He had an idea.
“Good men,” he said, interrupting the conversation. “May I interject? Do we even know what has become of Preston de Lacy since his wife was arrested?”
Barric nodded. “He has retreated back to Quellargate Castle,” he said. “I am aware that two of his knights, men who were spying on him for the king, were mysteriously killed and when that happened, Preston left London for Quellargate.”
Sean was nodding as if to confirm the information. Of course, no one knew that he had been one of the men who lay in wait for Godfrey Sudeley and Hamilton Banbury, and it had been he who had delivered the deathblow to Banbury.
“It is true,” he said calmly. “I heard that from reliable sources, as well.”
It was a simple confirmation and nothing more, nothing that would make Barric or Sloan suspect that he, perhaps, had some greater involvement in the situation. There was nothing to suggest that he was a well-planted spy sworn to William Marshal in all things. And fortunately, he had such a terrible reputation on behalf of the king that no one suspected him as being anything other than rabidly loyal to John.
And that was the way he wanted it.
Sloan and Barric went along with anything Sean said or did. In this case, it was confirming de Lacy’s departure from London after the death of two of his knights. To that end, Sloan continued on his original train of thought.
“Then I will make a suggestion for the fate of Lady Barklestone,” he said. “Preston de Lacy may not wish her returned to him now, but that is because he is still angered and embarrassed over the situation. We have no knowledge on the whereabouts of Cullen de Nerra, that actual criminal who tried to kill Barric, but rumor has it that he has returned to William Marshal, who will never give him over to the king. Sean, have you heard this as well?”
Sean was very good at keeping his true feelings, and knowledge, masked. He knew exactly what had happened with Cullen, thanks to William Marshal, but he would never let on. “De Nerra is long gone,” he said simply. “We cannot waste time on him.”
Sloan nodded firmly. “And I agree,” he said. “We can do nothing about de Nerra, but this crime of passion will eventually be forgotten. Barric will heal and John will move on to other women. Therefore, I say we send Lady Barklestone back to her father until the situation has faded from memory, and Preston has sufficiently recovered his composure and will allow her back into his house. That is where she will be the most valuable.”
Both Sean and Barric looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?” Barric asked.
Sloan looked at Barric. “You know why Bradford de Rivington married his daughter to Preston,” he said. “Her only purpose was to spy on him. Preston is part of the rebellion and he commands a big army. Now that you have grown tired of the woman, send her back to her father until Preston’s humiliation cools. Then, Bradford can send her back to her husband to continue watching the man’s activities. For the benefit of the king, it is time to let the lady finish what she has started – the downfall of her husband.”
Barric knew all of this but given the fact that Lady Barklestone’s marriage didn’t go as planned, he’d rather put it out of his mind. The past several months with her had disillusioned him significantly, though he didn’t want to admit it.
There was some shame in that.
“We are off-topic,” he said, unhappy and confused. “I did not mean that we should enter into a serious discussion about Lady Barklestone’s future and I do not know if I will actually send her away, but that is not something I wish to continue speaking of. Let us return to the situation with Owen the Black and the trap Sean is to set for them. I am more interested in that than any talk of Lady Barklestone’s future.”
Sean scratched his head as his thoughts turned from the tragic Lady Barklestone and back to Owen and his outlaws. “For what I want to do, I am going to need a larger army,” he said. “We have several hundred men here at Rockingham, but if I am to set a secure trap, I will need more. May I suggest sending word to the king? With another thousand men, I can adequately cover the forest and clean it out. If you tell John the outlaws are a direct threat to his interests at Rockingham, he should send us the support. Tell him the outlaws are stealing so much from the towns that no one will have the money to pay their taxes.”
Barric nodded thoughtfully. “An excellent suggestion,” he said. “And you are sure you can end the raids once and for all if you have more men?”
“I am sure of it, my lord.”
“But what do you plan to do?”
Sean leaned forward on the table that Barric was sitting at. Bracing his enormous arms on the wood, his gaze was intense.
“I intend to spread the word that a great supporter of the king will be traveling to Rockingham at the first of next month,” he said. “We will be specific with the day and spread the rumor that this supporter will be bringing a good deal of coinages for the royal treasury, all the way from France, and that the man will be minimally guarded because he does not wish to draw attention to himself. Something like that is bound to draw out the outlaws, especially if they know there is money to be had.”
Barric liked the idea. “And the army will be waiting for them?”
“Like a spider for a fly,” Sean concurred. “That is why I need men to box up the outlaws so they cannot flee. I will have to have every direction covered – every tree, every road, and every path. But we will let a few pass through and we shall follow them, all the way to their lair, which I will destroy once and for all. I will need many men for that, too.”
Barric grinned. “Well done, Sean,” he said. “Surely even Lady Barklestone would approve of such a plan. It is what she has wanted to do all along.”
Sean merely cocked a disapproving eyebrow in response and, at that point, he and Barric began to construct a carefully-worded missive to the king with a plea for more men. As they were busying themselves with it, Sloan slipped from the chamber, unnoticed, to busy himself with something else. He, too, would be constructing a missive. But in his case, the missive would be sent to Bradford de Rivington.
