The Faithful Heart

by Merry Farmer

  “Come on,” Roderick snapped, his full attention on the steward.

  Jack and his man were wrenched to their feet and shoved off of the road into the trees as two of the thugs took their horses. Tom scrambled to catch up to Roderick at the front of the procession.

  “You can’t treat them like this,” he hissed.

  “Why not? They’re my prisoners,” Roderick sneered, sharing a laugh with Connor.

  Tom swallowed and held back half a step, shifting his glance to his brother. Jack’s eyes were wide and his face red, but whether from anger or fear Tom couldn’t tell. The moment his brother’s gaze met his he glanced away.

  Bringing prisoners into the center of the camp caused a stir. Half of the forest people were already dropping their work and rushing to the space in front of Ethan’s tent as they marched across the common area. Toby stood from the bench in front of the tent where he had been mending a shirt, expression panicked as he saw who Roderick’s men had captured.

  “My lord!” he cried, turning towards the tent. “Ethan! Oh dear God!”

  Ethan burst out of the tent, his shirt untucked and his hair disheveled. “What? What is it?”

  “We found intruders in the forest, my lord,” Roderick announced with a sharp grin. They stopped in the clearing in front of the tent. The thugs holding Jack and his man forced them to their knees in front of Ethan. With his hands tied behind his back Jack lost his balance and fell against Connor. Connor kicked him and he grunted under his gag before forcing himself to balance. Tom teetered on the edge of helping his brother, looking to Ethan.

  Ethan schooled his expression into fierceness but something behind his eyes betrayed shock. “Where are their weapons?”

  “Didn’t have any, my lord,” Roderick grinned.

  Ethan scowled. “Two men in the forest without any weapons and you bring them to me bound and gagged like murderers?”

  Roderick lost some of his smugness. “They had horses.”

  “Are their horses in the corral now?”

  “I assume so.” Roderick shrugged.

  Ethan’s scowl darkened as he studied Roderick. It was the pinpoint of hope Tom was looking for. “Take off their gags.”

  The thugs waited for a nod from Roderick before ripping the gags away from both men’s mouths. Jack coughed and worked some moisture back into his mouth. He turned his furious gray eyes to Ethan. “Oy! Your hospitality leaves a lot to be desired, mate!”

  Ethan ignored the flash in Jack’s eyes. “I told you if you ever came back to the forest I would have you killed.”

  Jack shrugged as if he didn’t care. “I figured you was just angry at the time. I never thought you meant it.”

  Ethan didn’t have a chance to answer.

  “Was one murder not enough for you, boy?” Jack’s steward snapped at Roderick. “Developed a taste for death, have you?”

  “Shut up!” Roderick shouted, his face pinched in rage.

  Jack raised his eyebrows. “Oy. Simon. You know him?”

  Simon didn’t pull his eyes away from Roderick for an instant. “He’s my son,” he ground out, tortured eyes flaring daggers at the young man.

  “Him?” Jack snapped in surprise, glancing back and forth between the two. “Never!”

  “Who’s he?” Ethan demanded from Roderick.

  Roderick ignored him, mouth quivering with hate.

  “He’s Simon McFarland, the steward of Kedleridge.”

  All eyes turned to the flap of Ethan’s tent as Lydia sauntered out into the sunlight and crossed her arms. The smile she sent to Simon stopped at her lips.

  “Bloody fuckin’ hell,” Jack groaned, collapsing back onto his heels and slumping. “What are you doing here?”

  Tom’s glance flickered between his brother and Lydia. Dread slithered into his gut.

  “What was I supposed to do, my lord?” she replied with mock innocence. “Alone, friendless, reputation in tatters after the slander that man Matlock spoke in the council?”

  Jack snorted. “Calling you a whore was the only piece of truth Matlock spoke.”

  Lydia ignored him. “I sought help from a real man.” She strolled forward to stand in front of Jack and Simon, but it was Simon who she raised an eyebrow at when she said, “I was beginning to think there were no real men left.”

  Simon stared straight forward, face implacable. Jack stole a glance at his steward then dropped his head, all energy gone.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Ethan stepped forward and turned Lydia to look at him.

