CHAPTER NINE
“Where is de Wolfe?” Jeremy wondered, looking around Nathaniel’s familiar solar. “He wanted to speak with us, did he not?”
Gordon was behind his son as they entered the solar, followed by George, Adam, and Kristoph. They were weary, dirty, having spent the entire day cleaning up the stones from part of the barracks that had suffered some damage from the St. Hèver projectiles. Two weeks after that fateful battle, any damage from the flaming volley had been repaired. As soon as the knights entered the solar, they began searching for chairs to collapse into.
“That is what Longbow told me,” Gordon said, watching Adam and George fight over a small chair near the hearth. “I should think de Wolfe will be here shortly. He said it was important.”
“And you do not know what it is about?”
Gordon knew but he’d been asked not to speak of it. He began hunting for his own chair. “We shall all know soon enough.”
Jeremy eyed his father, realizing he hadn’t been given a direct answer. In fact, his father had been acting strangely since his meeting with de Wolfe earlier in the day. Jeremy couldn’t help but notice the man wouldn’t look him in the eye when he told him of his meeting with de Wolfe, which was strange. Perhaps it was because Jeremy had once accused his father of being in league with de Wolfe; perhaps it was simply because Gordon was exhausted like the rest of them. Either way, Jeremy couldn’t help but wonder if there was something afoot.
Without anything to say to his father, Jeremy wandered over to the heavy oak table that Nathaniel had used for his documents. It was a big table, pockmarked from years of daggers being pitched into the maps it usually contained and, at the moment, the clutter of the old table was familiar. Jeremy had seen it numerous times like this. It looked as it did when Nathaniel was around. Nathaniel had been a rather messy man, and Jeremy drew some comfort from seeing the usual clutter.
“This room still looks and feels the same as it did when Nat was alive,” he commented, eyeing the contents of the table and seeing maps as well as pieces of vellum, missives with writing on it. “De Wolfe has been spending a good deal of time in here but it thankfully does not have his smell about it yet.”
Gordon glanced at his son, knowing that although Jeremy had backed off of his rebellion against de Wolfe, it was still lingering below the surface. He didn’t say anything to that, mostly because anything he said might sound like he was defending de Wolfe and Jeremy still didn’t like the fact that his father seemed to frequently side with Scott. These days, father and son had a fragile relationship at best. But while Gordon refrained from comment, the other du Rennic knights did not have that control.
“He spends a good deal of time in here,” George said. “I’ve been told he even sleeps in here.”
The knights began looking around, spying a pallet on the floor back in the corner near the hearth. It was obvious someone had been sleeping upon it and Adam went so far as to go over and spit on it. George giggled but Gordon frowned.
“Disgusting,” he said unhappily. “If he did that to your bed, you would draw your sword on the man.”
Adam shrugged, as if he had no remorse for what he’d done. “Be glad that I did not piss on it.”
“If you piss on it, I will run you through.”
Stewart had evidently been standing in the doorway long enough to see Adam spit upon Scott’s bedding. Adam stiffened to see the big, blonde de Wolfe knight enter, both men eyeing each other hazardously. But Adam wasn’t so foolish that he would challenge Longbow; everyone knew the man had a deadly strike. Gordon, seeing that the situation was quickly deteriorating, stepped between them.
“He will bring a fresh blanket,” he assured Stewart. “I will make sure of it.”
Stewart continued to eye Adam, who was wise enough to move back over to where Kristoph and George were standing. Safety in numbers. But Stewart didn’t care; if he really wanted to take Adam to task it wouldn’t matter how many men were standing around him.
“See that he does,” he said to Gordon, finally tearing his gaze off of Adam only to notice that Jeremy was standing at the big table, rifling through the documents and maps on it. He didn’t like the knight going through de Wolfe’s business. “What are you looking for, Huntley?”
Jeremy glanced at Stewart. “Nothing in particular,” he said, “but there are several maps of Cumbria here. What is de Wolfe looking for?”
Stewart made his way to the table, making sure there wasn’t anything on it that Jeremy shouldn’t see. “Nothing in particular that I know of,” he said. “He is simply studying the landscape. That map has the baron’s territories on it.”
He was pointing to one that had a good deal of writing all over it, boundaries and such. Jeremy looked at it. “There are several that were not allies of Henry,” Jeremy said, picking up the map and peering at it. “Sadgill, Kentmere, Rydal… these are barons that de Wolfe is going to have to make peace with at some point if he intends to remain here.”
Stewart was looking at the map, too, seeing all of the lines and hash marks that Jeremy was. “I am sure he wishes to speak with you about that,” he said. “You would know about these local lords. Didn’t Lord du Rennic have treaties with them?”
