Andreas grinned. “Yes, Papa, I have enough money,” he said sarcastically, teasing Edward, who laughed softly. “In all seriousness, I do appreciate it. And I had better go or she will think I have forgotten her.”
He headed out with Edward following him. “Be careful over in Southwark,” he said. “There are thieves and pickpockets over there, so watch yourself.”
Andreas moved through the narrow corridor and out into the reception hall. “I will,” he said steadily. “You needn’t worry about me. Your focus should be on Tay. He may try to return to Gomorrah and you must not let him. I wish to return him home in one piece.”
They were at the entry door that led out into the yard. As Andreas opened the panel, Edward came to a halt. “I shall tell Cassie where Theodis wishes to go,” he called after Andreas. “She’ll make sure he does not go there, I promise you.”
Andreas lifted a hand, waving it at him with a grin. Like all de Wolfe wives, Cassiopeia de Wolfe was strong beyond measure. She wasn’t beyond tying Theodis to a chair if she didn’t want him to leave.
But he didn’t want to think about Theodis anymore.
He wanted to think on the golden-haired angel in his future.
Since The Asher wasn’t very far from Lothbury, Andreas decided not to take his horse. The animal was big and snappish at times, and he didn’t want to have to worry about it as they traveled over the bridge spanning the River Thames and in the close quarters of Southwark. He only wanted to worry about his companionship, so he departed Lothbury through the fortified gatehouse and spilled out into the London street beyond. The Asher was about a half-mile east of him, so he headed off in that direction, anticipating the day more than he had anticipated anything in a very long time.
Gavriella.
The smile on his face seemed to be permanent.
CHAPTER NINE
Falstone Castle
“I understand that you are asking about my daughter, Harman. What do you want with her?”
Harman the Wise stood in the bailey of Falstone Castle, a compact but heavily fortified castle with an enormous yew tree growing up in the center of the bailey. Everything about Falstone was circular – the wall, the keep – with the outbuildings nestled inside. Situated just over the Scotland side of the border with England, it gave the impression of a place hunkered down on itself, expecting trouble at any moment.
As the wind kicked up the dust of the bailey around him, Harman was at the base of the stairs that led up into the keep, with Merek standing at the top. Harman had arrived at Falstone several minutes earlier, asking to see the Lord of Falstone and sending a servant for the man with one simple phrase – I am inquiring on the health of the lord’s daughter.
Now, he had his attention.
Merek de Leia was a big man with big blue eyes and as bald as a newborn babe. He wasn’t very sociable, or even very likable, but he was a fair man in all things and he had a well-trained and well-supplied army, which was essential this close to the Scots border. He was known to be a good but cautious battle commander.
But Harman hadn’t come about armies or Scots.
He had come to speak with Merek about his daughter.
“My lord,” he said, mounting the steps. “I have come on a most urgent matter. I must speak with you.”
Merek eyed him. “About what? My daughter? You have already seen her, Harman. She does not require any more of your attention. She is… well.”
“I did not come to inquire about her health.”
“Then why were you asking for her?”
“What I have to say about her could be a matter of life and death. Will you speak with me now?”
Merek was reluctant. That was clear. “What could you possibly know about life or death for my daughter?”
“If you will speak with me, then you will know.”
Merek’s gaze drifted over him for a moment before finally grunting, which Harman took to be an affirmative, and headed inside.
Harman followed.
The interior of the rounded keep was dark and dusty, smelling like dogs. In fact, there were dogs everywhere, wandering in and out of doorways as Harman followed Merek into a chamber directly off the entry.
There were dogs in there, too.
It was Merek’s large and cluttered solar. Merek had to push some of the bigger dogs out of the way, who milled around him, looking for scraps, before wandering over to Harman in search of handouts. Harman ignored the dogs, even when they jumped up on him. He simply pushed them down.
“Now,” Merek said as he sat heavily in a chair next to a big cluttered table. “What’s this about my daughter? And know that I am only speaking to you because of my respect for you as a physic and the fact that you have tended to my men on occasion. Were you anyone else, I would have thrown you from the walls myself.”
Harman wasn’t intimidated. If the de Soulis bastards couldn’t frighten him, Merek de Leia certainly couldn’t.
“My lord, I will come to the point,” he said. “I had a disturbing visit recently by John and Nicholas de Soulis. They were asking me if I had delivered a child this past spring at Falstone Castle, specifically, from your daughter. I told them that I had not. Now, let me state that I pass no judgment upon your daughter or upon your family. It is none of my affair. But Nicholas and John want that infant. And they want your daughter, too. Is she here?”
Merek stared at him a moment before his features contorted with confusion. “Want them?” he repeated. “Want them for what?”
Harman could see that Merek wasn’t taking the situation seriously. Whether it was confusion or lack of caring, he couldn’t be sure. “My lord, I must impress upon you the seriousness of what I am about to tell you. I overheard them speaking of getting their hands on the infant your daughter delivered to fulfill some sort of prophesy. I do not know what it is, but they want the child and they want your daughter. If it is de Soulis, you know it can only be for unspeakable things. You must protect your daughter and the babe from them. They plan to have me smuggle the child out of Falstone and give it over to them, but I will not do it. That means I need your protection. My wife and I must come to Falstone. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
Merek blinked slowly, clearly in disbelief. “My God,” he finally muttered. “It really was them.”
Harman was watching the man closely. “What do you mean?”
Merek glanced at him with some suspicion, but that stance quickly faded. He stood up, running his hand over his bald head, his features twisting with disbelief.
“They told her not to speak of the incident, but she did,” he mumbled. “She did not listen. She even drew the brand she’d seen on one of the horses. I knew it was them all along.”
Harman was becoming puzzled. “Are you speaking of the men who abducted your daughter from Deadwater?”
Pain rippled across Merek’s face. “Aye.”
Harman knew that, too. The entire village knew it after the brand Lady Gavriella had drawn had been circulated, mostly to warn the villagers that the House of de Soulis was on the prowl again. In years past, they’d been known to burn, loot, pillage, and rape, but those incidents had died down for a while.
It was a genuine fear that they might be resuming their harassment.