Cast Love Aside

by Speer, Flora

  “What is the problem you mentioned?” Lilianne asked him, watching as he snatched her saddlebag from the bed and began hastily stuffing the documents taken from Erland's chamber into it. “Magnus, speak to me. Tell me what's wrong.”

  “According to William, Erland's men-at-arms have been asking probing questions about our purpose here,” Magnus said.

  “They also want to know where Erland is,” William added.

  “I suggest we leave the manor at once,” Magnus said. “We have what we came to find, and more,” he added, looking at Gilbert.

  “Captain Piers won't be at the rendezvous site,” Lilianne objected. “He's on his way to Calais.”

  “I know,” Magnus said, sounding as if he was about to lose his temper. “I believe our best chance lies in leaving Manoir Sainte Inge before Norbard can reach it. We can hide in the countryside for a day or two, until it's time to meet Captain Piers. While we wait I can decode Erland's documents.”

  “What we ought to do,” Gilbert broke in, “is stay here at the manor and defend it.”

  “Are you mad?” Braedon asked. “You expect three men, a woman, and a half-starved boy to fight off several dozen well-trained men-at-arms, in addition to however many men Norbard brings with him when he finally arrives? Norbard won't come alone, you may be certain of that. Use your wits, my lord Gilbert. You want to leave with your skin whole, so you can return later with a larger force.”

  “I am tired of being advised to leave my home!” Gilbert exclaimed.

  “But leave you will,” Magnus told him sternly. “I will not allow a child to jeopardize this mission.”

  “Then, I will stay behind,” Gilbert said, crossing his arms over his thin chest and assuming his most stubborn face.

  “You will do as you're told,” Magnus warned. “You may be lord of this particular manor, but you are still a child, too young even to be a squire. Lilianne, I hold you responsible for your brother. See that he stays close to you.”

  “I will,” she promised, catching Gilbert by an arm and holding on tight when he tried to pull away from her. “Gilbert, behave yourself,” she admonished him. “Are we ready?” Magnus asked his companions. “We'll head first to the stable for our horses, then depart out the main entrance as if leaving for a pleasure ride. We need not explain Gilbert's presence to mere men-at-arms.” He closed Lilianne's saddlebag over the last of the documents. William and Braedon were already in the corridor. Magnus gestured.

  “After you, my lady.”

  Chapter 14

  Erland's men stopped them in the hall.

  The midday meal was over, but most of the men-at-arms lingered, taking advantage of the break in whatever routine duties they bothered to perform while their master was away.

  Apparently, the servants were relaxing, too, for the tables hadn’t been cleared yet. Leftover food littered the tabletops, a few upturned wine cups dripped red liquid on the wood, and scraps and bones lay on the floor around the tables. The usual pack of half a dozen dogs scavenged through the debris.

  Lilianne shook her head in disgust at the squalor of what had once been a fine room, fit for any noble to visit. But she didn't have time to think about the degradation of Manoir Sainte Inge. A man-at-arms whom she recognized as one of Erland's lieutenants stepped in front of Magnus.

  “Having claimed that you were entering the manor on Count Erland's orders, you may not depart without his permission,” the man-at-arms said.

  “You have no right to stop me from going anywhere I wish!” Gilbert shouted at him.

  “Well, as to that, my young lord,” said the man-at-arms, “I don't know how you returned to the manor without any of us noticing, but now that you're here, you will stay until Erland says you may go.” To reinforce his edict, he placed one hand on his sword hilt.

  “Step aside,” Lilianne ordered, trying not to show how frightened she was. She could not allow herself to be intimidated by a mere man-art-arms. Whatever happened and despite what Gilbert imagined he wanted, she was not going leave her brother behind. She refused to be separated from him again. When she glanced at Magnus and his friends, she saw in all of them the same determination to be gone from the manor that she felt.

  Still, when the man-at-arms drew his sword and the other men in the hall began to pay attention to the altercation, Lilianne knew a moment of fear. With one hand on his own sword hilt, Magnus stepped in front of her, while Braedon and William took up protective positions on either side of Lilianne and her brother.