Jeremy shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said as the conversation became surprisingly civil. “The House of du Rennic has been in this vale for two hundred years, so there is a certain amount of respect that goes along with that, even from the Cumbrian feudal lords. Although they were not exactly allies, they did not encroach on Nat or his lands provided that we stayed away from them as well. But now that Nat is gone, who is to say how these lords will behave now? They may feel that they no longer have to restrain themselves.”
“Like the attack two weeks ago?”
Jeremy shrugged, not particularly wanting to get back into the details of that folly on his part. “Possibly,” he said. He set the map down, noticing what looked like a rather official missive next to it and he picked it up to read it. “Is that why de Wolfe has gathered us together? To discuss who attacked us? Because de Wolfe has not asked this question since it happened and I can tell you that I did not get a close enough look to know. I have my suspicions, but nothing solid.”
Stewart realized that Jeremy had picked up the missive from Edward. As quick as a flash, he reached out and snatched it from Jeremy as the man read through it, but he didn’t move fast enough. Jeremy had seen the first paragraph and as Steward took it away, Jeremy looked at him in outrage. In fact, the man’s entire countenance changed.
“What in the hell is that?” he demanded. “The king has selected a husband for my sister?”
The mood of the room swelled to splitting proportions as Kristoph, Adam, and George surged forward, outraged because Jeremy was. Gordon, seeing the volatility, went to calm the younger knights as Stewart found himself facing a very angry Jeremy Huntley, which wasn’t surprising given what the man had just seen. Stewart found himself wishing Scott would make a welcome appearance because he wasn’t sure he could hold Jeremy off at this point with evasive answers. Still, he had no choice – if he didn’t say something, it was quite possible that his fists would soon be doing the talking.
“Why are you so enraged?” Stewart asked calmly. “Castle Canaan is strategic and important. Do you really think Edward was simply going to let a widowed woman oversee something this valuable? If you did, it was a foolish assumption.”
Jeremy’s face was turning shades of red. “So he has sold her off to the highest bidder,” he hissed. “The man with the most money can now marry my sister and assume command of Canaan. This is not simply a piece of property, Longbow, and my sister is not a prized mare to be bartered. This is our home.”
Stewart couldn’t believe they were back to this situation, just as they were on the day they’d arrived. Had there been no progress on this issue at all? Before he could reply, however, they all heard a deep and rumbling voice, seeming to rise up from the very walls around them.
“You live here on Nathaniel’s good graces and you may remain here on Edward’s.” Scott entered the solar as all eyes turned to him. He’d heard Jeremy’s shouting before he even entered the room and the displeasure on his face was clear. “Whether or not you are allowed to stay depends solely on your behavior, which has been atrocious from the onset. Canaan does not belong to you, Huntley. You are a guest as far as Edward is concerned and whatever happens to your sister is no concern of yours, either. She is a wealthy widow and a valuable commodity. The sooner you come to grips with that, the better for all of us.”
By the time he was finished speaking, he’d entered the room and made his way to the table where Stewart and Jeremy were standing. Behind him, Milo, Raymond, Jean-Pierre, and Stanley were filtering in, filling the room with their volatility. In recent days, there was no love lost between the de Wolfe knights and the du Rennic knights. If someone threw a punch, the results could be disastrous.
In spite of the tension, Scott kept his gaze riveted to Jeremy but couldn’t help notice, in his periphery, that Stewart was holding on to Edward’s missive. He took his eyes from Jeremy long enough to glance at his second in command.
“You read them the missive?” he asked calmly. “That is surprising.”
Stewart shook his head. “When I arrived, Huntley was shuffling through all of the documents upon the table. He got to it and read it before I could take it away.”
Scott’s displeasure intensified. His gaze moved back to Jeremy, who was standing there, red-faced and angry. It seemed to be Jeremy’s usual state and although Scott had been patient with the man, or at least tried to be, he found that he was not so patient any longer.
Jaw grinding, he shook his head. He’d had enough.
“So you looted through my desk and found something that displeased you,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “Then I shall say that you deserve exactly what you received; a rude awakening. Are you truly so foolish and arrogant that you believe that nothing happens at Canaan without your knowledge or approval? It is an unfortunate awakening for you, Huntley, to realize that you have no control over what occurs here. This is not your castle, nor will it ever be. It belongs to Edward now and Edward has deemed that your sister, the widow of the legitimate owner of Canaan, shall marry a powerful lord. If you do not like it, then you can leave. In fact, all of your knights can leave because if they display half of the temper tantrums and resentment that I have received, the new lord of Canaan will throw you from this place and rightfully so. Is this in any way unclear?”
