been out of Wolfe’s Lair for ten years. He does not travel well due to the affliction he has with his joints. They are swollen and he cannot move very well.”
Isobeau pondered that information. “Then if he cannot go with you, I will,” she said decisively. “This is as much my vengeance as it is yours. Oh, I know you told me that it is not my right to grieve Titus but you were wrong. So very wrong, Sir Atticus. I adored Titus and he was very good to me. What those knights did… they took away my future and my child’s father. If anyone has a great stake in this, it is me. I will not be any trouble, I swear it.”
Atticus was shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. “My lady, I cannot take you on this journey,” he said, watching her face turn red with anger. “It will be very difficult and the fact that you are with child will only make it harder. You must remain behind and take care of yourself and the baby.”
Isobeau wouldn’t let him deny her so easily. “Think on it this way,” she said, deliberately attempting to coerce him. She wasn’t one to be denied easily. “When I go with you and help you punish these men, then Titus’ son, through me, will also have a hand in punishing those who killed his father. That will bring him great satisfaction in the years to come.”
Atticus was still shaking his head; he’d never truly stopped. “My lady, I understand that you feel your own sense of vengeance, but I cannot take you with me,” he said, more firmly. “Even for the sake of Titus’ son, I cannot take you with me. It would be foolish to risk you and the child in such a way and I suspect that Titus would be quite angry with me to allow it. Nay, then, I will not do it.”
“Please, Sir Atticus. I am begging you.”
“I cannot. I will not.”
“But I must go!”
“I am sorry, but you cannot.”
Isobeau could see, plainly, that he had no intention of allowing her to accompany him but she could also see that he wasn’t being stubborn about it more than he seemed to truly believe it was in her best interest. But that wasn’t good enough for Isobeau; she was seized with a distinct sense of revenge on behalf of Titus, to punish the men who had killed him. Atticus denying her what she felt was her right was extremely frustrating. Frustrating, but not the end. Not as far as she was concerned. Still, she hung her head, upset and distraught, and struggling not to weep again.
Atticus could see that the woman was despondent but he wasn’t going to back down from his stance. It was ludicrous for the woman to expect to accompany him on a trip wrought with hazard. Still, her bravery was to be commended. It was apparent to him that the woman had little fear of trying to track down dangerous men; at least, in theory she had little fear. The reality of such a thing would more than likely prove to be quite different. He reached out and grasped her gently by the elbow.
“Come with me,” he said quietly. “It is cold out here. Let us go inside where it is warm and you can rest.”
Isobeau balked. “Nay, not now,” she said. “I… I want to see my husband. I have been waiting all day to see him. Did you find out where he has been taken?”
Atticus hesitated, thinking of the slightly greenish tinge to Titus’ face and his rather sunken appearance. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea for Lady de Wolfe to see her husband in such a way but he was also fairly certain he had no choice. She had every right to view her husband’s body.
“I did,” he said. “He is down in the vault along with the earl.”
Isobeau gazed up at him with her green eyes. “Will you please take me to him?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
Reluctantly, Atticus nodded and politely took her elbow again as they made their way across the muddy, half-frozen ward towards the gatehouse. The angry, black clouds that had been moving in at sunset were now gathering overhead in a vast, pewter blanket, preparing to storm.
Isobeau pondered that information. “Then if he cannot go with you, I will,” she said decisively. “This is as much my vengeance as it is yours. Oh, I know you told me that it is not my right to grieve Titus but you were wrong. So very wrong, Sir Atticus. I adored Titus and he was very good to me. What those knights did… they took away my future and my child’s father. If anyone has a great stake in this, it is me. I will not be any trouble, I swear it.”
Atticus was shaking his head before she even finished her sentence. “My lady, I cannot take you on this journey,” he said, watching her face turn red with anger. “It will be very difficult and the fact that you are with child will only make it harder. You must remain behind and take care of yourself and the baby.”
Isobeau wouldn’t let him deny her so easily. “Think on it this way,” she said, deliberately attempting to coerce him. She wasn’t one to be denied easily. “When I go with you and help you punish these men, then Titus’ son, through me, will also have a hand in punishing those who killed his father. That will bring him great satisfaction in the years to come.”
Atticus was still shaking his head; he’d never truly stopped. “My lady, I understand that you feel your own sense of vengeance, but I cannot take you with me,” he said, more firmly. “Even for the sake of Titus’ son, I cannot take you with me. It would be foolish to risk you and the child in such a way and I suspect that Titus would be quite angry with me to allow it. Nay, then, I will not do it.”
“Please, Sir Atticus. I am begging you.”
“I cannot. I will not.”
“But I must go!”
“I am sorry, but you cannot.”
Isobeau could see, plainly, that he had no intention of allowing her to accompany him but she could also see that he wasn’t being stubborn about it more than he seemed to truly believe it was in her best interest. But that wasn’t good enough for Isobeau; she was seized with a distinct sense of revenge on behalf of Titus, to punish the men who had killed him. Atticus denying her what she felt was her right was extremely frustrating. Frustrating, but not the end. Not as far as she was concerned. Still, she hung her head, upset and distraught, and struggling not to weep again.
Atticus could see that the woman was despondent but he wasn’t going to back down from his stance. It was ludicrous for the woman to expect to accompany him on a trip wrought with hazard. Still, her bravery was to be commended. It was apparent to him that the woman had little fear of trying to track down dangerous men; at least, in theory she had little fear. The reality of such a thing would more than likely prove to be quite different. He reached out and grasped her gently by the elbow.
“Come with me,” he said quietly. “It is cold out here. Let us go inside where it is warm and you can rest.”
Isobeau balked. “Nay, not now,” she said. “I… I want to see my husband. I have been waiting all day to see him. Did you find out where he has been taken?”
Atticus hesitated, thinking of the slightly greenish tinge to Titus’ face and his rather sunken appearance. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea for Lady de Wolfe to see her husband in such a way but he was also fairly certain he had no choice. She had every right to view her husband’s body.
“I did,” he said. “He is down in the vault along with the earl.”
Isobeau gazed up at him with her green eyes. “Will you please take me to him?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
Reluctantly, Atticus nodded and politely took her elbow again as they made their way across the muddy, half-frozen ward towards the gatehouse. The angry, black clouds that had been moving in at sunset were now gathering overhead in a vast, pewter blanket, preparing to storm.
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