The Raven's Revenge

by Gina Black

  “The dress?” He shook his head. “No mind. We can always find another.”

  “’Twas a nice gift, and I’ve misused it.”

  “It matters not. ’Twas stained before and ’twill still work as a disguise.”

  She was quiet again, and so was he.

  For several hours, they followed a road they’d discovered after fording the stream a ways. Blessedly, it had stayed a road.

  Katherine’s body relaxed into his, and he could tell she’d drifted off to sleep. Montford awoke, complained mournfully, and quieted again. Occasionally Henry and Jeremy could be heard talking together.

  As the sun slowly made its fiery descent, they reached the outskirts of a town. Nicholas scanned the buildings. They came to a halt in the courtyard of friendly looking inn on the main thoroughfare that proclaimed to be the Black Swan.

  Henry helped Katherine to dismount. Nicholas followed. Jeremy assisted the hostler with the horses.

  “I thought Winchester had a Cathedral.” Nicholas voiced his thoughts aloud.

  Henry shook his head. “Me memory fails me, lad.”

  The hostler, who had overheard this conversation, stopped and raised his eyes to Nicholas. “Winchester ye say?”

  Nicholas nodded impatiently.

  The hostler lowered his gaze, and shook his head. “This nay be Winchester, milord. Ye be in Devizes.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  NICHOLAS’S BELLY LAUGHS filled the courtyard, reverberating from wall to wall, compelling those who heard it to join in. Katherine’s giggles mingled with Jeremy’s chuckles and Henry’s snorts. After a difficult moment of trying to keep a grave face, even the hostler began to chortle. Nicholas pounded the man on the back between guffaws, the thumps adding punctuation to the mirth as the two men laughed together like old friends reliving a bit of fun over a pint.

  “Devizes?” Nicholas clutched at his middle.

  “Y-yes, m’-m’-milor—“ the hostler hooted, unable to finish.

  “T-tell me, my good man,” Nicholas wiped tears from his cheeks, “is Devizes closer or f-farther from London than Salisbury?”

  The hostler quieted, cast his eyes down, and scratched the top of his head. “’At’s a difficult question, milord.”

  Nicholas’s expression turned serious. He reached into the pocket of his cloak, pulled out a coin, and flipped it to the servant. “Try.”

  The man bit the coin, and then tucked it into a pocket. He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow before speaking. “If you was a bird and was to fly there, I’d have to say we was a mite further. But since you hain’t a bird you’ll be takin’ the roads. It’ll probably take you the about the same as if you was startin’ out from Salisbury.” He rubbed his nose with a none-too-clean finger. One side of his mouth curled into a lopsided smile. “Although I can’t say from personal experience, ye know, see’n as I hain’t never been to Lunnon.”

  Nicholas sighed. “Hain’t never been to London,” he repeated then shook his head.

  Katherine watched Nicholas’s mood change, mirroring the darkening sky as the last rays of the sun disappeared into twilight. Now that the gaiety was over, a troubling thought came to take its place. She examined Nicholas soberly. From his plumed hat to the red ribbons on his black leather shoes, he cut a truly dashing figure. He spoke with innate assurance as he gave instructions to the other men.

  But was he capable of getting them to London?

  Katherine swallowed her frustration. He had told her he had not been back in England long. Still, if he was unsure of how to get to London, he should have asked for directions.

  * * *

  Richard Finch shrugged off the chill and stepped into the Crowne and Crow in Salisbury. Jakes already stood at the far end of the public room, blocking the back exit. Another man followed Finch in and covered the entrance once they were inside.

  Conversations quieted, then broke off completely, as more and more eyes came to rest on him. He could feel their fear. It sizzled in the air and warmed his blood. He waited, drawing out the moment until he could almost hear the pounding of their hearts.

  Finally, he spoke. “I seek information.” He cracked his knuckles.

  A shudder ran through the room.

  “I look for someone.” He enunciated each word slowly and clearly. “In fact, I look for a group. A young woman and three men. One of the men has dark hair with a streak of white. One of them is young, perhaps twenty, and the other is much older. Can anyone give me information?”

