by Aston, Alexa
“Aye. The two of us. We waited for weeks, skulking about in the woods. And then she appeared. Alone. We thanked our lucky stars and made off with her in haste.” He began to blubber, snot pouring from his nose. “You might as well kill me. Lord Ingram’ll do that. And worse. He’s a hard man. If I return without the lady, I won’t live to see another daybreak.”
“So you were looking for Lady Elysande? She escaped from you?”
The soldier nodded. “Aye. She must’ve had a dagger all along and waited to use it.” He rubbed his side and grimaced. “Stabbed me, she did. Knocked me for a loop. I fell back and hit my head on a rock.” He reached up to rub the back of his scalp. “Don’t know which hurts more. Folc found me. Must’ve knocked me out cold. I wound some linen around the wound and we’ve been looking for her ever since.”
Geoffrey caught Michael’s eye and motioned to him. Michael stepped away from the knights gathered around their hostage.
“So we know she has to be in the area. We’ll find her, Michael. I swear it by God’s wounds.” He glanced over at the man still sitting on the ground, looking miserable. “What would you have us do with him?”
Michael hesitated. “Much as I loathe his actions, he was only following orders. He’s certainly scared of Lord Ingram. I say we release him. We have what we need from him.”
“I agree,” Geoffrey said. “Ingram would only execute him.”
Both men returned to their prisoner.
Michael said, “We’ve decided to show you mercy. Get back on your horse and ride from here. Do not return to Lord Ingram. You can become a mercenary. Be your own man. Find a fair lord to fight for.” He spat on the ground. “’Tis better than you deserve.”
“Thank you, my lord.” Ernis scrambled to his feet, not asking any questions. He mounted his horse and took off without a backward glance.
“I think she would try to make her way back south,” Michael said, glancing around to see that night had fallen. The thought of his beloved lost and terrified in the darkness wrenched his gut. It would be fruitless to search for Elysande tonight, especially if she hid deep in the woods, but he had to do something.
“I want twenty men sent to the north and another score sent south,” Michael told a grim-faced Geoffrey. “They are to stay to the road since ’tis too dangerous to have them tramp through a dark forest at night. Have them call her name throughout the night. Hopefully, she will be close enough to hear them and respond.” He sighed and added, “If she’s not found, then when dawn breaks, we should send a small party of men north a few leagues and have them work their way back to this spot. The rest of us can ride south in the morning. For now, the remaining men can make camp here before riding out at first light.”
“As you wish. May the Christ be with her and help lead us to her.” Geoffrey went over and instructed the men as to which would search for Elysande during the night and how they would divide up if the hunt proved unsuccessful.
They ate and bedded down for the night. Michael lay awake for a long time. He knew a multitude of bad things could happen to unaccompanied women.
He begged God for His mercy in keeping Elysande safe tonight. And promised himself that they would find her before the sun set again.
*
Elysande waited for Sister Shiloh’s return. The older nun had become overwhelmed last night and excused herself from Elysande’s presence, but she’d promised to stop by after early morning prayers. Elysande awaited her after a restless night of sleep, eager to hear more of the woman’s story. Michael had never mentioned his mother—much less that she was a nun.
A light rap on the door alerted Elysande to her arrival. She hurried to greet the nun and ushered her into the tiny cell. The two women sat on the bed. Sister Shiloh took Elysande’s hands and held them lightly as she spoke.
“I’m sorry I rushed off last night,” she apologized. “I was overcome with emotion. I haven’t seen my son in so many years.” She looked wistfully at Elysande. “I know that it’s hard for you to think about him from the little you revealed to me, but I would so like to hear about him.”
The thought of speaking of Michael pained Elysande, but she realized that Michael’s mother had been separated from him for years. She’d only been apart from him for just over a week. She would tell this woman all that she could and bring her comfort in knowing her son had grown into a good man.
The nun bit her lower lip. “I suppose I should also tell you why I am here.”
“Only if you wish to,” Elysande said.
