Page 321 of The Daughters of Avalon
In part, Rhiannon had lied because she knew it was her sister’s destiny to wed Malcom Scott, but there was yet another reason she’d done so: Some part of her woman’s heart had admired Lord Blackwood even then.
He was her soul’s mate.
Even now, she longed for his kisses.
De Vere,” he said in greeting as they approached the gathering in the muddy field.
“D’Lucy,” answered Giles with a half-hearted smile.
Clearly, they knew each other well enough to use given names. But then, again, why shouldn’t they be well acquainted? They were cohorts, after all.
Only the bigger man seemed utterly confused. “What goes here?” he said.
All the while they approached, Giles de Vere had locked gazes with Rhiannon and then seemed unwilling or unable to take hiseyes off her. Sensing he recognized the familial resemblance, Rhiannon dared tomindspeak.
“My lord Warkworth, we meet at last.”
“Giles?”
Giles De Vere blinked, peering up at Marcella, and shaking his head, and Rhiannon understood that he must be confused by the voice in his head, although not entirely surprised.
For a moment, he tore his gaze away from Rhiannon, perhaps doubting his sanity. He nodded toward the castle. “Eustace is inside,” he said.
“The King’s son?”
Giles nodded. “So, his men have said.”
The bigger man spoke now, his brow creased more with anger than concern. “I’ll warrant the sorry bastard knows I’m ready to break his neck.”
Giles cut the bigger man a quelling glance, then beamed at the young paladin in their company. “Jack,” he said warmly, and suddenly the bigger man’s face erupted with a grin.
“Jack!” he exclaimed as he rushed to the young man’s side, reaching up to offer a hand in greeting.
Jack grinned. “Thought ye were rid o’ me, di’ ye?”
“You’ve grown whiskers,” the bigger man said, rubbing his own face. “I scarcely recognized you.” And then he tugged Jack down from the saddle, as though he were just a wee boy, dragging the apprentice into his burly arms, then clapping him hard on the back. He said fondly, “’Tis been too long!”
For his part, Jack could scarcely respond for the force of the hug. “You’ll be the death of me yet, if you don’t release me, old man,” he complained.
The giant released him, and Giles said at large, though he once again settled his gaze upon Rhiannon, “This is my brother, Wilhelm Fitz Richard.”
Rhiannon’s gaze shifted to the brother, realizing only belatedly that she was face to face with not one, but two of her sisters’ champions. Wilhelm was Seren’s husband.
“So, what’s it going to be?” shouted the man on the parapet, rudely interrupting their reunion. “Will you leave peaceably, or must we fill you with holes?”
Brave words, said with less conviction than he’d spoken only moments before, but his warning effectively cut their greetings short. Whatever more need be said must wait until they dealt with the rogue prince and the adulterine castle he’d squatted upon.
Giles offered them a quick detail: They’d tracked Eustace to Amdel, after chasing him from Bury St. Edmunds. According to his men—those on the parapet—he was inside now, though he’d yet to show his face.
“How many are there?”
“No more than four on the parapet,” said Giles. “No telling how many more within, but evidently they aren’t concerned enough by our presence to provide a show of force.”
“’Tis been these same four men on that wall,” explained Wilhelm. “Only one of them speaking for the rest.”
“There’s only one inside,” said Rhiannon.
Every pair of eyes slid to her, where she sat before Cael in the saddle.
