“You seem preoccupied,” Charlotte said to Hugh, as they passed the roasting pit.
“I’m trying to work out a problem. I’ll have the answer soon.”
“Can I help?”
“What do you know of contracts? When have I ever included you in any of my business dealings?” His words were as cool as icy river water. He let out a deep breath, bent his head down and studied his hands. “I appreciate you wanting to help. But this is something I need to decide on my own.”
“We have discussed your business in the past. You’ve told me all about Lord DeGraw and several others.”
Was DeGraw more difficult than he anticipated? Now he looked exasperated.
“The treasure hunt is starting soon. Do you have any idea what we’re looking for?” she asked, purposefully changing the subject.
“The answers to the riddles lead you to the treasure, a coin. Prizes are given for solving the riddles. A crown is given to the person who finds the coin.”
Charlotte had changed the conversation, but his reaction still didn’t sit well with her. Was his family against them marrying? They were open and welcoming. No, that didn’t seem right.
He must be upset with DeGraw.
They made their way to the edge of the archery field. People stood in line waiting for Donald to give them their riddles.
“Wait here. I’ll get the riddles.” Hugh went to get in line.
Her heart swelled watching him. There were times she ached to be near him. He was everything she wanted. If his family had issues with her, surely she could ease their minds. Perhaps it would be best if her father spoke with his parents. She was not willing to let anyone come between them. She would fight for him if she had to.
“Did you get your riddles?” Jane came up to her.
“Hugh is getting them. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you all afternoon.”
“I spent some time with our hostess and my parents. I would have much preferred spending it with you.” Jane looked at the parchment in her hand.
“Can I help you?” Charlotte reached out.
Jane pressed the parchment to her chest. “No, you don’t. This is mine.” She relaxed a bit. “Although, I could use your help.”
Jane handed her the parchment.
“Feed me and I live, give me a drink and I die.” Charlotte handed the note back to her.
“I’ve gone through every animal I can think of. This riddle doesn’t have an answer,” Jane said, a critical tone in her voice.
“It does. Give it more thought.”
“Easy for you to say. You know the answer, don’t you?”
Charlotte started to speak.
“No, don’t you say a word. I’ll figure this out.” Jane grabbed the note out of her hand and stalked off as Hugh returned.
Charlotte shook her head.
“What’s wrong with her?” Hugh watched as Jane went.
“She didn’t want help with her riddle.”
“You know the answer.” He handed a scrap of paper to her.
“Fire. She’ll figure it out, eventually.” She read her challenge. “The more you take, the more you leave behind. This is not as easy as Jane’s. Do you have any idea?”
“You’re the riddle expert. I’ll leave it to you.”
She tucked her riddle into her belt.
“What is your riddle?” she asked.
“Mine is not easy either. As soon as I have the answer, I will share it with you. Now, come with me. We’ll leave your bow and quiver at the lanes with Donald. Then I’ll show you my favorite place. I warn you, it’s a long walk.”
After leaving her bow and quiver with Donald, Hugh led her through the castle gate, along the lane, and past the town square. They crossed the meadow and made their way through the woods.
Hugh had no idea how to find out if she was hiding something from him. He wanted to grab her and shake her, make her tell him everything. Walking with her all day, he could easily forget the horrors his father told him, and what they implied about Charlotte and her father.
God help him, he loved her. He didn’t know how to stop. The hurt expression on her face at his earlier outburst made him feel guilty.
All afternoon he struggled with what action to take. There was no way to hide from the truth. Not now. No matter what that truth turned out to be.
They came to a small clearing. The tower of Glen Kirk Castle, bathed in sunlight, peeked through the trees.
“It’s beautiful,” Charlotte said, as she stepped closer to the edge of the clearing for a better view.
He gathered her into his arms and held her snugly. Neither moved.
He tipped her chin up with the crook of his finger. She stared into his eyes. They said so much about devotion and passion. He wished he could perceive loyalty as easily.
Hugh dipped his head and kissed the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat. Her eyelids slid closed as the warmth of his kiss sent the pit of her stomach into a swirl. The worry and concern of the afternoon vanished. Tears of relief welled up.
This was her Hugh. Tender, attentive, gentle. Her heart pounded in her chest as his lips seared a path up her neck. By all that was holy, she didn’t want him to stop.
He lifted his head and brushed her lips with his. The anticipated contact she hungered for was so fleeting she whimpered.
Hugh tucked her head against his shoulder and ran his fingers through her hair.
“We shouldn’t stay here.”
Charlotte agreed with him, but moving was the last thing she wanted to do.
He kissed her forehead. They still didn’t move.
He nibbled on her ear and she thought she would die.
She had an urgent desire, an aching need for his kisses.
His lips recaptured hers. She repaid him in kind until she was breathless. When his mouth left hers, her lips burned.
This was perfect. Life was perfect. Hugh was perfect.
“We should go back before Donald or Graham come after us,” he said.
“But—”
He put his index finger against her lips. “We should return to the castle.”
He was right. He wrapped his arm around her waist and started back.
