Chapter Four #3
Kress and Alexander, however, didn’t have too much interest in that subject, so they branched out into a conversation of their own, mostly about what Summerlin had told them.
As William had told the four, Alexander was the decision maker and, at the moment, Alexander wasn’t pleased with what he’d heard.
He was wondering if they were going to run into unexpected issues once they reached The Paladin because of it.
He and Kress were discussing the possibility of sending The Marshal another missive about what Summerlin had told them when they began to hear voices in the foyer.
Female voices were echoing off the stone, drawing their attention, as the majordomo entered the hall from the keep entry.
From the angle of the sun, it was beginning to set and the great hall was growing dark, and the old man was directing the servants to stoke the fire and light the banks of fat, tallow candles that filled the corners of the hall.
But the knights weren’t paying attention to the servants.
They were paying attention to the host of female voices, drawing closer.
There was a short staircase from the entry leading up into the hall, and they could see the figures of women coming up the stairs.
It was still dark enough in the hall that they couldn’t distinguish anyone, or see facial features, so Kress didn’t pay much attention until Padraig spoke.
“Ah,” he said. “Lady Cadelyn has arrived.”
With that, Kress stood up, purely out of courtesy for the woman and her position.
He heard Alexander hiss something that sounded like “Oh, Christ,” which caused him to look at the man.
But Alexander was looking at the approaching women, and Kress turned his attention in that direction as well, for emerging into the dim light of the hall was the young woman with the pearl ribbons in her hair.
Kress’ eyes widened.
“Lady Cadelyn,” Padraig, said, oblivious to the knights reacting behind him. “It seems we had some difficulty locating you today. I do not recall giving you permission to leave the grounds.”
The young woman opened her mouth to reply but, behind her, an older woman pushed forward, putting herself between the young woman and Padraig.
“I gave her permission, my husband.” Lady Delesse de Winter Summerlin had made an appearance.
A pretty woman with brown hair and brown eyes, she was fixed on Padraig.
“She took her companions with her and went to purchase writing materials. She has made the same trip into town dozens of times without mishap.”
Padraig eyed his wife impatiently before returning his attention to Cadelyn. “My lady, the knights from William Marshal have arrived,” he said, turning to indicate Kress and the others. “You were foretold of this. They have come to take you to your betrothed.”
Kress was staring at Cadelyn when she caught sight of him.
He’d had a few seconds to overcome his shock at seeing her, but she had no time at all.
Her gaze fell upon him and her eyes widened dramatically.
Kress could see some kind of strong reaction coming, so he quickly, and gallantly, dipped his head.
“My lady,” he greeted evenly. “It is a pleasure to be of service. Permit me to introduce my fellow knights – Alexander de Sherrington, Achilles de Dere, and Bric MacRohan. We are all pleased to be at your service.”
Cadelyn’s startled gaze moved from Kress to Alexander, to Achilles and finally Bric before returning to Kress.
To her credit, she didn’t respond in a confused or surprised manner.
She seemed to understand that Kress wasn’t going to acknowledge that they had already met.
With that understanding, she calmed dramatically.
“My… my lords,” she said, lowering her gaze quickly. “I am Cadelyn d’Aubigney.”
Kress looked at Padraig curiously. “D’Aubigney?”
Padraig held up a hand, discreetly, to let him know it was something to be discussed out of the earshot of those who did not know of Cadelyn’s true identity.
In addition to Lady Summerlin, there were the other two women from town – the tall lass with the copper curls and the shorter one with the long, brown hair, and it was clear that Padraig didn’t want any more to be said. He turned to his wife.
“Please take Lily-Elsie with you when you go,” he told her. “This conversation is not for you.”
Lady Summerlin started to leave but realized he’d not included the woman with the copper curls in that command. “What of Lady Susanna?” she asked.
“She will remain.”
Confused, and unhappy, Lady Summerlin flounced off with Lily-Elsie on her heels. As the women quit the hall the same way they’d come, Padraig turned to the table.
“Lady Cadelyn, you and Lady Susanna will sit with us,” he said, indicating the spot directly across from Kress. “There is much to discuss.”
Bric and Achilles moved down the bench so Cadelyn and Susanna could sit. When everyone was seated and settled, Padraig looked to Cadelyn. There was a sense of expectation in the air as he looked at her, as if now, the situation they’d concealed for so many years was to finally be revealed.
