CHAPTER TEN
One Week Later
Lily was unusually happy, and Acacia was unusually sad.
In the week following the shopping trip at Marlborough, and the subsequent realization of an unsavory affair between Clayton and Acacia, Belladonna felt as if there was something very strange in the air when it came to her sisters. It wasn’t so much in conversation or in the tone of the words spoken to one another, but more in the way everything seemed to be. The situation as a whole was simply… odd.
Lily was too cheerful for, well, Lily. Not that she was constantly grumpy, but she certainly wasn’t as happy and laughing as she had been as of late. She laughed at the smallest things and was far too cheerful, even when the lovely pink garment she’d been working on for Jillayne’s party was torn by a careless maid. Lily simply shrugged it off and fixed the tear. She didn’t berate or scold. Belladonna had watched with shock as Lily let the matter simply roll off her back.
Most puzzling.
And then there was Acacia. Truth be told, Belladonna couldn’t even look at the woman. For the first few days after the incident, Belladonna avoided the woman at all costs, but she’d been obliged to speak to her when Acacia had asked about the party that everyone was preparing for.
When the invitation to the great celebration at Chadlington Castle had first come, Acacia had condemned it as foolishness. She’d never really been one for parties, ever, so her response wasn’t surprising. But as the week progressed and she watched her sisters sew furiously on dresses and tunics and other finery for the event, she began to grow interested. When she asked Belladonna a direct question about it, Belladonna answered. But that was the extent of her communication with her sister.
She simply didn’t want to speak to the woman.
But she did want to speak to Dashiell, and she did quite often. He’d gone to Selborne for a few days and she’d missed him dreadfully. But when he returned, the reunion had been very sweet. He’d kissed her hand and whispered how he’d missed her, which had nearly sent her swooning. They hadn’t spoken much beyond that, but it didn’t matter. What contact they’d had was deeply satisfying.
Yesterday, she’d had him come to the ladies’ solar to try on the tunics she had made for him. He’d been embarrassed by it – so very embarrassed – made worse when Aston and Bentley realized their gruff, insult-loving commander was allowing himself to be primped like a prized pony. But the truth was that they were very happy that the affection he’d always harbored for Belladonna was coming to some fruition.
Still, it was great fun to tease him. Aston had received a fist to the gut for his efforts, but it had been worth it.
It had been a rather perfect week, in fact, for all concerned. If Lily was unusually happy, then Belladonna was unusually ecstatic and Dashiell was very nearly the same. Lily had watched her sister all week. She knew what had transpired between the pair, as Belladonna had told her on the very night they’d returned from Marlborough. Unable to contain her excitement, Lily had whispered it to Bentley, who had whispered it to Aston.
But they weren’t the only ones who knew. Servants had noticed, as had others around Ramsbury, and soon the rumors were flying fast and furious that Lady Belladonna and Sir Dashiell were soon to be betrothed. It was all anyone could speak of and, more than once, Dashiell had caught servants grinning at him.
But he would frown, and they would run. Once he’d chased them away, he’d fight off a smile and continue on with his duties. He knew about the rumors, but he had yet to confirm or deny them, and he wouldn’t until he received word from de Nerra or the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Now, it was a waiting game.
But not an unpleasant one, as long as he kept busy. The Chadlington festivities were on the horizon and on sunrise of the day they were to leave for the party, Dashiell was already awake, pulling together the escort with the help of Aston and Bentley. He was as excited to attend as Belladonna was, and probably more so. For the first time, he would be her official escort and the thrill he felt went beyond the mere sense of the party. It had solely to do with spending time with Belladonna and little else.
He simply wanted to be with her.
There was a sense of purpose in the air as the entire castle came alive, preparing for the trip. Servants were bringing out the trunks that contained the ladies’ possessions, while the quartermasters were seeing to the great array of tents and supplies that would be brought along also. Great supply wagons were brought forth, all of them loaded to the top. An escort such as this required great preparation, and Dashiell wasn’t leaving anything to chance.
He also wasn’t leaving the safety of the women to chance. He had an enormous escort lined up, one hundred men who were heavily armed and outfitted for the trip. What he hadn’t decided on, however, was which knight he would bring with him. Clayton was going, of course, but because Lily was going, Bentley wanted to go, too. The man had never asked, but Dashiell could see it in his eyes.
Ever since that trip to Marlborough, Bentley seemed to pay more attention to Lily than he usually did, a very minor change in his usual habits, but enough of a change that Dashiell noticed. He was torn between admitting the man to the escort so he could be near Lily and leaving him behind to keep him away from her. He knew Bentley tried very hard to maintain a proper distance from Lily, but that didn’t seem to be the case any longer. Dashiell didn’t want Clayton challenging the man, so bringing Bentley to Chadlington was something he’d not yet decided on.
