CHAPTER FOUR
For a daythat had started so beautiful, the weather turned bad quickly. It was just a few miles from Brampton to Kirklinton Castle but as the weather threatened, Mathias picked up the pace.
He was disappointed, too, because the first hour of their ride had been very pleasant and leisurely. He and Cathlina had spoken of trivial things, like little stories from when they were younger or, in Cathlina’s case, a grandfather who had no teeth and spent all of his time gnawing on animal bones like a dog. She had giggled through the story and Mathias had been charmed by the way she told it. The more time he spent with her, the more he felt his wall of self-protection crumbling. De Lara or no, he was deeply attracted to her.
But then the clouds rolled in and the breeze began to pick up. He watched the sky turn dark but Kirklinton was at least another hour away so he gently prodded Cathlina to move a bit faster. But she wasn’t interested in returning home any time soon. She was more interested in their conversation and truth be told, so was he. Their quickened pace didn’t last long before they were back to a leisure stroll.
Mathias rode a big, heavy gray charger that was well past its prime. When he’d had his knighthood stripped, they’d taken his charger as well and he missed the horse very much. It had been Justus who had purchased the old charger for his son a few months after that fateful day and Mathias was rather fond of the beast, but he soon discovered it was rather skittish. It particularly didn’t like thunder. Every time the clouds rolled,the horse would jump. As Cathlina chattered on, it was taking increasing effort to control the old stud.
“Now you know all about my silly grandfather,” she said as fat drops of rain began to splatter. “Tell me about your family, Mathias. I have met your father and brother. Where is your mother?”
He clucked to the big horse to soothe it. “My mother died a few years ago,” he told her. “In fact, I was away at the time. My mother and I were rather close and it was always a regret that I was not with her in her final hours.”
Cathlina turned serious as he spoke of his mother. “I am sorry,” she said softly. “Was your mother ill for a long time?”
Mathias nodded. “She was,” he said. “I tried to spend as much time as I could with her but at that time in my life, I was traveling quite a bit and could not stay by her side for an over amount of time.”
“Traveling?” Cathlina asked, cocking her head. “Where were you traveling to?”
Mathias had been very careful throughout the conversation to avoid any mention of his knightly past. He’d done a good job of it so far but questions like the one Cathlina proposed could get him into trouble, so he was very careful in how he answered it.
“I was learning my trade,” he replied. It wasn’t a lie. He had been a young knight learning his trade– he simply didn’t specifywhichtrade, smithy or knighthood. “My travels took me to France and to Italy.”
“You have been to Italy?” Cathlina was enthralled. “How was it? Was it beautiful? Did you go to Rome? My father went to Rome. He said the streets were paved with gold.”
Mathias laughed softly at her enthusiasm. “It is a beautiful city, to be sure,” he agreed. “There are many ancient and mysterious buildings. The people there told me that gods used to live in them.”
Cathlina’s mouth popped open in awe. “Is this true?”
He fought off a grin at her gullible astonishment. “That is what I was told.”
Cathlina thought long and hard about buildings where gods used to live. “I would certainly like to see them someday,” she said fervently. “Mayhap I shall travel there as well.”
Mathias studied her lovely face, so pure and sweet. He wanted to offer to escort her there, he truly did. He was so upswept in the moment, feeling giddy as he hadn’t felt since he had been a young boy. He would travel the world with her if only to speak on things like silly grandfathers and godly abodes. It made him feel more wonderful than he could ever recall, this beautiful young woman with the silly giggle. But the offer would not have been appropriate, and he was sorry.
“I am sure you will,” he said quietly.
She caught something in his tone, something that was both wistful and genuine, but by the time she turned to him, he was looking away from her. It seemed that he had spotted something up the road and she strained to see what had his attention. He seemed concerned and that, in turn, had her concerned.
“What is it?” she asked. “What do you see?”
Mathias wasn’t sure, but it was men on horseback. He could see them just over the rise, heading in their direction. Soon enough, they would be upon them. The wind whipped and the thunder grumbled as he watched their distant approach.
“Men on horseback,” he replied steadily. “More than likely, more knights for the tournament. More horses I must shoe.”
He said it with some humor, trying to deflect any concern over the potential approach of danger. He was successful in diverting her attention and when he turned to look at her, she was smiling at him.
“It is a pity that the tournament is only open to knights,” she said. “You are quite brave. I would wager that you could do very well in a tournament given the chance.”
Mathias stared at her. Her innocent statement brought an avalanche of memories crashing down on him. He’d competed in dozens of tournaments in his lifetime and for six years in a row had been the man to beat in every tournament from Edinburgh to Southampton. But that had been in between Mortimer’s wars, and he hadn’t competed in a tournament in at least four years. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“It takes more than bravery to compete,” he told her. “It takes a good deal of skill and strength.”
“Do you know much about tournaments?”
“I know enough.”
“I saw one tournament a few years ago,” Cathlina said. “When I fostered at Lincoln Castle, there was a very large tournament one year. Our lord and several of his knights competed. It was very exciting.”
