A Choice of Secrets. Barb Hendee
the upkeep of villages, and the replanting of trees for future timber.
Christophe’s family, the de Fiores, lived on their estate on an island called Whale’s Keep, just off the coast. But their lands spread inland a good distance and along the coast to the north. Partly because of the geographical separation of the estate and partly because of his nature, Christophe’s father had long invested in a good-sized, well-trained retinue of guards…soldiers. This was where a good deal of the family money went—for the payment, housing, and training of a standing private military. Christophe’s mother had long been dead, and his father had died three years ago, leaving him in charge of the family.
Then, two years ago, the first wave of savage raiders landed upon de Fiore shores. We still had no idea from where they came, but they were large men, dressed in furs and plate armor. They would land in groups of about forty men and then raid villages; burning, looting, killing, and taking people as slaves. After one or two raids, they would return to their boats and leave as suddenly as they’d arrived.
Christophe responded swiftly and with force, ordering his men along the de Fiore coastline, where they were able to kill or send back any of these raiders before they ever reached the tree line.
All too soon, the raiders began landing on the unprotected Montagna shoreline, burning our villages, killing and taking our people. My family was safe inside our stone wall, but our people were suffering. We did not employ anything like the de Fiores’ well-trained private military, and to create one of our own would take years and far more wealth than was available. My father had good connections at court and he was respected among the nobles, so he appealed to the king, but not enough soldiers could be spared to indefinitely guard our coastline.
Christophe sent help during the worst of the raids, but only after the fact, to try to chase down escaping raiders and recover any stolen people. Even so, due to distance, the soldiers rarely made it in time, and sending these men was clearly a favor on his part. My father did not care to be indebted, even to Christophe.
Over the previous spring, a solution occurred to my father, and he approached Christophe with a proposal to join our families in marriage. My father offered a thousand acres of prime timberland as dowry for Chloe, along with a yearly stipend. In exchange, right after the wedding, Christophe would send two hundred men to permanently reside near White Deer Lodge. These soldiers would patrol our shoreline and expel any raiders attempting to land.
The de Fiores needed good timber.
Even more, Father knew that Christophe cared a great deal for bloodlines, and he would accept a bride only from an ancient noble family. Ours was such a bloodline. The deal was struck.
Over the past weeks, Erik and Christophe had been riding from one Montagna village to the next, with a de Fiore contingent, assessing any damage, hunting for raiders, and promising our people they would soon be safe.
Soon, Chloe and Christophe would be wed, and our lands would be protected. This seemed a perfect solution but for the fact that the impending bride and groom barely seemed to notice the other’s existence.
I hoped that perhaps at tonight’s banquet, they might have the chance to dance with each other. This thought filled me with both hope and excitement…as I would be there to witness such an event.
A part of me still couldn’t believe Father had agreed to let me attend. What gown would Chloe choose for me? She knew best in such matters. But first, I hurried back to the kitchen, as I needed to finish making Christophe’s peach tarts.
He had never cared for strawberries.
* * * *
That night, the banquet started off well enough.
I was somewhat late in arriving, as it took longer than expected for my hair to dry, and I sent Chloe on ahead, not wishing to make her wait. There was nothing she loved more than a party with dancing. She loved to be admired and who could blame her? She was so graceful and beautiful.
Still, as I hurried down the path toward the gathering hall, I felt rather pretty tonight myself. Chloe had gifted me with a gown of lavender muslin. All her talk of “choosing a gown” had been a ruse. This gown had once been hers and she’d had it hemmed as a surprise. The color brought out my light brown eyes and set off my darker brown hair. Jenny, our maid, had used her hands to scrunch my hair as it dried, so that it fell all around my shoulders in even more waves than usual. I wore silver earrings and a small diamond pendant.
Tonight, my father would see that I was a woman now—and not a child. I knew for a fact that some noblewomen my age were married and running their own households—not that I had any desire to marry. I loved my home and my family and never wished to leave White Deer Lodge. But I did wish to be seen as a grown woman.
Though darkness had fallen, I knew these paths by heart.
Finally, I arrived at the door of the gathering hall and slipped inside…where the sights and sounds almost overwhelmed me. A loud mix of voices and music filled the crowded hall. Guests had been arriving all afternoon, mainly merchants and their wives who lived close enough to make the journey. But there were also a few military officers in Christophe’s employ and a few nobles who were currently in residence at the lodge.
The walls of the hall had been strung with garlands, and the sconces above them glowed with light provided by fat candles. The tables were laden with food, and musicians played a lively tune.
My eyes scanned the room until I spotted my parents, and my mother smiled while holding out one hand toward me. I hurried over to her. She wore a red velvet gown that accented her small waist. In her late forties, her face was nearly unlined and her hair still a shade of rich brown.
“How lovely you are,” she said to me.
My father stood beside her, staring down at me with a frown. “Where did you get that dress?”
“Chloe had it hemmed for me. Do you like it?” I asked, worried. The square neckline was a bit low, and I hoped he would not tell me to go and change. I had nothing so pretty in my own closet.
My mother glanced up at him with a challenging gaze.
“Of course I like it,” he answered quickly. “It’s fine…for tonight.”
With that, I turned my attention to the festivities. Erik was out dancing with a merchant’s daughter. I hoped to see Chloe dancing with Christophe, but she was not. When I saw her partner, mild distaste rose in my mouth.
She was dancing with Julian Belledini, a man to whom she paid far too much attention in my opinion. Julian was handsome and he knew it, with dark blue eyes and blond hair that curled down around his ears to the top of his collar. He was both slender and well built at the same time, and I had to admit he cut a dashing figure in a black, sleeveless tunic. But he was also the third son of a minor baron. He had no real prospects and yet never failed to mention the old bloodlines of his family. Not knowing what else to do with him, his own father had sent him to mine.
Julian had lived with us since the spring. The idea was that my father and Erik would teach Julian both archery and skill with a sword, and then my father—who had solid connections—would help him arrange for a commission in the royal military as an officer. Julian’s father had no qualms about paying for the commission. He simply required assistance with Julian’s training and introductions.
My father was always glad to help someone to help himself.
I had my doubts, however. From what I could see, Julian had little interest in either archery or the military. He preferred playing cards with our house guards and drinking wine from our stores and talking to my sister.
I didn’t care for him and as a result, he didn’t care for me. Julian was a man who liked to be admired.
And now, at Erik and Christophe’s welcome party, he was once again monopolizing Chloe’s time…and she was letting him. Wearing a gown of emerald green silk, she clung to his shoulder and hand, allowing him to spin her around the dance floor as if there was no place she would rather be.
No