Shadowmoor (de Lohr Dynasty #6) (19 page)

Easton’s concern doubled. “Do you think that is true?” he asked, aghast. “Who is this man? If he is the nephew to the king, then he will summon Henry’s troops to aid him, will he not? And what does that say for me? I am loyal to Henry – would he really send troops to purge me from my own home?”

Daniel held up a hand because he could see that Easton was growing quite upset. “I do not know, my lord,” he said, “but I intend to find out. I met Bramley on my journey north, in fact. He was chasing young Gunnar across the moors.”

Both Easton and Glennie turned to look at the boy, who was still happily seated on the floor with the dogs surrounding him. “
That
child?” Easton was appalled. “Why would he chase him?”

Daniel cocked an eyebrow. “Part of his campaign of harassment,” he said. “He had abducted the boy and was trying to use him to coerce Lady Liselotte’s father into turning over both the lady and Shadowmoor to him. He wants to marry Lady Liselotte and he wants the fortress quite badly, but the boy escaped his custody and, fortunately, I found him before Bramley did.”

Now Easton and Glennie were looking at Liselotte. “That is terrible,” Glennie gasped. “Is this really true? Lord Bramley wants to marry you?”

Liselotte was uncomfortable that the conversation had suddenly turned to her but she fought that discomfort. “Aye,” she said. “He saw me in Bradford four years ago with my father and immediately made an offer of marriage. My father refused, of course, and since then, we’ve known nothing but aggression from Bramley. At first, he tried to woo me, and my father, but when we refused, he turned to starving us out, burning out our villiens and making our lives miserable.”

Daniel could see that Easton and Glennie were appalled by what they were hearing and he thought that it was perhaps the right time to press his agenda. Now that he had their sympathy for Shadowmoor, he intended to take advantage of it. It was the entire reason he had come to Netherghyll.

“When I found Gunnar and refused to return him to Bramley, the man tried to bully me, but, of course, his tactics did not work,” he said. “He then proceeded to tell me that he was the nephew of Henry but when I interrogated him, I discovered that it is his sister who is actually John’s bastard, meaning that Lord Bramley, whose gave his real name as Roland Fitzroy, is not related to the king at all by blood. In any case, Bramley wants Shadowmoor and it is my intention to send a message to my Uncle Christopher, who is a mere few days’ ride away, and ask for reinforcements for Shadowmoor. I will also ask my uncle to send word to Henry about Bramley, or Fitzroy, or whatever he calls himself, and inform him of the man’s actions against Shadowmoor. I was hoping you could supply me with a messenger who can ride swiftly to the Welsh Marches for this purpose. I hope you can see that by doing this, I may be saving Netherghyll from Bramley’s wicked intentions as well.”

Easton was nodding before Daniel even finished speaking, obviously in full agreement. “Of course I will,” he said. “Write your missive tonight and I will send the man at dawn for the Marches. This is outrageous. I will send men to reinforce Shadowmoor at once until the de Lohr army arrives.”

Daniel shook his head. “Nay, my lord,” he cautioned. “That would only turn Bramley’s attention on you. Stay out of the fight for now and protect your property, and that means keeping close watch on your daughter. If Bramley discovers she is from Netherghyll, and if it is really his intention to lay siege to Netherghyll after he has conquered Shadowmoor, then you must protect her. He will try to use her as he has tried to use Lady Liselotte and her siblings.”

The happy, friendly mood of the meal had now become one of great concern and apprehension, but Daniel was pleased by it. It was exactly what he wanted – to have de Royans as concerned about Bramley’s movements as he was. Easton, his brow furrowed, shook his head with disgust.

“She will not leave Netherghyll again until this situation is resolved,” he said. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Sir Daniel. It would seem that we owe you a great deal of gratitude, for many reasons. That you should be concerned for people you do not know speaks of your character and chivalry, my lord. It will not be forgotten.”

