Page 14

Two Months Later

Brython Castle

“I am going to do this one more time,” Myles said loudly to the group in front of him. “Listen to what I tell you and do exactly as I say. Am I clear?”

Elle and Curtis nodded. So did Melusine, Asa, Hugo, and Andrew, Alexander’s son. Andrew had seen sixteen years, but he was a big lad with his father’s black hair and his mother’s gray eyes. The women around Brython, especially the younger women, thought Andrew de Sherrington was quite the handsome lad. Rounding out the group was Westley and the most recent addition to Brython, Douglas de Lohr.

Douglas was the brother between Myles and Westley. At seventeen years of age, he had been fostering at Blackstone Castle in Norfolk, home of the House of Summerlin. Douglas had been there for a few years, and prior to that, he’d been at Thunderbey Castle, seat of the Earl of East Anglia, a cousin to the House of de Lohr. But his father had all of his sons home, except for Douglas, and sent for the lad a short time ago. Douglas returned to Lioncross Abbey, a skilled warrior with his father’s size but the curse of arrogant youth.

Christopher had sent him up to Brython to help his elder brother.

Even now, Douglas stood across from Westley, who was three years younger, and frowned because he did not have a female partner. He was beautiful and blond and far too good looking to be paired up with his gangly, smelly younger brother. He didn’t want to be paired up with Andrew, either, because Andrew was direct competition for young women’s affections. Curtis and Myles knew this, and even now, Douglas was eyeing Melusine because, other than Lady Leominster, she was the only female in this particular group.

It was a dance group.

Eight weeks since the fall of Brython had seen quite a bit happening when it came to the inhabitants and the drama that tended to follow them. New knights and others had joined Curtis’ ranks, and everyone seemed to have settled down admirably, including Melusine. The bitter, sometimes conniving cousin of Lady Leominster had found some peace in her new role at Brython, and that included a fondness for a certain man named Asa. The sentiment was returned, something that made Melusine think that the English weren’t bad after all.

Astonishing how one’s opinion could change in the face of a new love.

The only thing that wasn’t dramatic, however, was the relationship between Curtis and Elle, and Elle ruled Brython with an iron fist. It had taken her some time to know, exactly, where and whom to rule, but she was getting the hang of it. The army was no longer her concern, but her husband’s, leaving the keep and the kitchens to Elle.

She was learning every single day.

And that included this dance lesson. But Douglas wasn’t cooperating very well, virtually ignoring Myles, so she stepped up and clapped her hands together quite loudly to stop the bickering the younger men were doing.

She looked straight at Douglas.

“You,” she said imperiously. “Stop complaining and do as you are told. If you do not, it will ruin this dance, and I shall be very upset with you. Is that what you wish?”

Even Douglas knew not to cross paths with his brother’s wife. “Nay, Ellie.”

“What did you just call me?”

“I meant nay, Lady Leominster.”

When they were in public as they were now, she wouldn’t permit the younger knights or squires to address her informally. Douglas, conceited that he was, ignored that rule often, and the last time he’d done it, she’d discreetly stepped on his toe and nearly broken it. Therefore, he was more inclined to obey the rules these days. She smiled thinly.

“Good,” she said. “I should hate to be cross with you, Douglas. You might come away missing an eye, and no woman wants to marry a one-eyed man.”

Douglas knew she was jesting, but not by much. As Curtis and Myles struggled not to laugh, everyone settled back into their positions, facing one another. Myles began to clap his hands in rhythm.

“And now we go forth,” he said loudly. “One, two, three, four. Left hand to left hand as you pass by one another. That’s good. Turn around and go back the other way. Just like that. Douglas, put your hand up against Westley’s or I’ll send Lady Leominster over there to make sure that you do. Ah, good lad.”

They were twirling and pairing off in a dance that was a type of folk reel. It was the fourth dance that Myles and Curtis had taught Elle, because Myles in particular liked to dance. The man was virtually humorless, harsh most of the time, and a knight to the bone, but he had a secret love of dancing and was a good teacher. As long as no one complimented him, he was willing to do it. But the second someone mentioned dance to him, he’d stiffen up and refuse to discuss it because dancing was only for women.

