Upon their return, Will had hoped that the others would still be out in the town, and he would be able to steal a few more moments alone with Kate. He knew that nothing between them had been resolved that day, other than he was now certain that his feelings were fully reciprocated. Fate, however, seemed to have other plans for the pair. Immediately upon their return, Kate fled to help Christiana prepare the evening meal and keep Wat from sneaking an early snack. So Will was drawn into a brief game of dice with Roland and Chaucer instead, shaking to see whose turn it would be to go and muck out the stables. Hoping to improve their chances of a lazy evening, the trio lured Wat away from where he was getting underfoot of the women. The redhead, no doubt distracted by his hunger pains, promptly lost the game and stomped off to his chore in quite a temper.
Talk then turned to the upcoming tournament, a subject sure to get them all chattering endlessly as they debated the strengths of the knights who had already entered. Will participated fully in the conversation, but spent much of his time watching Kate; the lady was uncustomary quiet, focusing her attention on her task rather than contributing to the raucous banter. She caught him looking a few times, but William was not at all troubled. Indeed, every time his eyes caught hers, Will was certain his face revealed a rather giddy grin. The jolly atmosphere was shattered when Wat burst through the door with news.
"I've just seen Adhemar and his mates down at the stables. He must have entered!" This was surprising, as Adhemar had not entered a single tournament since he had been so thoroughly defeated the past year at London. Even his successful bid for Jocelyn had not been enough to raise his spirits. It was rumoured that at his wedding feast he had gone so far as to vow that he would have no part in the silly tournaments that permitted knights of humble birth to enter.
Will felt his features harden to stone. "No doubt he'll have found something he wants to gloat about."
"Lanky git. Both he and that cow he married had their royal noses stuck to the ceiling. He couldn't even be bothered to give orders to his own grooms - passed them down through his herald first." Wat continued to mutter several less-than-flattering statements under his breath. His hands had balled into fists; it was plain to see that he was at the end of his very short fuse.
Luckily, Christiana stepped in before he could explode. "Here, Wat, sit down and eat something." Once Wat was sufficiently calmed, she asked, "He brought his lady with him? She never really enjoyed travelling before."
"I don't think she's very happy 'bout it, to tell the truth. She seemed a right bit put out to see me."
Will paid no heed to Wat's reply; he instead had been minding Kate's reaction to the news. Despite her friendship with Christiana, Kate had never gotten on well with Jocelyn - their personalities had clashed too violently for the ladies to have much in common. When Jocelyn had announced her intent to bow to her father's demands, Kate had reacted more violently than anyone else in the group, William included. He had been to numb to do anything other than sit near the fire and drawn his sorrows. Kate, on the other hand, had been livid on his behalf. She and Jocelyn had a spectacular row that rivalled any pub brawl in intensity.
***
Kate shoved the door to Jocelyn's chambers open so forcefully that it crashed into the heavy stone wall. Startled, Jocelyn and Christiana looked up from the trunk they had been filling. Jocelyn quickly returned to her packing. "What do you want?"
"I can't believe you're actually going to do it. Have you any idea of what you are doing to him?" Kate snarled at Jocelyn. Christiana, sensing that this argument could possibly turn violent, left the room in search of reinforcements.
Jocelyn lifted her eyes, but did not halt her movements. "I can not stay here and continue to live in this way. My father has arranged a marriage for me. Count Adhemar is quite wealthy and will not have to depend on his winnings for money. And he has agreed to take me even knowing that I have been with William. I may never get another chance to leave - no other noble man would ever have me. I must do this."
For the briefest moment, Kate had pitied her. Jocelyn did seem to be genuinely upset about her choice; she had heard weeping throughout the night and Jocelyn's eyes were now red and swollen. Her ire returned as she remembered that this had been Jocelyn's own choice, and she had chosen to leave.
"You've broken his heart. Can't you see that?" Kate pleaded with the noblewoman, hoping this new tactic might convince her to stay.
"He will get over me. In the end, I doubt we would have been a smart match." Jocelyn's eyes narrowed. "What I'm not so certain of is just why you're pulling this act of playing the sympathetic one. I've seen you moon after him; no doubt you've been hoping to get into his bed since you began travelling with him. For what it's worth, he's spent a fair amount of time speaking of how great a friend and smith you are and all of that. And now with me gone, you can be the one to comfort him in his hour of need…" Jocelyn was stunned as Kate slapped her soundly just as Geoff and Will ran in, disturbed by the shouting. Will had pulled Kate out of the room and Chaucer closed the door behind them, leaving Jocelyn alone to finish her packing alone. She remained upstairs until her father's servants came to collect her and her things.
***
Kate had avoided William for some time after that night, staying out in her forge for days on end. Christiana went out to sit with her often, and when Will would inquire as to what they were doing out there for so long, both ladies gave him evasive answers. When pressed, Christiana had admitted that Kate was still quite furious with Jocelyn, and was also upset with Will for dragging her out before she could finish her fight. Will had said nothing to this, but had simply turned back to the fire as had become his habit.
"She's also afraid that you are wroth with her for having a go at Jocelyn like that."
Will's head jerked up, and he met Christiana's eyes. "Kate did nothing wrong. I heard what was said to her. She was more than justified in fighting back."
"Maybe so, but she knows it wasn't her fight in the first place." Christiana sat down as well. "You should seek her out, and talk this through. If you lot try and do the tournament circuit whilst avoiding one another, it'll just make things more uncomfortable for everyone else."
Will had taken her advice, and had gone out to Kate's forge to see her. They had made nice, but Will felt that Kate had been more mortified about what William had overheard Jocelyn say than anything else. He shrugged it off, but resolved to keep an eye on her all the same.
