“The men are sequestered in the barracks,” Gavin answered. “We have moved all of the sick men in there.”
Garret lifted his eyebrows dubiously. “Then let us hope the rest of us do not contract whatever they have.”
It was then he noticed Zayin, Rhys, and Knox coming towards him from the direction of the barracks. Garret could see that all five of his senior men were still awake at this late hour, still attending duties and, he suspected, waiting for him to return. It was rare when he left Westminster at all, so they were undoubtedly waiting for him.
“What is this?” he demanded lightly, looking at the group converging on him. “Don’t any of you sleep?”
Rhys rubbed wearily at his eyes. “When you are away, we must be twice as vigilant,” he said. “Moreover, with men down with an illness, we must all put in extra time to cover the holes left by them.”
That seemed to be the predominant theme for the night – sick men and those who weren’t sick doing extra duty. The weariness was catching, however, because Garret suddenly stifled the urge to yawn.
“I take it de Lohr departed without incident?” he asked. “When did his army finally pull out?”
It was Gart who answered. “Not too long after you left,” he said. “He said to tell you that he and his men are staying near the Tower for the night in case you should need him.”
Garret lifted his eyebrows knowingly. “He means with Colchester.”
Gart nodded, hesitating briefly before continuing. “Is… is everything all right, Garret? I mean at The Wix? Rickard is not in danger because of what he told us, is he?”
It was a question they’d all been wondering but had been afraid to ask, mostly because Garret hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about where he’d been going when he’d left that day. They all assumed it had been to The Wix, something to do with Colchester and his brother’s tales of the duke being an ally of the prince, but no one wanted to ask. If Garret had wanted them to know, he would have told them.
Still… Garret had been acting strangely since the prince’s party, his mind seemingly not on his work, and there was speculation among the knights that a woman was involved. Truthfully, that speculation came from Gavin and was based on the fact that Garret had left John’s party with one of the Duchess of Colchester’s women. Garret was never seen with any woman, so that event had been an odd one. Still, no man in his right mind would ask for clarification and if Zayin knew, he wasn’t talking. Garret’s closest friend was remaining silent on the subject. Therefore, Gart was taking a chance by asking him questions about his activities.
But Garret didn’t seem distressed by the question. In fact, he shook his head, quite seriously.
“Rickard is not in any danger,” he said. “I just left the man and everything was as it should be, praise God. But that could change, so it is imperative to keep communication open with my brother. He is taking a chance by telling us what he knows. There is no knowing what Colchester will do to him if he discovers what my brother has done.”
The knights simply nodded. No one wanted to press him beyond what Garret was willing to tell them. They were obedient to a fault, men dedicated to Richard and his kingdom, and to Garret most of all.
Garret knew this, of course. He could see that they wanted to ask more of him because they were men of curiosity. More than that, things had been rather strange with him the past few days. He knew they wanted to know why. These were men that were his friends and brothers-in-arms and, as an awkward silence settled, he came to a decision. He’d kept his secret from them long enough. Zayin knew, and Rickard and Christopher knew, but because Garret was planning on taking a bride in few hours, he thought it only fair that his men should know of his plans. There would soon be a woman among them. Softly, he cleared his throat.
“There is something else, however,” he said, watching his men inexplicably perk up. “Something that has not affected any of you until now. But as of tomorrow morning, it will, so it is only right that you should know.”
“Of course, Garret,” Gart said, trying to pretend that he wasn’t deeply anxious to hear. He couldn’t quite pull it off. “What is it?”
Garret glanced at Zayin as he spoke. “I am honestly not sure where to start, so I suppose it is best if I start from the beginning,” he said. “On the night of John’s party, I prevented a young woman from being molested by men outside of the gates. It turned out she was a lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Colchester. Since Rickard also serves Colchester, it was quite a coincidence and I escorted the woman to Colchester’s table. However, shortly after I brought her, Hawisa evidently saw her and asked for her. As we all know, a request from John or his wife can never come to any good.”
