Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (93 page)

I am proud to be Pete’s wife and to bear him children. Sometimes it surprises me how happy it makes me. And he does not make me feel like a woman in the way I fear. He makes me feelstrong.”

Gaston rolled up onto his elbow and touched her shoulder. “I amvery happy to hear you say that. I amstill…” He looked awaywithlambent eyes.

She touched his chin and brought his eyes back to hers. “I forgive you. Truly. I think…” She smiled. “I think Will’s right, the Gods move inmysterious ways.”

She sighed and relaxed to grin up at me with a shrewd mien. “Now, my lord, what exactly has the dragon and his minion, Whyse, told you?”

I dropped on the bed on the other side of her and began to recalland relayeverythingthe kingand Whyse had told us.
When she finally left us, Gaston made much of thrusting his head out the window and perusing what he could see of the night sky.
“What are youabout?”I asked withsleepyamusement.
“Do youfeelit is after midnight?”
“I have no idea. Whyshould it matter?”
He grinned. “I saw the date.”
I frowned. “What is it?”
“Well, ifit is past midnight, thenit is the fifteenth.”
I wondered what I was forgetting, and then something about his mischievous smile recalled my looking at him in much the same waybecause… it had beenhis birthday. “June fifteenth, sixteenhundred and seventyone. I amthirty-one years ofage.”
“Ifit is past midnight,”he said and joined me onthe bed.
“Ifyousaw the correct date.”
He grinned anew. “We thought this would be resolved byyour birthday.”
I chuckled. “Oui, we did, and it has been. By the Gods, it has been.”
I recalled my birthdays over the past few years. At this time last year, we had been on the dinghy with Gaston wounded and fevering and giving me rings. The year before that, I had just been rescued from Thorp. The year before that had seen us sailing to Porto Bello: we had not thought to celebrate my birthdaymuchat all. The year before that we had just returned to Port Royal after the wreck of the galleon our first time roving together. The birthday before that had been a drunken orgy with Alonso and Teresina—inanother world and time—another life.
“I supposedly have only known you for less than five years,” I said with wonder. “I feel that a lie. I have surely known youforever.”
He appeared thoughtful. “Youare correct:it cannot have been only four years and a few months. Our memories must be poor.”
“Oui, we are suffering delusions: imaging some strange life whereinwe were not together.”
He smiled. “I cannot even imagine it. I sometimes find myselfwondering what you were doing—why you did not aid or succor me—duringsome event inmylife.”
I nodded solemnly, as I sometimes did the same. He had become a ghost lurking in all my memories. Had I not been worried about his jealousy when I cavorted with Alonso? Had he not helped me burnGoliath?
“I wonder what we will be doing five years from now,”

