“As of a half-hour ago, she is.”
Kerk’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I see,” he said, peering strangely at Patrick. “That seemed rather… sudden. Was the marriage planned, then?”
“Nay.”
Kerk sensed that either Patrick was being defensive or he really had nothing more to say on the matter. It was odd. But Kerk, a man of great communication and curiosity, wasn’t satisfied with the answers he was receiving. He wanted clarification.
“Patrick, wait,” he said, pulling the man to a stop in the middle of the street. “I suppose congratulations are in order but you do not seem happy about this. Why not?”
Patrick paused, looking at his friend and thinking that, perhaps, he was coming across as a bit hard and cold. He and Kerk had a long history of trust, having fought together over the past decade in what history would call the Second Barons Wars. They both fought at Evesham when Simon de Montfort was killed as well as the later and more decisive battle at Chesterfield. Therefore, he knew the man. He trusted him. He struggled to ease his harsh stance.
“I am extremely happy,” he said after a moment. “But… if you must know, the lady is a ward of Coldingham Priory. I do not have their permission to marry her and I have a feeling my father is going to explode when I tell him. Strange what love does to a man, Kerk. All I know is that I had to marry her. Something in my soul required it.”
Kerk sobered dramatically when he realized the seriousness of Patrick’s situation. “I see,” he said. “That is a bit of a quandary, my friend. Mayhap you should stay away from Questing for the time being and simply send your father a missive announcing the marriage.”
Patrick resumed his walk at a much slower pace. “It is not a bad idea but that would be the cowardly way to do it,” he said. “Nay, I must face my father with what I have done. I will worry about everything else when it is necessary.”
Kerk didn’t press him after that. He sensed that enough had been said, at least enough so that Kerk understood the situation. But one thing he said was correct; love had a strange effect on a man. Kerk had lived long enough to see too many instances of that and, therefore, had pledged never to fall in love if he could help it. But often there were circumstances beyond one’s control and he understood that. Still, to see the great Nighthawk having put himself in a precarious position over love underscored to Kerk that all love was risky.
And foolish.
“Well,” he said quietly as they approached a merchant who had all manner of pre-sewn garments hanging outside of his stall, “since you are happy with this marriage, I will congratulate you. But if you need to take the lady someplace safe, away from your father’s wrath and away from Coldingham, bring her to Chillingham. No one would think to look for her there and I will tell Lord Grey that she is my cousin. We can hide her there if you need to.”
They paused outside of the stall as Patrick turned to him, his expression softened. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “If the worst happens and I must send her away, then I will consider your offer. I am grateful.”
Kerk forced a smile, hoping it didn’t come to that. In spite of Patrick’s demeanor, he could see fear in the man’s eyes, something he’d never seen before. Patrick de Wolfe was invincible, a powerful knight the likes of which few men had seen, so to see genuine fear in the man’s eyes was astonishing as well as depressing.
But he didn’t want to point out that fear or expand on it. Instead, he caught sight of the hanging dresses and he grasped the one next to him. It was best to simply change the subject.
“So,” he said, “you are here to buy your new wife a few things, are you? Ask me what I think of them. I am very good at giving advice on women’s clothing. I know what I like.”
Patrick was grateful for the shift of focus. He lifted a dark eyebrow at his friend. “So do I,” he said, yanking the garment out of Kerk’s hand to inspect it. He shook his head. “Too rough. The woman has spent her life as a postulate at Coldingham and has worn enough rough woolen clothing for a lifetime. Everything I get her must be terribly soft against her skin.”
Kerk eagerly plunged into the merchant’s stall, seeing a pile of fabric on a table and lifting it up, sifting through it to see that they were loosely basted surcoats that had not been hung on pegs for all to see. He began holding some of them up for Patrick’s approval.
“Look at this,” he said. “Linen. It is quite soft. What do you think?”
