LORD OF DUNKEATHE (4 page)

Nicholas nodded his approval. "You'll have to find larger quarters for Lord Chesleigh and his daughter. He wasn't pleased with those you assigned him. He thought they were too small."

Robert frowned and studied the list in his hand.

"Does that present a problem?"

"Perhaps I can switch his chamber with that of Sir Percival de Surlepont."

"That would put Sir Percival's chamber next to mine?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Very well. See that the change is made—and make it sound as if that was a mistake that had to be corrected, and that this is some sort of
honour
to Percival instead of an inconvenience, or being done in response to a complaint."

"Yes, my lord."

"Who did Percival bring?"

Robert's gaze returned to the tablet. "His cousin, Lady Eleanor." He raised his eyes to regard Nicholas. "Apparently he is her nearest male relation."

"What's she like?"

"Pretty and modest."

Nicholas recalled the young women in the courtyard, but no one in particular came to mind. The only two women he could remember with any clarity were that bold maidservant and the haughty daughter of Lord Chesleigh. "How old is Lady Eleanor?"

"Seventeen."

He didn't want a girl for a wife, but a woman capable of taking responsibility and leadership of the household. He had no desire to have to deal with a shy, fearful bride on his wedding night, either.

That impertinent, brown-eyed maidservant with the thick braids down her back, and the
little
wisps of hair that escaped to dance upon her intelligent brow, wouldn't be shy. His blood warmed as he imagined how she might react if he took her in his arms and captured her mouth with his.

"Sir Percival assured me her dowry would be substantial, my lord."

Once again Nicholas commanded himself to stop thinking about that servant. "I've heard the family is quite rich."

"Yes, my lord, they are, and a sizeable dowry will go a long way toward solving any difficulties..." Robert flushed and let the words trail off when he saw Nicholas's
disgruntled
expression.

"We've enough ready coin to get us to Lammas and through a wedding, don't we?" Nicholas asked. "The wool must have brought in something."

"Yes, it did, my lord, but I must point out that the expense of this... this..."

"I have to entertain my guests in the style they expect," Nicholas replied as Robert floundered for the word to describe his overlord's method of finding a bride. "I won't have them thinking I'm desperate—which I'm not." Not yet, anyway. "It's your responsibility to see that no one suspects I'm running short of funds."

"You're not yet in dire straits, my lord," Robert assured him.

"Good. By Lammas I should have a bride in hand, or at least a betrothal agreement and promise of a dowry. Who else has come?"

"Lady Mary, the daughter of the Earl of Eglinburg, Lady Elizabeth, sister of the Duke of Ansley, Lady Catherine, daughter of the Comte D'Ortelieu, Lady Isabelle, ward of Sir James of Keswick, Lady Eloise, daughter of Sir George de Chillery, Lady Lavinia, second cousin to the Due D'Anglevoix, Lady Priscilla, niece of the Abbot of St. Swithins-by-the-Sea who came with her brother Audric, and Lady Joscelind, daughter of Lord Chesleigh of Kent."

Ah yes, the beautiful—and proud—Lady Joscelind and her equally proud and arrogant father. He wondered what they'd do when they discovered they'd been ordering their host about as if he were their lackey. That should prove interesting—although, given their natures, they might take
offence
that he hadn't identified himself. He'd have to ensure that he gave them a believable explanation.

Nicholas strolled back to the window and saw that the maidservant was still standing by the cart. She shifted her feet, as if her patience was wearing thin. "That's only nine," he noted, glancing over his shoulder. "Who's the tenth?"

"Nobody of any consequence, my lord. In fact, I probably should have denied them admittance to the courtyard, but the fellow did have a charter and you had said that all women of noble birth were to be considered. His niece meets that qualification."

Nicholas raised an inquisitive brow, just as he had in the courtyard. That serving wench had then done the same, surprising and secretly amusing him more than he'd been amused in...well, a long time. "Who is this nobleman with a charter you don't think should be here?"

"A Scot, my lord, the Thane of Glencleith. I asked those of our men who are Scots, and it seems he's the holder of a small estate to the north. Politically, he's completely unimportant, and I understand he's quite poor."

"Only one Scots noble came?"

"Yes, my lord."

Only one—and he was a lord in this country. Clearly it didn't matter to the Scots that he'd changed the name of his estate back to the original one, or that his sister had married into one of their clans. He was still, first and foremost, a representative of the Normans and their unwelcome intrusion into
Scotland
.

Yet whatever they thought, he'd earned Dunkeathe and recalcitrant Scots or no, he'd keep it. If he had to marry for money and influence to ensure that, he would.

A fist pounded on the door. Nicholas wheeled around just as the door flew open and a short, brawny, gray-haired, bearded, potbellied Scot wearing one of their skirted garments bustled into the room.

Before Nicholas could demand an explanation, the intruder came to a halt, put his hands on his hips, and smiled at them both. "Here you are!" he cried in heavily accented French. "Delighted to make your acquaintance, my lord. I thought you'd be in the courtyard greeting your guests, but obviously Normans have a different idea of politeness."

He looked around the room before his gaze settled again on Nicholas. "Wonderful castle you've got here. This chamber's a bit bare, but when you're married, your wife will change that."

Nicholas's first thought was that the man was half-mad, while Robert looked like he was going to faint.

"My lord, I—I—" the steward stammered, clearly aghast and at a loss to explain what was happening.

The fellow seemed harmless, if audacious. "Welcome to Dunkeathe," Nicholas replied, giving Robert a look to assure him he wasn't angry.

Robert recovered the powers of speech. "My lord, this is Fergus Mac Gordon Mac Darbudh, the Thane of Glencleith."

