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Patrick looked at Titus, who appeared deeply concerned for his brother. In fact, it was Titus who went to Magnus and put his arms around him, directing him back into the room. The youngest de Wolfe brother had great empathy and compassion, especially when it came to his kin.

“Sit down, old man,” Titus said gently. “We only want to help if we can. A man should not have to bear his troubles alone. That is why he has family.”

Magnus let his brother take him to a chair and push him down to sit.

Truthfully, he was so stunned that he could barely move.

He could barely think. The missive in his hand was trembling.

As Titus stood close by, ready to help, ready to do what Magnus needed him to do, Magnus looked at the missive again. He read through it.

He could still hardly believe it.

“I… I do not even know where to begin,” he whispered. “I don’t know anything at all.”

Patrick, who had been watching the situation with increasing apprehension, reached out a hand toward Magnus. “May I read the missive?” he asked.

Magnus hesitated. “Not before I explain it to you, Papa,” he said. “I would not make any sense to you.”

“Will you please tell me?”

Magnus took a deep breath, struggling to compose himself in the wake of a violent wave of information. He felt as if he’d been rolled over and over again still. He was still rolling. He took another deep breath, trying to stop the momentum.

“I will,” he said. “Only… give me a moment, please. This is not something I expected today.”

Patrick remained where he was, gazing down at his son with great concern, while Titus went to the door when a servant brought the food and drink he’d asked for. He ended up slamming the door in their face, setting the food down, and then taking the wine to his brother.

“Here,” he said. “Drink this.”

Magnus did. He drained the entire cup with shaking hands, and when he handed it back to his brother, he broke down in tears again. For several long moments, he simply put his hands over his face and wept.

Stricken, Patrick crouched down next to him and put his big arm around his son’s shoulders. But he didn’t speak; he didn’t ask to know why he was weeping. Not again.

Magnus would tell him when he was ready.

It took about a half-hour before he was ready.

Titus had poured him more wine, and Patrick had nearly forced it down his throat.

When he had two and a half cups of good wine in his belly, Magnus finally wiped his face off and stood up, pacing the room as he struggled to regain his composure.

When he felt strong enough, he faced his father and youngest brother.

“What I tell you will not leave this chamber,” he said, his voice raspy.

“Not ever. Not even Mother must know. Do you understand?” Patrick and Titus nodded, and Magnus continued.

“Back in September of last year, Edward held a great feast for all of the warlords who had opposed him at the gathering of Parliament,” he said.

“Papa, you and Uncle Scott and Uncle Thomas were invited to it.”

“We were,” Patrick said. “But things were too unstable in the north for us to leave.”

Magnus knew that, and he went on. “There were many warlords at the feast, including Lord Daventry,” he said. “You remember him, Papa. The old man with a wild amount of wealth. In any case, he brought a woman with him, one of the Seven Jewels of London. Have you ever heard of them?”

Patrick’s brow furrowed, and he cocked his head thoughtfully. “Aye,” he said after a moment. “I think so. Aren’t those the women that Longshanks used to bribe his enemies? Whores, I think.”

Magnus sighed faintly at the use of that word.

“Courtesans,” he corrected his father softly.

“These were well-educated, very bright and beautiful women. The one that Daventry brought with him was called the Ruby, but her name was Delaina de Courant. I do not know if you have heard this, Papa, but Lord Daventry died at the feast. He went to the privy and hemorrhaged all over the place, so I was tasked with quietly removing the body and sending him, and his courtesan, home.”

Patrick grunted. “I had not heard he died,” he said. “Sounds unpleasant at best.”

“It was,” Magnus said. “But it was my job to ensure he and his party returned home. As we waited for the body to be prepared, Lady Delaina and I spoke. I discovered she had nowhere to go now that Daventry was dead, and I offered to assist her in finding lodgings or a safe place, at least for the night. When she expressed concern over her safety, I offered to hide her. She was a lone woman, and I felt it was the right thing to do.”

“What happened?” Patrick asked.

Magnus sighed sharply. “I assisted her,” he said.

“But I also fell in love with her. I will be perfectly blunt when I tell you that Delaina is a woman among women. She is everything a woman should be. She’s kind and compassionate, educated and brilliant.

