by Ruth Kaufman
“Never mind,” said Garrett. “Now I want you to stay here with my squire, Colton, while the rest of us go out looking for wild boar. They are not normally aggressive unless pursued, so you should be fine as long as you stay here and don’t wander off.”
“Nay,” she objected, watching Garrett untying the spear from her horse. “You said I could come with.”
“I said you could come with on the trip,” he explained. “I never said anything about you actually hunting.”
“Ye tricked me again!” She stood with her hands on her hips but Garrett didn’t even seem to notice.
“Now as I said, stay here with Colton and help him prepare camp. Hopefully I’ll be able to take down a boar for dinner.”
He rode off with his men, following the baying hounds as they took off through the forest. She looked over to Colton, a tall, lanky young man with a blond tuft of hair sticking straight up on his head. He smiled slightly.
“If I can be of any assistance to you, Lady Echo, just let me know.”
“Ye didn’t happen te bring thet bottle of rum with ye did ye?”
His eyes popped open and his head went down as he busied himself preparing camp.
“Don’t worry, yer secret’s safe with me,” she told him.
Echo watched the boy set up the camp, as he’d refused to let her help. He’d told her she was a lady and that he should do the work by himself. She’d been sitting on a log polishing her sword for the lack of anything else to do. Finally, she could stand the boredom no longer. She put down her sword and got to her feet. “I’ll go out and fetch some wood for the fire,” she told him.
“Nay,” he said, dropping what he was doing and rushing to her side. “Lord Garrett wouldn’t like that. I’ll go get the wood, you just stay here.”
He took off through the forest, and she plopped back down atop a log to wait. She’d never felt so worthless in her life. No one would let her do a single thing. She’d thought this hunting trip would bring back the excitement she missed from being aboard the Seahawk. But there was no excitement to be found anywhere here. Matter of fact, being on this trip was the biggest bore she would find the entire time, she was sure.
She heard a rustling in the bushes and got up to investigate. She pulled aside a branch and a cute little striped pig ran out and brushed past her feet.
“Is this the boar they’re hunting?” she asked aloud. “’Tis smaller than I thought. There is nothin’ dangerous about this little thing.” Just for the lack of anything to do, she chased it around camp, then threw herself atop it, managing to catch it. She held it in her arms as it squeaked and grunted in protest.
“You are too cute,” she said with a smile. But her smile left her face as she heard another grunt from behind her. This one was loud and low and sounded very angry. She turned her head to see a huge – very huge – wild boar rushing her from the thicket. She realized her mistake at once. She’d been playing with the baby and the mama was not happy.
She released the small piglet and jumped to her feet. “I’m not hurtin’ yer baby,” she said, her heart beating rapidly.
“Lady Echo!” Garrett’s squire, Colton, stepped out into the clearing with branches for the fire in his hands. He dropped them and ran right between her and the boar, in what she guessed was an attempt to save her. The mother boar’s bristled brown hair stood straight up on her neck. And while she had no tusks like the males, she did have sharp incisor teeth. When Colton ran in between them, the animal sank its teeth into Colton’s upper leg. He let out a scream.
Skye flew and landed in a branch above her head and shrieked also. Echo didn’t like the idea of killing a mother animal who had a baby, but she had no choice. Colton was hurt and she had to help. She pulled her dagger from her waist belt and rushed forward. Her hawk shrieked again and took off into the sky.
Garrett searched for the wild boar with his men, with little luck. He felt bad that he’d made Echo stay behind, but he only did it for her own safety. ’Twas too dangerous to bring her along on this expedition, but he hadn’t had the heart to tell her no. He knew she’d been craving excitement and adventure lately. Living the life of a lady was boring compared to what she’d lived through in all her days as a pirate. He’d have to make it up to her once they got back to camp. He only hoped she’d really stayed there instead of coming after them, like he knew she probably would.
Something didn’t feel right, and when her hawk appeared, landing on a branch and shrieking furiously, he had an ill feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Hold up,” called Garrett, looking over to the bird. “Something is wrong.”
