In response to the other man's concerns Edwin chuckled, but without humor. "No more dangerous than what I lived with every day in London as a child. It makes no difference to me. Terric saved my life. It is my turn to pay back the favor. I have to try. I owe him that much."
Sir Guy nodded. "Fine, lad. We will give your plan a try tonight. Time is running out and so far you are our best hope."
* * * *
Moving stealthily, Jacqueline kept to the shadows as she made her way to the back of the castle. Reaching the stairs that would take her to the top of the walls, she took the steps two at a time. She carried a long coil of rope over her one shoulder.
As Sir Guy and Edwin discussed the squire's plan to rescue Terric, she had been busily planning her own. She decided she would take Edwin's place. So as darkness began to fall, Jacqueline made her move. She would cross the moat on her own, much earlier than Edwin was to make his attempt.
Gaining the top of the stairs, she worked quickly. She tied the rope through one of the notches in the wall, then threw the length of it over. Slipping her dagger free from its sheath that hung at her waist, she placed the blade between her lips. Taking hold of the rope, she then swung her legs over the wall and began to slowly make her way down to the moat below.
Jacqueline sucked in her breath as she entered the water. The coldness of it was a shock. Setting off with smooth, even strokes, she clamped her teeth together, preventing them from chattering. Reaching the other side, she quickly scanned the edge of the moat for any movement. Luck seemed to be on her side because she appeared to be alone. Pulling herself up and onto dry ground, she shook the water from her hair. Then, stealthily, she began the task of sneaking into her father's encampment.
* * * *
Sir Guy accompanied Edwin up to the wall. The sight of a rope already tied to the wall surprised both men. Finding it hanging down to the moat below sent a chill running up their spines.
Having scanned the bank on the opposite side and finding it deserted, Sir Guy swore under his breath. He then set off at a run. Taking the steps down practically three at a time, he hurried back to the hall. Edwin followed closely behind him.
Throwing open the hall doors, both men barreled through them. Beth, who had been pacing before the hearth, let out a gasp of surprise. Seeing how Sir Guy searched every inch of the hall with his eyes, she began to get the feeling all was not right. "What is wrong?"
Sir Guy's response was to answer her with another question. "Where is she?"
"Who?"
"Jacqueline. Where is she?"
"Is she not with you? She is not in her chamber. I just came from there. Alice is the only one there, watching Jordan."
Letting out a bellow of rage, the older man headed for the chambers above. Mindful of the sleeping babe within, he quietly opened Jacqueline's chamber door. Alice sat in a chair near the cradle stitching. She looked up from her work when the door swung open. At Sir Guy's signal for her to join him outside, she put aside her sewing and came over to him.
"Where is your mistress?"
Unable to look him in the face, Alice said quietly, "I know not. She just bid me to mind the little lord."
Taking the girl by the shoulders, Sir Guy gave her a little shake. "Do not play dumb with me, girl." Alice began to whimper. "You know where Jacqueline went and you are going to tell me."
Alice whimpered once more. "She made me promise not to say. But I will tell you, sir. She has gone to rescue her husband."
Sir Guy closed his eyes briefly and sent up a silent prayer, one to save him from headstrong women. "How long ago did she leave?"
"When it grew dark." Alice cringed. She knew the older knight was furious with her for not informing him of her mistress's plans, and at Lady Jacqueline for taking on such a dangerous task by herself.
Releasing the servant girl, Sir Guy returned to the hall to break the news to Beth and Edwin. Both stood near the stairs waiting expectantly. He shook his head.
"The fool of a lass has gone over the wall by herself. From the amount of time that has passed, I would say she is at this moment working her way into the camp."
Silently, Beth walked back to the trestle table and refilled her goblet of wine. She tossed it back in two large gulps. Sir Guy thought she had the way of it. They would all need some wine to fortify their spirits if they were to get through this night. He just hoped Jacqueline knew what she was doing out there.
