Winter of Solace (The Executioner Knights Book 5)

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “But… why? Caius, why would you offer marriage?”

  He took a deep breath. “Why not?”

  “Because once we are married, we are married for life,” she pointed out. “I am not a whim. I am not something to quickly take part of and then abandon. And if you think this will deter me from remaining here in the keep with the Hawkstone soldiers, you are mistaken. This will not deter me.”

  He shook his head. “When I marry you, you will not have to remain in the keep with the soldiers,” he said. “Emelisse, this is not to deter you from standing with your father and brother. This is to help you in that quest. Now, I will be involved, as your husband, and Hawkstone will belong to me. If de Wrenville thinks to take it from us, I will beat him into the ground and there will be nothing left of him or of Winterhold. I have more allies, and more resources, than he could possibly imagine.”

  God, that sounded good to her. So very good. But she couldn’t marry a man simply because he promised her a big army and protection. That would not have been fair to him. But with Caius… she was coming to appreciate him as an honorable man more and more. Truth be told, she would have taken him without the promise of a big army. But there was still so much to consider.

  “So, we marry and Hawkstone is in finally safe,” she said. “But at what price for us both? I will be your wife, the mother of your children. You may find me unbearable in years to come and then what? We will hate one another and regret acting on impulse.”

  He looked at her, then. “That is a risk with any marriage,” he said. “But I do not think that will happen to us.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, believe it or not, I am not a man who acts on a whim,” he said. “But if I must, I trust my instincts, and they tell me that I could not find a better wife anywhere in the world. Believe me, I have been many places and I have seen all manner of women. I have even had a few of my own, but no one I would consider marrying until I met you.”

  Emelisse continued to stare at him, processing what he was telling her. “It is pity,” she finally said. “You are only offering out of pity.”

  “I do not do anything out of pity.”

  “But I am not your problem!”

  He looked at her. “You became my problem when I prevented you from killing yourself,” he said somewhat forcefully. “Therefore, you not only owe me a debt of gratitude, but you owe me your very life. I spent last night listening to you beg me to help you. Don’t you understand? We are in this together now, you and I, and I will kill Marius de Wrenville before I would stand aside and watch him marry you. The man is not worthy of the strength and honor I have seen from a woman who has been beaten into the ground, yet still, she fights back. Still, she maintains her honor. It is depth I have never seen from a woman before and probably never will again. Such a woman would be a magnificent wife. I would be honored to have her.”

  His words seemed to drain all of the confusion out of her. She went from frowning at him to very nearly smiling. Something warm was taking over her face.

  “For a man who does not speak easily of his feelings, that was brilliantly done,” she said. “All I would bring into this marriage is two big diamonds and a devastated fortress. You understand that.”

  “And a magical mountain,” he reminded her softly, his black eyes twinkling. “Do not forget about Hawk Mountain.”

  Her smile broke through. “Of course,” she said. “How could I ever forget. You said once that you should like to see it. I would be honored to show you, someday.”

  “And I would love to see it, but not now,” he said. “Now, I am trying to convince a woman to marry me and she has not yet answered. I wish there was more time to discuss this, and for us both to think on it, but there is not. Marius will be on your doorstep tomorrow, so you must give me an answer. Lady Emelisse, I would be honored if you would consider becoming my wife.”

  It was not only the sweetest proposal she had ever received, but the only one. Yet, when an offer was that sweet and that gentle, she only needed one.

  She knew what her answer would be.

  Foolish or not, impulsive or not, there was only one.

  “Aye,” she said after a moment. “I am agreeable.”

  Caius grinned, that charmingly crooked grin with slightly crooked teeth. It was infectious and alluring, a smile that many a maiden had swooned at. Emelisse had never seen him smile like that, so she had no idea how captivating it was. It made her heart jump simply to see it, like nothing she had ever known.

  “Good,” he said. “I am glad to see you are a woman not only of reason, but of taste.”

