Merek looked up at him. After a moment, he smiled weakly. “Dear Lukas,” he said. “Always trying to do the right thing. Always willing to help me even if I cannot help myself.”
Lukas nodded. “Of course, my lord,” he said sincerely. “That is why I am here. I am your devoted knight. Will you not tell me what you know about everything?”
Merek grunted and looked away. “Everything,” he muttered as if disgusted with the very word. “There was nothing you could have done. I was as curious about her as she was about me. I knew her presence here was not a good one, but I let her stay. It is difficult to be so lonely.”
Lukas was quickly growing exasperated. “Who is she?”
Merek was still looking at the floor. “She’s really gone, is she?”
“She is.”
Merek scratched his nose. “I had been expecting it,” he said. “You want to know everything? I suppose I shall tell you. There is nothing you can do about it now, anyway. Giddy was not a gift from an ally, Lukas. She was sent by John de Soulis to spy on me.”
Lukas’ eyes widened and he looked at Andreas, who also appeared surprised. “What?” Lukas finally hissed. “How do you know this?”
Merek sighed heavily. “It is my belief that it goes back to something that happened several months ago,” he said. “You know Harman the Wise, of course. The physic from Deadwater. He came here months ago to tell me that he overheard John and Nicholas de Soulis speaking of getting their hands on the infant my daughter delivered in order to fulfill some sort of prophesy. They wanted the child and they wanted my daughter. They even wanted Harman to smuggle the child out of Falstone and give it over to them, but he refused. He came to me instead to tell me so that I could protect both my daughter and the child.”
By this time, Andreas was standing next to Lukas, his features dark with rage. “And what did you do?” he growled.
Merek looked up at the very big, very tense knight. “I did nothing,” he said. “My daughter was in London and the child was not here, so I did nothing. I sent Harman away and I’ve not seen him since. There was no reason to do anything, de Wolfe, and I fail to see why this concerns you so.”
Andreas hadn’t pictured this as the moment he would ask for Gavriella’s hand, but he was backed into a corner now and had little choice. He suspected Lukas already knew of his inclination towards Gavriella so he might as well get it all out in the open.
He wanted them to know he had a massive stake in this situation.
“Because I met your daughter when she was in London,” he said, trying not to sound threatening. “I met her, spent time with her, and I want to marry her. I know what happened with Nicholas de Soulis and because of my feelings for your daughter, your problem with the House of de Soulis has become my problem, as well. You have refused to punish them for what they did, but I promise that I am not as weak. I bring the de Wolfe power with me and when I am finished with them, they will be dust in the wind. My lord, this is not exactly how I envisioned asking you for your permission to wed your daughter, but I am asking you now. I swear that I will love her and protect her all my life.”
When he was finished, Merek was looking at him as if he’d just spoken in tongues, but Lukas was smiling. Reaching out, the knight put his hand on Andreas’ shoulder.
“I thought there might be something you had in mind simply from the way you were acting, but I could not be sure,” he said. “I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear this. I have known Gavy for half of her life and she is a sweet, compassionate lass. I could not hope for a finer husband for her.”
Andreas was trying to focus on Merek, but Lukas’ words had him fighting off a grin. “To be honest, I was not sure if you had designs on her,” he said. “You are quite protective of her.”
Lukas shook his head. “I am already married,” he said. “My dear wife, Amy, is sickly and lives in Carlisle with her parents so that they are able to tend her. They can do it much better than I can, considering the duties I have here at Falstone. Gavy is like a sister to me and nothing more, I swear it.”
Andreas let his grin break through, but only briefly. There was still the matter of Merek, who had yet to say a word. Both knights finally turned to him, expectantly.
But Merek only had eyes for Andreas.
“You… you want to marry Gavriella?” he finally said.
Andreas nodded. “If you will allow it, my lord.”
Merek blinked. In fact, he started blinking rapidly as if staving off tears. “My God,” he finally said. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
“I never thought this moment would come. I thought she would be my burden for the rest of my life.”
Andreas didn’t like the way the man spoke of his daughter. He’d never liked it. “She will be my burden,” he said. “And a joyous one at that. Do I have your permission, my lord?”
Merek was still having difficulty with the whole concept. “She is my only child, you know. My heiress to Falstone. ’Tis not much, but the House of de Leia is an honorable family.”
“I know. May I?”
When Merek realized this was no joke, and no whim, he nodded. “Aye,” he said. “By God… you may. Take her and welcome.”
That pleased Andreas immensely. He looked at Lukas to see that the man was still smiling at him. But now that he had permission, he had a few things to say to Merek that he didn’t want to say before he had the man’s agreement.
He wasn’t going to hold back.
“I will,” he said. “And if I ever hear you insult her again, in any fashion, you will not like my reaction. You have a strong, intelligent, and beautiful daughter who will be treated with the utmost respect. You refused to do anything to de Soulis when he touched what by all rights now belongs to me, but I am going to do something about it and you will give me the answers I need in order to accomplish this. Do you understand?”
Merek understood his words, but he wasn’t clear on why. “What can I tell you?”
“I am not sure,” Andreas said. “But I will ask questions until I am satisfied. Now, you said this physic, Harman, came to warn you that de Soulis wanted Gavriella and the infant?”
“Aye.”
“And you think that Giddy was sent by de Soulis?”
“I am certain of it.”
“How do you know?”
Merek cocked his head. “Because she would ply me with wine nightly and ask me about the infant,” he said. “Knowing what Harman told me, who else would want to know that?”
“But you said that you were warned they wanted Gavriella, too,” Andreas said. “She has been returned from London for several months and they’ve not come for her. Did Giddy ever try to lure her away?”
“Not that I am aware of.”
Things just weren’t adding up for Andreas. He looked at Lukas a moment before turning away, his mind churning through everything he’d been told.
“The old physic warned you that there was some kind of prophesy to fulfill,” he muttered. “I have no idea what that may be, but let us push that aside for the moment. De Soulis wanted the infant and Gavriella, but Gavriella has been at Falstone for months and they’ve not come for her. Instead, Giddy has been focused on asking about the infant.”