Chadwick knew that. He’d come to know a very stubborn, very capable young woman over the past few months, one he adored and respected a great deal. And therein was the problem. He adored her too much and tried to mask his feelings with those of professional concern, as a physic. But that wasn’t the case. He had romantic feelings for her as much as he tried to conceal it, and it was only a matter of time before she grew wise to him.
He was dreading the day.
“I understand that it is normal to you,” he said patiently. “I understand that your body is used to such things, but the truth is that you carry another life within you now and the strain and stress of battle can kill it. I have told you that before.”
Teodora sighed heavily, her hand on her belly. “I do not wish to kill it,” she said. “But riding with the men… it is the only thing I take pleasure in anymore. I am trapped here, the companion of a man I cannot stand the sight of, and there is nothing in the world that gives me any joy other than riding to battle. I feel useful and alive.”
“Is your joy worth the risk of your child?”
She turned away from him and he saw her flick a tear from her eye. “Nay,” she finally said. “But you know why I am here, Chad. You know of my marriage of convenience to the earl and his hatred toward me. You know that it is because of me that Barric suffered a terrible injury, and you know I am trapped here, a prisoner of a situation I have no control over.”
She was starting to get weepy, one of the effects of her pregnancy, and Chadwick went to her and put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.
“I know,” he said soothingly. “I know all of that. I also know that you should tell Barric of your pregnancy sooner rather than later.”
Teodora shook her head, almost violently. “He will send me back to Preston,” she said. “The man hates the sight of me. He will destroy me and my child.”
“He would destroy his own child?”
She looked at him in horror, as if she wanted to tell him something but couldn’t quite bring herself to do it. After a moment, she simply shook her head and turned away.
“I do not want to go back,” she said, sniffling. “If it is a choice between returning to de Lacy or remaining with Barric, I will stay here. At least he does not want to kill me.”
Chadwick sensed that there was more to the pregnancy story than she was telling him and he had from the beginning, for no man would kill a woman carrying his child. But he let the subject drop. It was too upsetting for her and that had not been his intent. If she wanted him to know the truth behind the child and her claims of her husband’s hatred, then she would tell him in time. Until then, he would not press her. In fact, he’d come to see her for another purpose altogether.
“No one is going to kill you,” he said, watching her wipe the tears from her dirty face. “And I am sorry if I upset you, so permit me to make amends. I will wait for you to bathe and change if you would like to go into the village of Corby with me. They have the very best herbs and ingredients there for my potions and cures.”
But Teodora shook her head. “Nay,” she said, unhappy. “I do not wish to go. I am tired.”
He didn’t insist. In fact, he was glad she was being sensible for once. “Good,” he said. “Take your bath and go to bed. I will see to you when I return.”
Teodora simply nodded, still wiping at her face, still upset from the stress of the day. Chadwick simply patted her on the shoulder and headed to the door just as Willa and Norma came back through, carrying another bucket of hot water and other things for their mistress’ bath. Chadwick stood aside, watching the women dump the water into the tub.
“Are you sure you do not want me to get you anything from the village?” he asked.
Teodora shook her head. “Nothing, thank you.”
“If the baker is still doing business, do you want some of that bread you like with cinnamon and raisins?”
She lifted her shoulders, disinterested, and he took it as an agreement. Leaving the lady to her bath, Chadwick headed out on his herb-finding mission and perhaps something sweet for the sad young countess with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
He wished he could do more for her.
It was ironic how Teodora leaving Rockingham called for a large escort of soldiers, but a lone physic leaving the gatehouse warranted no protection at all.
It was like they didn’t care.
Astride a long-legged bay stallion, Chadwick snorted at that irony as he departed Rockingham and headed down the road, straight for the village of Corby that was just a mile or so away. It was the one village in the area that the outlaws hadn’t raided because of its close proximity to a castle that harbored a good-sized army, and they weren’t willing to tempt fate quite that blatantly.
