Six months later
Wark Castle
“Iwant tosee Tommy!”
Caria had her face pressed into the door of the cab that was carrying her and Jordan to Wark Castle. It was a fortified cab, with iron and wooden sides, and small holes cut out for ventilation and light. It looked like a box on wheels, painted with the de Wolfe colors of silver and black, and the door on the rear of the cab was of iron slats, like a portcullis.
It was that door that Caria was pressed against, seeing William riding behind the cab, surrounded by about a hundred soldiers and at least two knights. When traveling with his wife, even for a short distance, William always made sure to bring an overabundance of armed men. Being this close to the Scottish border, that was prudent practice.
“Poppy!” she cried to William, holding on to the grates like a prisoner in a cell. “Where is Tommy?”
William reined his horse closer to the cab, smiling at the eager little girl. “He is up ahead,” he told her. “We shall be there soon.”
Soon wasn’t good enough for Caria. She made a face at him, sticking out her tongue, before rushing to the opposite side of the cab to try and see Wark Castle from the ventilation holes. Jordan, who was sitting towards the rear of the cab, shook her head at the excitable child.
“One would think she hasna seen him in months,” she said, watching Caria climb up onto the bench of the wagon as her nurse tried to hold the child steady. “We were only here two weeks ago.”
William’s gaze moved from Caria’s antics to the countryside. It was June and, so far, it had proven to be a pleasant month with little rain. But that was the only pleasant thing about it considering Thomas’ situation.
With Adelaide de Vauden.
God, he couldn’t even voice it because to voice it made it real. In fact, no one in the family had really voiced the reality of the situation for the very same reason, all of them praying that the situation would soon iron itself out. For William, it was his worst nightmare come to life. He, too, prayed daily that somehow, this terrible circumstance would come to a peaceful conclusion.
But six months into it, he’d seen little evidence that it would.
God help him.
Riding in the carriage, he knew Jordan had enough to say about it but, mercifully, she’d mostly kept silent on the matter. Perhaps she, too, was waiting for the situation to settle down. Or perhaps, she simply didn’t want to admit guilt in all of this. She’d forced Thomas into the circumstances as much as William had, so it wasn’t as if she could go blaming her husband. Nay, she knew she harbored much of the guilt, too.
But it was coming to the point where neither parent could keep quiet any longer.
Hence, the very reason they were heading to Wark on this fine day. William had invited de Vauden to join them for a feast and the man had accepted, but the invitation to the feast was really a ruse. William wanted to speak to de Vauden about his daughter because he was coming to think this contract was not such a good idea, no matter how wealthy the heiress.
A man’s sanity was worth more than the money.
“Northumbria is goin’ tae be present at Wark this night?” Jordan asked, breaking into his thoughts. “He promised tae come, did he not?”
William nodded. “Aye,” he said. “He said he would come. We have much to discuss.”
Jordan sighed faintly. “English,” she said to her husband; her pet name for him since before they were married had always beenEnglish. “Ye know I’ve spent a good deal of time at Wark since Adelaide came tae live there, and ye know I’ve tried not tae give ye my opinion on what is goin’ on.”
William had suspected this would come up on their journey there. He could smell it in the wind, like the scent of the summer flowers. He knew his wife well and he knew her mind, and he knew this had been pulling at her. They’d spent so much time avoiding talking about it that, in truth, he felt some relief that she was bringing the subject up.
“I know,” he said evenly. “It is Tommy’s life and his situation. I had thought it was better if we did not involve ourselves.”
Jordan looked at him through the slats in the door. “But ye dunna think that now, do ye?”
He hesitated a moment before shaking his head. “Nay.”
“Good,” she said. “Before we arrive, I feel as if I must say what is on my mind. We may not have another chance.”
William nodded. “You have done remarkably well at keeping your thoughts to yourself,” he said. “You do not need to give me your opinion, for I know it. It is my opinion as well.”
Jordan held up a hand as if to beg his patience. “Let me say what I must,” she insisted. “Do ye know what I think? This is de Vauden’s fault, all of it. He knew that girl was mad when he brokered the contract with ye. What I have been witnessin’ with Adelaide is not somethin’ that simply happened over night. This is behavior she has indulged in all her life. Do ye know what else I think?”
“Probably, but you are going to tell me, anyway.”
She pointed a finger at him. “I think he is tryin’ to rid himself of that mad, skittish creature and with good riddance,” she said. “I’ve not said it before, but I’ll say it now– Adelaide de Vauden is a bizarre, unstable creature.”
