Until now.
“I know,” he said, finally mounting up behind her. He didn’t try to lift her up this time but left her in the front of the saddle as he simply slid in behind her. He rather liked it that way better, with his thighs around hers, holding her fast so she wouldn’t move around. Her left ear was by his mouth and he spoke softly into it. “But it was still an honor to watch. You have done the de Lara name proud today.”
His hot breath on her ear nearly sent Kathalin into fits. The heat of it sent a bolt of excitement through her, a hand flying to her ear as if to touch the spot his breath had licked against. She could hear Gates laughing softly, no doubt because he felt as well as saw her quivering reaction. She should have been embarrassed in her reaction but she couldn’t seem to manage it. Her response had been unmistakable, the naked thrill of the first time a man whispered to her.
She was certain Gates hadn’t meant to make her tremble, but he had. The entire ride to Hyssington, Kathalin could only think of one thing.
She had very much liked his hot breath in her ear….
CHAPTER SEVEN
Hyssington Castle
Sharp, crystal-clear stars blazed against the cold night sky as Gates and the escort entered the bailey of Hyssington Castle. The entire fortress was illuminated by torches, all along the enormous walls, on poles in the bailey, and settled into iron sconces on both the exterior of the great hall and all around the exterior of the keep. The entire place was lit up like daylight when the escort from St. Milburga’s arrived.
Oddly enough, Jasper wasn’t in the bailey to greet them as they arrived but Alexander was. The big, blond knight emerged from the hall, making his way across the bailey as the escort party was coming to a halt next to the gatehouse. As Gates dismounted into the prolific mud left from the melting snow, he saw the man approach and his surprise was evident.
“What in the world are you doing here?” he asked Alexander as the man drew close. “Did I not just see you off to Lioncross?”
Alexander nodded, reaching out to grab the bridle of Gates’ exhausted, excitable horse as the animal swung its head around. “Aye,” he said, holding the big, gray head still. “What happened at St. Milburga’s? We heard the Welsh attacked it.”
Gates reached up to lift Kathalin out of the saddle, trying not to set her down in the worst of the mud. “They did,” he said, surprised. “How did you know that?”
Alexander struggled with the horse. “Because one of the soldiers from Ludlow came to Lioncross to tell us what had happened and ask for reinforcements,” he said. “Were you at the priory when it was attacked?”
Gates nodded, holding on to Kathalin’s arm to keep her out of the way of the excited horses and the surrounding swamp of mud. “We walked right into it,” he said. “The Welsh were tearing the priory apart when we arrived and we were able to subdue them fairly quickly, enough so that St. Milburga’s didn’t lose too much in the raid. Still, the Welsh were rather desperate and quite unwilling to be subdued. It was a bit of a battle.”
“But you are uninjured?”
“I am fine, my friend. Your concern is appreciated.”
Alexander let go of Gates’ horse when a groom came around to collect the animal. Turning his full attention to Gates, it was then that he noticed the lady standing beside him, a lady that the horse had partially blocked. Clad in a deep blue cloak with a fur-lined hood covering most of her head, Alexander had nearly the same reaction that Gates had upon seeing Kathalin de Lara’s face for the first time. He saw the bright blue eyes and the angelic features and, for a split second, his eyes widened. But he was cool and in control, as always, so his flash of surprise quickly vanished.
“Lady Kathalin de Lara?” he asked the obvious. “My lady, welcome to Hyssington Castle, although that seems strange considering it is your home.”
Kathalin gazed back at the handsome knight with the short, blond hair. “It is not my home,” she clarified. “It is my father’s home.”
“Very true, my lady. My apologies.”
“Who are you?”
She sounded rather unfriendly and Gates fought off a grin. “You need not fear this man, my lady,” he said. “This is Alexander de Lohr, a very close friend of the House of de Lara and excellent knight. You will not find a finer man anywhere in England, I assure you.”