  “You are not Count Erland's men after all,” the lieutenant of the men-at-arms declared.

  “You cannot know whose men we are,” Magnus responded with cool contempt. “Get out of the way of the lord of Sainte Inge.”

  “That weakling boy is not my liege lord and never will be,” declared the lieutenant. “Count Erland is our sworn leader.” With that, he raised his sword and dealt Magnus a mighty blow.

  Swifter than the eye could follow, Magnus drew his sword and parried the deadly stroke. As if a signal had been given, a battle erupted in the hall. Keeping Lilianne and Gilbert in the center of their little group, Braedon and William joined Magnus in the fray. Each of them fended off attacks from several men-at-arms at once.

  “I should have a blade of my own!” Gilbert wailed. “This is my battle to fight!”

  “Stay with your sister,” Magnus ordered, speaking over his shoulder without removing his gaze from his opponents.

  Skilled with weapons though Magnus and his companions were, Lilianne quickly realized they hadn't a chance of winning the fight against so many men-at-arms. As fast as Magnus cut one man down, another took his place. The same was true of Braedon and William. Soon they would begin to tire. Already they were being forced backward. Lilianne looked around, desperately seeking something to use for a weapon. Meanwhile, Gilbert grabbed a sword from a fallen man-at-arms. Brandishing the blade, he stepped to Magnus's side.

  “No!” Lilianne screamed as a man-at-arms swiped at Gilbert, disarming him before he could get in a single stroke. The man-at-arms laughed as if Gilbert was of no importance and turned away to engage Magnus, who had seen what Gilbert was trying to do and moved to protect the boy.

  “Don't do that again!” Lilianne yelled at Gilbert. “You could be killed.”

  “I'm going to be killed, anyway,” Gilbert responded. “We all are. Unless – Lilianne, the dogs! Make them fight! Use the meat!”

  “What?” She gaped at him, not understanding at first, until she saw what he meant. The dogs were excited by the fighting and were running about the hall, barking furiously and generally getting underfoot. The noise they made almost drowned out the racket of clashing swords and shouting men.

  Lilianne noticed one dog, older and larger than the rest that she recognized as the leader of the pack. He stood at the edge of the conflict with hackles raised and teeth bared, ready to leap into the fray at any moment. All the dog needed was the excuse she was about to provide.

  She veered away from the protection offered by Magnus's solid back. Dodging among the men-at-arms, ducking under flailing arms and swinging sword blades, risking serious injury or possible death, she reached the tables and the remnants of the midday meal. She grabbed a leg of mutton and held it out to the lead dog, teasing him with it. She knew he smelled the roasted meat, for she could see the saliva dripping from his mouth. A sound between a whine and a bark issued from the cur’s throat. He looked from the meat to the battle, and back to the prize in Lilianne’s hand.

  She tossed the meat toward the dog, aiming it over his head and into the midst of the fighting men. It struck one man before it landed on the floor. The dog dashed between the legs of the combatants to capture the meat and drag it away. A man-at-arms slipped on the greasy spot where the mutton had landed and fell to his knees. Another man tripped over the fleeing dog and landed on his back.

  Encouraged by the confusion produced by her efforts, Lilianne picked up a bowl of leftover vegetable stew, then paused to d
ecide how she could use it to cause the most damage. Directly in front of her a pair of men were battling Braedon. Lilianne ventured a few steps from the table to empty the contents of the bowl onto the feet of Braedon's opponents. Almost immediately both men went sprawling onto the floor. Braedon shouted his thanks. Lilianne turned back to the table without lingering to see what he did to the men.

  Meanwhile, Magnus was hacking away at his own set of opponents, cutting a wide swathe through Erland’s men-at-arms. He seemed unaware that Lilianne had left his close protection.

  Since Lilianne was no longer holding onto Gilbert, he was free to join the fight on his own terms and he followed his sister to the table. Seizing a platter that was piled high with gnawed poultry bones and assorted other leftovers and drippings, he let it fly in the general direction of the battle, laughing merrily as his makeshift weapon splattered over the floor. Almost immediately three men-at-arms trod on the scattered bones and went skidding across the room to smash into the wall. A fourth man slipped on the platter and fell.

