“Then I’d be happy kenning ye’re safe at home,” he growled, and then added, “but I’ll no’ be captured.”
“And I’ll no’ be safe at home,” Lucy muttered.
“What was that?” Tearlach asked with amazement and she suspected his shock was at her mimicking his accent.
Grimacing, she blew out a breath and said, “It occurs to me that Blytheswood may not be the safest place for me. It will surely be the first place Wymon looks, if he is not there already.”
Lucy saw the frown now claiming his expression and added, “He probably is there already. He could not know we would stop to rest so soon in our journey. He would have expected us to head straight to Blytheswood, so would have gathered his men and marched right in and taken over if the men didn’t raise the gate on seeing his approach. He would have to. He cannot allow me to tell anyone the truth of that night at the inn and that he is the one who murdered my brother.”
Tearlach grunted what could have been an unhappy agreement and Lucy sighed and then said, “In truth it is probably better that we did stop to rest. If we had made it to Blytheswood, spread the truth of what happened, and raised the gate when he and his men approached, I have no doubt Wymon would have laid siege and attacked. I am sure he would kill every last mon, woman, and child at Blytheswood rather than risk the secret of his murderous behavior reaching the king.”
“He may still be doin’ that,” Tearlach growled. “Yer men may ha’e raised the gate when they saw Carbonnel and his men approaching.”
Lucy shook her head. “I suspect not. The men would have no reason to raise the gate. He is supposed to be our neighbor and friend. Nay. No doubt he has arrived to find we did not go there and has settled in to be on hand and keep me silent should we yet show up.”
“Aye,” Tearlach said thoughtfully and then released a weary sigh of his own as he added, “and obviously sent his men to scour the land in search o’ us.”
Lucy nodded solemnly. “He wishes you back to torture the information he needs from you, but now he probably just wants me dead and silenced.”
Tearlach’s arms tightened slightly around her at those words, but all he said was, “Whether he is inside waitin’ like a spider in its web, or outside layin’ siege, Blytheswood’ll no’ be a safe haven fer ye.”
“Nay,” she agreed quietly. “But I needs must know if my people are safe. If by some chance they did raise the gate and are now under siege, I would need head straight to court to speak with the king and ensure their welfare.”
Lucy could feel the displeasure roll off of Tearlach at her words and knew he was upset. He—understandably—wished to head out straightaway to find and save his cousin, but he was also chivalrous enough that he felt he shouldn’t leave her to travel alone to court and should accompany her. Before she could assure him that she would not expect him to travel with her, Trinket whinnied and reared as a figure suddenly leapt from the bushes and into their path.
Five
Lucy thought sure they were going to land on the path with Trinket rolling on top of them. The mare had gone upright, hooves pawing the air as she tried to avoid trampling the boy who had appeared in their path. Unprepared for the sudden rearing, Lucy simply fell helplessly back against Tearlach’s chest. Fortunately, he had faster reflexes and apparently a good deal of strength. Somehow he managed to keep them both on their mount while at the same time turning the mare away from the boy.
When her front hooves came back down, Trinket landed hard, sending a jolt vibrating painfully through Lucy’s bones. She was sure it was no pleasure for Tearlach either, but needed a moment to gather herself before she thought to glance back to see how he was doing.
It seemed the landing hadn’t rattled him as much as her. By the time she peered around, he was dismounting and moving to the boy on the path. The lad had fallen back when he found himself confronted with a pawing Trinket. He now lay on the path, shaken but unharmed from what she saw before Tearlach reached him, and his body blocked her view of the lad.
Lucy quickly dismounted and hurried to join the pair as Tearlach caught the lad under the arms and lifted him to his feet.
“Are you all right?” she asked on reaching them.
“He’s fine,” Tearlach rumbled, giving her a reprimanding look that it took her a moment to understand. It wasn’t until his gaze dropped meaningfully over her garb and back up that she realized she was dressed as a lad, but speaking in her normal woman’s voice.
Grimacing, Lucy pitched her voice an octave or two lower and tried again, “Are you all right, boy?”