The knights nodded in understanding. “Deviants, both of them,” Knox muttered, watching the other men agree with him. “How many women have we heard of them deflowering, or worse?”
Garret held up a hand to quiet them down before the conversation turned to the failings of John and Hawisa. “Exactly,” he said. “Gavin already knows this portion of the story because I told him the morning after, but I escorted the woman out of the hall and to safety, away from John and Hawisa. I was asked by one of Colchester’s women to do this and I did. I told Gavin that was the end of the story, but it was not. There is more to it.”
The knights were clearly interested. “What more is there?” Gavin asked.
Garret didn’t keep them waiting. “Instead of returning the woman to The Wix, I took her into London and bought her a meal,” he said, watching a variety of surprised expressions cross the faces of his men. “Do not ask me why I did it, for I cannot truly tell you. All I know is that I wanted to do it. Ask Zayin; he came with me. We spent a few hours with Lady Lyssa and, if you must know, they were some of the most wonderful hours of my life. I knew at the conclusion of the evening that I wanted to see more of her. And I have. I am marrying the woman at sunrise tomorrow and she will live with me here at Westminster.”
The last sentence brought the biggest reaction; eyebrows flew up, eyes widened, and expressions of curiosity turned to expressions of delight. All except Zayin; he simply grinned and shook his head as if the entire thing were foolishly sweet. Congratulations and well-wishes began to tumble over Garret like an avalanche, more pats and handshakes than he could keep up with. All the while, Zayin stood there and chuckled.
“I could have predicted this, Salibi,” he said. “I could tell by the way you looked at the woman that there was something more in your heart than you cared to admit. She is a lovely woman and I wish you many blessings.”
Garret was smiling, perhaps sheepishly. “I have been with her since leaving Westminster earlier today,” he said. “In case you were all wondering, which I am sure you were, I was with her. It was the most wonderful of days, I assure you.”
“It always is when we spend it with those we love,” Zayin said.
Garret chuckled, embarrassed that he’d confessed his feelings for Lyssa but, in the same breath, he was glad. So glad he could have shouted it to the world. So much about the woman made his heart sing and he was relieved that his men now knew his secret. He was happy to have them share in his joy. But soon enough, he sobered.
“There is something more you should know, another part to this story,” he said, holding up a hand to quiet his buzzing men. “Jago de Nantes has set his sights on Lyssa. He attacked her yesterday at The Wix, which is why I removed her from the premises today. Originally, I was going to send her to Lioncross Abbey to serve Lady de Lohr, but I decided this afternoon that there was no reason to do that. I want to marry the woman so marrying her tomorrow or a year from now would not matter to me; my feelings for her would not change. Therefore, I made the decision to simply marry her and bring her to live with me here at Westminster where Colchester can never get his hands on her. He’d be a fool to try.”
The mood of the conversation went from congratulatory to concerned in the blink of an eye. “Colchester attacked her?” Gavin repeat
ed, aghast. “My God, Garret… what did he do?”
Garret knew he was asking because his sister served the House of de Nantes, as well. He was worried for her and rightfully so.
“From what I was told, he tried to force her to share a meal with him and when she refused, he threatened her. He also touched her, inappropriately, and when she resisted, he slapped her.” Garret grunted, hating the sound of even repeating that event. It was sickening to the ear. “We all know Colchester’s reputation and, clearly, I cannot permit Lyssa to be subjected to the man’s advances, which has also contributed to the swiftness of my decision to marry her. Ideally, I would not pursue marriage for at least a year for the sake of propriety, but this situation is different. I cannot, and will not, wait.”
Every man there understood, but along with understanding a suitor’s perspective, they understood the perspective of a man of honor. Colchester attacked what belonged to Garret and, this time, it was Zayin who asked the question.
“Does Colchester know the lady belongs to you?” he asked. “Please tell me you did not confront him, Salibi.”