Sister Shiloh took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I was betrothed to Michael’s father at a young age, as many are. My parents had me later in life after many childless years of marriage. They passed within a month of each other and I was immediately sent to Sandbourne to marry. The earl was half a score older than I was and distrustful of me from the start. He constantly had me watched. He beat me for minor infractions and imagined I had dalliances with other men.”
The older woman shuddered as she recollected her life. Elysande squeezed her hands in sympathy.
“Michael was our only child. He was a quiet boy. Thoughtful. He liked to play with his toy soldiers and listen to stories. He had no playmates and lived an isolated life. After his seventh birthday, the earl sent him to foster many miles from home.” Her eyes brimmed with tears. “I missed him every day he was gone.”
Elysande reached up and brushed the tears away. If things had worked out differently, this woman would have been her mother-in-law. Already, knowing what she did, Elysande saw glimpses of Michael in this woman.
“My husband was a cruel man. He did not allow Michael to return for the Christmas season his first year away. He told me it was because Michael needed toughening up, but I fear it was his desire to deprive me of my child’s company that was the true reason. And when it came time for Michael to return home for his summer visit, my husband didn’t bother to escort him home. Instead, Sir Lovel sent one of his trusted knights to deliver Michael safely to Sandbourne. At least I knew he would be in good hands for the journey home.”
Sister Shiloh stood and moved to the wall, leaning on it for support as she crossed her arms in front of her. Elysande saw a faraway look in her eyes and knew the woman looked deeply into the past as she revealed her memories.
“I wanted to do something special for Michael to welcome him upon his arrival. Sir Thirkell, one of the knights at Sandbourne, helped me to acquire a horse as dark as midnight and of a good pedigree. Michael had never been fond of horses, but I knew, since he trained to be a knight, that he would need a good steed.”
Her words surprised Elysande. Michael didn’t like horses? She thought of how he helped her deliver not one, but two foals and how gentle he’d been with them.
“Sir Thirkell and I were in the stables that day, brushing Tempest and feeding him bits of carrot. I didn’t know Michael had arrived.” Her mouth turned downward. “Suddenly, my husband was there, accusing me, once again, of being unfaithful to him.”
Sister Shiloh closed her eyes. Elysande saw she trembled.
“He struck Sir Thirkell down in a jealous rage. He killed him,” she whispered. The nun opened her eyes. “He began to beat on me. Kick me. And Michael witnessed all of this.”
Elysande’s heart broke. She couldn’t imagine Michael seeing his mother abused in such a horrible way.
“Michael tried to pull my husband off me to no avail. Then he told Michael that he would never see me again. That I would be sent to a nunnery to spend the rest of my days.” Sister Shiloh’s eyes met hers. “Frankly, I found his words a blessed relief. With Michael away, I had no reason to be at Sandbourne. No reason to live. My husband thought locking me away in a convent would be a terrible punishment—but to me, it was an escape from his brutality.”
She came and sat next to Elysande again and took her hands. “Michael stood up to Sandbourne that day. He told him he’d no longer think of him as his father. My boy promised not to set foot on Sandbourne lan
ds again until the earl’s death. He jumped on Tempest and rode off without another word.”
The nun smiled at the memory. “Mayhap he had learned to like horses at Sir Lovel’s, for he certainly looked sure and brave as he galloped away that day.”
Elysande heard the pride in the woman’s voice.
Sister Shiloh sighed. “That is my tale, my lady. I have been at the Convent of the Blessed Sisters ever since. But please, I beg you. Tell me of my son.”
Elysande smiled. “He’s grown to be quite tall, with broad shoulders and a commanding presence. He’s very handsome with dark, thick hair and eyes much like yours, a piercing blue that can see into a person’s soul.”
She saw a happy look cross Sister Shiloh’s face and continued. “He attained his knighthood and continued in service to Sir Lovel until recently when he came to Kinwick, my uncle’s estate. Michael said he’d been a page when Uncle Geoffrey and his cousin, Raynor, served as squires to Sir Lovel. Michael told me how those two were very kind to him and helped teach him what he needed to know.”
