by Shea,Lisa
Morgan saw the effort as the woman regrouped and drew her self-control around her like a thick blanket. A satisfied grin spread across Cassandra’s face. The blonde looked up at Sean, who stood tensely at her side, then slid her fingers to intertwine into Sean’s. She chuckled as she saw the tiny flinch shoot through Morgan’s shoulders at her action.
“Then again,” continued Cassandra smoothly, “sometimes I find it is not words which speak the loudest, but actions.” She raised Sean’s hand to her lips, pressing a long kiss against his palm. Morgan crushed her hand hard on the mug of ale, her fingers turning white, bringing the mug to her lips to cover her emotions. She drained the liquid, regaining her footing before she replaced the empty container on the table again.
“I agree with you completely, Cassandra,” offered Morgan with resolution. “Actions do speak louder than words. With that thought, I am off for the day.” She stood, popping a final cube of cheese into her mouth.
“Oh, so soon?” asked Cassandra with a contented tone. “I am sure we will all miss you this evening. Will you be taking your men with you?” Her eyes glanced dismissively at Oliver and Christian.
“Yes,” agreed Morgan, her voice becoming fond. “They will be by my side, as always.
Cassandra stood slowly, sliding her hand along Sean’s arm. “I am sure Sean and I can find something to do to occupy the long hours while you are off drinking,” she purred smoothly.
Sean coughed low, then took a step to the side, gently detaching himself from Cassandra’s grasp. “I am afraid that Roger, Peter, and I need to head out for the evening as well,” he apologized in a serious tone. “It is something to do with a recent legal matter.”
Cassandra’s eyes sharpened, but she tamed the look before turning to gaze up at her husband. “I am so sorry to hear that! Do you really have to go?”
Sean’s eyes flickered to Morgan’s for an instant, and he nodded, his face somber. “It is critical that we take every ounce of care with this.”
“Well, I hope you are done quickly, and return home to me soon,” she responded in disappointment, crossing her arms.
“I fervently hope this is completed in a quick and uncomplicated fashion,” he agreed, nodding to her. He turned to his two friends. “Gentlemen, let us be off.” They turned as one and headed out toward the front steps.
Cassandra smiled with dripping honey, her eyes skewering Morgan’s. “This will be delightful,” she mused. “Now I can explore the keep at my leisure, and plan out all the changes I intend to make.”
Morgan’s shoulders tensed. Lady Donna hopefully had decades left to enjoy life, but Cassandra was sitting on the edge of her grave like a hungry vulture. Tamping down her fury, she stood up to face the woman, her two friends flanking her in an instant.
“You enjoy your evening alone,” she offered flatly, her voice cool. Then she turned and strode down the hall, her boots echoing on the wood planks. They caught up quickly with Sean and his fellow soldiers. In a short moment all six were working silently in the stables, saddling their steeds, riding out in a group down the long dirt road toward town.
*
Morgan stretched her steed into a canter, relishing the thrill of the ride, the pleasure of traveling with her friends. The men streamed out like a fast moving river, racing across the ground, flowing beneath the glowing oranges of sunset. She warmed with the joy of freedom as the keep drifted further and further behind her, as the meadows and rolling hills enveloped her. She kept riding long after the keep was out of sight. Finally, when she was sure they were both far from the keep and still distant from the town as well, she relented, pulling into a quiet stop.
The men drew in close around her, encircling her. She turned her face expectantly up toward Sean.
His face was serious. “We have planned this out as best we can,” he explained, “but it is challenging since we do not know where Coll will take you or what the situation will be once you get there. Still, here are the basics.”
He looked across each face in the group. “When Coll comes to get you at the Rusty Nail, Oliver will be at your side. Hopefully you can manage to get Oliver invited along with you. The rest of us will be waiting outside, out of sight, and will follow along behind to wherever you are taken. If Oliver is not invited for some reason, he will join us in the chase. Rest assured that we will not let you out of our sight, wherever you end up.”
There was a chorus of assents from all men in the circle.