Kathalin eyed Alexander, who seemed rather gallant and full of himself. He just had that air about him. “Sir Knight,” she greeted. Then, she looked at him curiously. “De Lohr? I have heard that name before.”
Alexander was struggling to overcome his shock at what an astounding beauty Kathalin de Lara was. Much as Gates had upon meeting the de Lara daughter, Alexander was having a hard time believing that heavy-set, pale-haired Jasper de Lara bred something as fine as this woman. It didn’t seem possible.
“My family is from Lioncross Abbey Castle, about thirty miles south of here,” Alexander told her. “We have a connection to Ludlow Castle and the garrison there. You may have seen our banners or our men passing through town. My mother does some of her shopping in Ludlow, I believe. There is a woman there who supplies her with herbs and flowering plants for her garden.”
As he spoke politely, Kathalin was a bit more at ease with him. “St. Milburga’s sells planted herbs at the market there,” she said. “It is how we make money. I, myself, have planted herbs and flowers for sale.”
Alexander smiled; much like Gates, he had an attractive and devilish smile that women found quite alluring. Once Gates saw the smile come out, however, he hastened to intervene; he had been watching the exchange between Kathalin and Alexander, struggling to ignore the feelings of jealousy it provoked. He had no right in the world to feel such things but the fact of the matter was that he was indeed feeling them. He also felt very protective, as if he wanted to keep her safe from the ills of the world, including Alexander de Lohr. That both frightened and concerned him. As soon as Alexander flashed the captivating de Lohr smile, Gates could stand it no more.
“Where is Jasper?” he asked Alexander, pulling Kathalin along with him as he began to head towards the hall. “Does he know about the Welsh raid on St. Milburga’s? And why are you here, anyway?”
If Alexander sensed any sharpness from Gates, he didn’t let on. He simply followed the pair as they walked across the bailey and headed towards the great hall illuminated by the smoking torches.
“As I said, a soldier from Ludlow came to Lioncross to inform us of the Welsh raids,” Alexander said. “Knowing you were at St. Milburga’s in Ludlow, my father sent me to Ludlow to see if you needed assistance but when I arrived, I was told you had already left to return to Hyssington, so we went by way of the Lydham road to find you. We arrived here about three hours ago and Jasper was concerned that you’d not yet arrived. We were discussing sending out a search party.”
Gates shook his head. “We went by way of the Brampton road,” he told him, “and we stopped to help a family in need along the way. That is why we were delayed.”
Alexander looked at him strangely. “You stopped to help a needy family?”
Gates caught his expression and shook his head, almost imperceptibly, as if to silently tell the man not to ask any further questions. When he flicked his eyes towards Kathalin’s covered head, Alexander understood somewhat. At least he understood enough to keep his mouth shut about it.
“Jasper should be here any moment,” Alexander continued on as if he’d not questioned the need to help a destitute family, which would have been completely out of character for Gates. That was not the man he knew. “He was summoned by one of the sentries a short time ago and left the hall, but I am sure he heard the alarm when your escort came through. He should be here shortly.”
Gates simply nodded his head as they approached the hall entry. There were a few soldiers milling outside, men who moved aside when the two knights and the lady approached. The great Norman arch of the entry with the herringbone pattern around the frame and the corbel above that bor
e the de Lara crest carved in stone all loomed in front of them in a great and impressive display, but Gates couldn’t help but notice that Kathalin had come to a halt. When he looked down at her, he noticed that she was looking up at the stone corbel overhead.
“My lady?” he said politely, gesturing towards the door. “It is warm inside. Let us go in.”
Kathalin heard him but she was still staring up at the stone. “I remember this doorway,” she said after a moment. “I remember playing in this hall with my younger brother whom I’ve not seen in many years.”
Gates and Alexander stood on either side of her as she reacquainted herself with her family’s home from long ago. There seemed to be something wistful in her tone.
“I hope they are happy memories, my lady,” Alexander said.