So Myles said.

“Why must we do this?” Douglas muttered unhappily. “You can teach the dance without all of us present. Why must we dance?”

Myles was still clapping rhythmically. “Because your brother’s dear wife has never danced in a group before, and we are helping her learn,” he said. “Stop complaining and just dance.”

“Do it, Douglas,” Westley snapped at him. “And stop stepping on my feet!”

In response, Douglas stomped on his foot, throwing Westley off balance. Howling in pain, he stumbled into Andrew, who bumped into Asa. Asa had hold of Melusine, and she went stumbling sideways. Once Asa righted her and made sure she was well, he turned to Douglas and began balling his fists.

“You did that on purpose,” he growled, heading in Douglas’ direction. “I’ll make sure you don’t do it again.”

Myles and Hugo were suddenly between them, pushing them away from one another. “Asa, you must control your temper,” Myles said. “Not everything is an invitation to fight.”

Asa was furious. He’d never been very good at keeping his composure, even as a child. He’d gone from a red-headed hooligan to an auburn-haired warrior who loved a good fight and always wanted to be in the middle of one. But he wasn’t stupid—he knew brawling with a younger de Lohr son wouldn’t exactly be a good thing. He didn’t want to be sent back to Ludlow and to Peter and his sister. He was rather coming to like being at Brython and the excitement of a coveted Welsh castle.

Melusine was an added attraction.

In fact, Melusine went to him and pulled him back over to where they had been dancing as Myles went over to Douglas and Westley.

“If you two shite-brains do not stop acting the fool, Curtis is going to send one of you or both of you back to Papa,” Myles said sternly. “And if he does, Mama will get a hold of you and life as you know it will be at an end. Douglas, stop being so difficult. You are causing problems when there should not be any. Were you this difficult for Summerlin?”

Douglas was frustrated, but he didn’t want to display it too much to Myles or the man might punish him. “Of course not,” he said. “I simply do not want to dance with my brother. Why is that so difficult to believe?”

“Wait,” Elle said, entering the conversation. She held up a hand to Myles to silence him before addressing Douglas directly. “Douglas, you are helping me out of the goodness of your heart. I did not foster in a fine home like you did. I do not know these dances that Myles has been so kind to teach me. Curt has arranged for a great feast in a few days, and I am trying not to look like a fool in front of de Lohr friends and allies. Can you not help me with this? Is it so hard to do your brother’s wife such a great favor?”

Douglas wasn’t exactly contrite. “Nay, Lady Leominster.”

Elle sighed heavily at his reluctant attitude. “Curt is trying to do something good here,” she said. “He is introducing me to your allies, and we are to have a great party with many lovely young women for you to dance with, but I need your help if I am not to look foolish. I have never danced in my life because I did not have the education that you did. Now, when I need your help to make your family proud, all you want to do is complain and step on Westley’s feet. Is that kind of you?”

Douglas shook his head. “It is not.”

“Is it noble of you?”

“Nay.”

“Then if you want to be a noble knight, the beginnings of such a thing start here,” she said. “Be kind to your little brother. You may need him someday.”

Douglas looked at Westley, who simply shrugged, before nodding his head in resignation.

“As you wish, Lady Leominster,” he said. “Do I still have to keep calling you that? Why can’t I call you Ellie?”

“You will call me what I say you’ll call me.”

Douglas rolled his eyes, knowing it was a punishment for the fact that he was being difficult. Elle waved her hand at him.

“Now, back up,” she said. “Get into position. We must do this one more time before I go into the village to collect my new garment and shoes.”

Everyone moved back into position, including Douglas. Myles got out of the way and began clapping again, a steady rhythm, as he alternately sang the tune and called out the movements. Everyone moved to and fro, changing partners at one point, before going back to the original partner and forming a circle. Everyone in the circle held hands, moving one direction and then the other. As Myles shouted at Westley for accidentally tripping Andrew, Elle and Curtis finished their dance quite smoothly. When the dance ended and they bowed and curtsied to one another, Curtis took Elle in his arms and kissed her.

“Well done, my lady,” he said. “You are a natural dancer.”

Elle was flushed with exertion and praise. “I hope so,” she said. “I should like to do it well in front of your friends and allies. I do not want anyone going away saying you married a woman with the grace of a goat.”

Curtis chuckled. “They would never say that,” he said. “They fear me too much.”

“Even if it’s true?”

“Especially if it’s true.”

They shared a laugh as Westley, Douglas, and Andrew approached them. “Can we go into town with you?” Westley asked eagerly. “All of us?”

Curtis looked at the young men gazing back at him in various stages of hopefulness. The past several weeks with the trio had been exhausting, but not in an entirely bad way. Curtis found himself basically raising his younger brothers and cousin, young men who very much wanted to be great knights. Their competitiveness with each other was truly something to behold, and Curtis was starting to think that his father dumped the boys on him, much as he had dumped Amaro, because he simply didn’t want to deal with them. Curtis had the patience of Job, so he was the most likely candidate to deal with women-hungry Douglas and Andrew, and then simply hungry-all-the-time Westley.

The lad ate more than Elle did, and that was saying something.

As the three young men turned their begging to Elle, Curtis simply stood back and enjoyed the view. And what a view it had been for the past eight weeks. He had watched a skinny, dirty, angry young woman transform into something angelic in every way. Weeks of good food and constant eating had put meat on her bones and filled her out in ways that made Curtis lust after her every minute of every day. Although it had taken some patience on his part, gone were her days of aggression and hopelessness. These days, she was warm and loving, firm and sometimes even stern, but she was never unfair.

And he had fallen quite deeply in love with her.

Curtis still hadn’t told her that, however, because speaking of emotion tended to embarrass or confuse her. He was still trying to bring her out of the world she had grown up in, where desolation and apathy was commonplace, but it had been difficult to shake. She wasn’t used to a world where people were nice and spoke of their feelings, especially when it came to love, so Curtis was still trying to ease her into a world where he wanted to tell her every day how much she loved her. Even if he couldn’t yet, he was fairly certain she loved him in return.

Although she wouldn’t say the words, he could see it in her actions every single day. He could feel it in her touch every single night. Elle seemed to be more of an action woman than a woman of empty words, so he took heart in her actions. Her very loving and sometimes sweet actions.

But he gave it back to her in return, tenfold. These dance lessons were part of that. He had arranged for a great feast to introduce her to his allies, and she was desperate to make a good impression. That included many things, not the least of which was learning dances that were taught to every young noble person in England. Myles had been teaching dance classes nearly every day for the past couple of weeks. Elle and Melusine had been very eager to learn, but the trick had been to convince the other young men to dance along with the women so they could see how the dance worked. Frankly, Curtis had been surprised that Douglas and Westley had lasted this long dancing with each other, but the truth was that they loved Elle, too. In spite of their pettiness, they really did want to help her.

Now, those same young men were gently badgering her into letting them accompany her to the village of Rhayader. That was the village where she had visited the apothecary for the potion that had allowed her to put her brother in the vault. Curtis had been to the village three or four times, when he could get away from his duties and accompany his wife, and in the times he’d been there with her, he could see how much the villagers loved her. They all knew her, and when she’d introduced Curtis as her new husband and Lord of Brython, the acceptance went better than he’d hoped. Elle had made it easier for him, something he had appreciated. In fact, the past eight weeks had gone far smoother with her than anything he could have hoped for or imagined.

It was like something out of a dream.

“You can go,” he finally said, pushing the boys away from Elle because he was weary of their begging. “Go and have the horses prepared and we’ll join you in the bailey.”

The three of them tore out of the hall, nearly slipping on a section of floor that was being cleaned near the entry. Hugo followed, heading out to complete his duties, but Myles and Asa remained behind.

“You’re truly going to take that lot to town?” Myles asked, shaking his head. “You’re a brave man.”

Curtis grinned. “They behave for Ellie,” he said. “She must remind them of Mama, because they respond to her much like they respond to our mother. There will be no trouble.”

Myles shook his head. “As I said, you are brave.” He noted Melusine over with Elle in conversation. “Are you taking Melly?”