“What is the matter?” asked Sir Jacob, riding over to meet him. The kennelgroom held back the dogs as they pulled on their leads.
“I’m not sure, but I have an awful feeling something is not right.”
The bird flapped its wings and started diving around their heads. Sir Jacob drew his sword in aggravation.
“Nay,” said Garrett holding up his hand. “I think the bird is trying to tell us something. I think Echo is in trouble. Back to camp, quickly,” he ordered his hunting party, digging his heels into the sides of his horse and leading the way.
He bolted through the forest atop his steed, cursing himself now for ever leaving Echo behind. At least if she’d been with him, he would have been able to see to her safety. But by the way her bird shrieked and led the way back to camp, he knew now that he’d made a mistake. Something was wrong – seriously wrong. He could feel it in his gut. And if anything ever happened to Echo, he would never forgive himself. Ever.
By the time they got back to camp, night was closing in. He could see the smoke from a fire up ahead. He jumped from his horse, sword at the ready, and ran to where he’d left his wife.
“Echo,” he called, spying blood on the ground at his feet. Lots of it. His heart raced and he rushed forward toward the fire. Then he stopped in his tracks, not able to believe what he was seeing.
Echo stood over the fire, a huge, dead and gutted boar at her feet. Part of the hind quarters of it was missing. Colton lay against a rock, his leg wrapped in blood-splattered cloth.
“Echo, are you all right?” He rushed to her side. She flipped a hunk of meat on a spit over the fire, and he realized she’d butchered it to cook a portion for the men. She turned toward him and smiled.
“You’re back earlier than I expected,” she told him. “I’d hoped to have the meal cooked, but ’tis not ready yet, my lord. This wild boar is taking longer to cook than I expected. Mayhap I should have built a bigger fire.”
Garrett’s gaze fell on the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen in his life. His wife, though calm and speaking like a lady, stood there in her blood-stained gown, dagger in her hand. Her hair was tousled and her face covered with mud, but she was alive, with a dead boar at her feet. He was relieved to find her faring well, and almost laughed. She kept up her demeanor of a lady even in this situation.
He dropped his sword and ran to her and gathered her in his arms, not caring that he’d just soiled himself with the boar’s blood from her clothes.
“Echo, you’re alive. I was so worried that something happened to you.”
“Lord Garrett,” called Colton from the ground. “She saved my life. You should have seen her.”
The rest of the entourage joined them now, gathering around to hear the story.
“What the hell happened?” asked Garrett shaking his head as he surveyed the shambles at camp.
“I found a little pig,” she said. “’Twas very cute. But when I picked it up, the mama rushed me from the bushes.”
“What?” he asked. “You never touch a wild baby animal of any kind. You should know the mother is always close by.”
“Well, I know that now,” she said with a nod of her head.
“Are you all right, squire?” he asked, releasing Echo and going to inspect Colton’s wound.
“I will live,” he said with a smile. “Thanks to Lady Echo, the
boar didn’t get a good grip on my leg. And she has tended well to my wound. You should have seen her! She jumped atop that animal with her dagger in her hand. She was brave and fearless.”
“You killed a wild boar with a dagger?” he asked in amazement, looking over to his wife.
“I had my sword for backup,” she said, “as well as my throwing dirk and eating knife, so I was just fine. That thing has one tough hide tho. But those bristles will make a great hair brush.”
He looked to her in amazement, the delicious aroma of wild boar drifting to him on the breeze. His stomach growled from hunger, and he was hungry for Echo as well.
“She is amazing,” said Sir Jacob, coming over to inspect the dead boar. “She not only saved Colton’s life, but managed to take down the only wild boar of the day, and gut it and cook it, too. All while we were gone.”
“Aye,” Garrett answered with a nod of his head. How could he get angry with her for doing what she knew best? “She is amazing,” he agreed, his eyes fastened to her all the time. “Very amazing indeed.”