***
Kate now sat rigid in her seat, picking at the meal sitting in front of her. She said nothing, and refused to meet Will's gaze no matter how many times her tried to catch her eye. After everyone rose from the table, William impatiently decided he'd had enough of waiting. He grasped her by the arm and, ignoring the curious glances of their friends, led her to his chambers. It was time they sorted themselves - and their new-found relationship - out once and for all.
Talk then turned to the upcoming tournament, a subject sure to get them all chattering endlessly as they debated the strengths of the knights who had already entered. Will participated fully in the conversation, but spent much of his time watching Kate; the lady was uncustomary quiet, focusing her attention on her task rather than contributing to the raucous banter. She caught him looking a few times, but William was not at all troubled. Indeed, every time his eyes caught hers, Will was certain his face revealed a rather giddy grin. The jolly atmosphere was shattered when Wat burst through the door with news.
"I've just seen Adhemar and his mates down at the stables. He must have entered!" This was surprising, as Adhemar had not entered a single tournament since he had been so thoroughly defeated the past year at London. Even his successful bid for Jocelyn had not been enough to raise his spirits. It was rumoured that at his wedding feast he had gone so far as to vow that he would have no part in the silly tournaments that permitted knights of humble birth to enter.
Will felt his features harden to stone. "No doubt he'll have found something he wants to gloat about."
"Lanky git. Both he and that cow he married had their royal noses stuck to the ceiling. He couldn't even be bothered to give orders to his own grooms - passed them down through his herald first." Wat continued to mutter several less-than-flattering statements under his breath. His hands had balled into fists; it was plain to see that he was at the end of his very short fuse.
Luckily, Christiana stepped in before he could explode. "Here, Wat, sit down and eat something." Once Wat was sufficiently calmed, she asked, "He brought his lady with him? She never really enjoyed travelling before."
"I don't think she's very happy 'bout it, to tell the truth. She seemed a right bit put out to see me."
Will paid no heed to Wat's reply; he instead had been minding Kate's reaction to the news. Despite her friendship with Christiana, Kate had never gotten on well with Jocelyn - their personalities had clashed too violently for the ladies to have much in common. When Jocelyn had announced her intent to bow to her father's demands, Kate had reacted more violently than anyone else in the group, William included. He had been to numb to do anything other than sit near the fire and drawn his sorrows. Kate, on the other hand, had been livid on his behalf. She and Jocelyn had a spectacular row that rivalled any pub brawl in intensity.
***
Kate shoved the door to Jocelyn's chambers open so forcefully that it crashed into the heavy stone wall. Startled, Jocelyn and Christiana looked up from the trunk they had been filling. Jocelyn quickly returned to her packing. "What do you want?"
"I can't believe you're actually going to do it. Have you any idea of what you are doing to him?" Kate snarled at Jocelyn. Christiana, sensing that this argument could possibly turn violent, left the room in search of reinforcements.
Jocelyn lifted her eyes, but did not halt her movements. "I can not stay here and continue to live in this way. My father has arranged a marriage for me. Count Adhemar is quite wealthy and will not have to depend on his winnings for money. And he has agreed to take me even knowing that I have been with William. I may never get another chance to leave - no other noble man would ever have me. I must do this."
For the briefest moment, Kate had pitied her. Jocelyn did seem to be genuinely upset about her choice; she had heard weeping throughout the night and Jocelyn's eyes were now red and swollen. Her ire returned as she remembered that this had been Jocelyn's own choice, and she had chosen to leave.
"You've broken his heart. Can't you see that?" Kate pleaded with the noblewoman, hoping this new tactic might convince her to stay.
"He will get over me. In the end, I doubt we would have been a smart match." Jocelyn's eyes narrowed. "What I'm not so certain of is just why you're pulling this act of playing the sympathetic one. I've seen you moon after him; no doubt you've been hoping to get into his bed since you began travelling with him. For what it's worth, he's spent a fair amount of time speaking of how great a friend and smith you are and all of that. And now with me gone, you can be the one to comfort him in his hour of need…" Jocelyn was stunned as Kate slapped her soundly just as Geoff and Will ran in, disturbed by the shouting. Will had pulled Kate out of the room and Chaucer closed the door behind them, leaving Jocelyn alone to finish her packing alone. She remained upstairs until her father's servants came to collect her and her things.
***
Kate had avoided William for some time after that night, staying out in her forge for days on end. Christiana went out to sit with her often, and when Will would inquire as to what they were doing out there for so long, both ladies gave him evasive answers. When pressed, Christiana had admitted that Kate was still quite furious with Jocelyn, and was also upset with Will for dragging her out before she could finish her fight. Will had said nothing to this, but had simply turned back to the fire as had become his habit.
"She's also afraid that you are wroth with her for having a go at Jocelyn like that."
Will's head jerked up, and he met Christiana's eyes. "Kate did nothing wrong. I heard what was said to her. She was more than justified in fighting back."
"Maybe so, but she knows it wasn't her fight in the first place." Christiana sat down as well. "You should seek her out, and talk this through. If you lot try and do the tournament circuit whilst avoiding one another, it'll just make things more uncomfortable for everyone else."
Will had taken her advice, and had gone out to Kate's forge to see her. They had made nice, but Will felt that Kate had been more mortified about what William had overheard Jocelyn say than anything else. He shrugged it off, but resolved to keep an eye on her all the same.
***
Kate now sat rigid in her seat, picking at the meal sitting in front of her. She said nothing, and refused to meet Will's gaze no matter how many times her tried to catch her eye. After everyone rose from the table, William impatiently decided he'd had enough of waiting. He grasped her by the arm and, ignoring the curious glances of their friends, led her to his chambers. It was time they sorted themselves - and their new-found relationship - out once and for all.