sighed.
He shrugged. “We will be together, wherever we are.”
He met mygaze withmischievous eyes. “I did not get youa gift.” “Surely you jest,” I teased. “How could you be so
cruel?”
He shrugged and lie back on the mattress. “You did not
tellme what youwished.”
I laughed, unable to continue my jest. “I truly have
nothingleft to want. I have everything.”
He shook his head with wonder and smiled. “Is that not
true?” Then he frowned and smiled at me. “What would you
want ifyouhad nothing?”
I plundered him mercilessly for the remainder of the
night.
The next dayI smiled at the ironythat myfather’s funeral
service—and the reading of the will—should be scheduled for
mybirthday. Surelythe Gods were ina fine humor. I surelywas. We spent the first hours ofthe morning drilling Striker on
how to bow and greet people appropriately. Then we dressed
and filed out to the carriage. I was delighted to discover I owned
a fine barouche and team. I chided myself for not investigating
the stables sooner. Pete and Liamwere following us on two very
fine riding animals—not that one could tell from the looks on
their faces, since neither of them was an accomplished rider. I
reminded myself my father had always had the good sense to
hire excellent grooms and buy good horses. Truly, he had
possessed excellent taste. I probablyowned manyfine things. Whyse met us at the church, and whispered in my ear a
great many things about the men seated around us until I felt as
overwhelmed as I ever did when Rucker presented me with
lengthy translations. In time I knew I would learn everything my
new associate wished to impart, and I would be able to wield
that information like a fine rapier; but for now it merely made me tired. I wished Chris was here to save me the trouble of
memorizingit. I was onlygoingto relayit allto her, anyway. Finally, Whyse quieted as the service began. I looked
about at the sea of black coats and saw themas people and not
potential enemies and allies. Most of the men present—there
were no women save my sisters—wore black, not apparently
out ofmourning, but because it was seeminglytheir habitualcolor
of choice. There was not a lambent eye among them: they were
here to pay respect, not to mourn. We listened to a bishop
commend my father’s good, serious, and chaste life. I took
satisfaction in knowing that no matter how badly I have lived,
there would be crying at my funeral; for I was loved in all the
ways my father had not been. That thought brought me to pity
for my poor damned father—and Shane—and the emotions
fromthe hour oftheir deathwelled up untilI found tears. The men who came to shake my hand on the church
steps were taut with suspicion until they met my reddened gaze,
and then they—like young Beaucrest—apparently decided they
had misjudged me. Then they expressed their condolences with
sincerity. Thankfully, this insured that when my father’s business
partners gathered at the solicitor’s house to hear the will, they
were not glaring at me and muttering amongst themselves as I
had feared.
The will surprised me. It sounded as if it were truly my
father’s words. It did name me as the sole heir for the estate and
assets, but then it awarded a number ofmourning rings and other
small behests to the men gathered—and even my sisters. I was
relieved.
I was also numb with wonder. I had been given
everything I had thought I would never have. I wondered what
the Gods could truly give me in the future to ever surpass this
birthday.

When it was done, Whyse handled the questions of the nobles, and Theodore the businessmen, and I was free to leave. Striker, Sarah, Gaston and I thankfully accepted an invitation from Beaucrest to visit their town house for a late-afternoon meal. Once we were in my carriage, Striker’s arm went around Sarah’s shoulder companionably and my hand slipped into

