Chapter 30

 

“Arse, woman, that hurt!” Bryan cried as Nick walked into the dining room.

Nick’s hopes of breaking his fast in peace ended with the sight that greeted him. His best friend sat at the table, a bowl of porridge dripping down his face.

Nick had hoped he would have a quiet morning, considering it was so early. No such luck. At least the little girls were not up.

“Watch your mouth, Count!” Kiki glared at Bryan with her hands on her hips

Nick could not help smiling, though he had to admit good humor came easily to him this morning. Rapunzel was awake. After three endless days of helplessness and anxiety, she was finally awake. Nick had been by her bed, day and night, since they had arrived. He had even convinced Alda, the maid who was helping look after Rapunzel, to let him sleep on the floor next to the bed.

Propriety be damned, he was staying close to her.

By the look of the scene in front of him, propriety had vacated this room as well.

“Kiki,” Nick chastised, though he could not hide a smirk. Obviously, his parents had not come down to break their fast yet, or no one would be sitting at the table with porridge on their head.

“Good morning, hero,” Penn said, raising a cup to him.

“Good morning,” Nick said, grinning, not letting Penn’s jab bother him today. He should be used to it after all–the man had been doing it since they had returned

“Nick!” Kiki said, turning to look at him and, if he was not mistaken, her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. “You would not believe the behavior of your so-called friend!” 

Or perhaps anger, Nick mused. 

“I did nothing,” Bryan replied, attempting to wipe himself clean.

“I would say that when you call a woman a twit,” Penn said from the other side of the table, “porridge on your head is no more than you deserve.”

Kiki grinned. “I knew I liked you, Penn.”

Bryan glared at him. “I did no such thing.” He brushed at his shirt with a wet napkin, making even more of a mess. “I said her little friends were twits, and if she wished to associate with such ninnies, she would surely become one herself.”

“Bryan! You just called me a twit! Again!” Kiki reached for something to throw at him.

This time, Bryan had his hands up, ready to defend himself. “I was merely recounting the situation to your brother.”

Kiki put down the cup.

“It still does not change the fact that it is true.”

“I am not a twit!” Kiki turned to Nick. “Brother, correct this…this…beast before I hit him with something else!”

Nick raised his eyebrow. “He has a point.”

“Nick!”

“That will teach you to cry foul to your brother,” Bryan said. “Even he agrees that your guests are twits.”

“Ambitious twits,” Nick amended.

Kiki’s eyes went dangerously dark. “Watch what you say, Count, or I will call you out.”

“That would hardly be a fair fight,” Nick muttered.

“You, sir, are supposed to be on my side,” Bryan said.

“Can I help it if she is better with a sword?” Nick laughed.

Penn, of course, could not let any of this go. “The two of you behave like children. Go have a nice romp in the woods and be done with it!”

Kiki’s face went ashen, her mouth wide in shock.

“Penn!” Bryan shouted. “I would never do such a thing with Kiki! She is…she is...” He glanced at Kiki, swallowing. “She is like my baby sister!”

Kiki’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not a baby.”

“You do a good impression of one,” Penn said with a jolly grin. Truly, that man was having far too good a time this morning. Probably had found someone to warm his bed last night.

“Besides, I would kill you,” Nick added, glaring at Bryan, who just chuckled as he continued to clean up his mess.

“Oh you would not,” Kiki said, though not nearly as forcefully as he would have expected.

Nick raised his eyebrow. “Try me, little girl. You are far too young to be romping with anyone.”

“You are not my father,” Kiki countered. “It is not up to you to decide what I do, or who I do it with! I will…befriend whom I please. I will marry whom, and when, I please.”

“I will be the duke in a few years, and then it will be up to me,” Nick said. “Maybe, if you grow up some, I will let you marry.”

Kiki opened her mouth, then closed it, looking remarkably like a fish stranded on shore. Her face as red as her dress, she threw down her napkin and stormed out of the room, muttering obscenities a proper young lady should not have been acquainted with.

Nick sighed. “She spends too much time around the soldiers.”

Penn, still laughing quietly, picked up his glass. “Yes, but at least she will be able to defend herself when she does marry.”

“Lord help that man,” Bryan said, grabbing her barely touched napkin to finish wiping himself up.

A servant entered, saw the mess that was Bryan and let out a groan, before taking the upturned bowl and the rest of the dirty plates away.

Nick shook his head. “Go clean up, Bryan. I shall see you on the field shortly.”

Bryan grinned. “Planning to try some archery today?”

Nick shook his head. He should never have said anything to Alda about the presents. His first inkling of his mistake should have come when she had burst out laughing as he regaled her with the tale. He sighed. She had probably told half the castle by now.

“I heard about your archery skills,” Bryan added as he walked out the door. “You need lessons.”

“You were not available,” Nick replied.

“What were you doing with a bow?” Penn asked. “And how did I not know?”

“You were too busy playing with the girls. I was wooing a girl trapped in a tower.”

Penn shook his head. “You besotted fool.”

Nick smiled, because, yes, he was besotted. He knew, in his heart of hearts, he was madly in love with Rapunzel. Katherina. He sighed. If only the situation were not so complicated. He did not even know what name to call her.

“Did she wake?” Penn asked.

Nick nodded. “Late last night. She had a nightmare. Woke up screaming.”

“I would wake up screaming if I found you next to my bed.”

“As would I,” Nick said. He picked up his cup. “We talked for a few minutes then she fell asleep again.”

Penn let out a sigh. “I cannot believe your mother has been letting you sit by her bed every night.”

“What she does not know will not hurt her.”

“As if your mother does not know everything that happens in this castle.” Penn smirked. “I am certain Kiki learned espionage from your mother.”

Nick laughed as he dished himself some food. “And swordsmanship from her father.”

“A deadly combination in a woman, to be sure,” Penn said with a grin. He stared at Nick for a moment before speaking again. “That is good to see.”

“What?” Nick asked.

“You smiling. You have not smiled in some time.”

“I smile.”

“Not all the way,” Penn replied, picking up a roll from the basket in the center of the table. “You were getting on my nerves.”

“I am sure you managed to take your mind off it,” Nick said as he took a bite of his food.

“You think all I think about is women?” He glared.

Nick paused, fork in midair, as he stared at Penn. “You think about other things?”

Penn’s shoulders drooped. “Not much else,” he said with a laugh. He gestured at the opening door. “Speaking of which…”

In came Lady Eva and Lady Corline, their skirts swaying as they stopped at the buffet. They did not even look at the food nor did they appear to realize he and Penn were already seated.

“She must be his mistress,” Lady Eva said. “He has never been one to keep his flies buttoned.”

“Why do you think he brought her here?”

“Ah, who can say? Perhaps she is expecting.”

Corline made a shocked little gasp.

“His mother must be beside herself with shame,” Eva said in a satisfied tone.

Nick quietly pushed back from the table and, unnoticed, went to stand behind Eva.

“Could it be, though? That it is his intended?” Corline asked.

Eva waved a hand. “That child has been dead for a lifetime.”

“She could be, though. What if she is?” Corline asked.

“Then I will have to make sure she is returned to her family.”

“Ladies,” Nick said from behind them, making them shriek. “If you choose to speak of my guest, Lady Katherina von Stroebel, choose to speak kindly, for if you do not, I will see you both sent on your way.”

The girls stared at him, eyes wide and looks of utter shock on their faces.

Nick turned on his heel and left the dining room without another word.