If those two women really wanted someone to abduct her, then perhaps they did not have to look any further than the man they were about to help. It was true that Lady Isalyn was his beloved’s sister, but Steffan had never spoken fondly of her or of his father, so there did not seem to be any love lost between them. In fact, Joah couldn’t remember Steffan ever speaking kindly of his sister.
Therefore, Joah had no sense of hesitation when it came to an abduction.
Perhaps this was the best way to avenge Steffan, not only against the House of de Wolfe, but against the family who never really cared for him.
That’s what Joah was.
An avenging angel.
And the time for retribution had come.
“You have agreed?”
Gilbert had to sit down. He was feeling lightheaded. He’d just been informed that Isalyn had agreed to the betrothal between her and Tor de Wolfe, and Gilbert was having trouble breathing. As he sat heavily, he could hear his daughter snort.
“Father, this is what you wanted, is it not?” she asked, amused. “Why are you taking it so hard?”
They were in the chamber Isalyn was sharing with Isabella. Tor had just returned from the task Isabella had summoned him for and he had then sent Isabella to find Gilbert, but the man had only been lingering in another chamber nearby. He’d never left the building, fearful of his daughter’s behavior. In case she decided to attack Tor in a betrothal-induced rage, Gilbert wanted to be there to stop it.
Now, Gilbert had entered the chamber to find Isalyn smiling, Tor smiling, and a pleasant atmosphere all around.
He was stunned.
“I am not taking it hard,” he said after a moment. “I am simply surprised.”
Isalyn glanced at Tor before replying. “But this is what you wanted, isn’t it?” she said. “I thought you would be going mad with celebration.”
Gilbert cast her a long look. “Daughter, where you are involved, nothing is for certain,” he said. Then, he gestured at the corridor outside. “Why do you think I was in the other chamber? I was certain a fight was going to break out and, suddenly, we were going to find ourselves permanent residents of the Blackpool vault.”
Isalyn started laughing, looking at Tor, who was also chuckling. “It is not like that at all, my lord, I assure you,” he said. “Your daughter and I have come to a fine understanding. I feel confident to say that this betrothal is sealed.”
Gilbert stared at him as if still in disbelief. This is exactly what he’d hoped for, what he’d planned for, and now it was happening. His daughter was going to marry Tor de Wolfe. As the realization sank in, he broke down into a grin.
“Bloody hell,” he muttered. “She did agree, didn’t she? Now all we need is the wedding and a feast to end all feasts. It shall be the greatest feast the north has ever seen and we shall have it in Carlisle, at my manse of Etterby House. Men will speak of this feast for years to come!”
He was becoming terribly excited for a man who, moments earlier, barely registered emotion.
“As the father of the bride, that is your right, of course,” Tor said. “But as a de Wolfe groom, my family is quite large. Unless your manse can hold hundreds, then mayhap we should reconsider and have it at Castle Questing. I know my father would be grateful. When my brother and I married the first time, it was very far away and he was unable to attend. Would you give my father the privilege of hosting the feast?”
Gilbert thought on that a moment before nodding. “Of course,” he said. “Etterby’s hall can hold about one hundred men, mayhap less, so it might be better to have it at one of your larger fortresses.”
“It will still be a feast that men will speak of for years to come.”
Gilbert was clearly very excited about the prospect. He stood up, rubbing his hands together with glee.
“When shall we have this marriage?” he asked. “Have either of you discussed the time and day?”
Tor and Isalyn looked at each other. “Nay, Father,” Isalyn said. “We have not gotten that far, to be truthful. I suppose there is no reason to wait except I am sure we would like guests to have time to travel to the feast.”
Gilbert waved her off. “You are thinking of your aunt and friends in London,” he said. “You can get married now and have the wedding feast at a later time. It will give Warenton and me time to plan the greatest event in the north.”
Tor could see there was no stopping Gilbert’s excitement. “I am agreeable to that if Isalyn is,” he said. “My father will want to invite every ally, you know.”
Gilbert threw up his hands. “Let him,” he said. “I will invite everyone I can think of. I’ll invite the bloody pope. My daughter’s wedding is reason enough to celebrate because she is older than most brides and a reckless woman at times, and I never thought she would get married.”
When he realized what he’d said in the heat of the moment, he looked at Isalyn in horror, but she started laughing. Tor burst into laughter and, soon, all of them were infected with it.
“Have no fear,” Tor said. “We shall have the wedding before the week is out, but I must inform my father so that my immediate family can attend. He would never forgive me if I did not.”
“Where will we be married?” Isalyn asked.
Tor looked at her, hardly believing he was discussing this very subject with such joy. After Jane, he never imagined he’d look at a remarriage with anything other than duty and sorrow, but now… now, that wasn’t the case. He was as elated as he could possibly be. Looking at Isalyn’s lovely face, he was more excited about something than he had been in a very long time.
Perhaps even ever.
“We can summon a priest from Kelso Abbey,” he said. “My grandparents were patrons. We can marry in the great hall and have a family feast afterwards. Is that acceptable?”
Isalyn nodded, looking at him with an expression he’d never seen on her before. It was like… hope.
It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Most acceptable, Tor,” she said quietly. “It will give me time to retrieve my good dress. I left it behind at Featherstone.”
“I should like to buy you your wedding dress, if I may.”
It was a sweet offer, but she looked at him curiously. “Why? I have a perfectly serviceable one back at Featherstone.”
Tor was hesitant to say anything more in front of Gilbert because he was about to say something personal, meant only for Isalyn’s ears. Truth be told, he was something of a romantic at heart and he’d been very romantic with Jane those years ago – bringing her flowers, a tame bird in a cage, buying her little things, engaging in little gestures that made her happy. Much like his ability to feel emotion again, he thought his romantic soul had died out long ago.
But it was pulsing with life again.
He threw caution to the wind.
“Because I want you to wear something I have given you as a token of my happiness for our marriage,” he said. “It will be a dress that you will look at in the years to come and know that the first time you wore it was when we were married. It will mean something to us both. Mayhap I am not explaining it well enough, but that is why I would like to purchase your dress – because it will be new and beautiful, like our marriage. And I would also like to purchase a wedding ring for you.”