  Gilbert let out a whoop of triumph and began grabbing whatever slippery food he could find to throw under the feet of the men-at-arms. The dogs, thoroughly excited by the sudden abundance of food on the floor, continued to race about the hall, adding to the general confusion.

  Slowly, the momentum of the battle changed. Magnus was still laying about him with his huge broadsword, leaving bloody destruction in his wake, but now he was heading for the door and the courtyard. Having used the last of the food from the tables as her own weaponry, Lilianne caught Gilbert's hand and followed Magnus. Braedon backed his way out of the hall, protecting Lilianne and Gilbert in their escape.

  William was the final member of their party through the outer door and he slammed it shut as he went, jamming a discarded sword into the latch to secure the door against pursuit.

  Outside, the impending storm had broken, drenching the gravel surface of the bailey. With most of the men-at-arms still occupied in the hall there was no one to oppose their rush toward the stable and their horses. They had almost reached the stable when shouts erupted from the main gate as a band of horsemen rode into the bailey.

  “That's Norbard!” Lilianne cried, recognizing the leader of the horsemen.

  “Damnation!” Magnus exclaimed. “How did he get here so fast?”

  “Obviously,” said Braedon, “Norbard did not sail all the way to Calais. As we suspected he might do, he made Captain Piers put him ashore somewhere along the coast soon after we landed. Perhaps Erland keeps horses available at various locations for the use of his spies, just as Royce does, and keeps fighting men conveniently at hand, too.”

  “That's all very interesting,” William snapped, “but how do we get through the gate?”

  “We don't,” Magnus told him. “Norbard knows Lilianne has come home. He will certainly order the gate closed until he can learn from her where Erland is, and why she has returned without him. Our best chance of getting out of the manor is by using the secret tunnel again.”

  “We'll have to go back through the hall,” Gilbert pointed out, “past a lot of very angry men-at-arms.”

  “If you know a better exit, tell me now,” Magnus said.

  “There isn't any,” Gilbert said, adding, “I find it humiliating to have to creep about my own manor, hiding from villains who have no right to be here.”

  “Lilianne and I will lead the way,” Magnus said, choosing to ignore Gilbert's complaints. “Gilbert, you will stay close to William.”

  Allowing no one time to object to his orders, Magnus seized Lilianne's elbow and started back to the house. They lost a few precious moments while he wrenched the sword out of the door frame so they could get inside.

  In the hall wounded men lay on the floor, while others who were nursing sprains and bruises from falls on the greasy food sat on benches or leaned against the wall. The dogs ranged freely, chewing on bones or snapping and snarling at each other over the remaining scraps of meat. In a quiet corner, the lead dog gnawed on the mutton leg while keeping one eye cocked to watch his fellows.

  “Keep moving toward the kitchen,” Magnus told Lilianne. “Don't stop until you are inside the tunnel.”

  They raced across the hall, skirting grease spots, quarreling dogs, and groggy men-at-arms who seemed unwilling to pick up their swords and begin fighting again. Just as Lilianne reached the entrance to the kitchen she heard Norbard's shout of anger and surprise.

  “He'll need a few minutes to learn what has happened,” Magnus said into her ear. “We have enough time to open the tunnel door.”

  “You don't know Norbard,” Lilianne said. “He won't pause for more than a moment or two before he comes after us.”

  “All the more reason to hurry,” Magnus told her.

  “No. Leave him to me.” Pulling away from Magnus, Lilianne stepped forward to face Erland's closest associate, the man she detested as much as she hated her uncle, for it was Norbard who had arranged her father's fatal accident.

  “So,” she said, assuming her haughty noblewoman's demeanor for his benefit, “is this how you control Count Erland's men in his absence? A fine steward you are, Norbard.”

  “What happened here?” Norbard demanded. He was a short, stocky man with heavy shoulder muscles and pale, almost colorless eyes set in a badly sunburned face. He jerked his bulky frame in a series of abrupt movements until he had turned completely around, taking in the sight of dogs, injured men, and the cluttered hall as he went.