Patrick really didn’t want the man’s help while shopping for Brighton but he couldn’t be cruel and send him away, either. He very much wanted to do this alone, as it was a personal mission for him, but Kerk was trying to be helpful and polite, so he let him. Kerk found many garments, most of which Patrick rejected, but a few of which he liked. A white silk with yellow panels, a dark blue brocade, and an orange brocade that was truly beautiful.
The merchant eventually emerged from his hut in the back of the shop and, seeing two big knights leafing through his goods, came forth to assist. When Patrick told him that he was essentially purchasing a trousseau for his wife, the merchant raced back into the shop and emerged a short time later with his wife and another older woman, all of them bearing things for Brighton. They were prepared for a very big sale.
Between Kerk, the merchant, his wife, and the old woman who was evidently a grandmother, Patrick found himself bombarded by many items that were brought forth for his approval. Very quickly, he became overwhelmed and sought to break up the onslaught. He told the merchant’s women that his wife required things like soaps and combs, and as they flew into a frenzy gathering such things, Patrick sighed with relief that he had at least eliminated half of the offensive. They were off on a mission and he was left with just Kerk and the merchant to deal with.
It was less chaotic now. The merchant presented Patrick with more surcoats, shifts, and other undergarments than he had ever seen so he simply began pointing to things, which were then set aside. A large pile of clothing was soon reduced by half when he went through it again. All items that he wanted to purchase, but he had no satchel or capcase to carry any of it so the merchant brought forth two big trunks, dusty from having been in storage, with pretty painted panels.
Being that the merchant had nothing else to put the merchandise in, Patrick agreed to purchase the two trunks and they were very quickly stuffed with a myriad of items – surcoats, shifts, scarves, soaps and oils, combs, and even a tiny bejeweled dagger, everything a proper young woman would need. The only thing they didn’t have were sturdy shoes although the merchant’s wife had embroidered slippers imported from Italy and Patrick purchased a pair, just because they were so pretty. After paying the merchant handsomely for the haul, he and Kerk lifted the trunks and carried them back to the inn.
The sun was setting now, ribbons of pink and purple clouds strewn across the sky. Patrick tried not to think of how worried his mother would be when they didn’t return from town. He was certain his father wouldn’t be worried, trusting that Patrick would have a good reason for not returning home that night, but he knew his mother would fret. He was very sorry that he would have to upset the woman but he knew she would understand when she discovered why they had stayed the night in Wooler. At least, he hoped she would.
The inn was crowded now that the sun was setting and people were seeking shelter for the night. Patrick and Kerk came through the door, pushing men aside in order to enter the smoky, smelly room. It reeked of a poorly-functioning hearth and meat that was being boiled in the kitchens. Men and women were eating and drinking, some of them singing, others simply huddled at their tables, ignoring what was going on around them. Patrick pushed into the room, heading for the stairs that led to the upper floor, but he came to a halt just shy of the staircase and turned to Kerk.
“This is where you leave me,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “I do not need or want your presence for what I am to do tonight.”
Kerk grinned and slung the trunk off his big shoulder, setting it down next to Pat
rick so the man could get a grip on it. “Understood,” he said. “I can find my entertainment elsewhere.”
“I am sure you can.”
Kerk laughed softly before sobering, his gaze on Patrick. The mood between them was warm now that farewells were to be said. “It was good to see you today, old friend,” he said. “If you ever need me, you know where I am.”
“Chillingham.”
“Aye.”
“And if you ever need me, send word to Berwick. I can bring two thousand men to your doorstep in less than two days.”
“I appreciate it very much.” Kerk reached out a hand, which Patrick took. Bonds and friendships were reaffirmed. “God speed you, Patrick.”
“And you, Kerk.”
Kerk gave his hand a squeeze and dropped it, turning to find an empty chair in the crowded inn. Patrick, meanwhile, took hold of the second trunk and hauled both of them up the stairs and down the small walkway to his rented chamber at the far end. He used his booted foot to knock on the door, which was swiftly opened.
