“What is that?”
War sniffled, wiping at his eyes. “When I was a small boy, you used to tell me a story about a whale and a sea sprite,” he said. “Do you remember the tale?”
Edmund chuckled softly. “Of course I do,” he said. “I had hoped to tell it to your children.”
“Would you tell it to me again?”
It was a sweet and poignant moment, from father to son. Edmund could hear four-year-old War asking for stories in thatdeeply rumbled request, but it didn’t matter. His son was asking for a story and no matter how breathless he felt, he was honored to deliver. Thoughts of death and battles and bastard children were gone for the moment as Edmund began the tale of the whale and the mermaid and the pirates who chased them to try and steal their gold.
War had never spent a better moment in his life.
When Edmund finally slept, War openly wept.
CHAPTER FIVE
She knew hewas just around the corner.
Annaleigh had seen Anthony d’Vant when she’d emerged from the keep into the kitchen yard. Jordan had put her in charge of the morning meal and anything midday that the children wanted, so after the morning meal was completed, she had come to the kitchens to speak to the cook.
The cook, one of William’s old quartermasters, had been in the chicken coop. In a day and age when it was usual for household cooks to be women, an old soldier with a great talent for food was something of an anomaly. He was old and gruff and tended to push people around, but William and Jordan liked him a great deal.
His bark was worse than his bite.
That was why none of the de Wolfe children feared him, including Annaleigh. Even though she was clearly Scots and he was clearly English, she and Baker, as he was called, got along splendidly. She let him think he was in control and he let her.
It worked out well for all.
It was a day that had dawned clear and bright, with summer in full bloom, and the day promised to be warm. Clad in adress of linen, which was light and comfortable, Annaleigh was feeling as bright as the day. She’d been at Castle Questing for a few months now and she was starting to feel more settled. People were kind to her here. They spoke to her kindly and with friendship. She was accepted for the most part. And her cousin was giving her regular duties to perform so she felt productive, as if she were earning her keep.
There was no one to tell her that the death of a loved one was her fault.
“Annie!”
Annaleigh paused, turning to see Penelope running from the keep. She waited for the little girl to catch up to her, taking her hand.
“What are ye doing out here?” she asked. “Does yer mother know where ye are?”
It wasn’t unusual for Jordan not to know where Penelope was, mostly because the little girl was like a moth. She flitted everywhere, darting about, until no one could keep track of her. Fortunately, there were many people in and around the keep and castle that kept an eye out for her so she never came to any harm, but Penelope was a slippery little creature.
They loved her that way.
“Mama knows I am with you,” Penelope said. “She told me to find you. I am to stay with you.”
Annaleigh lifted a dubious eyebrow. “I see,” she said. “But the question is– will ye?”
Penelope grinned. “I will if you give me sweets.”
“But it is early in the morning, lass!”
“I want sweets!”
Annaleigh shook her head and resumed walking. “Not so early,” she said. “Ye’ll be running like a madwoman all around the castle in little time if I give ye sweets now. Ye shall have some later.”
“Now.”
“Later!”
Penelope proceeded to tell her just how wrong she was, but Annaleigh wasn’t listening. She had suddenly spied Anthony in the stable yard next to the kitchens and she knew that if he saw her, he’d corner her. He’d become more aggressive lately because Talus was becoming more aggressive and, like a good competitor, he wasn’t going to lose out. Annaleigh was fair game as far as he was concerned, and most of the eligible men at Castle Questing were concerned, so she didn’t want him to see her.