  “A family reunion.” Lydia’s smile brightened even more. “Your boy Tom and his brother, Lord John. Roderick and his father, Simon. Oh, and Simon is also my late sister’s husband.” She turned a predatory smile on Simon.

  Jack’s head snapped up and he blinked at Simon as if seeing him for the first time. Ethan shifted his weight, dropping his arms and studying each of the players in the game unfolding in front of him. Tom exchanged a glance with Toby. They were all out of their depth.

  Ethan turned back to Jack. He cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”

  It took Jack a moment to reply. He shot a look up to Tom then met Ethan’s eyes. “Reconnaissance. I’ve been ordered to raise an army to wipe the forest clean of the scum dirtying it up.”

  The answer sent Tom’s heart racing. If Jack was trying to cover for him he’d picked the worst possible alibi.

  Ethan burst into laughter, Roderick and his men joining him. “You. An army. To fight us.” Jack stared steel at him as Ethan shook his head. “Look around you, Jack. Look at you. Do you really think a fool on his knees could fight so much as a head-cold in this forest?” Jack remained stoic. Ethan shifted his weight, planting his hands on his hips. “Where’s your friend, Huntingdon?”

  Still Jack said nothing. He dropped his eyes to stare straight forward in imitation of Simon.

  “The earl was planning to travel around the shire collecting taxes from the lords,” Lydia revealed, swaying her way to Ethan’s side. “He’s probably miles away from Derby now.”

  Ethan’s eyes lit up. “Huntingdon has left Derby?” He glanced at Jack. Jack’s face was blank.

  “The Earl gone, his bailiff on his knees in the forest,” Lydia answered. “I wonder who that leaves in charge in Derby?”

  “Aubrey,” Ethan whispered her name.

  “My lord,” Toby rushed forward, grasping his master’s arm, “whatever you’re thinking, don’t!”

  “I’m not thinking anything,” Ethan growled the lie. He brushed Toby off and turned to Roderick’s thugs. “Tie them up in one of the storage tents.” The thugs grabbed Jack and Simon and hoisted them to their feet. “Take their clothes and boots while you’re at it,” he added, provoking a yelp of offence from Toby. The man Connor growled, baring his teeth then laughing when Toby jumped back. “They’ll be less likely to try to escape if they’re naked and barefoot, and Jack’s shirt is silk and will fetch a good price.”

  “You’re cracked, you are,” Jack said as his hands were untied long enough to yank his tunic and shirt over his head. He did his best to struggle to get away but all it earned him was a fist in the gut. It made it that much easier for the thug to yank his boots off.

  “Take them away.” Ethan turned his back on the scene and walked away. Tom and Toby ran after him. Ethan ignored the string of curses Jack shouted after him until they stopped abruptly. Tom spun back in time to see his brother crumple to the ground, Connor standing over him shaking out his fist. He balled his own fist, jerking back to teach the man a lesson.

  “Tom!” Ethan’s command stopped him.

  Tom stopped, twisted to face Ethan. Ethan shook his head.

  “My lord, what are you going to do with them?” Toby pressed his master.

  “I don’t know,” Ethan sighed. “Right now, with Huntingdon out of Derby, we’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

  “Please, my lord, reconsider!” Toby implored as he and Ethan walked off to the far
end of the camp.

  Tom turned back to where Roderick’s thugs were dragging Jack and Simon off towards the village of tents. Roderick and Lydia stood with their heads together, whispering. Lydia’s eyes flickered up at Ethan’s retreating back before she turned to Roderick and nodded. He returned the nod. They split and marched off in different directions. Tom watched them go, glanced over his shoulder as Ethan and Toby turned a corner. He wavered, looking towards the tents where his brother had been taken, then switched directions and charged off towards the corral.

  Chapter Nine

  Madeline sat on the front stairs of Kedleridge Hall biting her nails and watching the horizon where Jack and Simon had disappeared. Something was wrong. Jack had said they would be back in time for tea. Three hours had passed, possibly more. She stood and paced to the end of the lane to get a clearer look at the angle of the sun. There couldn’t have been more than an hour before sunset. A group of farmers was walking in from the field they had been plowing. The scent of supper cooking in Kedleridge’s cottages mingled with the blossoms in the orchard.

