Dreams of Stardust

Nicholas made inarticulate noises of fury. Miles only stood there, either oblivious or possessing nerves of steel, and Jake knew Miles wasn't oblivious. Jake shook his head. He might have laughed if he hadn't had the underlying desire not to make an enemy of Amanda's older brother. Miles only stood there, placid and smiling pleasantly.

  Nicholas glared at Jake. "Stay away from my sister," he snarled, then he turned and strode angrily away.

  Jake turned to Miles. "Thank you."

  Miles grinned. "How could I resist?"

  "Oh, I don't know. You could have kept your mouth shut."

  "And miss that?" Miles chuckled. "Never. But do not hold it against him. His roof leaks and that irritates him. He's been trying to repair it for the last pair of months. Apparently, it leaks still."

  "Apparently."

  Miles clapped a hand on Jake's shoulder. "You should continue to work on your swordplay. Make it much better very quickly. Your path to Amanda lies through my older brothers and Nick will not be kind." He looked toward the keep. "He doesn't like you. I can't imagine why not."

  "Maybe it's because he thinks I've been plundering his wardrobe."

  "Perhaps," Miles agreed. "We should go eat. Perhaps he'll even let you in the hall." He continued to laugh all the way to the great hall.

  Jake wasn't so certain it was funny, but who was he to argue? He walked in to find Amanda being hovered over by her elder brother. Nicholas yelled at her for a handful of moments, she yelled back, then he hauled her into his arms and hugged her as tightly as Jake ever wished he could have.

  Well, that was brotherly love for you.

  Nicholas took charge of Amanda for the rest of the evening.

  Jake kept as low a profile as possible. He stayed in the background and watched as Nicholas repeatedly put Lord Jedburgh in his place. Jake had to admire his skill in doing so. Jake wasn't sure where he'd learned that look, that you-bug-stop-looking-at-my-sister-before-I-crush-you-under-my-shoe look that seemed to reduce Jedburgh to a quivering bit of Jell-O, but it was effective.

  After dinner, Jake sought refuge on the roof and had a very peaceful evening there until he found himself joined by Montgomery. He ruffled the kid's hair and smiled.

  "How are things?"

  "Unpleasant," Montgomery said, with a shake of his head. "Too much shouting. Nicholas is full of foul humors tonight."

  Jake didn't doubt it. He had seemed to be extremely upset that evening.

  Far more upset than a brother would normally be.

  Jake had given it a great deal of thought over the past couple of hours and found that Nicholas was entirely too possessive for a man merely looking after his sister.

  Entirely.

  "So, Montgomery," he asked casually, "what are the marrying rules these days?"

  "How do you mean?"

  "I mean, are there any degrees of separation?" He looked at Montgomery. "I believe the word is consanguinity?"

  Montgomery stared at him, slack-jawed, for a moment or two, then realization seemed to dawn. "Ah," he said, drawing it out for a very long time.

  "Yes, ah," Jake agreed dryly.

  Montgomery looked around, as if he made sure they weren't being eavesdropped upon. Then he leaned in and looked at Jake seriously. "Amanda and Nick aren't brother and sister."

  It was Jake's turn to try to retrieve his jaw. "They aren't?" he managed.

  Montgomery shifted. "There is a bit of a tale involved."

  "I'm all ears."

  Montgomery looked at his ears, then shrugged.

  Jake made a mental note to not translate any more idioms word for word.

  "Go ahead," he encouraged.

  "Well, you see it happened this way. My eldest brother Robin belongs to both my mother and father because, well, on the eve of my mother's nuptials to the evil Alain of Ayre—and do not repeat that business of him being evil to Amanda because Alain of Ayre is her blood father, though she would feign cut his blood out of her if she could—but on that eve, well, my mother and father… er…" He stopped and looked quite miserable.

  "I get the picture, Montgomery."

  Montgomery nodded, relieved. "Ah, but the interesting bit is that during that same night after my mother was wed to Alain of Ayre, my father was dragged away by mates of his, encouraged to imbibe, and… well… with Nicholas's mother…" He stopped again and looked at Jake.

