Wat stood, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. William
nudged him and he jumped slightly, realising the awkward silence that he
had been creating.
"I don't have a sister." His voice was cold, confident.
William laughed lightly. "Seems you do mate."
Cora looked at them, uneasy. Her mouth also opened and closed a few times in a row. "I have news of our mother, Mary Falhurst."
Wat seemed to relax at the name and sat down next to Cora. "So you're..."
She nodded and smiled. He smiled back but made no move.
"And our father, Benjamin Falhurst?"
Cora looked hesitant as she twisted her hair around her finger in worry.
Wat looked to William. "What?"
When Cora spoke it was hardly above a murmur. "My father is James Watson."
Wat's eyes flashed. "What are you saying."
"We have different fathers, Wat. Mary had an affair."
Wat made no reply, no move. His face was steadily matching the colour of his hair.
"My mother was a good woman." His voice was resigned as he went on. "She did not parade around like a whore. You are a bastard child and are none of my concern. How could you ever be a sister to me."
His made a disgruntled noise and stood up before he continued. "And what happened to her? You said you had news."
Cora was grave but her voice was steady. "She died, a year ago. The plague took her too."
Wat crossed his arms and nodded. "Just as well. Better for her to die before I found out what she really was. I'm going back to bed."
William grabbed Wat's arm as he walked past. "Wat, don't be such a bastard." William's eyes widened as he realised the impact of what he had said.
Wat turned to Cora and then looked back at William. "I guess it runs in the family." He turned and stomped up the stairs.
Cora sat firm, looking at the empty spot where Wat had stood.
William took her arm and pulled her lightly to her feet. "Come on. There is nothing for you here."
She shook her head and pulled away. She ran forward and up the staircase. William followed her, already uneasy by the sound of a slamming door.
Wat was lying in bed, arms folded across his chest.
"How dare you speak to me like that."
He looked up and saw Cora standing at the foot of his bed. William was standing in the doorframe, ready to break up their argument the moment one of them snapped.
"You're just a silly girl," Wat sat, climbing out of bed.
William tensed in the doorway but said nothing.
"I traveled for a year from Scotland to see you, I never knew my mother, I never knew my father, I thought I would get to know my brother, but he ended up being nothing but a coward. I am ashamed to be related to you and I don't know why I wasted my time."
Wat walked forward until he was a foot away and glared at her. "Neither do I."
"You," she spat, "are the only real family I have left. If we truly are related, then you know I have a temper like hell and that I will use it whenever I see fit. What will it take for me to get through to you?"
"Hit me."
She closed her mouth and looked at Wat. "I'm sorry, what?"
"A good fonging. Come on, hit me. If I'm such a coward, then let's see if you're one too."
She walked forward and raised her arm. "I guess we're not related. Because I would never hit my brother." Her fist made contact with his eye, the noise making William jump.
"Christ!" Wat yelped, holding his head and swaying slightly. "You really hit me!"
"Don't tempt me to do it again."
Wat stepped forward, hand raised, and then stepped back, dropping it.
William was uneasy as the two stood with their eyes locked; no expressions masked their faces. He would rather the two be fighting again.
Wat was the one to break the gaze as he stepped back, defeated as he looked at his feet, as if he were shy. "You must really be my sister then, to know how to hit like that."
She gasped slightly and stood still, waiting for him to go on.
He pressed his fingers against his eye, wincing. "What did you say your name was?"
"Cora von... Cora. Call me Cora."
"You throw a bloody good arm."
"It must run in the family," she said quietly, as though speaking would change his decision.
He didn't look up from his feet but he held out his hand and motioned it towards him. "Come here, give your brother a hug."
She let out a small cry and moved towards him, hugging him tightly. Wat patted the top of her head awkwardly, not sure what to do with her, and then stepped back, looking her over.
"Ah yes," he said, rubbing his chin. "I see it. We both must have Mary's dashing good looks." He seemed to have forgiven his mother as he smiled.
She laughed slightly and pushed her hair back from her face. "So does this mean that I can stay?"
Wat looked slightly startled. "Stay?"
"Yes, until the tournament ends."
"The tournament? Are you a woman or a knight?"
"My fiancé is competing in the tournament."
"Your fiancé?"
"Gerald." She smiled proudly. "He is a knight."
Wat smiled broadly. "Then I'll have to meet him!"
She looked at him, coyly. "Anyone special in your life, Wat?"
He stuttered random words and then said a girls name quietly.
"Kate?" She asked, smiling. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Wat's face turned red and he ran his hand through his hair. "Um, no, well, yes, you see her and I are. yes, sure, she is my girlfriend," he stammered.
Cora smiled. "I would like to meet her too, then. Anyone else I should worry about?"
William laughed and stepped out of the doorway and up to the two. "There's also Roland and Geoff... Roland lives here with Wat and is no worry, but don't get mixed up with Geoff... he's a writer."
Cora nodded in understanding. "Well then, get Roland! Where is he?"
"With Christiana, I suppose," Wat answered. "His fiancé."
"Well!" She said, sounding surprised. "I've missed a lot over the past twenty years."
Wat nodded. "We'll catch you up. I'll help you get your things. Are they downstairs?"
She shook her head. "All of my squires went to the Darby Inn, down the road. My trunks are in my carriage. We can get them in the morning."
"Alright." Wat said. He motioned towards the door. "Would you like some tea?"
"How about some whiskey?" She asked with a laugh.