In fact, Chadwick wasn’t particularly worried about the outlaws as he made his way down the road and into a section of the Blackthorn Forest that stretched toward the west. Men led by an outlaw known as Owen the Black were known to live somewhere in the midst of an enormous forest that extended for miles in all directions, but mostly to the east where it covered a huge area. Sean had sent out patrols in an attempt to locate the outlaw’s lair but, so far, he’d been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the outlaws continued to hit the villages and travelers in an area that spread out from Kettering all the way north to Uppingham.
Newton, Oakley, Weekley, Glendon. These were some of the villages that had been hit hard by Owen and his raiders. It was strange, though – very little of value had been taken, as if the raiders were simply trying to rattle the peasants and draw out the Rockingham army.
Chadwick had been listening to Sean and Barric speak of the raids, and having been a very good knight years ago, Chadwick could see, militarily, what Sean was seeing – not a good deal of destruction, not much by way of valuables taken other than mostly food stuffs. The raids were unnerving more than they were actually damaging. Sean was still trying to see a method to the madness, but he had a feeling, as did Chadwick, that there was something else motivating the raids.
All they had to do was figure it out.
Meanwhile, the village of Corby had been spared and Chadwick traveled the road through the tip of Blackthorn Forest with little to no trepidation. He was thinking ahead to the village and to the man who grew all manner of herbs and flowers in a garden that was well tended, things that were difficult to grow and even more difficult to locate. The man was clever and had built a shed with a roof and no walls, simply four posts holding up the roof to protect the plants, but there were oil cloths hanging from the roof that he could draw to protect his plants from frost and cold. He grew a great many things that Chadwick was interested in. As he plodded along, lost in thought, an arrow suddenly sailed by his head.
Startled, Chadwick pulled his frightened horse to a halt as men emerged from the forest and swarmed around, men smeared in mud and with branches and leaves sticking out of their clothing and hair. A couple of men grabbed the reins of his horse and pulled the animal off the road and into the shielding trees.
At that point, Chadwick knew resistance would be foolish, so he didn’t resist at all. He didn’t have much of value on him other than the coinage he was going to use to buy herbs and plants, so he simply held on to his horse as the men pulled it deeper into the forest.
It was a wild ride.
Amidst the ambush and the swift movement, Chadwick realized there was very little noise around him; no yelling or even whispering that he could hear. It was odd, but more than that, it was smart. Whatever operation they were carrying out was being done with no commands whatsoever, keeping their movements virtually silent, so he remained calm as he was taken back into the forest, away from the road and away from witnesses.
Finally, they came to a halt in a slight clearing even though there were vines and bushes all around them. Chadwick was yanked off his horse and pushed onto the ground, and the horse was taken away. Looking up, he found himself staring at a very big man with a bushy, dark beard
and intense brown eyes. He had hands the size of a trencher and he stood over Chadwick, flexing those big hands as he glared down at him.
“You realize that this day is not going to end very well for you,” the man said in a deep, threatening tone. “That is a very fine horse you have that now belongs to me.”
Chadwick righted himself from where he’d been prone on the cold ground. Brushing off his breeches, his arms, he glanced at the men standing around them, all of them with clubs or weapons, some of them with crossbows that were aimed right at him.
“The horse’s name is Pericles,” he said evenly. “He is seven years of age and tends to go lame in the right front leg, so take care when riding him. He can be reckless and foolish, like some men. He needs a tight rein.”
The man grinned, displaying big white teeth in what looked to Chadwick to be a rather alarming gesture. He liked it better when the man wasn’t smiling so openly at him because this way, he looked as if he were mad.
“I will remember that,” the man said. “Thank you for being so generous. And whatever coinage you have will also be mine. Will you turn it over or will I have to take it from you?”
Chadwick shook his head. “You can have it,” he said. “But I must stand up to give it to you. It is tucked into my belt and that is now folded up in my waist. May I stand?”
