Shadowmoor (de Lohr Dynasty #6) (39 page)

So she had calmed herself, wiped her tears, and left her chamber to see to the evening meal as she always did. But she made very certain to stay clear of anywhere she thought Daniel might be. He didn’t usually come to the kitchens so once she was there, she was safe, and she went ahead with her duties.

One of the sheep had been slaughtered a couple of days before and she had the cook boil the mutton in a peppercorn gravy, something that was quite delicious. Bread was made from rye and wheat, and butter was made from the cow’s milk. There was more cheese as well because they’d started making sheep’s milk cheese as well, so there was an abundance of dairy products to feast upon.

The cook, who had always been very talented at stretching any stores Shadowmoor had, now had a plethora of ingredients to choose from and she began to make some rather tasty dishes like she had in the days before Shadowmoor was starving. Daniel had sent men into town a few days before to gather more supplies and they had returned with bushels of cabbages, onions, beans, turnips, leeks, carrots, and small sacks of spices like rosemary, mint, cardamom, and dill. There were also bags of peppercorns and expensive salt.

It had been a great deal of food and the cook had made a cabbage pottage three days in a row that was delicious. Even now, she was making it again, with cabbage and leeks and carrots and a hint of cardamom, and the entire castle smelled of cooking cabbage, enough to lure in Gunnar and his gang of animals, who were hungry and looking for something to eat. The cook sat him down with a bowl of pottage for him, old cabbage leaves for the goats, and scraps of fat from the mutton for the dogs. Everyone was happy.

So the pottage had been headed for the feasting table, along with the mutton, but those plans were changed when a soldier came to tell Liselotte that an army had been sighted. Fearful, and thinking that it was Bramley again, she and the cook had waited fearfully in the kitchen for word and were subsequently told that it was the de Lohr army that had arrived. Liselotte’s relief was great but so was her worry that they now had to feed hundreds of men. But the fear was short lived when Caston came to tell her that the de Lohr army had brought their own beef. A spit was set up in the kitchen yard and soon the smells of cooking beef mingled with those of cabbage.

Liselotte had never seen so many men at Shadowmoor nor had she ever seen so much food. It was a bit overwhelming but she enjoyed the noise, and the revelry, quite a bit. She’d never seen anything like it. Gunnar was thrilled, of course, excited to see the de Lohr knights as well as the soldiers, as he and his pets sat in a warm corner of the hall and watched the activity. It was a great deal of excitement for the young boy.

But all the while that the food was cooking and the army was settling in, Liselotte couldn’t help but think of Daniel. He was never far from her thoughts and as much as she had wanted to stay away from him, that resolve began to buckle and by nightfall, she was eager for the sight of him. She thought that perhaps she should apologize for pushing him towards marriage when he had told her from the onset he was not the marrying kind. Liselotte had always hoped to marry but if she couldn’t marry Daniel, she didn’t see much need. It wouldn’t be fair to marry one man when her heart belonged to another.

But she never saw Daniel as she went about her duties and she eventually became very busy with the kitchen and food output for the guests they had. Then, he finally appeared; she saw Daniel enter the hall in the company of two unfamiliar knights as well as Caston, the four of them making their way to the feasting table.

Through the smoke and noise, Liselotte saw them claim their seats. She knew that she should go and introduce herself, as the Lady of Shadowmoor, and it took considerable effort to swallow her nerves and approach Daniel and his guests. She knew she had humiliated herself earlier in the day with him and she hoped he wouldn’t hold it against her.

She hoped he was the forgiving kind.

“Greetings, my lords,” she said as she came to the table with a pitcher of ale that had been made from some of the grain Daniel had purchased. Mostly, she was focused on the two knights she didn’t recognize. “I am Lady Liselotte l’Audacieux. Shadowmoor is my home. I bid you welcome.”

A bold move for the lady to introduce, without a man giving her a proper introduction to other men, herself but no one seemed to mind. The two unfamiliar knights stood up to formally greet her and a very big knight with the brightest blue eyes Liselotte had ever seen responded to her address.

“Thank you for your hospitality, my lady,” he said. “I am Sir Maddoc du Bois and my companion is Sir Marc de Russe. We brought the de Lohr army to Daniel’s summons.”

