Page 25 of When I Fall in Love (De Piaget #4)

N icholas stared at the Black, then reached out and very deliberately held the horse by the bridle. He gave him a look of intense disapproval.

“Bad horse,” he said sternly.

The Black only attempted a toss of his head.

Nicholas pulled his head back down. “I will ride you, you damned beast,” he said, “and this time you will not buck me off.”

The Black was seemingly very unimpressed.

Nicholas swung up onto his back and gave him no choice. Of course it didn’t matter all that much given that he was twenty paces from the drawbridge. Then again, he could have found himself swimming in the moat and that would definitely be worse than having spent the past evening and the whole of the night running from Raventhorpe.

The portcullis was raised. Nicholas lifted his hand in greeting to the guardsmen, then wrestled with the Black until they reached the stables. He swung down gracefully, which was a far different dismount from the last time when he’d found himself pitched off the back of the bloody horse without warning.

That had been yesterday evening. He’d tried to catch the Black, but the horse had run off, then stopped just out of reach and waited for Nicholas to catch up before springing playfully away yet again. And damn the beast if he hadn’t been willing to continue the game to the very gates of Artane. Nicholas had alternated between running and walking almost the entire way from Raventhorpe, given that the Black had dislodged him but a league from his sister’s hall. It had been a very long night, what with only his curses to keep him warm.

He waved off the stable master and tended the horse himself. He shut the stall door and shot the Black another look of disapproval.

“I will take you out again,” Nicholas warned, “but you will be better behaved. If it kills us both.”

The Black only snorted and bumped Nicholas’s shoulder affectionately with his nose. He snuffled Nicholas’s hair for good measure.

“Apology accepted,” Nicholas muttered as he walked away. “I think.”

He looked at the sky as he walked across the courtyard. It was growing light in the east, but just barely. There was still time to get inside, have a wash, and be standing at Jennifer’s door before she awoke.

He was halfway across the courtyard before he realized that there had been more horses in the stable than usual and that there were several wagons placed next to the stables.

Had his grandmother returned?

He dashed up the steps and burst into the great hall. The hall was empty save a pair of serving lads, stirring the fires. Nicholas ran up to his chamber only to find Montgomery and John snoring happily in his bed. Obviously, they had been displaced to make room for heaven only knew who.

He stripped, washed, and dressed again in clean clothes, then left the chamber and went to stand in front of Isabelle’s chamber. With any luck, Jennifer would be the first one out and he could spirit her away for the day before anyone else was the wiser.

He didn’t wait long. The door opened soon after he’d taken up his post and so quietly that he knew it had to be his love, sneaking out because she’d felt his presence.

Only it wasn’t.

It was his grandmother.

“Ah,” Nicholas said, scrambling for something to say.

“Aye, ah,” Joanna said, taking him by the arm and pulling him toward the stairs. “Escort an old woman to breakfast and discuss with her why you were not here to greet your potential brides yestereve.”

“My horse threw me,” Nicholas managed.

“I’m sure you’ll teach him manners.” Joanna looked up at him and smiled. “How have you been, love?”

“Are you asking about my travels last night, or before that?”

“Either.”

“Wonderful.” He paused. “Well, save last night. Too much time to think about what I might be missing at home.”

“The arrival of six of the most privileged, powerful women in England is what you missed,” Joanna said. “They’ve come with the express purpose of being inspected by you. Blood may be spilt with this lot, I fear.” She looked up at him. “Was that what you feared you might be missing at home?”

“Nay, Grandmère,” Nicholas said seriously. “Not that.”

“I suppose not,” Joanna said, studying him thoughtfully. “She has warm feet, you know.”

Nicholas looked at her in surprise. “Jennifer?”

“Who else? She’s not a bad bedmate. Indeed, I likely should have been sharing with a woman of much higher rank, but Robin insisted and you know I can’t refuse him his whims. He was especially adamant that she be treated well.”

“The saints be praised,” Nicholas muttered under his breath. He would have to thank Robin when he saw him next.

“It seems she has no title,” Joanna pointed out.

“I couldn’t care less.”

“Well, we’ll see about that. Now, come and eat, love, and I’ll tell you who I’ve brought with me.”

“I’m not interested.”

“You’d damned well better be interested, Nicholas,” she said sharply, “or at least feign a bloody great bit of interest after all the trouble I’ve gone through to get this lot all the way north.”

He managed to get his ear out of her reach by escaping down the stairs in front of her. He turned and waited for her at the bottom. He made her a low bow, then smiled his most charming smile.

“You are a remarkable woman.”

“Flattery will not facilitate your escape from this,” she said. “You’ll be polite because I demand it.”

