“Queenie?” he said politely. “Will you please secure your dog so he does not chew my face off?”
“Aye,” she said, clearly frustrated at the dog’s behavior. “Will you please send Maksim to me?”
Maksim was toward the front of the escort, in conversation with Andreas, as Gar let loose a piercing whistle that caught Maksim’s attention. Gar simply waved him over and pointed to the carriage where Mattie’s face was against the iron bars of the cab door.
“Will you please take Winchester and secure him?” she said to her brother. “I cannot have him attacking Gar at every turn.”
Maksim grunted unhappily. “He’s not my dog, Matilda.”
Mattie kicked the door open, holding the dog around the chest as she thrust it at her brother. “Please,” she begged. “Take him and feed him so that I may meet my new husband’s family in peace.”
Maksim could see an entire host of de Wolfe knights waiting for Gar, so he growled with annoyance, took the dog from his sister, and marched off. That left Gar free to help Mattie from the carriage and not lose fingers. Instead of helping her step out,however, he scooped her into his big arms and carried her across the mud, very chivalrously.
“It would not do for your dress to become soiled,” he said when she looked at him questioningly. “I know you put stock in a tidy appearance.”
Mattie cocked an eyebrow. “One of us has to.”
He wouldn’t look at her, grinning. He knew exactly what she meant. “I amnottaking them off.”
“But they are filthy.”
“They are well used.”
Knowing it would do no good to argue with him, Mattie simply shut her mouth as they approached William and several other knights who were gathered around. Gar set Mattie gently on the ground in front of William.
“Poppy, this is my wife, Matilda,” Gar said, sounding rather proud as he announced her. “She has made a fine addition to the House of de Wolfe and I am honored to introduce her. My lady, this is my grandfather, the Earl of Warenton.TheWilliam de Wolfe.”
William smiled at the lovely young woman. She had such a delicate and fine look about her, with big eyes and a pert nose, that she almost looked like something fragile and unreal. She was petite, and when she looked at him, smiling politely, he was quite certain that there was strength behind that angelic face. Something in those eyes told him so. Reaching out, he took her hand gently.
“Lady de Wolfe,” he said. “I am very glad to make your acquaintance.”
Mattie curtsied, a practiced gesture. “As I am glad to make yours, my lord,” she said. “It is an honor.”
William dipped his head in gratitude before extending a hand to the men standing around. One of them was Troy, but there were several others. William indicated the men one by one.
“Permit me to introduce you to my eldest son, Scott de Wolfe,” he said. “He is Troy’s twin, if you were not aware.”
Mattie shook her head. “I was not, my lord,” she said, bobbing a smooth curtsy to Scott. “A pleasure, my lord.”
As Scott de Wolfe, a big and blond man, fair as Troy was dark, nodded his greeting, William continued to the rest of the group.
“This is Gar’s cousin, Thomas de Wolfe, but he goes by Tor,” he said. “And next to him is my son, Blayth, commander of Roxburgh Castle.”
Mattie smiled at the big blond knight that faintly resembled her husband and another big, blond, and very scarred older knight who stood next to him.
“My lords,” she greeted them. “It is an honor.”
The two of them politely acknowledged her as William pointed over to another group, standing with Troy off to the east. “Those are more cousins and grandsons,” he said. “There are about forty de Wolfe men of armor, but these are some of the men who serve on the western end of the border. You’ve already met Andreas, of course.”
Mattie nodded. “I have, my lord,” she said. “He is very kind.”
“He’s a good lad,” William said. “His wife remains at their home with their children, but a few women are inside and would very much like to greet you, so let us move in that direction.”
With that, he extended an elbow to her, which she took gratefully. Gathering her skirt, Mattie permitted William to escort her across the muddy bailey, which seemed to grow muddier as they approached the keep.
And what a keep it was.
Mattie’s glance from a distance had only been the beginning. Now that she was up close, she could see what a truly imposing structure it was. The castle was surrounded by earthworks and berms, as she had noticed, and every berm seemed to have somelevel ground where outbuildings or trades were located. The level ground around the keep had some outbuildings as well, a couple of them built up against the keep itself, but from what she could see, there were literally no windows on the ground level or even the first level of the castle. It was all stone. Further up, she could see a few windows dotted around the castle, but they had to be thirty feet or more over her head. The structure itself seemed to reach into the sky itself.
