by Amy Mullen
She tried to sit up, but he pushed her back so hard her head hit the ground with an audible thud. Stars flickered in her eyes as she struggled to sit up again.
"Hold still, you insipid cow," he said as he punched her in the jaw. She reeled from the blow, tasting blood in her mouth. Vomit came up into her throat.
Unable to scream, she kicked her legs as hard as she could. His knee was pressed painfully into her stomach to hold her down as he worked at loosening his belt and his hose.
A silent scream rose within Gemma as she realized what he meant to do. This was not a kidnapping. He was going to rape her! She struggled harder, but the pain increased with each motion. Stopping, she hoped lying still would lull him into thinking she was beaten.
"Good girl," he said as he tried to free himself from his hose. She squeezed her eyes shut in horror as she desperately tried to reconcile in her mind what was happening to her. The terror was too much. She feared she would pass out.
"You have avoided me all these years but not now. I will never hold my father's lands because I am the fourth son, and therefore, no woman wants me. I watched you wed that blackguard de Reymes today, but I'll have you afore he can. 'Twill be my brat you push out, not his, and these lands will be mine."
Gemma twisted and fought anew, her arms flailing, wishing for something, anything to help her. Please God, where was Nicholas?
Bigod gave up on opening his hose for a moment and reached back, his knee firmly planted between her hips, and he felt around for the hem of her kirtle. His hands touched her bare skin as he tried to get her skirt up. He paused as a creepy smile crept across his face. He pulled out a dagger and held it to her throat. "If you want to live," he whispered with a snarl, "you'll stop and take what is coming to you."
She froze as the blade sat cold on her skin. He pressed it so hard she feared he would slice her throat and that would be the end of her. The blade lifted from her neck, and he moved toward her cloak. The tie was cut with one swipe, and then he sliced the kirtle recklessly, exposing her bare skin.
"Aye, you are a fine piece!" he said, his eyes bulging.
Aghast, she closed her eyes tightly as if it would stop this nightmare. This could not be happening! He moved, and before she knew what was happening, his rough fingers gripped and twisted her skin. A pain shot through her. She would rather die than endure this any longer. The reaction in her body was not what it was when Nicholas had touched her. No, she was filled with nothing but revulsion and loathing. Intermittently, he pinched and tugged, leaving her skin red and chafed as he went. He was panting and grunting, like a pig rutting in the wood.
Desperate to get away, she squirmed again, but this only served to excite him. The blade was once again on her neck, so she dared not fight him. He moved the blade again as he tore the rest of her dress down the middle, exposing her naked body to his gaze, leaving her wearing nothing but her mother's necklace. His odd noises sickened her more. Gemma closed her eyes even harder as the blade once again returned to her neck. She knew she was near the edge of the orchard, but no one could see them. Because of the gag, she could not scream.
The knave was going to get away with this!
Something hard pressed against her stomach. He was settling his considerable weight on her, trying to balance the knife and fiddling with his clothes as he tried to free himself. Silent tears streamed from her eyes, leaving a hot path down her head and over her ears. Never in her life had she been so helpless and scared.
The knife shook as he moved again. She threw her arms out and grabbed whatever she could find. Her hand landed on a pile of rocks to the left of where he had thrown her. It was one of Isabel's rock collections! Grasping the biggest one her hand could hold, she swung as hard as she could. Before he could finish what he started, he flailed backward and landed with a thud, his bulk pinning one of her legs to the ground.
In a panic, she placed her other foot on him and tried to push him from her leg so she could escape. His bulky body was hard to move, but it was nothing compared to the terror she felt. After a struggle, she used every ounce of strength within her to roll him off of her leg.
She scrambled up. Frantically she tried to pull her tattered gown around her nude body as she focused on Phillip, who was breathing hard but lying still. His eyes were closed, but she did not know how long they would remain that way. Forgetting her modesty for a moment, she let go of her dress and grabbed his knife. Carefully but quickly she cut through the gag, nipping her own cheek as she did so. Once the gag was free, she screamed as loudly as she could with energy she did not know she possessed. The knife fell to the ground from her shaking fingers. Her entire body was trembling so hard her knees threatened to give out. She tried again to cover herself with her ruined dress.
Within seconds she heard heavy footsteps pounding on the earth as someone burst through the trees. Nicolas was beside her within seconds as she heard more and more footsteps through the bailey coming toward the sound of her voice.
"Nay!" he bellowed as he surveyed the scene around him. Gemma continued to tremble uncontrollably as his eyes moved from her to Phillip, who was lying on the ground now and bleeding from the head. "What did he do to you?"
Unable to answer, she swayed on her feet. The terror, the pain, the confusion, and the horror of what had just happened were too much. She fainted.
Chapter Twelve
Nicholas scooped Gemma's limp body into his arms before she had a chance to hit the ground. There was an angry red mark on her check and jaw, and a small trickle of blood was already forming a scab where she had nicked her face. She felt weightless and was almost nude. He knelt down and picked up the cloak he had given her to put over her before his men came in among the trees.
He whirled around with Gemma in his arms as Willis came to a halt beside him. His ears rang, and his blood ran cold. More men appeared, and a collective gasp could be heard as they all realized what had been happening.
