Border Brides

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Gorsedd was beside himself. He went to Diamantha, his wide-eyed gaze devouring every line, every curve of her face, as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing.

  “Your wife?” he repeated Cortez, just to make sure he had heard correctly. “You remarried and you did not think to send word to me?”

  Cortez was grinning broadly as he put his big arm around Diamantha’s shoulders. “We were married not quite two weeks ago,” he said. “I am here to tell you in person. She is beautiful, is she not? I can hardly believe she belongs to me, but she does.”

  Gorsedd reached out to take Diamantha’s hand, the one that wasn’t holding the animal cage, and he brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. He appeared genuinely emotional.

  “My lady,” he greeted, his voice hoarse. “It is an honor and a privilege to meet you. Long have I prayed for this for my son. Long have I… well, it does not matter. You are his wife now and a part of our family. I am very glad you are here.”

  Diamantha smiled at the man, seeing Cortez reflected in the color of the man’s black eyes and in the shape of his face. The resemblance was truly remarkable.

  “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I am very happy to know you.”

  Gorsedd looked at Cortez as if surprised. “Not only does she look like an angel, but she speaks like one, too,” he said, returning his attention to Diamantha. He still held her hand. “Dearest lady, will you kindly accompany me into the hall? We assumed Cortez had not yet eaten and have a feast prepared in his honor. Now it is in your honor as well.”

  Diamantha resisted slightly. “My lord, I would be more than happy to sup with you,” she said. “But, at the moment, I believe my daughter and I could both use a few moments to rest and refresh ourselves. We have been traveling a very long time.”

  Gorsedd was nodding furiously even before the words left her mouth. “Of course,” he said quickly, turning to Cortez. “Take her into the keep. You may both have my chamber. Do you remember where it is, Cortez?”

  Cortez nodded. “At the top.”

  Gorsedd was still nodding, now gently pushing Diamantha in the direction of the keep. “Go now, my lady,” he urged. “I will send servants with hot water so you may bathe if you wish. And your daughter? What a lovely child. I have another bed I can send up for her to sleep on. She will like her own bed, don’t you think?”

  Cortez took hold of Diamantha while his father began barking orders to the servants. A tiny man with a big torch moved in front of them, leading the way through the darkened bailey to the mound and its steep steps. Cortez took the animal cage as Diamantha collected her skirts and took the stairs carefully. Merlin, still behind them bearing Sophie, followed them up the steps and into the big, intimidating keep.

  The ground floor was a solar of some kind with a big desk, a table, a roaring fire, and four very big dogs. When they saw the animal cage in Cortez’s hand, he had to hold the thing over his head so the dogs would leave it alone. They smelled the cats. They were very interested in Diamantha, too, and she petted them timidly, but when they got to Merlin, he shoved the dogs out of the way with his feet.

  There was a narrow spiral staircase that led to the first floor of the keep, which was used by the servants. It had all manner of chairs, beds propped against the wall, and a big bathtub. It was essentially a storage room and there were more dogs in there as well. Continuing up the stairs to the top of the keep, they found themselves in an extremely cluttered chamber.

  An enormous bed was positioned near the hearth, which was spitting embers and smoke into the room. The bed itself was covered with mounds of furs, messily strewn about, and the mattress was lumpy and stained. A small table and leaning chair sat over near the lancet window, the only window in the entire room, and there was a wardrobe in the shadowed darkness with both doors open and piles of possessions spilling forth. There were clothes hanging on the open doors, boots kicked about, old cloaks, and bits of old food all over the floor. It was clear that whoever lived here was not fond of cleanliness or tidiness. It smelled like a sewer.

  But Diamantha didn’t say anything about it. Gorsedd had been generous to insist they sleep there, so she wasn’t about to complain. As she tried not to look too horrified at their surroundings, she caught sight of Merlin standing behind her and she motioned him over to the bed.

  “Please put Sophie on the bed,” she said softly. “Thank you for carrying her.”

