War lounged back on the bed, leaning against the headboard. It was a moody sort of pose. “She is,” he muttered. “But seeing her here… speaking to her… mayhap my father’s death hasaffected me more than I thought. Mayhap I am looking for something to stir my emotions, to distract me from my grief. Do you think that is all this is? That I am looking for a distraction?”
Alexei lifted a blond eyebrow. “If you are, let it not be a cousin to de Wolfe,” he said. “You do not want to sour the man on you if you only intend to use the lady and cast her aside.”
War shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “I do not intend to do that. I do not know what I intend to do. All I know… all I know is that the conversation with her last night made me feel light of heart. Happy. That’s not something I feel, not ever.”
Alexei was fairly shocked at what he was hearing. Joy coming from War’s lips wasn’t a normal occurrence. “Your father had been begging you to marry for years,” he said. “Is it possible you might consider it with Lady Annaleigh?”
War held up a hand. “Slow yourself,” he said. “I only said I enjoyed the lady’s company. I did not say I wished to marry her.”
“Then why did you ask me to find out what I could about her?”
War shot him a withering look. “Because I wanted to know,” he said. “It is not because I want to marry the girl.”
“Then you do not mind if she is pursued by others?”
“Is she interested in any of them?”
Alexei shook his head, a smile tugging at his mouth when he heard the insecure squire in War’s tone. “From what I’ve been able to find out, the young knights make arses of themselves and she has no interest,” he said. “Were you to pursue her, I do not think there is any competition.”
War stood up from the bed, going to the small window that overlooked the inner bailey. “Where are Monty and Clement?” he asked.
Alexei was well aware that he was changing the subject. “Monty will not let Clement out of his sight,” he said with someirony. “He is convinced the man is going to corner de Wolfe and tell him that you do not deserve Bamburgh.”
War grunted. “Clement is disgruntled, but not suicidal,” he said. “If he does something stupid, then there are three knights who could easily cut him to pieces. But he does talk.”
“I know,” Alexei said with regret. “He walks the fine line between loyalty and subversion.”
“I have never trusted him.”
“Nor have I,” Alexei agreed. “Would it mayhap be wise to speak to de Wolfe about him? Mayhap de Wolfe would like to take on another knight. Clement is a good warrior.”
War looked at him. “Leave him here at Castle Questing?”
Alexei shrugged in a way that suggested that was exactly what he meant and War thought on that seriously.
“Mayhap I will,” he said after a moment. “He’s not a talentless knight, but I simply do not want him with me. I do not want to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my tenure at Bamburgh. I will think on it. Meanwhile, I will go and check on my horse. He had a strange gait yesterday. I want to make sure he has not turned up lame.”
“Keep an eye out for Lady Annaleigh while you’re out there.”
“Shut your lips, you bastard.”
Alexei burst into laughter, like a naughty boy, and it was difficult for War to keep the smile off his face as well. He kicked Alexei in the shin as he moved past him, causing the knight to double over and trip on the bed.
But he was still laughing.
“Wait,” he said, pushing himself off the bed. “Before you go, you have not told me what you intend to do with de Wolfe and the letter from your mother. Do you plan to tell the man while we are here?”
War paused by the door, his smile fading. “I don’t know,” he said. “I will think about that later. There is too much on my mind, Alexei. Give me time.”
Alexei let him go. War quit the knights’ quarters, heading out into the bright morning. As soon as he came out of the knights’ quarters, he could hear screaming. Children screaming. No one seemed to be in a panic about it, as everyone he could see was going about their business as if there weren’t piercing screams filling the air. The closer he drew to the stables, the louder the screaming became.
He was just entering the stable yard when he saw William coming through the gate with a four year old clinging to him. William saw him and, with a smile of greeting, headed in his direction.
“Good morn to you, Herringthorpe,” he said. “I’m glad I found you. I would like to take you on a tour of my property, at least those within a few hours’ ride, to give you a sense of the borders. We can make a visit to Wark Castle in an hour or so. It would be a start.”
War’s gaze was on the child in the man’s arms.My sister, he thought to himself. It was a very strange feeling, he had to admit. His gaze moved from the child to William, feeling such odd familiarity with the man’s features because in many ways, they mirrored his own. After his arrival yesterday, and sleeping on thoughts torn between William and Annaleigh, he was quickly coming to the conclusion that he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about any of it. About William, about the letter he had from his mother for William… any of it.
The truth was that his thoughts seemed to be leaning towards Annaleigh.