  Rustling and coughs greeted his request, but no one spoke. Cowards, the lot of them, and not yet frightened enough. But they would be. He would get what he needed one way or the other.

  Finch clasped his hands behind his back. “Of course, I’d like this information to be voluntary.” His voice trailed off as his eyes rested on a small figure clinging to the shadows in the very back. His gaze trailed down her slight body, then back up to her face, pinning her in place, a rabbit caught in his snare. He would start with her. An easy victim, she would not be much of a challenge.

  Unlike Katherine.

  He had not expected her to be so defiant. She would be sorry for it. Once he caught her—and he would catch her—he would delight in making her scream. She would beg for his mercy, but there would be none.

  He turned his attention back to the motley group before him. “I have reason to believe they stayed here last night.” One broken nose and two sprained wrists had provided the reliable information that they had not stayed in any of the other establishments. “I would be willing to pay.”

  “Aye, they did.” One of the men in the front spoke. He swallowed. “Although I dunno about the woman. I did see three men and one had hair like you say.” Although the man kept his eyes averted, he shrank under Finch’s scrutiny. Then he grabbed his ale, drained the tankard and banged it on the table. “Grace,” he bellowed.

  There was a movement in the shadows at the back of the room.

  “Come here,” said Finch, his voice low, commanding.

  The small figure stepped forward without much grace at all. She smoothed her apron with a shaking hand.

  Finch crooked a finger. “Closer.”

  After several hesitant steps, she came to stand before him.

  “Did you see the men I described?”

  She nodded.

  “And what of the woman?”

  “I saw only the gentlemen.” Her words came out faintly.

  “Well, at least you are all in agreement.” Finch looked at the man at the table. “Did you learn anything that would be of interest to me? Such as where they were headed?”

  “’At I did, sir,” said the man. “They was off ta Portsmouth this morn.” The other two men at the table nodded their heads in corroboration.

  The little maid twisted her hands in the end of her apron. Something was wrong. He hadn’t threatened her yet.

  “Portsmouth you say? And how did you come by this information?”

  “I heard ‘em talking about it, I did. We, that is me friends and meself.” He nodded to include the other two men sitting with him at the table. Both looked very unhappy to have Finch’s attention directed their way. “We talked about the roads with the rains and all. Miles here said they should go by the Bodenham Road, and I said they should go by the Alderbury Road but to Portsmouth they was bound, I vow.”

  “’Tis not true!”

  All eyes turned to stare at the little maid.

  “He’s lyin’.” Grace nodded rather fiercely at the man who’d done all the talking. “I heard it perfectly well. They said they was off to Marlborough.”

  “Marlborough?” Finch nodded. “I’d have expected Winchester or Andover. But the thought of them going off to Portsmouth is preposterous.”

  “B-b-but I overheard them,” the man at the table sputtered.

  Finch leveled the rough worker with his gaze. “And Grace says ye did not.”

  He turned to her. “I hope you’re right gel, because if you are lying I
will be very unhappy.”

  He grasped her by the chin. And stared hard into her eyes, but she held her ground. Her gaze did not waiver. “Do not make me unhappy.”

  With a swift move, he released her chin and slapped her cheek soundly.

  Not a whimper. Not a cry. She did not look away. If the chit was lying, she was very good at it.

  Finch nodded to Jakes. “Take them outside and find out if they are telling the truth.”

  * * *

  Back in Devizes, a sober group sat at table in a private room of the Black Swan. Henry looked drawn and chewed his meal gingerly. Katherine guessed his tooth pained him again. Across from her sat Jeremy, a scowl darkening his countenance. Nicholas ate glumly beside her.

  Katherine chewed each bite of the stewed mutton the innkeeper’s wife had brought them, not really tasting it. Did every inn in Wiltshire serve the same thing? Not her favorite meal to begin with, she was quickly losing any appreciation she’d ever had for it.

  The warmth from the fire joined with the moisture in her clothes, making Katherine wretched.

  “I do not see why we cannot ask for directions,” she said.

