Beloved Abductor

by June Francis

  Felicia stared at him in amazement; she had not expected such an admission from him in company.

  Joan flushed beneath the dirt on her face. ‘So you are not the lover that Philip raged about?’

  Felicia felt warmth flood her cheeks as the words seemed to vibrate in the silence. ‘Don’t be foolish, Joan!’ she said sharply. ‘I have no lover! It was all in Philip’s imagination.’

  ‘Philip Meriet is responsible for the death of Edmund’s mother,‘ said Dickon. ‘As well as the deaths of his ...’

  ‘That’s enough, Dickon,’ interrupted Edmund in a rough voice. ‘Let us all agree that it is time justice caught up with Philip Meriet. Now I suggest we leave.’

  ‘You are going?’ Felicia stood up hastily ‘I regret that I can offer you little in the way of hospitality but...’

  Joan laughed. ‘You would have difficulty finding food, Flissie, or beds for the night.’

  ‘It does not matter,’ said Edmund abruptly. ‘It would not be the first time we have gone without. But perhaps we could delay and go hunting and leave at first light.’

  Felicia’s face lit up. ‘I would appreciate your doing so.’

  ‘Then that is what we will do,’ he said.

  She went with him from the keep. Dickon followed with Joan bringing up the rear.

  It was several hours later and a fire had been lit. The wood crackled, sending sparks flying high against the darkening sky. The heat of the fire was welcome, as was the smell of the roasting meat. Felicia stole a glance at Edmund, noticing how the flames highlighted the grooves in his cheeks, altering the shape of his face, so that he appeared almost a stranger. He seemed relaxed as he turned the boar. As though sensing she watched him, he lifted his head and their eyes met and her breath caught in her throat.

  ‘It won’t be long now,’ he said.

  She cleared her throat. ‘I thought that Ralph, my bailiff, might have come by now. Perhaps I should go to the village?’

  ‘He could be out on the hills. It is a busy time for a bailiff: soon it will be haymaking, and then sheep-shearing,’ said Edmund, lowering his gaze.

  ‘You seem to know much about manor life,’ she said lightly.

  ‘I was reared on Sir Gervaise’s manor and he made sure I was of some use to him before I left to pursue my studies.’ He prodded the meat again, this time with his fingers. He blew on them hastily. ‘I think it is done.’ Quickly he removed the boar from the flames.

  Felicia turned and called Dickon. He rose swiftly from the broken wall he had been sitting on, strumming his lute.

  ‘It smells good,’ he murmured, moving closer to the fire and placing himself near Joan, who shifted slightly away from him. He smiled at Felicia. ‘It is a pity we have no bread or ale.’

  ‘Do not give up hope yet. Word will have spread that we are here,’ said Edmund, taking his knife from his girdle and slicing the meat. He offered a chunk to Felicia. She smiled her thanks, taking it from the point of the blade with her fingers. At that moment a rumbling sound broke the evening calm, and the four looked towards the gatehouse.

  Felicia scrambled to her feet as three figures came into view. Two were only lads, pushing a small cart laden with goods, who were being encouraged to strain a little harder by the man who walked with majestic ease by their side. They all came to a halt in front of her.

  ‘My lady,’ gasped Ralph, breathing heavily, his pendulous jowls wobbling. ‘Tis good to see you home.’ He doffed his cap and bowed, showing a bald pate. ‘Alas! It is a sad homecoming for you.’ He appeared distressed as he met Felicia’s appraising gaze. ‘We did what we could but that was not much, I grant you. We were unprepared and your cousin had many armed men.’

  ‘I do not blame you, Ralph,’ she said.

  Relief brightened his plump face. ‘God bless you, my lady.’ He fell on his knees and kissed the hem of Felicia’s skirt before bumbling to his feet again. ‘In all the years I was your father’s bailiff, such a thing never happened.’

  ‘Pray God, it will not happen again. But tell me, what was the message that took Sir William to Ludlow?’

  Ralph scratched his nose and shifted from one foot to the other. ‘It concerned the uprising. The Lord Edward was said to be there and calling on those who aided his father’s cause last year. Sir William went off like an arrow, not knowing what would happen here. We had not heard from you since you went away, and often we wondered if you received the messages sent to you.’