Wat laughed and nodded.
"Cora... welcome to the family."
"I don't have a sister." His voice was cold, confident.
William laughed lightly. "Seems you do mate."
Cora looked at them, uneasy. Her mouth also opened and closed a few times in a row. "I have news of our mother, Mary Falhurst."
Wat seemed to relax at the name and sat down next to Cora. "So you're..."
She nodded and smiled. He smiled back but made no move.
"And our father, Benjamin Falhurst?"
Cora looked hesitant as she twisted her hair around her finger in worry.
Wat looked to William. "What?"
When Cora spoke it was hardly above a murmur. "My father is James Watson."
Wat's eyes flashed. "What are you saying."
"We have different fathers, Wat. Mary had an affair."
Wat made no reply, no move. His face was steadily matching the colour of his hair.
"My mother was a good woman." His voice was resigned as he went on. "She did not parade around like a whore. You are a bastard child and are none of my concern. How could you ever be a sister to me."
His made a disgruntled noise and stood up before he continued. "And what happened to her? You said you had news."
Cora was grave but her voice was steady. "She died, a year ago. The plague took her too."
Wat crossed his arms and nodded. "Just as well. Better for her to die before I found out what she really was. I'm going back to bed."
William grabbed Wat's arm as he walked past. "Wat, don't be such a bastard." William's eyes widened as he realised the impact of what he had said.
Wat turned to Cora and then looked back at William. "I guess it runs in the family." He turned and stomped up the stairs.
Cora sat firm, looking at the empty spot where Wat had stood.
William took her arm and pulled her lightly to her feet. "Come on. There is nothing for you here."
She shook her head and pulled away. She ran forward and up the staircase. William followed her, already uneasy by the sound of a slamming door.
Wat was lying in bed, arms folded across his chest.
"How dare you speak to me like that."
He looked up and saw Cora standing at the foot of his bed. William was standing in the doorframe, ready to break up their argument the moment one of them snapped.
"You're just a silly girl," Wat sat, climbing out of bed.
William tensed in the doorway but said nothing.
"I traveled for a year from Scotland to see you, I never knew my mother, I never knew my father, I thought I would get to know my brother, but he ended up being nothing but a coward. I am ashamed to be related to you and I don't know why I wasted my time."
Wat walked forward until he was a foot away and glared at her. "Neither do I."
"You," she spat, "are the only real family I have left. If we truly are related, then you know I have a temper like hell and that I will use it whenever I see fit. What will it take for me to get through to you?"
"Hit me."
She closed her mouth and looked at Wat. "I'm sorry, what?"
"A good fonging. Come on, hit me. If I'm such a coward, then let's see if you're one too."
She walked forward and raised her arm. "I guess we're not related. Because I would never hit my brother." Her fist made contact with his eye, the noise making William jump.
"Christ!" Wat yelped, holding his head and swaying slightly. "You really hit me!"
"Don't tempt me to do it again."
Wat stepped forward, hand raised, and then stepped back, dropping it.
William was uneasy as the two stood with their eyes locked; no expressions masked their faces. He would rather the two be fighting again.
Wat was the one to break the gaze as he stepped back, defeated as he looked at his feet, as if he were shy. "You must really be my sister then, to know how to hit like that."
She gasped slightly and stood still, waiting for him to go on.
He pressed his fingers against his eye, wincing. "What did you say your name was?"
"Cora von... Cora. Call me Cora."
"You throw a bloody good arm."
"It must run in the family," she said quietly, as though speaking would change his decision.
He didn't look up from his feet but he held out his hand and motioned it towards him. "Come here, give your brother a hug."
She let out a small cry and moved towards him, hugging him tightly. Wat patted the top of her head awkwardly, not sure what to do with her, and then stepped back, looking her over.
"Ah yes," he said, rubbing his chin. "I see it. We both must have Mary's dashing good looks." He seemed to have forgiven his mother as he smiled.
She laughed slightly and pushed her hair back from her face. "So does this mean that I can stay?"
Wat looked slightly startled. "Stay?"
"Yes, until the tournament ends."
"The tournament? Are you a woman or a knight?"
"My fiancé is competing in the tournament."
"Your fiancé?"
"Gerald." She smiled proudly. "He is a knight."
Wat smiled broadly. "Then I'll have to meet him!"
She looked at him, coyly. "Anyone special in your life, Wat?"
He stuttered random words and then said a girls name quietly.
"Kate?" She asked, smiling. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Wat's face turned red and he ran his hand through his hair. "Um, no, well, yes, you see her and I are. yes, sure, she is my girlfriend," he stammered.
Cora smiled. "I would like to meet her too, then. Anyone else I should worry about?"
William laughed and stepped out of the doorway and up to the two. "There's also Roland and Geoff... Roland lives here with Wat and is no worry, but don't get mixed up with Geoff... he's a writer."
Cora nodded in understanding. "Well then, get Roland! Where is he?"
"With Christiana, I suppose," Wat answered. "His fiancé."
"Well!" She said, sounding surprised. "I've missed a lot over the past twenty years."
Wat nodded. "We'll catch you up. I'll help you get your things. Are they downstairs?"
She shook her head. "All of my squires went to the Darby Inn, down the road. My trunks are in my carriage. We can get them in the morning."
"Alright." Wat said. He motioned towards the door. "Would you like some tea?"
"How about some whiskey?" She asked with a laugh.
Wat laughed and nodded.
"Cora... welcome to the family."