  “We cannot ask directions else we will be more easily tracked. Whoever we ask will know where we go,” Nicholas explained with exaggerated patience.

  “Yes, but ’twill just be one person who would know, and Finch and my father cannot ask everyone.” Katherine could not keep the exasperation from her voice. “It seems unlikely they would find the one person who you did ask. Nor is it likely that person would tell someone, who would tell someone, who would tell—“

  “Enough!” Nicholas took a sip of coffee and put down his cup. “If we were to travel at night I would at least know our direction.”

  Katherine could not imagine a worse way of continuing the journey than traveling by night, and saw her doubts mirrored on Jeremy’s face. Henry pushed away his plate and looked toward the door.

  But Nicholas continued, apparently unperturbed by their lack of enthusiasm. “Traveling at night, we could use the stars to navigate, like a ship at sea.” He stretched, and his long arm came to rest behind Katherine on the bench. She shifted in her seat, all too aware of his overwhelming presence. Not only was he too caught up in his own arrogant thinking, but he also took up more than his share of the bench.

  “Of course,” he continued, “to do it right would take the proper instruments. But an Arab taught me how to read the night sky.”

  Katherine scooted a bit further away from him. Henry took a draught of his ale. Jeremy cast an annoyed glance at Nicholas who moved his arm so he took the space Katherine had just given up.

  Katherine squirmed.

  Nicholas continued as if he had a rapt audience. “The Pole-star is the north star. It hangs at the top of the world, with the constellations all rotating around it. A very bright star, ’tis not difficult to find. Once we know where north is, we know where east is. London is east.” He chuckled. “You see, to travel east by night it is only necessary to keep the North Star above our left shoulders. We can travel east for two nights, then, join one of the main highways on the next day’s travel. All the main highways lead to London.” He made a pleased smile and beamed at the group. “We could even start tonight.”

  Henry spoke for the first time that evening. “Then ye’ll have to leave w’out me. I’m for a nip of brandy and then ta me bed.” He rose and, holding a hand to his jaw, shuffled off.

  As the door closed behind his old friend, Nicholas scowled and took a sip of his coffee. Then he rose from their bench and held a hand to her. “Shall we retire as well?”

  Just those three words, and her hands went clammy.

  “No.” It came out more as a yelp. “I mean,” Katherine struggled to regain her composure, “I could use a bit of air. ’Tis stuffy in here.” She darted a glance at the groom. “Jeremy? Would you please accompany me outside? I would like to take a turn around the courtyard.”

  The young man looked at her in surprise, and then rose. “Certainly, mistress.” He flashed a smile at Nicholas, who frowned back at him.

  Katherine felt a momentary pique at the proprietary air of both of them. Turning to Nicholas she said, “I will be only a few moments.”

  “No, lass, I think not,” he smiled. “’Twould be safer if I go with you.”

  Jeremy glared at Nicholas. “She will be perfectly safe with me.”

  “I’ll not come to blows with you over this here and now.” Nicholas smiled though there was a warning gleam in his eyes. “I need you to keep an eye on Henry. Make sure he only has a nip. Understand?”

  Katherine bristled. She’d hoped to have a moment alone with Jeremy, away from Nicholas’s forceful presence. She needed to think, to share her concerns with someone. Nicholas was proving to be an unreliable guide. His plan to follow the stars was harebrained at best. This sort of problem needed a common-sense solution. Yet, he would not listen to her good advice.

  Hiding her frustration by picking up a few of the choicer table scraps, Katherine dropped them onto the sleeping cat in the basket. It was truly a marvel how much a cat could sleep, and under what circumstances. She rose, clutching the basket.

  Nicholas followed her through the common room and out of the building.

  Stepping outside, she shivered in the bracing night air, her still-damp clothing immediately picked up the chill.

  The moon cast silver highlights all about. Nicholas hung back and watched, entertained, as Katherine took a turn in the courtyard. Her white cap showed brightly, an odd counterpoint to her dark cloak and the swish of silk that peeked out at the bottom. She swung the basket carrying his namesake as she walked. He was not surprised to hear an indignant meow. At that, she marched back to Nicholas, stopping just out of arms reach, and put the basket on the ground.