"Where is Oliver de Toeni?" Nicholas demanded, "He was guarding her. I was gone but only a moment. Find him!"
Willis scurried away as fast as he could, signaling for a few men to come with him. Gemma moaned in his arms, and he held her tighter. "Milord…" one of the men started, but Nicholas cut him off.
"Take Bigod to the dungeon. There are a few rooms in the northeastern tower that will work nicely. He is not to be fed or given drink until I arrive. Guard him. No one sees him but me."
Phillip groaned. Nicholas kicked him in the stomach and carried his new bride out of the orchard toward the great hall.
Of all the things to happen on their wedding day, this scenario never entered his mind. He was angry. It was best Henry decided Bigod's fate, but he worried he would kill him with his own two hands before he could turn him over to the king. He could get far too wrapped up in Bigod and would again lose focus on his real purpose here. As much as he would love to see the last breath leave Bigod's body, he knew Henry would be ruthless and he could not ask for more than that. He was going to question him before he left, however. Bigod was not getting out of Blackstone until he had some answers.
With great care, he carried his bride through the great hall, past the surprised guests, and up the steps into the solar. He laid her gently on the bed. Hesse and Isabel were right behind him. Isabel started screaming when she saw the bruise on her sister's cheek. She ran to Nicholas and started hitting him with open hands.
"What have you done to my sister!" she demanded as Hesse pulled her away from him.
"Nay, sprout, I have not hurt your sister!" he said with more understanding than he would have had in the past. The little imp had already won his heart. He bent to speak with her. "'Twas Phillip Bigod. He meant to hurt your sister. Do not fret. You and Hesse should go get Father Darius and fetch Leda from the kitchen to aid in caring for your sister. I do not yet know what happened, but she fainted when I got to her. I hope the bruise is the worst of the damage. Can you go fetch them for me?"
She backed away slowly,
biting her bottom lip. A large tear dropped from her eye and landed with a plop on the sleeve of her kirtle. "I will," she said and then added, "I am sorry, Nicholas. I was scared."
"We all are," he admitted as he ruffled the hair on her head. She left the room with Hesse to get help.
After they were gone, he moved toward his wife, lying peacefully on the bed. Her breathing was normal, and she appeared serene. He was sure she fainted from the stress of what Bigod was going to do, or had done, to her. All he could do was wait. A sheet was pulled up over her. She was his wife now, but he wanted to respect her modesty. She should come to him willingly as his wife and not be ashamed. This sharpened his senses. With a heavy heart he feared for her. When had he started to care?
Leda came in, and he stood aside awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. "You can stay if you like," she said, "but I have ta clean her up and check her fer injuries. Father Darius will come if I need him." She set a bucket of hot water on the floor and dunked a cloth into it.
"I shall wait out in the passageway for your report," he said and left the room quickly. He then spoke with Willis, who told him Bigod was secured in the tower.
Leda emerged ten minutes later and bade him to enter. Gemma was still asleep but was cleaned up and lying under a white linen sheet where he had left her.
"I found a large bruise on her belly as well as the one on her cheek, milord," Leda said as she shook her head. "It also feels like there be a bump on the back of her skull. Her back be scraped up a bit, but I cleaned it up and removed the pebbles that dug into her skin. I cannot say fer sure, but it does not appear she be otherwise harmed. If she fainted like ye said she did, she should awaken easily enough, but it might be best to let her sleep."
"Thank you, Leda," he said, feeling his pulse race as he imaged what Bigod might have done to her. "Can you stay with her until I return?"
As she nodded, Nicholas marched out of the room. He went down to bid farewell to his guests and left the hall. Pulling a dagger out of his boot, he went straight for the northeast tower. His need to see Phillip Bigod and his desire for answers could wait no longer.
He entered the tower to find Willis and Oliver de Toeni talking quietly. Oliver was holding something to his head. His gray hair was now hued red and he appeared troubled.
"What do you have to say, de Toeni?" Nicholas demanded.
"Milord, my deepest apologies. I heard the same scream you heard, and when you waved, I knew to watch over Gemma. I was going to get her to escort her back to the hall but…"
"What?" Nicholas said.
"I do not know," he said and shrugged. "That is the last thing I remember. All I know is I have a large lump on my head, and I am bleeding. Someone must have hit me."
Nicholas felt ill. He instinctively knew Oliver was telling the truth, and someone else was still at large within the walls.
"I shall find out soon enough," he said with a nod to each of the men. "Willis, I need someone to take me to where Bigod is held and to stay with me. I fear I will kill him unless I have a witness there to keep me honest. He will talk before I send him off to London in shackles."
Within minutes Willis had rounded up a few of his most trusted men, and he left them at the door. He escorted Nicholas to see the prisoner. The dungeon was below them.
"You," he pointed to a man he had trained in London. "Please take Oliver to the keep and find someone to help him."
With that order, he spun to follow Willis down the spiral, stone steps to the chamber below. Willis lit a torch and they peered in at Phillip. The layer of dust on the floor indicated no one had been in there for quite some time. He was sitting on the cot with his head in his hands. Willis unlocked the door, and Phillip lifted his head to watch Nicholas enter. The door closed behind him with a sharp slam.