“Of course,” Nicholas said. “And surely you know how much I appreciate your efforts upon my behalf. Now, let me escort you to the table, then I’ll go see if Cook is awake.”

“So you can then escape by another way and return upstairs?” Joanna asked with a snort. “Absolutely not. Take me to the kitchen and make me something yourself. I understand you’re a fair chef.”

“Grandmère, I have business upstairs.”

“You have business with me in the kitchen. You may go upstairs when I’m finished with you.”

Nicholas considered arguing, but decided that there was no point. The sooner he humored his grandmother, the sooner he could be about his own affairs. She was nothing if not tenacious.

“Very well,” he said with a sigh.

He then took his grandmother to the kitchen, prepared porridge, chose fruit, meat, and bread for her, then sat at the worktable and ate right along with her.

“You know, your ladies would be appalled to see either of us here,” he remarked.

“I know,” she said unrepentantly, “but I’m an old woman and can do as I please.”

“And what of me?”

“You can do as I please, as well.”

Nicholas reached out, took her hand, and kissed it. “Grandmère, I love her.”

Joanna pursed her lips. “I’ll need to look her over for several more days before I’m ready to give you my opinion.”

“The saints preserve us all.”

She smacked his hand. “Disrespectful chit,” she said. “You need my permission before you wed her.”

“Do I?”

“If you want any of my gold upon my death, you do.”

Nicholas took both her hands in his and looked at her affectionately. “I don’t need your gold, Grandmère, but I do need your love. You may look her over.”

“But you’ll wed her if I like her or not, is that it?”

“You always told me to trust my own heart.”

“My mistake,” she said. Then she smiled and squeezed his hands. “You look happy.”

“I am. I would be happier still if I could see her this morning.”

“I wouldn’t count on that. I’ve a full day’s activities planned for you already.”

“Grandmère!”

“Humor an old woman who’s nearing the end of her days.”

“You’ll live forever.”

“Well,” she said, with a modest smile, “that is the plan, but ofttimes plans go awry.” She dabbed her mouth delicately. “A fine meal. You would have made a very fine cook, my love, but perhaps you are better as you are.”

“I think so,” he agreed.

“Let’s have a turn about the garden now, then you’ll escort me to mass. I’ll tell you of your day whilst we’re there.”

“Friar Osbert doesn’t like it when we don’t pay attention.”

“I dare him to chastise me. Now,” she said, rising, “come along like a good lad.”

“Grandmère, I want to see her.”

“Miles will watch after her.” “I don’t want Miles to watch after her.”

“Why not?” Joanna asked. “She doesn’t love him.”

“Grandmère,” Nicholas said seriously, “I will see her this morning.”

“After,” Joanna said with a glint in her eye. “After you’ve been polite to all the very rich, very powerful women I’ve brought for you to look over. And you’ll do it for no other reason than you don’t want to make me look like a fool.”

Nicholas looked heavenward, then sighed deeply. “I’ll be polite. No more. And only a fool himself would think of you thus.”

“Aye, I know,” she said with a smile. “I’m just bringing you to heel as quickly as possible.”

He rose and frowned down at her. “You are a terrible old woman.”

“Whom you love dearly and don’t want to disappoint. The garden, Nicky my love, before we are overrun by unpleasant women bent on prodding you to the altar whether you like it or not.”

“The morning,” he said. “I’ll give you that, but no more.”

She considered, then nodded. “Done.”

U nfortunately, the morning lasted far longer than he would have liked. His grandmother had been telling the truth about the tenacity of the women she’d brought for him to look over. He found himself besieged on all sides by women and their parents who had come, apparently not just to sit at Artane’s table and partake of fine meals once or twice, but to become part of the family. He was subjected to lengthy discussions with pompous fathers and scheming mothers. The ladies in question, the ones meant for him, were of the highest quality; even he would admit that. They were also six of the coldest, most calculating horrors he’d ever seen. He wouldn’t have dared be interested in any one of them if his heart had been free.

He was definitely not interested now that his heart was taken.

He caught sight of Jennifer periodically. She was never alone. Miles was always there and either Anne or Isabelle was with her as well. She caught his eye a time or two and smiled gravely, but each time he tried to get through the press to get to her, his grandmother would present him with another cluster of people he had to be nice to.

It was enormously frustrating.

It was also exhausting. He hadn’t slept since two nights prior and even that night had not been a good sleep. Add that to his irritation over not being able to at least go and touch the woman he loved, and he was finding himself increasingly short-tempered.

As noon came and went, he realized that Jennifer was no longer in the great hall. Montgomery was, however, standing in the passageway that led to the kitchens. Nicholas excused himself and elbowed his way through the crowd to reach his brother.

