“You will see me at that time,” he said quietly. “Have no doubt that I will find you.”
Cathlina felt his kiss down to her toes. Other than her father and grandfather, a man had never kissed her, and certainly not in the sweet and warm way Mathias had. Wide-eyed, she watched him turn and ride off, wind gusts and rain pelting him as he went. In fact, the rain was falling fairly steadily and she had to wipe it from her eyes as she mounted her palfrey, but she hardly cared. Mathias the smithy had charmed her, had listened to her, and had finally kissed her. That was all she cared about.
Even when her father spent an hour yelling at her for being foolish, she considered the crime well worth the cost.
CHAPTER FIVE
“We were strippedof our knighthood,” Mathias said steadily. “We were told never to pick up arms again. We were never told that we could not compete in tournaments.”
Justus was beside himself. As the storm raged outside and sunset turned to night, he stood in the middle of the warm, smoky stall he shared with his two sons and listened to the eldest spout nonsense. He was truly at a loss for words.
“Have you gone mad?” he hissed. “You cannot compete in the tournament!”
“Why not?”
Justus threw up his arms. “Because you are no longer a knight and only knights can compete!”
Mathias shook his head. “I am a warrior,” he said in a tone that suggested no debate. “That can never be taken from me. I have had my titles and lands removed, but not my heart. I can compete and I can win.”
Justus stood there with his mouth hanging open. He finally shook his head, twitching-like, as if his entire body was in an uproar. “Where has this come from?” he demanded, his gray hair swishing back and forth. “Since January one year ago, you have been quiet and obedient. You have never as much as lamented your fortune, Mathias, although if anyone had a right to, you did. Sometimes I wondered if you even cared. Now you want to do something foolish and reckless that could land us all in the Tower? I do not understand you!”
“It is not foolish and reckless.”
“It is!”
As Justus told Mathias just what he thought of the man’s inclination to compete in the coming tournament, Sebastian was listening, too. He had been since he had heard his brother’s wild idea. He was all for doing something disobedient, but he was frankly surprised that his brother was. Mathias was usually so dutiful. He began to suspect why his brother wanted to compete and further suspected that the lovely Lady Cathlina de Lara had something to do with it. He had begun to suspect his brother’s attraction to the woman earlier in the day but now it was all but confirmed. It was amusing, really. He’d never known Mathias to care about a woman,anywoman.
“Mat,” he interjected as Justus worked himself into a fit. “Do you recall that knight who passed through here about six months ago, the one that died while we were repairing his armor?”
Mathias turned his full attention to his brother. “The one stabbed in the tavern brawl?”
“The same.”
“What about him?”
Sebastian came out of the shadows, unfolding his big arms as he looked at his brother. “We still have all of his possessions,” he said quietly. “Do you recall that we kept them because no one came forward to collect them?”
A light of understanding came to Mathias’ eyes. “I do indeed.”
Sebastian faced his brother seriously. “Father is correct. If you really do want to compete, you cannot do it as Mathias de Reyne,” he said. “But mayhap you can do it as Sir Chanson de Lovern. We have everything he left– his shield, most of his armor, his joust equipment. We even have his saddlebags that contained letters regarding the death of his father, the Earl of Banbury.”
Mathias’ features registered the brilliance of his brother’s suggestion. “I remember,” he said. “Where are his items?”
“Up in the loft, I think,” Sebastian said, looking at Justus. “Isn’t that where you put his possessions, Da?”
Justus growled and began shaking his head. “I tried to sell them.”
Sebastian nodded impatiently. “I know you did, but you never managed to because no one could afford it,” he said. “The equipment is expensive and well-made, and there is plenty for Mathias to use and pose as Banbury’s heir.”
Justus threw up his arms again as if beseeching the heavens. “Now they are both mad,” he exclaimed. He looked pointedly at Sebastian. “You cannot do this!”
Mathias and Sebastian were quite calm about it. “Aye, I can,” Mathias said. “No one will know it is me. I will make sure of that. Sebastian, bring down all of that gear from the loft and let me take a look at it. As I recall, de Lovern was taller than I am but not as wide. We will have some adjusting to do.”
Sebastian went off in search of the stored items. Justus, meanwhile, was doing less ranting as the reality of what his sons were planning began to sink in. Now, he was becoming frightened. He knew what Mathias and Sebastian were capable of; he’d seen it too many times. Mortimer had depended upon that cunning and determination too many times to count. Aye, he knew what Mathias had in him. The man was a beast in disguise.
“Mathias,” he said quietly, raging wouldn’t do any good so perhaps calm reasoning would. “Lad, if you are found out, you know what trouble this will be for you. Why risk it?”
Mathias was over by the enormous bellows, looking at a half-finished broadsword they had been working on for a local baron. It was a beautiful piece that the baron had paid handsomely for, but it wasn’t finished. Justus had the skill to make beautiful swords and this one was one of his finest works. Mathias pulled it from its cage and inspected it closely.
