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William fought off a grin. “Lie to him,” he said, reaching over and pulling Thomas up from the chair. “We will lie to him together.”

Thomas thought it was rather humorous that his always-truthful father should suggest such a thing, but he didn’t contest the man. William always knew best. But that didn’t stop his brothers from chiming in.

“Tell him that you ate something that did not agree with you,” Blayth said helpfully. “Tell him that you were about to explode out of every orifice in your body if you did not make it to the garderobe in time.”

In spite of himself, Thomas grinned. “Tell the man that his future son-in-law was about to soil himself, eh?”

The brothers were starting to laugh, the heady mood lightening considerably. “Is it better to tell him that you were running out of fear of the betrothal?” Scott asked. “Take your pick, Tommy– tell the man your guts were about to run over or tell him you are a coward. Those are your choices.”

Thomas cocked an eyebrow. “They are terrible choices,” he said, taking Caria’s hand as William began to lead him away. “But I will be truthful with you– now that I have had time to think on it, there is only one reason I would be willing to accept this betrothal.”

The brothers were interested. “Hell, if I was not already married, I would take this betrothal myself for the sheer wealth it would give me,” Patrick said. “What is your particular pleasure?”

Thomas stopped at the solar door and turned to face them.

“Knowing I have a bigger army than all of you,” he said arrogantly.

“For Atty pulling my hair in that dogpile in the entry, I shall march on Berwick and raze it. And for Scott and Troy sitting on me and someone, I swear, was pinching me, I shall send my army to burn down their homes and steal all of their ale and fine food. And Blayth– you big ox, I have a particular punishment planned for you.”

By now, they were all starting to laugh, including Blayth. “You do?” he said. “I am very interested, Tommy.”

Thomas pointed a finger at him. “I am going to send my wife to live with you and your lovely wife for eleven months out of the year,” he said.

“You can deal with the woman whilst I bask in the glory of the de Vauden estates all by myself. You wanted me to marry– very well. I will. But you can keep the woman company. There is no law that says I must live with her.”

William snorted as the brothers chuckled, opening the entry door so they could all head back to the hall. All but Caria; Thomas hadn’t taken two steps before his mother was there, taking the little girl from him.

“Go tae the great hall,” she told her son as Caria whined. “Caria must go tae bed now. She doesna need tae be in that smoky hall with all those men. Bid her a good eve, Tommy.”

The men were starting to filter out into the night, heading for the great hall, as Thomas lingered behind, kissing Caria’s unhappy little face.

She didn’t want to go to bed, nor did she want to be separated from Thomas, but Jordan was insistent.

The woman had nine children and nearly two dozen grandchildren, so she was the final word when it came to the care of any child under the Castle Questing roof.

Thomas never contested that; he’d always appreciated how much his mother had loved and nurtured Caria, so he didn’t argue. But he did linger behind as the others drifted out into the cold bailey beyond.

“Mama,” he said quietly. “I am sorry if I disappointed you. I was angry… angry at Papa, angry at the situation. I may have run, but I would not have gone far. I hope you know that.”

Jordan smiled at her youngest son, reaching out to touch his face, which was bristly with stubble.

The man didn’t shave much these days, and with his long hair and scruffy beard, that made him look rather rough.

Handsome, but rough. Since his return from his adventures in The Levant, she seemed to be the only one who truly understood the new Thomas.

Or, at least, she was more patient with him.

“Ye’ve always been like a wild colt,” she said. “Ye buck and ye fight, but eventually, ye calm. Ye know yer father wouldna do anythin’ he dinna think was best for ye.”

“I know.”

“Do ye?”

“Truly, I do.”

She pointed to the door. “Then tell him,” she said. “Dunna make yer da feel as if ye’re the one son he has that doesna trust his judgement.”

Feeling ashamed of his behavior but not entirely sorry for it, Thomas knew what she meant. Nodding his head, he kissed her on the cheek before following his father and brothers and nephews out into the cold, heading out to speak with the father of his future bride.

His future everything.

Little did Thomas know, and little did William or the others know, that the final cold evening at Castle Questing before Thomas agreed to the contract would be the last night of peace for Thomas for a very long time.

Chaos was about to follow.

William would remember that night and wonder if he shouldn’t have let Thomas escape, after all.