She did, all by herself. She told the lingering Hawkstone soldiers to go away and they did, vacating into the recesses of the keep while Caius climbed through the doorway. Emelisse was sitting there and he climbed off the ladder, ending up on his buttocks as he sat opposite her. In full armor, it was difficult, but he hung his big legs out of the doorway, down the side of the keep.
“Where is Marius?” Emelisse asked.
Caius could see how frightened she was. “He apparently arrived at Winterhold after we left this morning,” he said. “Thank God for small mercies because if you were still at Winterhold, you would more than likely already be Lady Marius de Wrenville.”
She closed her eyes tightly against the very idea. “Oh,” she breathed. “Praise the saints. God is indeed merciful. But is he coming here?”
Caius nodded. “Lady de Wrenville sent word that he is planning on arriving tomorrow morning with a priest,” she said. “He intends to make you his wife immediately.”
She stared at him, her eyes beginning to well. “I will not marry him,” she said tightly. “I will remain in this keep. I will die here if necessary.”
“That is an option,” Caius said drolly, eyeing her. “But you do not have to do anything drastic.”
She was starting to grow agitated. “What else is there?” she hissed. “Give me a crossbow. I will shoot him as he approaches the keep.”
Caius’ eyebrows lifted. “And give de Wrenville every reason to completely raze Hawkstone and kill every last man? Is that what you really want?”
She didn’t. She started to lose some of her fire, her tears beginning to spill over. “Of course not,” she said. “I just want them to leave us alone. Caius, do you think if I gave them The Roden Twins, they would leave us in peace? I am willing to give them the diamonds if they would just go away.”
The tears were trickling down her face faster than she could wipe them away and Caius watched her, feeling more pity than he’d ever felt for her. But he also felt something else; a distinct sense of possessiveness when he looked at her. He’d kill Marius himself before he let the man get his hands on her.
He didn’t know Emelisse well. It was impossible to know someone well after only knowing them for a day, but he trusted his instincts and they told him that she was everything he thought she was. And more.
She was worth fighting for.
“This has gone beyond money,” Caius said, trying to be gentle with her. “The possibility of diamonds or riches on your lands is only part of it. They want the property itself and you are the key. Covington and Marius are two greedy, ambitious men and they have made a grab for the nearest valuable property – yours. The only thing you could offer them now that they would take is yourself, and they would only view you as a possession and nothing more.”
She dabbed at her eyes. “I am not going to offer myself to them,” she said. “What about hiring an army? Did you speak to Sir Maxton about it?”
“I did speak to Maxton,” he said, avoiding the question for the most part. “I have known him for many years. He is wise beyond measure and has the ability to see a situation for what it truly is. He made a valid point – the only way to truly rid yourself of Marius once and for all is to marry someone who has a bigger army than he has.”
She stopped weeping, looking up at him in bewilderment. “Marry someone with a bigger army?” she said. “But I do not know anyone with a bigger army. I do not know anyone at all.”
“Aye, you do.”
“Who?”
“Me.”
She opened her mouth to reply but ended up choking on her words. She coughed so hard that, for a moment, she couldn’t speak. She had her hands over her mouth as she sputtered, finally looking at him with such an astonished expression that he almost started laughing. He’d never seen such shock.
“You?” she finally gasped. “But… I cannot marry you!”
“Why not?”
She blinked, her mouth open, as if dismayed by the very question. “Because… because you are a great knight,” she said. “You said yourself that men call you The Britannia Viper. I am no one of note. I only have a broken-down fortress to my name. I have nothing, Caius. I am a pauper.”
“You have The Roden Twins,” he said, trying to bring some levity into the situation.
But Emelisse saw absolutely no reason for humor whatsoever. “Aye, I do,” she said. “I will give them to you to buy your services, but I will not give you myself to buy those services. What on earth would you do with a wife like me?”
