The Wolfe (57 page)

“Not a word, Jemma,” he said. “At
least not until I speak with William. Mayhap he knows what is in her mind.”

“Why wunna she mention this to me?” Jemma
wondered aloud. “Was she going to leave me here while she returned to Langton?”

He shook his head and didn’t want
her speculating, ‘twould simply make her upset. “I do not know, sweetheart,” he
said. “Do not worry yourself over it just now. Let me see what William has to
say.”

Neither one knew of the incident
with the earl early that morn with the earl. Jemma had been fast asleep in the
other room and had heard nothing, and Michael had not mentioned anything
unusual, and William had come and gone before she had even awoke.

It never even occurred to her that
she would be running away with William, or why. She was deathly afraid Jordan
had had enough of the English treaty and was determined to go home.

***

The morning feast was just that - a
feast. The mouthwatering smells of roast venison and beef filled the air and
the guests and family were merrily enjoying the second formal meal in as many
days. Wine and ale flowed freely.

Jordan sat at the earl’s right, but
the man had not spoken nor even acknowledged her the entire meal. She felt sick
with embarrassment and shame, but looking forward to her future with William.
Keeping that thought foremost in her mind helped her deal with the earl’s
presence.

Would the earl even care enough to
retaliate against her family? And what of the king? The man was in York and
expected on the morrow. Would he avenge a broken treaty? She had to trust that
William had thought these matters through and was certain that her family would
suffer no ill effects. She hoped he was right.

Far to her left, Jemma entered the
hall with Kieran and Jordan felt confident that whatever turmoil she and
William left in their wake, Kieran would not let it reflect badly on Jemma. She
trusted that the English knight would take good care of her cousin.

William wasn’t sitting at the dais.
Instead, he was seated with the visiting captains and knights directly off to
her right, sitting by a man who was quite striking. The man kept glancing in her
direction, giving her a devastating smile, then laughing when she looked away
primly. She decided that he was a rogue and she hoped William would slug him
for being so flirtatious with her.

Someone sat next to her. She glanced
up to see Analiese seating herself formally, accepting a cup from a servant
with practiced arrogance.

“Good morn,” she said to Jordan.

Jordan was shocked that Analiese
actually extended the first greeting. “Good morn, Analiese. Are ye feeling well
today?”

Analiese nodded curtly. “Better that
I was feeling yesterday.”

“I know what ye mean,” Jordan
admitted ruefully. “I will never drink that much wine again.”

“Nor will I. Remind me of that fact
at your wedding should I appear to be getting out of hand.”

Her manner was stiff but Jordan was
delighted at her attempted conversation. She thought that mayhap Analiese
wasn’t just an arrogant bitch because that was her nature; mayhap it was all
she had ever been shown and had reacted accordingly. Treated kindly, she
responded well.

“I would ask the same of ye,” Jordan
said. “But at least ye dunna look as if ye were feeling poorly not a few hours
ago.”

Analiese dropped her gaze and looked
into her cup. “Thank you,” she said. Then she paused. “Not simply for the
compliment but for everything, Jordan. I hope… I hope that we can be friends
one day.”

Jordan raised her eyebrows. “Someday?
Why not today?”

Analiese broke into a thin smile
with small, yellowed teeth. “Agreed.”

Jordan and Analiese carried on a
friendly conversation that gradually grew into a warm one. They spoke of a
great many things, some serious, some not. But they talked the entire meal,
neither lady hardly touching a bite.

“Who is that man sitting next to Sir
William?” Jordan asked.

Analiese daintily picked at a piece
of bread.  That is Captain William Payton-Forrester of Beverley Castle.”

Jordan snorted. “The man is a rake.
Look at him, his arrogant manners and the way he smiles. A womanizer.”

“He was, I heard, until he got
married last year,” Analiese replied. “My servants think he is the most
beautiful man they have ever seen. Next to William, of course.”

Jordan was about to heartily agree
that William was beautiful, but caught herself. “I hadn’t really noticed,” she
shrugged casually.

Analiese looked at her but Jordan
averted her gaze to her plate. “He has certainly noticed you,” Analiese said. “He
looks at you all of the time.”

“He does not.” Jordan scoffed,
uncomfortable.

“Aye, he does,” Analiese countered
softly. “All of the knights do, except for Kieran, because he is in love with
your cousin. Do not feign ignorance, Jordan. Surely you know how they feel
about you.”

“They are loyal vassals,” Jordan was
starting to sweat. ”I have no interest in them.” True enough, she had no
interest in the knights as a collective whole. Only William.

Analiese sighed and turned back to
her food. “I wish…I wish William would look at me that way he looks at you.”

Jordan’s head snapped in her
direction, banking the wild jealousy that surged through her. She knew of
Analiese’s feelings, but this was the first time she had ever heard the woman
voice her thoughts. Jealousy gave way to pity. The poor girl was in love with
someone she could never have.

“Ye’ll find a proper husband
someday, Analiese,” she said reassuringly. “And not a knight, either. A fine
nobleman.”

Analiese glanced at William. “I would
give it all up for the captain.” She suddenly felt embarrassed at her
confession and turned back to her food. “But he only has eyes for Northwood.
And you.”

Jordan didn’t reply, for she had no
idea what to say. Gradually, she became aware of breathing over her left
shoulder and turned to see the earl listening in on then conversation.

He actually smiled at Jordan, though
she wondered if it was not for Analiese’s benefit. She, on the other hand,
found it very difficult to look the man in the eye after what had happened earlier
that morn. Legally, he had every right to do it, but she still felt violated
and ashamed.

“My two favorite ladies,” he said. “You
will never know how it pleases me to see that you two are finally being civil
to one another.”

“‘Tis more than that, sire,” Jordan
said with forced courage. “We are friends.”