what?”Striker asked.
“Aye,” I sighed. “Now we go to Rolland Hall and bury
them; and then we move to the new house; and then…” I
shrugged, wonderingwhat we would do next.
“Well, we go to Rolland Hall and bury them,” Striker
said seriously, “then some of us go and look at ships and other
things, and find a house in a port. You can sign everything over
now, right?”
I nodded and smiled, feeling a sense of loss. Our cabal
would not be sailing off together to rove against the king’s court
—not all of us. We now had new lives and perhaps separate
roads. Gaston and I had led them atop this new plateau, and roads. Gaston and I had led them atop this new plateau, and
now their pathseparated fromours.
“I think perhaps I should stay at Rolland Hallfor a time,”
Sarah said to all and then met her husband’s curious gaze. “It
might be months before you sort things out with the ships and
decide where we should live. I do not want to spend my
confinement in a boarding house in Bristol.” She smiled to lighten
her words.
Striker looked to her belly and sighed. “Damn, I keep
forgettingyou’re pregnant.”
Sarah laughed half-heartedly. “Good for you. I can’t.”
She looked to me.
I shrugged. “Use the house as longas youwant. Are you
sure youdo not wishto staywithus until…”
She shook her head firmly. “Agnes—and Yvette—need
to establish their own household—and dealwith
Chris
. I feelwe
have already had enough of one another this last year. I am
sorry, Will, I am simply familiar with… having things my own
way.”She smiled ruefully.
I chuckled. “Youmust be captain—or queen.” “Aye,” Striker said emphatically, but there was sadness
about his gaze as he turned to look out the window.
I realized he was looking at Pete who was riding behind
us. “Well, do not straytoo far awaywithyour choice ofport.” Striker smiled as if he understood my entendre. “I don’t
think I will.”
Dinner at the Beaucrest house proved to be enjoyable.
The dowager Lady Beaucrest proved to be a lively and
endearing hostess in all the ways our self-centered sister endearing hostess in all the ways our self-centered sister
Elizabethwas not.
The night was cool and pleasant when we at last
emerged and found our men. I had been bothered all along by
Pete and Liam posing as our servants; or rather, their being
considered nothingmore thanservants bythose we encountered.
But then I saw they had been enjoying themselves playing cards
with the Beaucrest servants all night and I realized they would
likely have a better time than we would at many ofthe gatherings
we would be forced to attend. And then Liam began to tell us
some amazing things about the Beaucrest household. After
learning that our sister had not shared a bed with her young
husband in over a year, I laughingly pushed Liam into the
carriage to share his gossip with Sarah. Then we cajoled Pete
into joining them on the grounds that he should keep Striker
company. Then Gaston and I took their horses and had a
pleasant ride home.
The next morning, my matelot was up before the dawn
—in more ways than one. At first I was happy with his attention
yet oblivious to its cause, and then I realized we would finally
travel to see the children today. He was merely getting an early
start on the day’s activities, since tonight we would sleep in an
innand would verylikelyshare a roomwithhis father. Gaston made more of getting everyone rounded up and
on horses and in carriages than Rachel did. I avoided both of
them and went to saddle our mounts. It gave me time to talk to
my London groom and ascertain that, though I did have a few
fine animals here, I had as many as I recalled the stables holding
at Rolland Hall. This minded me that many of them would have to be relocated to the House of Venus, and that we must assess
the barnand paddock situationthere.
As we finally rode north from London at the head of a
small train of carriages and riders, I began to consider all the
things I wished to do and realized I would not be bored for a
good time yet—especially with social and lordly duties
distractingme frommypursuits. I would have a fulllife here. And
the strange thought came upon me that it would be mine. And
then the stranger thought occurred that for the first time that I
could recall, I would not be always waiting for something else to
happen.
Gaston regarded me curiously and I realized I was
grinning.
“I think I canbe happyhere,”I said.
He grinned to match me. “Oui, I am pleased you are
beginningto feelthat way.”
“Well, there are days whenI ama bit slow…” He laughed, and we gave our horses their heads and
cantered ahead, to the dismay of Pete and Liam. I added
teachingthemto enjoyridingto mylist oftasks.
After two leisurely days of riding, we at last reached the
village where our people had been living for close to six months.
Liamled us to the farmhouse they had rented on the edge of the
little shire. It was a great sprawling thing in a small orchard, and
we saw no one as we approached. Then to my delight, Dickey
ran out of the house waving and calling enthusiastically. I had
thought he and the Bard were on the
Magdalene
, anchored at
some small port Striker had known of on the eastern coast. Dickey ran into the road with the élan of a boy and nearly pulled me frommyhorse. And thenthe household emptied into the yard and we were surrounded with happiness I could feel upon my
skinas ifit hunguponthe air like the scent offlowers. They alllooked well. The Bard was actually on dry land;
but in all other ways he seemed much as he ever was with his
arm around Dickey and his lips curled in a sardonic grin. Upon
learning that we now owned the sloop that escorted the frigate I
had been captive on, he merely cursed and shook his head with
wonder. Davey appeared sincerely happy to see us, and did not
make much of calling me
Lord
. Julio was walking better and no
longer kept his leg in a brace. Bones looked happy and not so
very lean. Once the greeting began to abate, he stood with an
arm around a smiling Hannah. She seemed to have lost some of
her somberness, and her smile lit her eyes in a way I had not
seen before. Rucker just stood about and smiled at everyone; as
ifwe were allsome wondrous gift givento him.
And then there were our ladies. Yvette and Agnes were
radiant and seemed very much at home surrounded by children
and laundry. I wondered how they would take to becoming the
ladies of a large house. I thought Yvette might do well ordering
servants around, but I felt Agnes would find it all a bother. We
would have to discover some wayofmakingthemhappy. And then I was handed a small bundle and I forgot the
adults existed. He had a downy fine cap of brown hair, and he
regarded me withsleepyblue eyes—myblue eyes.
“This is Alex,”Yvette said.
“Hello Alex,”I breathed.
“And this is Uly,” Agnes said and showed me another
wondrous infant. This one had auburncurls and amber eyes. And then Gaston had him and all I could see was
happiness onmymatelot’s face.
“Theyare real,”I told their mothers.
Theylaughed.
“And youare anEarl,”Yvette said.
“I amreallyLadyDorshire?”Agnes asked withconcern. “Aye, and we have found us a fine and lovely house
close to London, but upriver where it is clean and safe. We can
alllive together.”
“Withservants,”Yvette said withtight concernabout her