When Love Awaits(35)

When she returned to the city palace, she found Richard Amyas in the stables. His impatience to be gone was obvious, and it was easy to convince him that Rolfe would be delayed for a while yet and that he should go on ahead to join Sir Piers on the tourney field. He left immediately, taking only two of the men-at-arms. That left Leonie the remaining eight, one of whom was the master-at-arms, Guy of Brent.

Leonie had never had reason to speak with him before. She did so now, using a tone that brooked no interference. He was not like Piers or Richard who would feel it was their duty to question her. Guy simply did as he was told and ordered one of the baggage wains readied. He sent men with her to collect her trunks.

Damian was more difficult to deal with. She did not want him to remain there to tell Rolfe she had gone, nor could she tie and gag Damian and bring him along. She waited until her trunks were removed and the maids gone before she launched into the lie that would delay Rolfe’s following her.

“The king has bid me move to Westminster Hall until my husband is in a reasonable enough mood to listen to my explanation about what happened.”

“That is wise, my lady,” Damian replied solemnly. “So you have the king’s protection?”

“Yes. Stay with my lord until he awakens.”

She looked at Rolfe once more, knowing that the next time she saw him, his face would not look as peaceful as it did then. A shiver passed down her spine. Was she making it worse by leaving? She could only pray that time would calm him.





Chapter 35




LEONIE directed her escort off the main road and into the woods late that afternoon, despite the dire warnings of Guy who swore it wasn’t safe to travel except on the main road. But Leonie was not worried about cutthroats or wild animals. She was buying herself more time, for Rolfe would go directly to Crewel, assuming that was her destination, while this route would take her around about, finally coming from the east to Pershwick. Oh, she would not compound her mistakes by pitting Pershwick against her husband, but hopefully he would think twice before beating her at Pershwick.

They made camp that night in the dense woods. Leonie could not complain, for she had brought it on herself. Wilda did complain, her grumbles continuous.

Rolfe would never forgive her. That thought carried Leonie into sleep that night. Sometime later, when a hand clamped over her mouth brought her awake, her first thought was that Rolfe had found her much sooner than she had anticipated.

She was dragged upward, an arm slipped beneath hers and across her breasts, gripping her firmly against a hard body. She was backed out of camp furtively, seeing by the light of the small fire that the rest of the camp was not disturbed, and that the guard at watch was not where he should have been.

But Rolfe would not take her away this way. He would have arrived with his wrath full-blown and awakened all with his booming voice. But if this was not Rolfe…

Leonie began to struggle, but it was too late. The grunt from the man behind her was not loud enough to carry back to camp. Her attempt to scream and to bite her captor’s hand only made his grip tighten.

“Settle down, lady, or I will have to put my fist to you.”

The gruff voice was speaking French, but it was not the fluid French of the nobility. As soon as she realized that, she realized he was not alone.

“Do we take her to the lord?”

“What did I wait around and snatch her for if not that?” the man behind answered irritably.

“We could keep this one for ourselves.”

“That will not put gold in our pockets,” was the quick retort.

“But this one is pretty, Derek.” A beefy face loomed in front of Leonie.

“What does that matter when we need the pay?”

“We can have both.” A third voice spoke. “Your lord will have his fun with her, Derek, so why shouldn’t we as well? We took the risk of snatching her. I want her before we turn her over to him.”

“Agree, Derek, or we do not leave here,” the second man threatened.

The moment was tense. The other two men waited for Derek to decide. And then the quiet was broken by another man who burst through the brush, running.

“Osgar,” the new fellow whispered excitedly, “the guard died without making a sound! I did a good job!”

“Quiet your fool brother, Osgar,” Derek hissed angrily. “I swear I do not know why I use him.”

“Because he does your killing for you,” Osgar said smoothly. “Now—what about the lady? Does she pleasure us first?”

“Yes, but not here,” Derek agreed. “And it must be done quickly. It is a long reach to the castle and her men have horses while we do not.”

“We should have killed them all,” someone grumbled.