Kathalin nodded. “They are,” she said. “I suddenly missed him a great deal as I remembered those times. We played together constantly and it was difficult when I was sent away and… well, it does not matter. Will my brother Jeffrey be here any time soon?”
Gates pushed the door open and ushered her inside as Alexander followed behind. “I do not know for certain, my lady,” he said. “Your brother is in London. I do not know of any plans to return him home.”
The heat and smell of the great hall cleaved any further conversation about Jeffery de Lara. The shock of the scent hit Kathalin right in the nostrils and she immediately put a hand to her nose. The hall was only half-full of men at this point, of soldiers eating an early meal before they assumed their posts for the night. Even so, it was a loud place and well-lit as food was placed upon the feasting tables and ale flowed.
Men were either sitting on the benches, or on the tabletop, or even kneeling on the floor near the hearth where they rolled bones. A few men were even pissing into the hearth in full view of Kathalin. Shocked, she turned to look at Gates with eyes full of horror at the carrying-on of the men, with absolutely no manners whatsoever. Gates, who was used to these sights but knew she wasn’t, reached behind her and thumped Alexander on the arm.
“Help me tame these wild animals,” he muttered. “There is a lady present.”
Alexander nodded grimly. Leaving Kathalin standing just inside the door, Gates and Alexander made their way into the hall, bellowing to the men who were pissing or gambling or generally being loud. Demands for quiet echoed against the stone walls of the hall, startling the men into near-silence as Gates demanded that they cease their obnoxious behavior and still themselves, as Lord de Lara’s daughter had arrived.
The men knew that Gates was to be obeyed, in all cases, and they quickly quieted down and moved to take their seats for a polite meal with a woman in their midst. Since Lady de Lara never attended meals, they were unused to feminine company. Gates and Alexander prowled around the room, ensuring the men were prepared to behave, and when Gates was confident his men were at least moderately capable of being around a woman, he turned towards the entry where he had left Kathalin only to find it empty
Kathalin was gone.
It happened so fast that Kathalin barely realized what had occurred until she was nearly halfway across the bailey.
Someone, smelling heavily of alcohol, had grabbed her from behind the moment Gates and Alexander had left her side in order to tame the room full of drunk and lively soldiers, and whoever had grabbed her was strong. He put his dirty hand over her mouth and lifted her up, carrying her from the hall and out into the night before she realized what was happening.
But once she became aware of the fact that someone was trying to take her away, abduct her no less, she came alive with kicking and screaming. She bit the hand that was over her mouth and the man grunted angrily, letting her go and dropping her to the muddy ground as he cursed loudly.
“You little chit!” he exclaimed. “You’ll not bite me again, do you hear? I will kill you if you do!”
On the ground, Kathalin had quickly scrambled to her feet, running away from the very drunk and very big soldier, an older man with a bushy red beard. They weren’t too far from the hall, thankfully, and she ran back for it as he thundered after her, unable to keep pace with her because he was so drunk. By the time she reached the entry door and shoved it open, Gates and Alexander were barreling out and Gates collided with her, knocking her backwards. She would have fallen onto her arse had he not been fast enough to grab her.
“My lady!” Gates said, surprised with Kathalin in his grip. “Where did you –?”
Kathalin wouldn’t let him finish. She pointed at the drunk soldier, now having come to a halt in his pursuit of her. “He grabbed me!” she cried, her voice quivering. “He put his hand over my mouth and carried me out here! He was trying to take me away!”
Gates turned to look at the soldier accusingly but Alexander was already moving to the man, coming up to him and grabbing him around the throat. The soldier, being choked by the big knight, fell to his knees as he struggled to breathe.
“You abducted her?” Alexander growled. “Did you do it?”
He was squeezing the man’s throat, shaking him, and the soldier was turning shades of deep red. “Aye!” he managed to gasp. “I thought – she was another whore! I thought –!”
