“Ye’re mangled, man,” he said. “I have sent for food. They’ve got no cause tae be treatin’ ye like this.”
Stephen closed his eyes. “I am the enemy,” he replied quietly. “They can do with me as they please.”
Kynan stayed on his knees next to him, studying the man. He could see how badly injured he was and something inside him, however reluctant, sought to give him some comfort. Maybe it was because of the last conversation he had with him. The words rang round and round in his head. They had ever since he had spoken them. I married your cousin to form an alliance; that is true. But she loves me and I love her, and there is nothing in this world that I would not do for her. It was something that had broken down Kynan’s hatred of the man and even now, all he could see was Joselyn’s husband on the ground, not an English enemy. If Joselyn loved him as he said she did, and he had no reason to believe otherwise, then Kynan was reluctant to destroy something that had undoubtedly brought joy into her life. And with the life she’d had, he just couldn’t bring himself to cause her more pain. He sighed faintly.
“Where is Jo-Jo?” he asked softly.
Stephen grunted. “Well away from here.”
“She was not here when the castle was besieged?”
“Nay,” Stephen said faintly.
Kynan watched the man a moment before emitting another sigh and planting his buttocks on the ground beside him. His gaze drifted over the big man.
“So the situation has turned,” he muttered. “It was ye looking at me through the iron grates. Now I am the one lookin’ at ye. Ye’re a sight, man.”
Stephen’s blue eyes were dull with pain. “I can imagine that I am,” he whispered. “What do you plan to do with me?”
Kynan’s jaw flexed. “I didna tell them tae do this to ye,” he said in a low voice, avoiding the question. “I told me men tae take Berwick back but I dinna tell them tae beat ye tae death.”
Stephen shifted on the ground, grunting with pain as his ribs screamed. “Your men knew exactly who I was,” he said. “They came right for me with clubs, not to kill but to subdue. You must have told them who I was.”
Kynan nodded faintly. “I told them tae take ye alive if they could.”
Stephen thought of the four soldiers he had sent to follow Kynan in the hopes of gaining information on the rebellion. The men had never returned. He closed his eyes to the irony of it all, how things had turned out so badly. He thought he was a better soldier than that. Maybe he was not. Or maybe his thoughts had been too preoccupied with his new wife to pay close attention to the castle he was supposed to be commanding. Though Kenneth had never said anything to him directly, he knew the man’s thoughts. He knew Kenneth too well to not know what he was thinking. Maybe Kenneth had been right.
“So our great plan turned the tables on us,” he muttered, his lips against the floor, his breathing coming in heavy draws. “We let you escape, MacKenzie. I had men following you. But it seems that you outsmarted them and turned the tide against me.”
Kynan lifted a dark brow. “I knew ye did,” he replied. “It was too easy for me tae escape tae be convincing.”
“What of the men who followed you?”
“Dead,” he said without distress.
Stephen had suspected as much. “So you came to take back Berwick.”
“Me men were already comin’ back tae Berwick, gatherin’ the clans while I was in yer vault.”
“You knew this?”
His dark eyes glimmered. “There is much I know that I didn’t tell ye.”
“I figured that out.”
The door to the solar opened and a soldier entered with a tray of food and a pitcher hanging from his hand. Kynan motioned for the man to set the goods down on the nearest table. He didn’t speak until the man left the room and even then, his voice was very quiet.
“You will tell me the truth, Sassenach,” his tone was odd, almost pleading. “Ye told me once that ye loved Jo-Jo. Is this true?”
Stephen’s eyes opened at the mention of her name and he turned his head slightly, looking at Kynan. “Why do you ask?”
Kynan’s jaw tightened, torn between stubbornness and deep compassion for his cousin. He finally lifted his shoulders. “Because I want tae know. Answer me.”
“I told you that I did. That has not changed.”
Kynan absorbed the statement, pondering his next move. “I pray tae God that ye’re sincere. She feels the same way about ye.”
“How would you know that?”
“She told me,” Kynan replied, eyeing the man on the floor. “She… she’s not had a good life.”
