Page 94 of Historical Hotties
Bose was on his feet, staggering away, as Rhori watched Cassius’ profile. The man was as drunk and out of control as he’d ever seen him, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t have his reasons. Frankly, no one blamed him. It had been a tragic happening with Dacia, but they simply never realized Cassius would take it so hard.
Yet, he had.
He was bleeding grief out of every pore in his body.
“Is it helping?” Rhori finally asked softly.
Cassius was staring, half-lidded, out into the room. “Is what helping?”
“The drink. Is it helping you to forget?”
Cassius turned to him, so swiftly that he nearly lost his balance. He had to grip the table. “I told you that I do not want to talk about it,” he said. “You’ll not bring her up.”
“I didn’t say a word about her.”
“I know what you meant!”
Rhori held up a hand to ease him. “I simply asked if drinking was helping you forget about her,” he said. “Is the drinking and fighting helping you heal? Is it doing you any good?”
Cassius’ lip flickered in a snarl. “Shut your mouth, du Bois,” he said. “You have no idea what you are asking.”
Rhori lifted his eyebrows. “Aye, I do,” he said. “I’ve been through this, Cass, only worse. There was no chance of reconciliation when it happened to me. At least you are not mourning her death.”
Cassius was geared up to throw a punch at a man he had been professing his love for only moment’s early when he suddenly came to a halt. His expression morphed from furious to remorseful in a quick moment.
“God,” he groaned, putting a hand on Rhori’s arm. “Forgive me. I had forgotten about Lucy. Forgive me for not being more sensitive to that.”
Rhori brushed him off. “Four years later, it is not as painful as it used to be,” he said. “Though I will admit that I think about her almost every day. Watching you fall in love with Dacia has brought back the memories of when I was courting Lucy. Those were good days. I remember them when I feel particularly sad sometimes. It helps.”
Cassius sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair and nearly tipping over because his balance was so bad. “Lucy was such a pretty girl,” he said. “Her death was very sad for us all, Rhori.”
Rhori nodded faintly, remembering the red-haired, blue-eyed lass he was so deeply in love with. Pretty, vivacious, and naughty at times, she had been the fire to his ice until a sudden and horrific fever had taken her from him. She had been perfectly well and then a week later, he was weeping over her body. They’d never even had the chance to wed. He had to admit that watching Cassius go through the pangs of grief brought back a good deal of grief for him, too.
He understood what it was like.
“I will admit I wonder how things would have been,” he said after a moment. “Would we have had a son with her fiery hair and disposition? Or my dark hair and calm manner? I cannot imagine having a son with Lucy’s fire. A lad like that would have been the death of me.”
Cassius smiled weakly. “He would have been your pride and joy and you know it,” he said. “I told Dacia that the first born son must be named by my father’s mother.”
“Magnus the Law-Mender?”
“Aye,” Cassius said. “He has named all of his male grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He would have undoubtedly laid claim to any first born son of mine.”
“Will you raise Northmen sons, then?”
Cassius laughed softly. “Not me,” he said. “They will be English to the bone. But it looks as if I may raise no sons at all. Not if I cannot raise them with Dacia.”
Bose came out of the kitchens at that point, carrying a pitcher of ale in one hand and leading a servant girl with the other. They’d all seen this girl around. She was young and pretty, with big breasts and big hips. She swung them for any man who came in through the door and they’d seen her fondle a few men that had taken her into a corner of the tavern. Bose came up to the table and set the pitcher down.
“This is Helen,” he said. “She told me that she thinks you’re very handsome, Cass.”
Cassius looked up with disinterest as the servant girl smiled seductively at him. “M’lord is magnificent,” she said. “I’d be happy tae spend some time with ye.”
As she said that, she pulled at a string that was keeping her bodice laced up. The string unraveled and the top of her shift fell open, exposing her cleavage. Another casual tug and her right breast nearly fell out. But Cassius simply looked away while Rhori shook his head in disapproval.
“Go away, girl,” Rhori told her. “We have no need for you.”
The girl’s face fell, but Bose grabbed her by the wrist. “Speak for yourself,” he said. “If you don’t want her, I’ll take her. Remember… I’ll put anything in my mouth. Just ask the ladies.”
