Chapter Six
In the muddy, cold, and bright bailey of Kennington, Jeniver studied Courtly intently, very curious about the woman who had captured Maximus’ heart.
Lady Courtly was about the same size and shape as she was, with bright, blue eyes and long, dusky lashes.
Her hair was a lovely shade of blond that had been swept into a braid, complimenting her sweet, oval face.
In truth, Jeniver was not disappointed in what she saw.
She could easily understand Maximus’ attraction to the luminous lady.
“Greetings, my lady,” Jeniver said. “I am honored to meet you. As I was telling your father, my husband’s brother, Maximus, told us of your harrowing adventure yesterday and also of the wonderful feast he attended last night.
He is most impressed with your father’s hospitality and also by your culinary skills. ”
The countess had a sweet, honeyed voice, and Courtly curtsied smoothly. “I am the one who is honored, Lady de Shera,” she said. “Sir Maximus surely saved my life and the life of my sister. Providing him with a meal was the least we could do to thank him for his efforts.”
Jeniver laughed softly. “And he was very thankful for it,” she said. “We are staying at The One-Eyed Raven in town and the food there has not been particularly good, unfortunately. I think he was very grateful for an excellent meal by your hand.”
Courtly smiled because Jeniver was. Already, the woman had a way of making her feel at ease.
She didn’t act like any countess Courtly had ever met.
Lady de Shera was friendly and warm, and given that Courtly spent nearly all of her time with either her father or sister, she didn’t have much opportunity to make new friends. Immediately, she felt drawn to her.
“As I said, we were honored to provide it, my lady,” she said. “I am very glad Sir Maximus enjoyed it.”
Jeniver nodded. “Indeed,” she said. “Wherever did you learn to cook?”
“I fostered for a time at Prudhoe Castle, my lady. Lady d’Umfraville learned the culinary arts in France and taught us.”
Jeniver watched Courtly as she spoke. She was well-spoken and polite.
She could see how the young woman had entranced Maximus.
She knew for a fact that her brother-in-law was behind her, grouped among the de Shera men, waiting very impatiently for Jeniver to make her move and ask for Lady Courtly’s company on a shopping excursion.
The time for small talk and meaningless chatter was over.
It was time to move to the point of their visit before the situation became awkward.
“Lady d’Umfraville taught you very well,” Jeniver said.
Then, she eyed both Kellen and Courtly as she spoke.
“In fact, that is why I have come. Lord de Lara, I am alone in Oxford save my husband and his brothers, with no lady to attend me. It has come to my attention that your daughter is cultured and knowledgeable, and I wonder if I could beg you to allow me to take Lady Courtly with me into town. I must do some shopping and I very much need a lady by my side. For my position, after all, it is unseemly that I do not have any ladies-in-waiting. I pray upon your good graces that you will allow me the company of your daughter for the duration of my stay in Oxford.”
Kellen looked at Jeniver, shocked and speechless by the request. He knew the request was one of honor.
For the wife of an earl to ask for the service of a daughter was honorable, indeed, but Kellen wasn’t sure he could agree for two very good reasons – the first being that he did not like his children out of his sight where he could not keep a watchful eye over them.
That was the main reason he had recalled Courtly from Prudhoe Castle, in fact.
True, he wanted her home, but it was mostly so he could watch over her and keep his daughters under the same roof. His roof.
But the second reason, of course, was that Maximus de Shera was Lady de Shera’s brother-in law. If Courtly was around Lady de Shera, then Maximus would be there, too. Nay, he could not allow that, not in the least. He struggled to refuse without insulting the countess.
“That is a most gracious offer, Lady de Shera,” he said, stumbling. “But… you see, I have a younger daughter and Courtly must tend her. I surely cannot let her go or I will have no one to tend my younger child.”
“I will look after her.”
They all turned around to see Ellice standing a few feet away. It was she who had offered. Kellen scowled at his sister.
“You?” he asked. “You? You do not know anything about tending children, Ellice.”
Ellice’s expression upon her brother was one of abject hatred.
“And that is your fault, is it not?” she volleyed, with Lady de Shera listening.
As Kellen struggled not to explode at her, Ellice walked up beside her niece and looked to Lady de Shera.