  Jake nodded. "I get the picture on that as well."

  Montgomery nodded miserably. "So, now you see. Robin and Nicholas share the same father, but not the same mother. Amanda and Robin share the same mother, for my mother was wed to Ayre long enough for Amanda to be born, but Nicholas and Amanda share neither."

  "I see," Jake said.

  And he did.

  "And the rest of you?" Jake asked.

  "We all belong to my mother and my father."

  "Interesting."

  "Many find it so." Montgomery hesitated. "So, you see, Amanda and Nicholas aren't related by blood. But there are many who have no idea about Amanda and Nicholas's parentage. So for them to ever… well…"

  "I understand."

  "It might be for that reason that Nick doesn't, well, seem to care overmuch for you."

  "You noticed?"

  "He was very uncomplimentary about your parentage below," Montgomery admitted.

  "Hmmm," Jake said. "Interesting."

  And it was. He was going to have to give some thought to Nicholas de Piaget. Either he was going to have to bend over backward to befriend him, or he was going to have to sidestep him. Time would tell, he supposed, which approach would work best.

  He slung his arm around Montgomery's shoulders. "Let's go downstairs. It's late and I have an early start in the morning."

  "Are you going to stand guard before Amanda's door again?"

  "I will."

  "I'll relieve you during the second watch," Montgomery offered.

  Jake smiled. "If you want," he said, but he had no intention of allowing Montgomery to stand outside Amanda's doorway with strange men in the castle. He walked with Montgomery down the stairs and sent him off to bed. He took up his post in front of Amanda's room, leaning back against the wood with his arms folded over his chest.

  He thought better that way.

  The door opened behind him, interrupting what he was certain would have been useless thoughts anyway. He turned to find Amanda standing there, a candle in her hand.

  Damn that Nicholas de Piaget.

  Jake smiled. "Can't sleep?"

  She sighed. "I will sleep better when Jedburgh has taken his sorry self and his lads and departed for a different pasture."

  "I'll keep watch."

  "You're losing sleep."

  "Sleep can be made up."

  "Aye, when you're abed in the healer's house because Miles has run you through by mistake."

  He smiled. "I'll be careful."

  She nodded, but she didn't go back inside.

  Jake waited, wondering if she were gearing up to tell him that though it had been an interesting month or so, she was really in love with her brother and he should just mosey on down the road and try to get himself back home.

  Assuming he could get back home, which was something he didn't dwell on too much. The thought of potentially being stuck in the Middle Ages without the woman standing in front of him to ease the pain was too much.

  But the possibility of her being in love with the brother she wasn't related to was very real as well, and Jake supposed he couldn't blame her. If Nicholas was as nice as everyone claimed he was, and it was easy to tell from looking at him that he possessed all the important knightly skills necessary to make him a good catch in the thirteenth century, then she really would have been crazy not to want him.

  And then she stepped out of her room.

  She leaned up on her toes, pulled his head down toward her with one hand, and… he closed his eyes in anticipation.

  She kissed him on the forehead.

  He looked at her in surprise. "But—"
r />   "Ha," she said with snort. "Now you see how it feels."

  But then she smiled, took a step back into her room, and shut the door with a soft "good e'en to you."

  Well, at least she hadn't started heaving. She hadn't looked displeased.

  But had she looked like a woman who was in love with her brother?

  Hard to say.

  "Come here, my pretty wench," said a slurred voice from down the passageway.

  Jake backed up against the door, trying to give himself some cover and more fully guard Amanda's door at the same time. He heard some scuffling, the sound of a woman in distress, and low laughter. He hesitated at leaving Amanda unprotected, then heard the sound of boots coming his way. Miles and Nicholas seemed to be hot on the trail of the apparent accoster.

  Miles stopped and looked at Jake. "I'll stay here," he volunteered. "You and Nick go take care of our good Lord Jedburgh."

  Nicholas said nothing, and Jake had no reason not to go, so he left Miles in his place and walked alongside Amanda's elder, well, brother, he supposed. The tension emanating from the man was palpable.