“Once you reach your final destination, your sole task is to identify Edward. Stay by him; if we are lucky, you can get Edward alone and we can grab him then. Whatever else happens, by dawn you should be out of the area and heading safely home again. If you are not free and in our hands by dawn, we will come in after you by force.”
“I understand,” agreed Morgan, “and I know that we want to avoid a brawl at all costs. We want to keep Edward’s capture as quiet as possible, to avoid bringing more trauma on Eli’s family.”
Roger shook his head strongly. “Our primary concern is your safety,” he interrupted, his voice hoarse. “It is bad enough that you are involved in this, but now that you are, your sole involvement is to help us get to the gambling den. Once we are there, you need to stay safe.”
Peter nodded in agreement, his dark eyes serious. “There is no rush,” he pointed out. “As long as we make the identification, and know where his base of operations is, we can always return at another time to finish the mission.”
Sean’s gaze was steady on hers. “You should not take any action on your own,” he reiterated. “You should not take any risks.”
Sean suddenly dismounted from his horse, coming around in front of the stallion, holding a hand up toward Morgan. She hesitated, then climbed down from her own steed, moving to stand before him, keeping his hand in her own. The ring of horses around them made her feel safe, protected.
Sean’s voice came low and hoarse. “Before we ride into danger, I want to say something.” He took in a deep breath.
“It still seems likely that Cassandra is completely honest in all she has presented.” He looked down at her hand. “She was an innocent teenager, I made her pregnant with my child, I married her. It seems that I – unknowingly - abandoned her in that state, and she was forced to marry a man she did not love to protect her child. She has borne all of those injuries these many long years with strength and resolve, only coming to me now in her time of great need.”
He brought his eyes back to Morgan’s face with quiet focus. “As such, I must stand by her side and do all that I can to support her. I could never undo the damage I have caused to her and to our son.”
Morgan nodded, her gaze serious. “I understand.”
Sean looked at her tenderly, raising a hand up to her cheek. “There is so much more I wish that I could say,” he sighed, “but I cannot.” He looked away for a moment, then regained her gaze. “We need you to be as careful as you can be,” he murmured. “You are very special to us. If you were to be hurt -”
His voice failed him, and he turned away again.
Morgan gave a half smile. “I promise to be as careful as a cat in a kennel of ravenous dogs,” she vowed resolutely. “I will make you all proud of your faith in me.”
Sean’s eyes came back to hold hers, and she was lost in their depths. “We are more proud of you than you could possibly know,” he whispered, gazing at her for a long moment. Then he took in a breath and moved to her horse, holding him steady. Morgan mounted, and in a moment Sean was on his own steed, turning to move back alongside Peter and Roger.
Morgan steeled herself. It was time to begin. She came alongside Oliver, giving a gentle pat to her horse’s mane. “Shall we get this started?”
Oliver nodded in agreement, and in a moment the two were in motion, heading toward the town.
*
Morgan tossed the dice onto the table at the Rusty Nail, laughing uproariously at the results, nudging Oliver in the ribs at her luck. She glanced again at
the full mug of mead beside her. She had not yet begun drinking, was pacing herself for the long evening. The mead was calling to her with a strong pull. She pushed down the temptation with harsh control. She had to keep her wits about her, hold off as long as possible, wait until Coll came in through the door. She had no doubt that this evening would involve a great deal of drinking, and she had to be as aware as possible.
Still, it had to appear to Coll when he arrived that she and Oliver were half in their cups. She glanced over to the bar where Felix was watching her with a growing frown. He had not been told the details of the plan, but it was clear from his look that he knew something was in the works. His eyes held concern for his two friends.
Oliver picked up the dice, glancing again at the door, his eyes shadowed with worry. “You be careful,” he muttered to Morgan under his breath for what seemed to be the thirtieth time. Morgan gave a half smile, reaching over to fondly pat his hand.
‘I will use every trick you taught me,” she promised, “and several you have not. I will be fine.”