He stared from her to Tearlach and nodded mutely.
“Willy! What have you done now?”
Lucy glanced toward the bushes as a woman pushed her way through the densely growing branches and hurried to join them. She had a lit torch in hand and held it high to light up the situation. The woman’s gaze moved from her son to them with a combination of concern and alarm as she settled a hand on Willy’s shoulder, then she turned to the bushes and yelled, “William!”
Lucy glanced curiously toward the bushes, but the woman’s next words brought her back around.
“You wait until yer father gets here, Will Jr.,” she hissed. “How many times have I told you not to be runnin’ off on yer own when we’re away from the castle.”
Lucy’s eyes widened with alarm as she suddenly recognized the woman’s voice. The way she held the torchlight kept her own features in shadow, but her voice was as familiar to Lucy as her brother’s. The woman’s name was Betty and she had served as her maid for the last six months since her previous lady’s maid, Ilsa, had died of a chest complaint. Betty was a pretty little redhead with a charming personality and a natural skill and ability at healing. She’d quickly gained Lucy’s liking and trust.
While Betty had only been her lady’s maid these last six months, she’d actually worked in Blytheswood castle all her life, as had her husband, William. He ran Blytheswood’s stables, having worked his way up from stable boy to stable master.
A nudge from Tearlach made Lucy glance his way to find him peering meaningfully at her mouth. It was only then she realized she was biting her lip. Probably not something a soldier would do, she acknowledged. Stopping the telling sign of anxiety, she forced herself to stand a little straighter and tried not to look as worried as she suddenly felt.
Trying to ease some of the panic she was feeling, Lucy reminded herself that her face was still filthy with the dirt she’d smeared on it to make their escape from the dungeon, and she was dressed like a man. It was also a dark night out with just a sliver of moonlight now falling on them. They would not recognize her, Lucy assured herself. Still, she took a nervous step to the side, placing herself half behind Tearlach and hopefully in his shadow. A little more shadow on her face couldn’t hurt.
“Betty?” The gruff voice was followed by a man exploding through the bushes and onto the path. A couple of inches shorter than Tearlach and stocky, William had red hair like his wife and bright green eyes that shot over the tableau, warily taking in the situation as he placed himself a little in front of his wife and son. “What’s happened?”
Tearlach stirred and Lucy knew he was about to speak, but couldn’t allow it. His Scottish accent might give them away. Catching the back of his shirt to silence him, she tried to lower her voice even further and said, “No harm done. The lad just ran out in front of us. My comrade managed to control our mount, though, and no one was hurt. All’s well.”
Her words didn’t make the man relax much. He still looked wary and as if expecting to need to defend his family. It made her wonder. Why? And why were the family out here so close to the edge of Blytheswood land rather than at the castle?
Noting the way his attention was now on her mare, Lucy drew his gaze back to them by asking, “You are from Blytheswood?”
“Aye,” he answered slowly, his gaze sliding back to Trinket.
“Where are you headed?”
William didn’t an
swer, he was examining Trinket with an interest that made Lucy nervous. It was Betty who said, “My mother has died. We’re going to York to see her buried.”
Briefly forgetting about William, Lucy’s eyes widened on the redhead. She had known Betty’s mother. She’d been a kind and loving woman right up until the day she’d died...three years ago...at Blytheswood where she’d spent her whole life. Betty was lying.
Her gaze moved over the woman with new interest. She was a pretty little thing with big eyes and a wide smile. Lucy knew William adored her, everyone at Blytheswood knew that. The pair were very happily married. And, she recalled, Wymon had a reputation for abusing the pretty young maids and other workers at Carbonnel. She supposed he would behave no differently at Blytheswood if he were there.
“Did Carbonnel hurt you?” she asked Betty.
“Nay,” the maid said, but suddenly looked even more frightened and anxious than she had, her gaze searching out her husband with alarm.
