Will shrugged. “There’s a lot I don’t know. Are you feeling better?”
“Only if you don’t have any more surprises like that in store for me.”
He tried to smile reassuringly. “Just one, and it’s a nice surprise.” He held out his hand to her. “Come meet my family.”
Isabel got to her feet and dusted her skirts off. Will led her around the brambles that guarded the garden and took her to the front of the house. He didn’t see anyone outside, so he went to the door and knocked. His mother’s voice responded as she opened the door, “Why are you knocking?” Her face lit with joy when she saw her son standing there. “William!” Erisa threw her arms around him.
She stiffened when she saw the woman standing behind him, and Erisa pushed him away. “You brought a visitor?” His mother began unconsciously combing her fingers through her hair.
Will stepped aside so they could see each other. “Mom, this is Isa—”
Erisa was already studying Isabel carefully, then she interrupted him, her face showing recognition. “Lady Selene?”
“Madame Cartwright,” said Isabel, tilting her chin down almost imperceptibly. “I am surprised you remember me.”
Erisa smiled. “You were only here—what? A year ago? You’ve grown! Please come in.” The two women went inside, leaving Will standing bemused on the porch.
Chapter 55
Will followed them in and glanced around, looking for his uncle and Sammy. Neither appeared to be present. His mother had already begun to busy herself putting a kettle on the stove for tea.
“So, tell me—Selene—if that really is your name,” began Will, “You’ve met my mother before?”
Erisa glanced up. “Don’t be rude, William. She came with Lord Nerrow and his daughter last year. Don’t you remember?”
Everything came together in his mind, and Will’s mouth dropped open. He stared at Selene with new eyes. He had met her twice before. Once, when his father had come to try and get him to go to Wurthaven, and once before, when he had nearly died from the emerald viper bite. He pointed at Selene. “You!”
Selene raised a hand to cover her smile. “Me.” Erisa watched them from one side, unsure of what was transpiring between them.
Will turned to his mother. “Mom, do you know who this woman is?”
Erisa scowled, then crossed the room to cuff the back of his head. “Mind your manners, William. Lady Selene is our guest.”
He refused to give up. “But do you know who she is?”
His mother flushed with embarrassment. “Please forgive him, Lady Selene. My son has always been thick headed.”
Selene smirked. “I am well aware, Madame Cartwright.”
“Please, call me Erisa, Lady Selene,” said Will’s mother.
“Only if you’ll agree to call me Selene,” said Will’s companion in a tone so utterly charming that he wondered if she was the same woman he had recently fought with.
Erisa bowed her head politely. “You do me too much honor.”
“Mom!” said Will, nearly shouting. “Who is she?”
His mother fixed him with a stare that threatened to peel the flesh from his bones. “She came as a lady-in-waiting with Lord Nerrow’s daughter Laina. I don’t know her pedigree, and it would be rude to ask, but you can be sure she’s well above our station. Now, if you’d like dinner, you should sit down over there and shut your mouth before I sew it shut.”
Selene tittered, and Will’s eyes narrowed. Isabel didn’t titter. She laughed, just like other people. “Stop it,” he told her. “Don’t try putting on airs with me.”
Selene leaned across and whispered in his ear, “You’re upsetting your mother, William. Remember, I am well above your station.”
The door banged open, slamming into the wall as Sammy rushed into the room. “Is Will home? I saw a bag on the—” Her eyes lit on Will and she charged into him, knocking him off his stool. “Will! You’re alive! Is the war over? Did we win? Is Eric all right? Were you injured?” She paused to take a breath, then put her hands on either side of his head. “More importantly, are you cooking tonight?”
Will struggled to disentangle himself, but Sammy was like a spider, clinging to him with a multitude of arms and legs. From the corner of his eye he saw Selene enjoying the scene with some amusement. “Eric is fine,” he answered.
“Have you seen him?” asked Sammy anxiously.
“He’s in a different company, but I know he wasn’t wounded. The war is still on, though.”
“Samantha,” said Erisa coolly. “We have a visitor.”
Sammy looked over, finally registering the presence of a stranger in the room. She looked Selene up and down critically, like a dog sizing up a rival that had entered its territory. “Who’re you?” she asked finally.
“Samantha!” snapped Erisa. “This is Lady Selene. Introduce yourself properly before demanding someone’s name.”
Sammy held out her hand. “I’m Samantha.” Selene took it and Sammy pumped it up and down, then she asked, “Why are you here?”
Selene laughed. “I’m here to help Will do something to drive the Patriarch’s army away.”
“Are you his girlfriend?”
Selene’s cheeks colored immediately, and Will began coughing. Erisa was the first to speak, “Samantha Cartwright, do you need something unpleasant to occupy your attention?”
Sammy glared at her aunt. “But we have a guest. I haven’t had anyone to talk to in ever so long.”
“Then be polite.”
Will’s cousin turned back to Selene. “Have you tasted Will’s food? It’s marvelous!”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“Selene was raised on food far better than ours,” said Will. “I doubt she’d be impressed.”
Selene winked at him. “Why don’t you make dinner and let me be the judge.” Sammy began clapping.
Erisa frowned. “But he’s tired. I was going to make dumplings with—”
“Please, Will!” begged Sammy. “If I have to eat Auntie’s cooking one more day, I’ll die. Look how skinny I’ve become.” She leapt up and twirled.
Will’s uncle showed up then, and a new round of introductions began. Once things calmed down, Will got to his feet and began searching to see what he had to work with. His mother frowned, but let him have his way.
There wasn’t a lot to work with. There was no butter, but his mother had stored away some lard they had rendered from deer fat. There was also flour, carrots, parsnips, and green onions. He checked the spice cabinet and found they still had salt but no pepper. Then he went outside to check the garden.
Spring hadn’t quite arrived so he didn’t expect much, but in the worst case he could use some rosemary from the bush beside the house. He was pleased to see his mother had already gotten a patch of thyme started. That will be perfect, he thought. He collected some and went back inside.
He made dough for a pastry first, mixing some flour and a pinch of salt with the lard and rolling it out. Then he checked the stove to make sure it would be at the proper heat when he needed it. After adding a little wood, he returned to his ingredients and began chopping.