Reckless (Age of Conquest #5) - Tamara Leigh Page 0,105
enthralled by Saxons drawn from the ranks of the thoroughly beaten—ranks that did not include Daryl, his sire, and others who had known Hastings was the end of Saxon rule.
A pity more had not known and accepted it…
Though less often Daryl’s thoughts turned to his mother’s family who had resisted the conquerors and aided the rebels, when he should be observing Lady Nicola and her cousin, he could only stare as he had claimed he did when the whelp had confronted him.
His sire had been right to report the activities of his in-laws to ensure he and his son did not fall under suspicion—and in backhanding the naive Daryl when he protested those folk were family through his departed mother. Aye, his sire had been right. Though it had not seen Aiken awarded the lands forfeited by their kin, it had earned father and son greater respect, esteem, and trust.
Unfortunately, if Daryl did not think all this through—if he struck ere the striking was good—what was earned could be lost. And he would become nothing in this land of Norman somethings.
“It will be this day, Nicola. I am certain of it.”
She lowered her lids, blotting out Guarin’s face just as she had done Maël’s an hour past when he carried nearly these same words from Vitalis to her, and more painful they were for the favor the man she loved asked of her cousin—send her away.
Not that she would go without drawing much attention, and Maël seemed to know it was one thing to gain her cooperation to behave, another to ask her to run away as if she had not the strength of a D’Argent to be as present for the worst as the best.
This the day, she told herself firmly and rebuked herself for having wearied of waiting on it. She would face whatever came, but the unknown was so ominous she could wait another day.
“Have faith, Sister. Nothing is truly lost until the end is reached, and I believe William is not as bent on taking Vitalis’s life as feared.”
She opened her eyes, saw only him in the chamber Ardith had grudgingly yielded to Nicola and her kin. “How know you that?”
“Though I excel at hunting, it was not for that William wished my company and had me ride his side distant from others.”
“Tell,” she breathed, and noting no surge of interest from Dougray nor Maël, knew they were to hear again what was already told them.
“William probed the extent of the D’Argents’ knowledge of the offenses Vitalis dealt him.”
“He fears one or more of us besides Maël knows what happened in the cave,” she said. “And the more of us who know, the greater Vitalis’s offenses.”
“It follows. Thus, I gave him no cause to suspect his fears are founded, and he moved to other matters regarding Vitalis.”
Nicola swallowed. “Other matters?”
“Details of my captivity by the rebels and the charge Vitalis was given over me.”
Certain her brother had not revealed the use made of him to train new recruits, which preserved his life, Nicola nodded for him to continue.
“I told the truth, that never did Vitalis abuse me, and he kept others from doing so.”
“His response?”
“That it seems I am more a lover of Saxons than my own people.” Guarin smiled—not largely, but there was satisfaction there. “I assured him I remain true to my own and to him, but that I find it impossible not to love people whose blood flows through my wife’s veins and now my children’s. That quieted him, as did the boar that escaped us, but he came back to Vitalis by reminding me it was he who returned me half-dead to Stern Castle. As before, I told him that was not of Vitalis’s doing, that I would be dead had he not freed me from the other rebels who were set on killing me slowly.”
“What did he say?”
“Naught, and for a long time. Only after he took down a stag did he resume our talk. He asked if Vitalis’s reputation for training warriors is well-earned.”
Nicola snorted.
Her brother nodded. “I was thinking the same, but I spoke what was already known—that whilst a captive, I had many occasions to observe his training of common men and women and it was exceptional, and even greater his experience when he formed the Rebels of the Pale. Those things William did not need to be told, but he wanted to hear them as if…”