Perhaps Sean and Barric were off the topic of Lady Barklestone, but he wasn’t.
Sloan didn’t know if Bradford was aware of what had happened to his daughter because Sloan had not spent an abundant amount of time with Teodora enough to ask her. Her time had been spent with Barric, or with the army, or any number of chatelaine duties at Rockingham, and Sloan had never been given the opportunity to ask her if she’d had any contact with her father since the incident that had injured Barric. He was quite certain she hadn’t, but that didn’t mean Bradford hadn’t been notified by someone else.
Truly, if he had been, then Sloan would have expected him to show up at Rockingham demanding his daughter’s return. Bradford was just that kind of father, and the absence of his appearance confirmed to Sloan that man knew absolutely nothing.
But that was about to change.
Perhaps Lady Barklestone could return to her husband at some point, after all, and all of those careful plans he’d made those months ago still had a chance of coming to fruition. As Sloan sent a messenger bound for Cerenbeau Castle a short time later, he was counting on a strong response from Bradford about the fate of his only child.
Never underestimate the rage of an irate father.
By the time Teodora reached her chambers, she was in tears.
Tears of frustration, tears for the situation in general. Sean was angry with her and Barric had relegated her back to chatelaine status. Willa and Norma were there to help her off with her tunics and mail, and the tub of hot water they’d prepared when they saw the army returning to the castle had been placed near the blazing hearth to keep the water warm on this cold January day.
The sweaty clothing came off, as did the mail, but the tears continued. When Teodora was down to her undertunic and breeches, she chased the maids away, as she always did, because she didn’t want help bathing. She didn’t want them to see her nude body and t
he bulge of her belly, so she would have them take away her dirty clothing to clean it while she bathed privately.
This time was no different.
Stripped down, she bathed before the fire, soaping herself with the slimy white soap that smelled of lavender that Rockingham’s cook made. It was good soap, with oil in it to soften the skin, and Teodora washed her body and hair with it, drying off with a linen drying towel that her maids always left spread out next to the hearth so it was warm when it touched her body.
With a gown of soft lamb’s wool on, one that flowed freely around her, she settled down next to the window in her chamber that overlooked the inner courtyard of Rockingham. It was chilly on this January day, with the land and sky a dead winter-gray color. The only people in the small courtyard were servants, usually, moving from kitchen to the living quarters or to the hall. She could see Willa and Norma over by the kitchens, boiling her soiled tunics while a young boy used a cloth to clean her mail coat.
The breeze was cold also and she finally moved away from the window, back to the fire where she could dry her hair in the warm air. Her tears were gone by this point, but the situation remained heavily on her mind. Sean, the outlaws, and Barric’s demands that she resume more ladylike pursuits. He was right, of course, but she didn’t like feeling so worthless and caged. At least she’d been content when she was able to ride with the army.
Now, she didn’t know what she would feel.
Useless.
Teodora leaned toward the fire, feeling the heat on her face. She suddenly felt the baby kick and it startled her. Putting a hand to her belly, she could feel the baby moving around, fluttering kicks that brought a smile to her face.
Her baby…
Her thoughts moved from Sean and the outlaws to the life growing inside of her. How could she have been so selfish to continue riding with the army when there was a child in her belly? She’d been asking herself that question for a while now. Perhaps it had been denial, perhaps it had been confusion, because her life was completely upended.
A baby would only add to that chaos, but as she felt the little life kicking inside of her, she was feeling increasingly certain that riding with the army was no longer an option. She’d pushed that for as long as she could, mostly because it was something she was familiar with, but as she rubbed at her belly, she was coming to think that she’d been stupid to do it all along. Bewilderment had put her on the back of her horse, chasing outlaws. But no more.
She knew she had to focus on her child.
Cullen’s child.
The tears started to come again as she thought of him.
“God, Cullen,” she whispered, her gaze moving upward as if beseeching the heavens. “I am so sorry for what I have done. Had I not fought the king, you would be alive today. Had I only remained quiet and complacent, none of this would have happened. You would have never heard me scream and you would have never charged through the door. I am so very sorry for what I did, my love. I hope that wherever you are, you forgive me.”
The heavens didn’t answer. She didn’t expect them to. Wiping away tears that wouldn’t stop falling, she moved to a table next to the hearth that contained a pitcher of boiled water, flavored with smashed berries. Teodora drank some of it, as she preferred it to wine or watered ale to quench her thirst. She was just finishing the cup when there was a soft knock at the door.
Setting the cup down, Teodora went to the door and opened it to see Chadwick standing in the doorway. He smiled at her but she simply turned away, back to the water pitcher.
“Have you come to tell me that you have seen de Lara downstairs?” she asked. “He is angry with me, you know. He told me I am no longer allowed to ride with the army.”
Chadwick came into the chamber, shutting the door quietly behind him. From the brief glimpse he caught of her when the door opened, he could tell that Teodora had been weeping and now he knew why.
“Nay,” he said. “I did not see de Lara at all, but I had heard the army was back. What did you do to make Sean angry this time?”
