Dark Destroyer (De Wolfe Pack Book 6)

by Kathryn Le Veque

  He had to take that chance.

  “You will meet her very soon,” Jasper assured them, his gaze moving to Alexander. “Your son has already met her. What do you think of my daughter, Alex?”

  Alexander smiled. “She is an intelligent young woman and a fine conversationalist,” he said politely. “I have enjoyed coming to know her, my lord.”

  Jasper grinned. “Is she beautiful?”

  Alexander spoke without hesitation. “I have never seen finer, my lord.”

  Pleased, Jasper looked to Henry and Elreda. “You heard it from your son,” he said. “Alex would not lie. My daughter has returned from St. Milburga’s a lovely and educated woman. She will make any man a fine wife, which is why I want to speak with you before more guests arrive for our celebration. Since Alex has spent time with her, properly of course, and has extolled her virtues, I would like to bring forth the subject of a marriage between my daughter and your son. Surely Alex would have no objections to marrying my daughter since he has just told you that she is a beautiful and intelligent woman, and you, as his parents, must surely be eager to find your son a wife now that he is growing advanced in his age. He is your eldest son, Henry. Surely you would like grandchildren and heirs.”

  By the end of Jasper’s speech, Alexander’s eyes were so big that they threatened to burst from his skull but, to his credit, he said nothing. He didn’t dare look at his parents because he knew they were surely savoring this proposal as one would savor fine food or fine wine; he knew they were fairly drooling over it. After the conversation Alexander and his parents had engaged in those few weeks ago when he’d returned from France, he was quite certain his mother was about to shout in victory.

  A wife for Alexander!

  Truth be told, as shocked as Alexander was, he realized immediately that he wasn’t resistant to the idea. In fact, he was quite interested in it. But there was the small matter of the lady having no interest in him and a good deal of interest in Gates, and he in her. He thought on what it would mean to his relationship with Gates should he marry that woman that Gates was interested in, but then he reminded himself that Gates simply looked upon Lady Kathalin as another conquest.

  That was the way Gates’ mind worked. But Alexander… he didn’t look at her as quite another conquest. He was interested in her more than that. He wasn’t quite sure what more, as there hadn’t been the time to develop those interests, but the interest was definitely there. He wasn’t hesitant to explore it. And, perhaps in some way, he would be doing Lady Kathalin a favor in saving her from Gates de Wolfe’s sexual appetite.

  Aye, perhaps he would be saving her, indeed.

  As Alexander pondered Jasper’s proposal and the implications therein, Henry coolly considered Jasper’s offer.

  “This is so unexpected, Jasper,” he said, looking at Elreda, who couldn’t hide her delight. “A marriage offer, you say? Certainly we are very honored that you would consider the House of de Lohr but I believe it is something I must discuss with my wife before giving you an answer.”

  “We accept!” Elreda couldn’t control herself. “We would be delighted to accept a marriage contract between your daughter and Alexander. We have prayed for such a thing! God has heard our prayers!”

  “Wait!” Alexander couldn’t keep silent; he stood up, looking at his parents as if they had gone mad. “Can we not discuss this first before you already have me married and with children? Mother, I know you are thrilled by this offer, but may we please discuss it first before you accept?”

  “I will provide her with a dowry of five thousand silver marks,” Jasper said, his offer directed at Alexander as an outright bribe. “I will sweeten the deal with another twenty gold crowns upon the event of the marriage and the gift of Chirbury Castle, a small garrison near Trelystan. ’Tis not much more than a pele tower, but it would be a good place for a young couple starting off their lives together. It would be yours, Alexander, provided you marry Kathalin.”

  Alexander stared at him a moment as he processed the great riches Jasper was promising him. “I know Chirbury,” he said. “I have been there, many times. It is built on an older site, in fact. I remember one of the locals telling me that the Romans had an outpost there.”