  ‘Messages? I received no messages and it is obvious to me now that you did not receive mine.’ She continued, with a bitter laugh, ‘How foolish of me to believe that Philip would despatch them to Sir William. Instead, no doubt my cousin read them before destroying them.’

  Ralph said angrily. ‘No doubt you did not receive the money sent to you, either! Sir William entrusted it to two of our most reliable men, and they said they delivered it.’

  Felicia shook her head, and tears glistened in her eyes.

  ‘God’s bones, my lady, I do not know what to comfort you with. Your cousin smashed the log and took all that there was in the chest in the hall, too. There is no money to support you until the sheep are sheared and the wool sold.’ He dropped his voice. ‘I even fear then that could be taken. I deem it possible that your cousin has left spies in the vicinity. Strangers have been seen, and I was fair worried about Mistress Joan wandering alone in the woods.’

  ‘They could be common outlaws,’ said Felicia, a chill shivering down her spine. She glanced towards Edmund, who was close enough to hear the conversation.

  He turned to Ralph. ‘What about a decent house for your lady that would suffice her and her cousin? The keep is hardly suitable.’

  Ralph scratched his head. ‘Perhaps I can think on the matter, sir, while we unload the food. I shall have these scamps of mine set to it. My wife has sent some bread, and the priest gave me eggs for you, my lady. There are a few pots and platters, cups and spoons, and a couple of pallets and several blankets ... Oh! Agnes sent you some of the ale she has been brewing.’

  ‘Thank them for me, Ralph.’ His words made her extremely anxious.

  ‘Perhaps you should leave this place,’ Edmund, helping the lads to unload the cart.

  Ralph’s lips pursed. ‘What about Chipbury, my lady?’

  ‘Chipbury!’ she exclaimed. ‘The very place! But how shall my cousin and I reach there? It is some distance away and you will have to stay here, Ralph.’

  ‘Where is Chipbury?’ asked Edmund, taking a rolled pallet from the cart and tossing it into Dickon’s outstretched arms.

  ‘Gloucestershire,’ answered Felicia. ‘It is smaller than Meriet; we grow fruit trees and vines there.’

  Edmund and Dickon exchanged glances.

  ‘We could escort you to Chipbury,’ murmured Edmund, watching Felicia’s face.

  ‘But what of your desire for revenge on my cousin and your search for the Lord Edward?’

  Edmund shrugged his shoulders. ‘The prince might have already left Ludlow. Besides, I intended to visit my uncle first. He keeps his ear firmly to the ground and could be in possession of more information about the conflict.’

  ‘I would not delay you by taking you out of your way.’

  ‘Do you wish us to accompany you or not?’ asked Edmund, sounding exasperated.

  She flushed. ‘Aye! Why not?’

  ‘It is settled, then,’ muttered Joan, who had been listening avidly, despite appearances to the contrary. ‘I cannot deny that I shall be glad to leave here. And if Felicia trusts you both, I suppose I must also,’ she added with a deep sigh.

  Edmund lifted a pallet onto his shoulder. ‘We will take pallets inside for you and Mistress Joan. Dickon and I shall sleep out here.’

  The light was fading by the time they finished eating, and the scent of honeysuckle sweetened the air. Although there was a chill in the breeze, Felicia was reluctant to go inside the keep. She felt a surge of guilt as she glanced at Joan. What if a child resulted from Philip�
�s despoiling of her cousin? She sighed, and pillowed her chin on her hunched-up knees, gazing into the slumbering fire.

  ‘More ale?’ Edmund held out a horn and she watched the liquid gleam in the firelight as he poured it from the pitcher. ‘We shall have to make an early start in the morning,’ he added. ‘Best you do not ride too long at a stretch, for it is only just over a week since you hurt your back. Do you feel any discomfort from the journey today?’ He picked up his own horn and saluted her with it.

  She responded in like-manner and took a sip of the refreshing ale. ‘A little.’ She felt strangely shy of him. ‘Master Edmund, a thought bothers me. If we are to stay at the monastery where I remember now you mentioned your uncle is abbot…I have little money, only a few pence, and ...’ Her voice trailed off, and she flushed. She could hear the popping of a flame as Dickon threw on more wood.

  ‘We shall stay only one night, and then be on our way to Chipbury, so do not fret yourself,’ said Edmund.

