“Do you recall the dog’s name?”
The abbess answered without delay. “Lady Gwenth.”
Lady barked at the woman.
“Where exactly did you find her, Harold, and when?” Colin asked.
“I do not recall,” Hope said, knowing if she was not quick with her wit he would begin to piece it all together. “I had been traveling for days. I was hungry and not certain of my surroundings. She was just there on the side of the road looking half starved and lifeless. I felt the same way so I joined her. We have been together ever since and she now belongs to me.”
Colin rubbed his chin. “She answers to Lady—”
Lady barked, confirming his remark.
“So she would answer to Lady Gwenth—”
Lady barked again and Hope wanted to hug her.
“As well,” Colin finished and looked to the abbess. “Do you think it possible that this dog could belong to Hope?”
“Aye, I think it is possible.”
Colin did not wish to voice his suspicions. If this dog actually did belong to Hope then there was a distinct possibility that she encountered trouble along the road, and could at this moment be injured or dead. Neither thought sat well with him. He had grown to admire this spirited woman and he wanted the chance to meet her.
“Think on where you found Lady, Harold,” Colin said. “And if you recall anything that may help, please tell me.”
“Aye, I will,” Hope answered with a firm nod and felt that she was once again in control of the situation, though there was the abbess to deal with.
Colin walked off after a respectful nod to the abbess and the trio continued on their way. They stopped in the small cottage that housed the cook area and gathered a basket of treats. No conversation was exchanged until they reached a wooden rail fence that led to a grove of trees. There under the budding trees they began to talk while Lady enjoyed a fat bone.
“It is good to see you are safe and healthy,” the abbess said. “Many worry about you.”
Hope lowered her head, feeling contrite for the worry she was causing everyone. “I am truly sorry.”
“Then why continue to make those you love suffer needlessly… when you know you will do what is expected of you.”
“Perhaps that is why I do it. I know I will marry whom my uncle Shamus tells me I must, yet before I dedicate my life to being a good wife, I wish to live, truly live.”
The abbess placed a comforting hand on her arm. “You take a dangerous chance. Could you not have confided in your uncle your wishes?”
Hope sighed heavily. “I did and he suggested I travel to visit friends and relatives, but I have done that. I wished to meet new people, go new places, and learn about this land that is my home.”
“You are too curious.”
“How will I ever learn or know life if I am not curious?”
The abbess shook her head. “You know all you need to know. You will wed and be a good wife and mother to your children. What more do you want?”
Tears threatened her eyes. “I want to find a love like my mother and father shared. A binding love that even death could not separate.”
The abbess fought to keep her eyes dry. “They were a unique couple, my child. A love like that is rare.”
Hope brushed away the single tear that ran from her eye. “I know, but I can dream and I can at least attempt, if only for a short time, to discover such a love before I must commit myself to a loveless marriage.”
“And what if you were to find such a love?”
“I would speak with my uncle and I have no doubt he would allow me to marry the man of my choice.”
The abbess smiled. “I have no doubt he would. He could never deny you anything. Which is why you are in your present situation.”
“Will you keep my secret?” Hope asked anxiously.
“I cannot lie.”
Hope understood the abbess had to be true to her vows, but her disappointment was obvious in the slump of her shoulders.
“But then”—the abbess paused and smiled gently—“the truth need only to be told when asked of me.”
Hope’s eyes widened and a smile flashed across her pretty face. “Thank you.”
The abbess raised a shaking finger to her. “Do not be so fast to thank me.”
Her smile faded slowly.
The abbess continued. “I will say nothing because I know you are safe with these men and that they continue on to Shanekill Keep where your safety will be further guaranteed. But once there your time will be limited, for I heard that your uncle may journey to Limerick to speak with the Irish Devil himself. If they stop here at the abbey to see me then I will tell them of your whereabouts. So enjoy your adventure, child, for it will end soon enough.”
Hope could not complain. She was grateful for the time she had and the time remaining.
“Now take yourself off,” the abbess ordered gently. “And I will take myself to the chapel for prayer.”
Hope understood that she intended to keep herself out of Colin’s sight so that he would not question her again in regards to Hope. And of course no one would dare to disturb her while in prayer.
The abbess placed a soft hand to her face. “Be well, my child, and may you find what you search for.”
Hope watched her walk away and instantly thought of Colin. Was he what she searched for? Could she find love with him? She knew little of him and yet he appealed to her in many different ways. Was that not a good place to start?
She shrugged as she walked off with Lady. What was she thinking? Colin knew her only as a young lad in need of friendship. And he knew Hope as a spoiled young woman in need of finding. Whatever made her think that when the truth was discovered he would feel anything but anger toward her?
She was foolish in her thoughts of him, and yet …
She shrugged again and smiled down at Lady. “He appeals to my eye.”
Lady released a grumbling growl.
She went on. “And he is kind.”
Lady grumbled yet again, as if she tired of hearing her master repeat herself.