  “Well may you ask,” Lilianne snapped. “Gilbert and I decided to go riding. For reasons incomprehensible to me, the lieutenant of the men-at-arms tried to prevent us from leaving. Naturally, the knights whom Uncle Erland has hired to be our bodyguards could not allow such an insult to pass without objection. You see the result,” she finished, making a grand, sweeping gesture to indicate the entire hall.

  “I see Gilbert is here,” Norbard responded, “and I wonder when Erland allowed him to return.”

  “Since you have been absent for much too long,” Lilianne said coldly, “I do not expect you to understand the present circumstances.”

  “You've been gone from the manor, too,” Norbard said. “I saw you with these three men.”

  “I left here with Uncle Erland,” she stated firmly. “Do not dare to question my uncle's decisions, or my obedience to his orders.” Never again would she obey any order of Erland's, but hearing the lie on her own lips and seeing Norbard's fearful – and hastily concealed – reaction to the threat she implied, Lilianne experienced a thrill of power so intense that she began to understand why men persisted in spying. The excitement was enthralling; it could easily become habit-forming.

  “Lady Lilianne.” Norbard sounded as if he was about to offer an explanation or an apology, but Lilianne raised one hand and he fell silent.

  “Tell me, Norbard,” she said, “should Count Erland return at this moment, what do you imagine his reaction would be to this disgraceful scene?”

  “He wouldn't like it,” Norbard admitted with reluctance.

  “I hope you intend to discipline the men-at-arms for their intransigence and their rudeness to my brother and me,” Lilianne said, fixing Norbard with a cold glare. “Furthermore, I trust no one at Manoir Sainte Inge will dare to question my actions again, or try to stop me from going wherever I wish.”

  “Count Erland has never allowed you free movement,” Norbard reminded her. His brows drew together in an unpleasant frown, the momentary trace of meekness vanishing from his expression. “When did Gilbert return? And why did Erland allow it?”

  “If you wish to question your master's commands,” Lilianne said, “you will have to speak to him when he returns.”

  “When will that be?” Norbard asked.

  “Two days, three at the most,” Lilianne said. “I expect you, in your capacity as my uncle's steward, to oversee the cleaning and restoration of this hall. I want it set to rights again before Gilbert and I return from our ride. Come along, Gi
lbert.”

  She laid an arm across Gilbert's shoulders. William had stayed close to the boy during Lilianne's confrontation with Norbard, and he did not move away now. Confident that William would protect Gilbert with his life, Lilianne ventured a step toward Norbard and the door. She couldn't see Magnus or Braedon without taking her gaze away from Norbard, which she didn't want to do. She wanted Norbard to be intimidated by her arrogant assurance and she was certain that both men were at her back. With a bit of luck they would soon be on their horses and riding away from Manoir Sainte Inge without needing to resort to further violence.

  Unfortunately, luck seemed to have deserted them. Norbard refused to move, staying where he was, a short but all-too-solid barrier between Lilianne and the door.

  “You cannot ride today,” Norbard said. “It's raining hard. If little Gilbert gets wet, he'll develop a cough and inflammation of his lungs. You ought to be more careful of your brother's health, Lady Lilianne,” he finished on a sneer.

  “Sir Norbard,” Magnus said, breaking his long silence, “you will speak more respectfully of the lord of Sainte Inge. Count Erland would not like to hear the tone you have just used.”

  “I will use any tone I please, until Count Erland directs me otherwise,” Norbard replied.

  “I cannot allow such disrespect,” Magnus spoke with a softness that Lilianne recognized as dangerous.

  He stepped around Lilianne, placing himself squarely between her and Norbard. Lilianne made no objection to the way he shouldered her aside. She finally understood that Norbard was unwilling to let them leave without a fight.

  Knowing Magnus wanted all of his companions safely out of the manor, she wondered if he was about to reveal their connection to Royce. Though Norbard was duplicitous enough to work for both Royce and Erland and to accept payment from either man, it was possible Magnus had thought of a clever way to use what he knew about the steward. A treacherous man like Norbard must be open to bribery.