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Once they were seated at a trestle table, goblets of wine in their hands brought by a beaming Gwyn, Kassia said simply, “As I said, we are repaying our debt to you, Daria, nothing more. My husband hunted the Earl of Reymerstone, and I, well, I was fortunate enough to learn that the Earl of Clare was in Cornwall as well. Both wanted to take you. As for Roland, I doubt not they had bloody revenge in mind for him.”
Roland felt the slight tremor go through her body as she said, “I don’t want you to think that way. I don’t want a reward, because I did nothing more than anyone else would have done.”
Graelam smiled. “Does this mean that you wish us to let the earls go free?”
Daria stared at him, suddenly mute.
“He’s got you there, dearling. No, Graelam, and we both thank you, even though we wish you hadn’t endangered yourselves.”
“The only danger that will come to my wife is from me. Listen, Daria, you saved my life. As for Kassia here, well, she fancied that my life was also worth something to her.”
Roland laughed. “Whilst I sit on my arse safely within the walls of my castle, the two of you are out capturing treacherous rogues and bringing them to me. For judgment? This will take some thought.”
Graelam nodded. Kassia said, shaking her head, “Nay, Roland, they are here for Daria’s judgment. It is her debt we repay.” She turned to smile at her husband. “We do hope, however, that neither of you have any more enemies lurking just beyond the hills. I try to keep my husband safe.”
“I do not. Do you, husband?”
Roland looked thoughtful for a very long time before he finally shook his head. “Any more knaves would be a scruffy lot, unworthy of your attention, Graelam.”
“Good,” Graelam said. “I’ve a fancy to rot a bit within my castles walls for a while.”
Kassia leaned forward, pulling off her boy’s cap as she did so. “Can you tell us more about these two men, Roland?”
“As I told Graelam, Damon Le Mark murdered the Earl of Clare’s brother some years ago. Clare never forgot and his hatred grew. That was why he kidnapped Daria. It was his revenge. But then he wanted to take her to wive and he wanted her dowry as well. As the Earl of Clare himself told me, it would have to satisfy him.”
Daria continued. “Damon knew the real reasons for my kidnapping, but he didn’t tell Roland. He made up some tale that Roland never believed.”
Katherine said very quietly, “No, he wouldn’t tell the truth, even if he had a choice. He didn’t even tell me, and that I don’t understand at all, for it would have tormented me, and thus afforded him great pleasure.”
Everyone turned to Lady Katherine in surprise. “What do you mean, Mother?”
“I mean
that Damon should have told me what had happened. He would have enjoyed my misery. I simply wonder why he chose not to.”
“You knew the Earl of Clare had kidnapped me. You knew he wanted to wed me.”
“No, I didn’t know that he wanted to wed you. Damon didn’t tell me about that.” She shook her head. She looked pale and very, very sad. Then she smiled, a bittersweet smile that held a good deal of acceptance. “The truth is sometimes difficult, Daria. But now it is your right to know. It is true that Damon Le Mark did indeed murder Edmond of Clare’s brother. His name was David and he was young and innocent, as was I, and we fell in love. It was so many years ago. My parents had promised me to Reymerstone’s half-brother, Daria, but I didn’t want him. I wanted only David. Of course, what a girl wants makes no difference to anything. I was forced to wed James of Fortescue anyway. But before I became his wife, I went to David. It’s probable that David is your real father, my love. The Earl of Clare is thus your uncle; Damon found out about this some time ago, possibly from his half-brother, for my husband never believed you were the product of his seed. Damon caught David some five years ago and murdered him. He sent word to his half-brother of what he had done, and my husband rejoiced. He laughed when he told me. Even though they were but half-brothers, you see, they were very close. They were very much alike in many ways save that James was skilled in arms and fighting. He was seen as honorable and brave. But it was his conceit that he held up for all to see as his honor, and most were fooled by it, including you, my daughter.”
There was utter silence in the hall. Sir Thomas coughed.
“If the Earl of Clare had but looked at Daria, he would have seen that her eyes are very nearly identical to his brother David’s. But evidently he didn’t see any resemblance. His brother never told him about me or about his daughter. David protected both of us, Daria. But of course Damon knew.”
“So that’s why my father ignored me, why he never kissed me or petted me or told me he loved me.”
Katherine nodded. “I’m sorry, Daria. Every time he looked at you, he would then turn to me and his hatred made me shrivel. He never struck you. He never hurt you. I told him if he did I would kill him. Not with a knife, but with poisons. He believed me, for he knew I had the recipe for many of your grandmother’s potions. But then he was killed and we were at Damon Le Mark’s mercy.”
Roland remembered the sad-eyed Katherine when he’d first visited Reymerstone. So Damon had avenged his half-brother by taking his wife to his bed and by murdering her lover. He probably believed it a fitting punishment for her infidelity. It was more punishment than anyone should have to bear. He too found himself wondering why Damon Le Mark hadn’t taunted Katherine with the possible marriage between her daughter and her daughter’s uncle, the Earl of Clare. Then it occurred to Roland that he hadn’t because such knowledge might have gotten back to Colchester, and Damon Le Mark had wanted that marriage more than anything.
Roland turned to his wife. He couldn’t bear the anguish here, the years of secret, unspoken pain. He said, his voice light, “What say you, Daria? Do you want their ears chopped off? Shall we make them into eunuchs? Do you want me to run them through?”
“Nay,” she said, shaking her head. She looked at him then, and she was very pale, her eyes bewildered. “I very nearly married my uncle.”
“Yes, but you didn’t.”
Katherine said, “I didn’t realize that the Earl of Clare could possibly think of wedding Daria, it never came into my mind, else I would have gone mad. I’m sorry, child, truly, but I didn’t want you to know the truth and perhaps despise me for it and—”
Suddenly Daria laughed, deep, raw laughter that was ugly in its pain. It rang out in the great hall and the anguish of it was more than Roland could bear. He shouted, as he grasped her upper arms and shook her, “Daria, stop it.”
