by Lisa Shea
Roger barely glanced at Dylan before turning to Alicia. “There you are. Lady Bloodworth thought I might find you out here. She requests your presence in her chambers.”
Alicia nodded. “Of course.” She turned to Dylan. “I will see you later tonight.”
His eyes still shone with emotion. “Fare well, Alicia.”
“And you.”
She gave a quick glance at Roger, a tremor of uncertainty running through her. Was it safe to leave the two men alone together? But she could hardly insist on Roger escorting her back into the keep, with the main keep gates clearly within sight. Her best chance at holding together the subterfuge was to simply act as if everything was normal.
She set into motion, making her way the remaining distance along the wall and heading through its massive gates.
The buildings in the lower keep were a bustle activity as workers finished up with the harvest tasks and prepared for the incoming storm. Meats were being salted and stored. Vegetables dried. Roofs were being patched and shored up. There was the sense of hunkering down and setting everything into its place.
Alicia smiled. She had grown fond of this keep and its inhabitants. She would miss it all when she returned to Canterbury with Dylan.
Her heart warmed with each step. Her life was all, at long last, coming together. They would marry on the steps of the church in Wales as she had always dreamed. Her parents would be there, and his, and Uncle Benet and cousin Ethelfleda. Then Dylan and she would return to Canterbury with Benet and Ethelfleda. The shop next door to the wood shop was owned by an aging candlemaker widower with no children. Dylan could work with him, rebuilding his reputation and clientele. Soon their children would fill the walls with warm laughter. Their lives would be stunningly perfect.
She reached the main keep’s steps and stepped through the open doors. Then there was the long, twisting climb up to the higher floor. When she reached the bedroom door, she gently knocked. “Lady Bloodworth? It is Alicia.”
“Come in,” came the call.
She pushed open the door and entered.
She had not been in the Lord or Lady’s chambers since her arrival – there had never been occasion for it. The two Bloodworths had their own separate suites of rooms across from the rooms that Richard and Nathan were using.
Alicia looked around, impressed. Lady Bloodworth’s room was beautifully appointed in silks and tapestries. The colors red and white featured in nearly all items. The tapestry over the fireplace featured a trio of stalking lions.
Lady Bloodworth was sitting up on her bed, her face tinged with green. Alicia moved to her in concern. “Lady Bloodworth, are you feeling all right? Shall I fetch your maid?”
Lady Bloodworth shook her head. “No, no. I sent her away. I need to talk with you alone.”
Tension rippled through Alicia’s body. Had the Lady somehow discovered the deception with Dylan? She wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Have I done something wrong?”
The Lady’s gaze eased at that, a twinkle of amusement coming to the corners of her eyes. “You? Do something wrong? You are the sweetest lass I have ever met. I can’t imagine what you could possibly do to upset anyone. No, no, it is because of your gentle disposition and honest soul that I have called you here. I need to trust you with something that no other in my household can know of.”
A swell of pride coursed through Alicia. The Lady trusted her! But with it came a fresh burst of nervousness. Just what was the news that the Lady wished to keep from all others?
Lady Bloodworth held her gaze for a long moment. “Can I rely on your discretion with this, Alicia?”
Alicia mutely nodded.
The Lady’s eyes moved over hers for a long moment, as if judging her. Then her hand moved to her stomach. Her voice was low and even. “I will need some help, over the next month, to disguise the state I am in.”
Alicia’s mouth widened into a broad smile, and she stepped to the Lady’s side. “You are with child? Congratulations! I imagine Lord Bloodworth must be beside himself with joy, after waiting for so long! I know how important family is to him – to you both.”
Lady Bloodworth’s eyes held hers. “He does not yet know.”
Alicia’s mouth hung open. She could not, in a million years, imagine keeping news like this from Dylan. She would trust him with her very life. Why would Lady Bloodworth wish to keep such wondrous joy from her own husband?
Lady Bloodworth’s smile tinged with amusement. “Ah, child, this is why I knew I could rely on you. You are so innocent. So unaware of the politics involved in a large household. Things are not always as simple as they might seem.”
Alicia gently put her hands over Lady Bloodworth’s. “I will do what I can to help.”
“I know you will,” murmured Lady Bloodworth. “You see, this pregnancy, while so long sought after, has come at the most inopportune time. My husband is shouldering quite a heavy burden at the moment. He will not tell me what it involves, but I know him too well. I can see the turmoil in his eyes. This news would only add to his challenges. It would cause a distraction he can ill afford.”
Alicia’s heart quickened. Did this mean that Lord Bloodworth was indeed involved in the treason against King John? Her heart went out to poor Lady Bloodworth and she hoped fervently that Lord Bloodworth was not involved.
She reigned in her racing thoughts. Perhaps he was wholly innocent. Perhaps it was that he had an inkling that one of his two brothers was up to no good, and it was this issue that he was wrangling with.
Lady Bloodworth nodded serenely. “I trust in my husband. He is a man of determination. Whatever it is he is grappling with, I know he will soon have it resolved. And then I can tell him the news with an open heart.” Her eyes moved to Alicia’s “Until then, however, I would like this to be kept between us. So that I can tell him, personally, when the time is right.”
Alicia nodded. “Of course, My Lady. You are such a wonderful wife, to be so considerate of your husband’s cares.”
She gave a low smile. “As you said, family is very important to him. It is to me as well. I will do my part to see our family through this, however hard it might be.”
Alicia dropped to a knee at her side. “I am here to help in any way I can. What would you like me to do?”
The lady put a hand again to her stomach, to the smallest of bulges which was present there. “Perhaps some chamomile tea?”
Alicia nodded. “Absolutely. If any are to see me preparing it, I will say that it is for me, that I am feeling unwell. I will make two mugs and explain that you are kindly offering to sit with me. That way, even if we are interrupted here, there will be no cause to think anything untoward.”
Lady Bloodworth smiled in gratitude. “I knew I could rely on you. Thank you. I appreciate it immensely.”
Alicia stood. “I will be back shortly. Not to worry. I have six siblings and a wealth of nieces and nephews. I know a number of remedies to help you through these initial months. They will pass smoothly. Both you and your child will be fine.”
Lady Bloodworth’s cheeks regained some of their color. “I knew you were a good omen for our household, from the moment you arrived on our doorstep. Again, thank you.”
Alicia eased from the room and headed down the steps. The main kitchens were a separate building, for safety reasons, but there was a staging room with supplies to the back of the main hall. Alicia knew that a variety of herbs were kept there along with kettles and cups. That would do nicely.
Dylan was at his location near the main hall’s fireplace as she stepped through, and he looked up with visible relief as she walked into the room. She gave him a reassuring nod. She would have to wait until later to tell him the full news, but this latest development gave her even more hope that the truth was a heartbeat away. Just a few more days and she was sure that they would have determined who was behind the traitorous actions.
She only prayed it was not Lord Bloodworth himself. For the sake of both Roger, who trusted i
n him, and the Lord’s dear wife.
Alicia reached the pantry and moved to the tins of herbs neatly laid out along the shelf. Parsley … chives … ah, chamomile. There it was. She looked along the higher shelf and found two of Lady Bloodworth’s beautiful pottery mugs with their red-and-gold swirls. She put them onto a wooden tray and added the herb into each mug.
A maid flitted into the room, her blonde hair shining in the firelight. She glanced at the tin and her brow wrinkled. “Not feeling well, lass?”
Alicia dropped a hand to her stomach. “Just the rich food, I’m sure. I’ve been on soldier’s rations for so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to eat properly.”
The maid’s eyes brightened. “Then chamomile tea is just the thing for you!” A twinkle came into her gaze. “And one for our newest visitor? He seems a bit keen on you. His eyes rarely leave you when you are in the room.”