“I know,” Stephen answered softly. “I know all about her life and what her father did to her. There are no secrets between us. To elaborate on my answer, I love her more than life. I would die for her without question.”
Kynan could only hold his gaze a moment longer before looking away. He finally sighed heavily. “I was afraid of that,” he muttered. He fidgeted with his boot a moment as if pondering his thoughts. “Me mother and Julia Seton were sisters. I remember when Jo-Jo was born. I was just a lad but I remembered the most beautiful babe I’d ever seen. Julia was married tae a sick man. Alexander was a gambler and he gambled away most of her dowry, their fine things, and their money. He was also a drinker and would spend days drunk with wine. There was times when there wasna food on the table so Julia would bring Joselyn tae our home. My mother would feed and take care o’them. And then Joselyn grew older and that’s when the trouble started.”
Stephen was staring at him fairly lucidly. “Kynan, I do not mean to be abrupt, but Joselyn has told me all of this and I do not want to hear it again. It feeds my anger like nothing else and makes me want to kill her father.”
Kynan’s expression was dark as he regarded the fallen knight. “What did she tell ye about the child?”
“That he was the result of a rape by an English soldier in repayment for a gambling debt.”
Kynan stared at him, finally shaking his head and looking away. There was anguish in his features. “Still she protects him.”
Stephen found himself forgetting all about his agony and injuries as he listened to Kynan’s hissed words. He shifted his big body, ignoring the screaming pain as he struggled to sit up. Kynan saw what he was doing and grabbed hold to assist. But Stephen was so heavy that it was like trying to prop up a horse.
“Protects who?” Stephen demanded. “Who is she protecting?”
Kynan was inches from the man’s face. In that instance, he could see that everything he had told him was true. He did love Joselyn with a deep and agonizing vengeance. Stephen was nearly beaten to death, but still, his only concern was for his wife. Kynan spilled the truth without regard to whether or not he should. He had a point to make and he would make it.
“Her father,” he whispered.
Stephen just stared at him, the agony in the blue eyes unfathomable. “She told me that the soldier raped her and fathered the child.”
Kynan had a good grip on him. “He did rape her,” he murmured. “But she was already pregnant from her father.”
Stephen suddenly couldn’t breathe. He stared at Kynan, his words rolling over and over in his mind, struggling not to go mad at the mere suggestion. It was fantastic, horrific and sickening all rolled in to one.
“Who told you this?” he finally hissed.
Kynan was trying to be kind, he truly was. He could feel the man’s pain radiating from his very pores, reaching out to infiltrate him and make him hurt, too. But Kynan’s hurt on the subject had dulled a long time ago. What remained was disgust and sorrow.
“Julia,” he muttered. “Alexander had confessed that he had taken his daughter’s innocence in a drunken rage. He allowed the soldier tae rape Jo-Jo to cover up the resulting pregnancy.”
“Then it was not in repayment for the gambling debt?”
“It was. But it was a sickenin’ coincidence.”
Stephen seemed frozen, unable to respond. The reve
lations were too overwhelming and he was struggling like a drowning man to keep his head above water, his mind sane in the face of madness. “She told me that she had her innocence taken when she was nine years old,” he whispered in a strangled tone. “She said she had been used by her father twice before the soldier raped her and… oh, my dear God… she said her father used her twice. It never occurred to me that she meant literally.”
“She did,” Kynan replied. “Did ye not understand that?”
Stephen couldn’t even think straight. He was filled with such anguish that it was spilling everywhere. “So Cade is her father’s child?”
“Julia thought so, but I suppose we’ll never know for sure.”
Stephen closed his eyes and collapsed back onto the floor. He was such a big man that Kynan couldn’t support his dead weight. But he leaned over Stephen as the man lay on the floor, half-conscious and reeling.
