“What about her?”
“I do not want to marry her, Papa.”
Jax stared at him a moment before sitting back in his chair. “Interesting,” he said. “Because she does not wish to marry you, either.”
Cole’s eyes widened. “She doesn’t?” he gasped. “Why?”
“She’s evidently fallen in love with a son of Sunderland,” Jax said. “She wishes to marry another man and Teviot was very concerned that you would be upset by it.”
Cole quickly got over his shock and shook his head emphatically. “I am not upset at all,” he said, “because I wish to marry another woman.”
“You?” Julian piped up. “Get married?”
Jax shushed his younger son. “Seal your lips,” he hissed before looking seriously at Cole. “What’s this? You truly wish to marry, Cole?”
Cole nodded, a glimmer of mirth in his eyes. “I do,” he said. “I wish to marry Lady Corisande de Bourne, Alastor’s eldest daughter. I do not quite know where to start with this… one day, I met her and in the next, I was in love with her. She loves me, too, and we wish to be married.”
Both Jax and Julian were looking at Cole in shock. Julian’s mouth was actually hanging open. He looked at Jax, who was having difficulty processing everything – his career-oriented, emotional eldest son wanted to marry?
He could hardly believe it.
“But… when?” he finally said. “How? Is that why you went back to Castle Keld after I sent you to Alnwick?”
Cole nodded. “I went back to see her,” he said. “I know this all sounds very strange coming from me, but I assure you, it is the truth. I have Alastor’s permission, but I needed to settle the situation with Audrie first. But now it looks as if there is nothing to settle. Corisande is a wonderful woman, Papa. I know you will love her as I do.”
Across the table, Julian grinned and held out a hand to his brother. “Congratulations, Cole,” he said, grasping his arm and giving him a shake. “I could not be more pleased for you, truly. Is she beautiful with big breasts?”
Jax side-eyed his lewd son. “You told us you were going to keep silent, Julian,” he said. “Shut your lips or leave the table. Your brother and I are speaking.”
Julian picked up his cup and put it to his mouth, contrite. “If you are nasty to me, I shall tell Mother.”
“If your threat is a real one, I will find the Northmen tomorrow and sell you to them,” Jax said, lifting an eyebrow. “You can spend the rest of your life rowing one of those longships as they throw fishbones at you.”
Cole started laughing. “Leave him alone, Papa,” he said. “He is a foolish whelp, but he is our foolish whelp. Aye, she is beautiful, Julian. The most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.”
As Julian looked pleased, Jax seemed to be more contemplative. He was still quite surprised by everything. As the serving wench came and brought more food and drink, his gaze lingered on Cole as the man gulped his wine and took a helping of bread.
“Are you sure about this, lad?” Jax finally asked. “This seems rather sudden.”
Cole shoved bread into his mouth. “I met her when we brought Canmore to The Keld,” he said. “Papa, she exhibited such courage that day. Canmore took her hostage and she was calm and composed… I suppose that was when I realized I was interested in her. She impressed me greatly and that admiration has only grown. She is also de Bourne’s surgeon and I have asked her to join us this evening for the meal.”
Jax’s brow furrowed. “A surgeon?” he repeated. “A woman surgeon? She’s here?”
Cole nodded. “She is,” he said. But he could see the disapproval in his father’s expression. “I know what you are thinking. I, too, am grossly opposed to a woman surgeon, but it was not my right to make her stay behind at The Keld. Alastor is her father and he wished for her to come. Evidently, her mother was also a surgeon. It seems to be a family tradition.”
Jax clearly didn’t approve. “A woman surgeon,” he muttered. “It is reckless and irresponsible to bring a woman to battle.”
Cole wasn’t sure what more to say about it, but he was saved when the door to the tavern lurched open and Atreus appeared. He came to the table in his usual congenial fashion and hugged Cole before sitting down next to the man. Julian shoved a cup of wine at him, but Cole was concerned now that they had yet another body at the table when he very much wanted the introduction between Corisande and his father to be something personal and intimate. With Atreus and Julian at the table, it was going to be baptism by fire for Corisande into the world of de Velt. Either she would accept the family or she’d run away screaming.
The thought made Cole inwardly chuckle.
More food and drink were brought to the table and the conversation moved to the battle on the morrow. More knights entered the tavern – Christopher and David de Lohr, Alexander, Kress and Achilles, Bric and Dashiell, all of them lumbering into the tavern in a big group. When they saw Jax, they kicked men out of a nearby table and pulled it up to Jax’s table, joining in so now there were at least eleven knights at the table, all of them talking over each and calling for food.
Cole saw his opportunity for a nice, private introduction between his father and Corisande fly out the window. The Executioner Knights were now part of the de Velt party. The insults and laughter were coming fast and furious. He loved these men like brothers, but he very much wanted his nice little quiet supper with his father and Corisande to just be the three of them.
But that wasn’t going to happen.
Catching his father’s attention, he stood up and crooked his finger to the man.
Curious, Jax obliged and followed his son up the stairs to the second floor of the tavern. There were five doors on the landing and Cole went to the one furthest from the stairs and rapped on the door. Jax started to speak but Cole held up a hand, begging him for patience, as the door finally opened.
An exquisite blonde stood in the opening.
“Papa,” Cole said, his eyes glimmering with warmth. “This is Lady Corisande. I do not think I want to introduce her to a table full of knights. It might be a little overwhelming for her, but I very much wanted you to meet her. Cori, this is my father, Ajax de Velt.”
Corisande appeared a little startled by the surprise introduction, but she quickly dipped into a curtsy. “My lord,” she said. “It is an honor to meet you. My father has always spoken most highly of you.”
Jax didn’t say anything for a moment. His gaze was lingering on Corisande and, after a moment, he reached out to gently take her hand.
“You remind me of my wife when she was your age,” he said. “You have that same strong and lovely look about you.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“My son tells me that you are a surgeon.”
Corisande nodded. “I learned from my mother, who is no longer with us,” she said. “I have been my father’s surgeon for a few years now.”
“And he always brings you on a battle march?”
“The men have a better chance of surviving if I come, my lord. I am not afraid.”
Jax just stood there and held her hand, his gaze studying her. “I can see that,” he said after a moment. “Cole tells me that he wishes to marry you.”