Page 102

Edenside

“A re you sure I cannot tend your wound?”

Maitland seemed very concerned, but Thomas valiantly brushed her off. “This is a mere scratch, my lady,” he assured her. “I’ve had far worse, believe me.”

That part was true. He’d had far worse wounds in the past, including a goring a few years ago in Dorset that nearly took his life.

But the current wound that Maitland was speaking of was a gash to his head, received in the mass competition when a Carlisle knight clipped him with a club, trying to bring him down.

Thomas, however, had remained on his feet.

The same couldn’t be said for the Carlisle knight, who went down when Thomas cocked his fist and plowed it into the man’s face.

But it had all been great fun.

They were on the road home from Kelso now under fair skies as the calm afternoon waned. The days were getting longer, so sunset was still a few hours off yet. There was plenty of time for the party from Northwood to reach home once they dropped their precious cargo off at Edenside.

Since the children and Maitland and Tibelda had walked from Edenside, being that it was very close to Kelso, some of the Northwood knights were off their horses, allowing the children to ride as they led the steeds along the road.

Roland and Renard were on Garr Ellsrod’s horse, having a grand time and pretending they were knights, as Deinwald himself walked along with Phin and showed a surprising amount of patience with the lad as they discussed some of the duties that knights had.

Phin, the slender and usually-silent boy, was getting quite an education.

Artus was walking alongside Thomas, who was explaining to him about the differences between the horses around them– some were rounceys, comfortable riding horses but not war horses, while the others, including Thomas’ steed, were actually war horses.

Hector and Thomas’ horses were destriers, true war horses in every sense of the word, kept muzzled so they wouldn’t bite anyone.

Marybelle, Nora, and little Dyana were in the hand cart with all of the bowls and buckets they’d used to transport the goat cheese, pulled along by Maitland and Tibelda.

Thomas had offered to pull the hand cart himself, but the women had refused, so he walked alongside, leading his horse and explaining to Artus about the different types of steeds until Maitland began pointing out the gash on his head.

As Edenside came into view in the distance, he continued to brush off her concern, much to her distress.

“You really should have it bandaged,” she said to him. “At least put a cold compress on it to bring the swelling down.”

Thomas put his hand on his forehead, feeling the lump. “It will go down on its own by tomorrow,” he said. “But if it will make you feel any better, I will put a cold cloth on it when I return to Wark. It does not even need any stitches.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am.”

“If Tommy is to suffer a wound, Lady Bowlin, then let it be to his head,” Hector said, on the other side of Thomas. “It is the part of his body where a wound can do the least damage.”

Maitland grinned while Thomas scowled. “It was truly thrilling to watch all of you compete today, my lord,” Maitland said to Hector. “I had forgotten how exciting a mass competition can be. It has been years since I have seen one. I am sorry you did not win the purse, but it was a good fight.”

Hector, having only met Maitland at the beginning of the contests, hadn’t had any real opportunity to speak with her.

But throughout the mass competition, he saw that Thomas’ attention kept going back to the lovely woman in the brown broadcloth.

The woman, Thomas had informed him, was the Guardian of Edenside, known as Lady Bowlin, and Hector immediately thought that Thomas’ support of the foundling home had an ulterior motive now that he saw the woman in charge.

He’d never known Thomas to be overly supportive of charities and seeing the stunning Lady Bowlin told Hector why Thomas was suddenly so interested in Edenside.

Quite a lot made sense after that.

“We did not win the purse because Carlisle cheated,” Hector said flatly. “I know for a fact that several of his men were knocked down, but they resumed fighting, anyway. That is a flagrant foul.”

Thomas lifted his eyebrows. “Only if they are caught, and they were not.”

Hector pursed his lips irritably. “Bastards,” he muttered. Realizing he had used harsh language in front of a lady, he hastened to change the subject. “Are you from Northumberland, my lady?”

Maitland nodded, not oblivious to Hector’s quest to divert the conversation away from his bad language. “A small town called Lesbury,” she said. “It is near Alnwick. That is where my family home was.”

