She had beautiful breasts, but Scott wasn’t looking at her in a sexual nature. At least, not as she put the babe on the nipple to nurse. He was watching it as one of the most comforting, contenting things he’d witnessed in a very long time. A mother and child, and a child he had brought into the world no less. Aye, he felt needed and the healer in him, denied these few years, felt content. Something about the entire incident had satisfied something deep within his soul.
As a man who had become all about death and warfare, to deliver a fragile life touched that compassionate, caring man he’d long buried within him. He held Avrielle tightly as she nursed her new daughter, thinking that there were few things in life sweeter than that very moment.
God, how he’d missed such things.
When Stewart came looking for them, that was how he found them both.
CHAPTER SIX
Early the next morning
Vale of the River Sprint, 8 miles from Canaan
It had been a difficult trek, escaping a castle under siege, but he’d managed. It had rained again last night, causing a heavy fog in the early morning that he struggled through, heading towards Lord Sadgill’s fortified manse that wasn’t too much further by his estimation. With the fog, however, it made it feel like he was alone in the world, forever lost in the mist. He didn’t like it. Wrapped heavily against the cold and the damp, he spurred his fine horse onward. It was eerie, it was cold, and it was wet, and he was anxious to get to his destination.
Black-faced sheep emerged from the fog as he went, looking at him curiously before returning to their feast of wet grass. Because of the herd of sheep he was plowing through, he knew that Lord Sadgill’s manse was very close. The sheep were never far from the house so the lord could keep an eye on his flock. Shepherds appeared out of the mist, armed with crossbows until the knight lifted his hand to show he was friend, not foe. The crossbows were lowered when he was recognized and he was permitted to continue on to the house.
In fact, he was a regular visitor at Sadgill.
It wasn’t much of a house, to be truthful – compact and rather tall, with the house itself being built into the very walls, but the grounds within those tall rock walls hid a fairly large army, one that was now licking its wounds from the battle yesterday with de Wolfe’s army.
Even as the knight entered the bailey, slogging through the mud and wet, the wounded were lying or sitting around a series of small fires being tended to by other men. There were also more wounded in the hall, but most of the living had crowded inside to stay out of the inclement weather. There was little courtesy shown to those who were ill or dying.
Dismounting his steed, he positioned the horse inside the stables and out of the rain as he proceeded back into the bailey and headed for the small, narrow hall. He walked through a sea of miserable men, groaning with pain, trying not to look at them. He was a man with torn loyalties, and reasons, and he felt guilty every time he came here.
Some would call him a spy and perhaps he was, but still others would call him a man that did what he had to do in order to advance. Sadgill had promised him command of Canaan once the House of du Rennic was booted from the walls, and that was his sole motivation. Right now, he was one of five knights in command of Canaan but unless he did something about it, he would always only be one of the group. Never in charge.
He wanted his due.
The open doors of the hall beckoned and, as he drew near, he could feel the stale heat from the interior on his face. He moved closer, seeing men moving around inside the hall, seeing the smoke from the hearth. In fact, the moment he stepped through the door, the smoke stung his eyes and he rubbed at them, trying to see through the haze. It didn’t take him long to spy his target. Over near the fire, seated at a table that leaned dangerously, sat Lord Sadgill with a few of his men as they tore apart a leg of mutton. When Lord Sadgill looked up and saw him through the smoke, he lifted a hand.
“Adam!” he called, waving him over. “Come here, lad!”
Adam de Ferrar obeyed. He pushed through the crowd of dirty, exhausted men before coming to the table where the lord and his knights sat. Truth was, he was dirty and exhausted, too, from the nasty battle, and the smell of food in the air had his stomach lurching with hunger. Sadgill spoke before Adam had the chance.
“So you were able to escape Canaan?” he asked, almost jovial in manner. “I must say I am impressed. The Black Adder did not strike at you, then, for locking his army out of the castle?”