“I’m glad he was taken care of by those older boys. But tell me how you met Michael. Was it at your uncle’s home?”
“Nay. I was to be married. Uncle Geoffrey brought his wife, Merryn, and their children to Hopeston, my stepfather’s estate. Michael was one of the knights that accompanied them to the wedding.”
Elysande explained how Michael had helped her deliver Morningstar’s foal. Of the hours they’d spent together, neither knowing who the other one was. How they fell in love during that single day. She explained that Lord Ingram had wanted to step in and become her new bridegroom upon his son’s death and how her mother had refused. Instead, she’d gone home with Geoffrey and Merryn.
“During my time at my uncle’s, I came to know Michael well. You’d be so proud of him. He is brave and considerate to all. A very honorable man. We pledged our love to one another. Uncle Geoffrey wrote the king to let him know he served as my protector from Lord Ingram and how my uncle would be pleased if the king would allow one of his knights to marry me.”
She sighed. “Then everything happened so quickly. Michael received word of his father’s—your husband’s—impending death. He left with a promise that he’d return for me once he became the new earl. We had high hopes that King Edward would grant Uncle Geoffrey’s request and allow us to marry since the king is very fond of my uncle.”
“But you found out he was betrothed,” Sister Shiloh said, her eyes misting over.
Elysande’s heart grew heavy as she continued her story. “Aye. He’d been gone only one day when a missive came. The king wrote that he would have acquiesced to my uncle’s request, but his royal advisers informed him that Michael was already betrothed. He would marry when he reached Sandbourne. King Edward requested that my sister and I come to court in the autumn when Uncle Geoffrey brought his daughter, Alys, back. Alys is in service to Queen Philippa.”
“I’m so sorry, my lady,” Sister Shiloh told her. “Michael was betrothed when he was very young. ’Twas the day before he departed for Sir Lovel’s. I’m sure he hadn’t a clue what went on. He was so eager to escape his father and go out into the world and make friends.”
“I understand that now. But I was truly hurt when we received the news. And the next day is when I was taken hostage by men sent from Lord Ingram. You know the rest. How I escaped. How I killed one of the soldiers in the process.”
Elysande stood, shaking off her gloom. “That’s the reason why I must shelter myself away from the world and atone for my mortal sins.” She looked to Michael’s mother. “Will you help me in this quest?”
The nun stood and embraced her. “While I wish you could have been my daughter-in-law, I will do everything in my power to help make you a sister to me in Christ. Come. Let us go to morning mass and break our fast. Then I will take you to meet our abbess.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
They rode carefully, leaving the main road often to hunt for Elysande in the woods. Michael believed her intelligence would keep her off the road to avoid strangers who could turn out to be highwayman—or worse.
After two hours, they came across the Convent of the Blessed Sisters. Geoffrey said they’d stopped at the nunnery previously to ask about any travelers that might have taken shelter within the convent’s walls. The nun at the gate said none had visited for over two weeks, but that had been a couple of days ago.
“I suggest we call again on the good sisters. If they have no news for us, then we can pay them for some fresh bread and continue on our way.”
Michael nodded in agreement. They turned their horses and made for the convent.
When they arrived, he and Geoffrey left their horses with the men and approached the gate. When they inquired if the convent had harbored visitors in the past few days, the thin nun who’d answered their knock informed them they’d played host to several travelers.
Michael asked, “Might we speak with your abbess then regarding these travelers?”
“Of course, my lord. I can take you to her now if you wish.”
She led them across the yard and into the convent. The dark hall they entered was a stark contrast to the strong sunshine they’d left behind. As his eyes began to adjust, Michael soaked up the air of heavy silence that blanketed the place.
