Perhaps she did not know the full extent of his father’s villainy.
That would be a blessing.
“I see the hand of Lord de Tulley,” Quinn said lightly and Melissande spared him a quick smile.
“No doubt he had a part in that choice.”
“He is a most vigilant liege lord,” Amaury said and Melissande only nodded.Her tact was admirable.
“And after the lord of Sayerne died?”Niall asked.“What happened to his daughter?”
“Yves took her to Tulley, of course,” Melissande said.“It was in December a year ago.She must have been sent elsewhere for she is not there now.Perhaps back to the convent.Heloise would have had a companion, if not.”
“Yves?”Quinn asked.
She gave him a considering glance.“You must have known of Yves.”
“I know of no one named Yves.”
Melissande licked her lips, as if she feared he would not like what she had to say.“Yves is Jerome’s younger son, his bastard.”
Quinn blinked.
Bayard chuckled.
Melissande took a breath.“Yves earned his spurs with Tulley’s sponsorship and returned to serve his father at Sayerne.Matters improved somewhat: Yves could be relied upon to keep his word, although his father oft broke the pledges made in his name.”She straightened primly.“I was sorry to hear that he had left, but then, Jerome did not acknowledge him and Tulley must have made it clear that there would be naught for him at Sayerne or Tulley.”
“But where did he go?”Quinn asked.He still could not make sense of the news that he had a brother.
“He escorted Annelise away from Sayerne and that was the last I heard of either of them.Neither are at Tulley and no one spoke of them there.I assume they were dispatched together but know not where.”
He had a brother.
And his sister was gone, although Tulley had not seen fit to confide the truth of her situation to Quinn.
Although, to be sure, he had sufficient to keep him occupied.
Perhaps he should be glad that his siblings were absent.
A brother.Quinn could not help but think that another knight’s strength would have been welcome in the task of rebuilding Sayerne.
“But why did Annelise leave the convent at all?”he asked, fearing that his sister had experienced abuse similar to what Jerome showered upon his mother.
Melissande shrugged.“Perhaps she was summoned.Perhaps there was to be a match made for her.I was not privy to the dealings of Sayerne.”
“And clearly you do not know all that the Lord de Tulley considers beneath his influence,” Amaury noted quietly, then changed the subject.“I must say that your concern about the Beauvoir Pass in winter was well deserved, Quinn.”
Quinn smiled.He was aware of Melissande’s curiosity and explained to her.“When I rode to crusade, I went through the Beauvoir Pass in the winter.The snow was so deep that I feared we should never see the other side.The wind was fiercely cold and I was determined never to repeat that journey again.”
“But you did?”
“Aye.On our return, we rode from Jerusalem to Constantinople, intending to travel by land into the Holy Roman Empire.Our scheme was to approach Tulley from the north, following the path of Godfroi de Bouillon, but we did not manage to make Constantinople.”
“It was besieged,” Amaury informed Melissande, clearly noting her confusion.
“And we chose not to join another battle,” Bayard said.“I had no desire to see a Saracen prison again, though Quinn might have risked it.”
Quinn could feel his lady’s surprise.