Daniel looked at the man, the father of an enemy he had helped to kill, and something within him began to waver. He had wondered what kind of people would have raised a son like Brighton, and he had been apprehensive of this meal all along, but now that he had spent some time with Easton, he couldn’t honestly see any aggression or recklessness in the man. Easton conveyed nothing but gratitude and politeness, and had since the beginning of their association. Daniel wondered if it was merely good behavior for a guest, but he didn’t think so. He didn’t get the impression that this was all an act for their benefit.

Perhaps the de Royans weren’t such a bad family, after all.

“I am happy to be of service, my lord,” he said. “I would do the same for any respectable lord.”

“You
will
stay the night, won’t you?” Glennie asked, interrupting their repartee. “We so rarely have guests and we would love to have your company.”

Daniel was actually glad for such an invitation because it meant he didn’t have to wander back out in the night and find shelter for him and Liselotte and Gunnar. Now, they could stay under a good roof with good food and a warm fire. He felt comfortable enough with Easton and Glennie to accept the invitation.

More than that, it would be an opportunity for Liselotte to sleep in a good bed and have all the food she could eat. He was quite certain it had been years since she’d had enough food at her disposal and it was perhaps that reason, more than anything, to accept their hospitality. The poor woman had known enough hardship in her life and his gaze moved to her, lingering on her.

Liselotte’s head was down as she continued to stuff herself with bread, clearly trying to store up for the days to come when she would be hungry again. It hurt his heart to see that. Daniel wanted her to know prosperity at least once in her life, knowing her next meal would be as plentiful as the last. More than once, if he had anything to say about it. But for tonight, he wanted her to know something wonderful.

“We are grateful for your hospitality,” he said to Glennie. Then, he turned to Easton. “I will write that missive to my uncle tonight before I retire.”

Easton nodded. “Excellent,” he said, holding up his pewter chalice so that the nearby servant would fill it with good wine. “Now that the matter is settled, let us speak on something more pleasant for the sake of the women. Surely they do not wish to hear of wicked lords and threats of sieges. Will you tell me where you are from, Sir Daniel? Where does your father now make his home?”

Now that his purpose at Netherghyll had been satisfied and a messenger would soon be sent south to the Welsh Marches, Daniel relaxed a little. Perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps it really was the company, but he nonetheless felt himself easing. He delved into his succulent beef.

“My father is the Earl of Canterbury,” he said, taking a bite. “It is a title he inherited from my mother’s father because the man had no male heirs. It is title I will inherit upon his death.”

That seemed to impress Easton a great deal. “And your uncle is the Earl of Hereford and Worcester,” he said. “I remember that title from long ago.”

Daniel nodded as he chewed. “He received that title right before King Richard’s death,” he said. “My uncle has many sons, however, so there is an entire succession of de Lohr offspring in line for that title. My cousins Curtis, Richard, Myles, Douglas, and Henry.”

“And you are your father’s only son?”

“I am the only male, and the youngest, with three older sisters.”

“Papa, remember that I told you my friend Adalind is Daniel’s niece?” Glennie said to her father. “Lady Adalind de Aston is the daughter of Daniel’s sister.”

Daniel glanced at the woman as he chewed. “My oldest sister, in fact,” he said. “But her name is no longer Adalind de Aston. It is now Lady du Bois.”

Glennie was enthusiastic for that married title. “Tell me of her husband,” she said. “You said that she married a knight in your father’s service. Do you know him, then?”

Daniel nodded as he took another bite of beef. “He is my closest and dearest friend in the world,” he said. “He is a man of great honor and skill and I adore the big clod. Adalind could have done far worse, I assure you. They are quite happy together. Did she never tell you about Maddoc du Bois, Lady Glennie? You and Adalind were such close friends that I am surprised she never told you.”

Glennie’s eyes widened. “
Maddoc
?” she repeated in surprise. “She married her Maddoc?”

Daniel grinned. “So she did tell you of him.”

Glennie nodded wildly. “She did!” she said. “Her beloved Maddoc! I am sure she mentioned his surname but I did not recall it. I only knew him as Maddoc. He was all she ever spoke of. So she truly married him?”

“She did.”