“Dash?”
A soft, female voice broke into his thoughts as he stood there and mulled over the issue of Bentley. He turned to see Belladonna coming up behind him, her lovely face scrubbed and rosy in the early morning light. She looked so beautiful that he simply took a moment to look at her, drinking in the sight. Every moment he spent with her, even just to look at her, were the best moments of his life.
“My lady,” he greeted pleasantly. “You are looking lovely this morning.”
Belladonna smiled broadly, a smile of pure joy. “I was hoping you would think so,” she said. “And you are looking as handsome as you always do.”
Dashiell had no idea how to react to such compliments other than to fight off a grin. “If that is your opinion, then I am honored.”
Belladonna could see that she’d embarrassed the man, so she took pity on him and didn’t tease him, though it would have been easy.
“I came to wish you a good morn and also to tell you that I have your tunics packed along with the other things I have made for you,” she said. “The servants are loading them into the wagon now. I promise you will be the best dressed knight at the gathering.”
He eyed her. “Men have never been able to say that I am the best dressed at anything,” he said. “I am not a court dandy, Bella. I do not want to look like one.”
She laughed softly. “Of course you will not look like one,” she said. “But I have made you three new tunics, and they are quite nice.”
He dipped his head, rather gallantly. “They are astonishingly beautiful, and being that they are made by your own hand, I shall treasure them all the more. But I still do not want to look like a girl-man.”
Her laughter grew. “No one would ever think that. But you will be well dressed. As my escort, and my future betrothed, it is fitting that you should be.”
She had a point, so he sighed heavily, pretending he didn’t like it, when the truth was that he couldn’t have been prouder. Reluctantly, he nodded.
“As you wish, my lady,” he said. “But know I will only do this for you.”
“I know.”
“Is that all you came to tell me? That I shall look like a perfumed fool for this party?”
She shook her head, giggling. “Nay,” she said. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Anything at all.”
“May I give one of your puppies to Jillayne for a present? I am sure she would love one dearly.”
He nodded. “Indeed, if you think that is an appropriate gift for a young woman,” he said. “Choose whichever pup you like.”
She was excited. “Thank you,” she said, impulsively kissing him on the cheek before fleeing.
But Dashiell felt that kiss like a brand. It was seared into him, a sensation he relished. But he lingered over it so that he nearly forgot what he needed to be doing, not until a soldier asked him a question and brought him back to the world at hand.
Realizing he had been daydreaming, he began to move quickly, barking at the men to move more quickly in the course of their duties. When one of the men accidentally toppled a trunk over the side of the wagon, Dashiell flew into full form.
“You sponge-headed dolt!” he boomed. “Don’t just stand there; pick it up!”
The men were rushing to lift the very heavy trunk back onto the wagon as Dashiell stood there and glared at them. No one wanted a glaring du Reims. As he moved in to help the men adjust the trunks so the load was even, Aston and Bentley appeared.
Having been in charge of the ensuring the soldier escort was fully armed, they had finished with the men and now came to see if they could help Dashiell since they heard the man bellowing. Both Aston and Bentley were dressed for travel, both of them hoping they would be selected to ride escort to Chadlington Castle.
Even if Bentley wouldn’t come outright and ask, Aston would. The party would be full of unmarried maidens and, being an unmarried man, he was keen to see the selection. He approached Dashiell a few steps ahead of Bentley, his young face full of eagerness.
“The men are armed and ready, Dash,” he said. “Do you have anything else that needs tending?”
Dashiell shook his head. “I do not believe so,” he said. “But you can run a check of the wheels of the wagons before we go. And make sure the quartermasters have extra wheels in the supply wagons before we depart.”
Both Aston and Bentley nodded. As they both turned around to carry out the directive, Aston paused.
“Have you decided who is riding escort, Dash?” he said. “If it is me, then I must collect my saddlebags and prepare my horse.”
Dashiell could see how hopeful he was, but he could also see Bentley standing behind him, looking as if he’d already been told to remain behind. He simply looked sad. Dashiell felt bad for Bentley, knowing how much he surely wanted to go, but he also thought that it might be best if he did remain behind. They had enough problems with Clayton without adding a knight who was in love with the man’s wife and being less careful about showing it.
Just as he opened his mouth to reply, the door to the keep opened and people began to spill forth. The sun was barely over the eastern horizon, so it was still relatively dark, and servants bearing torches were lighting the way.
It was a glowing procession coming out into the early morning. Dashiell could see Clayton at the front of the pack and dressed like a peacock, followed by Lily, who was heavily-dressed against the weather. Surprisingly, Acacia was behind her sister, also heavily-dressed, with Belladonna bringing up the rear.