The big man nodded, gesturing to him to indicate he was free to stand up. “Go ahead,” he said. “But if you have any weapons on you, then tell me now. If you produce a dagger, my men will unleash the crossbows.”
But Chadwick wagged his head back and forth. “I carry no daggers,” he said. “I have no weapons of any kind.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am a physic.”
“Whom do you serve?”
“The royal household.”
With that, Chadwick untied his coin purse and held it out to the big, burly man, who hesitated before taking it. “A physic?” he said, confused. “Are you going to tend to someone who is ill?”
“Nay.”
“But what are you doing traveling alone? We saw you come from Rockingham Castle.”
Chadwick thrust the coin purse at the man again in case he’d forgotten that he’d demanded it. “I was going to town to purchase some herbs to use as medicaments,” he said. “But, clearly, you need my money more than I do, so take it.”
The burly man stuck a hand out and Chadwick dropped the coin purse right into his palm. But the outlaw still seemed to be hesitant about robbing a physic. “Are you gathering things to heal the sick, then?”
Chadwick’s eyebrows lifted. “I am. It is my vocation.”
“Who is sick at Rockingham?”
“The Lord of Rockingham.”
Suddenly, an enormous figure emerged from the forest, pushing through the men who were standing around with their weapons aimed at Chadwick. The man was dressed in a dark tunic, leather breeches, and big boots, and his tunic had a hood so that it covered his head and even some of his face. As he stepped into the light that was filtering through the canopy, he pushed the burly man aside and planted himself right in front of Chadwick.
Cullen said nothing for a moment. Then he turned and ordered Jerald and all of the other outlaws to clear the area so he could speak to the man alone.
Startled, Chadwick looked at the man who had just taken front and center with him and it took him a moment to realize that he’d seen the man before.
He knew that face.
Shock registered.
“Cullen?” Chadwick gasped. “Cullen de Nerra?”
Cullen pulled the hood from his head as if to reveal himself in full, looking at Chadwick with a great deal of shock.
“God’s Bones, it is you,” he hissed. “I thought I recognized you, but the last time I saw you, you were wearing armor and carrying weapons. I cannot believe my eyes.”
Chadwick nodded in disbelief. “Looking at you now, I can say the same thing.”
Cullen’s brow furrowed deeply. “A physic, Chad? You’re now a physic?”
Chadwick’s jaw was hanging open at the sight of a man he’d known a very long time ago. “Aye,” he breathed. The shock on his face was soon replaced by a glow of delight. “I am a physic now. My God, how long has it been, Cullen? At least fifteen years. The last time I saw you was at your father’s home at Selborne Castle. It was just before you were knighted, I think.”
Cullen’s lips twitched with a smile. “Had you not worked with me for all of those years that you did, teaching me the value of the knighthood, I would have never achieved such greatness,” he said. Then, he reached out, grasping Chadwick’s arm as the thrill of seeing the man set in. “You fostered at Selborne and were knighted by my father, and in turn you helped my brothers and I a great deal. You were a great mentor, Chad. I had heard you’d gone to The Levant with Richard, but I’d not heard what became of you. Praise God that you returned safely.”
It had been a very long time since Chadwick had seen Cullen de Nerra, perhaps the most promising young knight he’d ever known those years ago. Time and adventure had separated Chadwick from the House of de Nerra, but he’d never forgotten them. He had a soft spot for the de Nerra brothers and Cullen in particular, but in realizing that Cullen was now clearly an outlaw, concern for what had turned him to a life of crime overwhelmed him.
“I did return,” Chadwick said as he lifted up his crippled left hand, “but a morning star to my sword hand ended my career as a knight. I turned to the healing arts instead and have been a royal physician since my return from The Holy Land. And you… clearly, we must discuss what has become of you, Cullen. What has happened that you are now robbing travelers? My God… are you the one they call Owen the Black?”
Cullen struggled not to feel ashamed. He’d always admired Chadwick so and, now, he felt rather embarrassed that the man had found him in a less than desirable situation.
