Over the next couple of days, we followed the same pattern. Ride, rest for a while to take some food and to allow the horses to rest, then ride some more, then break for the evening. We could have travelled to my home much more quickly, but we did not want to travel over lands belonging to others as we did not want to risk any confrontations while transporting the Lady, so of necessity we had to stay on the roads, which sometimes went the long way around a landholding. Of course, we had to avoid large towns, as too many questions would be asked as to why a lone Lady was travelling with so many warriors, sometimes I was even uncomfortable passing through the occasional small village, even if it was only a couple of houses by the side of the road. Fortunately as the Lady was so slight, it was no effort for my horse to carry the both of us, as we were not travelling fast and she did not burden the horse with a lot of extra weight.
One morning, when we were only a few hours from my keep, the Lady returned from her morning visit to the bushes at the side of the road with a distracted air about her. She did not speak to me, which was unusual for her as she often pointed out items on the roadside, asking me questions if she saw something she did not understand, and commenting on how the weather was getting cooler as we travelled north. This day, however, she was very quiet, except every now and then she would squirm or fidget. I was trying to anticipate how the conversation with my father – and also with my mother – would go, and she was disturbing my thoughts. She had been doing that a lot of late.
Finally, she pitched forward with a little groan, holding on to her stomach low, and I became concerned for her wellbeing. I asked if something was troubling her and she shook her head. After a while, and some more squirming, Lady Mary spoke to me quietly.
“Is it much further? I believe you said we would probably arrive today? Will it be much longer until I can get down from this confounded horse?”
I leaned in to look at her countenance, for this was the closest she had been to complaining for the whole time we had been travelling. It was then that I noticed that she was very pale, and I could see a tiny bead of sweat gathering at her temple.
“My Lady, ye are not well. Why did ye not say something? Would ye like to rest?”
She shook her head, biting her lip.
“How much longer will we be travelling?”
“If we keep to the road we should be there by evening, maybe a bit sooner”, I replied.
The Lady groaned and squeezed her stomach again, and suddenly I understood. I had seen women affected like this, and knew that they did not like to speak of it to men. Unfortunately, Lady Mary did not have any women to help her, and as we had taken her unawares, she would not have had any spare clothing or whatever supplies she needed. I leaned in closer to her and whispered into her ear, so that no-one else could hear.
“Is it yer courses that’s bothering ye? Has it begun, or will it be soon?”
She looked sideways at me, her face suffusing with a telltale blush before nodding her head.
“Not yet, but the pains tell me that it will be soon. I just can’t do this out here with all these men around, you don’t understand how humiliating that would be”.
I leaned back and looked around, assessing our whereabouts. If I took a shortcut over these lands, did not stop, and did not encounter any patrols, I should be able to have the Lady at my home in about two hours. Of course, I could not take all of my men, so I would have to take some risks. I called Donald over to me. Of course, D’arcy moved his horse up as well, not intending to be left out.
“The Lady is not feeling well. I would have her at our keep sooner rather than later so that the healer can see to her. I would send all the men on by the road, but will take the Lady over the McDonnell lands, and hope not to be caught. Donald and D’arcy, ye come with us and perhaps if we run into trouble, ye can allow us to get away while ye deal with the problem”.
I looked at D’arcy, thinking that he would understand what was wrong with his Lady, but he looked as confused as Donald. That was interesting. If they had been intimate with each other over an extended period of time, then I would have expected him to know about her woman’s problems. Yet he seemed ignorant. Perhaps their intimacy was newer than I had originally thought.
When the road turned to skirt McDonnell lands, the four of us instead spurred on our horses to a trot, waving at our comrades and hoping for the best. Fortune was indeed on our side that day, as we did not encounter anyone apart from some field workers, until we safely crossed over to McGarrow lands. As the keep appeared in the distance, I felt the Lady relax in my arms, and she leaned back to thank me. Our horses clattered through the gates, I heard Donald calling a greeting to the guards, but I concentrated on the steps to the main house, knowing that my parents would have been alerted by the lookouts and would be waiting for us there. As I reined in my horse, I made to dismount, but the Lady stopped me, whispering that she was afraid to dismount as she believed that her course may have begun and she was too embarrassed for anyone to see the back of her gown. I pulled her into my arms and dismounted heavily, carrying her up the steps, looking at my mother’s face as I walked. I knew that I would feel the sharp side of her tongue this eve.
“Father, Mother, the Lady Mary is unwell and I would take her directly to a chamber so that she can be cared for in private. Mother, would you please attend us, and take charge of our guest?”
Behind me I heard Donald taking charge of D’arcy, insisting that he not enter the house armed, and I smiled at my brother’s support. I did not yet think he had worked out what the problem was, but he was subtly reminding D’arcy that although he also was a guest in our home, any interference would not be tolerated. Mother pushed in front of me, and led me up the stairs to one of the guest chambers. We both entered, and I put Lady Mary down, bowed and then left her in the charge of my mother. I walked back out to speak with my father, who I correctly surmised had taken Donald and D’arcy to his solar for a private discussion. When I walked in, D’arcy fair launched himself at me.
“How is the Lady? When may I see her? What is wrong with her?”
I stood dumbfounded. I looked at my father and my brother, then at D’arcy. I had never had a discussion about women’s matters with either my father or brother, and did not intend to start now.
“I fear it may have been something she had eaten. She is in the care of my mother and was already feeling better at the prospect of getting off the back of a swaying horse. I would think after a bath and a sleep in a real bed, the Lady will be back to her usual self”.
D’arcy stared at me a moment longer, and then nodded. I took a seat then in front of my father who began to talk.
“Liam. Donald has introduced me to this fine man who has the duty of guarding the Lady. We had barely begun to speak before you appeared, but I believe there may be a problem with the ransom?”
I looked from Donald to D’arcy, then began to speak.
“Yes, Father. It would appear that our information was not as good as it could have been. The Lady was out of the protection of the keep walls, with only two guardsmen, one of which was useless and was despatched as a messenger. I did not understand why the Le Bruin family would not have more guardsmen to protect a Lady of their house, but after speaking to the Lady herself, and to her man D’arcy, I believe I understand now. It appears that the Le Bruin family place very little value on the Lady, and it is possible that they may choose not to pay the ransom”.
My father sat back, steepling his fingers and looking at D’arcy.
“is this true?”
D’arcy sat up straight and looked my father in the eye.
“I think it is very likely that the Le Bruin will not even respond to your message. Lord Le Bruin was contemplating a marriage contract with Lord Lescelles, but I do not believe that much coin would have changed hands in that transaction. What you are asking for might be more than they would value the Lady at”.
“Could ye not have told us this when we captured ye?” interjec
ted Donald.
D’arcy looked at him with a crooked smile as he responded:
“And would you have believed me, or would you have thought me a liar, trying to talk my way out of a situation where I was outnumbered and could not win in a fight?”
“So, would this Lord Lescelles be willing to pay for his intended? If not to the Le Bruin, to us perhaps?” asked my father.
D’arcy took a long time to respond. I waited for his response, having overheard his conversation with the Lady a few days before. When it finally came, it surprised me.
“Lord Lescelles would probably pay a ransom for the Lady, although I don’t know if it would be what you want. I beg of you however, do not offer her to him. He is a cruel man, who has outlived three wives already, you would be condemning her to a terrible fate if you handed her over to him. If you would consider making a place for her here, I will pledge my service to you in return”.
My father paused before continuing, seeming as confused as I. I had expected that maybe D’arcy would ask for their release, but not this.
“What place would you have us offer her? Why would you do this?”
“My Lady has skills as a healer, she would be happy with a small cottage in which she could help your people. I would do this because I pledged my service to her husband, my friend, and I would not consider my oath upheld if I did not do everything possible to prevent harm coming to my Lady”.
My father nodded, and then asked Donald to take D’arcy to the single men’s barracks and find him a place to sleep. He indicated that I should stay. When the door closed behind them, he bade me speak.
“This is a very strange turn of events, Liam. It is unfortunate that the money will not be forthcoming, however ye know that was never the main reason to do this. Perhaps if we do not return this young woman to the Le Bruin, then there may be trouble with the Lescelles? Maybe that will achieve our purpose after all. Normally I would not interfere in the decisions of a house about the wellbeing and disposition of its people, but we all know that Le Bruin was a faithless wretch, and this story does not seem too farfetched. What say ye?”
“Father, I believe D’arcy when he says that the Lady would be married off for the convenience of her husband’s family. I know that many people think that is the proper way to do things, but ye and I know that way can also cause misery to good people. I do not know anything of this man who would marry the Lady, but I have no reason to doubt what D’arcy says about him. I must be honest though and tell ye that I suspect that the Lady and D’arcy may have had a closer relationship than is proper, and maybe he speaks from the heart and not the head, but as it will take time to get the message from the Le Bruin, maybe we can spend that time observing our guests before making up our own minds”.
My father nodded at my suggestion and after giving him a report of the journey, and advising him how the rest of our men should be returning that night, I went to tell the kitchens to make preparations for a good meal to celebrate our safe return home, and to welcome our new guests home.
Mary.
After Liam dropped me in a chamber, and left the room with a speed which made me smile, it did not take long for his mother to work out what my problem was and to make arrangements for my comfort. As I had been wearing the same clothing for almost a week, she called for a bath and for some spare clothing to be brought to see what would fit. I was left alone to bathe and to clothe myself, but found that all the clothing was overlong, apparently not only the men around here were giants, but the women as well. Patrice, for that was her name, arranged for a seamstress to quickly take up the hem on a kirtle that I could wear under a tunic in order to present myself at the banquet tonight. Patrice sat me down by the fire that had been lit in my room, and sat on a chair behind me to comb out my hair in front of the fire, and to arrange it as it dried. While she worked, Patrice gently prodded me for information about my treatment on the road, in particular by her sons, Liam and Donald. I briefly considered exaggerating Liam’s moods, for no reason other than mischief, as I sensed that the very large man who had scared me so, was in fact scared of his own mother, but very quickly decided that I could not vex him in this way, even though I ached to. So I instead told Patrice that I had been very well treated by all of the men, and then I thought I would tell her how Liam had made sure of my wellbeing by keeping me close at all times, but apparently that was the wrong thing to say. When she heard that we shared a horse for the entire journey, she became extremely angry, and her motions at combing my hair became so violent that I exclaimed in pain as she pulled hard at my hair.
