“Swear to me that you are well,” she said suspiciously.
He grinned lazily. “I am perfect,” he said. “With you, I could be nothing else. But I have brought a visitor so that is the most you will get out of me at the moment.”
Lista had been so focused on Julian that she hadn’t seen the knight next to the hearth that was taller than he was. Julian had her by the hand, leading her over to the handsome, black-haired knight.
“Sir Louis, this is Lady Lista de la Mere,” Julian said. “She is the mistress of this castle. Lista, this is Louis de Rhos, whose father is the Earl of Sunderland. Louis was fortuitously travelinglast night when he encountered our Scots. He helped chase them away, so we should show him all manner of gratitude.”
Lista smiled at the handsome knight. “You have my thanks, Sir Louis,” she said. “May I provide you with food and drink?”
“And a bed,” Julian said before Louis could respond. “The man needs to sleep a little, too.”
Louis grinned, focusing intently on Lista. “Food, drink, and a bed would be much appreciated, my lady.”
Lista’s smile turned bright. “Gladly, my lord,” she said. “Please come with me. You, too, Julian.”
Julian didn’t even have to be told. He was already following her. Louis brought up the rear, following them through a large antechamber before entering the great hall, which had a few wounded near one of the hearths. Lista directed the knights to the dais, where they sat heavily. Gloves, helms, and other possessions went on the table as Lista sent the servants running for food and drink.
It wasn’t long in coming.
Mostly everything that had been served the night before ended up on the table again, warmed over and sauced. There was boiled beef with a gravy of wild mushrooms, an egg and cheese pie, and also a hot pottage comprised of green beans, cabbage, wine, beef, and barley. It was a veritable feast and the knights dug in as Lista stood next to Julian, watching the pair eat ravenously.
“I am afraid to ask how bad the damage is in the garden,” she said. “Some of the servants are out there now, but you’ve seen it. Is it terrible?”
Julian’s mouth was full of the egg pie. “It could have been worse,” he said. “I think some of the young trees were torn out, and many of the vegetables were uprooted, but we’ll go out in a bit and assess the damage. I’m afraid there might not be any grapes left.”
Lista sighed heavily and sat down next to him. “They’ll grow back,” she said. “As long as the vines were not damaged.”
“I do not think so, but I did not look closely.”
“Is this kind of thing regular?” Louis asked, chewing. “The raids, I mean. Is it a regular happening here?”
Lista shrugged. “Not too often,” she said. “They seem to leave us alone for the most part but, from time to time, they come around. It is nearing winter, so they are looking for food. Were there many of them?”
Louis nodded. “I’d say a couple of hundred, if not more,” he said, glancing at Julian. “What do you think?”
Julian cocked his head thoughtfully. “At least that many,” he said. “But there are a lot of dead bodies in the garden right now.”
“You mean headless bodies,” Louis said, a smile playing on his lips.
Julian sensed the humor, but he was unapologetic. “If one chooses to tangle with a de Velt, one must pay the price.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
They chuckled at one another, shoveling more food into their mouths. Julian buttered a piece of white bread, handing it to Lista, who took it gratefully. She dipped it into the gravy on his trencher and took a big bite.
“Where were you traveling to when you got caught in the battle, Sir Louis?” she asked.
Louis glanced up from his food. “Please call me Louis,” he said. “I never liked formal titles. They seem so… oh, I don’t know. So cold. But in answer to your question, I was traveling from Berwick to Kelso and was driven off course by the storm. I never even knew Felkington was here, but from what I’ve seen, it’s a magnificent castle. How long has your family lived here?”
“Since the Duke of Normandy came to these shores,” Lista said, eating more food off Julian’s trencher. “Felkington was one of the first stone castles in this entire area.”
“And you have lived here your entire life?”
“My entire life.”
“Where did you foster?”
“Richmond Castle and Bamburgh Castle. Do you know them?”