Curtis nodded. “Probably,” he said, noting Asa standing a few feet away. He addressed the man. “Do you want to go, too?”

Asa’s face lit up. “May I?”

“Go get your horse,” Curtis said. “And have the carriage prepared for my wife and Melly.”

Asa dashed off, leaving Curtis and Myles smirking at one another. “You know he wants to marry her,” Myles muttered. “Has he said anything to you about it?”

Curtis shook his head. “He hasn’t,” he said. “But how is that going to work?”

“What do you mean?”

“He still practices his Jewish religion. Melly is not Jewish.”

Myles shrugged. “Then she’ll have to convert,” he said. “Liora did when she married Peter.”

“But Peter was a knight,” Curtis said. “He had a good deal to lose if he converted. It made sense for Liora to convert instead.”

Myles shook his head. “I know,” he said. “But if Asa converts, Papa will probably knight him. That should be worth something to him.”

“Or maybe he simply wants to stay true to his Jewish religion. That must be his choice.”

Myles shrugged and began to pull his gloves out from where they had been tucked into his belt. “I suppose we shall see,” he said, pulling on a glove. “Now, what else do you need me to do for this chaotic orgy you are about to have in a few days? I told you that I would help, and I will.”

Curtis laughed softly. “I want you to make sure that all escorts and horses and men of our guests are well tended,” he said. “Keep houses that are not friendly with one another at a distance from each other. Not all of our allies are allied with each other, if you know what I mean.”

Myles nodded. “I do, indeed,” he said. “I will handle the guests and their escorts. But you will do something for me.”

“What is that?”

Myles pointed at Elle. “Where is your wife going right now?”

Curtis glanced at Elle as she and Melusine conversed. “To fetch two garments she had the seamstress in Rhayader make for her,” he said. “Why?”

Myles tried not to look too embarrassed. “Have her go to a merchant who carries perfumes,” he said. “Have her find a perfume for a man that women would like to smell.”

Curtis frowned. “For whom?”

“For me!”

Curtis’ eyebrows flew up. “Since when do you want to smell good? For a woman, no less?”

Thoroughly embarrassed, Myles stomped away from him and out of the hall, leaving Curtis chuckling at his younger brother who would rather die than give any woman a bit of his attention. Now, he evidently wanted to smell good for the unmarried females who would be attending Brython’s feast.

Shaking his head, Curtis went to his wife.

“Let us depart, my love,” he said, taking her by the arm. But then he paused. “As long as you are feeling up to it. I should have asked you that before.”

He was referring to the fact that she’d had a tender belly the past few days, but she shook her head at him. “I feel well enough,” she said. “Not to worry. I am eager to collect my new clothing, so a sour stomach will not stop me.”

He didn’t think so, but he’d felt that he had to ask. “If you say so,” he said. “But let us move quickly. I want to return home before sunset.”

As he pulled her along, Elle grabbed hold of Melusine. “Come along,” she said to her cousin. “Mayhap we can visit the merchant who carries all manner of trade goods and find a lovely scarf for you to match your new gown.”

Melusine turned bright red, eyeing Curtis as they exited the great hall, out into the sunshine of a new morning. “I… I do not need a scarf,” she said. “The new dress was quite enough. I do not need anything more.”

As Curtis began shouting to Douglas and Andrew and Westley, who were helping prepare the horses, Elle turned her attention to her red-faced cousin. She knew why the woman was so reluctant to accept a scarf. It was for the same reason that Elle had refused, for weeks, to let Curtis purchase anything for her until he finally convinced her to relent. For women who had never had proper clothing, or any money to buy it, a new husband with a good deal of wealth was something of a bewilderment. Curtis was more than happy to spend money on his wife and even his wife’s cousin, although they still continued to resist. Melusine did it more than Elle did, but the truth was that they were uncomfortable having someone spend money on them.

Curtis was trying his best to change that.

Even eight weeks later, it was still baby steps for them all.

Out in the bailey of Brython, the ladies stood together while Curtis and his men formed the escort. The castle itself had gone through a transformation over the past eight weeks that included repairing walls, fixing the portcullis in the gatehouse, and transforming the keep from something no better than a stable to something that was genuinely warm and comfortable to live in.

