Chapter Eleven #2
Grayson could feel his ire rise again. “I understand completely,” he said. “But I also understand that you have had many women in your young life and you probably believed yourself in love with half of them. Douglass, too, shall pass.”
Tiberius stood up, facing the considerably shorter Grayson. “This is different,” he said. “And I am not leaving. You cannot force me to go home.”
Grayson was unhappy that Tiberius was not doing as he was told.
“Then there is this to consider,” he said, trying another angle.
“Henry has chosen a husband for her already. That was why de Moray went to Derbyshire to collect his daughter and bring her to London. I do not know how you became involved in this or how you met her, but Bose has brought her to London to meet her betrothed. Did you know that?”
Tiberius looked at him suspiciously. “I did,” he said. “How did you know that?”
Grayson didn’t falter. “Because it was arranged that de Moray should bring her to Wintercroft to meet her intended,” he said.
“Do you think it was by pure coincidence that he brought her here? Of course not. He left his army here and he intended to return here. It was logical, then, for her intended to meet her here when de Moray returned. In fact, her intended has been here for about a week, waiting for her to arrive.”
A bolt of shock coursed through Tiberius as the realization hit. “D’Vant?” he asked, stunned. “Tallis d’Vant is here?”
Grayson nodded. “He is indeed.”
Tiberius ran from the room before Grayson could stop him.
*
Douglass had no idea where Tiberius was going, following Sir Grayson around the side of the keep, but having him out of her sight made her edgy and anxious.
As her brother practically shoved her into the gaping entry door of Wintercroft, she lost sight of the bailey, which distressed her.
Onward Garran gently pushed her into a small and dark entry, with an enormous, stone, spiral staircase to the right and a large, windowless hall to the left.
As she entered the enormous hall, she could see that there were slits at the top of the room for ventilation.
In all, Wintercroft was a very oddly designed building but the hall itself was more comfortable than most. There was a colossal table in the center of the room with smaller tables around it.
There were cushions on the benches and beautiful tapestries on the walls, indicative of the de Winter fortune.
There were even fine works of art against the wall, paintings on thin, wood panels, and the panels drew Douglass’ attention.
Propped against the wall in regular intervals, the scenes were quite detailed – they depicted scenes from the Bible and Douglass called her father over to take a look at them. Bose grunted when he saw what she was looking at.
“I have seen these,” he said. “There is the scene from the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve are banished, and there is the scene of Daniel in the lion’s den. There are eight of them in total. Lady de Winter had them brought all the way from Italy on the backs of donkeys.”
Douglass was impressed. “They are beautiful,” she said. “Is Lady de Winter here at Wintercroft?”
Bose shook his head. “Lady Katherine de Winter prefers her own castle of Thetford,” he replied. “She lives there and if Grayson is a very good lad, he is permitted to visit her once in a while.”
Douglass glanced at her father, grinning. “Is she so strict with him?”
Bose laughed softly. “If your mother was as strict with me, then you children should have never been born,” he said, turning his attention to the entry of the hall when he heard a noise. Abruptly, his features grew serious. “Oh… God’s Bones….”
Douglass heard the softly-uttered words. It sounded as if her father was hissing out a curse. She turned to see a tall, blond, very broad and very handsome man standing in the entry. Garran was already speaking with the man and Douglass looked at him curiously.
“Who is that?” she asked her father.
Bose didn’t sound entirely pleased. “That,” he said, “is Tallis d’Vant. I did not know he was already here.”
Startled, Douglass grasped her father by the elbow, almost fearfully, as she eyed the knight who was speaking to her brother.
“What will we do?” she whispered. “Tiberius is here, also. Mayhap that is why Sir Grayson took him away, so that he would not see Sir Tallis.”
Bose shook his head. “Grayson does not know why Tiberius is with us,” he muttered. “He would have no reason to separate him from Tallis.”
Bose didn’t say what he was truly thinking at the moment.
At some point, Tiberius would join them in the hall.
Tiberius would know who Tallis was but Tallis would have no idea who Tiberius was or what he wanted, and Bose had no doubt that Tiberius would make his wishes known.
Bose didn’t want the two young knights in the same room because, like two dogs circling around the same bone, the situation could get quite violent quite quickly.