The door opened and both of them glanced up in expectation. Coll sauntered into the room, his eyes sweeping the sparse crowd before resting with a wide smile on Morgan’s upturned face. He strode over to her at once, sliding his hand casually along her collarbone. Morgan flashed a grinning smile in return.
“There you are,” she sighed in relief. “I thought I would have to spend the entire night dicing with my friend here for toothpicks. I am still out of cash, and if Edward does not come through for me I am afraid I will be doomed for another two weeks at least.” She pouted prettily. “It figures, Oliver is flush from a recent job and I have no way to take the money from him!” She glanced at the sack of coins sitting at the table by his side with a meaningful wink.
As she had hoped, Coll’s eyes lit up with avarice. “So you like to gamble, my friend?” Coll asked Oliver with sharp interest, slowly sliding his thumb along Morgan’s neck.
Oliver glanced up hazily, his eyes struggling to focus on the man before him. “Gambling is my avo … my avo … I love to gamble,” he mumbled with a thick tongue. “Give me any game, and I will play.” He looked disparagingly at Morgan. “How can I play against someone with no cash, though?” he muttered. “There must be a real game somewhere.”
Morgan rolled her eyes, leaning against Coll. “Do not mind him, he has had a bit too much to drink,” she smiled. “He gets this way sometimes.”
“Does he now,” mused Coll, looking down at him for a long while. He finally nodded with decision. “We are heading out to a gambling spot this very evening,” he announced to Oliver in a lower tone of voice. “Would you care to join us?”
“Would I!” agreed Oliver heartily, stumbling to his feet. “Just lead the way!” He leaned slightly to the left, then righted himself.
Morgan hooked her arm into Coll’s and together the threesome made their way out through the front door into the dark night sky. They were just turning the corner of the building to head toward the stables when Morgan heard a sharp voice call out. She turned in surprise, her heart plummeting to find her mother standing across the street. Jocelyn held a string of onions in one hand and was staring at her daughter, her eyes wide with shock.
“Morgan?” she gasped, her voice harsh with disapproval. Jocelyn’s eyes swept down her revealing outfit, then moved to the man at her side, her gaze becoming more incredulous.
“Is that … Coll?”
Morgan took in a deep breath. She could not fail now, not let all of the hard work go to naught. She tucked her arm more closely in against Coll’s, leaning her head against his shoulder.
“We were just going out for a ride,” she commented easily, forcing her tone to stay light despite the searing shame coursing through her soul. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Her mother’s eyes swept to Oliver who was staggering in behind them. Her gaze turned steely with disdain. “Oliver, I cannot believe you are a party to this.”
Oliver’s eyes were unfocused and looked hazily in her direction. “I will chaperone, do not worry,” he mumbled half to himself.
Jocelyn’s face grew hard, and she stared at her daughter in hearty condemnation. “Of all the things you have done over the years, Morgan,” she snapped. She shook her head, then turned on her heel and strode off toward her home.
Morgan’s heart plummeted under heavy weight of her mother’s disgust. She bit her emotions back with a resolute effort. Nothing else mattered right now besides finding Edward and bringing him to justice. She could explain everything to her parents once that was done.
When they got to the stables, Oliver began saddling his horse, but Coll pulled Morgan away from hers, bringing her to his steed instead. He leered at her with greedy interest. “No need for you to bother with your horse,” he offered with a wolfish smile. “Ride in with me on mine. That way I can ensure you get home safely, even if you happen to drink too much.”
“I am not sure that is a good idea,” demurred Morgan hesitantly. If she was far from home without her own steed to get her out safely, it might leave her in a dangerous position.
Coll smiled reassuringly, patting her on the arm. “I am here to take care of you,” he promised. “Put your worries out of your mind.”
Morgan took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She had to be agreeable – to be quiet, tractable, and get through this evening as smoothly as possible. Any resistance she mounted might cause him to become suspicious, or worse, to give up on taking them in to meet with Edward.
“As you wish,” she agreed with a smile, snuggling in against his arm. “I am sure I will be safe in your care.”