  She smiled because he was, feeling something giddy and hopeful blossoming in her belly. It made her entire body quiver.

  “You honor me,” she said. “But I hope… I hope this will not cause you too much trouble. If you marry me, Marius cannot, and you will be the target of his anger. His father will complain to The Marshal.”

  He waved her off. “I would tell them to do their worst,” he said. “They cannot touch me, in any fashion. But you and I must find a priest immediately. Do you know one locally?”

  She nodded. “In Whitchurch,” she said. “It is just a few miles north. We can make it within the hour if we hurry.”

  Caius rose to his feet. He extended a hand to Emelisse, who placed her small palm in his. Carefully, he pulled her to her feet, but he didn’t let go of her hand. His gaze drifted over her, studying her big eyes, her beautiful hair.

  All of her.

  “You know,” he said slowly, “when I first saw you, I could not take my eyes from you. You were the loveliest creature I had ever seen.”

  She rolled her eyes. “How can you say that?” she said. “I was wearing a gown that was too large for me, my hair was in disarray… I looked as if I had been dragged through the streets because I very nearly had.”

  With his free hand, he tipped her chin up so she was looking at him. He was so much taller than she was that she barely came to his sternum. For a moment, he simply looked at her, absorbing her, memorizing her, seeing the face he was going to wake up next to every day for the rest of his life.

  He was not displeased.

  “You were lovely,” he murmured. “You are lovely. More than lovely; you are beautiful. And I will lay down my life a thousand times over to make sure you are always safe and always happy. As your husband, I will make you that promise.”

  A smile spread across her face. “Those are the most wonderful words I have ever heard,” she whispered. “I can only thank you profusely and promise you that you shall always have my faith, my focus, and my loyalty.”

  “Mayhap even your heart, someday.”

  “I hope so. And I would take great care of yours, too.”

  Caius thought that perhaps it was too early to be speaking of hearts and adoration, considering how short a time they’d known each other, but he was swept up in the moment. He’d never been a man who had hoped for love. In fact, he’d scorned it, taunting those who had found it. But he wasn’t taunting any longer.

  He was coming to understand.

  It was as if a whole new world has been opened up for him.

  There would be time to discuss it later.

  “I have little doubt,” he said, unsure what more to say that didn’t sound too giddy or just plain silly. “If everything is settled, then, we should leave. I am uncomfortable delaying any longer. Marius may change his mind and already be on his way here.”

  The sweet expression faded from her face. “And if he comes and we are not here?”

  Caius cocked a dark eyebrow. “I have an idea.”

  “You… you’re what?”

  The question came from Hallam as he stood in the half-burned hall with Maxton, Morgan, Kevin, and young William. They were all there, gathered, because Caius had sent for them, intimating he had a big announcement to make.

  But no one guessed what it would be.

  Now, they knew.

  “Marrying Lady Emelisse,”
Caius said steadily as Emelisse stood next to him. “Hallam, her brother is dead. She is now sole heiress of Hawkstone and you know what that would mean if Marius married her. Therefore, she and I have discussed the situation and she has agreed to my proposal of marriage.”

  Hallam looked as if his eyeballs were going to pop from his skull, shocked by not only the news of Caspian’s death, but by Caius’ solution to the situation.

  “You’re going to marry her?” he gasped.

  Caius nodded. “I am not sure why you find this so outlandish,” he said. “The lady and I have been thrown together, by necessity, and I have come to the conclusion that I will not stand by and watch Marius marry her. I could not live with it. The lady deserves better. She deserves me.”

  Hallam’s mouth was still hanging open. He looked at Maxton and Morgan and Kevin only to see various stages of mirth and agreement. At least, he saw that in Maxton and Morgan. Kevin merely looked surprised.

  Surprise was exactly what Hallam was feeling. He turned back to Caius.