Jeremy stood there, staring at him, but the red tinge to his face had turned decidedly paler. His jaw flexed angrily as he stared at Scott, angry enough to kill.
“So my sister is to be treated like property,” he hissed.
“She is property!” Scott boomed. “When did you ever think that she was not? God’s Blood, Huntley, I never took you for a dishonorable idiot, but with the behavior you’ve been showing me as of late, I cannot take you for anything else. Instead of understanding your place in the world, you seem to think you have some control over it. It is going to be a shocking revelation to you that you have no control, over anything. So you will either accept what Edward has deemed necessary for Canaan and Lady du Rennic or you will leave this place today and never return. What is your choice?”
Jeremy glared at him, hard. The problem was that the rational part of him, the part so seldom seen, knew that Scott was correct. Everything de Wolfe said had been utterly correct but it was a massive blow to Jeremy’s pride. Of course he had no control over anything; for the past four months, he’d been pretending he was in control, but it was all an illusion.
That illusion had just been shattered.
He had no recourse. Jeremy knew that. Grossly upset, terribly offended, and greatly embarrassed, he took a step back from Scott and Stewart, eyeing the men as one would eye the vilest of enemies.
“Why didn’t that arrow hit you,” he growled. It was not a question. “You are not worthy enough that Nathaniel should have lost his life.”
Stewart flinched, moving to draw the dagger sheathed on his belt, but Scott threw out an arm, preventing him from advancing. In fact, Gordon quickly stepped forward, grasping his son by the arm and trying to pull him away before Stewart shoved a blade into his chest. But Scott remained calm, his gaze never leaving Jeremy.
“I will not punish you for that remark because I happen to agree with you,” he said after a moment. “Nathaniel was a man among men. I admired him greatly. Your comment to me tells me that you did, too, and it also tells me that you have a great capacity for loyalty, which is, mayhap, your one redeeming quality. Nathaniel was very gracious to you and your father when you were virtually penniless. How do I know? Because I was Nathaniel’s liege and he spoke of you and your father, proudly. He allowed you to come and serve him, and you feel as if you owe him your loyalty because of it. But you must understand that Nathaniel is gone and soon a new lord will assume Canaan. Mayhap he will be as gracious as Nathaniel, but only if you will show him some respect.”
Jeremy wasn’t apt to listen to Scott; his anger had the better of him. “He will have to earn any respect I give him.”
Scott understood a thing or two about stubborn men, but Jeremy was one of the worst he’d ever seen. “A word of advice, Huntley,” he said. “If you want to continue living here and serving the master of Canaan, then I suggest you come to terms with Nathaniel’s death and understand that, for your own survival, you had better show loyalty to your sister’s new husband. If you do not, the consequences could change your life.”
Jeremy was trembling with the force of his emotions and he could feel his father tugging at him, trying to pull him away. He knew that everything de Wolfe said was true and, in a way, he sensed that de Wolfe was trying to help him. But he didn’t want the man’s help. He was confused, and perhaps even fearful, and had no idea how to deal with it all. It was that fear and confusion that removed his self-restraint, causing to make a very bad mistake.
He couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
“And what do you know about dealing with loss?” Jeremy asked, hoping to humiliate de Wolfe as he felt de Wolfe had humiliated him. “Nat spoke of me, did he? He spoke of you, too. He told us of how you ran from your family after your wife died. He told us that you no longer speak to your family because you were not man enough to deal with her death. So if you think to lecture me on accepting the passing of my liege, then save your breath. You are the last person I would take that kind of advice from.”
It was the forbidden subject, shouted for all to hear. Even Stewart looked at Scott, fearful of what was to come. The wait wasn’t long. One moment, Scott was standing there, feeling his face grow hot with rage, and in the next moment, he was on the floor, on top of Jeremy, as his big fists beat the man senseless. He never even realized he had moved but, now, Jeremy was feeling his full wrath as he sat on the man’s chest, pinning at least one of his arms so he couldn’t defend himself. Blow after blow came down in swift succession.
Around them, the solar deteriorated into chaos. Stewart charged the three du Rennic knights crowded over against the wall, completely bypassing Gordon, who was shoved aside in the madness. Near the solar door, Milo, Raymond, Jean-Pierre, and Stanley charged the three du Rennic knights as well and the brawl that resulted was something that men would tell stories of at Canaan for years to come. It was ugly and it was fierce.
It was a beating the stubborn, rebellious du Rennic knights would never forget.
