Act 2 part 3
When Ben left he headed straight for the Hall. It just seemed the right thing to do. However when he got there things were not how he expected. The hall was not working as it should have been at this hour, and nor was there any sign of the DeVirs.
He went in, suddenly wary, but found no sign of a struggle. Carefully he crept upstairs, hand ready on his sabre. Faintly deeper into the building he could make out hushed voices and that was enough to make up his mind. With care he drew the sword and wrapped his pelisse cape around his left arm.
He reached the door behind which was the source of the whispering and paused. Still he couldn't make out the voices. But he couldn't wait, whatever had gone on here wasn't going to sort itself out. He burst through the door, sweeping his sword around into a ready stance, prepared to run down any miscreants.
There was no need.
Instead of hostages he found the two DeVirs calmly sat on a bed talking. In his hands Jacques held a letter and his daughter, far from being put upon by thugs was holding her father's arm and reading over his shoulder. Of course all of this changed whrn Ben burst in. Catherine was flung backwards and Jacques leapt up, reaching for his own blade.
"Whoa" Ben called, suddenly face with the possibility of being squewered by his friend.
"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Jacques angrily.
"I er, that is to say I," Ben stuttered, trying to explain. "There was nobody downstairs so I…" He was saved from further stumblings by Catherine's peal of laughter. Both men looked at her, Ben reddening and Jacques more than a little confused.
"He thought we were in trouble" she giggled, finally letting Jacques understand.
"Is that true?" the fencing master asked, calming.
"Yes, sort of" Ben replied, more than a little distracted by his angel's beautiful laugh. "that is I.." finally Jacques laughed too and soon even Ben was forced to join in.
From there the young man was invited to stay for dinner so as to tell them all about his day at court, and how exactly it had left him in a frame of mind that assumed the worst. Catherine served the meal, smiling all the time, and Jacques laughed outright when ben relayed exactly what he had said to the Countess.
"Young man you are priceless!" he crowed, only to be tapped on the back of the head with a spoon by his daughter.
"I think it's lovely" she announced, "And wish a few more men were like that" but her smile was showing more amusement than she intended and once more the young man was left burning with embarrassment.
"So what was the letter?" he asked, desperately trying to change the subject. Only it worked a little better than he intended. Jacques face fell and his daughter's filled with concern.
"It was from my mother in law" the older man explained. This was interesting in itself, Jacques rarely mentioned anything to do with Catherine's mother let alone her family. "Her husband has died and she has finally given me permission to go to where my dearest Cathy is buried."
"Cathy is your wife" Ben surmised.
"Was my wife" Jacques corrected, "she took ill and died not long after Catherine was born. I wasn't allowed to help" real pain was showing through from the older man.
"Her father didn't approve?"
"Her father hated the air that I breathed" Jacques replied ruefully. "We fell in love young and it ruined her," he explained, "her father told her that I would b the death of her, and he wasn't far wrong." Sorrow was now evident in every ounce of the man's being. His daughter reached around from behind him and wrapped him in a hug. "When she fell ill I managed to convince her that her father's wealth could provide a cure that we could not. She argued but in the end I won. Her father sent a man, her former fiancé, to collect her and that was the last I ever saw of her. She died three weeks later."
"And now you can.." Ben guessed
"Indeed," Jacques agreed. "I will go tomorrow," he announced.
"You mean we will go" argued his daughter, causing him to turn.
"Indeed" added Ben, "We" he emphasised." He reached out an arm to clasp his friends shoulder. "You will have your private time but you do not have to do this alone." Jacques clasped his hand briefly and nodded, leaning into his daughter.
"Thank you" he muttered, and he meant it.
o
o
The next day they laid in all the preparations they needed for the trip, and hired the carriage that would take them there. Ben had argued against such things but Jacques had insisted, there was no way his daughter was going to be seen riding astride a saddle.
They set out just after dawn the next day. The trip would take them a whole week barring accidents and they would be sticking to the main roads for most of the way. Jacques and Catherine rode in the carriage and Ben, stubborn as ever rode by the side, citing invented bandit trouble as a reason not to ride in the 'ladies' cart' as he put it.
Despite the mournful end to which the trip was devoted the voyage soon took on a more relaxed feel. Along the main roads wardens patrolled often enough to make a lie of Ben's fears and the 'Wolf Runner' staging inns were of a very high standard this close to Nuln. So each evening the small group of them would gather in the common room of the inn, share a meal, a conversation, and an evening listening to the entertainment laid on by travelling minstrels brought in to sing for their supper.
When they left the main roads and headed off into the less well travelled lands however things began to change. They travelled into Stirland wary of the wilder nature of the province, little did they know just how wild it was going to get.