“I will always be honest with you. I will never deceive you. Deceit kills trust, and trust is essential in a marriage and a lasting love. Can you say the same?” He kept walking with his gaze straight ahead.
She stopped. He still didn’t face her. She tried to keep her voice even and unemotional, but the tenderness and intimacy of a moment ago turned into a tempest she struggled hard to contain. “That you kiss me, entice me, and in the next breath ask me that question is an insult. Why do I need to declare my honesty? Is this some family requirement?”
“You protest rather than give me an answer. You won’t tell me you’ve been truthful.”
“I am not some peasant that must declare her fealty to her lord and master.” She poked his chest with her index finger. “My answer doesn’t matter. The sheen of your eye says you wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
Charlotte stomped off, leaving him standing alone and dazed. Too angry to cry, there was no way she could ever make this right.
You stupid, stupid girl. Why didn’t you tell him? Because you were afraid, you knew he wouldn’t want any part of you. What made you think for a moment that if he loved you, who your family is wouldn’t matter? Family is everything to this man.
“Charlotte, you seem to have lost someone.”
Startled she was at the field, she looked at Jane, who pointed behind her.
A quick glance over her shoulder and she saw Hugh following, but in no hurry.
“Not at all. He is where he wants to be.”
“I know better than to ask. A lover’s quarrel, I’m sure. Come, the tournament is starting. Focus all that anger on the target.” She didn’t have to look back to know Hugh wasn’t there. It didn’t matter that Jane chatted away next to her; she was still alone.
Her anger sp
ent, all that was left was emptiness and loss. Numb, she followed Jane and found herself in the last place she wanted to be, in front of Donald and Graham.
“Do you have a riddle about our tournament?” Donald asked her, as Graham gave everyone their shooting order.
She straightened her back, let out a breath, and put on a smile.
“Mates unbalanced, or so they seem, but paired in tandem a deadly team. She so gently round. Him so firm and straight, yet when they are compounded, woe to them they hate.” She waited for his answer.
“I think—” Graham began.
“No.” Donald interrupted. “The riddle is mine. Mates unbalanced, paired, a deadly team. One straight, one round…” His wrinkled brow smoothed. “A bow and arrow.”
She smiled, betraying nothing of her pain. “Well done. I’ll have to think of another riddle. One that is more challenging.”
“The tournament is going to be interesting,” Graham said. “More people are betting than in the past.”
“The rules are simple,” Donald said. You’ll get two arrows for each round. We’re in four groups of six. The best of each group will go on to the next round. Out of those four, the best two will go on to shoot two rounds for the championship.”
Donald and Graham didn’t appear to have any issue with her. The problem must be with Hugh. He knew nothing of her family, why was he angry?
“Charlotte,” Donald called. “They’re waiting for you.”
“I’ll be here when you’re done. To help you pick up your prize,” Jane said. Donald rolled his eyes and went with Charlotte to their lane.
She should speak to Hugh. Tell him the truth about her family. She was just as angry at herself as she was with him. The tournament would be over soon enough, then she would speak to him. More confident by the minute, she picked up her bow and quiver, and waited her turn.
The four archers before her had gone, their shots scattered on the target. She stepped up and took off her shoes, ready to take her shot. Hugh came up to the line where she could see him. Her heart sank. Martha Falin was on his arm.
Fighting to keep her composure, she had no idea why he tormented her, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how deep the wound went.
Charlotte shot her arrow. It was high of the center mark, but was the best so far. In truth, she didn’t care. She wanted the competition to be over, at least for her. Standing with Hugh near her was the last place she wanted to be.
The last competitor missed the center. She went on to the second round.
“Do you want me to go over and speak to Hugh?” Jane asked.
Charlotte spun and faced her. “Definitely not. He can do whatever he likes.”
“He doesn’t like Martha, we both know that, so what is he doing?”
“Proving your point. It was a summer dalliance. Nothing more.”
She took her two shots and went on to the final round, against Donald.
“Here we are. No hard feelings when I win,” Donald said.
She smiled. “No hard feelings at all. You, on the other hand, I’m not so sure.”
“You shoot well, but—”
“You think you’re better,” she interrupted. “We will see.”
Donald took his two shots. The two bolts lined up close together, each vying for the center of the target.
She studied the situation. This shot was difficult. To hit the center and win she’d have to get her arrow between Donald’s two. Her shot had to be straight on, no arc, or her arrow could hit his and bounce to the ground.
“What’s the delay? Can’t you make an honest shot?” Hugh shouted. The chattering around them stopped. All eyes were on her and Hugh.
She took her stance, nocked the arrow and pulled her bow.
She eased the string and lowered her bow, took a breath, and began again.
“Where are your shoes? Or are you a peasant who prefers going barefoot? Not really who you say you are.”
She let her arrow loose. Before it hit the target, she had the next one in the air.
Her first arrow struck between Donald’s two bolts, deep into the center of the target. Her second one sliced down the middle of her first arrow.
Donald was stunned. The crowd was silent.
Charlotte picked up her shoes and left the field. The situation was beyond repair.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hugh asked.
Before she entered the castle, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around.