Brython had a big, square keep that was six stories tall, including the vault underneath it. There were two storage levels, the sub-level and the ground floor, and then the entry level and the three stories above it that were the living quarters. The first level had two rather large rooms that served as reception rooms, and the next level up had three smaller chambers where Myles, Douglas, Westley, and Andrew slept. The next floor after that had three chambers also, and that was where Melusine slept. The top floor was two chambers again, and both of those were reserved for Curtis and Elle. One chamber was where they slept and the other contained their personal possessions, like clothing and Curtis’ weaponry. There was even a table there with two chairs where they sometimes took in their morning meal, just the two of them.

Elle could reflect honestly on her life before Curtis, but back in the days when they first met, she had made Brython sound as if it meant something to her. Perhaps it had because it was all she had, but the following weeks with Curtis had shown her just how desolate and depressing a place it had been. Even now, as she stood in the bailey with Melusine, she could see how much life at the castle had changed. Everything was well organized, the men seemed busy and content, but most of all, there was no hatred.

That was probably the strangest thing of all. Brython was no longer a place filled with hate. Elle had spent years with men whose only focus in life seemed to be hating the English, but the English soldiers that were now in charge of the castle never made any mention of animosity toward the Welsh. It was a completely different atmosphere, and one that had confused her at first, but one she gradually came to appreciate. Certainly, there was a sense of readiness in case they were attacked, but there wasn’t the tension and the angst that she was so used to.

Strange days, indeed.

Elle wasn’t sure if Curtis’ life had changed that much, but hers certainly had. She was no longer expected to fight, but she had clearly defined duties. She was in charge of the keep, the kitchens, and the kitchen yard, but she really didn’t know much about them. Melusine knew more, but Curtis and his brothers had taken it upon themselves to teach her what they knew about managing a house and hold.

Along with the dance lessons she had so recently been given, there was a time when Curtis had given her lessons on managing the home. Lessons on keeping track of the stores and on keeping track of costs. Luckily, Elle had received an education in mathematics, so she knew how to do her sums, and it was something she enjoyed. She learned very quickly, and soon, lessons moved away from the kitchens and to the keep itself.

That was a little more complex because there were certain protocols when dealing with the keep. For example, unmarried men and unmarried women could never be housed on the same floor. Many castles had separate bachelors’ quarters for unmarried male visitors or unmarried knights, but Brython had no such quarters. That meant the de Lohr brothers were housed in the keep along with Melusine, but none except for Westley were allowed above the first floor.

The only reason Westley was allowed was because he was Curtis’ squire, and also because he had only seen fourteen years and wasn’t considered much of a threat, to his great consternation. Douglas and Andrew and Myles were kept on the first floor, while Asa was assigned a bed with the army. There was a troop house, a small one, that slept about one hundred of the thousand men that Christopher had left behind, and Asa had taken a bed with them. He wasn’t a knight, but he wasn’t exactly close family, either. The rest of the army had tents pitched near the stable yard or slept in the armory or any number of other outbuildings. Curtis was thinking about building a second troop house, but there was so much repair work going on with the walls that he hadn’t yet begun that project.

In all, Brython was a little crowded these days, because there were far more men within the walls than the Welsh ever had, but they worked well together and were very organized thanks to Curtis and his brothers.

These were good days, as far as Elle was concerned, with this day being a pleasant one in a long line of days that had been equally so. She was looking forward to her journey into Rhayader, a town she’d traveled to many times before, but it was different nowadays when Curtis traveled with her. Of course, she knew almost everyone in the village—the merchants, the bakers, the men who ran liveries—because at one time or another, she’d had to deal with them. Elle was very good at bartering, and she was fortunate that she’d never made enemies out of those she did business with. They’d known her to be from Brython Castle or from Tywyl Castle before that, and everyone knew that the castles, and the family of Gwenwynwyn ap Owain, had no real money to speak of. But they also believed Gwenwynwyn’s armies were fighting a righteous battle against the English, so no one much minded when Elle came to barter for food or material.

But that changed when the English came.