Adam shook his head at the reference to de Wolfe. “His anger was not directed at me but at the Huntleys.”
Sadgill grinned, drink in hand. “That is good,” he said. “That was quite a fight with de Wolfe. One of the most brutal I have seen in a long while. Who else did we see riding to de Wolfe’s aid? Was it Pendragon? We were not entirely sure but one of my men thought he recognized the colors.”
Adam nodded as he drew near the table, wondering why the men all seemed as if they failed to see the seriousness of the situation.
“Aye, it was St. Hèver,” he said grimly. “One thousand men from Pendragon Castle. You know they are close to the House of de Wolfe.”
Lord Sadgill brushed him off, shoving meat into his mouth and speaking with pieces of it flying from his lips. “They gave a good fight, but they cannot stay forever,” he said. “Pendragon Castle does not carry a wealth of men. They will be needed at home, leaving de Wolfe and his army at Canaan without the reinforcements.”
Adam frowned. “De Wolfe has a large army at Canaan, in case you did not notice,” he said pointedly. “He has brought over a thousand men with him, including archers and siege engines.”
Sadgill waved him off. “They are of no concern to me.”
Adam cocked an eyebrow. “They will be of great concern to you, for he surely intends to use them to defend Canaan,” he said. “You should have come the day he arrived, as I told you to. It would have been much better to catch him off guard but as it was, you waited until he had already taken possession of the castle. He was prepared when you finally attacked. How many men did you lose?”
Sadgill lost some of his humor. A tall, thin man with stringy gray hair, he controlled most of the Sprint Vale, which was literally over a hilly range from Canaan. It was a narrow vale, rich with sheep, but what Sadgill really wanted was to control Canaan and the major road she managed from Carlisle to Kendal. It had been his objective for several years but Nathaniel had always managed to keep him at bay. But hope was renewed at du Rennic’s death when Sadgill discovered a du Rennic knight who was unhappy with his liege, and his life, and wanted something for himself.
A wandering knight he’d happened upon one day not long after Nathaniel’s death. The knight’s horse had come up lame and Sadgill had welcomed him into his home to tend the animal. The subsequent conversation they’d had, and a casual admission of discontent by the knight, brought about a bargain and now Sadgill had a plant inside of the very castle he’d been trying to confiscate. His due, the knight kept saying. He wanted his due.
Help me conquer Canaan and you shall have your due.
It was all Sadgill wanted, truly – a man of his own in command of Canaan. With the arrival of Scott de Wolfe, however, things were much more difficult. Sadgill knew that, but he refused to admit it was more than he could handle. He was certain that as long as he had Adam’s help on the inside of Canaan, and the support of his vale allies, he could rid Canaan of Scott de Wolfe.
At least, that was the plan.
“You worry too much,” Sadgill said finally. “Sit down and eat. We will discuss our next move.”
Adam didn’t want to eat even though he was hungry. “I cannot,” he said. “I must not be gone overlong. Already, I fear that Gordon Huntley is suspicious of my long rides away from the castle, so I cannot feed his suspicion.”
“You have been striking out on long rides away from the castle long before you knew me. You are a wanderer, Adam.”
“I know, but now it is
different. I feel Gordon’s eyes upon me.”
“It is your guilt speaking. He more than likely does not give you a thought.”
Adam wouldn’t argue with him. He was quite convinced that Gordon was watching him with more than simple concern or interest. The old man was quiet, and not nearly as aggressive as his son, but he had damned sharp eye. It was something to look out for. He changed the subject.
“I have come to find out what your plan is now that de Wolfe has come,” he said. “You have had time to plan for this, Sadgill. What are you going to do?”
Sadgill scratched his greasy head at the shift in focus. He eyed Adam a moment, swallowing the food in his mouth before speaking. “I lost nearly one hundred men yesterday,” he said. “That is too many men for me. I think that I shall have to be very careful now that we know St. Hèver will support de Wolfe. We must tread carefully.”