Hector knew Alnwick well; most knights in the north did. “And now you intend to remain at Edenside?”

Her eyes twinkled. “I am rather enjoying it,” she said. “We are making cheese to sell and making a little money. To be self-sufficient is our goal so we will not take up so much of Sir Thomas’ time and money.”

Thomas looked at her, feigning hurt. “I rather enjoy being a great benefactor,” he said. “The next time I come, I shall bring my little sister with me, the one you met at Wark. Caria could learn a thing or two from these children on how to be productive and grateful.”

On his other side, Hector snorted. “She will never learn such things if you continue spoiling her, Tommy,” he said.

“I have told you that before. But you may be right– it may do her good to spend some time with the foundlings and understand what it is to work for your survival. It would be a good experience for her.”

Thomas thought on that. He was aware that Hector knew of Caria’s true parentage.

Hector had gone on that fateful trip to Wales, escorting Penelope de Wolfe to her new husband, so he was well aware of who Caria really was.

But like the rest of the family, he kept the secret and went along with the story that Caria was simply William and Jordan’s youngest child even though Jordan had been well past her childbearing years when Caria had been born.

No one questioned where the child had come from and the family kept up a united front about it.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Thomas replied to Hector’s suggestion, noting that the gray stone walls of Edenside were looming closer.

“It might also not be a bad idea to post a few soldiers here at Edenside. With all of the trouble we’ve been having with the reivers, and the fact that there are now things of value there, I think I will send a few soldiers over to help with the security of the place. Would you accept them, Lady Bowlin?”

He had been rather formal with her in front of witnesses, for obvious reasons, and Maitland went along with it. But she did so miss hearing him call her “Mae”. Coming from his lips, it was like a gentle caress to her ears.

“I should ask the abbot at Kelso to provide us with some soldiers, but considering what happened when he put his sister in charge, I do believe I will accept de Wolfe assistance instead,” she said.

“I thank you for your offer, my lord. We can house them in one of the outbuildings, the one that has a hearth.”

Since Thomas was being so generous, Hector spoke up, too. “Is there anything else you need for the foundlings?” he asked. “Anything that Northwood can provide?”

Maitland thought a moment. “Your offer is kind, my lord,” she said. “I suppose we can always use more goats to milk. More goats means more cheese and, according to Sir Thomas, we are going to have the whole of Northumberland demanding our product.”

Hector grinned as Thomas nodded his head firmly. “It is delicious,” he said. “Lady Bowlin is ensuring that Edenside is self-sufficient for years to come. More than that, I promised her I would go to the local taverns and demand they buy her cheese.”

Hector cocked an eyebrow. “Certainly, they will not deny an armed knight.”

“My point, precisely.”

They had finally arrived at the gates of Edenside.

Garr removed the twins from the back of his horse and Deinwald took Phin by the hand, leading him over to the gate as Tibelda opened it.

Thomas and Hector lent a hand at ushering the children inside, going so far as to enter the compound just to make sure all was well and no one was lying in wait for seven children and two women.

In the wilds of the north, one had to be careful of marauders.

With everything secure, Hector bid a polite farewell while Thomas lingered by the gate.

The men from Northwood were waiting for him, unfortunately, and Thomas knew he couldn’t linger.

It was time for him to return to Wark and wait for word from his father about the information from Kyloe.

He’d stayed away as long as he dared, considering Wark was his command, so he knew he needed to go.

At Edenside’s repaired gate, he faced Maitland a proper distance away.

“I will return in a few days to see how things are coming along,” he said, rather neutrally because Hector was still in earshot. “If Hector is sending goats, is there anything else you need?”

Maitland hated to see him go. She really did. They’d spent such a wonderful two days together that she was becoming rather attached to having him around. It was difficult to see him off.

“I do not believe so at this time,” she said, “but if you could see your way to donating more fowl to our home, it would be appreciated. We can use the meat and the eggs for the children.”

Thomas nodded. Then, he lifted his voice and turned to Hector. “Did you hear that?” he said. “Along with the goats, send chickens and geese for meat and eggs.”