Page 240 of Historical Hotties
“Did Stafford tell you to go away?” he asked quietly. “Did he send you away from your children?”
“He did not stop me if that is what you mean,” she said. “I will tell you a secret, de Reyne. Robert de Tosni only wanted sons and all I gave him was daughters. I was useless to him. He never wanted me as it was, but to bear him only girl children… Well, you can imagine how disappointed he was. He thought I did not know that he sent my father missives about it, but I knew. He would tell my father what a terrible mother I was, what a terrible wife I was. Then my brother died and my father shortly thereafter. And now who controls both Stafford and Tamworth? That failure of a wife and mother.Me!”
The alcohol had the better of her and she was running off at the mouth, but Thor was understanding a great deal about her thanks to that powerful drink that had fed her demons. Now, they were coming out.
“Were you trained to manage it?” he asked.
She grinned and lifted her cup. “Is that another question?” she asked drunkenly. “Because I’ll answer it. I was tutored by Lady d’Umfraville of Prudhoe Castle, who believed all young women should know how to read and write and do sums, among other things. I was very good at my lessons. She trained me well. But my father managed his own empire and Robert would never let me near anything he did. I was chased away and left to feel useless. That was Robert’s name for me, you know—Déchet. It means waste. Rubbish. That’s what he considered me—rubbish.”
Thor shook his head, disgusted by what he was hearing. “And he said that right to your face?”
Caledonia nodded. “He meant me to know,” she said. Then she took another drink, a big one, and nearly fell over as she tipped her head back to drain the cup. “He told the knights commanding Stafford Castle what he thought of me, and they do not care for me. Edingale was a little different because theyunderstand I am the heiress, so those knights show a little more respect than the Stafford knights do. And now the king intends to chase me away from managing Stafford and Tamworth by marrying me to you. You will manage it and I will, once again, beDéchet. Rubbish.”
She made a grab for the pitcher, but he moved her cup away when she tried to pour. It was no longer his intention to see her drunk and compliant because the drink in her veins had taken their conversation, and possibly their wager, in an entirely different direction. Getting her drunk wasn’t funny anymore. Not after what she’d just told him. Undeterred by his actions, Caledonia drank from the neck of the pitcher, two big swallows, and slammed the vessel back down again. Shortly thereafter, she tipped over, face-first, onto the table.
She was out.
Thor sat there for a moment and simply watched her to see if she’d snap out of it, but she didn’t. Face against the table, she was already snoring heavily. But he realized he had what he wanted—she’d passed out and now he could take her back to Westminster. But after hearing how she viewed herself and the torment the woman had been put through, he felt strangely protective over her. He came from a wonderful and loving family, but she hadn’t. He was sure there was more to the story, but what he’d heard was enough.
Caledonia de Wylde de Tosni had to be at least twenty-five years, if not more. She was a mature woman, with three children, and a mess of a life. He should have been extremely wary of marrying a woman like that. He didn’t want a mess of a wife. But something told him that, deep down, there was more to her. He wasn’t sure why he felt that way, but he did. Perhaps all she needed was a chance, an opportunity to not feel like rubbish. He had no idea why he should feel compelled to take on a woman with more demons than most, but as a man of compassion, heknew he couldn’t walk away from her. It would have been easy for him to tell Henry he hadn’t located her and use that as leverage to break the betrothal, but he couldn’t seem to do it. This night had been eye-opening in many ways and he’d made his decision.
He hoped he wouldn’t live to regret it.
CHAPTER SIX
“Peregrine said thatshe was brought back to Westminster last night,” Domnall said. “It cost me nearly every coin I have, but he told me that the wedding is planned for today at Westminster. What will we do? We do not have Uncle Rhun’s document yet.”
Rotri had been seated, eating his morning meal of bread and wine, when Domnall burst into the apartment. Startled by the news, he tried to swallow the bite in his mouth but ended up spitting it onto the floor so he wouldn’t choke.
“Today?” he sputtered. “When?”
Domnall shook his head. “Nearsext,” he said, naming the noon liturgy of the hours. “If that is true, there is not much time.”
Rotri was already up, brushing off his tunic and wiping at his mouth for any remnants of crumbs. “We must go now,” he said. “We must be there when Callie and de Reyne arrive. I am not entirely sure we can stop the marriage without the document in hand, but we can try. I can plant the seeds of doubt, mayhap enough to cause a delay.”
He was heading for the wardrobe where his cloak was hanging. The apartment had six big chambers, not including two smaller chambers on the sublevel of the building where theservants slept near the kitchens. An older servant who had been with Dordon for many years rushed in to help Rotri don his cloak as Domnall already headed for the entry door. Rotri pulled his cloak on, heading for the door after his son as the servant followed after him, straightening it out and brushing off any visible dirt.
Down the stairs and they were out into the cluttered yard behind the manse.
Domnall’s horse was already waiting, so it was simply a matter of preparing Rotri’s horse, an aging animal that he’d had for almost thirty years. All of the fine horses he’d purchased over the years had been lost in gambling games, including one to his son, who was riding that prize today. A young beast, blond and strong, and Rotri eyed his son as he mounted the animal. He was still peeved that Domnall managed to wrest the horse away from him. He loved his son, but he hated losing to him.
Soon enough, Rotri’s horse was brought around and Rotri mounted the beast, heading out to the Lombard Street with Domnall beside him. There were crowds out today, as it was market day, so they had to slow down or risk running people over. The weather was warm, with dust kicking up in the air and children and dogs running through the street. One dog ran up to Domnall’s horse and barked, causing the horse to nip at it.
Domnall chased the dog away.
“You still have not told me how we are going to prevent this marriage,” he said to his father. “You do not have Uncle Rhun’s missive in your possession, so it will be your word only, and I doubt that de Reyne or Henry will stop their plans simply because you say so.”
Rotri knew that but was clinging to the hope that his convoluted logic could postpone this wedding. “It depends on how convincing I can be,” he said. “Mayhap if I create enough of an argument, they will at least delay the wedding until themissive in question can be presented. The king knows I have staked a claim on Callie. I will bring the document to the Archbishop of Canterbury and let him decide the intent of my brother. If he agrees, then approval of her marriage will be given to me and, of course, I will not approve.”
“And you will proceed with the dispensation.”
“Exactly. Time will be on our side.”
Domnall lifted his eyebrows. “You really should have remembered this missive sooner,” he said. “It could have saved us a good deal of time and effort to prove Uncle Rhun’s intent when it came to Callie.”
Rotri grunted. “As I said, I did not think it would be so difficult to gain our wants,” he said. “Moreover, how am I supposed to remember a missive I tossed aside nearly the moment I received it? Constantine was alive, as was Rhun, and the chances that Callie would not have anyone to take charge of her and her fortune were very small. I put it aside and forgot it.”
Domnall didn’t reply. It wasn’t the first time his father had forgotten something important. Forgetfulness had been increasing as Rotri got older, but so did his agitation at small things. The man was volatile in the best of times these days, and forgetting something as important as Rhun’s missive requesting Rotri’s management over his daughter should it come to that wasn’t surprising. Disappointing, but not surprising.
