Daggerspell - Katharine Kerr [75]
That very next morning, Gweran sought Doryn out when he came down into the great hall for breakfast. He waved the captain over to the side of the hall where they could be private and put his complaint to him. Doryn looked honestly surprised.
“Well, curse the little bastard! I did talk to him, Gweran, and here he managed to convince me he didn’t give a pig’s fart for Cadda.”
“There’s nothing like lust to make a man lie. Here, I’ll have a word with the lad myself later.”
It was afternoon before Gweran could get away from his lord’s side long enough to go look for Tanyc, but when he found him, he found Cadda with him. Out in the ward, Tanyc was grooming his horse while Cadda stood beside him. She was telling him some long complex tale about her elder sister while Tanyc listened with an occasional nod. As Gweran strode over, Cadda made him a hurried curtsy.
“I’m sure your lady wants you,” Gweran said.
With one last smile in Tanyc’s direction, Cadda ran for the tower. Tanyc looked up, the currycomb in his hand.
“My thanks,” Tanyc said. “By the hells, doesn’t that lass ever hold her tongue?”
“Every now and then. You can’t find it as displeasing as that. You seem to seek out her company whenever you can.”
Tanyc looked at him with a barely concealed contempt.
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. What’s it to you?”
“Maybe nothing at all—as long as you fancy yourself as a married man someday. I warn you, if Cadda ends up with child, I’m speaking to Lord Maroic about it. I don’t care how many men in the warband you get to lie and swear they’ve had her, too. She’ll be your wife.”
Tanyc’s hand tightened on the currycomb so hard that Gweran was surprised the wood didn’t crack. Rather than push things to a formal exchange of insults, Gweran turned and walked away. If things ever came to a fight, doubtless Tanyc could cut him to pieces with a sword. Tanyc, of course, knew it, too. When he told Lyssa that he’d spoken to Tanyc, she smiled, remarking that since she didn’t care for the man, she’d be glad to have him stop turning up constantly at her servant’s side.
Over the next few days, Gweran made a point of keeping his eye on the situation. At first Tanyc seemed to have taken the warning to heart, but the morning came when Gweran saw Lyssa, Cadda, and the boys walking across the ward and Tanyc hurrying over to walk with them. Gweran hurried downstairs and ran to catch up with them. At the first sight of him, Tanyc made the woman a hasty bow and went back to the barracks.
“Now, ye gods, Cadda,” Gweran snapped. “Your mistress has spoken to you, I’ve spoken to you—can’t you get it through your pretty head that he’s the wrong sort of man for you?”
Cadda sniveled, grabbing her handkerchief from her kirtle and dabbing at her eyes. Lyssa patted her gently on the arm.
“Gweran’s right,” Lyssa said. “Here, let’s go up to the chamber where it’s cool and have a nice talk.”
“I want to walk with Da,” Aderyn said. “Can I, Da?”
“You may.” Gweran held out his hand. “We’ll have a nice stroll and let the women have their chat.”
They walked down to the river, a trickle of water in mud, and sat down in the rustling dry grass. Without a breath of wind, the heat clung round them. Aderyn stretched out on his stomach in the grass and plucked a dead stalk to play with.
“Da? You don’t like Tanyc, do you?”
“I don’t. Do you?”
“I don’t. He scares me.”
“Well, the captain tells me he’s a hard man.”
Aderyn nodded, twisting the grass stalk into a loop.
“You know what, Da? He doesn’t bother us to see Cadda. When we walk, you know? He comes to see Mam.”
Gweran felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach.