Shannon grinned back despite her nausea, as she splashed the lukewarm water on her face.
“As for water, they have a very good well here. We’ll go down to the kitchens on the way to the pavilion. And have your coffer ready to go. As soon as Sir Giles has concluded his business with John, I think he and Isabella will be quite as anxious as you to leave.” She paused. “I think, Shannon, if I were you, I wouldn’t mention your encounters to Isabella. She’s quite nervous enough of him as it is. You need never face him again, but she may well have to.”
“Okay.”
“Good girl. Now, have you finished washing?” Shannon nodded. “Come, we’ll get some water for you to drink and then, take refuge in the pavilion. I confess, I had worries enough trying to keep track of you yesterday without enduring more today. I enjoyed my meeting with John little more than you did your own.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The weather had held. It was a pleasant day for travelling, and the memories of John faded as the distance from the castle increased. This time, Shannon chose to sit on the baggage wain, which was more loaded than previously since the pavilion had been taken down and piled onto it.
Adam had not been amused at her flat refusal to ride behind him, but she kept seeing the look of pride on Alys’ sweet face, and she knew she couldn’t be the one to wipe it away. The wain rumbled along, and Shannon gazed unseeingly at her surroundings.
Hildegarde watched her from the corner of her eye. If she wasn’t much mistaken, the glamour the girl had thought to find here was irretrievably tarnished. Mayhap, she would soon feel the urge to return home. It would be no small relief to her; in truth, being Rohese’s watchdog was every bit as difficult as she had anticipated. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. For all that, she had come to love her, and what an unlooked-for blessing to reconnect with her family. She had best enjoy the time they had left; it was unlikely to happen again, unless… She shook her head. Please God, no, that would never do.
Shannon glared as Adam, with brows tightly drawn together and lips set in a thin line, moved to ride alongside. He caught her watching him and quirked his lips back upwards. “Sweet, come, do not look at me so. I did not wish to neglect you.” He gave her a look of such melting sweetness, she was nearly won over; then, he wrecked it as he rolled his eyes. “Believe me, Alys’ mother has eyes like a gyrfalcon.”
Shannon flicked a glance sideways at Leofwine who had schooled his features to bovine stupidity and was doing an excellent impression of deafness. He hunched over the reins, head down. Even so, she lowered her voice though still it throbbed with rage. “And just when, pray, were you going to tell them you will not wed Alys?”
“My love, believe me, this bond can be broken at any time. I have but to speak with my father.”
Shannon’s lip curled. “Oh, it’s that easy, is it? And what of Alys?”
“Trust me, she’ll be happier wed elsewhere.”
“And is it the custom then, in England, that you wed for love? That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“You know it isn’t. Nevertheless, custom can be overturned if the will is there.”
She tossed her head, then wished she hadn’t as she nearly lost her balance. Adam smirked and reached out a hand to steady her. She shook him off resolutely saying, “Adam, I find I do not believe you. I think it’s time we faced the facts. You may love me, or you may not – I honestly don’t know – but the courses of our lives are already mapped out. You must marry Alys, and I must marry a man from my own land.”
Adam recoiled as though she had slapped him. “But, you said…”
“I know what I said. And I did think I loved you. Maybe I still do, I don’t know. I thought I was ready to spend my life with you. But, Adam,” she paused and gave him a long, steady stare, “you lied to me.”
Shannon closed her eyes for a moment, painfully aware of her conflicting emotions. She’d spent so long agonising over him last night and was beginning to realise Adam might not be the man she’d thought him to be. If he could treat Alys like that, if he could lie to both of them, could she even trust him? And she was angry. Angry he’d put her in that situation. Angry he dismissed Alys so casually.
“You know this isn’t going to happen whatever we might want. I don’t even know if you really love me. And, if truth be told, I’ll likely have to return to my kin soon. I’m just waiting to hear word from them that it’s safe. Once they send for me, we both know I cannot stay.”
He looked hurt and opened his mouth to respond, when Isabella, who had also been keeping a surreptitious watch on Shannon, moved from riding next to Giles, manoeuvring Merlin between the baggage wain and Adam. Just before she came between them, he muttered, “Rohese, this isn’t over.”