* * * *
Nicholas savored the rich wine the earl provided to all who had been invited to his pavilion. They were celebrating the morrow's victory. The earl planned to walk through Nunney's gates and claim the castle as his own.
He had not spoken with the earl personally since their first meeting, but he expected he would soon. When he had received the invitation to join this impromptu celebration, it had said his attendance was mandatory. It was a command that had not really been necessary. It was not as if he would have turned the invitation down in the first place.
Now, sipping his wine, Nicholas casually watched the earl conversing with the captain of his men. So far, his presence had not been acknowledged. There was nothing for it but to wait.
As the evening progressed, and still he had not been singled out by the earl, Nicholas began to wonder if he would be ignored after all. Draining his fourth goblet of wine, he felt the pressing need to relieve himself. Slipping from the pavilion, he found a secluded spot just behind it.
Loosening his hose, he did his business. Soon, he realized he was not alone. Two others were doing the same thing as he. Though he could not see them, he could hear their conversation. And what he heard sent a chill running up and down his back.
"Did you see that minstrel in there? Acting as if he had every right to be among us," said the first man.
"Aye, but the earl promised to reward him." the second man replied.
"Oh he is going to get his reward all right. The reward of meeting his maker." Both men laughed uproariously at the quip they shared.
As their laughter faded, when they headed back into the pavilion, Nicholas stood frozen. He was unable to move. Panic had seized him in its steely grip and it would not let go.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, he slowly backed up. There was no question of his returning to the earl's pavilion. He had to run. Before they realized he was gone.
Quickly as he could, he collected up his belongings and strapped them to his horse. Once more he had been cheated out of what was his due. He hoped the earl would get what he so richly deserved. His precious Nunney Castle barred against him.
* * * *
Keeping as low to the ground as she could, Jacqueline crawled around to the back of the pavilion inside her father's camp. She had donned her darkest tunic and hose before leaving the castle, and so with only a quarter moon covered by heavy clouds, she was able to move around virtually unseen. Not that there was anyone roaming about the camp to see her. The earl was indeed sure of his victory. No guards were posted and the sounds of revelry could be heard drifting from the opposite side of the encampment.
Even in the darkness, Jacqueline could easily distinguish the earl's pavilion midst the few others. His was the most lavishly adorned, with his standard boldly standing before it.
Hoping Terric was not being held in there, Jacqueline decided to check the smaller pavilions at the very edge of the camp. Reaching the first one, she used her dagger to cut a small slit in the canvas just big enough for her to peer through.
At first she could only see the bundles of supplies spread haphazardly around the interior. Her eyes then rested on the supine form of Terric. He lay off to the one side, not too far from where she had made her peep hole.
Terric had been dozing. The inactivity, coupled with the headache caused by the blow to his head, made him feel lethargic. But at the sound of the canvas being cut right next to where he lay, he came fully to his senses. Turning his head toward the pavilion wall, he watched the tip of a dagger cut a large slit in it, then disap
pear. He sat up suddenly when a hand was put through the hole the dagger had created.
Unsure whether it belonged to a friend or foe trying to gain entry, Terric grabbed the hand before him and yanked with all his might. The momentum caused the intruder to fall through the opening, land squarely on his chest, and knock him flat onto his back. He groaned in pain as his head hit the ground.
* * * *
Jacqueline stifled a scream as she was roughly yanked inside the pavilion. Ending up sprawled across Terric's chest, she did what seemed the most natural thing to do in such a position. Taking his face in both her hands, she kissed him thoroughly.
At first, Terric returned her kiss enthusiastically, but he soon realized where they were. He turned his head to the side and pulled free from Jacqueline's embrace. With eyes blazing, he then looked up at her.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he whispered to her.
Choosing to ignore his ire, Jacqueline broadly smiled back at him. Speaking in equally hushed tones, she said, "I have come to rescue you of course."
