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Thomas took a deep breath and shook his head.

“I did, but that was not the real reason,” he said, feeling a lump in his throat.

“It was because I was with Kevin Hage when he was told that his father had passed away. The look on Kevin’s face, Papa…

I could see such raw pain. Kevin knew he had disappointed his father and he never had the chance to tell him how sorry he was.

Even now, I know he is happy with his new wife and children, but that pain of not telling his father how sorry he was is something that will never leave him.

I never, ever want that to happen to us, Papa, so for everything I have done that hurt you, please know how sorry I am.

I can be stubborn and foolish, but when I was trying to run from this betrothal and you told me how disappointed you were in me…

you were right. I was a horrible disappointment and I am sorry. ”

William had tears streaming down his face as he listened to his youngest son lay himself wide open. It was so unlike him and such a difficult thing to do. Reaching out, he put his big hand on his son’s stubbled face.

“Fathers say things that they do not mean sometimes,” he said hoarsely.

“I told you that you had disappointed me because I was frustrated with you, but I should not have been so cruel. You are so much like me, Tommy– proud, stubborn, determined to do things your own way. That is why I understand you so well. But you have never truly disappointed me. Every decision you made in your life, every path you took, has made you the man you are today and I could not be prouder of you. Never forget that.”

Thomas was teary eyed at this point, wiping at his eyes so he wouldn’t openly weep. “I needed to hear that,” he said. “I needed to hear that I have made you proud in some way.”

“In all ways.”

“I hope to continue that,” Thomas said. “And if you want me to marry Adelaide, then I shall do it. But I will be honest… I wish that it was Mae I was betrothed to. I never thought I would be happy again, but with her… I know I could have been.”

William put his hand on Thomas’ shoulder, a show of support and sympathy. “I am sorry, Tommy, I truly am,” he said. “I do want you to be happy, but sometimes we must make decisions that do not include personal happiness, only the greater good.”

Thomas sighed heavily. “And you believe this is for the greater good?”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

Thomas didn’t question him any further. He knew his father was making the best, and perhaps the only, real decision he could make no matter what it personally cost Thomas. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, because he did… but sometimes a sacrifice was needed for the greater good of all.

And that sacrifice would be Thomas.

“Very well,” Thomas said. “If you think it is best, then I shall comply. Where is Adelaide now?”

William wiped the tears from his face. “In the keep,” he said. “She cut her arms again when she heard of her father’s death. Your mother is with her.”

Thomas resisted the urge to roll his eyes at more of Adelaide’s dramatics which, in this case, were understandable. She had seemed inordinately attached to her father. Now, the subject turned from deeply emotional things to the immediate future facing them.

“I see,” he said. “And what of Edmund? Where is he?”

“In the vault. We must transport him back to Kyloe Castle for burial.”

“I was told that the reivers ambushed him and killed him.”

William nodded. “That is true, at least from what the witnesses have told us,” he said. “I think you and I have some strategic planning to do. We know the reivers have a hiding place somewhere near Etal and I think it is time we cleaned them out for good, especially after the death of Northumbria.”

Thomas couldn’t agree more. “Indeed,” he said. “Let me go see to Mother and Adelaide, and I shall meet you in the hall later to discuss this very thing.”

With that, he stood up, pulling his father to his feet.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other, smiling, until William grasped him behind the neck and kissed him on his dimpled cheek.

So much had been said this night, so many words of worth, that it had been an important moment for them both.

The youngest, foolish son of The Wolfe had grown up and was becoming a wise and thoughtful man of his own.

But William couldn’t help thinking, as they walked to the keep, that all of that wisdom and growth would be wasted on a woman like Adelaide de Vauden.

It was a terribly disappointing thought.

*

“My lord!” Adelaide cried out weakly. “You have come!”

Thomas had just entered her lavish bower, immediately noticing his mother sitting next to the bed. As Jordan stood up and patted her boy on the cheek, Adelaide extended a bandaged arm to him.

“I am so happy you have returned,” she said. “I kept the weather clear so your journey home would be unhindered by terrible weather. The night is still clear, is it not?”

Thomas’ resolve to do his father’s bidding was already in danger of wavering as he listened to her spout nonsense. “It is a clear night,” he said. “May I express my deep regret at your father’s death. We are all very sorry for you, my lady.”

Adelaide’s face twisted into a grimace. “He was murdered,” she hissed. “Murdered by thieving scum.”

“I know,” Thomas said evenly. “I intend to do something about it.”

Her face lit up. “You do?” she gasped. “I am deeply touched that you would do such a thing for me. You have my deepest gratitude.”

Thomas was uncomfortable with her thinking that he was doing this just for her. “My father and I were just discussing it,” he said, clarifying that William was in on it, too. “We shall come up with a plan to punish those responsible for your father’s death, I assure you.”

Adelaide suddenly sat up in bed, waving about her mummy-wrapped arms. “And I should like to help,” she said. “I shall turn the weather terrible and stormy, and flush them out of their holes with torrents of water. You can catch them more easily that way.”

Thomas honestly had no idea what to say.

He turned to his father as if to beseech the man for help, but there was no help to give.

He’d come into the chamber resigned to do his duty and marry the woman, but as the seconds ticked away, he was losing ground.

He didn’t want to disappoint his father; he truly wanted to do his duty.

But that duty included marrying a psychopath.

“Adelaide,” Jordan spoke up. Having been sitting near the bed, she clearly heard the woman’s madness and could no longer keep silent. “Whoever told ye that ye could control the weather, lass?”

Adelaide looked at Jordan as if only just noticing her. “Well… everyone ,” she said. “My mother told me that I had the gift.”

“What gift?”

