Christina shook her head. “I’m still amazed your father would agree. I remember well how he swore he’d never see any of his girls wed.”
Those words confused Draven. “And why is that? ‘Tis a man’s duty to see his daughters to husbands.”
“He’s afraid of losing them.” Christina patted Emily’s hand. “Especially Emily since?—”
“Will you please excuse me,” Emily said, interrupting Christina. “I’m suddenly very tired.”
“Oh, forgive me for my discourtesy!” Christina rose instantly to her feet. “Come, let me fetch a maid to prepare your room and you can rest in my solar until it’s ready.”
Emily stood and followed after Christina.
They waited until the women had left the hall before retaking their seats.
“What was it your wife was saying about Emily, Orrick?” Draven wanted an answer.
Orrick took a deep drought of ale. “Only that Hugh refuses to see his daughters perish in childbirth. He says Emily looks so much like her mother that it terrifies him to think of her dying in such a fashion. Christina told me that Emily’s mother suffered for days to bring the babe into the world, but since the child was backwards.... There was nothing that could be done, and in the end, Hugh lost them both.”
Draven felt a sympathetic pain in his chest for her father. All too well he knew the grief of being helpless while someone he loved suffered and died while he lay helpless to stop it. He could well understand Hugh’s motivation for protecting his children and in truth he respected the man for it.
“He must have loved her,” Simon said.
“He did.” Orrick sighed. “I’ve never seen a man so taken with his wife and when she died... well, Hugh has never gotten over it.”
“Is that why he never remarried?” Draven asked.
“‘Tis why he will never remarry.”
Draven wondered what Emily felt about her father’s fears of losing her. Of Hugh’s decree that she remain unmarried.
Had she ever wanted to marry for that matter?
Why do you care?
I don’t care. I am merely curious.
Shaking off the thought, Draven looked back at Orrick. “Well, since we know this isn’t a social call, shall you have your steward fetch your accounts?”
“Now?”
“Now is as good a time as any.”
Orrick swallowed as he fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve. “Aye, then. I’ll show you to my council room.”
Orrick rose from his chair and looked about nervously. He set his tankard of ale on the mantle and patted at his purse before he removed a key and led them from the room.
“He’s guilty,” Simon whispered as they followed Orrick across the hall.
“I know.” Draven was sickened by the thought. All in all, he had no quarrel with the baron who had always appeared a decent enough fellow.
But if he had in fact swindled Henry out of his due, there was nothing he could do to save him.
Eight
“Do you think me foolish?” Emily asked as she sat in the bower seat of Christina’s room. She hugged a small red pillow to her breast as she poured her scheme out to her lifelong friend.
Christina sat across from her in a heavily carved chair that looked like a cross between a dragon and winged frog. Christina looked up from the needlepoint in her lap.
Her face pensive, she met Emily’s gaze. “I understand wanting to protect your father and family. I’m just not so sure Lord Draven is the one you should choose. He’s just so...”