She held up her hand.
“Don’t speak to me. Don’t touch me. I owe you no explanations. I thought better of you as a person and as a man.”
“Just tell me the truth.”
She hit him with an open hand. A red welt was already forming. Her slap was loud. He was stung more by the surprise than any pain.
“Thank Donald for me, for a good competition.”
He stared at her and rubbed his cheek, looking angry and pitifully alone. That was fine with her. She stepped away from him and forced herself not to look back. As much as she hated him, she loved him more.
Several hours later, the great hall was filled with guests and competitors. A banquet dinner had been served and the entertainment began. Hugh sat at a table close to the dais. Thankfully, Graham sat with him and spoke to people who stopped to speak.
“You haven’t said a word all evening.” Jane come over and sat beside him. “He’s been eating, so we know Charlotte’s slap didn’t dislodge his jaw. What has gotten into the two of you?”
Hugh pushed his chair back from the table. “I thought you were sitting with your parents.”
“I would rather be here with you and Graham.” Jane picked a piece of uneaten bread off of Hugh’s trencher.
“You are the talk of the competition, you and your public spat with Charlotte. Were your insults really necessary?” Graham asked.
“I’d rather not discuss it,” Hugh said. The redness was gone from his cheek, but he could still feel the sting.
“Hugh, where is your friend?” Lord Ryder asked. “I’ve searched for her all night. I wanted to thank her for helping my Teresa.”
Hugh had glanced at Charlotte’s chair several times during the evening. It remained empty.
“She’s probably in her room. She can be dramatic at times,” Hugh said.
“Please give her my thanks. Teresa won her tournament and said she couldn’t have done it without Lady Charlotte’s help. Oh, there’s your father. I’ve been looking for him, too. You tell her she did a good thing for Teresa.”
The man went on to speak to Gareth.
“Dramatic? Charlotte?” Jane said. “You’ve been staring at her chair most of the evening. I’m not surprised she’s not showing her face. You did a good job of humiliating her in front of everyone. Although she managed to get the better of the situation with that slap.” She leaned close and examined his face. “There may be a little mark of her hand, but the light is dim. No one will notice.”
He gave Jane a scathing glare.
“You brought it on yourself.” She patted his arm and walked away.
He wasn’t fit company for anyone. One minute he wanted to scream at Charlotte, and the next he wanted to hold her in his arms. She was hiding something from him, and he needed to know what it was. He glanced around the hall again.
“Who are you looking for?” His father came up next to him.
“Charlotte.”
“She forfeited the last round, bid good-bye to Lady Darla, and left the castle.”
Hugh swung around to face him. “By herself?”
“Your concern surprises me.”
“I had no idea she left the castle. I thought she pouted in her room.”
“No, I don’t think she’d pout after being humiliated. At your hand. I do think her slap, which everyone witnessed, was much too light.”
Hugh stiffened at his father’s words. He knew this tone and got ready. His father hadn’t scolded him in some time.
“I was going outside for some fresh air,” his father said.
It was to be a private scolding. Might as well get it over with. They walked to the bench under the beech tree. Hugh sat, his shoulders slumped, his hands clasped and hanging between his knees.
“I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard you. I wouldn’t expect you to treat anyone like that, especially the woman you’re going to marry.”
Hugh’s head popped up as he straightened, his hand clutching his thigh.
“Marry her? Now? With what her father did to us?”
Gareth turned to him and lowered his face until they were eye to eye.
“What Miles did to me. Not us. Neither you nor she were born at the time. Miles thinks I’m dead and knows nothing about you. What story have you made up in your mind? What reason have you given yourself to justify how you treated her?”
“She isn’t who she says she is. That’s enough for me to know.”
“You’re not who she thinks you are either.” His father glared at him, disappointment written on his face, which wounded him more deeply than a heated discussion.
He didn’t want a chilly calm. He wanted an offer of forgiveness or assurance his actions with Charlotte were of little consequence. But he knew they mattered greatly.
At the glen overlooking Glen Kirk he held her, wanted her, but was a traitor to his family. Then the words came and he couldn’t stop them from coming out of his mouth. Like some sickness he needed to vomit up. He got it out, but it left him less of a man in his father’s eyes, and if he was honest, his own.
“You don’t know that. I never thought you were a hurtful person or an unfair man, but that is what you are. The way you treated her. You are so sure of your decisions. Quick to judge.”
“As the oldest, I’ve been at your side since I was a boy. Our bond was more than father and son. We worked together. I can understand personal matters with Lord Reynolds, but this. How could you exclude me? What have I done that you don’t trust me?”
“Is that it? You’re angry at me so you took it out on Charlotte?” His father stood and stepped away. “I am responsible for my actions and what I did. Not you, your brothers, or your mother. I am responsible. Me. Trusting you was never an issue. Protecting myself from the truth? Ah, now, that is something I am responsible for. My actions weigh heavy on my shoulders. Just as yours will. She’s angry, but more than that, she is hurt.”
Hugh: Pirates of Britannia Connected World (Sons of Sagamore Book 1) Page 6