“Listen tae me, Sassenach,” he lowered his voice, speaking urgently. “I dunna tell ye the ugly family secrets tae drive wedges between ye and Jo-Jo. I tell ye because the child has known no happiness in her life and if ye truly love one another as ye say ye do, then I canna be the cause of more pain tae her. Alexander Seton is a wicked devil who hurt a young girl and gave no thought tae what he did. I watched it. From the time I was a young lad, I watched it happen and could do nothing tae stop it.”
It was a passionate speech, enough for Stephen to open his eyes and look at him. The blue eyes were dazed, but fire still burned within. Nothing Kynan could say would destroy the love he had for Joselyn. If anything, it made him more in love with her, fiercely protective over this woman who had known such shame. He blamed himself for not completely understanding what she had told him. He should have been more intuitive, asking more questions to make it easier for her to tell him everything. She had tried. He knew that. But he hadn’t understood clearly. His heart ached so badly for her that he could feel the physical impact deep in his chest.
“Nothing you have said changes how I feel about her,” he muttered. “I love her more than I ever did. The child she carries is the result of a deep and abiding love that will never die.”
Now it was Kynan’s turn to look shocked. “Jo-Jo is pregnant?”
Stephen nodded weakly. “All the more reason to send her from Berwick. I want my wife and child safe.”
Kynan puffed out his cheeks, digesting the news and realizing he was thrilled with it. Stephen watched him with half-lidded eyes, seeing a flicker of a smile cross the man’s lips. That was the moment he began to think that he might have an ally in Kynan Lott MacKenzie.
“You told me once that I was not for the likes of Joselyn,” he muttered. “What made you change your mind?”
Kynan sat back slightly, regarding the big English knight. After a moment’s reflection on that conversation long ago, he lifted his shoulders and averted his gaze.
“The best thing that coulda happened tae her was marrying ye,” he said. “She came tae me before Berwick was retaken, beggin’ fer me help. She wanted me tae tell her what I knew and I wouldna do it. She told me that if anything happened tae ye that she would hate me forever.”
Stephen watched the man’s profile. “And this bothers you.”
He shrugged again. “Jo-Jo is like me little sister and I canna stomach her hate.” He finally looked to Stephen. “Ye offer her yer protection and love. I could see it in her face when she told me of her feelings fer ye. English or no, ye’ll always have my respect fer making the lass happy.”
“Your family means that much to you?”
“Doesna it mean that much tae ye, too?”
He had a point. “So what are you going to do?” Stephen wanted to know.
Kynan looked over at the tray of food on the table. He reached for it, setting it down on the floor next to them. Then he took the pitcher.
“I’m gonna try and lift ye up tae drink this,” he indicated the pitcher. “After that, we’ll discuss yer future.”
*
Tate knew that Kenneth was furious with him. Although Kenneth was, more than any other man alive, able to control his emotions in any given situation, Tate knew simply by the look in Kenneth’s eye that he was beyond furious. He was livid. He further knew this because Kenneth stuck to Joselyn as closely as a mother hen, making sure she was comfortable, fed, not too hot or cold, and generally well taken care of. It got to the point where Joselyn actually had to chase him off. The man was as clinging as a shadow.
Tate knew that Kenneth was reluctant to use Joselyn as an envoy to gaining Stephen’s release. But both men knew she was Stephen’s only chance, even if Kenneth was not ready to openly admit it. He was more concerned with protecting her for Stephen’s sake, while Tate, although protective, was willing to let her take the risk in order to save her husband. Both men were greatly torn. The closer they drew to the outskirts of Berwick, the more Kenneth’s fury turned to resignation. He was coming to accept the fact that Joselyn was, indeed, Stephen’s only hope.
The party to Berwick consisted of Tate, Kenneth, Joselyn and about fifty men-at-arms. As they drew to within a mile of the city, Tate cut to the northwest and made his way to the River Tweed about a mile to the west of the castle. Whiteadder Bridge lay before them, an expanse of wood across the gently flowing river. They could see the castle from where they stood, a massive bastion poised at river’s edge. Joselyn in particular gazed longingly at the castle, a place where she had known some of her worst and best memories. She must have stood there for quite some time because it took her a moment to realize that Tate was trying to get her attention.