He hadn’t expected d’Vant to be here already. He thought he’d have some time.
“My lord,” Tallis called from across the room when he noticed Bose standing there. “’Tis good to see you again.”
Jolted from his thoughts, Bose lifted a hand to him as he muttered to his daughter. “We may as well introduce you,” he said. “It is not as if I can hide you now because he has seen you. Come along, daughter.”
Douglass didn’t want to move. But Bose pulled her with him, practically dragging her across the floor as they headed for the young knight.
As Douglass drew close, she could see Tallis more clearly.
He had a neatly trimmed blond beard, neatly trimmed blond hair, and pale blue eyes.
When he smiled, he had big, white teeth and prominent canines.
He was, in truth, a very handsome man and when Bose came close, he looked the man straight in the eye.
“Greetings, young d’Vant,” Bose said steadily. “We were not expecting you so soon.”
Tallis smiled politely. “The king sent me to greet you, my lord,” he said. “He also sent me with information for both you and Sir Grayson, which we shall discuss in private.”
Bose nodded. Since there wasn’t much more to say to that, he turned to indicate Douglass. She was, in fact, the entire purpose of Tallis being at Wintercroft so it was best to make introductions and get on with it.
“You have not yet met my daughter,” Bose said. “Sir Tallis d’Vant, this is my daughter, Lady Douglass de Moray. Douglass, Sir Tallis is one of the king’s premier knights, an impressive accomplishment at such a young age.”
Tallis’ blue eyes glimmered at Douglass as he bowed politely. “It is an honor to meet you, my lady,” he said. “I trust your journey from Codnor Castle was pleasant?”
Douglass thought about the adventure they’d had since leaving Codnor. “It has been exciting to say the least, my lord,” she said, sounding not entirely pleased to meet him. “But we have made it to Wintercroft safely.”
Tallis appeared properly concerned. “I hope that you did not meet with any misfortune,” he said, looking between her and Bose. “Is there anything I can do to assist?”
Bose shook his head. “Nothing, although I thank you for your offer,” he said. “We had a bit of a run-in with de Montfort’s men in Coventry, but it was minimal.”
Tallis was obviously concerned now. He looked at Douglass with great sympathy. “I am very sorry to know that, my lady,” he said. Then, he indicated the big, scrubbed feasting table. “Will you sit, then? I will order refreshments immediately.”
He had a very genteel way about him, polite to a fault.
Douglass looked at her father, absolutely not wanting to sit with the young knight.
She didn’t want anything to do with him.
But Bose simply took her by the elbow and escorted her over to the table with Tallis following, seating her on a cushioned bench.
Douglass refused to let her father go, however, afraid the man would walk off and leave her alone with Tallis.
But the young knight could see how she was clinging to her father and he hastened to reassure her.
“Everything is fine, my lady,” he said sincerely. “You need not fear. You are safe now.”
Douglass was having a difficult time even looking at him. “I am not afraid, my lord,” she said. “Why would you think so?”
She was denying her apprehension even as she clung to her father. Tallis, fearing he had insulted her somehow, politely backed off the subject. “I do apologize, my lady,” he said. “I thought… mayhap you are simply weary from your journey.”
Douglass looked at him, irritated by a man who would be so polite to her when she didn’t even want to speak with him.
He seemed to be going out of his way to be kind when she was only being brittle and snappish.
Mayhap… mayhap if she was brittle and snappish enough, he would not agree to the betrothal.
An idea occurred to her and, abruptly, she could see her way through the situation.
Be a terrible shrew and he will not want to marry you!
she thought. Let him see the devil inside!
“What makes you think I am weary?” she demanded. “Do I look weary?”
Tallis was deeply apologetic. “Nay, my lady,” he said sincerely. “You are fresh and lovely. ’Tis only that you have traveled a very long way today and that would be taxing on anyone.”
Douglass turned her back on him. “You will not assume anything about me, sir.”
Tallis was mortified, terrified that she had misconstrued his words.
He looked at Bose with great remorse in his eyes but Bose was looking at his daughter.
It wasn’t like Douglass to be so disagreeable.
In fact, it was very out of character for her.
If he didn’t know better, he would think she was pretending to be angry.
Her rudeness was forced simply because it wasn’t in her nature.
He eyed her suspiciously, curious of her behavior.