“As a tempestarii .”

“A storm witch?”

Adelaide smiled. “My mother passed the gift to me,” she said. “She was tempestarii , also. She could control the weather by spitting into the wind. I can control the weather with my blood.”

Jordan’s eyebrows lifted slowly. “Yer blood?”

Adelaide nodded. “I know you think it is foolish, but it is true. These cuts on my arms are not for my benefit, but for the benefit of the weather. Something in my blood controls the weather– like tonight, for example. I ensured the weather was clear so that Thomas could return to me unhindered.”

Jordan didn’t tolerate foolishness, not with her children or husband or anyone else around her. She knew that Thomas was more than likely hanging on by a thread to his vow to do his duty, to marry Adelaide, but that wouldn’t last if the woman kept going on about being a storm witch.

“Adelaide,” she began. “I want ye tae listen tae me, lass. Can ye do that? Stop lookin’ at Thomas and look at me. I am speakin’ tae ye.”

Adelaide complied, but it was difficult. “I hear you, Lady de Wolfe.”

“Good,” Jordan said. “Now, I am goin’ tae tell ye somethin’ truthful, somethin’ that no one else, includin’ yer mother, has evidently told ye.

Only God can control the weather, lass. Yer blood has nothing tae do with it.

When ye cut yer arms, ye’re only hurtin’ yerself and upsettin’ Thomas. Do ye understand that?”

Adelaide expression morphed into one of confusion. She looked between Jordan and Thomas. “But why should it upset him? He is a warrior. He has seen blood before.”

Jordan struggled not to become annoyed. “Because it is unfittin’ for a young lady tae cut herself up and smear her blood on the curtains.”

“But that is how my blood controls the weather,” Adelaide insisted. “And I shall pass the gift along to my children. My daughters will be tempestarii, also. It is passed from one generation to the next.”

Jordan sighed heavily. “Lass, have ye spoken tae the priests about yer gift? Have they told ye anythin’?”

Adelaide seemed to falter. “My mother said the priests would not believe us,” she said. “I’ve not been to church since I was a very young child. In fact, I do not remember the last time I prayed.”

“Ye dunna pray tae God, lass?”

“My mother did not believe in God. She only took me to church because my father insisted.”

Jordan turned to look at William, then. So much of Northumbria’s deception was becoming clear now– a mad wife and, clearly, a mad daughter she had passed her insanity to. As Jordan struggled to think of what to say next, Adelaide turned to Thomas.

“You needn’t worry, Thomas,” she said. “I know you told me that I mean less to you than the horses in the barn or the cows in the field, but I have decided to forgive you for saying such things to me. I will prove to you what a worthy wife I shall be when I provide you with bright and powerful children. My mother left me an amulet that will ensure we conceive only the strongest children.”

Thomas’ eyebrows flickered as Adelaide, a virgin, spoke freely of conceiving children, in front of his parents no less.

More than that, she mentioned those very harsh and hateful words he had spoken to her earlier and he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted his parents to hear how nasty he’d been to his future wife.

“Mayhap this is not the best time to discuss this,” he said, laboring against the inherent annoyance the woman provoked in him. “Rest for tonight and we shall discuss it on the morrow.”

But Adelaide would not be silenced. She had Thomas’ attention, and he was being polite to her, which was rare.

She intended to take advantage of it. She climbed off of the bed, pushing the servants aside as she moved for her dressing table, which was piled with all manner of possessions that a very wealthy young lady should have.

She began shuffling things around, looking for something in particular.

“But I want to assure you that I mean what I say,” she said. “The amulet was passed down in my mother’s family, from Celtic goddesses, she said. My mother is directly descended from the goddess Cuda, the goddess of fertility, and this amulet has come from her.”

Thomas was watching her with a mixture of concern and distaste before looking to his mother, who appeared rather worried.

Just as he thought to say something to Adelaide, to end this conversation before it got out of hand, the woman apparently found what she was looking for and abruptly raised a small object.

“This is it,” she declared, holding up something Thomas couldn’t quite see.

“It is the fertility amulet that will ensure our children are gifted and strong. It has been used to conceive hundreds of children in my mother’s family.

The woman puts the amulet into her womb and it magnifies the man’s seed, and… ”

“Enough!” Thomas roared. “You dare to speak of such things in front of my parents? Put that vile thing away and shut your mouth. How dare you offend my parents with talk of fertility and wombs and… God have mercy, woman, have you no shame at all?”

Adelaide’s eyes widened and she quickly put the amulet back into its box. “I only wanted to prove to you that I will make a worthy wife, Thomas. You needn’t bellow at me.”

Thomas was afraid to say anything more. Truth be told, all of the resolve he’d mustered to go through with this marriage had vanished, and that same disgust and frustration he’d always felt with Adelaide had returned, stronger than ever.

Beyond rage, he turned on his heel and stormed from the chamber, leaving his parents behind.

When William tried to follow, Jordan called out to him.

“Nay, English,” she said. “Let him go. Tommy must reconcile all of this in his own way, so let him go. But ye… ye go and find Caria. Stay with the lass. I am going to have a discussion with Lady Adelaide now and I dunna want ye here.”

William gladly departed. When his wife used that tone, it only meant one thing– that she, too, had been pushed past her limit.

In truth, William pitied Adelaide. He knew what was about to happen.

There were times, with all his might, that his wife was even stronger than he was. This was one of those times.

Swiftly, he closed the chamber door behind him and did as he’d been told.

He would seek out a young lass who wasn’t speaking of fertility amulets and men’s seed. Caria, for him, would be much better conversation this night, and wherever Thomas had gone, he hoped the man was finding better conversation, as well.

God help the man.