  “Where are you, Jack?” she muttered, turning and hugging herself as she walked back up the road to the manor house.

  A rider popped over the ridge, a cloud of dust forming behind him as he galloped closer. Her heart caught in her throat. She ran a few steps towards him before realizing it couldn’t be Jack. Or Simon. The rider had brown hair. She stopped and raised a hand to her eyes until she could make out who the rider was.

  “Tom?” Her heart-rate doubled as Jack’s brother galloped closer. Something was definitely wrong. She didn’t need to see the panic on his pale face to know it. “What happened?” she called to him as he reined his horse to stop near her.

  “Madeline!” He jumped down from his mount and rushed to her. “Jack and his steward have been captured.”

  “Captured?” Her eyes flew wide. “By who?”

  Tom grimaced before revealing, “Ethan. Well, no, Roderick really.”

  “What? How?”

  He bowed his head. “They chased me all the way into the forest. I just wanted to get a look, to see if Jack was okay. Lydia told us he was a disaster at the council. I didn’t expect him to follow me.”

  “Lydia?” Her brow flew even higher. Bright spots of rage flushed her pale cheeks. She shook her head. What was that witch Lydia doing in the forest? “Where is Jack?” she asked the most important question.

  “In Ethan’s camp.”

  She didn’t like the way he spoke, the way his eyes lit with fear. “Is he alright?” When he lifted his eyes to meet hers she knew she didn’t want to know the answer. “I need a horse!” she shouted, spinning to look for the stable boy. “Michael! I need a horse!”

  The mop-headed stable boy poked his head out of the stable and nodded before ducking back in.

  Madeline whipped back to Tom. “You have to take me to him. Take me to him at once!”

  “No, my-” He stopped, no idea what to call her. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Jack needs me,” she insisted. She turned to dash towards the stable.

  “It’s too dangerous!” Tom repeated, grabbing her arm to stop her. She whipped to face him. He swallowed. “The forest is full of outlaws. Real outlaws, not like Lord Ethan. There’s no telling what they would do if they got their hands on you.”

  “They wouldn’t dare do anything!” She stood as straight as she could.

  “Yes,” Tom insisted. “They would.”

  Madeline pressed her mouth shut. She stared at her arm where Tom held her. He let go and took a step back. Michael rounded the corner with a saddled horse. She let out a breath, dropping into worry, and bit her lip. As Michael handed her the reins she made a snap decision.

  “Aubrey,” she nodded. “We have to go to Derby Castle and tell Aubrey. She’ll know what to do.” She glanced up at the sky. “If we ride hard we can reach the castle before dark.”

  “But…” Tom shuffled, “my … Madeline, can you ride?”

  “Of course I can ride,” she blinked in bewilderment. “Who do you think ran all the errands at the convent?” To prove her point she grasped the saddle, put her foot in the stirrup, and pulled herself onto the horse’s back even though her linen skirts bunched around her. “Hurry!” She kicked her mount forward.

  No journey had ever taken as long as that ride to Derby. All Madeline could think about were the things that Tom hadn’t said. He hadn’t been willing to tell her that Jack was alright. That could only mean one thing. And that one thing meant that every moment spent riding was a moment wasted. She wouldn’t have it.

  They reached Derby as the long shadows of evening painted the castle in lazy pastels. The courtyard seemed empty after the bustle of the last time she had been there. She yanked her horse to a stop, hardly noticing the pages that ran out to take her mount and Tom’s as she tore up the stairs and into the main hallway.

  “Where’s Lady Aubrey?” she accosted the first servant she came across.

  “I’m right here,” Aubrey answered from the other end of the hall where she had been walking with Joanna. Her expression flashed to alarm when she saw Madeline. “What’s wrong?”

  “Jack has been captured in the forest,” she blurted as she ran across the hall, Tom right behind her. “And Simon. They….” She stopped and turned to Tom. “How did it happen?”

  Tom colored as he tried to meet Aubrey’s eyes and failed. “They followed me into the forest and were caught by some of the true outlaws.”

  “True outlaws?” Aubrey blinked.