He smiled faintly. “Protect her,” he said. “Cherish her, laugh with her, and be happy with her. God willing, more than that.”
Her shock faded as the reality of what he was saying settled in. She could see that he was absolutely serious. But all she could seem to do was stare at him as if he had just suggested they fly to the moon.
“More than that?” she repeated. “What more?”
He shrugged, averting his gaze for the first time. “I am not a man prone to speak on my feelings or my dreams,” he said. “This does not come easily for me.”
“Nor me,” Emelisse said quickly, as if this whole thing were utterly ridiculous yet utterly fascinating. “But if you have something to say to me, I wish you would say it.”
“I have,” he said. “I have said more than I am comfortable saying.”
It was true. He appeared almost embarrassed. Emelisse watched him closely, for any signs that he had either lost his mind or that this was some great joke. But she saw no suggestion of either, which caused her to swallow her shock. Was he actually serious? Only one question came to mind.
“But… why? Caius, why would you offer marriage?”
He took a deep breath. “Why not?”
“Because once we are married, we are married for life,” she pointed out. “I am not a whim. I am not something to quickly take part of and then abandon. And if you think this will deter me from remaining here in the keep with the Hawkstone soldiers, you are mistaken. This will not deter me.”
He shook his head. “When I marry you, you will not have to remain in the keep with the soldiers,” he said. “Emelisse, this is not to deter you from standing with your father and brother. This is to help you in that quest. Now, I will be involved, as your husband, and Hawkstone will belong to me. If de Wrenville thinks to take it from us, I will beat him into the ground and there will be nothing left of him or of Winterhold. I have more allies, and more resources, than he could possibly imagine.”
God, that sounded good to her. So very good. But she couldn’t marry a man simply because he promised her a big army and protection. That would not have been fair to him. But with Caius… she was coming to appreciate him as an honorable man more and more. Truth be told, she would have taken him without the promise of a big army. But there was still so much to consider.
“So, we marry and Hawkstone is in finally safe,” she said. “But at what price for us both? I will be your wife, the mother of your children. You may find me unbearable in years to come and then what? We will hate one another and regret acting on impulse.”
He looked at her, then. “That is a risk with any marriage,” he said. “But I do not think that will happen to us.”
“Why?”
“Because, believe it or not, I am not a man who acts on a whim,” he said. “But if I must, I trust my instincts, and they tell me that I could not find a better wife anywhere in the world. Believe me, I have been many places and I have seen all manner of women. I have even had a few of my own, but no one I would consider marrying until I met you.”
Emelisse continued to stare at him, processing what he was telling her. “It is pity,” she finally said. “You are only offering out of pity.”
“I do not do anything out of pity.”
“But I am not your problem!”
He looked at her. “You became my problem when I prevented you from killing yourself,” he said somewhat forcefully. “Therefore, you not only owe me a debt of gr
atitude, but you owe me your very life. I spent last night listening to you beg me to help you. Don’t you understand? We are in this together now, you and I, and I will kill Marius de Wrenville before I would stand aside and watch him marry you. The man is not worthy of the strength and honor I have seen from a woman who has been beaten into the ground, yet still, she fights back. Still, she maintains her honor. It is depth I have never seen from a woman before and probably never will again. Such a woman would be a magnificent wife. I would be honored to have her.”
His words seemed to drain all of the confusion out of her. She went from frowning at him to very nearly smiling. Something warm was taking over her face.
“For a man who does not speak easily of his feelings, that was brilliantly done,” she said. “All I would bring into this marriage is two big diamonds and a devastated fortress. You understand that.”
“And a magical mountain,” he reminded her softly, his black eyes twinkling. “Do not forget about Hawk Mountain.”
Her smile broke through. “Of course,” she said. “How could I ever forget. You said once that you should like to see it. I would be honored to show you, someday.”