Now, Elle went into town with her head held high because she could pay for the things she needed. She’d even paid the leatherworker extra because there had been times when he gave help to the garrison at Brython without cost, and Elle wasn’t beyond paying him for his generosity now that she had the money. The truth was that she was loved in the village, and as she and Melusine climbed into the cab of the fortified de Lohr carriage, lined with iron like a cage and with wooden sides painted blue and yellow, she could only feel contentment and pride.

Funny how life was sometimes.

The enemy was now her savior.

Curtis rode his big warhorse next to the carriage as they headed out onto the road. When they traveled into town, they usually brought at least fifty men with them, men who rode in front and in back of the escort. They also traveled on the sides of the roads and through the trees to ensure there weren’t any ambushes or outlaws waiting for them.

The weather was turning colder, and the leaves were starting to turn colors as the autumn season was upon them. Dressed in a new green garment she’d got from the seamstress in town several days ago, Elle wore her husband’s cloak because she didn’t have one of her own yet. That was one of the things they were supposed to collect today from the leatherworker, along with the slippers he had worked on for her. With her blonde hair braided and wrapped around the back of her head, she and Melusine were enjoying the weather and the trip.

Melusine, in fact, was positively giddy.

“Asa says that he wishes to buy me a gift,” she said, clutching Elle’s hand. “He’s very rich, you know. His father was a jeweler to King John.”

Elle nodded. “I know,” she said. “Curtis told me. But… Melly… you are not thinking of accepting a gift from him, are you?”

Melusine was indignant. “Why not?” she said. “He wants to spend money on me, so I will let him. He is showing his affection for me.”

Elle shook her head. “You fuss when Curtis suggests you buy an article of clothing you need, yet you will freely let Asa spend money on you?”

Melusine frowned. “But he wants to,” she said. “Curtis is your husband, and he should only spend money on you and not me. But Asa… he wants to.”

Elle could see she wasn’t going to get anywhere with her, so she simply looked away to the passing greenery around them. “Do not be greedy,” she said. “Asa is doing it because he likes you.”

“He wants to marry me, I know it.”

“But he is Jewish,” Elle reminded her. “I’ve heard Curt and Peter speaking on it. It will not make for an easy marriage for you.”

“Why not?”

“Because he is not Christian.”

Melusine’s eyebrows rose. “And you do not approve?”

Elle shook her head. “I did not mean that,” she said. “I like Asa. He is humorous and kind. But he worships differently. He is from a people who are not viewed the same as the Christians are. That is all I am saying. You are not part of his world, and his people may not accept you so easily, either.”

Melusine sighed, turning her attention to the window, too. “I know,” she said. “I know you like him. We all like him. You have married a Saesneg , and I am fond of an Iddew . But what does it matter so long as we love them?”

Elle thought on that statement. What does it matter so long as we love them? She could see Curtis outside her window, riding strong and proud. Her heart fluttered every time she looked at the man, every time he kissed her, and every other time in between if he was on her mind. Which was constantly. That flutter had started from the day of their wedding and only grown worse. Now, it was full-blown giddiness when he was around her, and it was all she could do to keep from swooning sometimes.

And he belonged to her.

Did she love him? Of course she did. She couldn’t remember when she hadn’t. But in her world, speaking of things like love and emotion simply weren’t done. No one had ever loved her, and she’d never loved anyone, not even her grandmother. It was difficult to grow attached to an old woman who was bitter and never had a kind word. Elle had spent many years trying to please someone who would never be pleased. Could she speak of love to her? Of course not.

Could she speak of love to Curtis?

What if the feeling wasn’t mutual?

He was sweet to her. So very sweet. He called her “love” and “my love” from time to time, but she was sure it was simply a term of endearment and nothing more. If he truly loved her, why hadn’t he simply come out and told her? Nay, she couldn’t risk telling the man she loved him only to be rejected in turn. It was enough that they smiled at one another, that he would kiss her hard and often, and that they laughed together a good deal. That was the strange part. She’d spent a lifetime hardly laughing because there was nothing to laugh about, but with Curtis, smiles and laughter came so easily.

The man who had once been her enemy.