The Legend (51 page)

Toby did not say anything more,
unable to decipher the confusion he was feeling and unwilling to discuss it
further at the moment. Since the first instant he had beheld Jubil, he'd been
in the grip of something powerful, something he had been unable to resist.
Something he could not put into words and he was glad Alec had not pressed the
subject. He wasn't sure exactly how to answer.

Alec released him from his grip
when they hit the stairs and he silently, pensively followed his brother out
into the courtyard.

The damp night air was filled
with smoke from the torches as Alec approached the messenger. He recognized the
man as one of his father's household soldiers, and the warrior saluted him
smartly.

"Greetings, my lord,"
the soldier said formally. "I bring a message from your father, Baron
Rothwell."

"My father is well?"
Alec couldn't help himself from asking; he'd frightened himself with thoughts
of his father's demise and wanted a bit of simple reassurance.

"Aye, my lord," the
soldier replied, eyeing Alec hesitantly for the first time. "Would you
prefer that I deliver the message in private?"

Alec almost demanded that the man
spill his message immediately and be gone, but something in the soldier's
expression made him pause. Without a word, he beckoned the man to follow.

Ali met him in the foyer, passing
an eye over the familiar soldier. Alec led Ali, Toby and the soldier into the
small solar and closed the door softly. As Toby lit an oil lamp, Alec faced off
against the messenger from Blackstone.

"What is it?"

The messenger did not hesitate.
"Your brother Paul was killed in an unfortunate mishap earlier this day.
As the new heir to the barony of Rothwell, your father requests your presence
at your brother's funeral the day after tomorrow."

Alec did not react for a moment,
but Ali and Toby passed astonished glances. "How did Paul die?" Alec
asked, his tone considerably more subdued.

"He was apparently
attempting to ride your father's destrier and the horse trampled him, my lord,”
the soldier replied quietly. "Your sister's betrothed discovered the body
in the stall."

"Warrington?" Alec's
jaw suddenly developed a tick. He slanted Ali a disbelieving gaze before
returning his attention to the soldier. "So my father requested my company
at the funeral, did he?"

"Aye, my lord," the
soldier nodded firmly. "And your mother sends her warmest regards to you
and your lady wife."

Alec's gaze rested on the man a moment
longer before turning away, moving pensively towards the wide oak desk that
used to belong to Albert. Ali and Toby watched him closely as he digested the
news, wondering if he were going to refuse outright to all questions posed.

When Alec reached the heavy piece
of furniture, his focus trailed across the surface, lost in thought for the
moment. Eventually, he sat heavily in the hide-covered chair behind the desk.

"You will return to
Blackstone this night and inform my father that my wife and I will attend my
brother's funeral as requested," he said quietly. "Be gone with
you."

The soldier faltered a moment,
expected to carry a much longer, far more emotional reply, but saluted sharply
and spun on his heel. When the door closed behind him, Toby let out a sharp
hiss.

"Paul hated horses!" he
blurted. "There is no possibility that he would have been anywhere near
Lord Brian's charger!"

Alec did not reply for a moment.
"I am particularly interested in the fact that Colin Warrington discovered
his body," slowly, he looked to his ebony friend. "Mere coincidence,
mayhap?"

Ali shook his head decisively.
"Paul was terrified of  horses. I cannot ever recall seeing him in the
vicinity of the stables," he lowered his muscular body onto the edge of
the desk. "Something is very wrong here, my friend."

Alec drew in a deep sigh.
"Wrong indeed. My brother is dead and his body is discovered by a man of
sinister character."

Ali met Alec's gaze a long,
contemplative moment, as if they could read one another's thoughts. "I wonder
if Colin was the last person Paul saw on this earth. Is it possible they shared
a conversation, an argument? Even if Colin actually killed Paul, strangulation
or stabbing would have been obvious. The messenger said your father's charger
killed your brother, which means there must have been no outward signs of
murder."

"Unless Warrington beat him
to death and put him in the stall to make it look as a mischance," Toby
said in a low voice.

Alec sat back in his chair
pensively. "Murdered by Warrington, who then conveniently places his body
in the stall to make it appear as an accident," he drummed his fingertips
against one another. "Assuming this presumption is true, the question
remains; why did he kill Paul? Surely he did not consider my brother a threat."

"Not in the physical
sense," Ali said. " Mayhap Paul saw something that he should not
have. Or mayhap he did something extremely offensive."

"Offensive enough to
kill?" Alec shook his head, the realization of his brother's death
beginning to settle. "Paul was no more a threat than a mere child. I
cannot imagine what he could have possibly done to warrant his own death."

Ali did not say anything; he,
too, was beginning to feel the loss of Paul as the shock of the news wore in.
"We attend the funeral in two days. Mayhap we shall come across our
answers then," he rose from the desk and turned to face Alec. "You,
however, have been handed a great inheritance this night.
Congratulations."

Alec looked at him as if the
thought had not yet occurred to him. "As I recall, my father disinherited
me not three weeks ago. And now I am heir to Blackstone?" he shook his
head. Then, he chuckled. "And my mother. Sending her warmest regards to me
and my lady wife. It would seem that she has had ample time to regret her harsh
words to us."

"She'd kiss your arse if it
would appease you," Ali snickered. "Your mother has the fastest
temper and the fastest mouth in all of England. She most likely regretted her
slander the moment she issued it."

Alec smiled faintly, thinking on
the estrangement that had infected him for weeks. Anger and concern for a
father who was apparently a weakling, puzzlement over the entire Warrington
situation. Was Paul's death another example of the power Nigel Warrington was
presumably exercising over his father, over the entire House of Summerlin? As
pleased as he should have been that his parents had apparently forgiven his
actions, he was nonetheless deeply perplexed with the falling of events.