The poor, politically unimportant Scottish noble.

Whatever Nicholas thought of the man personally, and no matter how poor and seemingly unimportant he might be, Nicholas knew he had to be diplomatic. He'd lived in
Scotland
for a decade, and he still couldn't fathom the complicated relationships between the clans. It could be that this man had relatives who were far more politically important than he himself.

Therefore, he put a smile on his face and calmly inquired, "Is there something I can do for you, my lord?"

"It's not what you can do for me," the boisterous Scot replied. "It's what I can do for you. I've brought you the perfect bride." He smiled with immense, and quite sincere, satisfaction. "My niece, Riona. She's a very fine girl, my lord—no man could do better when it comes to marriage. She's a sweet lass, and she's been the joy of my life since she came to me when she was two years old and her sainted parents died.

"She's run my household since she was twelve, too," he continued before Nicholas or Robert could get a word in. "The servants follow her orders without question and while she keeps them in good order, they love her. I'll wager there aren't many Norman ladies so beloved by their servants as my Riona is.

"And she's clever, too. She keeps all the accounts and knows where every penny's spent. She's saved me many a penny, too, I can tell you—although that won't mean much to you, for there's plenty in your purse, I know. But still, no man wants a wasteful wife. Granted she's not got a large dowry, but what's that to a man of your wealth, eh? What are a few more coins in the purse if your wife's making your life a misery? Riona could never do that. She'll be a bride any man could be proud of and I wouldn't offer her up to just any man, either."

With that, he folded his arms over his chest and beamed as if he'd just saved Nicholas from a fate worse than death.

Unfortunately for Fergus Mac Gordon, his niece could be the most wonderful of women, but if she was poor, she had no chance of becoming Nicholas's bride. The personal attributes of his wife were considerably less important to him than the dowry she would bring.

Nevertheless, the man was probably as proud as all the Scots were, and he'd likely be insulted if Nicholas refused to consider his niece from the start, so he had best not be too quick to dismiss her.

"I thank you for bringing your niece to Dunkeathe," he said politely, "and I'm sure she's a very fine young woman. I assure you, I'll take all the qualities of every lady into account before I make my choice. Now if you'll excuse me, my steward and I have other matters to discuss."

"Of course you do!" the Scot cried. To Nicholas's relief, he didn't seem a whit dismayed by this polite dismissal as he backed toward the door. "You're a very busy fellow, I'm sure, with this great pile of a
castle
to tend to. So many soldiers, too—an army you've got, although who'd dare to attack you here? The man would have to be mad."

Then, just as
abruptly
as he'd entered, he was gone.

It was like the calm after a maelstrom. Or before a storm.

"My lord, I do beg your pardon," Robert said, clearly horrified by what had just happened. "I had no idea he'd do that, none whatsoever!"

At the sight of Robert's red, indignant face Nicholas had to turn away and look out the window again, for he felt the most unusual urge to laugh.

He noticed the maidservant was still standing by the cart. "I take it you personally didn't invite him to join us here?"

"Absolutely not, my lord!"

"Then it's not your fault."

"I'll inform him at once that he cannot remain here, my lord."

"I didn't say he had to leave. He's still the only noble Scot to come, and I don't think it would be wise to do anything that might cause him to depart before I make my final choice. The ties of blood and family go deep in this country. He may be of little importance, but he might have relatives who are, and they could stand against me if he feels insulted."

"I haven't heard that he has any relatives who might cause us trouble, my lord."

"The ties between clans are complicated. I can't remember half the clans my sister's related to now. It would be better to take no chances, so I should at least make it appear that I'm considering his niece."

Suddenly, the stocky Scot came rushing into the courtyard and headed straight for the maidservant.

"Riona!" he called out, waving. She waved back and hurried toward him eagerly.

God's rood, was that young woman the thane's niece? That woman he'd been tiying not to imagine in his bed?

"So, here you are, brother. I should have guessed you'd be holed up here instead of talking to the bevy of beauties who've come to vie for your hand."

Nicholas briefly closed his eyes and prayed for patience before he turned around.

His younger brother strolled into the room and threw himself into Nicholas's chair and put his feet on the table. Like his brother, Henry was strong and well-muscled, a warrior in his prime, and now he sat smiling smugly as if he had not a care in the world.

Which was quite probably true.

"You may leave us, Robert," Nicholas said, subduing his envy of the brother who'd never shared his struggles.

"Yes, you may leave me to bid farewell to my brother," Henry said with a wave of his hand, "although I must say, Nicholas, I'm rather tempted to stay a few more days. I had no idea your net would gather such a fine catch. Mind you, that one with the giggle..." He shuddered and shook his head. "Not quite what I'd want to wake up to every morning."

"I didn't think you cared who you woke up with as long as you'd enjoyed yourself the night before."

Henry laughed. "Well, I'd care if she was my wife, which is why you won't find me sending out word that I'm in the market for a bride, with all and sundry welcome to come and vie for my hand.

Really, brother, you make it sound like you're nothing more than a stallion ready for breeding."

Nicholas took two long paces and swiped his brother's feet from the table. "Keep your muddy boots on the floor."

Henry regarded him with annoyance. "Pardon me for not realizing you were getting so fastidious in your old age."

"That table cost more than I made the first six months of my service with the Due D'Aubreay. You may be able to forget when we were poor, but I don't."

"I don't forget."

"Good."

Henry got to his feet. "So I do understand why you want a rich wife from a well-connected family." His temper, so easily roused, was dying down, as it always did. Eventually. "God's blood, so do I. It's the method I question, Nicholas."