Hope’s smile grew. “I will get to know him well and then I will know if my thoughts of him prove foolish.”
Chapter Seven
The men were having a grand time.
Hope was not.
They had met up with a traveling troupe of entertainers late in the afternoon and decided to set up camp for the night together. Ale was flowing freely and so were the three women who were part of the troupe. There was song, dance and merriment and antics the likes of which Hope had never seen but had heard tales.
She understood that some women were free in their ways, though she had never witnessed such promiscuity. Seeing it now before her eyes made her realize she knew little of men, but she was learning quickly.
The men urged her to join in the fun, shoving a jug of ale in her face repeatedly. She pretended to drink her fill, though the ale that ran down the sides of her closed mouth was the only ale she tasted. She laughed along with the boisterous group and watched their actions with interest, especially those of Colin.
A woman with bright yellow hair and a body that was plentiful in all the right places attached herself to him. She made certain the other two women kept their distance from him and she made certain he received more than his fair share of ale.
Hope did not trust her. Her eyes were much too narrow, her look too intent and her salacious movements too intentional. She was up to something.
Lady remained close by Hope’s side, growling every now and then if someone came too near to her. It was obvious Lady did not care for the raucous antics herself.
The night wore on and the men became worn out, most of them sound asleep on the ground snoring loudly. The two women had found willing men for the night and had taken themselves off to more private places, which was what the woman with Colin was attempting to do with him.
“Come on, love, we need to find a spot for ourselves,” she said with a teasin
g laugh and lips that tempted his.
“Why is that, lass?” he asked, his hands reaching out to caress her full breasts.
Being a lady Hope should have looked away, but given the fact that she posed as a young lad who was in need of learning all he could about life, she kept steady eyes on the pair.
“I have something you want,” she urged in a hushed breath and ran her hand down over the bulge beneath his tunic.
Colin did not stop her; his hands grew more aggressive with her breasts.
“Come on, love,” the woman urged again. “I ache for the taste of you.”
Hope watched as they both stood on swaying legs and, with arms wrapped around each other they walked out of camp into the dark night.
Should she follow?
She certainly did not wish to watch them mate. It was none of her concern whom Colin made love with, though be certainly was not about to make love; he was simply copulating, assuaging his sexual desires. And from the way she heard the men speak, their sexual desires needed assuaging frequently.
Women, she had been told, thought and felt differently about the sex act. To many it was a duty performed with their husbands to create a child. Her aunt, however, had told her that if there was love between the couple then making love was a wonderful experience shared often. And she impressed on Hope that some husbands who were experienced and considerate made the act a pleasant experience even though there was no love involved.
Hope wanted nothing less than to love the man she would be intimate with and she had thought most women had similar feelings; yet here was a woman who seemed to care nothing of love. She simply wished to satisfy her lust.
So, then, could women be as lusty as men? And not care with whom they mated?
Her thoughts intrigued her, but then so did her suspicions about the yellow-haired woman. Was the woman really lusty for Colin or was she up to something else? Or was Hope feeling envious that the woman would enjoy intimacy with Colin while she could only wonder what it would be like to make love with him?
And she had wondered.
Watching him work his charm on the women in the villages they stopped at and hearing the men speak of him with such awe and envy, how could she not wonder?
And besides, she liked Colin. He was a more decent man than anyone paid heed to and they shared a common wish. He wished for a love as strong and lasting as she did.
She shook her head and sighed softly. How could she ever hope for any emotions between them when he thought her a young lad? And when he discovered her identity, she was certain he would be angry that she had made a fool of him. Her situation seemed helpless, and yet …
She grew fonder of him day by day.
The anguished cry that ripped through the dark night did not disrupt the snoring men, but it caused her to jump in fright and Lady to growl.
In moments Colin emerged from the dark, his hand gripped firmly around the woman’s arm while she struggled to free herself.
Jeremy, the leader of the troupe, stepped out of the enclosed wagon half dressed, looking as if he had been roused from a peaceful slumber and was none too happy about it. He took one look at the woman and swore.
“Hell and damnation, Birdie, what have you done now?”
“Will you admit your crime or shall I tell him?” Colin asked, shoving her away from him and sounding much clearer of mind than a man who had consumed a generous amount of ale for the evening.
Birdie attended to her disheveled clothing, ignoring Colin and walking toward the wagon.
“Answer the gentleman,” Jeremy snapped, making Birdie jump.
Jeremy was an impressive man in weight and size and though he appeared congenial he also looked to have a temper when it suited him.
“I was being friendly with him,” Birdie insisted with a defiant toss of her head.
“It was my coins she was being friendly with,” Colin corrected, his smile charming but his tone stern.
“Aye,” Birdie said with a lusty smile. “And it is a large set of coins he has.”
Jeremy shook his head. “The gentleman offers us safety for the night and shares his food with us and you mean to steal from him?”
Birdie stamped her foot like an irate child. “I wanted to be paid before I serviced him.”