Alexander let go of the man and slugged him squarely in the face, sending him to the ground. Meanwhile, Gates held on to Kathalin, unwilling to let her go at that point. Truth be told, his heart was still racing from the fright he’d had when he realized she was missing. Therefore, he let Alexander punish the soldier, watching as his friend pummeled the man unconscious. Kathalin, who had been watching the scene with terror, turned away and clutched at Gates, her head against his chest.
“Please,” she begged, in tears. “I want to go home. I want to go back to St. Milburga’s!”
Gates put his arms around her, taking her in the direction of the keep. “Come along,” he said, forgoing the usually polite protocol between them. The woman was frightened, seeking comfort, and he couldn’t help himself from giving it. “Mayhap I should not have taken you into the hall. It can sometimes be difficult around soldiers who do not know limitations when it comes to women.”
Kathalin gasped, trying to pull away from him. “Do not know limitations?” she repeated, horrified. “You would knowingly bring me to such a place? Is that what happens here at Hyssington? Men have no restraint?”
He shook his head, retaining his grip on her. “I did not mean it that way,” he said calmly. “’Tis simply that Hyssington is a fortress without women for the most part. There are serving wenches, and your mother, and that is all. Men become accustomed to men for companionship and when they see a woman, it tests their control. I am very sorry I left you alone. I should not have, but I truly did not think someone would take the opportunity to abscond with you.”
Kathalin wouldn’t let him move her towards the keep; she was still in his grip, that was true, but she was trying to pull away from him, digging her heels in because she didn’t want to go with him. The expression on her face was one of great distress.
“Then this is a terrible place,” she hissed at him. “How could you take me out of the safety of St. Milburga’s and bring me to a place where men would think I am a whore?”
Gates grabbed her by the other arm, now holding her with both hands, and forced her to stop pulling away from him. His gaze was intense.
“Lady,” he said quietly, “you must calm yourself. I realize you were raised in a place where men did not live, but understand that what happened just now is not unique. Hyssington Castle is not unique. There are men all over England, in any given castle or tavern or establishment, who might have done the same thing to you. The soldier who grabbed you has been properly punished and the reasons behind his punishment will serve to show every man here that you are not to be trifled with. It was an unfortunate occurrence but one that will have a greater end. Men will be too fearful of the punishment, and of my wrath in particular, should they so much as look at you. Do you understand what I am telling you? Kathalin, I wo
uld never have knowingly placed you in danger. I hope you would have more faith in me than that.”
Kathalin. He called her by her name, without the courtesy title of “lady” before it, and Kathalin was quite sure she had never heard her name sound so sweet. In fact, it was enough to bring her some pause in her distress and she looked up at him, seeing something of warmth and hope in his features. Rescuer… great protector… was it possible he would be all of these things to her in her time of need? Was it possible that this man who had carried her out of St. Milburga’s under duress would turn out to be someone she could always depend on?
Someone she could love?
Love!
The word struck a chord in Kathalin so strongly that she gasped as it reverberated through her body. Dear God, she could not love him! Would not love him! He was the only man she had ever known so it would have been natural to feel some kind of attachment towards him… wouldn’t it? He had been kind and gentle at times, firm when she needed it, and humorous when the situation called for it.
What wasn’t there to love about him?”
Frightened by her thoughts, exhausted from the trip, and upset by being grabbed, the tears came and Kathalin lowered her head, struggling not to weep. Gates, still holding on to both of her arms, loosened his grip.
“I am sorry this happened,” he said softly. “Please let me take you to a chamber where you can rest and where you will feel safe. Will you allow me to do that for you?”
“I want to go home,” she wept softly.
He rubbed her arms gently, trying not to appear too comforting or too solicitous. It was dangerous for him, on many levels, and that voice inside his head was beginning to scream at him as he bordered on impropriety.
Don’t touch her, you fool! It shouted. Don’t let her get under your skin!
“I know,” he said softly. “But you cannot go home right now. Will you please let me take you to your chamber so you may rest?”
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