His voice softened. “I am sorry,” he said. “I can only imagine what a great loss it was. But she has a fine daughter to be proud of.”
It took Corisande a moment to realize that he meant her. “Me?”
He burst into soft laughter, displaying big, white teeth with canines that protruded just a little. It was a dashing smile. “Aye, you,” he said. “Who did you think I meant?”
She grinned, embarrassed. “I have a sister, you know.”
His brow furrowed thoughtfully. “The little blonde lass who joined us in the hall?”
Corisande’s smile vanished. “She joined you?”
He nodded. “When you left, she came to the table,” he said. “She sat with Essien. She seemed quite interested in him.”
Corisande rolled her eyes. “Because he is handsome and new,” she said. “Gaia has an eye for a handsome man. I’m afraid your knight may not be rid of her easily.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Ah,” he said. “Well, we shall be leaving on the morrow and she will not be able to follow him.”
Corisande felt a distinct sense of disappointment to realize he was leaving so soon. “Tomorrow?” she said. “So soon? We thought you would be our guests for a few days, at least. I am sure my father would like to come to know his ally better.”
Cole wondered if he heard a hint of hope in her voice, if by saying her father she really meant her. Personally.
He leaned against his horse.
“I must return to Pelinom and tell my father what transpired here today,” he said. “But I should like to return soon, with your permission, and spend time coming to know an ally better.”
There was a spark there, something they could both feel, something burning low in the belly as if something between them had been kindled. A hint of interest, a shadow of attraction.
It was there.
Corisande began to feel the least bit giddy because of it.
“You are always welcome at The Keld,” she said. “I do hope we see more of you. And your men, too, although your knight may not wish to return if my sister makes herself a terrible nuisance.”
Cole fought off a grin. “I will leave him home.”
“Where is home for him? I mean, where is he from? My sister asked and I did not know.”
Cole gestured in a general southerly direction. “A land very far away,” he said. “Addax and Essien are princes to their people, from a kingdom called Kitara.”
Corisande was interested. “Truly?” she said. “Where is it?”
“Far away,” he said. “In a land of ancient kings. There is an enormous river that runs through that desert land and Kitara is on that river. It would take you years to reach it.”
“If it is so far away, what are they doing in England?”
“They were young when there was an insurrection in their country,” he said, moving to the end of his horse where she was standing. “Their father was killed, so they were forced to flee. Truly, their life story is something quite amazing. They made their way to The Levant and ended up under the care of Christian knights. When the wars were over, they traveled to Ghent where they were trained, and knighted, and then they came into the service of my father. They are brilliant men and fine warriors.”
“They are princes,” Corisande said. “They should be treated as such. God’s Bones, they should not be sleeping in the knight’s quarters. They should be in the keep, in a fine chamber with a soft bed.”
She seemed a little panicked that she had royalty in her house and had not given them proper treatment. But Cole smiled and put a big hand on the fingers that were holding the moss.
“They are knights,” he stressed, a twinkle in his eyes. “The knight’s quarters suit them quite well.”
“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
He removed his hand from her fingers, which had only really lingered there for a brief moment, but Corisande felt his flesh against hers like a brand. It was difficult to think of anything other than the feel of his hand against hers, something she’d not experienced in a very long time.
“If you say so, then I will not worry,” she said, trying not to appear distracted. “When you return, I hope you bring them. I should like to hear of their travels and of the land of Kitara. It is a beautiful name.”
“Sounds like a woman’s name, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “Indeed,” she said. Then, she paused a moment. “My lord, may I ask you a question?”
He nodded. “You may,” he said. “But I would be honored if you would call me Cole.”
Corisande smiled bashfully. “Thank you,” she said. “But only if my family is not around. They may not like it if I become too familiar. It will sound disrespectful.”
He chuckled. “I will assure them that you have my permission,” he said. “What is your question?”
Her smile faded. “I am not quite sure how to ask this,” she said. “I have not yet seen my father since the events of the afternoon, and I am not sure he would answer me truthfully. I sense that you would not lie to me.”
“I would not lie in any case. What is it?”
“The man… the Scotsman from today,” she said. “I have been wondering… was he a prisoner?”
Cole wondered what brought on the change in subject, but he answered truthfully. “Aye.”
“Was he trying to lure my father into a war?”
Cole shook his head. “If you wish to know more, then you must ask your father. I have told you all I can.”
She understood. “Thank you for being honest with me,” she said. “But I do hope he was not trying to lure my father into a war. We have seen enough of that.”
He peered at her strangely. “Here?” he said. “At The Keld?”
She shook her head. “Not here,” she said. “But my father trots out his army every time there is an action against the king in the north. He does not like the man very much. There are a few barons this far north who support the king and there are others who do not. Disputes arise. In fact, there was one a few months ago and my father went to support Prudhoe Castle against Lord Lanchester. It seemed that Lanchester wanted Prudhoe for the king and d’Umfraville called upon my father for assistance to chase him away. That was a rather… messy battle.”
Cole hadn’t heard of that particular skirmish, but he wasn’t surprised. John’s loyal barons were generally unscrupulous and targeted major castles from time to time with the intention of holding them for the king.
“The men of The Keld were fortunate to have you,” he said. “I am sure you tended to them quite ably once they reached home.”
She looked at him oddly. “I tended to them at the battle,” she said. “I am my father’s surgeon.”
Cole stared at her a moment before his eyebrows slowly lifted. “You went on a battle march?”
She nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Anytime my father’s army is called out, I go with them. The men have a much better chance of surviving if I am able to tend to them quickly.”
It took him a moment to digest that. Women weren’t surgeons and they certainly didn’t go on battle marches. At least, he’d never heard of anything like that in his life. But at The Keld, that was evidently the situation – the chatelaine healer was also the surgeon. Her practice of tending the ill and sick crossed over into battlefield.