“And I would love to see it, but not now,” he said. “Now, I am trying to convince a woman to marry me and she has not yet answered. I wish there was more time to discuss this, and for us both to think on it, but there is not. Marius will be on your doorstep tomorrow, so you must give me an answer. Lady Emelisse, I would be honored if you would consider becoming my wife.”
It was not only the sweetest proposal she had ever received, but the only one. Yet, when an offer was that sweet and that gentle, she only needed one.
She knew what her answer would be.
Foolish or not, impulsive or not, there was only one.
“Aye,” she said after a moment. “I am agreeable.”
Caius grinned, that charmingly crooked grin with slightly crooked teeth. It was infectious and alluring, a smile that many a maiden had swooned at. Emelisse had never seen him smile like that, so she had no idea how captivating it was. It made her heart jump simply to see it, like nothing she had ever known.
“Good,” he said. “I am glad to see you are a woman not only of reason, but of taste.”
She smiled because he was, feeling something giddy and hopeful blossoming in her belly. It made her entire body quiver.
“You honor me,” she said. “But I hope… I hope this will not cause you too much trouble. If you marry me, Marius cannot, and you will be the target of his anger. His father will complain to The Marshal.”
He waved her off. “I would tell them to do their worst,” he said. “They cannot touch me, in any fashion. But you and I must find a priest immediately. Do you know one locally?”
She nodded. “In Whitchurch,” she said. “It is just a few miles north. We can make it within the hour if we hurry.”
Caius rose to his feet. He extended a hand to Emelisse, who placed her small palm in his. Carefully, he pulled her to her feet, but he didn’t let go of her hand. His gaze drifted over her, studying her big eyes, her beautiful hair.
All of her.
“You know,” he said slowly, “when I first saw you, I could not take my eyes from you. You were the loveliest creature I had ever seen.”
She rolled her eyes. “How can you say that?” she said. “I was wearing a gown that was too large for me, my hair was in disarray… I looked as if I had been dragged through the streets because I very nearly had.”
With his free hand, he tipped her chin up so she was looking at him. He was so much taller than she was that she barely came to his sternum. For a moment, he simply looked at her, absorbing her, memorizing her, seeing the face he was going to wake up next to every day for the rest of his life.
He was not displeased.
“You were lovely,” he murmured. “You are lovely. More than lovely; you are beautiful. And I will lay down my life a thousand times over to make sure you are always safe and always happy. As your husband, I will make you that promise.”
A smile spread across her face. “Those are the most wonderful words I have ever heard,” she whispered. “I can only thank you profusely and promise you that you shall always have my faith, my focus, and my loyalty.”
“Mayhap even your heart, someday.”
“I hope so. And I would take great care of yours, too.”
Caius thought that perhaps it was too early to be speaking of hearts and adoration, considering how short a time they’d known each other, but he was swept up in the moment. He’d never been a man who had hoped for love. In fact, he’d scorned it, taunting those who had found it. But he wasn’t taunting any longer.
He was coming to understand.
It was as if a whole new world has been opened up for him.
There would be time to discuss it later.
“I have little doubt,” he said, unsure what more to say that didn’t sound too giddy or just plain silly. “If everything is settled, then, we should leave. I am uncomfortable delaying any longer. Marius may change his mind and already be on his way here.”
The sweet expression faded from her face. “And if he comes and we are not here?”
Caius cocked a dark eyebrow. “I have an idea.”
“You… you’re what?”
The question came from Hallam as he stood in the half-burned hall with Maxton, Morgan, Kevin, and young William. They were all there, gathered, because Caius had sent for them, intimating he had a big announcement to make.
But no one guessed what it would be.
Now, they knew.
“Marrying Lady Emelisse,” Caius said steadily as Emelisse stood next to him. “Hallam, her brother is dead. She is now sole heiress of Hawkstone and you know what that would mean if Marius married her. Therefore, she and I have discussed the situation and she has agreed to my proposal of marriage.”
Hallam looked as if his eyeballs were going to pop from his skull, shocked by not only the news of Caspian’s death, but by Caius’ solution to the situation.