But Belladonna wasn’t alone. It wasn’t only the puppy she had in her arms, but her father beside her. She was holding the puppy with one arm and had a grip on her father with the other. Dashiell immediately headed in her direction, but he had to pass by Clayton first. Clayton blocked his path.
“The duke will be coming with us, du Reims,” he commanded. “Make a place for him.”
Dashiell looked at Clayton, wondering how the duke had made it into the escort party. “This is the first I’ve heard that he would be going to Chadlington,” he said. “When was this decision made and why was I not informed until now?”
Clayton heaved an exasperated sigh. “You are not privy to every family decision,” he said, emphasizing the fact that Dashiell was not part of the family. “Lord Chadlington is an old friend of the duke’s, so the man is coming with us, whether or not you like it.”
“I did not say that I did not like it,” he said evenly. “But including the duke means I must make preparations for his safety.”
Clayton waved him off. “You have a big enough escort,” he said, seeing the gang of heavily-armed men. “Nothing more is required.”
“I am in charge of the safety and security of Ramsbury. You will let me make that determination.”
Clayton was instantly annoyed with him. “What more do you need?” he asked, almost sarcastically. “You do not intend to bring the entire army simply to protect the duke.”
Dashiell wasn’t going to let Clayton challenge him. He took a step towards the man and lowered his voice. “I can guarantee that when you are the duke, you will demand more than a one hundred-man escort when you are traveling,” he growled. “Therefore, you will afford the current duke, the man who holds the title you so badly want, the same courtesy. I know your attitude is lax when it comes to his safety, but mine is not. Now, go to your horse and stay out of my way. And keep your mouth shut when it comes to the safety of the Duke of Savernake.”
With that, he stepped away, bellowing to Bentley and Aston, who came on the run. There was suddenly a good deal of activity now that the duke was traveling with them, and the knights began running for the troop house as still other men headed to the stables to bring forth more horses.
As men moved all around her, Belladonna had seen the entire incident and she had heard it as well. She didn’t like it when Clayton and Dashiell argued because she was afraid, at some point, Clayton was going to pull a dagger on Dashiell. She knew that Dashiell tried to keep the peace between them, as he’d pointed out to her, but when Clayton challenged the safety of the duke, that had angered Dashiell and the deadly knight in him came out.
Everyone could see it.
A servant came by and she handed off the puppy, asking that food and water be brought for the dog. As the servant went to do her bidding, she continued to watch Dashiell with some concern as the man organized a larger escort. Clayton was nowhere to be seen, having stormed off after Dashiell’s harsh words, and Belladonna hoped that the escort wasn’t starting off on a bad note.
All of this extra fuss because the duke would be attending and, to be truthful, she was as surprised as Dashiell was. All she knew was that her father and Clayton had appeared just as she and her sisters were leaving their chambers, and it was at Clayton’s insistence that her father was going.
It all seemed strange to her, but she didn’t say anything about it. She wondered if Clayton was dragging him along simply to show him off, to show the world how low the Duke of Savernake had sunk. Sometimes, she got that impression from Clayton that he was out to shame her father in front of his peers, which made her very protective of Edward.
Even now, as she stood next to him, she held on to him tightly, as if to shield him from the world. But to Edward, nothing she did registered with him very much. She was sweet and attentive, but it wasn’t as if he had the wherewithal to thank her these days. At the moment, he was standing beside her, wrapped in his heavy robes, watching the activity with a simple-looking smile on his face. His eyes, of the fairest blue, were staring off into the darkness.
Belladonna had seen that expression before. Often times, her father simply stared off into nothingness, as if seeing something no one else could. She missed the days when those gentle eyes looked at her kindly and meant it.
“Papa?” she said softly. “Would you like to go back into the keep and sit down until they are ready?”
Edward didn’t react for a moment. When he did, it wasn’t to answer her question.
“It is the glory of a new day,” he said. “I see heaven laid before me.”
She smiled faintly. “Why do you say that?”
“Because of the light. Always because of the light.”
“But it is dark, Papa.”
He turned to look at her. “What is thy name, Angel?”
Her smile faded. “I am Belladonna, Papa. Your daughter.”
He stared at her with the simpleton expression on his face, his eyes unnaturally bright. “Daughter?” he repeated. “They died long ago, Angel. Long ago.”
Belladonna didn’t know what to say. She simply patted his hand. It seemed that her father grew worse every day, for she was certain he still recognized her as of late. But his words this morning suggested there was confusion even in that. It was heartbreaking, truly. As she stood there and held fast to him, waiting for the escort to finish, her father suddenly pulled away from her.