“My niece would be an excellent companion, my lady. There is no reason why you cannot take her right now, in fact. I will look after the younger girl.”
Kellen was beside himself with outrage but he dare not vent his anger in front of the countess. As it was, he was straddling a very fine line of courtesy versus insult. He knew Lady de Shera was watching him, awaiting his answer, but he was having a very difficult time giving one.
“This is all so sudden,” he finally said, backing away from the carriage so he would have more room to think and to breathe.
He couldn’t do either with Lady de Shera’s attention on him.
“My daughters’ stay in Oxford has not been a pleasant one.
You heard of the fire yesterday, no doubt, and all of their possessions were lost. I was preparing to send them both back to Trelystan Castle, this morning in fact. They will be much safer at home.”
He was speaking quickly, as if he were scrambling for a reason to deny Lady de Shera’s request, and Jeniver was coming to sense something more than mere reluctance in the man.
Her request for the company of Lady Courtly had rattled him deeply and she didn’t understand why.
Surely any father would have been happy for his daughter to be taken into the house of a countess as her lady, but it was clear de Lara didn’t think that way.
There was something very odd with the man, indeed.
“You do not have to decide at this moment, Lord de Lara,” she said, trying to salvage the situation somehow, “but at least let me take her to town with me and shop. I require her company and her opinion on many things. Will you please do this for me? My husband will be very pleased if you do.”
She purposely brought up her husband to force de Lara’s hand.
Gallus de Shera was not only the Earl of Coventry, but he was also the right hand of Simon de Montfort.
To have connections to such a man during this dark and turbulent time would be a prideful thing, indeed.
Jeniver was also, not so subtly, telling Lord de Lara that Gallus would be quite displeased if the man denied her request. Therefore, Kellen had no choice and he knew it.
His jaw began to tick, struggling not to become angry over the situation and over Lady de Shera’s control.
He didn’t like a woman, any woman, to have control over his decisions.
“Very well,” he said, smiling thinly. “You may take her to shop but I would have her returned home before nightfall. I will insist, my lady.”
Courtly, who had been watching the exchange carefully, was so relieved and excited when he gave permission that she nearly shouted, but she managed to keep control.
If her father saw that she was too happy, he might do his best to go back on his word.
Therefore, she remained demure and polite as a de Shera knight opened the door to the cab and Courtly quickly climbed in.
She looked to see if it was Maximus who had opened the door but it was not.
It was a very young knight with brilliant, blue eyes.
The carriage pulled away without another word to Kellen, as if they were anxious to get away from him and remove themselves from Kennington’s bailey.
The de Lara escort formed loose ranks and followed the carriage, thundering out of the ward.
As the big, iron gates lurched closed, Kellen turned to his sister.
Gazing into his hard eyes, it was the first time Ellice had ever truly been afraid of her brother.
*
Oxford
Not a word was spoken between Jeniver and Courtly until they were well away from Kennington.
In fact, the carriage was awkwardly quiet for several long minutes.
Courtly would not speak until the countess did and Jeniver wasn’t sure how she was going to start the conversation.
They were strangers, after all, and Jeniver had essentially abducted the woman from her father.
She had given the man no choice, but she wasn’t sorry in the least. As she observed Courtly as the woman watched the passing landscape through the cab window, she was coming to think there was something rather downcast about the woman. She was both concerned and intrigued.
“It is very kind of you to accompany me, my lady,” Jeniver finally said, smiling when Courtly looked at her. “It looks as if the weather will hold. It should be a fine day.”
Courtly nodded. “Indeed, Lady de Shera,” she said, returning her gaze to the carriage window.
“I… I would like to thank you for inviting me to attend you. I have never attended a fine lady before. Well, except for Lady d’Umfraville, but she had several ladies-in-waiting and a half-dozen wards. I was one of many.”
Jeniver grinned. “It sounds as if she had an entire court at her disposal.”
Courtly laughed softly. “She did,” she agreed. “And she behaved much like a queen would. She was gracious and generous, but she was not afraid to take a switch to you if the situation warranted.”
Now it was Jeniver’s turn to laugh. “God’s Bones,” she said. “That is positively tyrannical.”