He stood behind her, clearing his throat softly. Kenneth stood slightly behind Tate, still looking rather unhappy about the entire thing. The men-at-arms were gathering the horses and moving back through the summer grass to the trees that bordered the river, where they would hide until the venture was over. As the morning grew warmer and the insects from the river danced about, Joselyn faced Tate and Kenneth.
“Do not worry so,” she said, more for Kenneth than for Tate. “I shall ride to Berwick and demand to be given my husband. It should not take long.”
Tate hoped she was not truly so naïve. “We have discussed a course of action,” he reminded her. “It would be better if you do not show emotion where it pertains to Stephen. It could be used against you if they feel your loyalty is to him and not your kinsmen. You need to claim him as one would a possession.”
She thought on that a moment, her long-lashed eyes turning to behold the castle once more. She was quivering with anticipation, the desire to discover what had become of her husband causing her heart to thump painfully against her ribs. It was a struggle not to become emotional but she knew that Tate was right. She had to show as little emotion as possible. She had to be strong and firm if this plan was going to work.
“I would like to know where Kynan is,” she said as she turned back around, looking at Kenneth. “You said that you released him.”
Kenneth cocked a blond eyebrow. “We released him so that we could follow him and hopefully discover the rebel plans. It was a gamble that did not pay off, one that I will take full responsibility for.”
“Do you think he was part of the force that captured Berwick?”
“I would stake my life on it.”
Joselyn digested the information, increasingly eager to be on her way. She refused to believe that Stephen had been killed. She was convinced he was somewhere in the walls of Berwick and she would find him no matter what.
“Very well,” she said, moving for her small gray palfrey. Tate took her arm and lifted her up into the saddle as Kenneth fussed with the stirrups. “I will return as soon as I can and I swear to you that Stephen will be with me.”
Tate gazed at her, nodding his head after a moment. There was so much more to it than just her simple statement. I swear to you that Stephen will be with me. Since her initial breakdown at the news of her husband’s capture, he had seen a growth in courage fill the lady. Sh
e was not aggressive and bold like his wife, who was the bravest and strongest woman he knew, but she had a steely strength in her that he was coming to see. He had a feeling that, if cornered, the lady would come out swinging.
“Ride to the castle and demand entry as the daughter of Alexander Seton,” he went over their plan one last time. “Once inside, you will ask to be shown your husband. You will further insist to whoever is in charge that you demand the release of your husband, which is well within your rights.”
“But if they do not release him, what should…?”
He cut her off. They had been over this several times. “You will tell them that the king has agreed to release your father from captivity at Alnwick in exchange for Pembury. It is a fair trade, one that I doubt they will refuse. Your father is very important to young David Bruce, heir of Robert. If they have a chance to bargain for his release, they will do it.”
Joselyn listened seriously to his instructions. But when he was finished, she fixed him with an intense gaze. “You realize, of course, that if they refuse to release him, I will not leave him. I will stay in captivity with him.”
Tate nodded slowly. “I understand completely.”
Joselyn gave him a brave little smile, her gaze moving to Kenneth. “I will bring him back, Kenneth,” she said sincerely “You need not worry. All will be well.”
Kenneth didn’t like it when the focus was on him. He made his way over to her, unable to voice the fears roiling in his chest. For lack of anything comforting or confident to say, he cupped her head in his two massive hands, kissed her cheek, and walked away. There was resignation, sorrow and helplessness in the gesture, something that touched Joselyn deeply. She knew how worried he was. She and Tate watched him go before looking to each other.
“Go, now,” Tate encouraged her. “Stay calm and follow the plan we discussed. I am sure I will be seeing Stephen by supper.”
Joselyn forced a smile at him as she kicked the little palfrey, urging the animal to the road and across the bridge beyond. Tate watched her cross the bridge and continue along the road, heading for the massive fortress in the distance. The closer she drew to the structure, the more his anxiety grew. Behind him, Kenneth had turned around to watch as well.
Lasses, Lords, and Lovers: A Medieval Romance Bundle Page 28