Teodora sighed heavily. “What do I ever do?” she said. “I questioned why he has been so cowardly when dealing with the outlaws.”
“You did not use that word, did you? Cowardly?”
She shook her head. “I did not,” she said. “I may have a bold tongue, but I am not stupid. As it is, de Lara has banished me from riding with the army from now on. I have been informed that I shall be expected to pursue more ladylike duties.”
Chadwick lifted his eyebrows in resignation. “It is for the best, Teddy,” he said. “I have been telling you that for some time. And in speaking of expectations, how are you feeling?”
She turned to look at him as if she had no idea why he asked. “I am perfectly well.”
He gave her a wry expression. “That is not what I mean and you know it,” he said. “How does the child fare?”
Teodora knew very well that was what he’d meant. She had no idea why she’d played dumb. Maybe because she’d been in denial about the child for so long. Looking down at her belly, she put her hand on it.
“He is kicking,” she said. “He is very active.”
Chadwick pointed to the bed. “Lay down,” he commanded softly. “Let me see for myself.”
Teodora did as she was told and laid down upon her comfortable bed. Because the material of her gown was so thin, Chadwick was able to feel her stomach quite well, putting his hands gently on her and feeling the shape of her expanded belly. He poked a little, and prodded, before finally pulling her by the arm to up to sit.
“He has not turned yet,” he said. “For a child to be born, the head must be facing down. He has not reached that point yet.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Teodora put her hands on her belly as if to feel what Chadwick was describing. “You can feel all of that?”
Chadwick grinned. “It is my vocation. I should hope so.”
Teodora continued to feel at her stomach. “When do you think he will come?”
“When was your last menses?”
Normally, she would have flushed with embarrassment over such talk, but Chadwick was a physic. He knew the workings of bodies, both male and female. She thought back to the day of her marriage, when Cullen had consummated the marriage. That had been during the first week of May, and she’d had her menses the week before that.
“The last of April, I suppose,” she said. “I was married the first of May.”
Chadwick did the mental calculation. “Then your child should come in the next six weeks, I would think,” he said. “Mayhap sooner.”
Teodora was thoughtful as she continued to poke at her belly. “Tell me something,” she said. “You have birthed many babies, have you not?”
“I have birthed my share.”
“I have been told that it is painful. Do you have something you can give me for the pain?”
He gave her a half-grin. “Coming from a woman who rides to battle, you are afraid of a little pain?”
She had to chuckle because he was. “I suppose that does sound ridiculous.”
He shook his head. “Not really,” he said. “I was jesting with you. I do have something to give you for the pain. But hopefully, the process will go so swiftly that you will not need it.”
“I hope so.”
He sobered somewhat. “Which brings me to another point,” he said. “When do you plan to tell Barric? You are tall enough, and wearing enough clothing, that no one can tell you are with child, but that will not hold out forever. You must tell the man, Teddy. The longer you wait, the worse it will be.”
Teodora knew that. “I know,” she said. “But… I am terrified to tell him, Chad. I told you before that I am afraid he will send me directly back to Preston, and Preston… he will not want to see me.”
Chadwick sat down on a chair next to the bed, looking at her intently. “You have said that before, but I do not believe it,” she said. “Any man would be happy and grateful to know that you ar
e carrying his heir. Why would he harm you?”
“Because it is not his child.”
Chadwick felt as if he’d been struck. It was not the answer he was expecting. He sat up in the chair, staring at her as the news settled.
“I see now,” he said as the light of realization filled his eye. “I thought there was more to this pregnancy than you were telling me. The reluctance to return to your husband, the insistence that he will harm you… now it makes sense.”
Teodora could feel some appraisal there. Chadwick had become such a good friend that she didn’t want the man to think poorly of her.
“Before you pass judgement, there are things you should know,” she said quietly. “I have not told you any of this because, truthfully, I was afraid to. Mayhap I was afraid of what you would think of me, but whatever the case, you should know that my marriage is one of convenience. Preston de Lacy no more cares for me than he cares for a dog in the street. To him, I am a means to an end and nothing more.”
Chadwick leaned forward in his chair once again, his features lined with concern. “What end?”
She glanced at him. “To have some connection to my father, I suppose, who is a great supporter of the king,” she said. “My father thinks I do not know that, but I do. I am not as naïve as I have pretended to be. I also know my father married me to Preston for the very same reason – to spy on Preston de Lacy. I am a pawn, you see. It took me a while to realize that, but it is true. I have accepted it. In fact, my husband was so revolted by our marriage that he claimed he was physically incapable of consummating the marriage and forced one of his knights to do it. It is his child I carry.”
Chadwick was horrified. “My God,” he breathed. “Oh, my sweet Teddy… I am so very sorry to hear this.”
She could see the distress on his face. “As I am sorry to tell you,” she said truthfully. “I have been immersed in a living hell since the day I married Preston de Lacy, with one exception – the knight who consummated the union. Somehow, someway, I fell in love with the man and he fell in love with me.”
Noble Line of de Nerra Complete Set: A Medieval Romance Bundle Page 32