WolfeBlade: de Wolfe Pack Generations by Kathryn Veque (reading an ebook txt) 📕

own chambers,” he said. “If you could see to that, I would be grateful.”

Gavriella smiled. “I will,” she said, noticing that he seemed rather harried. “Do not worry so, Lukas. We shall feed them and house them. There is nothing to be concerned over.”

Lukas cast her a long look. “Nothing except your father,” he said. “I have not even told him yet.”

“I will do it.”

“It should come from me.”

“Then let me tell him that you will come to him when time allows. He is probably already watching the bailey and wondering what the activity is about.”

Lukas resisted the urge to look up to the top floor of the keep where Merek’s chamber was located. “He’ll send that bitch down here to demand answers,” he muttered. “Mayhap you’d better tell him what has happened so he will not send her down here to get in my way.”

Gavriella patted his arm. “I will,” she said. “I will keep her away.”

“You seem to have better luck at it than I do.”

She could hear the frustration in his voice. He turned away, heading back to the commotion at the gatehouse as Gavriella turned for the keep.

No one wanted to deal with Merek these days with that woman by his side.

Taking a deep breath, she headed inside.

The keep of Falstone was cylinder shaped, and quite large, with several chambers on each level except for the top level, which had one great room belonging to Merek. The first level, accessed by stone steps in a fortified forebuilding, contained an entry hall, her father’s solar, a small hall, and three smaller chambers. This was where she planned to house the knights. The level above that was a level with two large bedchambers, one belonging to Gavriella, and then her father’s level on top of that.

Heading up the stairs to the keep entry, she found one of the male servants in her father’s solar, sweeping out the ashes in the hearth, and she instructed him to start preparing two of the chambers for at least five knights and perhaps more. Beds needed to be brought in and mattresses needed to be prepared.

There were logistics to preparing guest accommodations and she sent the man off to do her bidding before taking the mural stairs that led to the upper floors. She has just come off the stairs onto the level where her bedchamber was when Giddy suddenly emerged from the stairs that led up to her father’s chambers.

Their eyes locked.

“You, there,” Giddy said imperiously. “Gavriella. Your father wishes to know why his men are running around like mad. What is happening?”

Giddy never addressed her formally. Her manner always conveyed little respect. That had started when Gavriella had made it clear she wanted no friendship with the woman and it continued even now. Giddy was an older woman with big breasts and big hips, wearing garments that were always tightly cinched at the waist to make her breasts look larger. She had red hair, piled on top of her head, and Gavriella thought she wore rouge because her cheeks were always unnaturally red. Giddy, which probably wasn’t even her real name, was clearly a low-born woman who tried to throw her weight around.

Even with the lord’s daughter.

Gavriella eyed the woman a moment before pushing past her without answering.

She could hear Giddy calling after her, demanding she stop, but Gavriella ignored her. She continued up to her father’s chamber to find the man sitting in front of the hearth, enjoying a big pitcher of wine. Gavriella had noticed that her father seemed to drink quite a lot these days, always spurred on by Giddy.

The woman was constantly supplying him with drink.

“Greetings, Father,” she said without a hint of warmth. “Lukas has asked me to tell you that he will join you shortly to provide more information, but he has received a missive from the House of de Wolfe.”

Merek had the cup in his hands, half-filled with wine, as he turned to his only child. There was no hint of warmth in his gaze, either.

“De Wolfe?” he repeated. “What do they want?”

Giddy came around behind Merek’s chair, standing over him as she eyed Gavriella angrily.

Gavriella wouldn’t even look at her.

“There has been some trouble with the Scots,” Gavriella told her father. “De Wolfe seems to have had a good deal of trouble with them and he fears they are heading in our direction to cause trouble, so he is sending men to reinforce Falstone against a potential Scots attack. Lukas will give you more detail when he can, but that is the commotion you have been seeing. We are preparing for the army’s arrival.”

Giddy’s hand went on Merek’s shoulder, Gavriella was certain, in a possessive gesture just to irritate her, but Gavriella still wouldn’t look at her. She was focused on her father, who seemed concerned that de Wolfe was sending an army to them.

“We’ve not had trouble from the Scots in years,” he said. “He must have more reason to send men to protect us. I would speak with the commander of the army when he arrives.”

Gavriella nodded. “I will tell Lukas that,” she said. “Anything else, Father? I thought to house the knights in the keep because there is really nowhere else to put them. We shall be quite crowded, but we shall manage.”

Merek nodded and started to stand up, but Giddy pushed him down. “Rest, my lord,” she said. “Your knight will come to you. You need not strain yourself.”

Merek did as she asked, like a man with no will. Gavriella peered at him. “Father?” she said. “Do you require something?”

“If he does, I shall do for him,” Giddy interrupted.

There was something controlling in the woman’s tone and Gavriella did look at her, then. “I was not speaking to you,” she said. “I was asking my father.”

Giddy stiffened. “I am capable of bringing him whatever he needs, Gavriella.”

Gavriella’s eyes narrowed. “You will address me as ‘my lady’,” she said. “You are only a servant, after all. Know your place,