Glennie crowed with delight. “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to hear this,” she said. Then, she grasped her cup of wine and held it aloft. “I must toast their marriage. A toast to my dear friend Adalind and her handsome Maddoc. I wish them great joy and happiness, always.”

Daniel, Easton, and Liselotte raised their cups in salute, drinking to the toast. Daniel, in fact, drained his cup and a nearby servant quickly filled it. He continued shoving beef into his mouth.

“When I see her next, I will tell her of your good wishes,” he said. “She will be very happy to know that I finally met her Glennie. She is quite fond of you, you know.”

Glennie was watching Daniel eat, her expression soft. “And I am very fond of her,” she said. “I hope to be able to….”

Glennie was cut off when the great entry doors to the hall were pushed open and a figured appeared from the wet bailey outside. Moving in shadows it came, a figure of a man that blended with the dark of the hall. As it came closer into the light, dripping armor was illuminated, glistening in the firelight.

The man was moderately tall with a head of wet hair which, as he came closer into the light of the hall, turned out to be blond. He was broad shouldered, and quite obviously a knight from the way he was dressed and the weaponry he wore, but the moment his features came into focus, Daniel felt as if he had been hit in the belly. He could hardly believe the vision that faced him.

Ghosts do exist
, he thought.
Dear God… they truly do.

CHAPTER SEVEN

B
righton de Royans
had returned from the dead.

It was a phantom, come to haunt him. Daniel was convinced. But he blinked his eyes and took a deep breath, steadying himself before realizing that the man facing him in the wet armor wasn’t
exactly
Brighton. Thank God, it wasn’t. But it was a man who looked very much like him and Daniel was sure that this was the brother Glennie had spoken of, a man by the name of Caston.
God’s Bones
, Daniel thought, shaken by the vision.
Was it really possible for brothers to look so much alike?

Servants closed the heavy door behind the knight as he approached the table. He glanced at his father and his sister, but looked curiously at Daniel. When Liselotte came into full view, he looked even more curiously at her. Much as his father’s expression had shown, there was interest there. A twinkle came to his eye.

“We have guests?” the man asked in a voice very similar to what Brighton’s voice had also sounded like. “I had no idea. Forgive me for being late to sup.”

Easton stood up, indicating Daniel first. “You have been gone all day and could not have known of our guests,” he said. “I will introduce you to Sir Daniel de Lohr, son of David, Earl of Canterbury. He is from the famous House of de Lohr, Caston, so behave yourself. His charming companion is Lady Liselotte l’Audacieux, daughter of the Lord of Shadowmoor. My lord, my lady… meet my son, Sir Caston de Royans.”

Daniel stood up politely to greet the man, still somewhat rattled by the appearance of a dead man. “My lord,” he greeted evenly. “Your sister and father have been kind enough to have us for supper this evening.”

Caston grinned, throwing Daniel off his guard even more because he even smiled like Brighton. It was all Daniel could do to try and conceal that shock as he resumed his seat. Caston sat at the end of the table, accepting the cup of wine that a servant handed to him.

“Welcome to Netherghyll,” he said to Daniel although he kept eyeing Liselotte. “Not as grand as the de Lohr properties, I am sure, but we like it here. What brings you up into Yorkshire? You are far from Canterbury.”

Daniel nodded, taking another big gulp of wine because he found he needed it; was this God’s cruel joke that he should spend the evening with a man who looked a good deal like his dead enemy? The evening was beginning to get interesting.

“I am, indeed,” he said to Caston. “I was heading north to visit friends and my path took me by way of the road to Carlisle.”

“It is fortuitous, Caston,” Easton said seriously. “He has come to save Shadowmoor and Netherghyll. Have you heard of Lord Bramley, the man who assumed possession of Bramley Castle a few years ago? It seems that the man has launched terrible aggression against Shadowmoor in an attempt to force the Lord of Shadowmoor from his home. Bramley claims to be a nephew to the king but it seems that he lies about that. Sir Daniel fears that if Bramley is able to confiscate Shadowmoor, then he might want Netherghyll next.”