The nun set a rapid pace. He and Geoffrey followed her through a maze of halls and up a staircase, passing other nuns along the way who kept their eyes downcast. Michael wondered which convent his mother might have been sent to and what her life had been like since they last saw one another. Once he had Elysande safely in hand, he would turn his attention to locating her. He would start by questioning Houdart. His father’s steward knew everything that occurred at Sandbourne. The man would be a valuable asset in running the estate, but Michael hoped the steward would be able to reveal where his mother had been sent those many years ago.
They arrived at a door that was ajar. The nun pushed it fully open and ushered them inside a small antechamber.
“You may wait here for Mother.” She indicated an oak door on the other side of the room. “Do not knock on it under any circumstances. Mother may be in prayer or about business. Only when she opens it will she be willing to receive you.”
They thanked her for her time. Then Geoffrey asked her if the nuns would be willing to sell any freshly-baked bread to the soldiers that accompanied them.
“Aye, my lord. I’ll go to our kitchen and see to it now. May God be with you.” She bowed her head and departed the way they had come.
The two men sat in silence. Michael said a swift prayer, asking the Blessed Christ, once more, for help in finding Elysande. Then he pushed aside all other thoughts, for they’d only make him worry about her safety.
He heard muted voices and then watched as the door swung open. An older nun with a wrinkled face but a kind smile stood in the doorway. He supposed this was the convent’s abbess. Her dress appeared slightly different from the other nuns they had passed in the hallways and she wore a heavy, ornate cross around her neck.
“May the Lord be with you,” she said as a woman walked past her.
Shock resonated within him as he recognized her. “Elysande?”
She turned. Her smile lit up the bare room. Her clothing was heavily soiled and she had scratches across her face and hands. He supposed they came from running through the woods as she escaped from her captors.
“Michael!” she cried joyfully.
He leapt to his feet and took a step toward her—then froze.
Another nun followed closely behind her. She looked at him with eyes of crystal blue. Eyes that he could never forget, no matter how much time had passed.
The color drained from the nun’s face. “Michael?” she asked softly.
He couldn’t speak. A thousand emotions rippled through him. He closed the small space between them and wordlessly wrapped his arms around her. Tears swam in his eyes. Pulling away slightly to look into her eyes, a fresh wave of r
aw emotion surged through him. More than anything, Michael relished the love running through him and hoped she knew how much he did love her.
Elysande!
Michael finally relaxed his hold and parted from his mother. Elysande stood nearby, watching him with a pleased look on her face.
“Elysande,” he murmured as he held out his arms to her. She stepped into them, wrapping hers tightly around his waist. Michael embraced her, his hands running up and down her back, touching her, making sure it was truly her.
Then he kissed her. Once. Twice. Three times. Each one hard and fast, as if he must get in all the kisses they’d missed.
“Oh, my love, I was so worried about you,” she said.
“You worried about me? I was frantic when I received the news that you’d been taken. I rode out the minute I heard.” He cupped her face tenderly. “And you escaped. My brave, strong, beautiful Elysande.” He brought his mouth to hers again in a searing kiss.
Michael felt a hand on his back and broke the kiss. Turning, his face grew warm as he saw the convent’s abbess staring at him, her eyes narrowed in displeasure. He looked to his mother and then Geoffrey and saw their approval, which eased his embarrassment somewhat.
“It seems we have a rather complicated situation,” the abbess declared. “I will give you some privacy in order to sort things out.”
“I’ll join you,” Geoffrey said. The nobleman looked at Michael. “I’ll be waiting outside the gates.” He and the abbess exited the room.
Michael kissed Elysande again for good measure and then released her to hug his mother once more. He brushed a kiss on her cheek and then stepped back.
“God is good. He has led me to the two women I sought.” He saw a shadow cross Elysande’s face. He reached for her hands. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
She tried to pull from his grasp, but he held firm.
“Michael, it’s wrong for me to have kissed you,” she said. A look of pure longing crossed her face as she stared at him. Then she dropped her eyes. “A missive arrived from the king after you left.”