“Do not wake him,” he whispered. “It took him a long time to fall asleep. Matha says he is sprouting new teeth.”
Gavriella smiled at William, a man she had truly come to adore over the past couple of months. “You are very sweet to tend him,” she said. “But wouldn’t you rather be down in the hall with your sons now? You did not have to watch the baby all evening.”
William had a trencher-sized hand on the baby’s back, patting him gently when he started to stir. “I will see them soon enough,” he said. “It is not often that I have a chance to become acquainted with my newest great-grandchild.”
“He loves you, too.”
William smiled at her. They’d become quite fond of one another. The baby was settling back down and everyone was moving about quietly until the chamber door burst open and Andreas appeared.
“They’re right behind me,” he said breathlessly. “Aunt Jemma, I need your help. Can you stand at the door and chase them away? If you do not, I fear they might batter the door down. Uncle Tommy was even talking about climbing in through the windows.”
The baby’s head shot up at the sound of Andreas’ voice and he started wailing. With a heavy sigh, William stood up with the sobbing baby, trying to comfort the little lad.
“I can do better than that,” he said, heading for the door with the sobbing baby. “I’ll get rid of them.”
Gavriella was following him, her arms out because she wanted to take the baby, while Jemma swatted Andreas on the buttocks because he’d woken the baby up so rudely. Andreas truly had no idea why he was being beaten until his grandfather kicked open the door only to find at least four inebriated men standing there, Troy included.
“Do you see what you did?” William hissed at them. “You woke up the baby. Now, who is going to put him back to sleep?”
That moved the group away from the door faster than anything else possibly could have, except for Troy, who took his grandchild from his father and began rocking the baby gently. Properly contrite, he succumbed to his father’s guilt. As William stood there, satisfied with his tactics, Jordan and Jemma headed for the chamber door.
“The babe can sleep with Poppy and me tonight,” she told Andreas. “You two enjoy at least one night without a weepy baby. We will tend to him.”
Andreas looked at his wife, who looked like she was about to weep herself. He could tell she wanted her son, but it was their wedding night, after all. He put an arm around his grandmother’s shoulders.
“I’ll come and get him in a little while,” he said. “I do not think Gavy wishes to be parted from him for very long.”
The expression of gratitude on Gavriella’s face spoke volumes.
Jordan understood.
When the cries of the baby faded as Troy carried him off, Andreas shut the door and bolted it, facing his wife. For a moment, they simply looked at one another before breaking down into soft laughter.
“I thought we’d never be rid of everyone,” Andreas said, stepping away from the door and holding out his hand to her. “Finally, some peace.”
Gavriella took his hand and he pulled her close, hugging her tightly.
“More dreams, Dray,” she whispered. “These are the best dreams of my life.”
He couldn’t disagree. “Of mine, too,” he murmured against the side of her head. “So much has happened over the past couple of months, I feel as if my head is still whirling with it.”
Gavriella pulled back to look at him. “So much, indeed, but you are well-deserving of all of it,” she said. “Not only are you a new husband, but you have a new post. With the those hideous men finally gone from Hell’s Guardhouse, I am so proud to think that the king has appointed you the garrison commander of the fortress. It is a very important position.”
Andreas shrugged modestly. “I was already there,” he said. “We could not leave it unmanned after the deaths of those vile men, especially not with the Scots on the rampage, so someone had to assume command. It just happened to be me.”
“It just happened to be you because you are the best man for the job,” Gavriella said firmly. “I am very proud of you, my love.”
He smiled faintly. “That is all that matters to me,” he said. “Theodis told me tonight that his father has agreed to permit him to serve with me, so we will have a powerful force, indeed. I’m very happy about that. I’ve missed Tay.”
“I know you have. I am excited for him to join you, too.”
He pointed a finger at her. “I’ve spent the past two months cleaning that place up and making it livable for you and Storm, but it needs a woman’s touch.”
“And I cannot wait to assume my role, by your side,” she said sincerely. “I will be bringing some of my servants from Falstone. Iva and Jocosa. I must have their help.”
“As you wish,” he said. But his gaze lingered on her for a moment. “Gavy… are you sure you feel comfortable living there? It did belong to that man whose name we no longer speak of. If you do not feel comfortable, sweetling, you must tell me. I do not want to force you to live somewhere that upsets you.”
Gavriella shushed him, taking his hand and pulling him towards the bedchamber that was attached to the smaller chamber they were in. “I feel perfectly comfortable,” she said. “I’ve never been there in my entire life, so it is of little matter to me. You say you have cleaned out all reminders of those men we no longer speak of, so why would I not be happy there? You are there and it is my right to live with you. Not at Falstone, a half a day’s ride away.”
He smiled ironically, since she had been living with her father during their betrothal period because of all of the activity surrounding the deaths of John and Nicholas de Soulis and also because of the clan wars, which had thankfully started to die down. Immediately after the de Soulis deaths, William de Wolfe petitioned King Edward for control of Hell’s Guardhouse, or The Hermitage as he called it, and it was quickly granted by Edward with the agreement that the king could station royal troops there if he needed to.
William thought that Edward might view the property as a foothold into Scotland for the submission of the Scots, but he agreed because he didn’t want to see the fortress go to anyone else. With the addition of The Hermitage, and Andreas de Wolfe as its commander, the power of the House of de Wolfe was growing.
And so was the family.
Andreas couldn’t have been more thrilled.
She had pulled him into the bedchamber by this time, which was warm and fragrant with rosemary and lavender Rhoswyn and Andreas’ sisters had spread around the chamber. He went over to the hearth to stoke it while Gavriella went to the bed and began pulling back the coverlet. Andreas glanced over his shoulder, watching her.
“Can I tell you something?” he said.
She smiled at him as she fluffed up a pillow. “Anything. You know that.”
His attention returned to the fire. “When we have been alone over the past couple of months, really alone, it has been very difficult not to give in to my natural instincts with you.”
She cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”
He tipped his head in the direction of the bed. “That.”