  She raised her eyebrows. ‘But I can’t help doing so. I will recompense you when I am in funds again.’

  He frowned. ‘If that is what you wish, but am I not enjoying your hospitality right now?’

  ‘The ground is a hard bed,’ she said lightly.

  ‘I have slept in worse places,’ he murmured. ‘Now let us not concern ourselves about money any further.’

  She fell silent, trying not to worry as the light died from the sky and the stars pricked on one by one. Her cousin sat silent, seeming to brood like some great night-bird, and Felicia felt her peace evaporate as she caught Joan’s eyes on her.

  ‘I want to go to bed, Flissie. Are you coming?’ Joan uncurled abruptly and stood up.

  ‘Of course.’ Felicia placed the horn on the grass and scrambled to her feet. ‘Where have you slept the last few nights?’

  ‘Slept! I have not slept!’ Joan gave a mirthless laugh. ‘I have spent the nights in the keep. It is not so bad, if you do not mind the vermin.’

  ‘Vermin!’ Felicia’s voice trembled and her fingers curled tightly in her palms.

  Joan laughed. ‘You must not fear mice. They are interested only in food. Come let us go inside.’ She put her hand through Felicia’s arm. ‘Perhaps with you to keep me company, I will sleep this night.’

  Felicia bid the men a goodnight and went with her cousin.

  The interior of the keep seemed pitch black after the firelight outside and Felicia’s heart sank. It was a far cry from the solar that had graced Meriet’s manor house and been so comfortable.

  Joan shook out a blanket and wrapped it about her slender figure before lying down. ‘Once your eyes become accustomed, you’ll realise some light always comes through the doorway.’ She flicked a nervous glance towards where the door hung on its hinges. ‘I suppose we are safe in here, Flissie?’

  ‘Safe?’

  ‘From the two men,’ muttered Joan.

  ‘You are safer with them than without’ Felicia picked up her blanket. ‘I feel safer, anyway.’ She pulled the blanket about her shoulders and lay thankfully on the pallet. The blanket smelt of goat but she was not going to allow the odour to keep her awake. Shutting her eyes, she murmured a prayer beneath her breath. Never would she have admitted to Joan that she could not abide mice or rats. She jumped when Joan spoke out of the darkness.

  ‘I know you denied earlier having a lover but Philip swore one such helped you to escape. That Edmund is the one, isn’t he? I have seen the way he looks at you.’

  Felicia said wearily, ‘You are mistaken. Philip cannot be trusted to speak the truth. I am certain he killed his wife in order to marry me. He wants Meriet, although he says he hates the place.’

  ‘Tell me then, how you met him?’

  Felicia hesitated, then she began her tale with having met Edmund on Sir Gervaise’s manor, whilst attempting to flee from Philip by escaping from the castle their cousin had seized by force. She had fallen from her horse in her flight and Master Edmund had tended her in his role of physician and taken her to Master Dickon’s house in Shrewsbury where she had found a welcome. ‘We left there once my condition was much improved and the two men acted as my escort because they are on their way to join the Lord Edward,’ Felicia concluded.

  ‘Oh! So that is how it was.’ Joan yawned. ‘I think I might be able to sleep now.’

  Felicia sighed with relief and listened to her cousin shifting on the pallet, until at last she lay still. But to Felicia’s annoyance sleep eluded her. She thought about Ralph’s talk of strangers. Were they Philip’s men? Why had he felt a need to burn her house? It must have been pure devilry on his part? She forced herself to think of something less disturbing. Edmund filled her thoughts and warmth spread through her body. She groaned inwardly, thinking about him was even more disturbing but in a different way. She would never get to sleep at this rate.

  There came a scrabbling sound, and then a squeaking. For a while she lay as stiff as a board, but when something brushed her leg she could bear it no longer. Scrambling to her feet, she shot across the floor, out of the doorway and down the steps. She sank to the ground, her breath coming fast, and huddled into the woollen blanket that hung about her shoulders. She lay, staring into the glowing embers of the fire, trying to steady her heartbeats. Then a humped shape a few feet from her moved and she held her breath.

  Chapter Eight

  Felicia caught the gleam of a knife as Edmund rolled over. ‘What is it? What is wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘N-Nothing.’ Felicia’s teeth chattered uncontrollably as she pulled the blanket tightly about her.