  Jasper could see he had the man’s interested and he hastened to capitalize on it. “I would supply you with men, of course, as garrison for my holdings, but the castle would belong to you,” he said, watching the gleam in Alexander’s eyes. “Alex, you have been around Kathalin enough to know that she has had some difficulty adjusting to life outside of St. Milburga’s. In truth, it was a mistake to send her there as a child and never bring her home, or send her to other fine houses to foster, because all she knows is the way of life of a convent. I have every confidence that you, as her husband, can help introduce her into society and help her to become the wife she was born to be. I know you can do this, lad. Will you?”

  Alexander swallowed hard, realizing that everyone was looking at him. He was torn between the attractiveness of the offer and thoughts of Gates. Gates! Surely the man was only after another conquest with the woman, wasn’t he? Alexander realized there was some doubt in his mind because he kept asking himself the same question. He had known Gates a very long time and knew how the man worked, and his behavior with Kathalin had been different. Was it possible, then, that Gates actually felt something for Lady Kathalin? If that was the case, then Alexander would be snatching the woman right out from under him.

  Would he really be saving her from him? Or would he be separating two people who were genuinely fond of one another?

  “Your proposal is extremely generous, my lord,” he finally said. “But I… I must think on it. May I have until tomorrow?”

  Next to Alexander, Elreda shushed him. “Nonsense!” she said. “Jasper, we accept your proposal. We are grateful that you approached us first about this marriage and we accept with all our hearts. How does Rosamund feel about this? And where is your wife?”

  Jasper kept glancing at Alexander, seeing his uncertainty, even though he answered Elreda. “It is Rosamund who suggested this match,” he said. “Her illness keeps her confined but, of course, she sends her affection and best wishes to you both. Now, may I have my scribe draw up the contract? I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to know that our children will be joined in marriage. We will not only be friends but family now.”

  Elreda held up her cup to Jasper, metal against metal to seal the deal, as Henry eyed his subdued son. He assumed, naturally, that it was simply Alexander’s general reluctance to marry and soon found himself swept up in the celebration between Jasper and Elreda. Still, there was something in Alexander’s expression that kept him from celebrating completely. He wasn’t sure what it was yet, but he would find out.

  “Now, Jasper,” Henry said, forcing his focus away from his son. “When will we meet our future daughter? I am eager to come to know her.”

  Jasper downed his cup of wine and poured himself more. “Alex,” he said. “Please fetch Kathalin and bring her here, but tell her nothing of our plans. I should like to do that personally.”

  Alexander nodded his head and stood up, heading out of the hall. He was silent in his actions, dutiful, but his mind was racing. He was still reeling from what had happened, therefore, it wasn’t Kathalin he would seek first.

  It was Gates.

  He found that he had to.

  The troop house was already crowded with the addition of de Lohr’s men and Gates, after he left Kathalin in the garden, found himself lured to the situation by Tobias, who was trying to deal with it.

  The troop house was designed to hold about six hundred men in beds built in doubles, one on top of the other, and even more men should they sleep on the floor. With the men that had returned with Gates from France, and now the addition of de Lohr’s men, Gates and Tobias were forced to do some reorganizing. Many more men were expected, so the rope and wood bunks in the troop house were moved around to create more space for the incoming esco
rts.

  Gates was in the process of supervising the shift in sleeping space when Alexander entered the troop house. He asked the men at the door where de Wolfe was and, following pointing fingers, he found Gates about midway in the structure as men moved furniture all around him.

  Gates, who was trying to figure out a way to cram a lot of bodies into a finite space, caught sight of Alexander as the man approached.

  “Did your parents arrive safely, then?” he asked.

  Alexander smiled weakly. “They did,” he said. “They are in the hall with Jasper now.”

  Gates smiled. “The last time I saw your mother, she wanted to know why I had not yet married and I seem to remember that she harassed you fairly stringently about your lack of a wife, too,” he said. “Has she started in on you already about being unmarried or will she wait a polite amount of time before laying in to us both?”

