Chapter Three
Isenhall Castle
Dogs barked and scattered as Tiberius and Douglass thundered into the small, crowded bailey of Isenhall.
They’d not spoken a word the entire time during the hour-long ride, fleeing like hunted animals, and by the time they reached Isenhall, it was clear that Douglass was doing all she could to keep her body away from Tiberius’.
She’d been holding herself up on the saddle, using the horn to pull forward, since nearly the moment they’d left Coventry.
And that hair, all of that red mass of hair, had been in Tiberius’ vision the entire way.
When he finally brought the steed to a halt and she slid off without benefit of his help, he could see clearly for the first time in over an hour.
Douglass simply stood a few feet away, uncertain and apprehensive, as Tiberius dismounted his charger and sent the horse off to the livery with one of the stable boys.
Tiberius was trying very hard not to look at the woman who had assaulted and insulted him, but out of respect for Bose and Garran, he was obliged to be polite.
Now that they were at Isenhall, he intended to turn her over to his sisters-in-law and wash his hands of her.
“Please come inside,” he said with forced courtesy. “We will wait for your father and brother there.”
Douglass eyed the very tall knight. In fact, she’d never seen a taller man.
He was muscular, that was true, but not bulky, and he had the widest shoulders she had ever seen.
With the soft, dark curls that framed his face and his square-jawed appearance, he was very handsome in a youthful sort of way.
She’d realized that the first time she got a good look at his face.
If she thought about it, truly thought about it, the only reason she came with the man was because he had been extraordinarily attractive and moderately convincing.
In hindsight, it had been a stupid decision.
The entire ride from Coventry, she kept thinking how foolish she had been for agreeing to come with him.
For all she knew, he had lied to her about who he was and why he had come.
Because of her attraction to him, it was possible that she had willingly accompanied one of de Montfort’s assassins to this cold and crowded castle where she was about to be thrown in the vault.
She was feeling very foolish and very anxious as Tiberius motioned her towards the big, square and squat keep that sat in the middle of the circular fortress.
“I will wait for them here,” she said stiffly. “I do not need to go inside.”
Tiberius could see that she spoke from fear more than from stubbornness.
The combative lady he’d met in Coventry was now uneasy.
He suspected she didn’t want to go inside and find herself trapped or locked up by a knight she didn’t know.
Upon reflection, given what she’d been through over the past two days, he didn’t blame her sense of caution.
Traveling with her father and brother as she was, he was certain she’d latched on to their sense of diligence and, obviously, their sense of fear at being followed by de Montfort.
Bose de Moray would make a fine prize if captured.
So would his daughter. With that thought, he forced himself to soften.
“My lady,” he addressed her steadily, “it is difficult to know precisely when your father and brother will be coming. My brothers’ wives are inside the keep and will take great care of you.
You do not have to see me at all, I swear it.
I will escort you inside and then you shall never see me again. ”
Douglass eyed the tall knight warily. “Although I thank you for your hospitality, you will forgive me for declining again,” she said. “I will wait for my father and brother right here. I am not moving.”
“But it is more pleasant inside, out of the sun.”
“Nay.”
Tiberius wasn’t sure what more he could say to convince her. In fact, he was relatively insulted that his softer approach hadn’t worked. Resigned, he moved towards her, indicating for her to back up.
“Then stand out of the way,” he said. “You are in the path for the gatehouse and I do not want you to be run over. Please stand against the wall if you feel you must wait out here.”
Silently, Douglass did as she was told, backing up until her backside was against the cold, gray stone of Isenhall’s circular walls.
Tiberius, with nothing more to say, silently excused himself and made haste for the keep.
He was just mounting the stairs when the entry door lurched open and women began to appear.
Courtly was first, followed by Violet, Lily, and then Jeniver.
As the little girls squealed and ran for Tiberius, Courtly addressed Tiberius, curious of the circumstances.
“You were not gone very long,” she said. “Where is Lord de Moray?”
Tiberius reached down to pick up the girls as they jumped on him.
