my lord?” the priest frowned.
“You’ll be marrying us as soon as we return to the manor,” he replied.
The man blinked as they rode off, his lady held securely before him. Looking at the senior footmen, Wenceslas frowned. Jordan and Sinclair bound the survivors and started them walking.
“Jordan?”
With a grin, Jordan glanced at the other footmen, who chuckled.
“A long story that is best told over a few tankards, Father.”
“Excellent idea,” he agreed eagerly.
****
They rounded the drive and the manor appeared. Amanda sighed and tilted her head to smile up at him.
“Home,” she murmured.
He nodded as the doors swung open, and they heard the cheers of Heinrich and Bettina.
“Home,” he agreed.
Wulfgar looked up to see the pair hurrying down the steps to meet them and realized the manor was “home” again. It hadn’t felt that way since the deaths of his parents. But with his soon-to-be bride, her father and his wife, plus their future children, it would be again. Full of laughter and shouts as sons and daughters raced about.
He carefully dismounted. Bettina rushed forward. She ignored Bane’s hackles rising.
“Amanda?”
“I’m unharmed,” she assured her stepmother. “Wulfgar and Bane saved me.”
“Thank the good Lord,” Bettina murmured, crossing herself.
“But you are injured,” Amanda frowned, seeing the bruising on the other woman’s face. “The others in the manor?”
“Let’s get you inside out of the cold,” she deflected the question.
Nodding, Wulfgar strode inside. Amanda cried softly as she saw the harm suffered by the staff.
“Put me down,” she insisted. “I won’t be coddled when others were hurt trying to protect me.”
Reluctant, Wulfgar glanced at Heinrich and saw the quiet pride in the man’s face. Pride that one child of his had compassion, a sense of duty and honor. Nodding, he set her carefully on her feet. Gathering up the cloak over an arm, she went to the nearest footman. Still holding the leather bag of medicines and bandages, Bettina joined her and Maari stuck to their heels.
“Anders regained consciousness briefly and we moved him to his room,” Heinrich murmured as Wulfgar closed the front door. “Mrs. Anders, the chef, and two others are with him in the servants’ quarters.”
“Three of them still live,” the Baron said quietly. “From them, we will get the entire story.”
“Bettina told me what they said,” he replied, pain in his voice. “That Aaron…that he basically sold Amanda to them to cover his gambling losses. I do not understand what happened to my son. I know he was dissatisfied with our town and sneered at it. I knew he was putting on airs and affectations he hadn’t earned, but…”
“The king’s court can easily corrupt even the strongest,” Wulfgar consoled him. “Men such as those who came here today prey on those who are vulnerable. They seek out those who show the slightest weakness and relish ensnaring those from the provinces and towns.”
“You’ve been to court for long periods of time?”
Wulfgar understood the question. Given what Heinrich would have found in the room he and Bettina were in, as well as the salacious and immoral lifestyle of most of those at court, the man had every right, despite Wulfgar’s earlier denunciation of him, to express concern about the man his daughter wanted to marry. What worried him was Heinrich’s opinion of the Crown Prince. Clearly, Amanda loved her cousin. He would have to tread carefully not to alienate his future king and kinsman. Her message from Karl about having to do things to survive came to mind.
“To survive at court, one, whether a man or woman, must do things their conscience cries out against. As the king stopped here a few years ago, I was ordered to ensure a room for his special requirements.” Seeking solace against those very things, he let his gaze fall on Amanda now near the grand staircase. “The king keeps a depraved court.
“You’ll be marrying us as soon as we return to the manor,” he replied.
The man blinked as they rode off, his lady held securely before him. Looking at the senior footmen, Wenceslas frowned. Jordan and Sinclair bound the survivors and started them walking.
“Jordan?”
With a grin, Jordan glanced at the other footmen, who chuckled.
“A long story that is best told over a few tankards, Father.”
“Excellent idea,” he agreed eagerly.
****
They rounded the drive and the manor appeared. Amanda sighed and tilted her head to smile up at him.
“Home,” she murmured.
He nodded as the doors swung open, and they heard the cheers of Heinrich and Bettina.
“Home,” he agreed.
Wulfgar looked up to see the pair hurrying down the steps to meet them and realized the manor was “home” again. It hadn’t felt that way since the deaths of his parents. But with his soon-to-be bride, her father and his wife, plus their future children, it would be again. Full of laughter and shouts as sons and daughters raced about.
He carefully dismounted. Bettina rushed forward. She ignored Bane’s hackles rising.
“Amanda?”
“I’m unharmed,” she assured her stepmother. “Wulfgar and Bane saved me.”
“Thank the good Lord,” Bettina murmured, crossing herself.
“But you are injured,” Amanda frowned, seeing the bruising on the other woman’s face. “The others in the manor?”
“Let’s get you inside out of the cold,” she deflected the question.
Nodding, Wulfgar strode inside. Amanda cried softly as she saw the harm suffered by the staff.
“Put me down,” she insisted. “I won’t be coddled when others were hurt trying to protect me.”
Reluctant, Wulfgar glanced at Heinrich and saw the quiet pride in the man’s face. Pride that one child of his had compassion, a sense of duty and honor. Nodding, he set her carefully on her feet. Gathering up the cloak over an arm, she went to the nearest footman. Still holding the leather bag of medicines and bandages, Bettina joined her and Maari stuck to their heels.
“Anders regained consciousness briefly and we moved him to his room,” Heinrich murmured as Wulfgar closed the front door. “Mrs. Anders, the chef, and two others are with him in the servants’ quarters.”
“Three of them still live,” the Baron said quietly. “From them, we will get the entire story.”
“Bettina told me what they said,” he replied, pain in his voice. “That Aaron…that he basically sold Amanda to them to cover his gambling losses. I do not understand what happened to my son. I know he was dissatisfied with our town and sneered at it. I knew he was putting on airs and affectations he hadn’t earned, but…”
“The king’s court can easily corrupt even the strongest,” Wulfgar consoled him. “Men such as those who came here today prey on those who are vulnerable. They seek out those who show the slightest weakness and relish ensnaring those from the provinces and towns.”
“You’ve been to court for long periods of time?”
Wulfgar understood the question. Given what Heinrich would have found in the room he and Bettina were in, as well as the salacious and immoral lifestyle of most of those at court, the man had every right, despite Wulfgar’s earlier denunciation of him, to express concern about the man his daughter wanted to marry. What worried him was Heinrich’s opinion of the Crown Prince. Clearly, Amanda loved her cousin. He would have to tread carefully not to alienate his future king and kinsman. Her message from Karl about having to do things to survive came to mind.
“To survive at court, one, whether a man or woman, must do things their conscience cries out against. As the king stopped here a few years ago, I was ordered to ensure a room for his special requirements.” Seeking solace against those very things, he let his gaze fall on Amanda now near the grand staircase. “The king keeps a depraved court.
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