But one thing was certain; he had
lost another brother and although he and Paul had not shared a companionable
relationship, he was naturally grieved. But he could not dwell on the fact that
he only remaining full-brother was deceased, not when there were far too many
other anxieties occupying his attention.

Ali clapped him sympathetically
on the shoulder, breaking him from his train of thought. Alec glanced up at his
friend, who was focused on Toby. The young knight stood against the wall, his
handsome face drawn with sorrow. "I am sorry for you as well, Toby. You
and Paul spent a good deal of time together," Ali said softly.

"We used to fish
sometimes," Toby said vaguely.

Ali wisely decided to leave the
brothers to their own thoughts, giving Alec a final pat before moving towards
the cedar door. His hand was barely to the latch when he heard Alec's voice
behind him.

"Ask Toby about his love
bite."

He thought he hadn't heard
correctly. He turned to Alec curiously, wondering how a statement like that
became mixed up in the grieving process. But Alec was looking at Toby, a dull
twinkle in his sky-blue eyes.

"How inappropriate,
Alec," Ali scolded quietly. "We are mourning your brother's loss and
I consider your remark improper at best."

Alec sighed and stood his full
height slowly, wearily. "Ali, you know that my brother and I were never
close. Paul was more of a distant relative than a brother, and I shall mourn
his loss as such. But nothing more. Were you or Toby to perish, then I would
mourn your deaths for the rest of my life, as with Peter," he eyed his younger
half-brother. "Since I do not feel like dwelling on my brother's death
until there is something I can do about it, for my own sake I choose to lighten
the mood. For Christ's sake, I am tired of grieving. Toby, show Ali your love
bite."

Ali shook his head in
resignation, knowing Alec's explanation to be correct. But he stopped short of
concurring to alleviate the heady mood. "Do not show me, Toby. I do not
care about it, nor do I wish to see it."

Alec cocked an eyebrow.
"Jubil did it."

Ali's eyes flew open wide and he
yanked up the young knight's tunic. "God's Blood! She did not merely bite
you, man, she
ate
you!"

The bite was purple and swollen,
and Toby flinched when Alec touched it. "She must be half-wolf," Alec
remarked.

Ali's black eyes glittered with
mirth. "I am curious to know what else she did to you."

Toby looked sheepish and Alec put
his arms around his brother's wide shoulders. "I was quite astonished to
realize my little brother is no better than the rest of us. I believe he needs
our experienced advice."

Ali suddenly thrust himself
forward, embracing Toby as one would a lover. "God's Blood, Toby, I never
knew. I think I am in love with you."

Toby yanked himself free of the
two taunting men. "Too late, Ali. You had your chance."

Alec and Ali were grinning
mischievously, closing the gap between themselves and Toby and backing the
young man into the wall. "Jubil, is it?" Ali queried seductively.
"I am surprised. Your tastes usually run to the petite young women from
the village that comprises your admiring throng."

Toby groped for the doorlatch,
opening the door to escape just as Alec slammed it shut.

"Do not leave yet,"
Alec purred. "You told me you might marry the woman. Well?"

Toby pursed his lips irritably.
"I said might.
Might!
" he snatched at the doorlatch again and
yanked it open, wedging himself in the archway when Alec tried to close it
again. "And I think it's terrible that you should disregard Paul's death
so easily. Instead of mourning properly for the man, you choose to taunt me
instead."

Alec's expression softened
somewhat. "Were I not teasing you, I would most likely be riding to
Blackstone, determined to receive answers to our assumptions," he said
quietly. "You as well as Ali know that I have spent the majority of the
past twelve years grieving. No one grieves more deeply than I do. But I
explained my reasons to Ali regarding my relationship to Paul and I shall not
repeat them. I am, however, deeply distressed with the circumstances regarding
his death. I suppose lightening the mood helps me deal with the overwhelming
situation."

Somewhat appeased, Toby lowered
his gaze uncertainly, rubbing at his bite. Alec, his humor fading, opened the
door wide and put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I think, mayhap,
it would be best if you return to Blackstone immediately and comfort mother.
The woman has lost two sons and I expect she would like to see her remaining
sons as soon as possible."

Toby nodded, albeit hesitantly.
His first reaction was to refuse for two reasons; firstly, he was becoming far
too infatuated with Jubil and their blossoming relationship and was eager for
another encounter, if for nothing more than to further explore the attraction
between them. The sexual magnetism was obvious; it was the emotional aspect he
was more concerned with. And secondly, mayhap more prevalently, she had yet to
divulge the promised information of his heritage.

Upon reflection, he wondered if
she truly held the key to his past. Mayhap she has simply hinted to the fact to
obtain what she wanted from him which, in fact, turned out to be what he wanted
from her as well.  But he would do what was asked of him; family came first,
and his raging emotions secondly. Perplexing as they were.

Ali moved past the brothers and
into the foyer, feeling his fatigue and eager for sleep. "When do you wish
to leave for Blackstone, Alec?" he asked as he reached the stairs.

Alec scratched his scalp, passing
a glance to the lancet window facing the bailey. "Christ, there cannot be
more than two hours until sunrise. I would like to leave by early
afternoon."

Ali nodded shortly. "I shall
inform my family. We will be ready."

Alec watched his dark friend
mount the stairs, turning to Toby after a moment. "Are you well? You and
Paul were fairly close."

"I am fine, truly. Just a bit
shocked, I suppose," Toby moved for the stairs. "I shall change
clothes and ride to Blackstone. Is there any message you wish me to deliver to
Mother?"

Alec gazed at his fair-haired
brother a moment. "Nay," he said softly. "I shall be seeing her
soon enough."

Toby took the stairs and
disappeared into the bowels of the upper story. Alec continued to stand in the
doorway, his sky-blue eyes dark with speculative thought.