Alicia blushed, and she looked down. “It is not for him. Lady Bloodworth kindly offered to sit with me and to help me with my spinning.”
The maid beamed. “She is, indeed, the kindest of ladies. Perhaps I can bring you some dried toast as well? I find that helps with a sour stomach.”
Alicia smiled. “Yes, I would appreciate that immensely. Thank you!”
The maid winked at her, then slipped out the back door. The sky was quite dark, and a few heavy drops of rain landed in the dirt.
Alicia hummed in satisfaction. Her plan was working out even better than she’d hoped. She was sure, with a bit of effort, that the next few days would move through as smooth as silk.
She filled the kettle full from the bucket and then set it on the hook over the fire. A young boy moved through carrying a tray of cheese, nodding a welcome as he passed, and Alicia leaned against the table in relaxation. She had been in the keep so long now that her presence was taken as a natural thing. None would question where she went or what she did. Many were simply happy that she was re-engaging with the community and were eager to support her in whatever action she took, however unusual.
At last the kettle began to boil and she brought it over to the two pottery mugs, carefully adding the water. She placed the kettle by the fire and turned –
Nathan stood there, his cheeks shining in the firelight, his eyes moving from her to the two elegant mugs of chamomile tea. His voice was short and hard.
“What is going on here?”
Alicia blinked in surprise at the strong emotion shining in Nathan’s face. It was hard to put a name on what she saw there. The man’s passions were rarely held well in check – and for reasons she could not fathom they were now roiling full across his face.
He took another step forward. “Chamomile tea? Just who are you bringing that to?”
Alicia glanced nervously at the elegant mugs which were clearly Lady Bloodworth’s. With the high emotion on Nathan’s face she wished that she could divert all attention from the Lady. But she could hardly claim she was bringing tea out to Dylan, in those elegant mugs. And, besides, she might have been seen leaving the Lady’s chambers.
She bit her lip, steeling herself. She should stick to her plan.
She demurely dropped her eyes. “My stomach has been feeling poorly, now that I’ve begun to eat with the main household again. I’m afraid after so many long weeks of soldier’s rations that I dove back into full repasts far too quickly.”
His eyes snapped with heat. “There are two mugs there.”
Alicia paled, but she pushed on. “Lady Bloodworth heard that I was unwell and kindly suggested that I join her in her room for some tea. She said that quiet conversation and chamomile would help me get through my discomfort.”
His breath drew sharply in. “It is for her.”
Alicia shook her head. “No, no, it is for me, because –”
His stepped forward. “I knew it was for her. I just knew it. And that means …”
His fingers clenched and his eyes shone.
Alicia paled. She suddenly realized exactly what this meant.
Her throat went dry.
With Lady Bloodworth pregnant, it meant that Richard and Nathan were now mere months away from disaster. In a few short months they would forever lose all chance of reclaiming their share of the family’s wealth. It meant that Lord Bloodworth’s sons would take over the family fortune while Richard and Nathan were left out in the cold. The brothers would be penniless and destitute, while the young nephews took control of everything they had ever known or loved.
Alicia took a shaky step backward. “Maybe I should –”
Nathan’s fingers snapped forward faster than her eyes could follow. His latch on her arm had the strength of a vise.
His voice hissed in her ear.
“Maybe you should come with me.”
Chapter 28
Alicia yelped in surprise as Nathan dragged her toward the back door, but it was lost beneath a massive crash of thunder which rattled the mugs on their wooden tray.
And then the heavens let loose.
It was like walking into a waterfall when they stepped out into the darkness behind the keep. But Nathan showed no sign of slowing. Alicia’s eyes tracked to the kitchen down-slope, with its bustle of servants and cooks busily working on dinner. But Nathan pulled her uphill, toward the guard’s station against the back wall. It was a low structure of stone, perhaps fifteen feet on a side, pressed up against the curtain wall. The wall was thicker here and Alicia knew an internal staircase provided access from that station to the parapets above.