Liselotte forced a smile, not looking at Daniel because she was too embarrassed to do so. “You are most welcome, my lords,” she said, her attention moving to the knight introduced as Marc de Russe. He was very tall, with broad shoulders and dark, messy hair. “Have your accommodations been settled yet? I was unaware that you were here. Forgive me if you have not been shown to your sleeping quarters.”

Maddoc waved her off. “Daniel has taken charge of that, my lady,” he said. “We are well settled. In fact, Daniel has been telling us of your trouble with Lord Bramley. May I ask you some questions about the situation?”

So she would be forced to sit with the men.
With Daniel
. So much for fleeing. Trembling, and increasingly nervous, Liselotte set her ale pitcher down and sat at the end of the table. Daniel was to her right but she had yet to look at him. She could feel his eyes upon her.

“I would be happy to answer your questions, my lord,” she said. “But before you ask, allow me to say this – whatever Daniel has told you, the reality is worse by tenfold. Four years ago, Shadowmoor was a self-sufficient fortress. We were even moderately prosperous. Then the event of Lord Bramley happened; when the man made an offer for my hand and my father refused, he did all he could to make our lives miserable. He killed our livestock and blocked all attempts to leave the fortress for food and supplies. He even burned the crops we had sewn outside of our walls. When Daniel came upon us, we were starving to death. Had it not been for him, we would all be dead. I am as sure of that as I am sure of the sun rising in the morning. Daniel has given us our life back and for that, I shall always be eternally grateful.”

Maddoc picked up the pitcher she had set down and moved to fill his cup. “That is essentially what Daniel told us,” he said, pouring the drink. “Looking at the fortress now, it is clear that it is under repair but it hardly looks destitute.”

“That is because Daniel has spent a good deal of time and money returning Shadowmoor to what it should be. All you see is the result of his generosity.”

Maddoc glanced at Daniel, who only had eyes for the lady. It took Maddoc a moment to realize that Daniel was staring at her quite intently.
Deeply.
It was curious to see Daniel so focused on a woman but then he recalled what Christopher had said about the situation;
Daniel is doing this because of a woman.
From the expression on Daniel’s face, Maddoc could easily see that it was the truth. But surely it was infatuation and nothing more. The Daniel he knew wasn’t capable of anything more. But he wondered just how far gone Daniel was with his fascination for the tall, slender, and very lovely Lady Liselotte.

“You must understand, my lady, that I am here on a fact-finding mission,” Maddoc said. “Daniel’s uncle, Christopher de Lohr, has sent me with reinforcements but he wants to know the truth behind Daniel’s request. Am I to understand that all of this started because of a rejected suit?”

Liselotte shrugged. “That was part of it, my lord,” she answered, “but I truly believe there is far more to his greed. Daniel knows this to be true, also. Bramley wants Shadowmoor and her lands, and her contracts, because we have the legal right to collect tariffs on the roads leading into Bradford. We are also entitled to taxes from Ilkley, Keighley, and several other small villages, and for many years we collected those taxes peacefully. When Bramley arrived, he used armed men to chase us off when we tried to collect our taxes and he took the money for himself. He steals from our villagers and from us.”

“Then he is a thief, but that is hardly reason to summon a massive army,” Maddoc said as neutrally as he could. “Why have you not brought your grievances to the Sheriff of the West Yorkshire?”

“That would be my father,” Caston interjected, looking between Liselotte and Maddoc. “I think I can answer that question – Shadowmoor has always kept to themselves. They are an old and proud fortress, purely Saxon for the most part, and everyone in West Yorkshire has largely steered clear of them, always. It is my sense that they never brought this to my father’s attention purely out of fear that they would be ignored. Is that not so, my lady?”

Liselotte nodded, looking somewhat ashamed. “I think it was a matter of pride on my father’s part as well,” she said. “He thought that we could deal with it ourselves. There was something shameful in seeking help.”

“Yet you accepted Daniel’s help,” Maddoc pointed out, not unkindly. “Why take his help?”

Liselotte still wouldn’t look at Daniel, feeling his gaze upon her like a weight, pulling at her, demanding her attention. But she couldn’t bring herself to face him.

