The Falls of Erith by Kathryn Le Veque

Author:Kathryn Le Veque [Veque, Kathryn Le]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medieval
Published: 2005-06-01T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

“He must have turned back for Milnthorpe,” Constance said. “There could be no other explanation, my lord. When your men told him who had come to Erith, naturally, he would do everything possible to keep my daughter and granddaughter from you. He has claimed them as his possessions, I tell you.”

Roger sat in the great hall of Erith. The fire in the heart spit and smoked, filling the room with silver haze. It was sunset, the end of a long day. He had been informed some time earlier that a party had approached and a man had entered the bailey, demanding to know who bore the colors of the blue and white standard. Then the man and his party had turned away from Erith and made haste in the direction they had come. Only curiosity, rumors, and an eventual conversation with Lady Constance had made sense of the visitor. It had not been a pleasing realization.

Roger eyed the Lady de Montfort seated across from him, toying with his wooden cup of cheap wine as he did so. There were a great many things on his mind.

“Braxton de Nerra,” he rolled the name off his tongue. “You failed to inform me when I arrived that he was involved with this.”

“His involvement is purely by sheer aggressiveness, I assure you,” Constance said. “We offered him shelter a week ago and he’s not left since. He sticks to my daughter like a disease and has taken control of Brooke. We’ve been unable to rid ourselves of him. Even now, he parades them around the countryside against their will.”

“Is it your daughter’s pleasure that he stays? Perhaps she is considering marriage to him.”

“She is not,” Constance said flatly. “My lord, I beseech you. I very much need your help if I am to save my daughter and granddaughter from that mercenary. For your aid, I assure you that your son will marry Brooke and you shall have my daughter if you deem her suitable. Will you not help me, please?”

Roger sighed, turning his attention back to his cup as he spun it in slow circles. “Did you know that de Nerra’s father is Baron Gilderdale?”

It was evident from her expression that she had not known. She did not want to come across looking like a fool. “He said he was distantly related to Anjou.”

“And he is. But he is also the son of Thomas de Nerra, fourth Baron Gilderdale. And Gilderdale is a massive war machine as I am sure you know. Anyone in Northumberland knows of Gilderdale’s military might. Where do you think Braxton achieved his connections and knowledge? He is bred from a long line of warriors. The entire family is full of blood thirsty fiends. The Scots do not even like to go against them but God knows, they have. And they have lost.”

Constance was still trying to recover her shock, fighting off the uncertainty now that she was not in charge of the conversation. “Do you fear that he will call upon his father if you move against him?”

“He could.

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