Nathan pushed open the door, pulling Alicia in after him.
The room had three cots along one wall. The other side had a small table with two stools and a fireplace. A shelf to the right held cups, bowls, and other accessories. A thick man was sound asleep on one of the cots, snoring to match the storm outside. There was nobody else in sight.
Nathan barely glanced at the sleeping guard. He strode straight toward the heavily barred door on the back wall. With a heft he slid the bar free.
Alicia could barely breathe. “Please, Nathan, if I could explain –”
He swung her around so that she was out in the pouring rain, hidden from the room by the bulk of the door. Then his voice barked out, sharp, “You! Guard! Close this up behind me. I’ll come back in through the main gate when I’m done.”
There was a sleepy mumble in reply.
Alicia’s heart hammered against her ribs. What was Nathan intending to do to her? Why didn’t he want her to be seen?
Nathan yanked the door shut, and then they were in motion.
Alicia tried to crane her head back toward the wall as they stumbled through the downpour, but she could barely see five feet, never mind the distance up to the crenellations. It was unlikely anyone on guard duty up there would spot them in this chaos. And then, all too soon, they had reached the surrounding forest and were lost within its shadowy depths.
The rain was gentler in here, its deluge broken up by thick branches and the remnants of foliage still clinging diligently to trees. Alicia had a thousand questions she wished to ask but her breath was coming in long heaves. It was all she could do to place one foot before another as Nathan tugged her along
They slogged across a rushing stream, climbed up over an outcropping of grey stone, pushed through thick bramble …
A small cottage came into view.
Nathan glanced around the clearing, gave her one last tug, and then pushed her through the door.
Alicia tumbled to sit on a wooden chair, struggling to ease her breath.
Nathan spun to look around the room. There was a cold fireplace, a narrow table, a bed, a chest –
He went for the chest, lifting the lid. His eyes lit up as he drew out a coil of rope. “Perfect.”
Alicia’s heart burst into a fresh frenzy of speed. “Wait, please –”
In a moment Nathan had bound her legs to the feet of the chair. He tied her hands behind her and then to the leg of the table. He pulled loose the knife from her hip and t
he sword from her belt.
She yanked against her bonds, but they were solid.
She could barely get the words out. “What are you going to do to me?”
He barely glanced at her as he looked again around the room. “You? Nothing. You’re just to stay here until I get back.” His gaze flared into bright life. “But back at the keep … oh, I have plans. And I won’t have anybody interfering with them.”
Alicia’s blood ran cold.
He was going to kill Lady Bloodworth … perhaps the child … perhaps both …
“No,” she ground out. “Please, don’t. There has to be another way.”
He gave a barking laugh. “I’ve tried other ways,” he ground out. “Sometimes you have to take action. You get that one chance. Well, my chance has arrived – and I’m going to take it.”
He turned to fix her with a steely gaze. “Stay here. You keep your mouth shut when this is all over, and I’ll let you go. You can go back to Canterbury, or Wales, or wherever you want.”
His fingers curled into fists, and he looked back in the direction of the keep. “But my home is here, and I deserve my share. It’s time I made my move.”
He pushed open the door, stepped into the deluge, and the door was slammed shut behind him.
In the silence, the only sound Alicia could hear was the pounding of rain on the roof – and the frantic beating of her own heart.
She had to get help.
Chapter 29
Alicia tugged hard at the bonds on her wrists and ankles as the thunder boomed around her. She was solidly locked into place, and the chair was secured to the table behind her. She could not even try to hop her way over to the door.
She filled her lungs with air and cried out, “Dylan! Dylan!”
The thunder’s crash mocked her efforts.
She held back the tears which threatened to overwhelm her. There was no chance that her cries could possibly be heard from the keep. And it might be long hours before her absence was noted. She had been a recluse for so many months that the keep’s inhabitants might simply assume she had gone off to be alone for a while. Even Lady Bloodworth might figure she’d gotten distracted with another task.