“Where is she?”

“Through there,” Montgomery said under his breath, nodding down the passageway.

“Come with me.” Nicholas walked toward the kitchens, but was forced to stop because two of his potential brides were blocking the way. They were standing there with their backs to him.

“Her hair is ghastly,” said Sibil of Hansworth. “What think you?”

“A terrible color,” Brigit of Islington said coldly. “And did you see the gown?”

“Aye,” Sibil said with a laugh. “Is she too stupid to realize that it is ugly? Obviously it was altered for her—and poorly. Why do the de Piagets tolerate her, do you suppose?”

“Perhaps she is their leman,” Brigit said cuttingly, “and all the lads share her—”

“Excuse me, if you please,” Nicholas said politely.

They turned around. He wasn’t surprised, though, to find that neither looked the slightest bit ashamed. They merely stared back at him boldly. Well, Brigit did, and unrepentantly. Sibil of Hansworth, at least, had the grace to eventually look away.

Nicholas walked past them, dragging Montgomery with him.

“Awful wenches,” Montgomery whispered.

“Aye.” Nicholas put his hand on Montgomery’s shoulder. “Go find clean clothing, then meet Jennifer at Isabelle’s door and give it to her.”

“As you will, Nick,” Montgomery said, and turned and ran back up the passageway.

Nicholas continued on into the kitchens where Jennifer was blissfully unaware of what was being said about her. Then again, perhaps she wasn’t. Her face was ashen. Miles was whispering furiously in her ear and Anne had her arm around her, but that seemed to accomplish nothing. When she caught sight of him, her expression did not change.

He strode into the kitchen and walked straight over to her. “Montgomery has clothes waiting for you in Isabelle’s chamber. Change and meet me in the stables as quickly as you can.”

“Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.

“Sure?” he echoed. “About what? About the disguise?”

“No, sure that you want me—” she began in a very low voice, then she fell silent.

He growled. “Of course I’m sure, damn it.” He jerked his head toward the passageway. “Hurry. Anne, would you go with her?”

“Of course,” Anne said. She touched his arm briefly, then walked with Jennifer from the kitchen.

Nicholas watched them go, then turned and looked at his father’s cook.

“Food, sir, if you please, fit for a saddlebag.”

Cook frowned. “For the high and mighty wenches, or the pleasant, gracious one?”

“The latter, surely,” Nicholas said.

Cook smiled suddenly. “Aye, my lord. It would be a pleasure to serve her. I’ll collect nothing but the finest.”

Nicholas nodded in thanks, then turned to Miles. “How has it been?”

“You don’t want to know,” Miles said grimly. “Where the hell were you?”

“The Black threw me and I had to walk home. From Raventhorpe.”

“Oh,” Miles said, drawing the word out for quite some time. “You went to talk to Jake.”

“Aye, but you could certainly keep that to yourself, couldn’t you?” Nicholas said.

“I could.”

Nicholas grunted, then waited for Cook to finish his preparations. He gladly accepted a leather pouch full of food and handed it and a bottle of wine to Miles. “Be useful. Go saddle my horse for me and take this with you. If Grandmère sees me with it, I’ll never escape.”

“It looks like rain outside.”

“I couldn’t care less.”

Miles smiled and left the kitchen. Nicholas thanked Cook profusely, and made his way through the great hall, extricating himself quickly from every conversation that stopped him and avoiding his grandmother with skill even she would have had to admire. He finally slipped out the front door, then made his way to the stables.

Miles had his mount saddled and food stowed in saddlebags. Nicholas took the reins, thanked his brother, and led his mount out into the courtyard. He swung up into the saddle and looked toward the great hall. The door opened suddenly and Jennifer flew out of it and down the stairs with Montgomery hard on her heels.

Nicholas looked up to see his grandmother coming to stand in the doorway. He cursed. He’d given her the bloody morning; he was not going to give her the entire day. He urged his horse forward, leaned over and pulled Jennifer up behind him, then spun his horse around and kicked it into a gallop.

“We’re going to die,” Jennifer gasped.

“Not today, I vow it,” Nicholas said. “Hold on.”

Guardsmen and peasants alike scattered in front of him. He earned his share of curses, but he didn’t care. He would make amends later. For now, speed was what was needful. It wouldn’t have surprised him to have looked over his shoulder to find a contingent of his grandmother’s guardsmen trailing him, bent on retrieving him and escorting him back to the hall.

“Where are we going?” Jennifer asked.

“Do you care?”

“No,” she said with a laugh.

He smiled, put his hand over hers as she held on to him about the waist. He cut aside before the village, then rode for the shore.

He put his heels to his mount and they flew.

Not far enough or fast enough, but it would do for the day.