Chapter 15
It had been nearly a month now that Echo had been training to be a lady, and Garrett knew that it all came down to this day. While he’d seen a tremendous change in her and was pleased by her progress, he also worried that she was too much a pirate at heart to ever change.
Still, he just had to trust her, like Sir Jacob said. He realized that no matter how much he tried to change her, she would always be the person she really was deep inside. He didn’t care. He loved her no matter who she was, and only hoped that none of that would even matter after today.
Garrett waited anxiously for the arrival of Lord Warden Bartholomew de Burghersh of Dover, pacing back and forth in the great hall.
“Calm yourself, husband,” said Echo, carrying Edgar as she approached him. The boy held out his arms to Garrett, making him stop and look up.
“Daddy,” he said, waiting for Garrett to take him.
He had worked hard in getting to know his son, but he was still taken by surprise every time the boy called him Daddy. He liked it. He liked it a lot, but was still getting used to having a four-year-old child that he never knew existed, until recently. But now, it looked like the days spent together with Edgar, Echo, and himself were not in vain. They were really starting to feel like a family.
“He wants you to take him,” said Echo, handing the boy to him.
He gingerly took the child in his arms and received a kiss on the cheek from Edgar in return. Then Lady Perdita approached with her son Tristan, and the boy wanted down so he could play.
Garrett placed him on the rushes and he took off at a run with his friend right behind him.
“Lady Perdita, I cannot thank you enough for your help with our son these past weeks,” said Echo.
“My pleasure, Lady Echo, and I thank you as well for convincing me to wear my hair down. Lord Andrew really likes it that way. Matter of fact, we are to have another baby.”
Echo and Garret offered their congratulations, and Garrett smiled to himself. His wife was truly making changes in his manor, as well as making changes in herself. He’d never told her he’d seen her in the practice yard that day with her sword and her rum. Or that he knew even she still sneaked away to sit with Skye up on the battlements. He’d caught his men playing cards with her on more than one occasion, but he’d stayed hidden in the shadows, not wanting to let her know he’d been watching.
Everyone in the manor seemed to be happier since Echo arrived. She’d made more friends in the short time she was here than he’d made his entire life. He’d even caught her trying the quintain last week, but as soon as she saw him, she dropped the lance and moved both her legs to the side of the horse to make him think she rode side-saddle like a lady and was just going out for a ride. He knew better, but stayed silent because it made his heart happy every time he saw her act like the woman he’d first met aboard the Seahawk.
He didn’t want to change everything about Echo, but all her training came down to one important day – today. And they would find out soon enough if he’d done enough to help her, and if she could really pull this off.
The steeple bell clanged atop the church announcing the arrival of his guest. He grabbed Echo’s hand and squeezed it and she smiled in return.
“Don’t worry, husband. I will not curse or belch in front of the Lord Warden.”
Garrett smiled, very pleased by the way Echo now spoke like a lady thanks to Lady Eirian and Lady Perdita’s help. She only slipped back to her pirate slang when she was excited or upset. But if she didn’t curse him out once in awhile, he didn’t know what he’d do for excitement.
Their coupling had been the most exciting thing he’d ever done in his life, and he waited anxiously each night to see what new location or position she’d come up with next. Nay, that is something he would never change about her as long as he lived.
He hurried out to the courtyard with Echo at his side. Four knights on horseback led the Lord Warden on a horse of his own. Four more knights on horseback followed, as well as squires and servants on foot. Garrett knew they’d traveled by sea and were docked in the harbor as they spoke. Garrett’s stomach turned as he wondered how his great hall was going to fit another two dozen people, as he had no idea so many, as well as the horses would have traveled with him. His manor house was already nearly full since his fleet had returned from Great Yarmouth. If the Lord Warden and his entourage decided to stay for any length of time, he didn’t know what he’d do.