Brighton stood in the doorway, her face alight when she saw who it was. Patrick frowned. “You should never open a door until you know who is doing the knocking,” he said as he came into the room. “What if I had been a murderer or a thief?”
Brighton stood back as he made his way in with the trunks. “Then I would either be dead or robbed by now.”
He set the trunks down against the wall and looked at her, displeased with her answer. “I am serious.”
She grinned. “So am I,” she said. Then, she pointed to the window. “I saw you and Kerk coming across the road so I knew it was you.”
He stared at her a moment before breaking down into a grin. “Saucy wench,” he muttered. Then, he noticed the table behind her, full of food and drink, with a fat, drippy taper to light the meal. “What do you have for my supper, wife?”
Wife. It was the first time he had called her by her new station in life. Brighton was eyeing the prettily painted trunks but turned to see what had his attention. She smiled, bashfully.
“I asked a serving wench to bring food to us,” she said, moving to the table to point things out. “There is a capon pie, boiled carrots and beans, cabbage potage, and bread. I will admit that I did not wait for you and have tasted everything. It is delicious.”
He laughed softly, moving to the table and putting his arm around her shoulders as he looked over the feast. “I do not blame you,” he said. “I am rather hungry. Shall we eat before it grows too cold?”
Brighton was more than eager to sit down and eat, considering the food had been brought up nearly an hour ago. She sat down on a three-legged stool, leaving the only chair in the room for Patrick and his big bulk. He removed his tunic and mail coat, tossing both onto the bed, before planting himself in the chair.
Patrick began pulling the bread apart, giving Brighton the soft cream-colored innards as he took the crust. It was a polite thing to do, the gentlemanly thing to do, and Brighton was very appreciative. Taking the big knife on the table, she buttered her bread with the soft white spread.
“Did you find what you were looking for when you went out?” she asked innocently, thinking of the trunks he’d brought in.
Patrick wasn’t unaware that she was fishing for information. He fought off a grin. “Mayhap I did,” he said evasively. “Mayhap I did not.”
Brighton looked at him, her lips twisted wryly. “You brought something back so you clearly must have found what you were looking for.”
Patrick took the nearest spoon and shoveled some of the capon pie into his mouth. “It is possible,” he said, his eyes glimmering at her. “I have noticed something about you.”
He was trying to change the subject and Brighton wasn’t entirely unaware but she was growing frustrated. “What have you noticed?” she asked.
He shoveled more food into his mouth. “That you no longer have a stammer in your speech,” he said. “Do you realize you have been speaking to me ever since we were married with perfect speech?”
She hadn’t. Her eyes widened and she instinctively put her fingers to her lips. “I have?” she said, astonished. “But I have always had a catch in my speech. Sometimes worse than others.”
Patrick watched her as she struggled with her confusion and surprise. “I have not heard it since the church.”
Brighton was truly at a loss. “But… how can that be?” Then, she looked more astonished than before. “Is it a miracle?”
He smiled faintly, taking her free hand with his big fingers. “Possibly,” he said softly. “But it could also be because the Bridey before today was an uncertain, nervous creature. Nervous of her future, fearful of everything. But the moment I asked you to marry me… that Bridey ceased to exist. With me by your side, what do you have to fear? There is no need for you to be nervous or uncertain. Mayhap your heart understood that even if your mind did not.”
Brighton continued to run her fingers over her lips, still puzzled by the entire situation. “I have not even realized,” she said, awed. “But… but mayhap it is true. What has happened today… what has been said… I still feel as if I am living a dream, Atty. Do you?”
He nodded, noting that he had again called him Atty. “I do,” he said, his smile returning. “And I see that you are officially one of the family in that you now call me Atty. The name never sounded so sweet.”
She laughed softly. “Your brother, Thomas, told me that I should call you that on the day I arrived from Berwick,” she said. “I refused to do it because it did not seem appropriate. But now… now, it does.”
“Now you are one of the family. The most important one to me.”