Bigod cowered as Nicholas entered. "What a pathetic man you are," Nicholas said through clenched teeth. His temper slipped away from him as he pulled back and punched Phillip square in the face. Blood shot from his nose. Phillip shrieked as his hands flew up to feel the blood pouring out.
"What did you do to my wife?" Nicholas roared. There was no answer He paced the room from one wall to the other. "I have little patience for simpering fools. If you do not start telling me what I want to know, I will kill you with my bare hands. If you tell me what I want, you will live to see the morrow."
Phillip put his head up, his hand over his throbbing nose. "If you harm me, my father will come." The words sounded funny. Nicholas had knocked out a few teeth as well as bloodied his nose.
"Your father is of no concern to me. You will already be dead. I hate to kill a man not armed and engaged in battle, but rape is not something I take lightly, my friend." He stopped pacing in front of Phillip, standing dangerously close to him as he cowered even more.
"And," he continued, "I want to know who helped you and to what aim? What do you know about the deaths happening here? You are in a lot of trouble; 'twould be in your best interest to start talking. I cannot say I can hold my temper much longer."
Nicholas ran his long fingers through this dark hair as he waited for Phillip to speak. He stood with his legs apart, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.
Phillip let out a loud sigh and then spoke quietly, "Aye, I hurt yer wife. I only meant to take what was mine. I was promised the lady in exchange for information. I did not have my way with her, for she fought me off afore I could do the deed. She hit me in the head. I only meant to see my heir growing in her belly so I could claim her as wife and claim Blackstone as mine."
Nicholas could hardly believe what he was hearing. This man was admitting to attempted rape in a voice one would use to discuss the weather. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" he demanded, becoming even more impatient.
With a shrug, Phillip continued. "A few fortnights ago, a man approached me about Blackstone. He said he needed to get in without detection so he could take something stolen from him by the de Veres. He told me I could have Gemma if I wished, for she was nothing but a spoiled brat in the way of his goal. He would take over the castle for a while to get what he needed, and then he would leave it and her to me. You ruined the plan by arriving to wed the girl. No one thought she would be smart enough to send for help."
Nicholas started pacing again as he tried to digest what he was telling him. "Who is this man?" he asked.
"I dunno," Phillip said lamely. "I met him at a dinner after my sister's wedding. He had an air about him he did, as if he were a king or something. He came with a woman. She's a lusty gal, that one."
"What did you tell him?" Nicholas strode over to the cot and grabbed him by the neck. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him about the tunnel."
"The tunnel?" Nicholas said, feigning shock. "Which tunnel?" He let go of his neck and pushed him back onto the cot.
"The one yer lady wife used to meet you in the night years ago," he said, as he squared his shoulders and tried to sit up straight. "Did you think you were alone? I saw you there one night and I knew. I watched her come from the tunnel."
"You were there?" he said, his mind whirling.
"I was. I was ready to ask for her hand, and she was meeting some young buck out in the wood. My father said I could not marry a tart, but I still wanted her I did." Phillip gulped as he saw the rage renew in Nicholas's features. "I just told the man about the tunnel and that he could come and go without anyone knowing. After that, I do not know. I have no part in what happened to Gemma's father. You may think me a dishonorable man, but I give you my word on that."
Nicholas walked toward the door. He had heard enough. The man did not succeed in raping Gemma, or so he had said. Anger clouded his vision, but he could not let it consume him. He would send him off to Henry as threatened. However, he had one last question before he went back to his wife.
"When you spied on us like a knave in the night all those years ago, did you tell anyone? Is that why your father called her nasty names?"
Philli
p said nothing.
He went to the door, and Willis opened it to let him out. "Give him water and bread. Or do not; I do not care. On the morrow, he is to be shackled and taken to Henry under heavy guard. I shall see to his farewell. Get me out of here before I change my mind and kill him myself!" He ran up the steps and out into the bailey. The door slam and the metal clanking behind him assured him Willis had done as he wished. There was much to think about now, and maybe some new answers had just come to light. He had to get to Gemma before she awoke.
Chapter Thirteen
When Gemma woke, the sun had just set. She was not sure where she was or why she was there. She did not want to open her eyes. Every inch of her was sore. She let out a groan and tried to roll over.
"Gemma?" said Nicholas. "Can you hear me?"
She was naked under her sheet, and she did not know how long she had slept or what day it was. As she lay there, she began to fully remember what had happened to her, and as it rushed back, hot tears once again raced down her temples and over her ears.
"Nay, my love," he said with a tenderness she had never heard in his voice. "Do not move too much. You have some healing to do. Leda will be up with some food as soon as I send for some. Are you hungry?"
She opened her eyes. He was sitting beside her bed. He appeared concerned. She searched for signs of anger but found none.
"I am confused," she admitted as she tried to sit up.
"Stay put." He gently touched her arm so she would obey. "You will find movement to be painful right now. You have bruises all over your body, and there were pebbles in your back."
She paused and stared wide-eyed at him. "Did you…"