"Why did you not stay safely behind Nunney's walls? How could you have acted so rashly?"
Her smile slowly faded. "You cannot have expected me to idly stand by and let the earl kill you."
"If needs be, that is exactly what I wanted you to do."
Sliding from Terric's chest, Jacqueline cut the strip of leather binding his hands before him. "Well, I could not live with myself if I had. It is because of me you are here."
Pulling her back into his arms, Terric kissed her deeply once more. "I will not say I am not happy to see you, Jacqueline, but you have taken a huge risk. If anything happened to you …."
Gently caressing his cheek, she gave him a half smile. "And I, too. You are a part of me now. I have already suffered greatly from the loss of William. Do not make me go through that again with you. I could not survive it this time I think."
"Then, lady wife, I suggest we get the hell out of here."
Squeezing Terric's hand, Jacqueline then slipped out of the pavilion through the hole she had made previously. Once Terric joined her, she let him lead the way out of the encampment. She really had not thought of what would happen after she had freed him. All her attention had been focused on just finding him.
Taking Jacqueline by the hand, he pulled her after him as he headed for the wooded area at the outskirts of the camp. The distance was great, but keeping to a crouched run, they reached it without being spotted. Now in the cover of the trees, they both straightened and started to push their way through the thick brush.
Hoping to find some place of concealment, Terric searched for a thicket or clump of overgrown brush. There was no question of them returning to the castle now. Once he was found missing, the alarm would be raised and being anywhere near the castle walls would be pure folly.
Fate seemed to be on their side. After walking for a quarter of an hour, what he had been searching for presented itself-a thicket surrounded by thorns. There was a small opening at the bottom of it. Squatting down, Terric peered through the opening. It seemed to be a rabbit run. On the other end, it appeared to have a clearing in the very center. It was just big enough for Jacqueline and himself.
Standing once more, he found the top of the thicket taller than his six feet four inches, which was perfect. If anyone should walk by their hiding place, they could remain undetected.
The entrance would be a very tight squeeze, particularly for himself the way it was now. But if he widened it slightly to accommodate his large frame, hopefully it would not damage it too much. Motioning Jacqueline to give him her dagger, he went down on his knees and proceeded to push his way through the thicket. Once his feet disappeared from view, Jacqueline followed.
They did not escape the thorns completely unscathed. Both ended up with scratches on their arms and hands. Terric suffered worse on his hands from having wielded the dagger.
Jacqueline breathed a sigh of relief once she cleared the thorns. The clearing was a tight fit for the two of them, but when Terric pulled her into his arms, she found it mattered not.
Terric claimed her lips in a searing kiss. The feel of having her body beneath him, felt like heaven. It was something he had not expected to experience ever again. His body demanded more, but he knew now was not the time to give his passion free rein. Danger still lurked on the outside of their hiding spot. Reluctantly, he tried to pull away. Jacqueline would not allow it.
Threading her fingers through the hair at the nape of Terric's neck, she pulled his head down to meet her lips. She was not ready yet to let him go. He seemed to understand what she was feeling, the desperation to be so very close to him. He licked her bottom lip till she allowed him access to her mouth. The taste of him heightened her arousal. Moaning, Jacqueline lifted her hips up to meet his, demanding more.
Breaking contact with her lips, Terric rested his forehead against hers. He was panting, as if he had been running a long distance. Once he got his breathing back under control, he tried to explain why they could not go any further. "I am just a man, Jacqueline. I cannot take much more of this. We, I need to keep my wits about me. You are just too distracting."
Knowing Terric was right still did not make Jacqueline feel any better. Her body clamored for his. "When all of this is over, you better finish what you started here."
Terric smiled. "Your wish is my command, my lady. But now, you should try and sleep while you can."
"What about you?"
"I will keep watch. You rest."
Jacqueline yawned. The lack of sleep the night before was starting to catch up with her. "Fine, I will do as you say. But wake me after a few hours so you can rest, as well."