She’s witty. I’ve never met a woman like her in my entire life.

You called her and women like her whores, and by society’s standards, they are.

But in Delaina’s case, she had no choice in her life.

She was forced into it by a greedy father and an even greedier king.

She did not deserve what happened to her, and I wanted to marry her, but she refused.

That is why I came north, Papa. I could not stay in London anymore and see her around every corner. ”

Surprisingly, Patrick didn’t react. He was listening intently to a situation that had dissolved his strong son to tears. He maintained a neutral attitude, knowing now was not the time to point out that his son had fallen for a whore.

A courtesan.

It was the same thing to him.

“What is in the missive that has you so upset?” he asked softly.

Magnus looked at the missive in his hand and started to tear up again. Unable to tell his father, he extended the missive, and Patrick took it.

He read the contents.

Your lady is our guest. She has asked me to relay to you her dying condition. He has asked that you come to Lonsdale to collect your child.

We will take great care of her and the child until your arrival.

Come with all due haste.

“My God,” Patrick breathed, unable to keep his composure. “She is with child?”

Magnus nodded, trying not to openly weep. “I did not know,” he said. “Papa, if I had known, I would have never left London. I would have stayed… I would have forced her to marry me. I would have never left!”

Patrick patted his son on the shoulder because he was growing agitated. “I know,” Patrick said. “You are an honorable man. But why is she with de Lohr?”

Magnus wiped his face. “I’m not exactly sure,” he said.

“But early on, I asked the earl to help me when the lady was looking for a safe haven right after Daventry’s death.

She may have gone to him for help when she discovered that she…

she carried my child. God, I can hardly believe it even as I say it. ”

“And now he is sending a missive to you.”

“Aye.”

Patrick thought on that. “But there is something I do not understand in all of this,” he said. “You mentioned that she feared for her safety after Daventry died. Why?”

Magnus took another deep, long breath. “Because Despenser wanted to get his hands on her,” he said. “She also thought his son might try to claim her as part of his father’s estate, and she was afraid of the son.”

“Did he try?”

“I do not know. I left only a few days after Daventry’s death.”

“But you said Despenser wanted her, too?”

Magnus nodded. “Of course, he was aware of Daventry’s death because he wanted to use her as Longshanks had used her,” he said.

“He wanted to use her as a prize or a bribe for some warlord, but he ended up trying to use her against me—he knew I was fond of her, and he offered to give her to me in exchange for my loyalty. At that point, he was holding her hostage, and he knew I would do anything to secure her release. When she realized what Despenser was trying to do, she escaped and went straight to Westminster Abbey to ask for sanctuary. She did it to save my honor, and no matter what I said to her, she would not be swayed. She thought… she thought she was about to ruin my career by resigning my honor to Despenser.”

Patrick stared at him. “Despenser did that to you?”

Magnus nodded, hanging his head. “It was something else I did not wish to tell you,” he said. “When the lady escaped to Westminster… I left.”

Patrick’s jaw began to twitch. He looked at Titus, who was positively enraged, clenching and unclenching his fists.

“Let me summon the armies, Papa,” Titus said. “Let me call them together and march on that bastard. Let us make this the catalyst to removing Despenser from Edward’s side.”

Patrick held up a hand. His attention returned to Magnus, who was still sitting there with his head hung. As angry as Patrick was with Hugh Despenser, that was not the larger issue here. Magnus was.

It was clear his son had been through quite a lot prior to his return from London, but Patrick had never dreamed of such a terrible adventure. The fact remained that Magnus had fallen in love, and the man that sat before Patrick now had a broken heart. So very broken.

Patrick felt a great deal of pity for him.

“What do you wish to do, Magnus?” he asked quietly. “Whatever you choose, know that you shall receive no argument from me. I trust you in any decision you make for yourself.”

Magnus sniffled, wiping his nose as he peered up at his father. “Do you mean that?” he asked. “You do not want to tell me how stupid I am for falling in love with a courtesan?”

Patrick shook his head. “Mayhap it is not the most desirable background,” he said. “But you are a seasoned, steady man. You would not do anything foolish. If you feel she is the woman you wish to marry, then I’ll not fight you on it.”