“You’re going to marry her?” he gasped.
Caius nodded. “I am not sure why you find this so outlandish,” he said. “The lady and I have been thrown together, by necessity, and I have come to the conclusion that I will not stand by and watch Marius marry her. I could not live with it. The lady deserves better. She deserves me.”
Hallam’s mouth was still hanging open. He looked at Maxton and Morgan and Kevin only to see various stages of mirth and agreement. At least, he saw that in Maxton and Morgan. Kevin merely looked surprised.
Surprise was exactly what Hallam was feeling. He turned back to Caius.
“I thought we were simply going to take the lady elsewhere until this situation settled,” he said. “At least, that’s what I thought. We have not yet spoken of it, but I did not think you would marry her. When Lady de Wrenville commanded that she should not be returned to Winterhold, that was never expected of you, my lord.”
Caius nodded. “I realize that,” he said. “Hallam, I know this is going to reflect poorly on you and, for that, I am sorry. You can simply tell de Wrenville that the lady escaped and I went looking for her. You do not have to tell them about the marriage. In fact, I would rather tell them myself once it is done and there is nothing they can do about it. And then… Hallam, I know you are a legacy knight, but you are a good man. I have seen it. We have all seen it. Covington de Wrenville is not worthy of you.”
Hallam began to look uncomfortable. He glanced at Maxton and the others, seeing the very same expression on their faces that Caius had on his. They all thought his lord was unworthy of his service and that was something he’d been wrestling with for three long years.
“Be that as it may, I have no choice,” he said quietly. “I appreciate your words greatly, but I am not in a position to do anything else than what I am doing now, which means the marriage between you and Lady Emelisse would be viewed as a personal failure on my part.”
“Then come a
nd serve me,” Caius said. “I will pay you well and you would serve at Richmond Castle, far away from Winterhold and de Wrenville. Begin a new legacy, one of honor. Leave de Wrenville and swear fealty to me.”
Hallam was stunned by the offer, but he was also deeply humbled by it. “I… I do not even know what to say, my lord.”
“Say you will serve me. I will send you to Richmond tonight.”
There was pain in Hallam’s expression. “I wish I could,” he said. “I truly wish I could. It is a great honor you are offering me. But… but I cannot leave Winterhold.”
Caius knew why. In fact, they all knew why. “She is a good woman,” he said. “I do not blame you, but de Wrenville doesn’t deserve her, either. Would that she had the courage to leave him and go with you.”
Hallam seemed shocked, realizing his secret relationship with Lady de Wrenville wasn’t so secret. He looked around, seeing it all over their faces.
They knew.
“God,” he breathed. “How do you know? Does everyone know? That will put her in great jeopardy and I…”
Caius cut him off. “I only know because I heard you speaking to her,” he said. “No one else knows as far as I can see, but my men and I know. When one is dealing with the battle between Winterhold and Hawkstone, it is good to know all of the facts, the players, and the dynamics. Fear not, Hallam. Your secret is safe with us.”
Hallam sighed sharply. “You do not understand,” he said. “Covington is a vain man. He does not care for Alice in the least, but she is his wife. If he discovers… us… he will not blame me. He will blame her and there is no telling what he will do to her.”
“If he discovers the situation between you and his wife, it will not be from us,” Caius assured him. “Truly, Hallam, you have nothing to worry over. And I admire Lady de Wrenville a great deal. Much like you, she is forced to serve a tyrant. Covington de Wrenville is unworthy of the good people around him.”
Hallam hadn’t been expecting that kind of a reaction to an illicit tryst. He looked at the men around him, realizing they were not condemning him. More importantly, they were not condemning Alice. They seemed to accept the entire situation without prejudice. He let out a hissing sigh and lowered his gaze, leaning back against the wall behind him.
The Agents of William Marshal Volume II: A Medieval Romance Bundle Page 137