  He started to move but Cortez stopped him. “Hold,” he said firmly, glancing apologetically at his wife. “There is no knowing what has been upon that bed. Let me at least send for something clean.”

  Diamantha wasn’t going to argue with him. She was greatly relieved that he thought this room every bit as terrible as she did. Nodding gratefully, she took her daughter from Merlin so the man could go about his duties and went to the only chair in the room, easing herself down onto it. Merlin headed for the stairs but he was pushed back as Gorsedd and Andres entered the room. The men were being quite loud, reveling in their reunion and happy to be together again, but Cortez shushed them both harshly.

  “Are you a pack of wild animals?” he hissed. “Keep your voices down, for the child is sleeping!”

  Gorsedd looked startled, then properly contrite as Andres slapped a hand over his mouth. Neither one of them were used to small children about. They both looked at Diamantha apologetically before returning their attention to Cortez.

  “Andres tells me that you are only staying the night,” Gorsedd said, massive disappointment in his tone as he tried to lower the volume of his voice. “Is this true? Why can you not stay longer?”

  Cortez had hoped to speak to his father about the shortness of their visit well after pleasantries had been exchanged, but it seemed the subject was rearing itself now. As Merlin slipped from the room, Cortez held up his hands as if to ease his father’s displeasure.

  “Let us at least rest a moment before we launch into explanations,” he said. Then he began to herd them both towards the chamber door. “Go to the hall and I will meet you there. I will tell you everything at that time.”

  Gorsedd clearly wasn’t happy but he did as his son asked, apologizing once again for being loud around a sleeping child as he and Andres left the chamber. Cortez was about to shut the door when a pair of his soldiers appeared bearing satchels and saddlebags. They set them down just inside the door but Cortez grabbed the pair before they could leave.

  “Find a servant and send them to me at once,” he said, eyeing the state of the chaotic room. “Tell them that this room is unacceptable and that we require clean linens and a clean mattress.”

  The soldiers nodded swiftly and were gone. Once the room was quiet, Cortez shut the door, turning to his wife, sitting in the darkened corner near the window.

  “Come over near the hearth, sweetheart,” he directed. “It is warmer over here.”

  Diamantha stood up, allowing him to take the chair and move it next to the hearth. She sat down with the glow of heat in her face. It was a wonderful feeling, and one that made her realize just how exhausted she was. The warmer she became, the sleepier she grew, and she stifled a yawn. Cortez moved the animal cage near the hearth so the little animals wouldn’t freeze, crouching down next to Diamantha’s chair as they waited for the servants to appear.

  “I am sorry for the state of this room,” he said, looking around. “I shall have it cleaned up shortly.”

  Diamantha gazed at him, a faint smile on her face. “I am not worried,” she said quietly. “You have done an excellent job of taking care of us so far. I am sure improving your father’s hellish chamber will be no different.”

  Cortez laughed, running a weary hand through his black hair. “He is a good man, even if he does live like a pig,” he said, watching her giggle. “He is very happy to see you in case you were not aware.”

  She shrugged. “Mayhap I was, just a bit,” she said teasingly. “He seems very kind.”

  “He is,” he replied. “And to him, family m
eans everything. He speaks of his forefathers as if they are still living, breathing men. He holds our family honor dear.”

  “How lovely,” Diamantha sighed, turning to the flames, enjoying the warmth on her body. “He seemed rather distraught that we were not planning to stay. What will you tell him?”

  Cortez was looking at her, her beautiful profile in the soft light of the fire. “The truth,” he said honestly. “We are on a quest, you and I. We will not be deterred, not even for him.”

  With that, he reached out and grasped her left hand, the one with the ring on it. My quest is you. He lifted it, gazing at the ring, before gently kissing it. It was such a tender gesture, and one that foretold of the fiery passion he was so capable of.

  Diamantha’s heart began to race as he held her hand, inspecting her fingers, fondling her soft flesh. She’d never known such raw excitement, anticipating every touch, every kiss. When he looked up and saw that she was gazing at him, something wild and exhilarating passed between them and he gently cupped her face, slanting his mouth sweetly over hers. It was a kiss like nothing else, wrought with awakening passion.

  But a knock on the door shattered the spell and, startled, Cortez pulled away from her and bolted to his feet. Moving to the door, he opened it with more anger than he should have, frustrated that such a beautiful moment had been interrupted. The tiny old man who had led them into the keep with his trusty torch was standing in the darkened stairwell outside, hovering nervously.

  “Ye wanted to see me, m’lord?” he asked. “Is the chamber not to your liking?”

  Cortez shook his head, a wry expression on his lips. “It is not,” he said. “My wife and I require fresh linens and, in the name of Christ, give us a new mattress. God only knows what my father has done to that one. It smells like a sewer. We also require hot water and a bathtub. I saw one on the floor below. Bring it up so my wife might bathe.”

  The old servant bobbed his head nervously and fled down the narrow stairs. Cortez turned to Diamantha.

  “This will probably take some time,” he said. “Mayhap we should join my father in the hall first so that by the time we return to this room, it will be moderately habitable.”

  It was a reasonable plan and Diamantha rose to her feet wearily. She would have liked nothing better than to crawl into bed and sleep for a week, but not in the state it was in. Indeed, they had to wait for the servants to properly clean it. As she turned for the chamber door, Sophie began to stir in her arms. The little girl rubbed her eyes and yawned, and Diamantha gave her a squeeze.

  “Are you finally awake, sweetheart?” she purred. “Open your eyes and look at me.”

  Sophie did, her eyes popped up and she blinked, looking at her surroundings. She was immediately curious. Sophie was, if nothing else, unflappable. She was in a new place and, rather than be frightened, she was interested. She pushed herself out of her mother’s arms and Diamantha set her gently on her feet.

  “Mama?” Sophie looked around. “Are we here?”

  Diamantha grinned at her daughter’s confused question. “We are at Cortez’s father’s home,” she told her. “We are going to go eat sup with him now. Are you hungry?”

  Sophie nodded emphatically but as she did so, she spied her pets over near the fire. She ran to them, falling to her knees beside them. Diamantha went after her.

  “Nay, sweet,” she said, grasping her daughter’s hand. “We will come back to them after we eat.”

  Sophie wasn’t too sure. “But Eleanor and Edward and Father and Clover will be lonely.”

  Diamantha led her gently for the door. “They are warm and safe,” she assured her. “We will bring food back for them.”

  Sophie still wasn’t sure but let her mother lead her to the door where Diamantha paused, handing Sophie over to Cortez.

  “A moment, please,” she said. “Keep hold on her so she doesn’t run back to her pets. If she does, I fear we will never make it to the hall.”

  Cortez held the little girl’s hand tightly, dividing his time between smiling down at the sleepy little girl and watching Diamantha dig around in one of her satchels. She seemed to be searching for something. He waited patiently until she finally pulled forth a bundle of cloth. Carefully unwrapping it, she pulled forth the dramatic necklace Cortez had given her, the one that had belonged to Helene and to Cortez’s mother before that. Rising, she brought it over to Cortez.

  “I thought your father might like to see this,” she said. “It belonged to your mother, after all. Will you please help me put it on?”

  Obediently, Cortez let go of Sophie’s hand and helped Diamantha secure the heavy silver collar. She was wearing her traveling clothes with the neckline that came all the way up to her throat, so the necklace lay against her with the backdrop of blue wool. It was truly stunning. Cortez watched her as she fussed with the necklace to make sure it hung correctly.

  “He will be very happy to see it,” he said confidently. “That piece meant a great deal to him.”

  “Did he commission it for her?”

  He nodded his head. “Aye,” he said, “for their wedding day.”

  “Then your father is sentimental like his son.”

  Cortez grinned. “I suppose so,” he cooed, his dark eyes glittering at her. “You give us much to be sentimental about.”

  Diamantha smiled at him, a warm and genuine gesture, touching the necklace as she took Sophie’s hand and led the little girl from the room, slowly navigating the stairs downward. Cortez was right behind them, closing the door to the chamber and following. When he came to the floor directly below, he saw the tiny old servant and a few others milling about as they prepared to take the tub up to the chamber. He cornered the old man.

