“What you ask of me is not fair,” he retorted, miffed at being manipulated. “If there is a battle, I must fight it. You have said so yourself, Matt. Do not diminish what I am.”
“I am most certainly not, Johnny,” Matthew said sincerely. “But I must think of what is right for Wellesbourne. If I am killed in this coming skirmish, if Mark and Luke are killed, then I must die with the comfort of knowing that the best and brightest Wellesbourne is still alive to ensure that our family survives. And that hope is you. Do you not see the logic in this?”
John began to show signs of relenting. “You have never left anyone behind before. We have all gone off to fight together. Why now?”
“Because this is perhaps the greatest conflict we’ve yet faced and Wellesbourne is sitting far too close to the action. Moreover, there is father and Alixandrea and Caroline to think about. Who will take care of them if the rest of us are gone?” Matthew braced his massive arms against the map table, leaning over so that he could look his brother in the eye. “Please, Johnny. This task is far more important than any combat we may face with Henry Tudor. Will you not do this for Wellesbourne? For your family?”
John squirmed like a miserable child. “Matt.…”
“John, I must have your pledge. And for something else.”
“God’s Bones, what else could there be?”
“Alixandrea,” Matthew said. “If I should fall in battle, I want your pledge that you will marry her.”
John’s eyes widened, all of the displeasure gone from his movements. “Marryher?”
Matthew nodded; it was difficult for him to think about it and even more difficult for him to spit out.
“She must stay a Wellesbourne,” his voice was low. “Father had it written into the marriage contract that if something was to happen to me that she, and all of Wellesbourne, would become a ward of Howard Terrington. This cannot happen.”
Obviously, John did not know any of this. He sat a moment, stunned, seeing the motivation behind Matthew’s request. “Is… is that really why you are leaving me here? As a husband to her in case you should die?”
“I am leaving you here for the reasons I stated. But if something should happen to me, I would die with the comfort that my beloved wife will be well taken care of by my beloved brother.”
John did not look happy in the least, but he was forced to see the reasoning his brother was presenting. He could no longer meet his gaze and looked to his lap, fidgeting with a hole in his breeches. He tore a bigger hole contemplating his brother’s request, pulling at the leather until he grew frustrated and emitted a heavy sigh. Only then did he look back at his brother, who was still hovering over the map table. The mood between them was as sharp as a knife, as brittle as kindling. John felt disappointment more than anything.
“As you say, Matt,” he finally said. “But if you survive this battle, do not ever expect me to stay behind again. Consider this the one and only time I shall do this, and not because you forced me to.”
Matthew was more relieved than he let on. “I did not force you, Johnny. But I would be lying if I said that I did not feel a far sight better at this moment than I did when we first entered the room.”
John just made a face of distaste and went back to fumbling with the hole in his clothes. “Next time, leave Luke.”
“I am not sure that would be wise. Luke would take far too much pleasure in marrying my widow.”
John shrugged in agreement, finished picking at his breeches, and stood up. Matthew slapped him on the back in an affectionate gesture as they left the solar.
“It is your castle now, Johnny,” Matthew said. “Do what you must to make her strong.”
His castle. John rather liked the sounds of that. As the youngest brother of four, there was rarely a chance for him to play lord and master. As he went outside to begin assessing the wall strength of what was nowhiscastle, Matthew had eyes only for the stairwell that led to the upper floors. He knew Alixandrea was up there and it was time he bid her farewell. Time was pressing and Richard’s army would be expecting him.More than his meeting with John, and more than his looming confrontation with Henry Tudor, he did not relish this moment. With a steadying breath, he mounted the stairs.
He knew where she was simply by the dogs lying in the landing outside of the room; she was in the larger chamber on the third floor that was situated directly across from Adam’s smelly chamber. This had been the chamber that Adam and Audrey had occupied together long ago; now it was simply vacant and dusty.
Matthew pushed the cockeyed door open to admit his bulk, his gaze falling on Alixandrea on her knees with her face shoved into the hearth. Her hair was pulled back with a kerchief and she had a heavy apron on. Caroline and another serving woman stood slightly behind her, sweeping and cleaning up old ashes and cobwebs. Matthew stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips.
“You have been here less than two hours and already you are cleaning this place?” he shook his head. “Must I say my farewells to a dusty bunny instead of my lovely wife?”
She rocked back on her heels, grinning at him. There was a smudge of soot on her forehead, but it only made her look more charming.
“I do apologize,” she said as she stood up and wiped her hands off. “But I simply could not stand the filth in here. It looks as if it has been unlived in for a hundred years.”
“So you would clean up one hundred years of dirt all in a day?” he went to her, putting his arms around her. “You could have at least waited until I left.”
She pointed to the cases in the corner and out in the hall. “I need to unpack and it cannot wait.”
He gave her a peck on the nose. “Remove that apron and come to the ward with me. The army will be pulling out soon and I would say my farewells.”
She dutifully took off the apron and pulled the dusty kerchief from her head. Taking his arm, they were to the door when Caroline spoke.
