Warwolfe (de Wolfe Pack Book 0)(106)

De Winter glanced at him over the rim of his cup. “You mean Lady Ghislaine?”

They all knew about it. It was possibly the worst kept secret, ever. Téo simply nodded and that was enough for de Winter. He set his cup down and did as he was asked while Téo explain the situation to de Moray, de Lara, and de Reyne.

Very quickly, the seven warriors were rising from the table and heading out of the rear of the convening hall as Antillius and his men watched them with confusion. They had no idea where they could all be going, all at once, and although Antillius thought it rather odd, he didn’t follow them. He assumed they’d return.

Little could he have guessed what was really going on.



“Aramis, we must clear the air between us. Something has happened since we last spoke at Worcester about Lady Ghislaine and it is troubling me.”

In the darkness, Gaetan and Aramis faced off against one another. The village was dotted with fires this night, including one that was just outside the convening hall, creating enough light to see by. Gaetan could see Aramis’ hostile expression flickering in the firelight.

“Nothing has changed,” Aramis said steadily. “I told you that I would not press my suit with the lady until you did it first.”

Gaetan sighed heavily. “Aye, you told me that, but look at you,” he said, growing agitated. “You have been glaring at me all night and I swear if you had a sword on your person right now, you’d chase me down with it. This is not how you and I have conducted our friendship, Aramis. What has changed that you should look as if you hate me so?”

Aramis’ manner was stiff; it wasn’t easy for the man to talk about his feelings. That made him vastly uncomfortable. But Gaetan had a point. Perhaps, it wasn’t fair not to let him in on what he was thinking.

On how much he was feeling.

“I do not hate you,” he said, averting his eyes for the first time. “But I will admit… I am feeling quite inferior in this quest for Lady Ghislaine. You have everything, Gate – bloodlines, land, money, reputation. I am not so bad, you know. I have amassed a reputation for myself and my father is the Count of Roeselare. My bloodlines are older than yours, dating back centuries. When my father dies, I will have the titles and wealth that you have.”

“I know that.”

“And I was not born a bastard as you were.”

Gaetan shrugged. “That does not matter. None of that matters.”

Aramis took a deep breath, fighting for calm. “Mayhap it does not,” he said, “but every time I come around Lady Ghislaine, you chase me off as if I suffer a great plague. You are purposely keeping her away from me.”

Gaetan nodded. “Of course I am,” he said, feeling his dander rise. “Why would I not? You have given me permission to speak to her first and I cannot do that if you are always around, always trying to turn her attention away from me. Would you not do the same if the situation was reversed, Aramis? And be honest.”

Aramis opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. He was vastly frustrated. “I suppose I would do what I had to do in order to keep her for myself.”

“Then why do you fault me for it?”

“Because even if she rejects your suit, she will not know me well enough to accept mine,” he said heatedly. “Am I not to be given a chance in this, Gate? Or are you doing all you can to eliminate the competition?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

The question hung in the air between them and Aramis, at his limits of frustration, simply turned away. “Mayhap I would,” he said. “But if I knew you were going to push me out of any contact with her, I might not have agreed to back away while you pursued her.”

Gaetan could see the man’s annoyance but he had no pity for him. This was a competition and Gaetan had done everything in his power to ensure he emerged the winner. He’d already won, in fact, but Aramis didn’t know that.

It was time he did.

“It is over, Aramis,” he said softly. “It is over and I have won.”

Aramis’ agitated pacing came to a halt. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that she has consented to be my wife.”

Aramis didn’t say anything for a moment as he attempted to digest the statement. “You have asked her?”

“I have.”

Like most driven men, Aramis hated to lose. He had the same competitive instinct in him that Gaetan and the others had. That was why they got along so well with one another. The understood each other. Because of that, it was extremely difficult for him to concede defeat because he’d built up this idea in his mind of Ghislaine and of a future with her, to the point where it blurred with the reality of the situation. He simply couldn’t surrender.

“You never intended to give me a fair chance,” he finally said. “All of that talk in Worcester about being fearful that you were not worthy of her was just talk. You were trying to make me feel pity for you and, fool that I am, I was honorable in a situation where you were not.”

Gaetan didn’t like having his honor questioned and most especially not by a friend. His manner stiffened. “How was I not honorable?” he fired back. “You told me I should ask the lady if she felt something for me, or have you conveniently forgotten what you said? I am not going to speak with the lady on personal matters with you hanging over her shoulder every second of the day, Aramis. I am allowed to have time alone with her.”