Isabella inclined her head to Adam as she edged alongside, forcing him to drop back, waiting until he was behind them to say, “Rohese, I think you do not wish Adam to accompany you? If I ride alongside, it will discourage him.”
Shannon bit her lip.
Isabella continued, “But are you sure you want to ride on that awful wain? If you do not wish to ride behind Adam, you could sit pillion with Fulke, or Miles, or Guy. It’s of no great matter, and it would be more pleasant for you.”
“Truly, Isabella, it doesn’t matter, I’m quite happy here.” She paused, thinking, At least, I would be, if I could only get Adam out of my heart, before continuing, “I haven’t actually ridden on a wain before. It’s quite fun.”
Isabella quirked one eyebrow at her.
“Really. I’m quite hungry though. Will we be stopping to eat?” The meagre fare she had eaten at the castle before leaving had not sustained her for long, and the fresh air had cleared her nausea. “My stomach thinks my throat has been cut.”
Isabella laughed. “I’ll speak to Giles. We have ale, cheese and bread; poor fare, though if I know the right of it, he will be glad to stop for food. He’ll likely have no complaints from his men, either.” She urged Merlin into a trot and caught up with Giles again. Adam did not return, keeping behind Shannon, who was uncomfortably aware that he watched her with reproach.
After another half hour or so, Shannon was ravenous. She was relieved when, ahead of her, Giles turned off beside a copse, reined in and swung off his horse. His squires also dismounted, and Leofwine halted the wain. To her dismay, Adam, dismounting quickly, ran over to her. Deliberately ignoring his outstretched arms, she turned instead to Leofwine, who had climbed down and now hovered uncertainly. “Leofwine,” she said, giving him such a glittering smile, he looked as though he had been blinded, “pray, assist me. I do not wish to bother Sir Adam.”
Her lips tightened, and she fumed silently when Adam dismissed the man with a nod. “It’s no trouble, my lady. Come.” He held out his hands.
With no other option, she allowed him to grasp her and lift her to the ground. He did not immediately let go but stood there for a few seconds, his hands still on her waist, his eyes gazing deep into hers. She lowered her head but felt as though his gaze scorched her.
He released her waist with one hand and tilted her chin up; she kept her eyes lowered. ”Rohese, why will you not look at me?”
She gritted her teeth. “You know why.” She did look up now, glowering at him. “In a word, Alys.”
He was wounded. “Sweeting, I told you. She means nothing to me. The betrothal can be annulled.”
“Maybe so, but you mean all to her.”
“She’s just a child. She knows naught of love between a man and a woman.”
He let go of her waist, then caught at her hand, his fingers closing tightly, possessively. There was an ardent glow on his face, and Shannon was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She tried to catch Isabella’s notice, but Isabella was engaged in supervising the squires. Adam tugged at her with one hand, leading his horse with the other. “Come, walk with me. Let me explain. We can find a way; we can make a way. If you truly love me, this is not insurmountable.”
Shannon unwillingly allowed he
rself to be pulled along a few more steps. She glanced around for Hildegarde, but the Abbess was speaking with Giles. The only way to catch her attention would be to shout. She tried reasoning with him again. “Adam, let me go, please. It’s over.”
“Sweetheart, listen to me. The plight troth can be annulled. Alys is related to me; it would be a sin for us to marry.”
She looked at him sceptically. “And how long have your families known of this?” He had the grace to flush slightly but didn’t answer. She glared. “Well?” To her annoyance, he still didn’t answer. They were getting further away from the group now, and no one seemed to have noticed. “It’s all very convenient, Adam, but get this through your head. I am not interested in marrying you. In fact, I’m beginning to think I don’t even like you very much.”
He tilted his head to one side, still drawing her further away from the others. “Now, sweet, be reasonable.” Green sparks glinted in his eyes. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” He laughed smugly. “This thing between us, this feeling, this passion, is beyond the ordinary. You bewitch me. Would you have me marry Alys and leave both her and me unloved and unloving? I swear to you, you are my heart, my soul. Alys will be glad, you’ll see. She doesn’t love me; it’s just a child’s fancy.” He tugged at her again. “Come, love, I know you want me.”
