“A sister whom they do not know well yet,” Christopher reminded him. “When Elle gives them permission to address her informally, they will.”
Curtis simply shrugged, but he held out his hand to Rebecca, who took it quickly. With that, he began to lead his family toward the great hall of Brython, which had recently seen repairs, much as the rest of the castle had. With Myles and Hugo at the gatehouse welcoming the guests and directing them toward the great hall, the rest of the de Lohr family, and Gruffydd, entered the hall with its roaring fire and carpet of fresh rushes upon the floor. Servants were already putting out pitchers of wine, and there was a sense of excitement in the air.
The festivities were about to begin.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It had beenso very easy to get in.
It had all started when Amaro neared Brython from the south, knowing there were farms along the road, and slipped into one of the farms and stole some clothing that had been out to dry after a washing. Nothing more than a used tunic and breeches, but he’d confiscated them along with a rough canvas cowl and hood that farmers sometimes used to protect their heads from sun or the elements. He traveled further down the road and was able to find more items to wear, an old oil cloak hanging on a barn door and a pair of muddied shoes that were a little too small. But he could accept that for a means to an end.
He headed to Brython looking like a servant.
Because he’d pushed himself and his horse swiftly from Lioncross, he reached Brython before the day was out. But he had a plan—because the village of Rhayader was closer to Brython than the English villages were, and because he wanted to move about undetected, he went into Wales and stabled his horse at a livery in Rhayader. He’d paid the man well to tend his horse and borrowed a smaller, less spectacular horse that the man had at the livery. He used that horse to travel to Brython,arriving just as several important warlords were setting up their encampments, including Christopher de Lohr.
After that, it was a simple thing to blend in.
Because of all of the visitors, the gatehouse of Brython was open. Security was more relaxed than it would normally be. Amaro entered the visitor encampment from the west side, secured his horse in the trees, and made his way into the camp of Bretton de Llion. The man flew a black and red standard, and the knights, squires, and even the servants were wearing those colors. Amaro managed to grab one of the servants by the neck, drag him into the trees beyond, and kill him for the tunic he wore. Leaving the body in the woods, he donned the colors and hastened back into the encampment, picked up a bucket that was on the ground by one of the tents, and continued on toward the castle.
There was nothing less suspicious than a servant with a bucket.
Not strangely, no one stopped him. He kept his head down, hidden by the cowl he’d taken from the farmer’s laundry, so his hair and features were concealed. As he approached the gatehouse, he could see that Christopher had set up his camp right at the mouth of the gatehouse, which concerned him. Christopher had brought some of his senior knights with him, men who would recognize Amaro in a flash, so he kept his head lowered as he passed on the perimeter of the de Lohr encampment and made his way through the gatehouse.
As he’d hoped, no one was checking a man’s identity and no one was paying any attention. Therefore, accessing Brython was fairly simple. Now, he had to conceal himself and wait for that perfect moment.
And the moment, for him, would come.
He’d make sure of it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The first faceElle saw upon entering the great hall of Brython was that of her brother. Gruffydd was near the dais, in conversation with Christopher, and, for a moment, she was surprised to see him.
Beyond that, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
So many feelings were swirling within her chest as she watched her brother. He was the mild-mannered sort, so there was no animation as he spoke to Hereford. He was calm, as he always was. But it occurred to Elle that Curtis must have known that Gruffydd was coming, because he had clearly invited the man, yet never said a word about it.
She felt strangely betrayed by that.
“There you are,” Curtis said, coming up behind her and taking her hand. Still holding her hand, he stood back to look at her. “God, you’re beautiful. The dress is magnificent. Did my mother amend it?”
Elle nodded. “She was able to,” she said. “I like your mother. She is very kind.”
Curtis nodded, kissing her hand. “She is,” he said. “She will be very helpful to you if you will allow, but you will have to ask her. She would never do anything you did not ask her to do.”
“Like fix a dress.”
“Exactly. She’s not one to push herself onto others.”
Elle smiled weakly. “I hope she and your father remain after the feasting is finished,” she said. “I would like to spend more time with your mother and come to know her better.”
Curtis smiled, kissing her hand again. “I am certain they can be persuaded,” he said. “Were you able to speak with Rebecca and Livvy?”
“You mean that child with the long name, Olivia Charlotte?” Elle said, grinning when Curtis laughed softly. “Your mother told me that she and your father could not agree on names for her, so they call her by both.”
Curtis nodded. “They are both stubborn people,” he said. “I hope we will not have the same trouble with ours.”
Elle shook her head. “We will not,” she said. “I will make a bargain with you.”