Adam snorted ironically. “Then what you wish will never come to pass,” he said, growing animated, “for not only does de Wolfe have Pendragon support, he has sent to Bowes Castle for reinforcements. Soon, he will have thousands of men in and around Canaan, guarding her, and you will never get close to her. You may as well give up now.”
Sadgill’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “Why does de Wolfe call for so many reinforcements?”
Adam shook his head, exasperated at Sadgill’s lack of decisiveness. “I do not know,” he said. “There is talk that he is simply protecting his holding in the wake of Nathaniel’s death. The man does not wish for the castle to fall to the rebel lords of Cumbria. But there is also talk that he is saving it for another purpose.”
“What could that be?”
Adam looked at him seriously. “Nathaniel’s widow,” he said simply. “She gave birth last night, in fact. Another daughter. There is talk that Edward may be interested in her.”
Sadgill looked at him with surprise. “What interest could he possibly have in the woman?”
Adam lifted his shoulders. “With Nathaniel’s death, the castle and the lordship has passed to her son,” he said. “If Edward marries her to a powerful lord, then he assumes the castle and the lordship until the boy becomes of age. It is a valuable property, perfect for a new king to secure alliances with. Why do you think Edward sent de Wolfe to secure it? Mayhap de Wolfe will even marry the woman and then we would have de Wolfes in Cumbria, never to leave.”
It made sense, all of it. Truth be told, Sadgill had considered the same thing but hearing it from Adam, who was on the inside of things, only confirmed his suspicions. Now, his humor was gone completely as he thought of Scott de Wolfe holding what he very badly wanted. Disappointment turned to anger.
“What does he need with Canaan?” his hissed, tossing aside the meat he was going to put into his mouth. “The de Wolfes control most of the Scottish Marches and half of Northumbria. What does he need with Canaan?”
Adam shook his head. “I am sure he does not need it,” he said. “But it is his nonetheless. Henry bestowed him with the Bretherdale lordship before he died, so all of this is his, including your lands. De Wolfe is your liege now. Did you not stop to think of that?”
Sadgill stiffened. “He shall never have my home,” he said angrily. “This belongs to me, all of it!”
“I know.”
“My family has lived here for generations! De Wolfe has no right to it!”
“I am aware.”
Infuriated, Sadgill stood up, kicking aside a dog when it didn’t move fast enough. He made his way over to Adam, sheer fury in his expression.
“We shall have to bide our time on Canaan,” he said, “but I will not wait forever. You will keep me apprised of what is happening there. You will look for the opportunity to strike. I will depend on you, do you hear?”
Adam wasn’t intimidated by the man. “I hear,” he said. “But once Bowes troops arrive, Canaan will be heavily reinforced with men. It would be suicide to attack her unless you have more men than de Wolfe does.”
The fury in Sadgill’s eyes flickered oddly. “More men,” he said as if the idea had just occurred to him. “There are enough barons in these lands that hate Edward, men who had readily rebelled against his father.”
“Those are the men you must solicit, for the only way to drive de Wolfe out is to do it with more men than he has.”
“Overwhelm him by sheer number.”
“Exactly.”
Sadgill wasn’t as angry as he had been moments before. He clapped Adam on the shoulder. “I will see what I can do,” he said, feeling more confident now. “Meanwhile, you will return to Canaan and come back to me to tell me of things you have seen. I would know what de Wolfe is up to.”
Adam simply nodded, watching as Sadgill returned to his food and drink. Even when the man invited him to join them again, he refused. He had to return lest his absence be noticed more than it probably already was. He had to return to the castle he wanted and the life that he hated. The only thing that kept him there was the hope that, someday, he would have the command. Truth be told, there might be an easier way to achieve that than waiting for Sadgill and his allies to attack.
Nathaniel’s widow….