Lucy glanced to William to see that he was now peering at her much as he had the mare. She supposed he was wondering if they had fled the castle and Wymon, only to run into two of his soldiers who would behave as badly or worse than their lord. Wanting to reassure the pair, she shifted uncomfortably under his eyes and muttered, “If I had a mother or sister working at Blytheswood, I would recommend they visit family until Carbonnel left. He is not a good man.”
“Aye. One of your comrades who rode in with his lordship said as much to several of the pretty young maids,” William murmured, apparently deciding that—despite the fact that they wore Carbonnel colors—they weren’t like the man who was supposed to be their lord. “That along with the rumors of what goes on at Carbonnel was enough to make most of the women at Blytheswood suddenly find an urgent need to visit family, or suddenly too ill to work in the castle...And so it shall remain until Lady Lucy is back and he leaves, I would imagine.”
Lucy nodded. Wymon was at Blytheswood as they’d suspected and had been allowed in. No doubt he was lording over her home as if it were already his. She could not go there.
“We were told the Scot killed your brother and carried you off with him,” William commented.
“Nay. ‘Twas Carbonnel who killed John,” Lucy assured him, distracted by her thoughts. It wasn’t until Tearlach turned sharply on her that she realized what the man had said and how she’d answered. Eyes widening with alarm, she glanced at William to see him smiling with satisfaction.
“Surely you didn’t think you could fool me, my lady?” William asked with amusement. “I recognized Trinket right off.”
He moved to the mare and ran an affectionate hand down her side. “I’ve saddled and unsaddled you every day since the old lord bought you for Lady Lucy six years ago, haven’t I, beauty?” he said to the horse and then turned to glance over his shoulder at Lucy as he added, “and I chased around after you and John often enough when we were all children. Dressed as you are and with your hair down your back you look very like he did when he was a lad.”
“My lady?” Betty echoed with surprise and shifted the torch to light up Lucy’s face. Her eyes widened incredulously. “It is you.”
Lucy let her breath out on a sigh. “You can not tell Carbonnel or his men that you saw us.”
“Tell?” William snorted with derision. “I’m not planning on telling him anything. We are going to my brother’s inn on the border with Oswald.”
Lucy nodded slowly. While Carbonnel bordered their land on the south, Oswald was their neighbor to the north.
“We shall stay with him and help out to earn our keep until we hear Wymon is gone,” William assured her, then paused and asked solemnly, “I don’t suppose that will happen for a while?”
Lucy shook her head helplessly. “I do not know how long it will take, William. We have to find Tearlach’s cousin.” Seeing the confusion on his face at mention of a cousin, Lucy quickly explained the events that had taken place at the inn and told him about her and Tearlach being locked up at Carbonnel. He began to grin when she told him about their escape.
“Aye, you and John were always mucking about in the dungeons as children. Your mother used to fret, but your father said to let you be, that you were having fun and may learn something useful with the games the two of you played.” His smile faded, leaving his expression solemn as he added, “He was right. It served you well.”
“Aye,” Lucy murmured sadly as she thought on her brother.
“I was the one to take Carbonnel’s horse when he arrived,” William announced suddenly. “When he heard that you weren’t at Blytheswood, he sent one of his men to Rosscurrach to warn them of the escape. It may be where this cousin is.”
“He said as much in front o’ ye?” Tearlach asked with disbelief.
William shrugged. “He didn’t mention who had escaped and since none of us knew he had the two of you, we didn’t understand. Besides, lords tend to ignore servants for the most part and talk freely in front of us.”
“Rosscurrach?” Lucy asked and then glanced to Tearlach. “That must be where they have your cousin. Why else send warning to them? If we hurry we can be there by tomorrow night.”
Tearlach frowned. “We?”
Now Lucy was frowning as she met his gaze. “Aye. We. You can not free him on your own. You do not know how to unlock chains as I do. You need me.”
He scowled. “What I need is to ken yer safe somewhere so I can concentrate on what needs doin’ and not be frettin’ o’er ye. And you need to get to court to tell the king the truth o’ what happened so Carbonnel can no’ abuse yer women or try to wed yer cousin Margaret and gain Blytheswood.”
