Kieran’s words came ringing back to him.
I suspect the death of his father has compounded his confusion and angst about the situation with you.
Perhaps that was true. Perhaps that’s why things went so badly in the solar between the two of them. William remembered how the death of his own father affected him and he couldn’t imagine what would have happened had he been told, at the same time, that he wasn’t Edward de Wolfe’s offspring. In hindsight, he supposed he didn’t blame War for being edgy about the whole thing, especially when William produced a letter that War hadn’t been ready to give him yet. The man was still working through his grief with his father when William handed him the letter and demanded answers.
Nay, William hadn’t handled that well at all.
Perhaps apologies were in order.
He turned to Alexei.
“Will you leave us, please?” he asked.
Alexei did without hesitation. He quit the chamber, leaving the door open, as William moved to the other side of the bed, across from War. The man was still focused on Annaleigh, as he should be. The fact that William was in the chamber was inconsequential to him.
When in love with a woman, William rather understood that attitude. The world faded when gazing upon the face of the only person who mattered, especially when she was in distress.
“I was wrong, War,” William said softly. “I realize this may not be the time or place for this, but I must apologize to you for behaving as I did earlier today. I should not have become angry with you for reasons I do not yet fully understand, but I know it was not right. Even if you do not wish to accept my apology, know that I am sorry all the same.”
War put the bloodied linen back into the bowl and looked up at him. “I was going to say the same thing to you,” he said quietly. “I was wrong. I behaved horrifically. My only excuse is that I suppose I wasn’t yet ready to deal with our relationship. Things have changed so quickly in my life over the past several days that I find that I can hardly comprehend it all.”
William held up a hand in an easing gesture. “There is no need for you to apologize,” he said. “I am to blame. I should not have told you I had your mother’s letter. I should have let you bring it to me when you were ready.”
War nodded, digesting that as his gaze moved to Annaleigh. “I have a confession to make, my lord.”
“What is that?”
“I am proud to be Edmund Herringthorpe’s son,” he said. “But the truth is that Edmund was not a very good knight. Adequate, but not great. Now that I’ve had some time to think about the blood that flows through my veins, I would like to say that I am proud to bear that heritage. De Wolfe heritage. If I could thank you for anything at all, it would be for giving me that part of you. You gave me life and for that, I am grateful.”
William smiled faintly. “You do the de Wolfe bloodlines proud, War,” he said. “You are a fine tribute to your ancestors. Mayhap it is too soon to bring this up, but for your father, whom you loved very much, mayhap you should consider keeping his name. If you wish to take the de Wolfe name, I will not stop you, but Edmund sounds like a fine man. He raised a fine son.”
War looked at him again, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears. But there was a smile on his face. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “My fatherwasa very fine man. But I am coming to see that you are, as well. I mean no disrespect to you that I shall keep my name as it is.”
“Of course not. Youarea Herringthorpe.”
“I am a de Wolfe in Herringthorpe-sheep’s clothing.”
William chuckled. “That you are, lad,” he said. “And there has never been a finer de Wolfe. But to continue to honor your father and his name, I suspect that is something that should only be known between us.”
War nodded reluctantly. “That is true,” he said. “If my true bloodlines were known, men would call me a de Wolfe regardless of what I wished to be called.”
“More than that, it would put your mother in a bad light,” William said softly. “I would not want you to shame Jane that way. Keeping Edmund’s name is a tribute to her, also.”
War nodded. “Agreed,” he said. “I could not let men think that my mother was… unchaste by bearing a bastard.”
“We do not want to give the gossips any fuel,” William said. “And we do not want to damage the name of Lady Jane de Percy.”
War smiled in agreement, thinking on his mother and the secret she had kept, of her love for a warrior who would go on to be England’s greatest knight.
That brought something to mind.
“Your understanding and generosity does your reputation justice,” he said, his attention returning to Annaleigh again. “I am honored by it. But we have an interesting situation here not unlike the one between you and my mother.”
William’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Annaleigh,” War said simply. “Although I will make it clear that I’ve done nothing more than speak to the woman, I fear thatmy feelings for her are quite strong, as my mother’s were for you. In this case, you are my mother’s father and I am you when you went to my grandfather to ask for my mother’s hand. You have that power over my life and happiness, my lord. I hope you will not tell me to go away and stay away.”
William was prevented from answering when Jemma and the physic arrived in the chamber and War was practically yanked away from the bedside by Jemma, who was desperate to get to her niece. In fact, War ended up stumbling and William had to steady him as Jemma and the physic descended on Annaleigh, followed shortly thereafter by Jordan. With the three of them crowding around her bed, War and William were pushed to the doorway, watching from afar.