She beamed, returning to her food and eating with gusto. Patrick watched her, pouring her wine and still more wine when she drank the entire first cup. In truth, he was feeding her wine with a purpose – so she would not be so nervous with what was to come. The more she would drink, the more he would pour.
All the while she ate heartily, including almost all of the cabbage potage and a good deal of the bread and butter. But after her second bowl of potage, and on her third cup of wine, she finally came to a halt. Patrick watched her over the rim of his cup as she wiped her forehead, seemingly exhausted and sick from too much food.
“Have you eaten your fill, my lady?” he asked.
She nodded. “Indeed,” she said. “Truthfully, I do not think I have eaten so much in one day, ever. First it was the beef in the bread bowls and now it is potage and capon pie. I feel as if I am about to burst.”
He smiled as he set his cup down. “I know how you feel.”
She looked at his trencher, which was picked clean. So was everything else on the table. She looked up at him with surprise. “All of the food is gone.”
“It is. You ate it all. Or do you not remember?”
Her expression suggested horror until she realized he was teasing her. The wine in her veins caused her to burst out in silly giggles.
“I did not,” she insisted. “You did.”
“You cannot prove that.”
She pointed at the table. “I sat here and watched you,” she said. “Would you truly dare to tell everyone that I am a glutton? Do I look like I could eat all of that food?”
Truth was, Patrick had a good deal of wine in his veins, too, and there was another one of those suggestive questions. His gaze drifted down her body, wearing one of the dresses his sister, Evelyn, had given her. Evelyn had never looked so good in that dress, clinging to every curve. Or perhaps he’d never noticed. In any case, the dress looked incredibly seductive on Brighton.
“I am not entirely sure,” he said. “Stand up. I want to see where it is you pack away all of this food.”
He only wanted to see her body, but Brighton was oblivious to his desire. Naïve in such suggestive games, she stood up and opened her arms, spinning a circle before him and throwing herself off balance because of the wine. “Look,” she said. “I have no place to put it.”
“Ar
e you sure?”
“I am.”
“Come here.”
She did, standing in front of him but weaving rather drunkenly. Patrick reached up and put his hands on her waist, completely encircling it. When she saw his hands go around her torso, his fingers touching each other, she giggled uncontrollably and he grinned. He was rather swept up in her silly giggles. The woman had an overabundance of charm that she was only just discovering and, fortunately for him, he was the recipient. He could have listened to her giggle all night, but that wasn’t what they were going to be doing all night.
He had something else in mind.
Pulling her to him, his lips captured hers, hungrily and forcefully. He put his arms around her, pulling her in between his legs. Brighton gasped at first, startled by what was probably a rather demanding action, but she quickly succumbed to his kiss. He could tell because her entire body went limp and her arms, soft and warm, looped around his neck. Feeling the rush of lust flow through his veins at her reaction, he stood up from his chair and picked her up all in the same motion.
Brighton wasn’t a tiny woman but in his arms, she was as light as a feather. He carried her over to the bed, which was far from the table and in the shadows because of the only lit taper in the room was over where their meal had been. There was a fire in the hearth, but not a big one because of the warmth of the day, so as he laid her on the mattress, they were essentially in darkness. Still, he could see enough of her.
But he wanted to see all of her.
His mail and tunic were lying on the end of the bed and he swept them off as he placed her upon the bed. He was still wearing a padded tunic and then yet another lightweight linen tunic under that. He quickly ripped them off and cast them aside. Clad only in his breeches, which were essentially drop-front and cinched up with leather ties, he came down on top of her, his mouth claiming hers once more and hearing her grunt as his weight pressed upon her. But she didn’t complain so he didn’t move.
His onslaught grew. The wine he had imbibed was heating his loins, something that always happened when he had too much to drink, and he quickly unfastened the side of Brighton’s surcoat. He was rather good at undressing women and proud of the fact that he was. So his fingers deftly navigated the ties and he pulled at the dress to get it off of her even as she awkwardly tried to help him.
The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe Page 154