“I am not the one they call Owen,” he assured him. But before elaborating, he paused and called to the man with the bushy beard. The man with the beard approached and Cullen ordered, “Return his horse and his coinage. Send the men back into the trees and watch the road that runs over by the brook to the east of the village. That road is more heavily traveled.”
The man with the bushy beard used hand signals to the men, who disappeared back into the trees, disappearing as if they’d never been there. Soon enough, the horse was brought back and the man with the bushy beard handed over the coin purse that he’d taken from Chadwick. Cullen sent the bearded man with the rest of the outlaws, vanishing back into the bramble.
When everyone was gone, Chadwick spoke quietly.
“Cullen, why?” he asked, clearly concerned. “What are you doing with this rabble?”
Cullen looked at him, shame in his expression. “I will answer your question when you answer mine,” he said. “You said that you were tending the Lord of Rockingham. Who is the Lord of Rockingham?”
“Barric Fitz Hammond, of course.”
Cullen stared at him a moment before emitting a hiss that sounded as if he’d been punched in the gut. In truth, he felt like it, because all of his breath left him. Turning away, he raked his fingers through his hair in a listless gesture, clearly disturbed by what he’d heard.
In truth, he couldn’t believe the news but, in hindsight, it wasn’t that great of a shock. They had been speculating for months that Barric Fitz Hammond had survived what Cullen thought had been a mortal injury. But now, he knew the truth.
Barric was alive.
He felt sick.
“So he survived the wound,” Cullen muttered, turning to Chadwick. “How does he fare?”
Chadwick eyed him curiously. “You have heard news of his injury, then? Well, I suppose everyone has by now. It was quite the talk of London.”
Cullen cocked his head. “Why would you say that?”
“Because the man was attacked by the Earl of Barklestone,” he said. “Did you not hear how he was injured? The earl attacked him wh
en Fitz Hammond spoke politely to the earl’s young wife, although I have my doubts about that. Somehow, there is much more to that story than I have been told but, then again, I am merely the physic. My duty is to heal the man. It doesn’t matter to me how he received the injury.”
Cullen stared at him. The man was attacked by the Earl of Barklestone. That certainly wasn’t what had happened, but given that Cullen hadn’t seen Chadwick in fifteen years, he wasn’t going to tell him the truth for one very good reason – he truly didn’t know the man’s loyalties. Chadwick had always been fiercely loyal to the crown, and he had gone on crusade with Richard. He had told Jerald that he was now a royal physic, so it was quite possible he was very loyal to John.
And Cullen was wanted for a crime against the king.
Therefore, Cullen wasn’t going to tell him that he, in fact, had injured Barric over Barklestone’s wife, a woman Cullen still loved with all of his heart and always would. He wasn’t going to tell him that he was on the run from John’s men because he wasn’t entirely sure Chadwick wouldn’t try to arrest him.
Unfortunately, in his position, he couldn’t trust the man.
He couldn’t trust anyone.
“Barric Fitz Hammond has driven these men into the forest by stealing their lands and honor,” he said, diverting the attention away from the answer he was supposed to give Chadwick as to why, exactly, he was living with outlaws. “He is a terrible man, Chad. I am sorry you are associated with him, for your sake.”
Chadwick lifted his eyebrows in resignation. “I serve the king, and it is the king who told me to heal his friend,” he said. “I have little choice in the matter and, if you must know, Barric is a vile excuse of a man. I will be quite happy when he is no longer in need of me and I can return to London.”
“Is that your home now? London?”
Chadwick nodded. “The king pays me very well for my services,” he said. “I have a house all my own, servants, and a garden. It is a good life.”
“And you enjoy serving John?”
Chadwick paused a moment as he thought on his reply. “I serve England and the crown, whoever that crown happens to belong to. Physics do not have the same loyalties that knights do, Cullen. Our oath is to a higher power.”
Noble Line of de Nerra Complete Set: A Medieval Romance Bundle Page 30