It was a risky move, but she was going to take it.
“Sir Louis,” she said. “Can you please tell my brother what happened in the vineyard with Lista?”
Louis’ gaze moved to Julian. He was confused, trying not to show it. “She slipped in the mud so I brought her back to the castle,” he said. “Her ankle is swollen. She wrenched it when she fell.”
Julian simply looked at him for a moment before dismounting. Addington held her breath, hoping that it would calm the evidently terrible misconceptions that Julian had. But Julian simply stood next to his horse, holding the reins, as he looked at Louis near the entry of the stables.
“I will accept that,” he finally said. “But I have a question for you.”
Louis could sense the hardness and, in fact, the rage. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but he could guess. “Ask what you will.”
“What were you doing with her, alone, in the vineyard?”
“I was told she wished to bid me farewell,” he said steadily. “I am leaving today, as evidently, you are also. I was unaware of that.”
Julian was processing what he was being told but his body language hadn’t changed. He was still stiff. “She wanted to bid you farewell in the vineyard?” he repeated as if to clarify it, as if there were something odd about it he still didn’t believe.
Louis nodded. “Her mother told me that she wished to have a word with me, privately,” he said. Then, his gaze moved between Addington and Julian. The man wasn’t stupid. “Is that what the problem is here? That I was alone with Lista? Julian, nothing untoward happened. We only spoke. I swear it.”
Instead of being eased, Julian’s stiff stance only grew worse. “Her mother told you that she wanted to see youprivately?”
Louis nodded. “Aye, but I am sure that meant nothing,” he said. “In fact, she seemed a little confused by my appearance, to tell you the truth. We spoke a few words, she thanked me again for my assistance against the Scots, and we were leaving the vineyard when she slipped. Since she could not walk, I carried her back to the castle.”
Julian’s gaze lingered on him a moment longer before he finally shook his head as if the entire situation was laced with great irony. It was clear that he didn’t believe what he was told.
“I see,” he said, showing some cracks in his composure for the first time. “Lista wants to see you privately before you leave and then she conveniently slips so that you must carry her into the castle. De Rhos, I sincerely hope you are not playing me for a fool because I will not be lied to, not by you and not by anyone. Either you are making this up or Lista is manipulating you andme. Personally, I do not care what it is because I will leave here and never see either of you again. I wish you good health and happiness, wherever you may find it.”
With that, he swung onto his horse again, this time yanking the reins away from Addington. But Louis was greatly puzzled and just the least bit offended by what he said.
“No man will accuse me of being a liar, my lord,” he said, reverting to a formal stance. “I have not, nor will I ever, lie to you. I went to the vineyard because Lady Lista’s mother told me to and for no other reason than that. In fact, the lady and I had a discussion about you and she told me that she was very much committed to you even though you’d not formally asked for her hand yet. That is not something I would ever violate, de Velt. I told you that once already.”
Julian spurred his warhorse forward, brushing past Addington. “I know what I saw,” he muttered as he moved past de Rhos. “No man, and no woman, will make a fool out of me, so save your breath. Good life to you.”
With that, he trotted out into the courtyard, heading for the double-portcullis passage. Louis watched him go with great distress, as did Addington, who came to stand next to him. Together, they watched Julian disappear into the passage. When Louis turned to Addington, baffled, he could see the tears in her eyes.
“What happened?” he said, genuinely perplexed. “Why did he leave like that?”
Addington sniffled, flicking away the tears. “Because he is afraid,” she said simply. “Julian has been hurt before, by men and women he trusted. He thinks the same thing is happening now.”
Louis scratched his head. “Nothing is happening,” he said. “Nothinghappened. Lady Lista slipped. I picked her up. What was I supposed to do? Leave her wallowing in the mud?”
Addington shook her head, looking to Louis. “Please do not be offended by what he said,” she said. “Julian… he is a skilled knight and a wonderful brother, but he has always lacked great confidence when it comes to women.”
Louis’ eyebrows lifted. “Him?” he said, shocked. “The man is built like a god. Why does he lack faith in himself?”
Addington pointed to her eyes. “Did you notice his eyes?”
Louis shrugged. “I think so,” he said. “I have looked at the man, so of course I have seen his eyes. What about them?”
“Did you notice they are two different colors?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Addington smiled in spite of herself. “Bless you for saying so,” she said. “But he is very self-conscious of the fact that his eyes can scare people. He has been fond of a couple of women in the past only for them to taunt him because of his eye color and then leave him for someone else. He thinks that is happening again. He is simply trying to protect himself.”
Now, it was all starting to make some sense to Louis. “And he thinks I am trying to steal Lady Lista away.”
“Exactly.”
