The Wolfe (119 page)

He grinned. “God help them now that
you are in full vigor. Mayhap I should seek out Miranda and Amanda and Camanda,
or whatever the hell their names are, and tell them to run for their lives.”

She fought off a grin. “Ye’d better
not get anywhere near them,” she ordered, then looked thoughtful. “I think that
I shall bring my dirk with me to London this time.”

He laughed softly and kissed her
forehead before releasing her. “I will leave you to pack, then. I have got
one-thousand troops to divide and assemble.”

“I shall pack for ye,” she told him
already back to the task.

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “Luke will
have his hands full with my armor and weapons. And be sure to pack nothing that
will attract women, will you? I have had a problem with that as of late.”

She threw a pillow at him as he
moved for the door and he easily ducked it, chuckling, “Temper, Lady de Wolfe.
Remember your station.”

She made a face at him. When he was
halfway through the antechamber he heard her call him again. Returning to the
doorway, he was surprised to find her in tears. Concerned, he stepped into the
room.

“What’s the matter, love?”

“I…I dunna…,” she swallowed. “I
dunna want to take Scott and Troy to London. The trip is long and could be
dangerous, and I would rather leave them here for the time-being where I know
they are safe.”

He nodded. “That’s fine, whatever
you decide,” he told her. He knew how hard it was for her to leave the babes
behind. He had thought it was for the best, too, but he wasn’t going to suggest
it. That was her decision to make, he felt.

She blinked and fat tears splattered
on her cheeks, lowering her head back to her job. He hated to see her cry; he
moved around the bed and kissed her head sympathetically.

“Do not cry,” he whispered. “When we
find out what Henry wants of me, then mayhap we will send for them. ‘Tis better
to leave them safe and sound here with Sylvie and Caladora and the rest of them
to look after them. You are wise in your decision.”

She sniffed and smiled weakly. “I
know,” she said arrogantly.

He raised his eyebrows humorously at
her conceited statement, so out of character for her it was laughable. But she
had meant it to be.

Kissing her one last time, he quit
the room.

CHAPTER SIXTY

The weather was unbearably hot and
humid all the way to London. As miserable as Jordan was in her heavy surcoats,
she knew William was baking in his armor but he never said a word. Deinwald complained
enough for everyone and he and Jemma kept a running battle going the entire way.

Jemma would not be left behind this
time. Kieran tried to insist she stay but he didn’t have the heart of force
her. She wanted to be with him, and he wanted her with him. Furthermore, she had
never seen London and was thrilled at the prospect of seeing the sprawling city.
The difficult part, however, had been leaving Mary Alys and Jemma had only recently
stopped crying over leaving her bairn.

Jordan was glad to have her along
for company. William had even allowed Aloria to go because he felt his wife
should have a maid to assist her and also because the woman had a cousin at
court she had not seen in a while.

Aloria turned out to be the best
entertainment of all on the long trip. As big as she was, she was also strong
and athletic. It was only logical that she ride with Deinwald, who protested
strongly at first, but all too easily accepted the lanky woman seated in front
of him. Jordan thought he looked a little flushed, too.

However, he kept up with the insults
and jibes for good measure, whispering into her ear endlessly until Aloria had
had enough. She and Deinwald were developing a fragile romance of sorts, but
she refused to take his bullying any longer.

On the third day Deinwald started
insulting Jemma and Aloria early on. Jemma responded to him as she usually did,
but Aloria didn’t want to hear him anymore. After a comment about the size of
her feet, she turned around in the saddle and slugged him as hard as she could
with her fist against the side of his head. He teetered a moment before crashing
to the ground, pulling her down with him.

William heard the thud and halted
the column, turning around to see eloquent Aloria straddled on Deinwald cursing
a blue streak. In his opinion, the man deserved worse. He did not interfere
because this was Deinwald’s fight. Mayhap if a woman licked him in a fight he
would stop being such a bully, and Aloria was certainly big enough to do it.

Jemma was laughing so hard she was
crying. Jordan simply sat and watched, fighting off a grin. Deinwald’s faceplate
was down and it was impossible to see his face, but she could imagine what his
expression must be.

Aloria finished her tirade and
smacked Deinwald on the helmet again for good measure before pushing herself
off of him.

“English, mayhap I should ride with
Deinwald now,” Jordan suggested quietly. “Aloria can ride with ye.”

William didn’t want to ride with
anyone but his wife, but he suspected she was correct in assuming that Deinwald
and Aloria needed time to cool off.

“That may be wise,” he agreed, then
yelled. “Deinwald. My wife wishes to ride with you.”

Deinwald pushed himself up from the
ground, tearing off his helmet and ignoring his liege’s statement. The helm
landed on the ground with a thump as he stalked toward Aloria. She met his
hostile glare with a crossed-arm stance, seething with anger. Technically, they
were of the same social station so it was not a matter of her being
disrespectful to a superior. They were on equal turf and of equally strong
will.

Jordan watched apprehensively as
Deinwald advanced on her lady-in-waiting. When it was apparent no one was going
to stop him, she turned to her husband.

“English, dunna let him hurt her,”
she pleaded.

He shook his head faintly, watching
his knight. “He will not.”

Jordan, doubtful, turned to watch
the scene unfold. She wondered if she should yell at Deinwald and tell him to
leave Aloria alone, but she bit her tongue. Mayhap this was something they had
to work out on their own.

“Give it to him, Aloria!” Jemma
yelled before Kieran could clap a hand over his wife’s unruly mouth.

Deinwald stopped a mere inch or so
from Aloria, his eyes as angry and threatening as Jordan had ever seen them.
Aloria didn’t back away, however, standing her ground. She would give him more
of the same if he tried anything.

