He wasn’t sure he liked that at all.
“I see,” he said. “That is a very difficult life for a woman. I am surprised your father permits it.”
Corisande shrugged. “As I said, I am their best chance for survival,” she said. “My mother used to go with the army, too.”
“Two women surgeons?”
“Indeed.”
Cole had never heard of such a thing. To think of Corisande de Bourne in the midst of a battle… nay, he didn’t like that at all. A battle was no place for a woman, but he refrained from voicing his opinion. She clearly didn’t see anything wrong with it and he didn’t want to interject his position when he really had no place to. But it occurred to him that if de Bourne sent his army to Berwick, as he had pledged, then Corisande might be going along as the surgeon.
… and he had a distinct problem with that.
He’d known the woman a matter of hours and, already, he didn’t like the idea of her in danger.
It was a most interesting situation.
“Hopefully, there will never be another cause for you to venture out with the army,” he said, smiling weakly. “The Keld seems to be at peace for the moment. So we shall hope it remains that way.”
“And you’ll still come back and visit us?”
“I said I would. I meant it.”
The way he said it caused her cheeks to flush. He could see it in the dim light of the lamp. But she lowered her gaze, and the lamp, and his glimpse of those pretty cheeks was dimmed.
“Then I shall be in the stables before dawn with some food for your journey,” she said. “I hope that is agreeable.”
“I am grateful, my lady.”
“If I am to call you Cole, then you are to call me Cori.”
“It would be my greatest honor.”
“But do not let my brothers hear you. They might think you are being too forward.”
He laughed low in his throat. “I can handle the de Bourne brothers.”
“And they think they can handle you.”
He burst out laughing. Corisande smiled broadly, a big dimple in her right cheek, as she handed him the lamp.
“As much as I would like to continue this conversation, I am afraid that I must tend a soldier with an infected wound,” she said, holding up the growth in her hand. “That is why I came to collect the moss. But it was most agreeable speaking with you, Cole. I am glad we had the opportunity.”
His gaze lingered on her. “As am I,” he said. “And it will not be the last time.”
“I hope not.”
With a bashful smile, she turned and headed out of the stable, leaving Cole standing there with the lamp in his hand and a big grin on his face.
Nay, it wouldn’t be the last time he talked to her.
Not in the least.
CHAPTER SIX
“What is the matter with you?”
The words were mumbled. Cole thought he was the only one awake, but he was mistaken.
Cole, Addax, and Essien were all sleeping in the same chamber in the knight’s quarters of The Keld. It was the largest room in the block, with three beds crammed into it simply because all of the other chambers were full. It wasn’t that The Keld had so many knights, because the de Bourne brothers slept in the keep, but it was the simply the fact that the space was needed for the soldiers, so the knight’s quarters really wasn’t full of knights.
It was full of soldiers.
But Cole didn’t realize that until it was time to go to bed and the servant who attended the men in the knight’s quarters was apologetic and offered to kick some of the soldiers out of their smaller chambers, but Cole waved the man off. They were only going to be there for the night, so it really didn’t matter. He went to bed along with Essien and Addax in the same chamber, but he had ended up lying awake most of the night listening to their snores.
Or, so he thought.
Addax was awake, too.
“What makes you think anything is wrong?” Cole muttered softly, turning to see Addax laying on his belly, looking at him. “Why are you awake?”
Addax lifted his head. “Because you have been laying there, sighing all night,” he said. He sighed heavily a few times just for effect. “By the Gods, Cole, you sound like someone is punching you in the belly every few minutes and your breath is being expelled at an alarming rate. What is the matter with you?”
Cole looked at the man for a moment before returning his focus to the ceiling. He’d been staring at it for hours as he lay flat on his back. Staring, thinking… after a moment, he sighed heavily, realizing for the first time that he was doing it.
“You see?” Addax said. “There you go again. Are you ill?”
Cole pursed his lips wryly. “Nay,” he said. “I am not ill.”
“Are you in pain?”
“Nay.”
Addax rolled his eyes. “You will be the next time you sigh like that and do not tell me what the issue is.”
Cole grinned, lopsided. “I do not even know where to start.”
“Then there is a problem?”
Cole didn’t say anything for a moment. “Ad, let me ask you a question.”
“Ask, my friend.”
“What do you think of Audie?”
Addax looked at him curiously. “Audie? Lady Audrie?”
“Aye. You know her nickname is Audie.”
“She is a pretty girl, well-educated. Why?”
“Do you like her?”
“I’ve not had a great chance to know her, but what I have seen, I like.”
“You know that our families are expecting me to marry her.”
“I know.”
“Let me ask you another question.”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you think of Lady Corisande?”
Addax’s head came up, the dark eyes glittering. “Ah,” he said after a moment. “I understand now.”
Cole looked at him. “You do? Then explain it to me.”
Addax pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the mattress. “What do you want me to explain?” he said. “Lady Corisande is beautiful and she is a fresh face. She is simply new and interesting. You’ve found a pretty new girl to look at.”
Cole rolled onto his side to look at him. “I have seen plenty of beautiful, fresh faces in my life, but not one of them has made me feel like I’ve been struck by lightning when I look at her.”
“Not even Mary?”
Cole shrugged, reflecting on the wife he’d lost. “I do not know,” he admitted. “With Mary, my feelings for her were a calm and comfortable thing. But with Corisande… all I know is that I feel bolts of lightning rush through my veins when she looks at me and we had a nice conversation earlier this evening when I left the hall. It is difficult to describe, but talking to her… it is so easy. The words simply flowed and I do not converse easily, Ad. You know this.”
“She makes you feel comfortable.”
Cole nodded. “I look at her and all I want to do is smile,” he said. “Christ, that sounds like madness even as I say it. But the way she handled herself when Canmore took her a prisoner speaks of her inner strength. I have never seen a woman handle herself so well in the face of danger.”