  “I thought we were simply going to take the lady elsewhere until this situation settled,” he said. “At least, that’s what I thought. We have not yet spoken of it, but I did not think you would marry her. When Lady de Wrenville commanded that she should not be returned to Winterhold, that was never expected of you, my lord.”

  Caius nodded. “I realize that,” he said. “Hallam, I know this is going to reflect poorly on you and, for that, I am sorry. You can simply tell de Wrenville that the lady escaped and I went looking for her. You do not have to tell them about the marriage. In fact, I would rather tell them myself once it is done and there is nothing they can do about it. And then… Hallam, I know you are a legacy knight, but you are a good man. I have seen it. We have all seen it. Covington de Wrenville is not worthy of you.”

  Hallam began to look uncomfortable. He glanced at Maxton and the others, seeing the very same expression on their faces that Caius had on his. They all thought his lord was unworthy of his service and that was something he’d been wrestling with for three long years.

  “Be that as it may, I have no choice,” he said quietly. “I appreciate your words greatly, but I am not in a position to do anything else than what I am doing now, which means the marriage between you and Lady Emelisse would be viewed as a personal failure on my part.”

  “Then come and serve me,” Caius said. “I will pay you well and you would serve at Richmond Castle, far away from Winterhold and de Wrenville. Begin a new legacy, one of honor. Leave de Wrenville and swear fealty to me.”

  Hallam was stunned by the offer, but he was also deeply humbled by it. “I… I do not even know what to say, my lord.”

  “Say you will serve me. I will send you to Richmond tonight.”

  There was pain in Hallam’s expression. “I wish I could,” he said. “I truly wish I could. It is a great honor you are offering me. But… but I cannot leave Winterhold.”

  Caius knew why. In fact, they all knew why. “She is a good woman,” he said. “I do not blame you, but de Wrenville doesn’t deserve her, either. Would that she had the courage to leave him and go with you.”

  Hallam seemed shocked, realizing his secret relationship with Lady de Wrenville wasn’t so secret. He looked around, seeing it all over their faces.

  They knew.

  “God,” he breathed. “How do you know? Does everyone know? That will put her in great jeopardy and I…”

  Caius cut him off. “I only know because I heard you speaking to her,” he said. “No one else knows as far as I can see, but my men and I know. When one is dealing with the battle between Winterhold and Hawkstone, it is good to know all of the facts, the players, and the dynamics. Fear not, Hallam. Your secret is safe with us.”

  Hallam sighed sharply. “You do not understand,” he said. “Covington is a vain man. He does not care for Alice in the least, but she is his wife. If he discovers… us… he will not blame me. He will blame her and there is no telling what he will do to her.”

  “If he discovers the situation between you and his wife, it will not be from us,” Caius assured him. “Truly, Hallam, you have nothing to worry over. And I admire Lady de Wrenville a great deal. Much like you, she is forced to serve a tyrant. Covington de Wrenville is unworthy of the good people around him.”

  Hallam hadn’t been expecting that kind of a reaction to an illicit tryst. He looked at the men around him, realizing they were not condemning him. More importantly, they were not condemning Alice. They seemed to accept the entire situation without prejudice. He let out a hissing sigh and lowered his gaze, leaning back against the wall behind him.

  He was a man with a great deal on his mind.

  “And now you wish to marry his prisoner,” he said. Then, he looked at Caius. “Do not misunderstand me. I do not want to see the woman married to Marius, either. No one but Covington does. My only concern is for his reaction and how he will take it out on those around him, Alice included. I do not care about myself, of course, but I worry for Alice.”

  The man was selfless in his fears and Caius shared his fears, but only to a certain extent. Though he admired Alice, his concern over her was Emelisse. Still, he didn’t want to see anything terrible happen to Alice.

  “How were you going to handle her escape, then?” he said. “We had always planned to send Lady Emelisse away once we got her free of Winterhold, so I fail to see how my marrying her is any different. You will simply tell de Wrenville that she escaped and we have all gone looking for her. That is all he ever need know. He does not need to know that you were aware of my plans to marry her.”

