“This is not their choice, Papa,” she said. “It is yours. Cole is a fine man and I would be honored to be his wife.”
“He’s already betrothed,” Anteaus blurted out. He seemed agitated, an unusual state for the usually sedate brother. “Essien told me that he’s betrothed to Audrie de Longley.”
Corisande went on the defensive. “Essien misspoke,” she said flatly. “If you had asked Cole, he would have told you the truth. Did you know that he was married before? His wife and child died of a fever two years ago. He has been completely honest with me about everything, including Audrie de Longley. He never asked to court her, but he has visited her and her brother at Northwood. Any betrothal is simply expectations from the de Longley family – there has never been a formal contract.”
Anteaus frowned as Alastor spoke up. “He should have told me that from the beginning,” he said. “It would have been the honorable thing to do.”
Corisande threw up her hands. “He barely had a minute of your time before The Marshal’s army arrived,” she said, exasperated. “He did not have the time to tell you that.”
Alastor conceded the point. “Mayhap,” he said. “Our conversation was barely started before it was over. But these expectations you speak of with Audrie de Longley concern me. I do not want to be viewed as having taken a prospective husband away from an earl’s daughter.”
Corisande looked at him, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. “He was never hers to begin with, Papa,” she said. “And he will make that clear to them as soon as he is able. As soon as the Scots and the Northmen settle their troubles. He will not shirk that duty, Papa. He is an honorable man in every way and… and I love him. I want to marry him, Papa. Please do not deny us.”
Her lower lip was quivering by the time she was finished and Alastor, having a soft spot for his daughter, put up a hand.
“Do not fret so,” he said. “I have no intention of denying him, for the general consensus is that Cole is a good man and your brothers approve of him. But he must settle the issue with Audrie de Longley before I will give him my permission.”
Hope filled Corisande. “But you will give it?”
“I will.”
With a shriek of delight, Corisande ran at her father to embrace the man, nearly tipping his chair over in the process. She was so happy that she hugged Anteaus and Atlas and finally Ares, who still didn’t look convinced. She grinned at him.
“Be truthful,” she said, pinching his chin. “You do like Cole. I know you do.”
Reluctantly, Ares nodded. “I do,” he said. “He will make you a fine husband. But you are too good for him, Cori. He does not deserve you.”
She laughed. “Spoken like a true brother,” she said. Then, she turned excitedly to her father. “Papa, Cole is going to secure a room in town for me so I am not sleeping in the wagon bed. He thought it would be more comfortable for me. I… I thought I would take Gaia with me so we can both sleep in a warm bed for tonight. May we?”
The last part was totally a lie, but she added her sister into the mix so her father might more readily agree. It wasn’t as if she were going to sneak off into town with the man who would soon be her husband if Gaia was along as a chaperone.
As she hoped, Alastor nodded.
“I do not see why you cannot,” he said. “Which tavern?”
She shook her head. “I do not know,” she said. “But I will send word. And I will be back with the army well before dawn.”
“See that you are,” he said. “We will depart well before sunrise for Berwick, although I’m fairly certain they know of our approach. Any army worth their weight in gold would have scouts combing the area, so I think it is safe to say that we will be met. That being said, your instructions will be to go with the other surgeons and provisions wagons and remain far to the rear of the battle.”
Corisande nodded. “I know,” she said. “I have been here before. But tomorrow… all of you will be very careful, won’t you? You are my family and I love you. I do not want anything to happen to any of you.”
She was looking to her brothers as she spoke, seasoned knights, scarred and filled with the experience of dozens of battles. But it only took one to be fatal and they all knew it.
Especially Corisande. As thrilled as she was about Cole, it was such a sweet moment on the precipice of something brutal and deadly. Her brothers had seen battle, but so had she and she knew how fragile life was. The human body did not react well to being violated by swords and spears.
She didn’t want to lose a beloved brother to something so tragic.
“You needn’t worry,” Ares said, giving her a weak smile. “We have been through this before. It is the Scots you should worry over.”
“I do not care about the Scots. I care about you.”
Ares went to her, kissing her on the cheek before fixing her in the eyes. “And I worry about you,” he said. “And Cole. My eyes will be on him from now on. If he makes a misstep, he will have to answer to me.”
The focus of the conversation shifted back to Cole and Corisande, giving her brother a wry expression.
“Do not be nasty to him,” she said. “He has done nothing to deserve it. You were rude to him a few moments ago and that was not necessary.”
Ares thrust his chin up defiantly at her and turned away as Anteaus took his place. He looked at his sister closely. In fact, she was two years than he was, her having seen twenty years and three and him having seen twenty years and one. But he didn’t feel like simply a brother at the moment.
He felt like a protective one.
“I know the de Longley family,” he said quietly. “I like them; they are good people. I do not want to see them hurt by Cole, nor do I want to see you hurt by him.”
“I know, Tay.”
“You must make sure he makes it clear about Audrie. There must not be any hard feelings.”
Corisande nodded patiently, patting him on the cheek. “I know, my darling,” she said. “I promise he will make it right. He is a man of honor and he will make it clear to them. Everything will be well; you’ll see.”
Anteaus didn’t seem too sure about that but, to his credit, he didn’t say anything further. As he stepped away, Atlas came to stand in front of her.
The rather emotionless, apathetic de Bourne brother was looking at her appraisingly. Corisande lifted her eyebrows expectantly.
“Well?” she said. “Did you have something to say to me?”
Atlas shrugged. “Cole is passable,” he said. “He’ll do.”
Corisande began to laugh. “God’s Bones,” she said sarcastically. “That is high praise coming from you, Atlas. What glowing words of adulation.”
Atlas fought off a grin as he went to find his cup of wine. With all of the brothers having spoken their minds, Corisande turned to her father.
“May I go now?” she asked. “I want to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow before I go to the tavern.”
Alastor waved her off. “Go,” he said. “And, Cori?”
“Aye, Papa?”
“Tomorrow, you will force Gaia to help you when the battle begins,” he said. “Do not let her shirk her duties. Tending the wounded will do wonders for her character.”