Coll puffed up in pride, then saddled and bridled his horse with good speed. When he was done, he helped Morgan climb up onto the saddle, then vaulted up behind her. He snugged his body tightly up against hers, wrapping one arm firmly around her waist. Oliver drew aside them in an instant and Morgan could see the sharp, attentive focus underneath his hazy, listless behavior.
Oliver’s voice was a slur. “Where to?”
Coll nodded. “Just you stay close and follow me,” he instructed. “I will show the way.”
In a moment they were off, trotting down the dusty streets of town, heading out into the night.
*
Dusk had faded into pitch black and Morgan was not sure how Coll knew which way to go as they delved deeper into the dense woods. They had left the road a while back and were now following what appeared to be a thin deer trail wending between the thick oaks and white birches. They were moving slowly but steadily, and Morgan prayed that the other men had been able to stay on their tracks. She heard nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing at all in the dark forest which surrounded them – nothing but swaying branches and whispering leaves. It seemed like an hour had passed and still there was no sight of a town or village.
Then suddenly she heard the sound of rushing water and realized a large river was ahead of them. They reached its banks, then turned left to ride alongside it for a spell. Rounding a bend, Morgan could make out a large, low building tucked in against the river bank. Several boats were tied up along the shore, and a shadowed outbuilding appeared to be a stable. Four torches gave guttering light to the scene.
Coll kept Morgan beside him as he unsaddled his horse and hung his bit and bridle on the wall. Oliver moved with a speed which belied his slurred speech, and was ready beside Morgan by the time Coll had finished with his tasks. Coll’s fingers wrapped firmly around Morgan’s arm, and together the trio headed toward the door. His knock rang loudly on the stout wooden door which fronted the ramshackle building. A thin slit slid open at eye level, and a pair of flat eyes looked out at them.
Coll barked, “It is me.” The man grunted, pulling the door open, letting out a spill of noise, smoke, and flickering light.
Morgan stepped with Coll into the crowded room, looking around with interest. There were perhaps twenty large wooden tables filling the space, each surrounded by a collec
tion of rough cut men. Torches lined the wall, and a low fire kindled in the stone fireplace. She could see a variety of gambling styles – dice, cards, pins, bones, and several others she could not easily identify.
Oliver staggered in behind her, and the door was pulled shut hard after him, immersing them totally in the raucous world.
A number of men glanced up at the movement, their eyes moving with quick interest to the bright red, low cut shape of Morgan’s attire. Coll pulled her closer to him, and for once she did not half mind, her eyes taking in the solid muscles and deep scars that most men here sported. This was no casual pub gathering of farmers; these men were hardened. Several of the gamers were huddled over in tense attention to their task, their eyes glowing with a desperate gleam.
Coll grinned with pride at the attention they drew, his body puffing up noticeably as he stood alongside Morgan. He sauntered through the hall, bringing her along, heading toward a plush booth set on a platform in the back corner of the room.
Morgan’s interest sharpened as they grew closer. Where the rest of the den was layered with sawdust and dirt, this platform was clean, the heavy wood table on it polished and gleaming. A scattering of parchments lay to one side of the table, and a trio watched her approach with attention.
Morgan guessed quickly that this would be Edward’s area to watch over his dominion. She dismissed the woman on one end – judging by her long, red curls and her gaudy yellow dress she was here for entertainment, not as a serious part of the business. Morgan turned her gaze to the two men at the table.
The man on the far right was thick, burly, his muscles almost as large as her father’s. This was a man who did hard labor. He certainly looked capable of murder, but there was a dimness to his eyes, a lack of focus as he glanced at her and then continued to sweep the room. No, he would be the enforcer, willing to do whatever he was bid.
Her gaze moved to the man sitting in between the other two, now leaning forward with growing interest. She smiled despite herself as they drew up before him. The man before her emanated power, his eyes glancing possessively around the room, keeping track of everything, every one. She watched as he nodded to a dealer at one table, shaking his head at another man.