Roi simply nodded his head. Then he set his empty cup aside and quit the chamber because he simply couldn’t look at Robin anymore. The more he realized what he had done, the more regret he felt. Nay, he didn’t want to marry, but that didn’t matter anymore. The only thing that gave him just a hint of pleasure was the fact that perhaps now he could have more children. Another son. It seemed that he had failed his family in that respect, so now he felt that he could at least fulfil his family obligations and procreate.
Maybe that was the only good thing that would come out of this.
As he headed out of the keep to get some fresh air and reconcile himself to his new future, he tried to remember what Diara le Bec looked like. He’d met her face to face only once, when Robin had brought her to Pembridge so that she and Beckett could become acquainted.
Roi remembered that she was somewhat tall and willowy, with long blonde hair and a beautiful face. That much, he did remember. Shewasa beautiful girl, and even Beckett had commented on the fact. He also seemed to recall that she had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, the color of periwinkle. But beyond that, he had no real impression of her because he’d not spent any time with her. Beckett had. Roi had spent all of his time with Robin while their children became acquainted under the watchful eye of Lady Cheltenham.
“Well? What happened?”
The voice came from behind. Roi turned to see Westley standing there along with another brother, Douglas. Douglas de Lohr was big and blond, like most of the de Lohrs, with straight, pale hair that hung down over one eye and a faint growth of beard on his face. He was three years older than Westley, known as the quiet brother due to a slight speech impediment. He was more of a follower than a leader, but he would carry out any order, any time, without hesitation or question. When one was entering into any kind of armed conflict, Douglas de Lohr was the knight everyone wanted. The first man into a fight and the last one out.
He was a knight’s knight.
“Well?” Douglas said. “Did you give back to Cheltenham what he’s been dishing out since his arrival?”
Douglas’ speech impediment manifested itself as a slight lisp, which made him self-conscious although no one else really noticed. But Roi shook his head.
“Not as much as I should have,” he said. “Had he been bellowing at Father like that since his arrival?”
Both Westley and Douglas nodded. “Why do you think Curtis sent word to you?” Westley said. “Cheltenham was yelling the moment he rode in through the gatehouse. What happened in there?”
Roi sighed heavily. “I told him to apologize to Father.”
Westley and Douglas grinned in approval. “Good,” Douglas said. “The arrogant bore. What else? Is he getting his money back?”
“He is not getting his money back.”
“Is his daughter marrying William?”
Roi shook his head. “Nay, not William.”
“Praise the saints,” Westley said, looking at Douglas in relief. “I told Papa about the girl, you know. He must have taken that to heart.”
Roi looked between his brothers. “What girl?”
“Cheltenham’s daughter,” Westley said.
“What about her?”
“It seems that the girl has something of a reputation.”
Roi blinked slowly. He didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Whatkindof reputation?”
Westley slapped Roi on the arm. “’Tis a good thing Beckett did not marry her,” he said. Then he froze. “I’m sorry, Roi. I did not mean that the way it sounded. I did not mean what happened to Beckett was a blessing. Not at all. I shall miss my nephew desperately. I simply meant—”
Roi waved him off. “I know what you meant,” he said. “But what about the girl?”
Westley, still feeling bad about his slip, threw a thumb in an easterly direction. “Sometimes Cheltenham men come to the Rose and Crown in Hereford,” he said. “Passing through, youknow. It’s on the road from Shrewsbury, and Cheltenham has a sister in Shrewsbury.”
He was speaking of a tavern in Hereford that the knights liked to haunt because it had a surprising variety of ales from ships offloaded in Chepstow and brought north. Roi knew the place because he’d spent a good deal of time there himself.
“And?” he demanded.
“And the Cheltenham men have spoken of the earl’s daughter,” he said. “She is evidently quite… friendly.”
Roi frowned, as he thought he knew what his brother was alluding to. “She’s unchaste?”
“Nay, not that,” Westley said. “But she has many men who have fallen in love with her. She’s a beautiful girl and will evidently speak to anyone. They say she spends time tending the poor and seems to not have an aversion to the lower class. But women like that are fodder for gossip. That’s all I meant.”