  ‘Nothing?’

  She nodded and closed her eyes tightly, trying to shut out his probing gaze. He would think her an utter dolt. There was a short silence.

  ‘That cousin of yours hasn’t been upsetting you again, has she?’ He spoke with a vehemence that caused Felicia’s eyelids to fly open.

  ‘It is nothing like that!’ She flushed beneath his scrutiny. From his expression, she guessed he would not be fobbed off with a lie. ‘It is mice ...I cannot abide them. The thought of their little scratching feet scrabbling and the sight of their long naked tails!’ She shuddered.

  ‘Mice!’ There was a hint of a quiver in his voice.

  ‘I knew you would laugh!’ she said indignantly, moving away from him.

  ‘I am not laughing.’ The grooves in his cheeks deepened, and a muscle twitched in the bare column of his throat.

  ‘You are! Or you would like to! You do not know how utterly demoralising it is to confess to a fear of mice.’

  His smile grew. ‘We are all afraid of something.’

  ‘Afraid! You? I don’t believe you fear anything.’

  ‘Don’t you?’ Startled, he leaned up on an elbow. ‘I’m afraid of you,’ he said seriously.

  She flushed, lowering her eyes, veiling their loveliness with a sweep of long dark lashes.

  ‘Don’t you believe me?’ He reached out and took one of her hands, feeling it tremble. ‘I think you’re a witch.’

  Felicia peered at him from beneath her lashes. ‘That is even more foolish than my fear of mice,’ she said in a low voice. ‘You called me a wanton yesterday.’

  ‘A wanton witch who has set an enchantment about me. I want you, and it hurts here.’ He placed her hand over his heart.

  Her pulse raced. ‘This is a foolishness. It is the ale and the starlight; they have gone to your head,’ she said unsteadily. ‘I—I had best get back to Joan.’ She made to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he held it tightly.

  ‘Haven’t you a remedy to break the spell, beautiful witch?’ He gazed into her face, and she could see the glint of his eyes catching the starlight. ‘A kiss might do it,’ he said. ‘A kiss from a witch, who knows what might happen.’

  ‘You’re jesting. You cannot be trusted, Master Abductor!’ She attempted to remove her hand from his grasp, aware of just how much she wanted him to kiss her.

  When an owl screeched, she instinctively shrank towards Ed
mund and he put his arm about her. They both looked up at the bird as it swooped, then swung up again with its prey dangling from its talons.

  ‘One down,’ he murmured.

  She could not help but chuckle.

  A delightful sound, thought Edmund.

  ‘No doubt you consider me foolish,’ she said lightly.

  ‘Perhaps. Maybe it is the starlight that is making fools of us both.’

  His arm tightened about her, and the smile froze on her face as his searching mouth found hers with barely any effort, or protestations from her. His mouth brushed hers, feather-light, in a sensuous joining. She thought she would float away as he lowered her against the turf. Then he lifted his head and she drew breath, her breasts rising and falling hurriedly as she stared up into his shadowy face. She blinked up at him, feeling a heat at her core.

  ‘Witch,’ he muttered, one of his hands running slowly up her body and coming to rest beneath her breast.

  ‘No—No witch or wanton, Edmund,’ she stammered. ‘Just a maid. We must not continue with this.’

  ‘Must not, Felicia,’ he whispered fiercely. ‘But you want me to kiss you and touch you, don’t you?’ He caught her to him, moulding her body against his with urgent hands, and covered her face with gentle biting kisses.

  Suddenly she was aware of Dickon stirring a few feet away and blurted out. ‘Aye, but it is a madness! Please let me go.’ A sob burst in her throat.

  Edmund stilled. Holy Mary, mother of God, he wanted her! But he had the most ridiculous desire to shield her from aught that would hurt her and it appeared it was himself whom she needed protecting from. He suddenly felt like laughing. How had he got himself into this tangle?

  Felicia found herself suddenly free, and at once moved away, scrambling to her feet before reaching down to grab her blanket.

  ‘Best go quickly,’ he whispered, leaning on an elbow and following her with his gaze. ‘Watch for mice,’ he added wickedly.

  ‘Beast!’ she muttered, before running swiftly across the grass and up the steps. She paused in the doorway and listened, but all was silent.