  Oh, God, Alexander thought. If he only knew how close he was in that lightly-uttered jest. “She has started already,” he said. “In fact… I have a need to speak with you, Gates. Privately. Can you spare a moment?”

  Gates didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary. He didn’t even notice Alexander’s pale features or tense expression; the dimness of the troop house negated such observations. Leaving Tobias in charge of the grunting, heaving men, he followed Alexander outside in the daylight, blinking his eyes and shielding them because he’d been inside the dark troop house.

  “God’s Bones,” he complained. “The Light of God is shining into my face and I am blinded by it.”

  He said it comically and Alexander laughed softly. “God is scrutinizing you, my friend.”

  Gates lifted an eyebrow in resignation as he blinked his eyes, becoming accustomed to the bright winter day. “If He looks too closely He will not be pleased,” he said. “I try to avoid His scrutiny at all cost.”

  “Is that why you stay away from church?”

  “It ’tis.”

  Alexander simply grinned at the glib reply but almost immediately, his smile faded. “Sorry to drag you out into the brilliant light, but there are things we must speak of,” he said. “I hardly know where to start so it is best I start from the beginning. You and I have been friends for many years, Gates. I treasure those years and I treasure you.”

  Gates nodded his head. “As I treasure you also,” he said, still not particularly sensing anything odd. “You have been annoying at times, and even frustrating, but it is true that I love you like I would a brother.”

  He was smiling as he said it but Alexander couldn’t give in to the humor, not now. There were serious matters at hand. He looked at Gates; really looked at the man, trying to figure out the best way to speak of such things. He realized that he was quite nervous about it Hesitantly, he continued.

  “Please do not be offended by whatever I say, for I am only speaking frankly and honestly, friend to friend,” he said. “Gates, I must ask you something and you must be perfectly honest with me. It is imperative. Will you do this?”

  Finally, Gates began to sense that something was off. There was something in Alexander’s manner and in his words that told him so. Curious but not yet concerned, he nodded.

  “Of course,” he said. “I would never lie to you.”

  Alexander nodded swiftly. “I know,” he said. “But this is different. What I am about to ask you is personal.”

  “Then ask.”

  Alexander swallowed hard, hung his head, and then lifted his eyes to Gates in a manner that suggested he was truly reluctant to speak. But he did. “It is about Kathalin,” he said softly. “Are you attempting to make another conquest out of the woman?”

  Gates’ expression flickered. It seemed at first as if he was startled by the question, which he was, but he quickly steadied himself. When he replied, his answer was slow and deliberate.

  “I am not,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because I sense that you have interest in her and she in you,” Alexander said. “Is this true?”

  Gates didn’t say anything for a moment. He sighed faintly and averted his gaze. “I will again ask you why you are asking me this.”

  Alexander could tell, by Gates’ expression, that there was indeed something between Gates and Kathalin. He knew Gates well enough to know his moods and expressions, and he saw something in Gates’ features that told him what he needed to know. Still, he wanted to hear the confirmation from Gates’ own lips. He was starting to grow frustrated by the man’s evasive answers.

  “Because I must know,” Alexander said, lowering his voice. “Gates, I have known you for many years. You are my friend. I have seen you bed woman after woman with hardly an afterthought when all was said and done. Lord Linley showed up last week announcing that his daughter had borne your bastard, an allegation that I can only imagine is true considering you took the woman to your bed before we left for France. I know this because I was with you when we found her in the streets of Churchstoke, starving to death. You have never, since I have known you, shown any serious interest in any woman. I must know if your interest in Lady Kathalin is serious or if it is simply a passing fancy. Will you please tell me the truth?”