“There were too many, fool. Now let us hurry if we are to stop before we reach the castle.”

Leonie was carried along at a near run. She felt numb at first. This could not be real, could it? But the numbness began to wear off as Osgar and the others resumed speaking while they hurried through the woods.

“Will the lady be tortured like the others, Osgar?”

“You talk too much,” Osgar growled at his brother.

“Will she?”

“If she does not admit who she is and arrange to ransom herself, yes, she will be tortured.”

“Derek watches, doesn’t he?”

“Idiot! Derek does the torturing. It is his lord who likes to watch.”

Derek laughed, overhearing. “Did you tell him how often you sneaked into the dungeon to watch, too, Osgar?”

There was silence, then Osgar’s brother asked, “Will she be kept for long in the dungeon, Osgar?”

“You ask too many questions.”

“That merchant was killed even after his man brought the ransom. The merchant and his man were both killed.”

“Quiet your brother, Osgar, before I do,” Derek said angrily.

Leonie had heard of such happenings, but not since the time of King Stephen when anarchy had prevailed. During King Stephen’s time, even the poorest petty lord could collect riches and many did, extorting serf and freemen, even plundering churches. It was a common crime to capture anyone suspected of having even a little wealth. The victims were imprisoned and tortured until they were willing to give up all they possessed. No one was safe in those days, for there was no recourse to a king who was perpetually busy fighting to keep his crown. The true extent of criminality was realized later when all the unlicensed castles—more than a thousand—were ordered dismantled by Henry.

Leonie’s fear became overwhelming as she considered all of what would happen to her when she was turned over to Derek’s lord. But even so, those fears receded when the four men stopped, and she recalled what they planned.

Bile rose in her throat when Derek said gruffly, “I need a gag.”

“Oho, so you want her too. And here you put up such a fuss—”

“A gag! Quickly!” Derek snapped. “I warn you, we have very little time. She needs to be locked away before her men come looking for her.”

“We do not carry rags with us,” Osgar grumbled.

“Your shirt will do. Give it over.”

The second Derek removed his hand so that one of them could gag her, she let out an ear-piercing scream. It was cut off quickly, the stinking shirt yanked hard across her mouth. The shirt was tied behind her head so tightly, she thought the corners of her mouth would surely rip open.

The moment the gag was secure, Derek shook her hard. Pain shot up her arms where he gripped her.

“Stop, Derek, before you break her neck!” someone warned.

“Do you think they heard her at the castle?” Osgar asked.

“They don’t care what happens in the woods,” Derek told him.

“Then why are you so angry?”

“We are far enough away from her men, but not if one has awakened and come after her.”

“We should have killed them one and all,” Osgar said disgustedly. “There was no knight among them.”

“And no sword among us but mine,” Derek reminded them with contempt.

“Quiet! I hear something!”

Leonie heard it, too, growing louder by the second, the unmistakable sound of horses charging through the brush. Hope rose inside her, a living thing.

“You are saved for now, lady,” Derek rasped angrily, “but I will make you pay for this later.” To the others he ordered, “We cannot delay here now. Move quickly, but for God’s sake do not make any noise.”

“Derek, no,” came an alarmed whisper. “There is the meadow to cross yet. We will be seen.”

“Not if we wait by the meadow until all is quiet again. They will be spread out looking for her. If one comes upon us, we can kill him.”

Leonie was propelled forward again. This time her arms gripped just above the elbows so that she couldn’t reach up to pull out her gag. The other three men moved off ahead, but her struggle with Derek slowed him down. She tried jerking out of his hold, she tried stomping on his feet, she tried lifting her feet off the ground to pull him down. He was much stronger and none of it worked. He finally growled and hefted her up under his arm to carry her like a sack of meal.

She began feeling desperate again. The sound of hoof beats receded. Oh, she would have given her life for a chance to call out!

Derek stopped near a wide clearing that cut through the woods and was exceptionally bright compared to the woodland on all sides of it. The other three men were crouched down by the edge waiting for her and Derek, alert, nerves taut.