He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of that before, but in speaking of it to Sadgill, a thought occurred to him. He’d been at Canaan for almost five years and, in that time, he’d never had the slightest interest in Lady Avrielle. True, she was beautiful, but she had also been his liege’s wife and he wasn’t in the habit of chasing after married women. But it hadn’t really occurred to him before now that she was no longer married and in need of a husband.
What if he were to be that husband?
A beautiful wife, a fortress… aye, perhaps there was another way.
On the entire ride back to Canaan, it was all he could think about.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Two weeks later
“A missive, my lord.” Milo held the long, yellowed tube up in front of his face. His lips enunciated each word. “From the king.”
Standing before the colossal map table in Nathanial’s well-heeled solar, Scott stared at the man as if he hadn’t really understood what he’d said. It was an odd, frozen stare. His expression remained unreadable for a few moments before turning back to the map at his fingertips.
“Read it,” he said simply.
Stewart took it from Milo and broke the seal; Scott never read his own missives. He couldn’t be bothered. As his liege returned his attention to the map of the Cumbrian region, Stewart read aloud.
“Edward informs you that he has selected a potential husband for Lady du Rennic,” he said matter-of-factly. Then, he peered at the words as if something just caught his interest. “A Lord Tynron. God’s Bones, Scott, Edward says he’s part of the Black Douglas Clan.”
Scott didn’t react and Stewart continued as if Scott didn’t know what, exactly, it all meant. “They side with The Bruce,” he said helpfully. “You know that.”
“Of course I do.”
Stewart continued with his own take of the situation. “If Edward can fracture that clan by marrying him to an English widow with great wealth, that would be a major victory.”
Scott still didn’t respond to that particular observation, as if none of it concerned him in the least. “I have never heard of Tynron,” he said, unimpressed. “Finish reading the missive.”
Stewart was rather surprised that Scott didn’t react to the news because it was fairly important information in their world. Puzzled at Scott’s response and trying not to show it, he continued, a bit more hesitantly.
“Edward will send Tynron north to Canaan unless you want to send Lady du Rennic to London at once for inspection,” he said. “He asks that you send him word of your choice.”
Scott was still gazing at the map. “She cannot travel. She has just delivered a child.”
“Then you will send word to Edward that Tynron is welcome at Canaan?”
“He must come here if he wishes to see her.”
Stewart�
�s gaze lingered on Scott a moment, very curious as to the man’s casual reaction. This was not what he would have expected with such news but he didn’t say so. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what more he could say. After a moment, he looked to Milo. “Is the messenger still here?”
“Aye,” Milo replied. “He’s in the kitchens being fed.”
“Have him wait.” Stewart eyed Scott, setting the missive down on the map table. “De Wolfe will send a reply.”
Scott had his eyes on the Kendal region to the south, pretending to be disinterested in the king’s summons but, in truth, he was very interested. He knew that Stewart was watching him, wondering why he hadn’t reacted to the king’s missive. The reason wasn’t so clear; although his entire purpose in coming to Castle Canaan had been to secure the castle and keep the situation calm when Edward pledged Lady du Rennic to a political partner of his choice, Scott found that he wasn’t at peace with that destiny in the least. The missive from Edward was not unexpected but, still, he didn’t want to hear it.
Somewhere over the past two weeks, something had happened to him.
It started the day he’d delivered Lady du Rennic’s squealing girl-child. The day before that, he had held the woman and her children in the garden as they’d wept their grief. He understood their sorrow all too well and, in that moment, he felt a kindred spirit with them. A family missing a father, a father missing most of his family… he felt akin to them and he shouldn’t have. Something inside of him, something long buried, had awakened in the darkness and was now struggling to claw its way out.
For two long weeks, Scott had been fighting against his reawakened soul and he’d been fighting it as harshly as it had been fighting him. He didn’t want to give in to those weak feelings of compassion and gentleness and humor that had cost him so much when Athena and the children had died. He blamed the human part of him for all of the pain he’d suffered at that time.
The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe Page 181