Moving to his back, Terric pulled Jacqueline to his side so he could hold her to his chest. It was not long after he felt her body relax and her breathing become even in sleep. Holding her closer, he kissed the top of her head. He prayed that come the morn, they would remain unfound. He did not want to think of what might happen to them if they fell into the earl's hands once again.
* * * *
The morning was not going as he had expected. When the earl retired the night before, he knew he had won. But much had transpired during the darkness of the night.
Firstly, his association with the minstrel had not been brought to an acceptable close. The sniveling man must have gotten wind of what was in store for him. The earl shook his head. He disliked loose ends such as Nicholas running about. They tended to hold grudges. But the problem of the minstrel was minor compared with the other one.
Sitting himself down in one of his camp chairs, the earl cursed his daughter once more. He knew she was partly responsible for freeing her lover. He had once again underestimated her. But in some small way, he began to feel a growing respect for Jacqueline. She showed more backbone than her brother ever had.
The loss of William he still felt keenly, but not out of any feeling that one gets at the death of one's child. Nay, he did not feel that way. What he felt was the loss of having an heir. With William gone, all his holdings would now go to one of his cousins upon his death. If only his wife could have born twin sons instead of bearing a worthless daughter.
Hearing scratching on the side of his pavilion, the earl bid the person on the outside to enter. One of his men stepped inside.
"Well? Have you found any trace of him yet?"
The man shook his head. "Nay. We have looked all around the perimeter of the camp. There is no sign of him."
The earl leveled a steely gaze upon the man, then said very slowly, "I suggest you further your search. Did it not occur to any of you to search farther than just the camp? Like in the forest next to the camp." The man-at-arms mumbled something unintelligible. "For God sake man, speak up!"
The other man cleared his throat in nervousness. "Most of the men are afraid to go in there."
"I want that forest searched. Now!" the earl roared.
Bowing, the man-at-arms backed out of the pavilion. The earl ground his
teeth in ire. He was surrounded by idiots. No wonder his best laid plans were falling apart.
* * * *
The feel of bright sunshine beating down on her, along with the birds singing to the dawning of a new day, brought Jacqueline out of her sleep. Blinking, she tried to get her bearings. Being wrapped in the still sleeping arms of Terric, helped her to recall all of the events from the previous night.
Turning her head to look up at her husband, Jacqueline smiled at the sight of him. Asleep, his face seemed softer, not held in the stern expression he had worn during their flight. Extending her hand, she softly brushed a finger across his lips. Terric's mouth opened in response, and he took a nip at her finger.
"I thought you were supposed to wake me."
Terric stretched his large frame. "I did not have the heart to disturb you. I managed to get a few hours of rest."
Sitting up, Jacqueline stretched the kinks out of her back. "Still, you should have."
"Be that as it may, we had an uneventful rest. Now we should make our way back to the castle. Though this was a good hiding spot at night, in the light of day it loses some of its merits. I think it would be prudent to leave."
Jacqueline had to agree. She would not relish the idea of being trapped within these thorny confines, unable to flee quickly. So she gladly followed Terric through the wicked barbs.
She managed to just safely get her head through the thorns, when Terric slammed a hand down on her and pushed her back in. He was totally clear of them and stood just outside the opening.
"Stay there!" he whispered harshly. Before she could question why, he took off at a run, heading deeper into the woods.
The sound of voices moving closer to her hiding spot caused her heart to jump into her throat. It was not long before a couple of men stood directly in front of the run where she lay. Jacqueline stiffened, afraid to move even slightly, not wanting to draw their attention to where she hid. Her heart thudded in her ears so loudly she was sure it would give her away.
After what seemed an extraordinarily long time, the men moved off to carry their search elsewhere. She let her breath out in a loud gasp. She fought the urge to burst from her hiding place and go in search of Terric. Instead, she lay there for a few minutes longer, then pulled herself free.
A Tournament Knight Page 21