  "How's your roof?" Jake asked pleasantly.

  "Leaking," Nicholas replied curtly, not breaking stride. He shot Jake a rather unfriendly look. "Who are you? In truth?"

  "Jackson Alexander Kilchurn," Jake said. "The Fourth. As opposed to my father, who is the Third."

  Nicholas grunted. "A merchant."

  "Yes," Jake agreed.

  "My sister will never be given to a merchant," Nicholas said very deliberately. "If you think she will be, you're not only without skill, you're without wit."

  "She thinks I'm without both, so perhaps she's safe."

  Nicholas didn't seem to be very impressed with that answer. Jake had no better to give him, so he walked with him quickly but quietly down the passageway, following the faint sounds of a struggle. It didn't take long to reach the goings-on that were going on in a little alcove off the passageway. Nicholas cursed and started to draw his sword.

  Jake put his hand on Nicholas's arm. "Are you going to kill him? What is the point of that?"

  Nicholas shook off his hand. "And what do you suggest?"

  "Let me take care of him. We'll put him in the stables. He'll wake up tomorrow with a splitting headache and wonder how he got there."

  Nicholas folded his arms over his chest. "Be about it, then, if you can follow your brave words with actions."

  Jake could, and he did. He made good use of a pressure point or two that first made Lord Jedburgh scream in pain, then pass out from the lack of important bodily substances, like air. Jake deposited the man in the hallway and pulled the terrified serving girl to her feet.

  "What do we do with her?" Jake asked. "She looks roughed up, but I don't think he accomplished his main purpose."

  Nicholas looked at the girl, then took her hand and gave her a smile. "Are you well, Agnes?"

  "Aye, my lord," the girl said, her teeth chattering.

  "The hie yourself off to bed and tell Cook that I said you were to rest for a handful of days. I will remind her myself tomorrow. I apologize for the distress of this."

  "Thank you kindly, my lord," the girl said, bobbing a curtsy before fleeing down the hall.

  Jake watched the exchange and marveled at the change in Amanda's brother. So he could be nice. It was no wonder Amanda liked him.

  But then Nicholas turned to Jake and it was business as usual. He looked Jake up and down with a look of scorn. "Meet me in the lists in the morning," he said. "You're going to have to do better than that to have my sister."

  Jake didn't bother denying his end goal. He nodded to Nick. "I'll be there."

  "I'll stand watch by Amanda's door," Nicholas said. "You'll likely want all the sleep you can have."

  "I've been watching half the night already," Jake pointed out.

  Nicholas scowled and waved him away.

  Jake went. Nicholas was right. He would need whatever help he could get.

  * * *

  Chapter 18

  Amanda winced at the sound of sword screeching down the length of sword. There were curses, threats, and more screeching and clanging of swords. The two men fighting there looked as if they had every intention of making certain the other would leave the field in the back of a knacker's cart.

  One of them was Jake. He was almost coming close to holding his own. She supposed he wouldn't last much longer, but at least he wouldn't go down having completely shamed himself.

  Of course the one who would be sending him down in flames was none other than her brother Nicholas. He was fighting with a ferociousness that was generally lacking in his more nonchalant stays in the lists. Indeed, he had been in a foul humor since he'd returned to Artane.

  Perhaps his roof still leaked.

  The contest continued, far longer than she suspected it would. She would have assumed that Nicholas would have defeated Jake within moments. That Jake had stood this long—

  "He's not bad."

  Amanda came close to jumping out of her boots. She whipped around to glare at Robin. "By the saints," she exclaimed, "when did you return?"

  "A few moments ago. I was drawn to the excitement in the lists."

  "I wish you would announce yourself." Robin was like an unpleasant waft of cesspit odor, always popping up when a body least expected it.

  She chose not to share that observation with him.

  "I thought you would have heard me tossing Jedburgh out the front gates. By the saints, he is a useless bit of refuse. Now, who is that?" he asked, pointing to Jake. "Needs a goodly bit of work, of course, but he's large of stature and seemingly strong enough."