The moment they had prepared for was at hand.
“As you know, you are to be escorted to The Paladin near Chester to join your betrothed, the Earl of Ellesmere,” Padraig said. “These men know who you are, and what you are. They are men of the highest order, sworn to secrecy, so we may speak freely on the subject.”
He turned to Kress, expecting the man to say something, but Kress didn’t speak right away. He was eyeing the woman with the copper curls who was sitting next to Cadelyn. Given that William Marshal had told them that Lady Cadelyn had a female bodyguard, he suspected who the woman was.
“You are the bodyguard The Marshal told us of,” he said to the woman. “Lady Susanna, is it?”
Susanna nodded. “Aye, my lord,” she said. She, too, sensed that the knights weren’t going to acknowledge that they had already previously met, not under the best of circumstances, so she went along with the charade. “I am Susanna de Tiegh.”
“Where are you from?”
“My father was Baron Coverdale of Aysgarth Castle in Cumbria.”
Kress nodded. “I have heard of it,” he said, his gaze lingering on her. “But you… a lady bodyguard? How did this come about?”
Susanna met his gaze steadily and Kress found himself looking into fine features and eyes the color of a sapphire.
She wasn’t unattractive in the least, but her hair was uncombed and her dress slovenly.
She almost had a masculine way about her, tough and seasoned in a world of men who would not accept that from a woman.
Any woman.
If Kress could guess, the woman had to be close to thirty years of age, and obviously unmarried. No husband would permit his wife to assume duties that Susanna had assumed, and if he did, then he would be a poor excuse of a man.
She was quite an oddity.
“My father had two children, twins,” Susanna said, breaking in to his train of thought.
“My brother and I were inseparable. Anything he did, I did, and that included fostering. We both went to Exelby Castle to foster years ago, but I did not want to learn what fine ladies learn. I wanted to do what my brother was doing. Lord de Geld, the Lord of Exelby, was not a very firm man. He let me do as I wished, against the advice of the knights. As it turned out, I was better than most of their recruits.”
She was making a statement of fact, without gloating in her manner, but the distaste the men felt at the thought of a woman thinking she could possibly be as skilled as they were was evident. Achilles, seated next to her, spoke up.
“Then Exelby must have had a good many weak men parading as warriors,” he said, doubt in his voice. “Were you knighted?”
Susanna turned to look at him, the very big and bald knight who was a good deal younger than his bare head would suggest. “Nay,” she said, lifting an eyebrow. “Were you?”
Kress fought off a grin at her saucy reply but he could see that Achilles found nothing humorous about it.
“By men better than anything you have ever stood against,” he growled. “A woman who does not know her place in life is an insult to every man who has ever lifted a sword.”
To her credit, Susanna didn’t openly react to his offense. She kept her composure. “I would be happy to demonstrate just how much of an insult I am,” she said. “Say the word and I shall meet you with my sword wherever, and whenever, you wish.”
Achilles’ eyes narrowed. “I would not lower myself to such a thing.”
Susanna shrugged. “As you wish, my lord,” she said, returning her attention to Kress. “Do all of your men fade from such a challenge? Mayhap, they are not up to the task of escorting Lady Cadelyn to her betrothed. That task requires men of courage.”
Before Kress could reply, Achilles was going for his sword and Susanna, seeing his movement in her periphery, vaulted from the bench and ended up several feet away, her skirts up around her waistline to reveal that she was wearing leather breeches and a broadsword strapped to her waist underneath.
Her hand was on the hilt of her sword and the gemstone eyes were fixed on her opponent, but before Achilles could charge her, Cadelyn stood up and put her hands out.
“Cease!” she commanded in a tone that one could not have imagined to come from a slender young woman.
“Susanna is quite capable of taking you on in a fight but I will not permit that to happen, not at this moment. We have more important things to deal with than her bold tongue and a man’s wounded pride, so keep your weapons in their sheaths.
Susanna, go stand by the hearth. I will not have you provoking these men. ”
Susanna immediately turned for the hearth, going to stand where she had been told. She was quite obedient. Achilles, however, was furious. His eyes spit venom at the woman as she quite calmly met his gaze. There was absolutely no fear there.