  Gates wasn’t fully prepared to divulge the information, mostly because it was frightening and alien to him to realize that he was, indeed, actually in love with a woman. It was the first time someone had asked him that question and the first time he’d truly given thought to it. There was some embarrassment there, too, as if fearful he would not be believed given his reputation. He didn’t want to be doubted or ridiculed. But he knew Alexander and knew that that the man wouldn’t totally discount him, especially since he had sworn to tell him the truth.

  The truth….

  “She is not a passing fancy,” he finally said, quietly. “You have asked me to be truthful with you and I shall. Alex, you know me – you know I would not say something unless I truly knew it, believed it, or felt it, and in this case I can tell you that Lady Kathalin is not a passing fancy. She has declared her love for me and I love her in return. I am not entirely sure how it happened, but it has. We were fighting each other one moment and adoring each other the next. You have asked for truth and I have given it to you. Now, will you tell me why you have asked?’

  Alexander looked at Gates, a somewhat sickly expression on his face. “I see,” he murmured. “And… you are sure of this, Gates?”

  “Very sure.”

  “What do you intend to do about it? Do you intend to marry her?”

  Gates nodded. “I was going to speak to Jasper today of it before the parade of potential bridegrooms arrive,” he said. “Given what Jasper knows of me and my reputation, I am not entirely sure how receptive he will be, but it is my intention to ask for Kathalin’s hand and not give up until I have it.”

  Alexander was looking at him with a huge amount of sadness in his expression. In fact, his hand was over his heart, unconsciously, as if to hold in his sorrow.

  “And if you do not receive his blessing?”

  “I will deal with that if the time comes.”

  Alexander held Gates’ gaze for a long, tense moment before exhaling in a long, harsh breath. He nearly doubled over with it, bracing himself against his knees as he labored to catch his breath. Gates watched him, trying not to feel too much fear. Something was amiss with Alexander, something that had to do with his feelings for Kathalin, and he was increasingly concerned about Alexander’s reaction to it. Finally, he could stand it no longer.

  “Alexander, in the name of God,” he said. “Why have you been asking about my feelings for Kathalin? I have asked you more than once and you have not answered me. What is amiss?”

  Alexander stood up straight, looking at Gates with perhaps the most sorrowful expression Gates had ever seen. It seemed, when he spoke, that he was on the verge of tears.

  “I did not know, Gates,” he said hoarsely. “I suspected that there was some interest between you two, but I did not realize the depths of it. Please forgi
ve me. I did not realize you loved her.”

  Gates took a few steps towards him, closing the gap between them. “Forgive you for what?” he hissed. “Alex, start making sense. What is going on?”

  Alexander put out his hands and grasped Gates by the arms. “Jasper has made an offer of marriage to my parents,” he said, gazing into Gates’ stunned eyes. “A contract between me and Lady Kathalin. My parents have accepted.”

  Gates stared at the man, hearing his words, understanding them, but not truly grasping what he was being told for several very long moments.

  “You… you are betrothed to Kathalin?” he finally asked.

  Alexander nodded, anguish on his face. “Aye,” he muttered. “It is true that I think she is beautiful and it is true that even though I saw of your interest in her, I thought you were only looking for another conquest. But it soon began to occur to me that your interest went beyond a conquest. That is why I had to find you and ask you, Gates. I will refuse the contract now, of course, but you must tell Jasper your feelings for her and you must demand her hand. We must go to Jasper now, together, and do this. That way he will know that I relinquish my claim.”

  Gates was starting to feel quite emotional about the situation. The shock of the betrothal and the realization that Alexander was fully willing to relinquish any claim on Kathalin, a legal claim that would supersede anything Gates had to offer, had him reeling. But it was then that he began to understand the depths of his friendship with Alexander, a man he had been viewing as a serious threat for the past few weeks when it came to Kathalin. He had seen how the man had looked at her and he had been nearby when Alexander had spoken to her, at least for the most part. Jealousy had filled his veins when it came to Alexander. But now, seeing how Alexander was willing to sacrifice his right for the sake of Gates’ love for Kathalin, Gates was starting to feel like a monster.