been so ridiculous, it would have been laughable.
“Lady Penny made a new game,” Annaleigh said. “She made the rules. But she doesna want tae play by her own rules.”
William’s brow furrowed in understanding. “Penny,” he said, going to stand over her. “Stop weeping, lass. Get out of the dirt.”
Penelope looked at her father, lower lip trembling. “I’m in a cage, Papa,” she said. “Help me.”
She sounded incredibly pathetic and Annaleigh rolled her eyes, catching a glimpse of Talus, who was trying to sneak out of the kitchen yard before he was caught up any further in Penelope’s web.
She, too, turned away as William reached down and picked his child up, holding her tightly as she wrapped her little body around him.
So much for the game.
As William carried Penelope back towards the keep, Thomas and Rose came out of their hiding places, watching the enormous knight cart away the littlest tyrant.
With Penelope gone, they ran off somewhere else, leaving Annaleigh to return to the cook.
But not before Talus backtracked on leaving the kitchen yard.
He came up behind her.
“I did not see you at the feast last night,” he said. “Were you feeling ill?”
Annaleigh paused, turning to him. She sensed he was probing her, which was normal with him. Even though they’d had the conversation about remaining cordial with no romance involved, as he usually did, he forgot about it.
It was becoming annoying.
“I am well enough,” she said evenly. “Ye needna worry.”
She turned to walk away but he continued to follow. “You missed quite a conversation with Herringthorpe,” he asked. “The man is very accomplished. He regaled us with several stories last night. A pity you missed them.”
I dinna, she thought, but somehow she knew that Talus must have seen her and War speaking in the garden.
With a gate facing the great hall, it was very possible he caught sight of them at some point in the evening, which annoyed her greatly.
Was he trying to catch her in a lie? Was he trying to force her to confess?
Her patience with him was growing thin.
“I’ve spoken tae him,” she said as evenly as she could. “He does seem quite accomplished, I agree. Now, I must go about my duties, as I suspect ye must as well.”
She forced a smile at him before turning away and walking quickly towards the cook, who was in the process of having a side of beef brought out of the larder. Annaleigh wasn’t usually keen on watching meat butchered, but it was better than continuing the awkward conversation with Talus.
At least an hour passed as she watched the cook cut up the beef he was going to make a stew from.
Beef, carrots, peas, turnips and other vegetables went into the pot which was then filled with water and herbs and salt.
The cook also poured two big pitchers of red wine into the pot, for flavor he told her, and the entire pot had a big fire started beneath it.