The silence in the de Lohr party, at his departure, was deafening.
Rebecca had stopped arguing with her mother. She was baffled by what Essien had just said, while Dustin, Christin, and Brielle held their breath to see how she would react. Rebecca was not known for tact or restraint, so the results could be explosive.
And so they waited.
“Lady de Barenton?” Rebecca finally repeated. “Who is that?”
“My daughter,” Harald said. He’d watched the entire scene with glee and was oblivious to Rebecca’s feelings. “She and Sir Essien are to be married.”
He pointed to Catalina, seated directly behind Rebecca, who turned to what he was pointing at. When she set her gaze upon Catalina’s lovely face, with her dusky blue eyes, plump lips, and glorious hair, her mouth popped open in disbelief. It began to occur to her just who Essien had been pointing at.
And it hadn’t been her.
“Yougave him your favor?” she said in a tone somewhere between anger and disappointment. “Do you know him?”
Catalina nodded. “I do, my lady,” she said evenly. “As my father said, we are betrothed.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “That’s not true!” she declared. “You are lying!”
“Rebecca,” Dustin snapped quietly. “Behave yourself. This is your only warning.”
Rebecca opened her mouth to lambast Catalina, but her mother’s warning held weight. Dustin was not beyond spanking a daughter who was too old to be spanked. She’d done it before. Stunned, and crushed, Rebecca plopped back down on the bench, looking at Catalina as if the woman had just stolen her kitten.
“Is it true?” she begged, her tone full of agony. “Is it really true?”
Catalina could see the pain in the woman’s face. “It is,” she said, sensing that, clearly, the young lady had feelings for Essien. “I believe your mother can confirm it.”
Rebecca looked to her mother, who nodded. “It is true,” she said softly. “Essien and Lady de Barenton are, indeed, betrothed.”
Rebecca was now beyond crushed. All of the life and love was draining out of her as they watched and she was quite sure her existence, as she knew it, was over. All of it, over.Shewas over.
Such were the dramatics of Rebecca de Lohr.
“But… when?” she said. “He was not betrothed yesterday. He would have told me if he was, but he did not tell me.”
“It is none of your affair,” Dustin said, but not without some sympathy. “Essien’s life is his own. Lady de Barenton’s life is her own, and you do not question them. It is not your place. Come now; turn around and let us watch the tournament. You will enjoy it, my love.”
Rebecca turned around as instructed, but the moment she laid eyes on Essien, she began weeping. Big, fat tears rolled onto her cheeks, something Catalina couldn’t see, but Dustin could. She leaned forward, catching Christin’s eye and silently begging the woman to remove Rebecca before the young woman caused a scene. Even as Christin reached out to take Rebecca by the wrist and pull her out of the lists, the young woman’s tears were gaining steam. By the time they hit the stairs, she was openly sobbing. As Christin took her sister away, Catalina couldn’t help but feel bad about it.
“I did not know your daughter… and Essien,” she said, stammering over her words. “I am very sorry if she is upset.”
Dustin shook her head. “Please do not be concerned,” she said. “Rebecca’s feelings for Essien were not mutual in the least. She has a new infatuation every month and he just happened to be her infatuation this month, so do not feel bad about her reaction. She will overcome and find someone new to obsess over.”
Catalina forced a smile of gratitude at Lady Hereford’s words, but she was still feeling bewildered about the entire thing. She didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, because William de Wolfe made an appearance opposite Essien and the crowd in the lists went mad. The buzz of excitement was in the air as people began to stomp their feet, calling for the champions. Horses snorted, knights gripped their reins, and children screamed with glee because the time had finally come.
Let the games begin.
CHAPTER TWELVE
They were allon the rail.
David, Peter, Rhys, Maddoc, Ashton, Kieran, Paris, Christopher, Curtis, Roi, and Douglas were all standing on the rail, just below the lists, watching the tournament field from a bird’s-eye vantage. When the competitors lined up on their assigned ends and the marshal dropped the flag, Essien and William thundered toward one another, lances brought to bear, pointing at one another. As an entire arena watched in anticipation, de Wolfe’s lance glanced off Essien’s hip and Essien managed to catch William in the shoulder. There was a lot of noise, and Essien’s lance splintered, but both knights remained upright.
The crowd roared.
“That was a good pass,” Rhys said to Christopher.
Christopher grunted. “Aye,” he said. “Essien is immovable in the saddle. If de Wolfe is able to unseat him, I will be surprised.”