“I apologise Mary, if I may call ye Mary, for my anger. It is not directed at ye, but to that fool of a man that I raised. Does he not know how improper that be? A man should not hold a woman that close unless he be married to her, and to do it in front of everyone, och, I will give that man such a talking to!”
“No, please Patrice, I am sure that he was only concerned for my welfare. He did not want me to injure myself by trying to escape, which I surely would have done if I had been on my own horse. I can assure you that he did not do anything improper and was a gentleman for the whole time”.
Patrice’s hands stilled at my words, then I heard her chuckling softly.
“A gentleman ye say? My Liam? Well, who would have thought it?” She resumed combing, then started braiding my hair.
“Such pretty hair. Like spun gold, but with streaks of brown through it. So unusual. I hope my braiding sets off yer pretty hair Mary. I did not get a lot of practice with braiding. I was not blessed with girls, only lots of loud boys who spent their days causing me trouble, which did not cease as they got older. Were ye fortunate enough to have some bairns?”
I looked down. I had answered this question so many times over the years that I could normally respond without thinking, but the way that Patrice had asked was different. Her comments made me wonder what Liam and Donald, and obviously other young boys of the house, had been like as little children. I could only imagine the mischief they might have got up to, and wanted to know more. I was filled with a sudden yearning for what had been denied to me.
“No, my husband and I were not fortunate enough to be blessed with children. Although it would have been difficult for a child to lose his or her father, it would have made it easier for me to bear my husband’s loss if I had a child to remind me of him, but alas that was not to be”.
I felt Patrice’s arms on my shoulders.
“That is a real shame. It must have been very difficult for ye, especially as I know the type of house ye must have lived in. It would be difficult enough to deal with the disappointment yerself, let alone to have the expectations of the house weighing on ye. Was yer husband the only child of the house?”
I nodded yes, and then she continued.
“So the Lord and his Lady would not have treated ye well when ye did not produce an heir then?”
“There was no Lady. My husband’s mother died in childbed and so did the Lord’s next wife. It was a very difficult house to live in as I was the Lady of the house before I was much more than a child, and the only women around me were servants”.
“Och child, well you are in a different house now. Rest assured we would not have treated ye badly if there were no bairns, although we are fortunate here to have more than one son ourselves, so it is less important if one does not provide us with the grandchildren we would like. Besides, as ye and I know, sometimes is it not the fault of the wife, but of the husband, but we women always get the blame, do we no?”
I turned to look at Patrice and knew that I was going to like her. I stood and as she stood I put my arms around her and gave her a big hug, her warmth was soothing to my soul, which had been battered of late. After a brief hesitation, Patrice put her hands around me and then withdrew, patting my arms and telling me that I should get some rest before dinner.
I climbed into the bed after Patrice left, and silent tears began to fall. Although I had loved Edmund, his house had been
a very difficult one to live in, and had become impossible after his death. Unbidden, my mind turned to imagining how different life might have been had I married someone like Liam, and had joined this family instead. I would not have had the disadvantage of Rose, being married to one man while I loved another, and would have tried to make the best of my life. Patrice would have welcomed me with open arms, I was sure, and then I started to wonder what marriage to Liam would have been like. I remembered all those days sitting with his arm around my waist, sometimes feeling his hardness behind me, and wondering what that hardness would have looked like, would have felt like. At the lake, I had seen him stripped to his braies, and had marvelled at the muscles of his back, and had seen his naked legs. My mind started to wonder what it would have felt like running my hands over that naked back, and my legs over his naked legs. I desperately would have liked to have seen what he looked like from the front, sure that his chest would have been even more well muscled than his back, and I wondered what he would have looked like without his braies. I chastised myself for my thoughts, knowing that apart from his body’s reaction to my body being so near, he was not attracted to me. How could he have been? He had not indicated even once that he found me desirable, and what man would? On that soul destroying thought, I dozed off, the allure of a soft mattress too strong after almost a week of sleeping on the cold ground.
Later that evening, as I followed a maidservant down the stairs and to the main hall, I went through all the things I might say to Liam. I hoped that he had kept my secret, I did not need everyone knowing why I had been suffering from cramps today. I still had cramps, but now that I was clean and rested, I felt that I could tolerate them a lot better, and hopefully could leave the banquet early and go back to my room. After the nap I had already enjoyed, and a good night’s sleep tonight, I should be much better tomorrow, I always was better on my second day.
Taken by a Highland Raider Page 4