  Montgomery appeared on Robin's far side. "He's Amanda's merchant."

  "Amanda's merchant?" Robin looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Is that so?"

  "He's more than a merchant," she said.

  "You mean he's a titled one?"

  "There's more to a man than a title," Amanda said defensively.

  Robin only stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting."

  "What will be interesting is if he manages to leave the field with his head still atop his neck," Miles remarked, coming to stand on her other side. "I trained him, you'll notice," he said to Robin.

  "A passable job," Robin said, bestowing high praise. He looked at Miles closely. "How kind of you to return from points unknown."

  "I wasn't in points unknown," Miles said, unperturbed. "I was having a well-deserved bit of amusement after the excruciating ordeal of being knighted by Whittenburgh."

  "You've been amusing yourself for almost two years!"

  "What else was I to do?"

  "You could have come home sooner so I didn't spend all my time at Fenwyck being tormented by thoughts of my sister being abducted and forced to wed a lout of no character because my younger brother couldn't be bothered to return home in a timely fashion!" he finished with a shout.

  Miles only smiled.

  Amanda pushed them both out of her line of vision so she could concentrate on the important matter at hand—namely whether Nicholas would kill Jake before Jake could go home.

  And procure that Stardust he was so enamored of.

  "She would have fallen for him even if I had been here," Miles said over her head. "Look you how she moons."

  "She won't have much to moon over if Nick doesn't cease with his attentions," Robin remarked. "I think he actually means to do your merchant in. By the way, what is his name?"

  "Jackson Alexander Kilchurn."

  "Is he Scottish, then?" Robin asked. "Then why can he not fight? I don't know a Scot who isn't a credit to himself in battle."

  "He can fight," Miles said, stepping in front of Amanda to more easily speak to his brother, "but just with his hands. You should have him show you. 'Tis a very useful kind of skill when you're without a blade and death is near. Indeed, I'm not quite sure why he's allowing Nick to beat on him so. Jake could kick the sword from Nick's hands and render him senseless within a ma
tter of moments with but his hands."

  Robin looked very interested. Amanda pushed them both out of her way yet again, and moved closer to the fighting. If it looked like Nicholas might truly do Jake in, she would have to execute a rescue.

  Jake leaped out of the way suddenly and only narrowly avoided finding himself skewered on Nicholas's sword. Even Robin took a few steps forward at that. His arms were no longer folded over his chest and Amanda could see by the set of his shoulders that he had ceased to find this an entertaining bit of sport for the morn.

  Apparently, Nicholas was thinking the same thing.

  It was then that Amanda realized that Nicholas had only been toying with Jake. She should have known it, of course, but after all, the man had only been in the lists a pair of fortnights. How was he to stand against a man who had spent the whole of his life with a sword in his hands and Rhys de Piaget as his master?

  In a matter of three or four blows, Jake was falling back, only managing to fend off Nicholas's attack by holding onto his sword with both hands and trying to use it as a shield.

  "Why is he allowing Nicky to do this?" Amanda asked Miles in horror. "Surely 'tis not necessary."

  "I daresay, sister, that Jake is allowing himself only to fight in a knightly fashion."

  "And if Nicholas kills him?" she demanded.

  Miles shrugged. "At least Jake will have died nobly."

  Amanda watched with increasing alarm at the contest before her. Nicholas was relentless and merciless, beating on Jake's sword as if he had every intention of reducing it to shards. With one mighty blow that lacked every bit of finesse that Amanda had always seen him use and instead spoke of raw fury, Nicholas knocked the sword from Jake's hands. And instead of declaring himself the victor, he swung down with his sword, straight toward Jake's unprotected head.

  "Nay!" she cried out, leaping forward.

  But before she could reach Jake, a sword had come from nowhere and stopped Nicholas's in its downward arc.

  Amanda stared, open-mouthed, at Robin who now stood between Jake and Nicholas.

  She thought she might have to dredge up a few nice things to say to him in thanks.

  "Stand aside," Nicholas snarled.

  "I will not," Robin said calmly. "Nick, your passions have gotten the better of you—"