Shannon wasn’t just uncomfortable now, she was beginning to feel alarmed. There was a strange expression on his face, and a determined smile played around his mouth. She turned her head, and her free hand flew to her lips. The others were out of sight. He had succeeded in getting her well away, and they were, to her horror, deep into the woods. She stood stock-still, and he tugged at her again. She tried to pull away from him, but he caught her round the waist and pressed her to him, his lips to hers. Not soft and warm as they had been when he had kissed her before – this time hard and bruising. She held herself rigid, unresponsive, and he broke the kiss, gazing at her passionately. “My love, you’ll break my heart. Come,” he coaxed, “be not so unkind. I want you and only you. You feel the same, I know it.”
He sounded ridiculous, like a ham in a melodrama – as though he had learned the words and was quoting them badly.
When he gave her that coaxing look again, Shannon’s self-control broke. She lifted her hand and swung as hard as she could. The smack as her palm connected with his face was shocking, and he recoiled, letting her go, his head snapping to one side.
Adam steadied himself, and for a moment they just stared at each other, his face reddening where she had hit him, the palm of her hand stinging. Then, he caught his lower lip between his teeth before saying, “Well, if you want to play this the hard way, sweeting.”
Shannon gathered her skirts and turned to run, but he caught her around the waist and with a smooth move, hoisted her up onto his horse’s withers, swinging himself up behind her and holding her tightly against him. She tried to scream, but he had her face pressed too closely to his chest, his mantle wrapped about her.
He was galloping now, the sound of Blaze’s hooves echoing in her head. She couldn’t breathe. She was choking. He laughed. “Sweeting, did I muffle you too tight? No matter. If you pass out, I’ll release my grip a little. Love, forgive me, for I must have you. Truly, I’ll make you happy. Once the deed is done, I promise you, you’ll not be sorry.”
The sound of the hooves in her head got louder and louder, and she struggled to draw breath. She was going to suffocate. He was going to kill her, and he didn’t even realise it. As her head swam, she forced herself to stop struggling and relax against his grip. Stars were dancing in her eyes; the blackness in her head was threatening to overcome her. She had to breathe – she had to. She made herself sag a little as though she had fainted. He must have noticed as he loosened his grip, allowing her face to come free from the muffling folds of his cloak. She took a despairing gasp and revived a little as the air flooded her lungs. There was no escape. She would just have to hope someone had noticed she was missing and raise the alarm. Until then, she must let Adam play out this game. Only, it didn’t feel like a game now.
The ride went on and on. Even if she continued to struggle, what if he lost his grip on her? The ground seemed very far away, and the thought of falling from this height, at this speed, terrified her.
Shannon’s head was pounding, and the motion of the horse made her feel ill. Her body ached from the awkward angle he held her at. Worse, it felt as though she was slipping slightly. However much she wanted to be free, to fall now would break bones.
She forced herself to stop thinking about what would happen when they reached wherever he was taking her to. Should she pray? But she didn’t know how. What had Hildegarde said? Prayer was just talking to God? Things were so far out of her hands now, there was nothing else she could do. In desperation, she closed her eyes, then opened them again when she realised it made her feel even more nauseous. Fixing her gaze on the sky, she clung on to Adam for dear life and prayed Giles, Isabella or Hildegarde would have noticed she had gone – although they surely would by now. But how would they know which way? That’s what she must pray, that they ride in the right direction.
God, sorry, I don’t really know how to talk to You, but please, if You’re there, make them find me. Please, oh please, make them find me. The tears, which had been kept at bay by terror, now started to seep from her eyes. If she could have fought him, she would. The time for that would come later.
The horse was slowing; was it tiring? She felt Adam spur it on. After another brief bout of speed, it slowed again. Adam cursed, but allowed the change of pace.
