Page 79 of Picking Up the Gauntlet

“You don’t?” Rook seemed surprised. “Well, what is it you want?” he asked, lifting up the tankard to his mouth to drink.

“Flowers, buy a flower for your lover?” asked an old lady missing her front teeth. She held out a basket of flowers to him.

“Nay. Not now,” he said, shooing the woman away. Once she left, Jonathon continued. “Rook, I want... I want to... I want to marry your sister.”

Rook spit a stream of ale from his mouth, almost choking. Then he laughed. “You are jesting, right?”

“Nay. I love her and want her as my wife.”

Rook’s smile slowly faded. “Don’t be saying things like that so loud. Someone might hear you.” He stuck the pouch of coins back in his pocket.

“I don’t care who knows. I was on my way to find your father to ask him for Raven’s hand in marriage.”

“We need to talk.” Rook downed the rest of the ale and plopped the tankard down on the tray of a passing vendor. “Come,” said Rook, leading the way to the mews.

Jonathon could hear a man at the archery range calling out the competitors’ names.

“Sir Jonathon Nevar from Lyon, France, is now in the lead,” shouted the man who was the castle’s herald and also served as the master of ceremonies for the tournament.

Rook entered the mews with Jonathon right behind him.

“Leave us,” Rook told the falconer, who promptly left as commanded. “Now, what is this foolish notion that you, a commoner, could ever marry a noble? Are you mad?”

“I know it’s insane, but I have to try. I love Raven and can’t let her marry another man. I should have said something to your father sooner.”

“Nay, I don’t think that would have been a good idea. It still isn’t,” he said. “My father has worked hard over the years trying to bring respect back to the Blake family name. After his father was stripped of his title for marrying a commoner, he is determined that his children will never make the same mistake. He almost made that mistake with my mother when he thought she was just a servant, and before he discovered she was noble. However, I believe he would have married her either way. After all, love does change a man, I hear.”

“Yes, it does,” said Jonathon, feeling suddenly panicked. He could see that the talk he wanted to have with Raven’s father would do nothing at all to change the outcome after all. Or at least, he didn’t think so.

“I suggest you forget all about my troublesome sister, and go back to your father’s shop in town and live your life. Nothing you could possibly say to my father would make him change his mind once he’s already decided on something.” Rook turned and headed to the door.

“We made love,” he blurted out. His words caused Rook to groan and turn around.

“Please tell me you’re jesting.”

“Nay. It happened. We made love and honestly, for all I know, she might be carrying my child within her right now.”

“Oh, hell, this is just great!” said Rook in a half-laugh, half-yell. “This will kill my father.”

“Mayhap, he doesn’t have to find out?”

“Think what you’re saying, fool,” spat Rook. “Noblemen don’t want a bastard child. They need heirs of their own blood, not a commoner’s whelp. If my sister marries the winner of the tournament today and she’s already pregnant, it’ll cause a battle between the winner and Blake Castle. That can’t happen. Marriages are done for the sake of alliances. Don’t you get it?”

“I didn’t say she was pregnant. I just said... I suppose it’s a possibility.”

Rook’s fist hit Jonathon hard in the jaw, the force knocking him to the ground.”

“Ow, what was that for?” asked Jonathon rubbing his aching jaw. His lip was split and bleeding.

“That’s just a sample of what’s to come when my father finds out,” growled Rook. “Only instead of punching you, he’ll have you strung up from the gallows. What is the matter with you? How could you take my sister’s virginity?”

“I didn’t. She wasn’t a virgin,” Jonathon said in his defense, still on the ground.

“What?” asked Rook.

“She said she lost that to an actual nobleman who visited years ago.”

“Bloody hell! Who is he? I’ll string him up myself.” Rook paced back and forth.