Nathaniel’s fine furnishings were destroyed that day. Gordon, in a panic, managed to remove everything that was on the old oak table, maps and missives included, and keep them away from the men that were fighting as viciously as he’d ever seen. As he watched, George and Raymond went at it, with George snatching the fire poker from the hearth and attempting to beat Raymond over the head with it. Raymond, however, was bigger as well as meaner, and he managed to wrest the poker away and beat the daylights out of George with it.
As the cocky young knight went down, a victim of a heavy iron poker, the other men in the room were throwing punches and smashing chairs, mostly over each other. But in spite of the seriousness of battle, no one was actually trying to kill his enemy. It was mostly a fistfight, a true and generous beating, with the younger and not-so-seasoned du Rennic knights getting the worst of it.
As the group scuffled all over the solar, breaking furniture and tearing down the expensive tapestries, Scott continued to beat Jeremy until the man was unconscious, leaving him a bloodied heap on the solar floor. Once he realized that Jeremy was in no condition to fight back, he stood up, winded and still full of the rush of battle, and turned to Gordon.
“I give you back your son,” he said, rather sarcastically. “Know I did not kill him purely out of respect to you, Gordon. But any more disrespect from your son and I will not hold to that vow. I do not wish to see him again, so take him out of here and keep him from my sight. Do you understand me?”
Gordon nodded, sickened by the turn of events. “I do, my lord,” he said. Then, he sighed. “Thank you for not killing him. But I will say… this was long in coming. I am surprised you held your temper as long as you did.”
“So am I.”
“Your generosity is noted.”
Scott’s gaze lingered on Gordon as the man bent over to haul his limp son away before turning around and seeing that the du Rennic knights had essentially been beaten nearly as badly as Jeremy had. In truth, Scott’s knights weren’t looking any too pristine, either. But they were the victors and there was some satisfaction in that.
From the beginning of their arrival at Canaan, the tension between the de Wolfe knights and the du Rennic knights had been a palpable thing. So, perhaps what Gordon said was true on everyone’s behalf – perhaps this fight had been a long time coming for all of them. Perhaps now the du Rennic knights would understand that their behavior would not be tolerated. What forced labor could not accomplish, perhaps a sound beating would. Scott pointed to the injured du Rennic knights.
“Get them out of here and confine them to the barracks,” he said. “I do not want to see any of them for quite some time.”
Stanley and Raymond nodded, moving forward even as they wiped blood from their noses and mouths. Raymond took hold of George while Stanley picked Adam up under the arms and dragged him away. Kristoph, who didn’t like physical fights and had done everything but try to crawl from a lancet window to avoid the battle, was crammed into a corner with a lump on his head and Milo went to him, grabbing the man by the arm and pulling him from the solar. Stewart went to stand with Scott as the de Wolfe knights dragged their opponents from the chamber.
“Well,” Stewart said, wiping at a cut on the corner of his mouth. “I cannot say that any of that surprised me.”
Scott was still tense from the fight, struggling to calm himself. He was still furious with Jeremy for the man’s cruel words, but as he thought about it, it wasn’t so much that he had been hurt by the words. His grief over Athena had long since dulled to an ache over the years, a warm and distant memory that had become part of his soul. It was more that Jeremy was deliberately trying to hurt him with his words, and Scott wouldn’t take that kind of slander from any man.
Even if it was true.
“I do not want to see any of them but Gordon for the duration of my stay here,” he said. “Huntley in particular. In fact, when he is recovered, I want him banished from Canaan. I do not care where he goes, but I want him out. If he stays, he will only cause problems to me or to the next man who takes command of Canaan. He has proven that he cannot amend his ways.”
Stewart nodded, finding a great satisfaction in throwing Jeremy Huntley bodily from Canaan. “It will be done, my lord. Anything else?”
Scott shook his head. Now that the fight was over, he should have felt some fiendish satisfaction in it but he found that he did not. He was angry that the du Rennic knights had behaved so poorly and that they had driven him to such an action. The whole situation disgusted him.
“Make sure the posts are set for the night,” he said. “I am going to bed.”
“But the evening meal is upon us.”
“I have no appetite.”
Stewart simply nodded, watching Scott as he quit the chamber, heading out into the darkness beyond. He found himself looking at the destroyed solar, thinking that Jeremy was fortunate that Scott hadn’t killed him in his rage. No descent man would have said to Scott what Jeremy had. So, in a sense, he escaped relatively unscathed for what could have happened to him. Any man who would make light of another’s grief was a sorry man, indeed.
As the smells of the evening meal wafted upon the dusky sky, Stewart went about righting Nathaniel’s once-lovely solar.