She couldn’t help but snort at him, pretending to strangle him. He grinned and kissed her.
“You put an item on our list once,” she said softly. “You asked for the complete and honest truth when you asked a question. Do you recall?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“I would like the same courtesy as well. When I ask a question, I want a completely honest answer without hesitation.”
“And you shall have it.”
“Did you tell me you love me simply to ease my anger?”
He shook his head. “Nay. I told you because it is the truth.”
She wouldn’t press him; to do so would be to doubt his word. But she did stare at him for several long moments. “Then I will be truthful with you as well,” she whispered. “I cannot guarantee my composure should the next Spanish whore come at me with tales of bedroom exploits with the great Davyss de Winter. It is a matter of honor. I will not have these women so cheaply throw about that which means the world to me;youmean the world to me.”
He smiled sadly at her, understanding completely. But there wasn’t much he could do or say about it. “If I could erase it all, believe me when I tell you that I would. Had I known that someday I would have been married to a woman I adore, I might have thought twice before… well, doing whatever it is I did.”
She snorted softly at the way he said it; so guilty, yet so sorrowful. The subject was finished as far as she was concerned. So she kissed him on the cheek gently.
“I wish to go home and lie down now,” she said softly. “It has been an exhausting night of battling the Spaniards.”
He laughed softly as they resumed their walk to the stables, arm in arm. “I am not entirely sure you can expect an invitation to the princess’ chamber any time soon.”
She grinned, laying her cheek against his enormous bicep. “What do you think your mother will say?”
Davyss laughed. “She shall build a shrine dedicated to you.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When Devereux awoke,it was either very late or very early; she couldn’t tell. It was dark outside and difficult to judge the time. She looked around the darkened room, orienting herself, not knowing where she was for a moment. But recollections of Hollyhock came to mind and she remembered that she was in Davyss’ rooms at Hollyhock, snuggled cozy in his enormous bed. But she was quite alone.
A single small taper burned low on the table next to the bed, giving off enough light to see by. Devereux sat up, curious as to where her husband was. He had been lying next to her when they had returned from the Tower of London after her battle with the Spanish. She had been exhausted and he had lain down next to her, holding her close as she promptly fell asleep. Now he was missing and she wanted to find him. She felt oddly alone without him beside her, as if he had been sleeping beside her for one hundred years. Her comfort level with the man in just the few days they had spent together had grown tremendously. She felt rather lost without him.
Groggy, she rose from the fat mattress, dressed in the soft linen dressing garment that she had changed into when they had returned from the Tower. It was a lightweight shift with long, belled sleeves and deeply V’d neckline that was cool and comfortable in the humidity of the river. The moment she stood up, however, her nausea returned full-force and she covered her mouth, burping unladylike as her stomach lurched. She didn’t feel particularly well at the moment. Quietly, she moved to the door and carefully opened it, peering out into the hall.
She could hear Davyss’ voice the moment she opened the door. It was coming from further down the hall to her left; she could see an open door and light streaming out of it. Tiptoeing down the wide-planked wooden floor, his voice grew louder as she approached and she paused outside the door, wondering if she should announce herself. It was apparent he wasn’t alone in the room and she didn’t want to disturb him. But she couldn’t help but linger simply to hear the sound of his deep voice. It was beautiful and comforting.
“As I told you earlier, because we already know that de Montfort and his barons are moving south, the king has sent thousands of infantry to camp at St. Pancras,” Davyss was saying. “Edward and I will stash the cavalry at Lewes Castle, about a mile north of the priory, and await de Montfort’s arrival. But my army must move out of London by dawn if we are to make it to Sussex before de Montfort; we need to be ready and waiting for him when he arrives. Are there any questions so far?”
Lollardly and Andrew were standing closest to the map table, their eyes riveted to the yellowed hide that had a detailed map of the Lewes area on it. Prince Edward had given it to Davyss so he and his men could study it. The plan that Davyss spoke of had been hatched earlier in the day when Davyss had briefly met with the king and the prince, before the women went to battle. At the moment, it was imperative that Davyss brief his knights on what was to come. They had little time to prepare even though they knew this confrontation had been brewing for some time. Now, it was upon them.
“Do we know for certain who rides with de Montfort?” Lollardly asked quietly.
Davyss’ hazel eyes never left the map. “Gloucester,” he told them. “Guy and Henry de Montfort, and Lord Marshall Segrave.”
Andrew tried not to look too surprised. “The Lord Marshall of England rides with de Montfort?” he shook his head. “How is the king taking that bit of news?”
Davyss shrugged. “He is resigned. Truthfully, there is nothing he can do. But he plans to strip the man of his title once he gets his hands on him.”
“What about Hugh?” young Edmund spoke from the shadows near the windows. “Where is he in all of this? Will he not join us at Lewes?”
Andrew shot his younger brother a withering look, to which Edmund visibly shrank, but Davyss did nothing more than look up from the map. There was no emotion on his face when he spoke.
“Hugh will not be joining us,” he said quietly.
Andrew turned to look at him. “Do you know this for certain?”
Davyss lifted an eyebrow, refusing to look at him. “Fairly certain.”
