“Immediately.”
He kissed her cheek and rose, snapping orders to Andrew, who was seated on the other side of Hugh. Hugh, halfway through his second helping of meat, heard the command and his dark eyes widened. He bolted to his feet even as Andrew moved to do Davyss’ bidding.
“What are you doing?” he grabbed Davyss by the arm.
Davyss gazed into his brother’s eyes, knowing he was going to have trouble with Hugh. Hugh was a great connoisseur of women, perhaps even more than Davyss, and would undoubtedly bed at least three women before the morrow. In fact, Davyss and Hugh used to be very much alike in that respect. They used to have contests about it. Until now.
“My wife wants the serving wenches gone,” he told him steadily. “So they are leaving.”
Hugh’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because she is uncomfortable having women that I have bedded living in the same house and hold with her. I wish to make her happy so I am removing them.”
Hugh’s jaw flexed. “What?” he hissed, dropping his hand from his brother’s arm. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“I told you; to make her happy.”
Hugh couldn’t believe what he was hearing; he’d not talked to his brother in depth since they had arrived at Thetford to retrieve Lady de Winter, so he was well out of the loop of what his brother was feeling and thinking about the woman. For all Hugh knew, the marriage was still only an unpleasant situation that Davyss must grow accustomed to. He hadn’t even paid any attention when Davyss kissed and behaved attentively towards his wife. He hadn’t cared in the least. If he thought about it, he hadn’t really talked to his brother in a couple of days. Therefore, the latest news was a blow.
“You cannot make her happy,” Hugh seethed. “We all know that she is a spoiled, arrogant bitch that will never….”
Hugh didn’t see Davyss’ fist coming until it was too late. Massive knuckles made contact with Hugh’s jaw and the younger brother sailed over the table, right into Lollardly’s lap. The priest, caught off guard by the flying knight, spilled food and wine everywhere. Devereux and the other women shriekedas Davyss vaulted over the table and went after his brother with a vengeance.
It was a nasty brawl from the start. Hugh had no idea why he was defending himself from his furious brother and, after several hard punches, began to fight back. Andrew put himself between Lady Devereux and the fight, not knowing the reason behind the brothers’ battle but wanting to make sure Davyss’ wife was protected. Philip grasped his wife and Frances and whisked them from the hall while Nik stayed behind to observe the situation. Young Edmund came to stand beside his brother, his eyes wide at the battle going on.
“What do we do?” he hissed at his brother. “Why are they fighting?”
Andrew shook his head, his soft brown eyes tracking the combat. “I have no idea.”
“Should we stop them?” Edmund pressed, distressed.
Andrew shook his head as Lollardly, still wiping wine off his neck and arms, barked an answer.
“Stay out of it, young Catesby,” he, too, was watching the rather brutal bout. “Whatever is troubling them, they must settle it.”
Devereux was watching in horror. It was clear from the beginning that Davyss was much stronger than his brother and he was delivering Hugh a righteous pounding. At one point, he hit Hugh in the face and blood spurted everywhere. Devereux was aghast; she suddenly leapt onto the table and screamed as loud as she could.
“Stop it!” she cried. “Stop it this moment! You are going to kill each other!”
Andrew went to grab her but she scooted out of his arm’s length, leaping off the other side of the table and running in the direction of the battle.
“Davyss, stop!” she hollered. “Stop this instant!”
Through his haze of fury, Davyss heard her terrified voice and paused. But his brief moment of cessation gave Hugh an opportunity to clobber him in the jaw. As Davyss spun away, he clipped his brother on the back of the head with an enormous fist. Hugh went down as Davyss fell to his knees.
Devereux rushed to her husband, her hands on his shoulders. “My God,” she breathed, looking at the blood on his face. “Are you all right?”
He nodded unsteadily, rising slowly on shaking legs. “I am fine,” he grunted.
Devereux gazed up at him, gravely concerned. “Are you sure?”
“Aye.”
“Why did you hit your brother?”
Davyss eyed Hugh, wallowing on the ground in semi-consciousness. “It does not matter,” he grumbled. “Come along; let us retire.”
Nik and Edmund had rushed to Hugh by this time, helping the man to his feet. Andrew stood with Lollardly as Davyss and Devereux walked slowly towards them; Davyss had his arm around his wife as if she could support his weight, wiping the blood from his nose.