Did she dare jump? No, even without the horse, he would be able to outrun her; this long gown she wore would hamper her, but at least now, she could use the slower speed to slacken her grip around him and ease her aching arms.
“Tired, sweetheart?” His voice was tender.
Oh God, he’s going to be nice now. What do I do? Try to fool him and make a break for it later? Show me what to do.
Suddenly, his arm tightened around her again, and she braced herself for another stomach-churning gallop. Instead, Blaze came to a halt.
What now? Help me, please.
Adam kept his grip on her and whispered, “Rohese, hold tight to me. I have to let go of you, but you must hold me; don’t lose your grip. Don’t be afraid. Just trust me. I’m going to let you go now. Hold me round the waist, but keep clear of my arms and stay very still. If you can get my shield, do so, but go slowly now, very slowly.”
What? Shannon got her face completely clear of his cloak and looked about her. The track they had taken through the trees had narrowed at this point, and their way was blocked by an overturned cart. Spaced around them were four men; two armed with cudgels, one with a wickedly large knife and one with a spear. They weren’t moving, watching Adam with narrowed eyes, braced, tense, ready to fight.
Adam let go of her and, infinitesimally slowly, she could feel him reaching for his sword. If she could grasp the shield which she knew would be slung over his back, she could use it to protect them. “That’s right, sweeting,” he breathed into her ear. “Gently now, and when I say so, bring it round to cover yourself in front. Can you undo the buckle?”
“I think so.” Her fingers groped blindly for the buckle which held it. Without appearing to move, she managed to undo it and grip the strap. “Done it.”
“Then, NOW!” he roared, swinging his sword free. She held tight with her left hand and pulled the shield round to protect the front. Adam slashed at the nearest man, but he ducked and came up beneath it, brandishing his knife.
Shannon felt Adam jolt as the knife gashed him; then, he swung his arm in a backward arc and slashed at their attacker’s neck. As if in some terrible nightmare, she watched his eyes glaze and his knees buckle as he dropped to the ground, blood spurting from a gaping wound in his throat. Before she had time to avert her gaze, one of the men with cudgels rushed at them, and she almost felt the crunch as it connected with Adam’s thigh. He rais
ed it again and smashed it against Adam’s ribs, narrowly missing Shannon’s fingers.
Adam sagged for a moment, then rallied. Grunting, he hefted his sword again. Shannon turned her head away and saw, to her horror, the man with the spear had moved closer. He came at Blaze, which proved to be his undoing. The horse reared and Shannon lost her grip, crashing to the ground. She dimly heard Adam yell, “Roll, Rohese, roll away from Blaze.”
Pain shot through her newly healed ankle; she ignored it. She needed to get away from those pounding hooves. She rolled frantically until she had put safe distance between them, then gasped in horror as Blaze’s flailing front hooves caught the third man in the chest, dashing him to the ground.
Unable to watch, she covered her head with her arms, but she couldn’t shut out the noise of the fight. Blaze stamped the ground too close to her, and she rolled further away, where she lay frozen with fear until everything went quiet bar the sound of laboured breathing.
Cautiously, she moved her arms, peering through half-closed eyes. There was no sign of the fourth man – he must have run.
Blaze was trembling and snorting. At least now, mercifully, he had stopped rearing. But what of Adam? She looked up. He was slumped over the saddle, blood welling from his thigh and arm. As she watched, he slipped from Blaze and hit the ground with a dull thud, one foot still caught in the stirrup. Blaze calmed and stood patiently, sides heaving, blowing through his nostrils.
Shannon tried to stand, wincing as what felt like a white-hot flame shot through her ankle and up her leg. She tried to force herself to stay upright and stumbled – the pain was too great. But she had to get to Adam. For all he had abducted her, she must help him; she couldn’t let him die.
She gritted her teeth. There was no time to strap her injured ankle. Adam was bleeding copiously and was unconscious; she didn’t know whether from blood loss or if he had hit his head as he fell. Slowly, painfully, on her hands and knees, she inched her way across to him, trying to ignore the agony that seared more sharply through her each time she moved.
A Promise to Keep (Out of Time Book 2) Page 15