  “Dear God, no!” Joanna raised a hand to her throat. When Aubrey turned questioning eyes on her she said, “Toby has been sneaking into the castle to visit me. He says that the men that have flocked to the forest are getting out of hand, that Ethan doesn’t have as much control of them as he thinks.”

  “We have to go in there and save him!” Madeline grabbed Aubrey’s arm.

  “It’s too dangerous, my lady,” Tom shook his head.

  Aubrey stared from him to Madeline, mouth open, eyes wide and overwhelmed. She shut her mouth with a pained quiver of her lips. “Jack is one of the best friends I’ve ever had. He stood by me when no one else would.” She pressed a hand over her rounded belly, wincing in misery. “But we haven’t even begun to recruit men for the force he was going to lead into the Derbywood. And I can’t go into the forest to face a bunch of outlaws like this.”

  “I’ll go!” Madeline insisted, voice raised. “I don’t care how dangerous it is!” she cut Tom off before he could protest. “He risked his life for me. I’ll risk mine for him.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Joanna insisted.

  “You can’t go into the forest in the dark,” Tom broke into their moment of camaraderie. “Even if there were no outlaws. It’s not safe to travel at night.”

  “Then we’ll go at first light,” Madeline made up her mind. Her plan fell into place as swift as the setting sun. “We’ll ride in and find Ethan and demand that he return Jack and Simon to us.”

  “My… Madeline, he’s not going to just hand them over,” Tom sighed, rubbing his eyes the way Jack did when he’d had a particularly bad day.

  “Then we’ll just have to find out what will make him let them go.”

  Tom wasn’t convinced. Neither was Aubrey for that matter. Madeline wasn’t willing to let the matter drop. But there was nothing she could do until a long night had passed. Aubrey had dinner and her room prepared and a room for Tom, but Madeline could hardly eat. Sleep was the last thing she was capable of.

  “What is Ethan’s camp like?” she asked Tom in the early hours of the morning as she paced back and forth across the front of the castle’s chapel.

  “It’s a camp,” Tom shrugged. He hadn’t been able to sleep either and was loathe to leave her alone. “Close to fifty men and women have joined him. They were living in the forest already, thieves, beggars and worse. Ethan promised to feed them. They came for that. Some stay because he continues to fe
ed them. Others stay because they can strike harder in numbers.”

  “And those are the ones waylaying travelers on the road?”

  “Yes.”

  “But Ethan is in charge.”

  Tom shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s more interested in land and in what Huntingdon is doing than what the men in his camp are doing.”

  Madeline nodded, biting her lip, arms crossed in her restless pacing. “Is Ethan paying attention to Jack? Has he questioned him for any reason or told him why he’s being held?”

  “I don’t know. He ordered Jack and his man to be held, but it was Roderick who the men looked to for orders.”

  “And who is Roderick? I mean, I know he’s Simon’s son….”

  Tom swallowed. “You’ve met him. He’s … he’s that young murderer who we freed when we captured your caravan, when we met.”

  She stopped and stared at him. “Jack is in the hands of a murderer?”

  “He is.” Tom stopped, blinking as the realization hit him. “Roderick murdered his lord. He’s Simon’s son. That means he murdered the previous lord of Kedleridge.”

  The color drained from Madeline’s face. “Why did he kill the previous lord?”

  Tom shook his head. “I have no idea.”

  The remaining hours of the night crawled by. Madeline managed a few hours of sleep curled in a chair in the chapel, Tom watching out for her. By the time the first rays of dawn crept into Derby she was up again, dressed and waiting in the courtyard with Joanna and Tom as horses were brought to them. Most of Derby was still sound asleep as they made their way out of the city and along the road towards the Derbywood. A fine mist hung over the hills near the edge of the forest but the morning sun slanting through the trees gave them enough light to see their way.

  “Be careful,” Tom warned the women as they rode off of the path and into the undergrowth. “There’s likely to be sentinels and they’ll be armed.”

  They walked on in relative silence, the crunch of their horses’ hooves and the song of early birds and wind around them. Madeline took comfort in the sounds of nature, but Joanna’s face was pale and drawn and she kept searching the tops of the trees as she hunkered low over her horse.