“And he is twenty years older than she is,” Christopher shot back. “Essien is too old for her.”
“I am almost twenty years older than Christin,” Alexander said softly. “Our marriage has been perfect.”
Christopher grunted unhappily. “Why, Sherry?” he demanded weakly. “Why must you remind me of the age difference between you and Cissy?”
Alexander started laughing. “Because I like to be cruel,” he said. “Honestly, Chris, I would not worry if Rebecca is infatuated with Essien right now. She was infatuated with someone else last month, wasn’t she? A d’Vant son?”
Christopher just shook his head. “A de Nerra, not d’Vant,” he grumbled. “I should be used to it by now, my daughters finding men fascinating, but the truth is that I amnotused to it. Christin was never particularly interested in men until she met you, and Brielle only had one man in her life from the time she was a young lass. There was never anyone else for her than Cassius, so the truth is that Rebecca is my first experience with a daughter who seems to be infatuated with a new man every week. She is driving me mad.”
Alexander continued laughing. “If it is any consolation, Essien is aware and he has no interest in her.”
Christopher looked at him, frowning. “Why not?” he said, offended. “Is my daughter not beautiful enough for him?”
Alexander snorted, shaking his head. “To tell you the truth, Rebecca is probably the most beautiful of your daughters—aside from my own wife, of course,” he said. “And that is saying something. Rebecca has that flaming red hair and Dustin’s gray eyes, and it is an astonishing combination. You are going to have to protect her against the hunters looking for a lovely conquest.”
Christopher sighed unhappily. “I already am,” he said. “There are a few knights at this tournament who have tried to give her their favor. That is why Dustin is in the lists with her—to fight off the amorous horde.”
Alexander continued to chuckle. Rebecca de Lohr, who had been a child with wildly curly, untamed red hair, buck teeth, and skinny legs like a chicken’s had grown into a woman of magnificent beauty somewhere in the past few years. Her teeth were still a little bucked, but it only created a more charming smile. And she was utterly, completely fascinated with Essien, who came over to stand with Christopher and Alexander as William finished speaking with the marshals.
“What is de Wolfe doing?” Essien asked.
Christopher glanced at the source of his daughter’s infatuation. “I told him to tell the marshals about the softwood lance that Hage is using,” Christopher said, watching the marshals approach Hage. “I have a feeling this bout will be over before it starts.”
“They will disqualify him?” Essien asked.
Christopher nodded faintly, his only answer, as he watched the marshals engage in conversation with Kieran. Essien, however, was more animated.
“They had better disqualify him,” he fumed. “If he uses on Curtis what de Norville used on me, it will be a miracle if Curtis is not impaled. In fact, I will tell the marshals precisely that.”
He started to move, but Christopher and Alexander held on to him. “Nay, lad,” Christopher said. “The marshals will make their own decision.”
By now, the marshals had taken the lance from Kieran and were inspecting it. As everyone on the grounds and in the lists watched, the marshals pored over the lance before finally shaking their heads at Kieran and indicating that he was disqualified. Without a word, Kieran turned his horse around and headed out of the arena as Curtis was awarded the victory by default.
By this time, several of the competitors were gathering around Christopher and Alexander, confused about what they’d just seen. There were more than twenty of them at that point, and two of them had already gone against William, Paris, or Kieran, since they were currently in the semifinals.
The questions were beginning to come.
Since Christopher didn’t want a war party on his hands, men out for the blood of the three knights who had used the non-sanctioned wood, he had to think of something fast. Even Curtis, who had been poised to go against Kieran, came back into the staging area, completely confused. Christopher went to his son to see what the marshals had told him because he would base his reply to the other knights on what Curtis told him.
Curtis was disappointed. That was clear. He slid from his steed, an expensive and high-strung animal that his father had given him when he received his knighthood, and began unlatching his helm as his father approached.
“Well?” Christopher said. “What happened? What were you told?”
Curtis grunted as he pulled his helm off, revealing shiny blond hair, closely cut. “Hage has evidently fractured his lance and did not bring a spare,” he said. Then he shrugged. “The man cannot compete and I win by default.”
Christopher liked that answer. The marshals had used their discretion because they didn’t want Kieran singled out as someone to mistrust because, in these games, men were dependent upon their reputations to be admitted and to compete.
A nasty reputation for underhandedness could follow a man for years.
“Ah,” Christopher said, turning to the group of knights behind him. He raised his voice so all could hear him. “Hage fractured his replacement lance and does not have another. He is out of the competition.”
A short, sweet answer, one that satisfied everyone, and they began to return to their regular duties. Christopher looked at Alexander, who waggled his eyebrows in agreement over the little white lie. Kieran Hage was a man among men, most trustworthy, and given the fact that Christopher had known him, as well as William and Paris, for most of their lives, he knew the whole softwood experiment wasn’t born from mischief, but from a sincere desire to use something in competition that might give them an advantage.
But not at the cost of the poles exploding on impact.
“Who is next, I wonder?” Alexander asked, looking out to the field as William followed Kieran out of the arena. “I haven’t seen the list of competitors yet.”
“Me,” Curtis said, disgruntled. “I was supposed to triumph against Hage. I feel cheated.”