“Papa?” Belladonna ran after him, trying to grasp him by the arm again. “Papa, where are you going?”
He was still strong in his old age, easily pulling away from her. “I am not ready to go to heaven yet, Angel,” he said. “I must stay upon this earth. Men are in need of me.”
With that, he pushed away from her again and she tripped over her skirts, falling heavily onto the icy ground as the duke charged back towards the keep. Unable to get to her feet fast enough, Belladonna turned in the direction of the escort.
“Dash!” she screamed.
He heard her.
Bent over one of the horses hitched to the carriage, Dashiell’s head shot up and he caught sight of Belladonna on the ground. That was all he needed to see in order to rush in her direction. He and Bentley and Aston, among others, were all running towards her as she struggled to her feet, pointing to the keep.
“My father,” she gasped. “He’s run into the keep!”
Dashiell pulled her to her feet, carefully, as Bentley and Aston went running into the keep after the skittish duke. Dashiell thought he should have gone, too, but he was more concerned with why Belladonna had been on the ground.
“What happened?” he nearly demanded. “Did you fall?”
She shook her head, greatly distressed. “Papa pushed me,” she said, watching his eyes widening. “But he did not mean to. He was trying to push me away and I simply tripped.”
Dashiell wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t covering for a father suddenly gone violent. Given the man’s deteriorating mental state, he couldn’t be certain of anything. Before he could question her further, Lily and Acacia ran up.
“Bella!” Lily gasped. “What happened?”
Belladonna brushed at her cloak, sweeping off the dirt from the frozen ground. “I tried to grab Papa as he ran off and I fell,” she said. “He did not push me; I simply fell. But he was very insistent. He kept calling the escort ‘heaven’ and he thought I was an angel. He said that he was not ready to go to heaven yet.”
Lily looked at her with some distress before bending over to help her brush off the rest of the dirt. Acacia stood a few feet away, simply watching everything without much to say. But Dashiell had a good deal to say.
“Bella,” he said, his voice low. “Be truthful with me. Did he push you? You must not be afraid to tell me.”
She shook her head immediately. “I swear it, Dash. He did not push me. He was trying to move away from me and I simply fell. But… but he did not recognize me. He told me all of his daughters were dead.”
Dashiell sighed heavily at that bit of information, turning as he heard a commotion at the entry and seeing Aston and Bentley emerging with the duke between them. The duke was protesting the fact that he was being removed from the keep against his will, insisting that he needed to remain.
Holding up a hand to beg pardon from the ladies, Dashiell went to the duke and stood in front of the man, ensuring that Edward could see him.
“My lord?” he said. “Do you not wish to go to Chadlington?”
The duke fixed on him and a smile creased his lips. “Dash,” he breathed. “My good and faithful son. I cannot go to heaven. Make them understand.”
Dashiell nodded patiently, taking the duke from Bentley and Aston. “You shall not go anywhere you do not wish to go,” he said. “But we are going to Chadlington Castle. Your old friend, Lord Chadlington, lives there.”
The duke blinked as if only just understanding what Dashiell had told him. “Chadlington?” he repeated. Suddenly, it seemed like a good idea now. “I must go there. They must have my blessing.”
“Aye, they must.”
“And communion. We will have communion.”
“Aye, we will.”
The duke pushed past Dashiell and started walking towards the escort again. Dashiell motioned to Bentley and Aston to follow the man, and they did as Dashiell and the sisters remained behind and watched. Belladonna walked over to him, her gaze still on her father.
“He responds to you when he will not respond to anyone else,” she said quietly. “He has never not recognized me before.”
Dashiell could hear the hurt in her voice. He looked at her. “His mind comes and goes, lamb,” he said quietly. “He will probably know you in an hour. Who is to say? In any case, he is coming with us. I do not wish to leave him behind if he will become agitated, so we may as well bring him along. He knows Chadlington. It might be good for him.”
Belladonna nodded, agreeing with whatever he wanted to do. Dashiell knew best. Looping her hand through his crooked elbow, she and her sisters walked with him back to the escort, where he helped all three women into the fortified carriage that already contained the duke and his minder, Drusus.
Before shutting the carriage door, Dashiell gave Belladonna a wink that Lily saw also and, when the door was closed, Lily simply grinned at her blushing younger sister. It was a sweet moment.
Bentley and Aston were both assigned to the escort now that the duke was coming along. As the sun cleared the eastern horizon, the party of one hundred and fifty heavily-armed men, four wagons, a fortified carriage, ten standard bearers and three fully-armed knights moved from the gatehouse of Ramsbury on their travels north to the brown-stoned castle of Chadlington and a party they would all remember for years to come.
A party that would be pivotal in more ways than one.