Jeremy shook his head slowly this time. “Look at the gentleman, Birdie. Do you think he needs to pay a woman to bed him?”
She tapped her full chest. “No man touches me without sharing his coins.”
“And did you tell him this?” Jeremy asked.
“He looks to possess a good wit, he should have known,” Birdie insisted.
Hope found the scene quite entertaining, occasionally laughing softly so that no one would hear her. She moved her hand to her side without thought, a dull ache reminding her that though her ribs were healing nicely they required her to be vigilant in her rest.
Colin addressed Birdie while he walked toward Hope, to her surprise. “If you would have been honest with me, I would have been honest with you.” He stopped right next to Hope and looked at her with questioning eyes.
“What do you mean?” Birdie demanded.
Jeremy shook his head again.
Colin turned his glance from Hope to answer the irate woman. “It means I would have told you what Jeremy already knows. I do not pay a woman to bed me.”
“I am not good enough for you, then?” Birdie all but screeched at him.
Colin’s dark eyes filled with that icy chill that always caused Hope to shiver and his men to step back in respect or fear, Hope was not certain which.
“Nay, it is because I do not wish to degrade you or disrespect what you offer me.”
Birdie looked ready to kill Colin, her eyes rounded wide and her face turned bright red.
Jeremy stopped her before she could say a word. “Get in the wagon, Birdie.”
“He insulted me,” she yelled.
The words spilled from Hope’s mouth before she could stop them. “You insult yourself.”
“Why, you little …” Birdie flew at Hope in a rage. Colin immediately stepped in front of Hope and Jeremy grabbed for Birdie.
“In the wagon,” Jeremy ordered again, his large hand firm on her upper arm.
Birdie attempted to protest. A forceful shove from Jeremy stopped her, and with angry steps and continued assistance from Jeremy she entered the wagon.
Colin turned back around and placed his own hand over Hope’s where it rested on her ribs. His touch was warm and gentle and her body responded as only a woman’s could. She felt the tingling sensation down to her toes.
“Your side still pains you?”
His voice was filled with concern and his dark eyes had lost their icy chill. He stared at her with a sincerity that warmed her heart. He cared, honestly cared about the lad’s wellbeing.
She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder and gently cover his hand with hers, not an appropriate reaction for a young lad.
So instead she took a step back so his hand would fall off hers and said, “I get a painful twinge now and again, but nothing I cannot tolerate.”
“Still, it concerns me,” he said. “When we arrive at Shanekill Keep you will have Lady Faith see to it and make certain all is well with you.”
That was not a possibility, though Hope chose not to argue with him. She would handle the problem when the time came. She simply nodded as if in agreement and decided it would be best to find out what she could about Lady Faith before their encounter.
She lowered herself back down to her sleeping pallet which consisted of a warm dark red wool blanket and a curled-up Lady. “Lady Faith is a good healer?”
Colin appeared in no hurry to sleep. He sat down beside the lad. “She is exceptional and well loved by all at the keep.”
“All?” she questioned.
“None speak poorly of her. She is a loving and generous person.” Colin chuckled. “And determined to do as she pleases no matter what the Irish Devil orders.”
/> “She defies her husband?”
“Often.”
“He does not grow angry with her?”
Colin nodded and laughed. “Often.”
“You make light of it.”
“No,” he said with a smile. “I am but pleased to see two strong, courageous people in love.”
Suddenly Hope was eager to meet Lady Faith. “They married for love?”
“Nay, but love found them anyway.”
“It is good to know that love can find you no matter the circumstances.” She could not help but think of her own strange circumstances and wondered if love could defy such odds and find her.
“Love does whatever it pleases,” Colin said with a laugh. “It defies sensibility and attacks impulsively.”
“And love did that to Lady Faith and the Irish Devil?”
“Love defied all rhythm and reason when it found them, and it was a delight to watch.”
“You are happy for them.”
“They are meant for each other, as are Borg and Bridget.”
She looked confused. “Another couple found love?”
“Love attacked often at Shanekill Keep.”
“You avoided it.”
He stared at her a moment before he softly said, “Perhaps it avoided me.”
The eventful day and longer night caught up with Hope and she yawned wide and long.
“Lay yourself down, lad, and get some rest,” Colin said firmly and reached out to make certain the boy was tucked warmly beneath his blanket. “We rise early. It is but two days’ ride to Shanekill and I ache to return home.”
“Your home sounds like a good place to be.”
“It is,” he said with pride. “You will like it there and will make many friends. It will soon feel like home to you. Now sleep.”
He left her then, though she wished he had not. She soon fell into a slumber fraught with dreams that warned her that her adventurous journey might soon turn perilous.
The traveling troupe left at dawn the following day and Hope was glad to see them go… especially Birdie.
The day dawned cloudy and grew worse with the passing hours. Gray skies darkened further by midafternoon and promised heavy rain within hours. The men had been generous and offered the lad heavy covering for the inclement weather to come.
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