Jordan saw Deinwald’s hands coming
up and stiffened, she was afraid he was going to hurt her badly. She started to
say something to her husband, to demand that he stop his knight, when
Deinwald’s hands suddenly grasped Aloria on either side of her head and his
mouth descended on her own so forcefully that her head snapped back.

Shocked, Aloria’s arms unwound and
her fists balled, but that was as far as she got before  responding to
Deinwald’s kiss. Her arms snaked around his neck and she matched his force
passionately.

Jordan and Jemma grinned while
William and Kieran whistled their approval loudly. Even the men-at-arms who
were close enough to witness the exchange hooted and shouted favorably. It was
completely unexpected and William wondered if Deinwald did it because he was
trying to make her submit or if it was because he suddenly found himself in
love with the big-boned woman. From the length and passion of the kiss, he
guessed it to be the latter.

“Deinwald!” he yelled with a smirk. “Do
that on your own time. The king is waiting.”

Deinwald was actually flushed when
he pulled away from Aloria, but his cheeks were nothing compared to hers.
Jordan watched him, his eyes smoky with gentleness and passion as he helped a
somewhat stunned Aloria onto his destrier and mounted behind her, Jordan was
able to catch a wink from Jemma before William turned his mount around and they
were once again heading for London.

***

Jordan found herself back in the
same apartments at Windsor. She felt a strange hominess when she first set foot
in them, remembering her sons had been born here and wondering if the babe she
carried would also be born here.

The knights went with her husband to
seek the king, leaving her and Jemma and Aloria to do the unpacking with the help
of several soldiers. In little time everything was put away and clean linens
put on the beds. Jordan dismissed Aloria to go and find her cousin, although
she and Jemma were dying to bombard the woman with questions about she and
Deinwald. But that could wait, for Jemma was also eager to get a look at
Windsor.

Dressed in their court best, Jordan
in her silver-and-lavender dress and Jemma in a lovely soft gold, they walked
Windsor from one end to the other. Jemma was overwhelmed at the size of the
palace, marveling at all of the people they passed along the way, much the same
as Jordan did the first time she toured the castle.

Women in surcoats with plunging
necklines passed them every so often, bringing criticism from Jemma and looks
of disapproval from Jordan. However, Jordan could not be too much of a
hypocrite, after all, she had had a dress made for her like that once. Seeing
the castle once again brought on a sense of familiarity and Jordan pointed out
the various towers to her cousin, including the spherical Keep in the center of
the complex. Well-manicured and opulent, Jemma was entranced with the entire
picture.

Jordan wished Analiese had joined
them on their tour. They had stopped by the woman’s apartments and was told by
a haughty English servant that Analiese was not at home, but they both kept an
eye out for her during their walk. Jordan found herself eager to see her friend
again and catch up on any news. She was sure Analiese would want to hear of her
‘adventure’ in Scotland.

They had been out walking for a
couple of hours in the humid weather. Jordan took Jemma to the lovely courtyard
that her bedchamber window looked out on to and Jemma delighted in the summer
flowers and the pond with the big fish in it, all different colors. They sat at
the edge of the pond, watching the fish and talking quietly, enjoying a day in
which they were not on the back of a destrier.

Jemma was feeling normal once again
after the sickness she had briefly experienced. In fact, she was much saucier
than usual, as was Jordan, as if the babes they carried had somehow enhanced
their sassy spirits. Jordan felt better than she ever had, ravenous and
energetic.

Their husbands had been gone several
hours and they were beginning to grow bored. Knowing where the king’s audience
chamber was, Jordan suggested that they go there and wait for them to be done. Jemma
thought it was an excellent idea. They entered the palace, traveling the smooth
floors with slippered feet. Into a grand foyer and then turning down a
corridor, they were faced with two familiar bodies standing several yards away.

But the bodies were not alone, for
gathered in front of them were at least four female figures, giggling and
laughing. Jordan’s eyebrows shot up in a fit of jealousy; Vanessa, Miranda and
Charlotte were in a silly little group, laughing loudly. But now, there was
another woman with them and the four of them not only had her husband detained,
but Kieran as well.

Jordan was up for a fight. “Those
bitches again.” she snarled.

Jemma, hearing her tone, went stiff.
“What do ye mean? Who are they?”

“Court whores,” Jordan declared. “They
were after William once, but I wasna strong enough to do anything but yell at
them at the time. Now, I am going to thrash them within an inch of their lives.”

Jemma was ready to do battle. “‘Tis
not only William now, but Kieran. Damn, where’s my dirk?”

Jordan clenched her teeth, her pale
green eyes riveted to the four women’s backs, blissfully unaware of the mortal
danger they were in.

“Kill them.” She enunciated
deliberately, yet it was a figurative term. Had she had her dirk, it might not
have been.

They started to run towards the
group. Hearing the rapid footsteps, Miranda turned around in time to see Jordan
and a wild-looking brunette bearing down on them with hatred in their eyes.

She let out a little cry and the
other women turned around to see the source of her fright. Vanessa and
Charlotte were well aware of who the blond was and the four women instantly
scattered in different directions. The fourth woman, a red-head, was drug along
simply out of panic.

William saw the look in his wife’s
eyes and it startled and amused him at the same time. But she tore off after
Miranda and Vanessa before she got within arm’s length of him and he found himself
staring after her, stupefied, for a brief second before taking off after her.

“What are they doing?” Kieran
demanded, watching his own wife run like a fox after the other two women.

William was already moving after
Jordan. “Better catch her before she can do any damage, man.” he called after
him. “I shall tell you the story later.”