“‘Tis mostly men and old women at Blytheswood now,” Betty pointed out. “And they should be safe enough for the few days it would take to rescue your cousin. Then you could escort Lady Lucy safely to court and see Carbonnel cast out of Blytheswood.”
“Aye.” Lucy beamed at the maid for her aid and then added, “And Margaret is not a worry. She is not at Blytheswood to marry. In any case, he would not marry her until he found me and saw me dead.”
Tearlach shifted on his feet. “I’d be feelin’ better did ye stay here with William and his family, oot o’ harm’s way.”
“William and his family are not staying here,” she pointed out sharply, hurt at his effort to remove her from his side. “And rather than being safer, I shall surely just endanger them.”
His shoulders dropped slightly and she knew she’d won. He would not leave her behind.
“Verra well, I cannae leave ye here, but ‘tis findin’ somewhere safe fer ye I’ll be doin’. Yer no’ goin’ into Rosscurrach dungeons to get me cousin oot. I’ll be doin’ that.”
“How?” she asked sharply. “You do not know how to work the locks.”
“Ye shall show me,” he said firmly as he turned and mounted Trinket. Once in the saddle, he glared down at her and then held out a hand. “Come.”
Lucy rolled her eyes at his bossiness, but placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her back up into the saddle. This time he settled her sideways in his lap. He was acting so grumpy and impatient she expected him to set off as soon as she was settled, instead he paused and turned his attention to the family at the side of the path.
“I’ll see Lucy is tae court by week’s end. Dependin’ on how quick yer king acts, Blytheswood should be free o’ Carbonnel shortly after that. Keep yer ear to the ground fer news,” he growled to William and his wife and then added, “safe travels.”
“Aye.” William nodded. “Safe travels to you too and good luck rescuing your cousin.”
Tearlach nodded even as he urged Trinket to move. Lucy was forced back against his chest by the sudden action, then caught herself and sat up, leaning around his arm to wave to the family they were leaving behind, an action that nearly sent her sliding from the saddle.
Muttering something under his breath, Tearlach caught her with one hand and forced her back into place against his chest.
&n
bsp; Lucy glanced up through her lashes at his expression. Seeing that it was stern and rather grumpy, she settled against him with a sigh and peered at the passing countryside, her mind working. She did wish to get to court and see Carbonnel ousted from her home, but it seemed to her that Tearlach’s cousin’s situation was more critical in importance. Her people were relatively safe for now, but Heming was being tortured and may die did they not find him and set him free.
And, Lucy was positive that Tearlach would need her help to accomplish that. It wasn’t just the fact that she knew how to unlock chains. There was also the fact that Wymon had apparently sent warning on to Rosscurrach that Tearlach had escaped. Surely they would expect him to try to rescue his cousin and be watching for him? But they wouldn’t be watching for a woman. Women were rarely thought capable of anything but breeding. No one at Rosscurrach would expect a woman to slip into the keep to find the dungeons and free Heming MacNachton. And that was what she’d come up with. It seemed a perfect plan to her, probably the best possible way to free the man, as well as the one carrying the least risk with it.
The more she thought on it, the more positive Lucy was that she was the better bet when it came to freeing Heming. However, knowing he would resist such a suggestion, she didn’t mention it to Tearlach right away. He was a proud man and hadn’t taken at all well to the fact that she’d had to help him escape Carbonnel. Lucy suspected he wouldn’t take the suggestion of her saving his cousin any better. She needed to marshal a proper argument that would make him see sense.
Pride was a fine thing so long as it didn’t make a fool of you and it was Lucy’s considered opinion that if Tearlach didn’t let her help, he would be acting the fool. And for naught. He was huge, strong, and really quite scary now that he was back to full health. He had no need to prove to her, or—she would think—anyone else, that he was strong, brave, and capable. The very fact that Carbonnel and the others had resorted to drugging him and his cousin told her that they hadn’t thought they would win in a straight battle. He should have nothing to prove, but she suspected he would want to anyway.
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