“I am glad to hear that,” he
answered with a lingering gaze.

He eventually turned back to his
sons and Jordan found herself searching out William to see if he had seen the
conversation. Indeed, he was watching her like a hawk. When their eyes met, he
gave her a faint nod and returned to his friends.

She inhaled deeply to stop her
quivering stomach, wanting to get the hell out of the room. She was becoming
increasingly impatient, hoping it would not show.

Jemma was seated several chairs down
and saw the glances between Jordan and William. She was more puzzled than ever
but was determined to ignore Kieran’s request of saying nothing. Jordan was her
cousin, her kin, and she would know what the woman was planning or die trying.
And she was doubly troubled by the fact that Analiese was sitting next to
Jordan. Although the conversation looked peaceful enough, she was positive that
Jordan needed her intervention.

“Ladies,” Jemma sat on the opposite
side of Analiese, eyeing the woman venomously.

Analiese stiffened and Jordan was
immediately fearful that Jemma would ruin all she had worked for.

“Lady Analiese, ye remember my cousin,
Lady Jemma,” Jordan said quickly. “Why, it was just as I was telling ye; Jemma
helped make this dress. She embroiders beautifully and she had expressed great
admiration of the surcoat you wore the night we arrived. ‘Twas a magnificent
piece of work. Wasna it, Jemma?”

Jemma was so stumped that she blinked
twice as her cousin smiled encouragingly at her. This did not sound like a
hostile confrontation to her. She had been prepared for an all-out verbal war.
But from the looks on their faces they were actually enjoying themselves and
she wondered if she were even in the right castle. Wasn’t this the home of the
vicious, petty Lady Analiese? But, fortunately, she had enough presence of mind
to follow Jordan’s lead.

“Aye,” she began slowly, then
quickly. “Aye, it was indeed beautiful. Do ye do yer own embroidery, Lady
Analiese?”

“Aye,” Analiese said flatly. She
obviously hadn’t forgiven Jemma for the previous insults.

Jemma was not ignorant; she had a
good deal of intelligence and could see that Jordan was making amends with Analiese.
Biting back her natural snappishness, she smiled sweetly.

“Then ye will have to show me your
methods,” she said nicely. “I canna embroider as well as ye do by a far sight.
Would ye be so kind?”

Analiese’s haughty look faltered
slightly as she glanced at Jordan and then to her cousin again. “Mayhap
someday, when I do not have more pressing duties.”

Jemma was the model of an obedient,
respectful lady. “Ye’re too generous, my lady. I look forward to that time.”

Jordan silently thanked God for
giving Jemma the wisdom to curb herself in Analiese’s presence. It was as if a
huge weight had been lifted from her chest and she actually took a deep,
cleansing breath. Jemma smiled at her cousin and curtsied deeply, preparing to
return to her seat.

“Wait,” Analiese said just as Jemma
stepped away. When Jemma returned and faced her expectantly, Analiese struggled
against her pride and flicked a wrist in the direction of an empty chair flush
against the wall. “Join us, if you will. Lady Jordan and I were speaking of…
husbands.”

Jemma’s face lit up. “My favorite
subject. What do ye know about them?”

Analiese’s lip twitched. “Not much.
Mayhap with our combined knowledge, we will not be so ignorant.”

Jemma’s face split with a wide smile
as she pulled up the chair.

Several feet away from the dais,
William Payton-Forrester was again passing an appraising eye over Jordan.
William saw him but ignored it, more intent on noticing that Jemma had joined Analiese’s
and Jordan’s conversation.

“So that is the fair Scot lass, is
it?” Payton-Forrester raised his brows.

William glanced casually at Jordan. “Aye.”

Payton-Forrester passed a thoughtful
hand over his chin. “I must get a closer look at her to see if your boast was
justified.”

“You can see her well enough,” William
told him. “She is not a prize mare to be ogled.”

“I do not ogle,” Payton-Forrester
said flatly. “But I do inspect.”

William shot him a hard look,
brooking no tolerance for what the man was suggesting. “Not her, you do not.”

Payton-Forrester looked into the
eyes of his friend and was struck by what he read in the depths. His jocularity
vanished in that second when he realized that there was more going on here than
William was telling him, and he furthermore realized it was none of his
business. The comments from earlier regarding the earl’s intended, when he
proclaimed her great beauty, were beginning to make sense.

He pitied his friend for what could
never be. He knew how strongly he felt for his Shannon and knew that if he
could not have had her, he would not have wanted to live. He could not help but
wonder how deep William’s feeling ran for the lass.

“Well, since you are going to ruin
my fun, my men and I will be leaving this morn,” Payton-Forrester said.

William nodded. “Nearly everyone is
leaving with the exception of Northumbria and Cumberland. It seems the earl did
not invite many people to his wedding.”

Payton-Forrester passed another
glance at Jordan. “Christ, I would if I was marrying her. I’d invite the whole
damn country.” When William gave him another icy gaze, he smiled to lift the
mood. “In any case, William, ‘twas good to see you again. And find yourself a
wife, would you?” Again, he looked at Jordan and found himself clapping William
on the shoulder. “I hear Flanders is lovely this time of year.”

William almost reacted to the
statement, wondering if Payton-Forrester and Paris had been talking. Where had
he heard that before? He knew had given away more than he had intended but
steadfastly refused to acknowledge the comment. Obviously, the man was not a
fool and William knew he could trust his confidence. Were his feelings for
Jordan so blatantly obvious?

As his friend quit the table,
William again turned to pass a glance at Jordan when one of his soldiers near
the huge entry door caught his attention. Gladly, he excused himself and went
to the man.

“My lord, riders approach.”

“Do we know who?” William asked.

The soldier looked grim. “Scots, My
lord. Two of them.”