“If you feel that is best, then I will agree,” she said, looking up at the men around the table but mostly at Curtis. “But I will make myself clear, Lord Leominster. Axminster is a prize property and we have a function that cannot be interfered with. We are a royal training ground for soldiers. I personally mentor ten young women from the finest families in England and there are more to come. I will not have a gang of soldiers not under my command interfering with either function. Is that clear?”
Curtis nodded. “It is, my lady.”
“I will tolerate no interference from the de Lohr men,” she continued. “I assume you are leaving a knight in command?”
Curtis nodded, pointing to Douglas. “My brother,” he said. “I believe you have already met Douglas.”
Isabel cocked an eyebrow as she looked at Douglas. “He raised his voice to me before we were even introduced,” she said.“I remember him well. Sir Douglas, I hope we are going to get on with one another.”
Douglas nodded. “I will do my very best, my lady.”
“No more raising your voice to me?”
Douglas cleared his throat. “As long as you do not throw pots of boiling water on my knights, I do not see the need, my lady.”
The men in the room fought off smiles because they’d heard the story. Lady Isabel seemed rather embarrassed by that comment. “No more boiling water,” she assured him. “Is the knight we offended remaining here as well?”
Douglas nodded. “He is, my lady.”
Her gaze moved to Jonathan, standing back in the shadows with Westley. The boiling water hadn’t done any damage, luckily for her, but the man still had an egg-sized lump on the back of his head.
“I shall try not to offend him again,” she said before returning her attention to Curtis. “I will accept your recommendations, Lord Leominster. I pray it discourages Rickard Tatworth enough to leave me alone and prey on someone else.”
Curtis nodded. “That is the hope, my lady,” he said. “But please utilize Douglas if you need to. He is a seasoned knight, and quite intelligent, and his advice is sage. He is also deadly with a broadsword and fearless in his actions. And de Wolfe is a Blackchurch-trained knight. They do not come any better or any braver than him. Both men will be at your disposal.”
Isabel passed another glance at Douglas as if appraising him, so much so that when she looked the other way, Douglas closed his eyes and shook his head faintly as if already leery of what he was about to face with her. It hadn’t been his idea to remain with the de Lohr troops, but Curtis’, so he’d essentially been forced into it. Curtis had his own properties to administer as well as their father’s, because Christopher was quite old these days and although sharp mentally, physically, he was old and weary.Curtis had therefore stepped in to help and Douglas had been assisting him, but Curtis wanted Douglas to remain at Axminster because he felt it was more important at the moment.
Douglas wasn’t so sure.
“I have le Kerque at my disposal as well,” Lady Isabel said, jolting him from his thoughts. “He is a fine knight also.”
Curtis nodded. “Indeed, he is,” he said. “But he manages the royal troops. He trains them. That is where his focus should be. Douglas and de Wolfe will be here to manage everything else for you and he will work well with le Kerque. They have known one another from times past.”
Isabel didn’t seem too keen to continue the conversation at that point. Things were not moving the way she wanted them to, not really, so there was no real use in arguing about it. For a woman perpetually in control, that was a difficult thing to acknowledge. Therefore, she simply nodded her head and moved away from the table.
“Whatever you believe is best, my lord,” she said. “I do not suppose I will be much help from this point forward, so I will beg my leave at this time. Make whatever arrangements you need to make and please inform le Kerque of your intentions. I should like him to know what is happening so that we may have order and organization once your armies pull out.”
Curtis watched her head to the door. He could sense her disappointment in her loss of complete control, and the truth was that he understood. But it had to be this way.
“My lady, I realize you are not happy with de Lohr troops here,” he said. “But believe me when I tell you that we are doing it for your safety and the safety of everyone at Axminster.”
“Would you be happy?” she said, not looking at him. “Having strange troops at your home? It is simply an adjustment. We shall become accustomed to them.”
“Would you rather have Tatworth troops, then?”
She paused in the doorway, turning to look at him. He was telling her, very nicely, that this was the best the situation could be and she would have to accept it. Whether or not she wanted to.
“I’ve told you that I am grateful for your assistance,” she said steadily. “I am grateful for everyone’s assistance. My brother would have been grateful, also. I am concerned, however, that I am creating a burden now that you feel the need to leave some of your army with me. It was not my intention to create a burden for you after the job of fighting off Tatworth was done.”
Curtis shook his head. “It is no burden, my lady,” he said. “My father would want us to ensure you were protected and that our efforts were not wasted.”
Isabel simply nodded. Forcing a smile as if to reinforce her statement of gratitude, she quit the solar, shutting the door softly behind her. No one said anything for several long seconds, making sure she was well away before they did. In fact, Antoninus went to the door, carefully opened it, and peered outside before shutting it again.
“She’s gone,” he confirmed quietly.
Curtis took a long, deep breath and sat heavily in the nearest chair. It was the first time he’d shown his exhaustion since the battle began, and as he sat, so did Grayson and Antoninus. Everybody began hunting for chairs except for Westley, who began hunting for wine. He found some in a nearly empty pitcher and grabbed it by the neck, draining it, without offering some to anyone. When he put it down and smacked his lips, he found himself looking at a roomful of men who were glaring at him to varying degrees. Realizing why, he headed for the door.
“I’ll find more,” he muttered.