Garret shook his head. “Although it went against every instinct, I did not confront him and he does not know of me and Lyssa,” he said. He signed heavily. “I am not foolish. I know what could happen should I challenge Colchester for what he has done. The man is a duke, a royal cousin, and untouchable by men such as me. Although my pride screams for revenge, the wiser part of me knows that is not possible. I do not intend to ruin my life before it truly begins. The best solution is to remove Lyssa and that is what I intend to do.
There wasn’t one man listening that didn’t breathe a sigh of relief at what they were hearing. To challenge Colchester would have been suicidal at best. Garret understood the way of the world and he understood that an open challenge to Colchester would only result in harming himself. It went against everything Garret stood for, because he was a man of honor and honor sometimes meant fighting for what he believed in, and what was right, but in this case he’d chosen wisely.
No one was more aware of that than Zayin. He simply nodded his head to Garret’s statement. “You are as wise as you are brave,” he said. “Marry the woman and keep her with you. Colchester will soon move on to other quarry when he knows he cannot have her.”
Garret averted his gaze, kicking at the ground as he did so. “I am not in the habit of feeling helpless against any man, so this has been… difficult.”
“Difficult but necessary,” Gavin put in. “You have no choice, Garret. You are doing what any of us would have done. There is no shame in that. The shame is on Colchester. In fact, I shall write my father and tell him to remove my sister from that house. He will want to know of Colchester’s behavior.”
Garret was appreciative of the support. “No one in their right mind would contest a directive from Valor de Nerra,” he said, smiling weakly. “Your father needs to know what his daughter is being subjected to. With all of the people he knows in England, he can send her to another fine house.”
Gavin was looking rather strained. “Mayhap I should go to my sister and see for myself.”
Garret put a hand on his shoulder. “For your sister’s sake, you should. She may need your protection.”
“Against a man who will never be punished for anything he does.”
Garret simply looked at him, a knowing expression that said what they both knew – Gavin was correct. As Gavin pondered a trip to The Wix, perhaps tomorrow morning, a shout came from the gatehouse.
The knights weren’t paying too much attention, still caught up in Garret’s confession and the revelations about Colchester, but they turned to see why many men had taken up the call. Usually it was only a sentry on the wall, but now even men who were at the portcullis were shouting. As Garret and his men turned to see what had them so excited, a man on horseback came bolting through the half-open portcullis.
But he wasn’t alone. He had a body lying across his thighs and it took Garret a few seconds to realize that he was looking at Rickard, charging right for him. As the horse moved closer, he could see the body across his brother’s legs – a woman.
A woman with bronze-colored hair.
It was Lyssa.
Garret dropped the trunk he’d been holding and bolted for his brother as the man came near. Because he was running, his men were running, and suddenly they were swarming Rickard and his foaming horse. Garret actually whimpered when he realized that, indeed, it was Lyssa spread over his brother’s thighs and he reached out to remove her, assisted by Zayin and Gavin.
“Careful!” Rickard roared. The man was half-dressed and harried. “She is badly injured, Garret. Find your physic now!”
Knox didn’t even wait for the command from Garret. He went running for the barracks where he knew the physic had been tending the ill men. Meanwhile, Garret very carefully pulled Lyssa from his brother’s lap. She had been on her stomach and, with incredible care, he turned her onto her back with Zayin’s help.
What he saw shook him to the bone; blood was seeping from her mouth and one ear, and her clothing was torn and dirty. It was the same dress she’d been wearing the last time he saw her. The one he’d pulled off her in the heat of passion. For the first time in his life, he felt the sting of tears and the bitter taste of panic in his mouth. Unfamiliar emotions swamped him and his hands began to shake.
“God in Heaven,” he breathed. “What happened?”
Rickard spit out the most terrible words he’d ever spoken. “Colchester beat her.”
The panic in Garret’s heart turned to a wildfire of anger. “He did this?”
No man had ever heard such rage from Garret’s tone, Rickard included. Once Lyssa was off his horse, he swung the excitable animal around, back in the direction of the gatehouse.
