Courtly looked at the box with interest. “What is it?”
Jeniver pulled forth a stack of wooden cards, elegantly painted. “These are cards that I purchased when I visited Paris a few months ago,” she said. “My father bought them for my birthday. We can play games with them.”
Courtly had played cards before. “When I fostered, the lady of the house had cards,” she said. “She taught us to play Bone Aces. Do you know that game?”
Jeniver nodded. “I do,” she said. “This is exciting. It is the first time I have been able to use my cards. Gallus will not play with me because all he wants to do is gamble and I refuse to take money from him.”
Courtly’s mood lightened as her focus shifted from thoughts of Maximus to those of a card game. As the barkeep brought the ladies some warmed, mulled wine, Courtly and Jeniver played round after round of Bone Aces. The object was, through accumulating numbered cards, to total thirty-one without going over that number. One could discard and accept new cards, but if they went over the limit, then a winner was declared and a new game began.
Fortunately, both Courtly and Jeniver could count and they played the game with relish. When their four-man escort saw what the women were doing, they showed great interest and Jeniver invited the head of the escort to join them. The manhappily accepted but was greatly displeased when he won not one hand against the women. Insulted, the next man in the escort took over from him and he, too, lost every hand.
By this time, Courtly and Jeniver were having a grand time beating their escort at cards. They finished soundly beating the second man and were starting in on his replacement when the door to the common room opened and a figure entered. Courtly, who was facing the door, happened to glance up as the figure moved deeper into the room. Recognition dawned and all humor left her face.
“Auntie!” she gasped.
It was too late to run and hide, for Ellice had already spotted her niece. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem surprised to see her. Pale, and wet from the intermittent rain that was striking up this day, Ellice made her way over to the table. By the time she reached it, Courtly and Jeniver were on their feet, edgy, but Ellice only had eyes for Courtly.
“I hoped I would find you here,” Ellice said to her niece. “I had hoped you had not yet left to go to the de Shera stronghold.”
Courtly was torn between bewilderment and fear. “Oh… auntie,” she sighed, knowing her deception had just been discovered. There was great disappointment in her tone. “Why did you come here?”
Ellice grasped her niece by the elbow and the four-man escort rushed to pull the woman away. Only a swift word from Courtly stopped them from breaking Ellice’s arm.
“Nay!” she cried, holding up her free hand. When the escort froze, uncertain, she turned to her aunt. “Auntie, why are you here? How did you know to find me here?”
Ellice hadn’t grasped her niece to hurt her. She had grasped her to emphasize her point. “Because your father knows that you are with Sir Maximus,” she hissed. “I came to warn him. Where is he?”
Courtly felt as if she had been hit in the chest. She exhaled sharply in shock and grasped the chair next to her, weaving unsteadily. She was overcome with astonishment and fear.
“Sweet Jes?,” she breathed. “How did Papa find out?”
Ellice actually steered her niece into the chair and sat heavily next to her. The older woman’s face was grim.
“One of the soldiers he sent on the escort to take you and Isadora back to Trelystan returned to say that you had escaped in the town of Woodstock, just north of Oxford,” she said. “He also told your father how the House of de Shera had intercepted the escort and had demanded that you be turned over to them. According to the soldier, St. Héver chased them away but you escaped that night. It did not take a genius to deduce where you had gone, Courtly. Kellen knew you returned to Maximus.”
Courtly was pale-faced as she listened to her aunt, sick to the core. “Where is Papa now?” she asked. “Is he coming for me?”
Ellice shook her head. “Nay,” she said. “De Montfort summoned him to Warborough Castle. I was there when de Montfort’s messenger arrived and I heard everything he told my brother. Your father specifically asked if the House of de Shera would be present and the messenger said that they would, that all of de Montfort’s allies would be there. As your father was gathering his escort, he was mumbling about ‘killing the true enemy’ and I do not believe he meant Henry. I think he meant Sir Maximus. It is my belief that he somehow means to do Sir Maximus harm.”
Courtly gasped, shocked and horrified. “He would try to kill him?”
Ellice nodded. This wasn’t easy for her, either. Her brother was still on the brink of madness and with Courtly’s disappearance from the escort meant to take her back to Trelystan, and to safety, Kellen only saw one person to blame–Maximus. All of the madness and blame was on the middle de Shera brother.
“I believe so,” Ellice said. “Is he here?”
Courtly had tears in her eyes. “Nay,” she breathed. “My husband has already gone on to Warborough.”
It was Ellice’s turn to look stunned. “Husband?” she repeated. “You married him?”
Courtly nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes before they fell. “We were married yesterday,” she said. “I love him, Auntie. I love him with all my heart. I cannot allow Papa to do this. I must got to Warborough and warn him.”
She stood up with the full intention of charging off to Warborough but Ellice grabbed her, preventing her from moving. Jeniver, too, put her hands on Courtly to stop the woman from running off.
“Nay, Courtly,” Jeniver said gently but firmly. “You will not go. We will send one of our escort to him. He will ride faster than you can, moreover, he will know where to find Maximus.”
Courtly turned to Jeniver and burst into tears. “My father will try to kill him, I know it,” she sobbed. “Mayhap he is already moving against him!”
Jeniver wiped at the woman’s tears. “Maximus will be on his guard around your father,” she assured her. “You know that he is on his guard around everyone except his brothers. He will not give your father the chance to cut him down. You must have faith.”