  Hallam nodded, finally accepting that the tale of Lady Emelisse’s escape was the best thing to tell Covington. “He will accept her escape, but only for so long,” he said. “At some point, he will send out his own men to look for her, me included.”

  “When that time comes, she will be Lady d’Avignon and I will tell him myself.”

  Hallam remained propped against the wall, staring at his feet, reconciling himself to the situation. Truth be told, it was the best possible outcome for Lady Emelisse, but he wondered if Caius had thought this situation through. He was taking a wife after only knowing her for just a day, purely to keep her out of Marius’ hands. Hallam wasn’t sure that was the right reason, but on the other hand, there was something in the way he looked at Emelisse that suggested it wasn’t simply an impulsive move. There was something there, perhaps the same expression he had when he looked at Alice.

  Emotions were involved.

  He looked at Emelisse.

  “Then I will congratulate you, my lady,” he said. “I wish you and Sir Caius well on your new life together.”

  Emelisse, who had remained silent through the entire exchange, smiled timidly. She had learned a great deal during the brief conversation, including the relationship between Hallam and Lady de Wrenville. She hadn’t known about it or even suspected, but then again, her mind had been on other things. She felt very sorry for Hallam and Lady de Wrenville.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Sir Hallam… you and Lady de Wrenville have both been so kind to me. Please… do not let anything happen to her. Even if she does not want to leave her husband, staying with him is not worth risking her life. If you send her to me, I will gladly take care of her, for the rest of her life if necessary. I am sure Caius would not mind, either.”

  Hallam wasn’t sure what to say. He looked between Caius and Emelisse, seeing that Caius had a hint of a smirk on his face. Exactly what a man wants when he’s first married, Hallam thought. But he didn’t say what he was thinking. He could see that in spite of everything she’d been through, Emelisse had not lost her genial spirit. She was still willing to be kind to the wife of a man who had destroyed her entire life.

  “You are very gracious, my lady,” he said with quiet sincerity. “I hope it will not come to that.”

  “But you will watch out for her, won’t you?”

  “I will. I promise. And… and pleas
e know that I am very sorry for what has happened. I was following my lord’s orders.”

  Emelisse smiled at the man. “I know,” she said. “I do not blame you. But… but my father’s corpse. Will you find it and send it to Whitchurch? Please?”

  Hallam looked at Caius because he wasn’t sure how much he should say. Since he’d been privy to the situation since the beginning, he opted for all of it. Lady Emelisse was still under the belief that her father’s body was unaccounted for when that was not the case at all.

  Hallam knew the truth.

  “My lady, what I am about to tell you may be harsh, but it is the truth and I feel that it is important you should know,” he said. “When your father died, his body was thrown into Winterhold’s moat. That is common practice with de Wrenville. However, when Sir Caius and Wolverhampton arrived, I had my men fish it out. De Wrenville knows that much, but he does not know that I took it to the vault and hid it. It is down with a few other bodies of de Wrenville’s enemies simply so he will not go looking for it. He has threatened to dismember it and send it back to you and your brother if your brother did not surrender the keep, but that will not happen so long as I have control over it.”

  Emelisse had to take a deep breath, struggling with her composure at the revelation. “Then I thank you,” she said. “Do you think he will send my father back to us in pieces when he hears of my escape?”

  Hallam shook his head, but it was more in an undecided manner. “He does not know we have found the body,” he said. “He still believes we are searching for it. I will keep that up as long as I can, at least until I can take your father out of Winterhold without anyone knowing. Until then, I will keep him as safe as I can.”

  Emelisse sighed heavily, knowing that was the best she could hope for under the circumstances.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “You are good man, Hallam Chadlington. I shall not forget that.”

  Hallam smiled, but there was little warmth to it. He was still thinking of Alice, and his own neck, when it came to Covington. He couldn’t get away from him like Caius and Emelisse could.