“Where is your mother?” she asked as he removed his tunic. “I did not see her or Lucy in the lists when I was speaking with Simon.”
Davyss tossed the gray and black tunic to the floor. “Philip took them both back to Hollyhock,” he told her. “It seems that neither one of them were feeling particularly well.”
“Oh,” Devereux said quietly, watching him struggle with the mail coat. “Can I assist you with that?”
Davyss bent over at the waist and extended his arms to her. Devereux stood up from the stool, took hold of the mail on his arms, and pulled with all her might. The coat inched off and she yanked again, this time ended up on her bum as the coat abruptly slipped free. She laughed as Davyss reached down and pulled her back to her feet.
“The object is to brace yourself when you pull,” he told her. “Do not throw all of your weight behind it or you will shoot through the wall next time.”
She shrugged with a grin. “I do not have much experience with helping knights dress.”
His eyes narrowed, though it was without force. “Well and good that you do not, lady.”
She smiled at him as he proceeded to remove the rest of his protection himself. Devereux reclaimed her stool and sat, watching him as he stripped down to his padded tunic and breeches. One of the de Winter squires entered the tent and began collecting the armor and mail, taking it away to be cleaned.
Davyss stood there with his hands on his hips, gazing into space thoughtfully as the squire worked around him. Devereux also sat quietly, her hands fidgeting in her lap, uncertain of herhusband’s mood. In spite of what he said about not ruining his day, she still felt badly about it.
“Do you really believe that Lord Simon was attempting to abduct me?” she asked quietly.
He was still lost in thought, jolted from his trance by the sound of her voice. He shifted on his big legs, joints popping as he moved to her.
“I cannot be completely sure that it was not his intent,” he said quietly. “In any case, it concerns me.”
Devereux was watching him intently. “But you said that the entire reason behind pledging to Simon was so he would not try to take me hostage to ensure your good behavior.”
He nodded, looking rather disgusted with the entire thing. “That is exactly why I did what I did,” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But if Simon intends to try and abduct you regardless, then it would make sense to get you as far away from London as possible and locked up safe.”
She drew in a long, deep breath and looked at her hands again. “Where will you take me?”
He began rolling up his sleeves. “Hollyhock and Wintercroft are out of the question,” he answered. “They are too easily breached with a large army. They are fortified manors and not meant for heavy combat. Castle Acre Castle or Breckland would be acceptable, but you do not like Castle Acre Castle and my mother would disown me if Breckland was compromised. And Threxton is too small.”
She looked up from her hands. “Then there is nowhere to go?”
He heard distress in her voice and took a knee beside her, taking her soft hands into his enormous calloused ones. “Of course there is,” he stroked her blonde head. “I shall take you to Norwich and heavily fortify it.”
She gazed steadily at him. “And you? Where will you go and what will you do?”
He kissed her on the forehead and stood up. “I will do what is necessary.”
It was a vague answer but she didn’t press him. As she stood up and smoothed her lovely surcoat, the one that she had been so proud of bearing the de Winter colors, Andrew suddenly stuck his head into the tent.
The man’s dark blue eyes lingered on Devereux a moment before moving to Davyss. He had an odd look on his face.
“Davyss,” he cleared his throat. “May… may I have a word with you?”
Davyss turned to look at him as he stripped off his padded tunic. “What about?”
“Outside, please.”
Davyss didn’t give a second thought to the man’s tone or request. He tossed the padded tunic to the ground and pulled a clean lighter-weight, egg-colored tunic from a small traveling trunk. He pulled it over his head as he walked to the tent flap.
“I shall return shortly,” he told Devereux. “Do not leave this tent.”
She shook her head and sat back down on the stool. “I will not,” she assured him. “May we eat when you are finished with Andrew?”
He grunted. “Of course,” he said as if he had completely forgotten he had promised her a fattening meal. “I apologize. I will have food sent to you and then we shall leave for Hollyhock.”
She smiled her thanks and he winked at her, quitting the tent. As he followed Andrew and fumbled with his clean tunic, he failed to see a woman and two small girls standing a few feet away. He was busy pulling on the sleeves and adjusting the collar. When he finally lifted his eyes and saw Avarine, he stopped dead in his tracks.