Garrett stood at the ready wearing his multi-colored surcoat that displayed the crest of the Cinque Ports as well as the crest of Blackmore. Echo was at his side looking very beautiful in the new gown she’d sewn with the help of the ladies of the castle. She wore a dark blue velvet gown with a laced neckline and tight sleeves of burgundy up to the elbows. From the elbows down to her fingers were wide angled red velvet sleeves that hung to the ground. He knew if it were up to Echo, she would have left the sleeves off all together, not liking tippets or anything that hampered her actions. But being the style of a lady, she’d agreed to not only make, but also wear the gown that would be expected of one of her supposed status.
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Sir Bartholomew de Burghersh sat high upon his horse, looking very regal in his golden surcoat, and silk-lined long, blue cloak that was pushed over one shoulder and clasped by a Cinque Ports brooch. His cloak covered the back of his horse, hanging down around him as they rode.
Garrett walked up to greet him. The man held one of the most revered positions in all of England, and Garrett had only met him once before briefly.
He was very old, mayhap sixty years, and Garrett was surprised he could even get off his horse without trouble, but yet turned away the proffered hands of his men.
“Lord Warden, welcome,” said Garrett.
“Baron Hythe,” he said referring to Garrett by his land rather than his Christian name which was proper but not always popular. At least not in Garrett’s demesne. “I heard you were captured by pirates. Did you run your sword through their black hearts or do we need to hunt down the bloody bastards and have them hanged, drawn, and quartered?”
“Aye, I was captured but managed to escape,” he relayed. “And no, I did not kill them and they are still roaming the seas.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? I’d think by now you’d have sent a ship to track the scum of the seas.”
Echo cleared her throat, and Garrett knew ’twas because she was biting her tongue so hard she’d probably drawn blood.
“Who is this beautiful noble lady next to you?” he asked. His gaze was fastened on Echo, only making Garrett feel more insecure.
“Lord Warden, this is my wife, Lady Echo.”
“Lady Echo, Lady Echo,” he repeated, and smiled. Garrett wasn’t sure if it was a play on her name, or if he had a hard time remembering he’d said it more than once. “You are the damsel Garrett saved from those scurvy pirates as well, are you not?”
“I . . . I am happy to be here now,” she said instead of what Garrett knew she was really thinking.
The man took off his riding gauntlets, and tucking them under his arm, he reached out to take Echo’s hand and bring it up to his mouth in a kiss.
Garrett could not bear to look. He figured at any moment Echo would be cursing at him and wiping her hand in her clothes. Instead, he heard her sing-song gentle voice greeting the man.
“My dear Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, I am so honored to make your acquaintance.”
Taken aback by the perfect formal greeting and no ‘ye’ or pirate slang of any kind, he turned to look and almost fell over in shock as he saw Echo holding out her skirts and bowing her head subserviently as she curtsied, her hand still in his.
Was this his wife? What happened to the brash, witty wench with the sharp tongue? Especially after the insults to pirates spewing from the Lord Warden’s mouth. Garrett was very pleased with her performance so far indeed.
“I have prepared a feast in your honor,” Garrett told him, trying to gain the man’s attention. “Would you rather I show you my manor and demesne now, or would you care to eat first?”
“I think a meal is in order,” he said, still holding onto Echo’s hand and not bothering to look at Garrett. “Lady Echo, would you do me the favor of escorting me to the great hall? And of course I will require to sit next to you and share a cup and trencher.”
Echo’s eyes darted over to Garrett and he could not mistake the fear as well as subdued anger he saw within them. She was looking to him to tell her what to do, and as much as he hated to do it, he nodded his approval.
“I would be delighted to accompany you, my lord,” she said, as she led him to the great hall. Garrett followed, not understanding what just happened.
Echo could barely breathe through the entire meal, as the Lord Warden insisted on sharing a trencher with her and his cup as well. The man was old and ugly, and it was all she could do to be polite, but if he didn’t stop breathing down her neck, she swore she was going to slug him in the jaw. And if he spoke about killing pirates one more time, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t stab him with her eating knife in retaliation.