  “There is a cage up in that chamber with four small animals in it,” he told the servant, pointing to the ceiling above to emphasize his point. “They belong to my daughter. I have seen dogs all around this place and you will not let them into that room, is that clear? If anything happens to those pets, I will have your head. Do you comprehend me?”

  The old man nodded fearfully, watching Cortez as the man followed the woman and small girl out of the keep.

  The first thing he did before he followed any of Cortez’s other directives was find a small, sturdy table to place the animal cage on, just in case the many dogs milling about the keep wandered into the chamber. He made sure the cage was very safe, up high and away from the floor.

  He didn’t want to lose his life over two kittens, a rabbit, and a fox. It would have been a shameful way to go, but the fact was, he believed Cortez’s threat implicitly. Being that the man was a de Bretagne, they never gave idle threats, and everyone knew that Sir Cortez was the most frightening de Bretagne of all.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Gorsedd wept openly when he saw the great collar necklace on Diamantha. Water poured from his eyes, mucus from his nose, and he kept wiping it all on his sleeve. As everyone took a seat around the long feasting table in the cavernous hall of Coven Castle, it was several moments before Gorsedd could speak.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered tightly as Diamantha sat down between him and Cortez. “I have never seen the necklace look so lovely.”

  Diamantha was truly touched at the man’s reaction. “As I told your son, I will treat this with the greatest of respect,” she said. “It is a truly lovely piece.”

  Gorsedd sniffled away the last of his tears, loudly, as he motioned to the servants to start bringing forth the warmed trenchers of food.

  “I am so pleased you like it,” he said, sitting next to her and gazing intently between her and Sophie, who was seated on her lap. “And this is your daughter? What a lovely lass. What is your name, child?”

  Sophie, who had already grabbed a chunk of soft white bread, spoke with her mouth full. “Sophie Amalia Teodora Edlington,” she said in her rapid-fast delivery.

  Gorsedd laughed uproariously at the adorable child, which startled Sophie. When he saw the fright he had given the little
girl, he quickly sought to make amends.

  “Such a beautiful name, truly,” he assured her quickly. “I am sorry if I frightened you. I know I am a loud man.”

  Somewhat eased, Sophie went back to chewing her bread. “I have a pony,” she told him. “His name is General. Would you like to see him?”

  It was the same line she had given Cortez those weeks ago and Cortez laughed, reaching out to gently touch Sophie’s arm.

  “We will eat first,” he told her. “Mayhap you can show him after.”

  Sophie wasn’t particularly put off by the suggestion because her attention was diverted by all of the food they were bringing out. The bread, cheese, and fruit already on the table was now joined by other dishes – fish with apricots and peppercorns, pork with honey and cloves, and a variety of boiled vegetables. Great trenchers were placed before the diners and Cortez began filling Diamantha’s trencher with the fish and the pork. Even as he spooned the items onto her trencher, Sophie was already sticking her fingers in it and eating. Gorsedd thought it was all great fun to watch and he even handed her his own spoon to use, but she wasn’t interested. She was happier with her fingers.

  Andres, Drake, Oliver, and James joined them in short order once their duties settling the men were complete. Andres sat across from his father, reaching for the pitcher of wine before he even looked at the food. As Cortez watched, his brother downed two large cups of wine quickly, and Cortez began to suspect that the sobriety his brother had adhered to for the past several days was about to come to an end.

  Cortez’s soldiers began filtering into the room, heading for the feasting tables closer to the door where food had been set out for them. Meanwhile the knights dug into the food with gusto, the finest spread that they’d had in days. There were even serving women about, which lured Cortez’s men somewhat, particularly Andres, who by now was well into his third cup of wine and feeling the familiar flush of alcohol in his veins. When a busty young woman went to put more wine on the table next to him, he smiled leeringly at her and slapped her on her ample behind. She giggled while he laughed lewdly, pinching her arse as she scampered away.