“I do not know,” he said. “I was asked to collect his daughter and I did. I brought her back to Isenhall without delay. The last I saw, de Montfort men and de Shera men were clashing, a rare sight indeed. But the lady is very distrustful. She will not come inside. She insists on waiting by the gatehouse for her father and brother to come.”
Perplexed, Courtly and Jeniver strained to catch a glimpse of de Moray’s daughter, finally spying her standing against the wall near the gatehouse. Jeniver gathered her skirts and descended the steps with Courtly right behind her.
“What is the matter?” Jeniver wanted to know. “Why is she so distrustful?”
Tiberius, with his nieces in his arms, followed the women as they headed towards the woman near the gatehouse.
“I am not entirely sure,” he said, “but I believe it has something to do with de Montfort’s men following her father for the past two days. She is not entirely convinced I am a de Shera. I think she believes I am with de Montfort somehow, meaning to imprison her.”
Jeniver glanced at him. “Yet she came with you.”
Tiberius shook his head. “I did not give her the opportunity to refuse,” he said. “Things happened rather quickly and we were forced to flee.”
Jeniver and Courtly digested his statement but their eyes were riveted to the woman with the glorious golden-red curls.
The woman had a magnificent head of hair, hundreds of spiral curls tumbling all the way to her buttocks.
They could see it even from across the bailey.
When they drew closer, they could see that she was somewhat tall with porcelain skin and big, dark eyes.
She was quite stunning but she was looking at them all rather suspiciously.
Jeniver was the first to speak as they drew near.
“My lady,” she greeted pleasantly. Jeniver was a truly sweet and friendly woman.
“I am Lady de Shera, Countess of Coventry and this lovely woman standing next to me is Lady Courtly de Shera, wife of my husband’s brother.
We have come to welcome you to Isenhall and to provide you with all of the hospitality we have to offer. ”
Douglass looked between the women. The countess was a spectacular creature with black hair and brown eyes while her counterpart had beautiful, blond hair in a braid and bright, blue eyes.
Truthfully, both women were quite beautiful and Douglass noticed that the countess was pregnant.
She also couldn’t help but notice Tiberius standing behind the women, playing with two little girls, one in each arm.
In fact, it was quite sweet to watch him as he pretended to bite little fingers, making the girls giggle, but she tore her gaze away from him to focus on the women. She dipped into a practiced curtsy.
“I am Lady Douglass de Moray,” she said, her manner much more pleasant than it had been in her dealings with Tiberius. “Thank you for receiving me. I pray you are not offended if I wish to wait for my father and brother at the gatehouse.”
Jeniver moved towards the woman, who was at least a head taller than she was.
“You will be much more comfortable inside,” she said, extending a hand to her.
“I realize you have had a terrible experience as of late with de Montfort’s men, but I assure you that you are safe here.
Won’t you please come with me? The cook has made some marvelous poached eggs with sauce and we were about to eat. Will you please join us?”
Douglass wanted very much to refuse. She was concerned for her father and brother, and did not want to go inside and enjoy a feast and pretend all was well.
All was most certainly not well. But she was coming to feel the least bit comforted with her situation, now realizing that Tiberius de Shera was, in fact, who he said he was.
She slanted a look to the man as he played with the little girls, thinking that perhaps she owed him an apology.
“I…,” she said, stopped, and started again.
“Please do not think me rude, Lady de Shera, but I am very worried for my father and brother. I do not believe I could relax were I to go inside and share a meal with you, pretending everything is normal in my world when it truly isn’t.
Until my brother and father are safe here, with me, I cannot relax at all. ”
Jeniver smiled knowingly at the woman. “I understand,” she said softly.
“I feel the same way whenever my husband rides from these gates. To be truthful, I feel that way now. Since that is the case and there is no shame in admitting that I am concerned for my husband as well, we will wait with you here until everyone returns safely. Would you allow us that privilege?”
Douglass was surprised by the offer. “You do not need to wait with me, truly, Lady de Shera,” she said. “Surely you should be inside, resting. I am quite capable of waiting alone.”
Jeniver shook her head firmly, turning to Tiberius. “Ty, can you ask the servants to bring food out to us?” she asked. “And mayhap a chair or two. We may be in for a long wait.”