“Aye, he did that,” he said, sounding sick and furious. “I will tell you more when I can, but right now, I must return immediately. I do not know what else the man has done, or to whom, and I must return to see what else has happened. But you – you stay here. Do not come to The Wix!”
He bellowed it at his brother, as if shouting would make it so. He was terrified that Garret was going to fly into a frenzy and go charging into The Wix to kill Colchester. When Garret didn’t answer, he pointed at Zayin.
“Do not let him leave here,” he commended. “Keep him here if you have to tie him up!”
Zayin understood. God help him, he understood but he also knew that if Garret truly wanted to seek vengeance against Colchester, then he couldn’t stop him. No one could. With the limp, beaten lover in his arms, Garret had every right to demand vengeance, and Zayin was genuinely worried on many different levels. But he nodded sharply at Rickard, who spurred his horse back towards the gatehouse.
In truth, Garret wasn’t the one they had to worry over at the moment. Gavin was suddenly racing for the stables to collect his horse, scared out of his mind that, somehow, his sister might be caught up in whatever rampage Colchester was on. Gart and Rhys bolted after him, grabbing him before he could get away, and suddenly there was a brawl in the bailey as Gavin tried to free himself from men who were trying to save his life.
It was chaos.
But Garret couldn’t think about that at the moment. He had his own problems.
“Help me get her to my apartment,” Garret said huskily to Zayin. “If she is broken up inside, I do not want to aggravate her injuries. Take her feet and I will take her arms.”
Zayin was on the move. He could hear Garret’s voice trembling and it was like a stab to his heart. His friend, the bravest and most noble man he’d ever known, was upset beyond measure and there was nothing Zayin could do except try to comfort him.
“She is breathing steadily,” he said as he lifted her legs and they began to hurry back towards the apartments that housed the knights and officers. “That is a good sign. We shall take her inside and put her to bed. The physic will know what to do.”
Garret couldn’t even respond. He was carry
ing Lyssa underneath the armpits, his big arms trying to hold on to her body without any pressure. Bleeding from the mouth and from the ear was never a good sign; he knew that. He’d seen enough injured men to know that blood, on any level, was never a good sign, and it was a struggle to keep himself in check as he and Zayin carried her all the way to his apartment on the first level of the two-storied apartment structure.
It was dark and cold inside the apartment block. As they entered the building, they were in a room that acted like a foyer and there was a guard there to watch the doors to the apartments. The guard had been half-asleep when Garret and Zayin entered, his eyes wide at the limp woman they were carrying between them. But he quickly opened the door to one of the corridors and Garret and Zayin entered, pausing when they came to the first door on the left. Garret freed a hand to open that door, spilling them into the inky darkness beyond.
These were Garret’s apartments, two chambers for his specific use. There was an outer reception room and then a bedchamber attached to it. Garret and Zayin stumbled through the darkened reception room and into the bedchamber beyond, very carefully laying Lyssa upon the messy bed. Once Garret’s hands were free, he went straight to the table near the bed to light the taper there.
“Start a fire, please,” he told Zayin, sounding calmer than he had only moments before. “We must keep her warm if she is bleeding.”
As Garret lit one taper and then a second one, sending the golden glow of light into the chamber, Zayin did the same thing with the cold, dark hearth. A few sticks of kindling lit up quickly and he carefully placed peat upon it to stoke the blaze. Meanwhile, Garret took one of the tapers and moved over to the bed to get a better look at Lyssa.
She was ghostly pale. Even her lips were white. With a breaking heart, Garret tenderly smoothed the hair out of her face and began a very careful examination of visible injuries. The blood on her mouth was from a split lip, he could see, and her teeth seemed to be intact. He didn’t feel any broken bones on her face or her neck, but she was very bruised. When he came to her shoulders, he could see a massive welt on the right shoulder. A bruise was already forming on her neck. As he moved down her arms, he heard his name, very softly.
Masters of Medieval Romance: Series Starters Volume II Page 53