“Because he was a stranger,” she said. “He did not know us. He did not know that our forefathers entered into a treaty with the Normans so that we could keep our lands. But that treaty made us traitors to our allies. It is a dishonor that has never left us, but it was one Daniel did not know of. He did not have that prejudice towards us that others did.”

Maddoc digested the information and everything he had been told since he’d arrived at Shadowmoor. He seemed indecisive, enough so that Liselotte leaned forward, her gaze upon him intense.

“My lord,” she said. “I realize this looks like a local problem. It looks to be silly and insipid. But I assure you that there is nothing insipid about Bramley’s harassment. Not long ago, he abducted my younger brother in an attempt to force my father to surrender both me and Shadowmoor. My brother miraculously escaped and it was then that Daniel entered our lives. He saved my brother and was thoughtful and kind enough to remain at Shadowmoor to help us with Bramley. But, somehow, Bramley got to my older brother and convinced him to kill my father. Did Daniel tell you that? My older brother killed my father and it was only two weeks ago that my brother was killed in a skirmish, siding with Bramley against Daniel and Netherghyll. You may not wish to help but I will tell you what will happen if you do not; Netherghyll and Daniel have already committed themselves to aiding Shadowmoor. Bramley told Daniel that he has sent word to Henry to summon crown troops. If you do not stay and help, all that Daniel and those at Netherghyll have worked for will be destroyed once Henry sends his army. Please, my lord… please, help us. This may be a foolish situation to you, but to me, it is my life. Shadowmoor is all that I have. Please help me to keep it.”

She was verging on tears by the time she was finished and Maddoc, who was truly soft-hearted beneath that stiff exterior, could feel himself relenting. His manner eased.

“My lady,” he said. “You need not worry. I will not leave Daniel here alone to face Lord Bramley and whatever the man can throw at him. But you do understand that it was Daniel who killed your brother.”

Liselotte nodded, wiping daintily at her eyes. “He told me what happened,” she said. “You must understand that my brother was a foul drunkard, my lord. He would do anything for drink, including siding with our enemy if the man promised him more ale for his allegiance. Daniel told me everything that happened in that skirmish and I believe him implicitly.”

Maddoc believed Daniel, too, for the man was not a liar. Still, he wanted to understand the lady’s point of view on everything. He could see how badly she was affected. “I believe him as well,” he said. “That is not the issue. I am simply trying to understand the situation clearly.”

Liselotte sniffled, ashamed at her outburst that was very close to begging. “The situation is that Lord Bramley is trying to erase us from this earth,” she said. “My father once said that he believed Daniel was sent by God to help us. When I look at you, I would like to think that God has sent more of His avenging angels to aid us in our fight. For whatever you can do for us, please know that I am eternally grateful.”

Maddoc gazed at the woman that Daniel couldn’t keep his eyes off of. “I will do my best to ensure that Bramley is turned away from Shadowmoor once and for all.”

Liselotte closed her eyes, deeply relieved. She was also quite emotional. Fearing another outburst, she simply forced a smile and stood up.

“Thank you, my lord,” she said. “If you will excuse me now, I have duties to attend to.”

Quickly, she fled, disappearing into the smoke of the crowded room before Maddoc could ask her anymore questions. Maddoc and Marc turned to quiet conversation as Daniel watched Liselotte fade away. He couldn’t help but notice that she’d had no interest in looking at him the entire time she sat at the table, which made his heart quite heavy. He knew she was hurting; he was hurting, too. Spending the afternoon with Maddoc and Marc and Caston, discussing strategy against Bramley, had only served to distract him. The ache from his earlier confrontation with Liselotte was still there, weighing upon him more strongly than ever.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to think or concentrate until he spoke with her and cleared the air between them but the problem was that he still couldn’t bring himself to say what needed to be said, what was in his heart. It was such a slippery slope because he knew once he opened that gate, there would be no turning back. He couldn’t take back what he said. He would be committed, forever. He wasn’t sure if it was in his nature to be committed forever.

But he was equally sure that he couldn’t stand the thought of spending the rest of his life without her. Frustrated, he stood up.

“I will return, good men,” he said. “Do not talk about me when I am gone, please.”