  She spoke calmly, yet there was accusation in her eyes. “It should be a simple matter to get from Ashfield to London. But the way we are traveling, off the main thoroughfares, and now lost, ’twill surely take us an extra day at least. It gives my neighbor and my father an extra day to catch us. This is most unfortunate.” Her shoulders were back now, her gaze strong as she faced him.

  Nicholas flinched at the truth of her words. He could almost see sparks in her eyes. They were magnificent. She was magnificent in the moonlight.

  “How could you get us lost?” She raised her chin against his scrutiny. Her lips formed into an unexpected and captivating pout.

  Nicholas tried to suppress a smile as he felt himself drawn into the depths of her eyes. “We aren’t lost. We know exactly where we are and where we’re going.”

  Katherine turned from him. By the tilt of her head, he could tell his words had not mollified her.

  “You make it sound so simple. But what of our journey tomorrow?”

  Giving in to the urge, he walked to her, put his hands on her rigid shoulders, and turned her to face him.

  She offered no resistance, but she still frowned, and the charming pout had vanished. Instead, her lips formed a firm line.

  He made a coaxing smile, and was gratified to see her mouth relax a bit in response. Yet, she still looked at him fiercely.

  “We can travel a good distance in the morning, rest in the afternoon, then be back on the road again in the evening. Think of it this way, lass, they will certainly not be looking for us here. So for now we are safe. Nor is it likely for them to come upon us at night. I think this little inconvenience may have served us well. We should be in London in just two days—three at the most.” He chuckled. “London is a big city and not easy to misplace. We will find it.”

  She chewed her lip. He could not tell if he had convinced her or not. Still, with the silvery moonlight illuminating her upturned face, he felt a potent urge to kiss her, to see if what happened before would happen again.

  The desire he’d repressed during the daylong ride took over. He drew her to him. At first, she pressed her hands against his chest to hold him back, but then she shuddered a
nd curled her fingers into his waistcoat, tugging him to her. Eyes wide and luminous, she raised her lips.

  The door to the inn flew open, and a large boisterous party spilled out.

  Katherine pulled away. He reluctantly let her go. They watched the people say their farewells and depart into the dark night, the spell broken.

  In the quiet that followed, Nicholas cleared his throat. “’Tis good the night is clear. Let me show you where the North Star is.”

  She tucked her hands inside her cloak and nodded, just out of arms reach. A perceptible wariness had come over her.

  “There,” he said, his good arm pointing to the brightest light above. “See that star?”

  Katherine looked upward, pursing her lips. They no longer looked lush and inviting. Nicholas felt an odd sense of loss at their transformation.

  She shook her head slightly.

  “’Tis at the tail of Ursa Minor.” He outlined the constellation with his forefinger.

  “The Little bear,” she murmured.

  “So you know it.”

  “Not at all.” A slight smile played upon her lips, softening them, making them appear kissable once again. “I have a small knowledge of Latin.”

  His arm dropped. “Latin?” he said, astonished. “You are quite the wonder, Katherine. A Puritan lass who knows Latin.”

  She sniffed. “They didn’t want me to know it. Edward helped me, and I helped him as well. When they found out they punished us both.” The words came out like a long held confession. “But I had learned enough by then to read some of the books in the library.”

  Nicholas nodded, remembering the dark heavy volumes that had occupied that room when he’d been a boy. Unlike Katherine, he’d resisted his Latin lessons. Later, during his travels, he’d been grateful his father had allowed the tutor to beat some of it into him. Sad really, that what he’d taken for granted she’d had to fight for.

  “What books were so important to you, lass?”

  Katherine shifted. “Medical books. Herbals. They belonged to the house. I don’t think Grandfather or Father know they are there. Father reads to review his accounts, and Grandfather only reads his Bible. I always liked the pictures of the plants. I wanted to know the words that went with them. And I’ve made good use of the information.” Her eyes met his. “It proved helpful when I tended your arm. I had never treated a lodged-ball wound before.”