Katharine matched his lifted eyebrow. “I have no guilt to speak of, Davyss de Winter. If you are here to harass me, you can go along your way. I’m sure the king is waiting for you with great impatience, unable to govern the country without his mighty champion by his side.”
She said it sarcastically. Davyss couldn’t decide if he was angry or humored by her attitude. After a moment, he paced over to the enormous Gothic-style window, complete with precious glass. Very few homes had such opulence. He gazed from the window, seeing a portion of the carriage through the iron gates.
“I would assume Hugh has been here,” he said.
Katharine dropped her needlework entirely. “He has,” she was honest, moving straight to the point because she knew that was why he had come. “What he did was not right, Davyss. I told him so. But it is my impression that it was an accident more than he was actually trying to hurt her.”
Davyss looked at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Your wife. Hugh did not mean to kill her and I forbid you to seek vengeance against your brother.”
Davyss’ eyebrows lifted. “Youforbidme?” he repeated, incredulous. “I am a grown man, Mother. The time has long since passed that you could forbid me anything.”
Katharine was on her feet, collecting her cane from where it was propped against the luxurious chair she had been seated in.
“I am sorry for your wife, truly,” she said with great sincerity. “It is a great tragedy. But what is done is done. Seeking revenge against your brother will not bring her back.”
Davyss watched his elderly mother approach. “She is not gone.”
Katharine’s old eyes widened with surprise. “She is not dead?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he told her. “Not in the least, although she does have a bruise on her face from Hugh’s fist.”
Katharine suddenly came to a halt, looking exceedingly relieved. “Praise God,” she murmured, hand to her heart, before speaking to her son again. “I thought you were here to kill your brother over his actions.”
Davyss watched her carefully. “WhereisHugh?”
Katharine waved a careless hand. “Gone,” she said vaguely, hoping he would not pursue it. “I sent him away. I did not want you to find him here.”
“Where did you send him?”
She looked pointedly at him. “Away.” She would say no more, changing the subject instead. “Where is your wife, then? Did you bring her with you?”
“I did,” he replied, stepping aside so she could look from the window. “Mother, where is Hugh?”
She didn’t look at him, pretending to look out of the window instead. “I told you; I sent him away.”
“I want to know where he is.”
“I will not tell you until your anger against him cools.”
“I am not angry,” Davyss assured her as calmly as he could. “But I wish to know where my brother is.”
He heard his mother sigh faintly. After a moment, she turned to him. “I sent him to Simon.”
At least she didn’t lie to him about it. He felt marginally better about that. But the confirmation still hit him in the gut.
“You realize, of course, that you are pitting your sons against each other,” he told her in a low, calm voice. “I ride with Henry to Sussex, probably tonight. Simon knows this; he is moving his supporters to engage. Hugh and I are riding into battle against each other.”
Katharine’s steady gaze didn’t waver. “There is no difference if you ride to battle together or against each other,” she replied. “I stand no greater chance of loss. Either way, I may lose one or both of you. That has always been the case.”
Davyss sighed faintly, moving away from the window. He paced to his mother’s fat chair and sat heavily, his big body suddenly weary. The little dogs jumped on his lap happily but he did not pet them; he was too focused on his heavy thoughts.
“I do not want to kill my brother,” he muttered. “I cannot believe he is siding with Simon.”
Katharine moved in his direction, her cane making dull noises against the wood floor.
“He is not siding with Simon,” she said quietly.
