Page 140

With a heavy sigh, he stood up. As Havilland watched, he removed a very sharp dagger from his belt and put the sharp edge of the blade against his pale wrist. He looked at her, pointedly.

“Are ye sure ye willna marry me? I am prepared tae show ye my sincerity but before I bleed all over this table, I must ask ye again.”

She wasn’t entirely sure he was jesting, but in the same breath she couldn’t believe he was serious.

She had no idea what to say, a thrill such as she had never known filling her heart.

Never in her life had she had any suitors, not ever, so she had no idea how to play the flirting game with this man who was evidently quite adept at it.

He was charming and persuasive. But he could very well be toying with her.

She simply wasn’t sure so the best thing to do, as she struggled to reclaim her composure, was jest right along with him.

Then, perhaps, if he wasn’t serious, it wouldn’t break her heart so much to pretend that she wasn’t serious, either.

“Are you really going to cut your wrist?” she asked.

He was firm. “I am.”

She stood up and began looking around. “Very well,” she said. “But let me find something to stop the bleeding first. I want to be prepared.”

His face fell. “So ye’d let me cut meself over ye?”

He said it rather exaggeratedly and she fought off a grin. “Well, of course,” she said. “I have never had a man declare his undying love to me. Let me call my sisters so they can watch, also. Can you wait a moment before you do it? It should not take me long to find them.”

He scowled. “Ye wicked wench,” he said. “Ye’d let me cut meself tae pieces over ye before ye’d agree tae a marriage between us? I willna cut meself over the likes of ye.”

She was trying very hard not to giggle. “I am sorry,” she said, struggling to keep a straight face. “I know I am terrible. But truly, you do not want to marry someone like me. I am sure you will find a much better candidate someday.”

She was pushing him to see how he would react and he fell right into her trap. Rather than him manipulating her, now she was doing the manipulating. But he didn’t catch on. Frustrated, he shoved the dirk back into its sheath.

“I dunna want another candidate,” he said. Then, he pointed a finger at her. “Mark me words, Havilland de Llion. Ye’ll go tae Paris with me someday if I have tae drag ye every step o’ the way.”

He seemed very serious but she could sense that he wasn’t.

For someone who had never flirted with a man in her entire life, she took to it fairly easily.

Truthfully, it was easy with him– from their very rough beginnings until this moment, she couldn’t even remember the spanking he’d dealt her.

It didn’t even matter. The man she had tried so hard not to be interested in now had her full attention.

She hoped he was serious about his intentions– she truly did– but it was far too early to know such things.

Until then, she was enjoying the rapport developing between them.

The entry door to the hall swung open, casting light from the morning in their direction and interrupting their conversation.

Havilland caught sight of someone familiar entering the hall.

It was Madeline, dressed in her mail tunic and strapped down with her weapons, including her small broadsword.

Her messy, dark hair was knotted up atop her head as she approached the table, looking at Jamison as if beholding the enemy.

She kept her eyes on the man as she approached her sister.

“One of the de Lohr brothers is out there gathering a patrol,” she said to Havilland. “Who ordered this?”

“I did,” Jamison replied evenly. “He is gatherin’ de Lohr men tae run patrols in the area.”

Madeline stiffened. “It is unwise to send out any patrols right now,” she said, “or weren’t you told that we have lost eleven men to the Welsh in recent months?”

Jamison wasn’t entirely sure he liked this girl. She was brash and aggressive, as he’d discovered when she’d confronted him those days ago. She didn’t appear to have the ability to ease her rigid manner the way her sister did. Something very arrogant glittered in her dark eyes.

“I was told,” he said. “But we need information on the Welsh. We need tae know their movements. Staying inside this fortress will not help us discover what we need tae know.”

“It is a risky operation.”

“There are risks involved in any operation.”

Madeline was frustrated that he didn’t seem inclined to take her advice. In truth, that infuriated her. She turned to her sister. “Our men should not be involved in anything they do,” she said. “In fact, our men should be kept separate from the de Lohr troops.”

Jamison wouldn’t let her give such terrible guidance.

“Hold, lady,” he said, his manner growing firm.

“’Tis bad advice ye give. Yer men need tae be part of the de Lohr operation because they must learn what I am here tae teach them.

Only a fool would isolate their men as ye have done and keep them blind tae what is going on around them.

That is a sure sign of a bad commander and if ye keep on that path, ye’re going tae kill everyone in this fortress because the Welsh will overrun ye and ye’ll not know how tae stop them. Is that what ye want?”

By the time he was finished, Madeline was red in the face, insulted and furious. “We do not need your help,” she hissed. “We do not want it.”

Before Havilland could stop her sister, Jamison came around the table so their words wouldn’t be shouted for all to hear. “Ye have no choice,” he said, his voice low and rumbling. “Let me explain things tae ye, lass….”

“You will not address me that way!”

He cut her off, brutally. He’d had enough of her haughtiness and Jamison wasn’t a man with great patience for such things.

“Shut yer mouth and listen tae me,” he said.

“’Tis obvious ye’ve gone through life thinkin’ ye knew everything there is tae know, so let me be the first tae give ye a true education– Four Crosses doesna belong tae ye.

It belongs tae de Lohr and the men out there, the men ye think belong tae ye, really belong tae the Earl of Worcester.

Nothing about this place is yers so yer grand illusion of being a battle commander is a dream.

Nothing but a dream. Ye live here by Worcester’s good graces and if he says I must train Four Crosses men tae understand the Welsh threat, then that is what I must do.

If ye want to learn, then ye’re welcome tae attend me, but if ye want tae continue tae live in ignorance, then go crawl intae a hole somewhere and take yer ignorance with ye.

I willna tolerate it. Is that in any way unclear? ”

Madeline had never been cut down in such a way and certainly not so harshly.

Deeply embarrassed and incredibly furious, she opened her mouth to say something but Havilland grabbed her by the arm and yanked her away from Jamison, pulling her sister from the hall.

It was evident that Havilland was trying to prevent a fight because that’s where it was headed; Jamison could feel it.

Therefore, he maintained eye contact with Madeline for as long as he was able, until Havilland forcibly pulled her through the hall entry.

Then, and only then, did Jamison stand down somewhat, sighing heavily and shaking his head at the arrogant stupidity of the young woman. It was no wonder the Welsh had managed to hit Four Crosses repeatedly with an attitude like that. He wondered if that had been Havilland’s attitude, too.

He was hoping that the conversation that just took place at this table had changed that.

Already, he was missing talking to her.