“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 with 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 that she stay, but he didn’t have the heart to 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, 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 her 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, muc
h 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 dragged 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. “You better catch her before she can do any damage, man.” he called after him. “I shall tell you the story later.”
Jordan was fast. She chased the two women back out into the small courtyard where she and Jemma had just come from, gaining ground on them as they raced down the path veering for the pond. She could hear William calling her name but she ignored him, wanting to at least get one good punch in before he dragged her away. And she wanted Miranda. She would teach the bitch a lesson she would never forget.
The path ended at the pond and for a brief moment, Miranda and Vanessa were in panicked confusion. Vanessa turned in one direction and Miranda in the other, but not before Jordan came upon them. With a flying leap, she tackled Miranda and the two of them went sailing into the shallow green water of the palace pond.
William came to a halt at the edge of the water, fighting off the urge to laugh as his wife and Miranda came up sputtering. Almost instantly, however, Jordan was on the woman and grabbing her by the hair as she dunked her head under the water once again.
“I told ye what would happen if I caught ye talking to my husband again!” she hollered In between sputters. Her luscious hair had algae in it and it clung to her face. “You little slut! I shall give ye a thrashing ye’ll never forget!”
Miranda’s screaming mouth was silenced once again as Jordan plunged her head under for the third time. As a rule, William did not involve himself in female fights, but he would make an exception in this case.
“Jordan! Cease this moment!” he ordered, plunging his leather boots into the water and moving for his wife.
She ignored him wholly, now intent on ramming her knee into Miranda’s ribs as she continued to hold her head under the water.
“Jordan!” William snapped again.
Miranda’s head came up, gasping for air and screaming an unearthly howl. Jordan managed to get another knee-jab in before William had her by the arms, pulling her up.
“Jordan, let go of her hair,” he ordered. “Let go, I say.”
Jordan’s hand was still entwined in Miranda’s hair even as her husband pulled her up, simply for the pain she knew it was giving the woman. When William tried to unwrap her fingers, she simply coiled them tighter and began tugging as hard as she could, grunting and cursing the woman in Gaelic.
“Dammit, Jordan, I said let go,” he was still fighting off a smirk, but growing irritated at her refusal to obey him. “I mean it.”
He managed to loosen her grip and pull her hand away, but not before his wife had torn out a huge clump of hair. Miranda screamed and cried and struggled to get out of the pond, falling and slipping as she clawed her way out.
William had his wife around the waist, clutched on his hip as he sloshed out of the water. His boots were ruined as was her dress, but Jordan didn’t give a damn about that. She was still furiously mad.
“Ye’d better run and hide, Miranda!” she twisted and shouted in her husband’s grip. “If I see ye again, ’twill be worse than this.”
“Enough,” William hissed at her, clapping a hand over her mouth.
She mumbled and thrashed, still holding onto the grisly trophy as they came out of the water. Miranda, fortunately, had the presence of mind to get to her feet and run as fast and as far away as she could.
William didn’t dare put Jordan down. Still holding her, she was quite heavy with the water soaking her surcoat. He carried her dripping and stiff all the way back to their apartments.
There was no one there and William wondered briefly how Kieran was faring with Jemma. Knowing Jemma, the women were probably dead by now. But that was not his concern; at the moment for he had a very angry wife on his hands.
Jordan was angry, true, but now that her thoughts had cleared a bit she wondered just how angry William was with her for the display. Really, she didn’t care much because she had no idea how long he and Kieran had been talking to the women, and she felt he had some explaining to do. For whatever level his anger had reached, she could match and beat it.
William set her down and water began to puddle all over the floor. Jordan pushed her hair off her face and turned to her husba
nd, glaring menacingly at him. He met her look impassively.
“How long had ye been standing there with them?” she demanded harshly.
He cocked a slow eyebrow. “Not long. And I do not think I care for your tone much.”
“I do not care what ye do not care for,” she snapped. “I told ye to stay away from them.”
He was ever cool with her. “In the first place, madam, you do not give me orders. And in the second place, they confronted me and I was attempting to politely dismiss them when you came upon us.”
She started to shake, more with fury than anything else. “Politely dismiss them? I was quite rude with Daniel. Why could ye not have become rude with them? Dunna ye know that unless ye are blunt and to the point, they’ll never leave ye alone?” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Unless…unless ye like the attention.” Before he could respond, she burst into tears and threw the clump of hair she still held at him. “Then go back and find yer precious Miranda and give her back her hair. And be sure to be polite to her so she willna think ye a cad.”
She fled into their bedchamber and bolted the door, crying as loudly as he had ever heard her. He sighed with regret, moving to the door. My God, the woman could jump to conclusions with the best of them.
“Jordan,” he jiggled the latch. “Love, let me in. Please?”
Her response was to cry louder and he heard something break. It dawned on him that his wife was having a full-blown temper tantrum and he found himself fighting off the giggles.
“Jordan, unlock the door,” he asked nicely.
She screamed in Gaelic and something crashed into the other side of the door and shattered. Things were thumping and falling as she ranted and cried and yelled and had he not been so concerned, he would have been on the floor in convulsive laughter.
He could have smashed the door in if he wanted to, they both knew that. But he didn’t want to, at least not yet. He knew she was tired from the trip, and her pregnancy was affecting her emotions, and crashing through the door like a pent-up bull would not help things.
The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe Page 125
