He grabbed Isabel’s hand and they ran. “Gavin!” She halted abruptly, panting. “I can’t keep up with you. Go without me.”
“Stay back from the fighting. Do not place yourself in danger.” She nodded, and he left her.
He assessed the situation as he ran. About ten men on horseback, riding wildly through the area where they’d been eating. As they’d rehearsed, several of the guards had encircled Mary and her ladies, while Blake and the remaining guards fought off the band of attacking men. If the invaders felled the guards, they could easily get to Mary. A circle of men around her would be nothing compared to men mounted on large, strong animals. They had multiple advantages: height, speed, and strength. And plenty of weapons, it seemed.
The Tutbury men needed to unseat some of them and then go in for the kill. Gavin, still moving fast, unsheathed his rapier and dashed into the melee. He went after the first man he came to, who made the mistake of leaning down just a tad too far. Dodging the man’s weapon, Gavin grabbed his forearm and yanked him off his horse. The fellow hit his head on a rock when he fell, and Gavin didn’t wait around to find out if he was dead or merely stunned.
Blake looked as if he was getting the best of his opponent, so Gavin moved on. He spun around when Arthur called to him. The boy was leading Gavin’s horse. “Good lad,” he said mounting. “Bring horses for the others.” Soon most of the Tutbury men were mounted and on a more equal footing with their assailants. They fought tooth and nail with their rapiers, attacking, parrying. In the end, several men dismounted and engaged their opponents in hand-to-hand combat. Eventually, the assailants retreated, many with injuries. Their mission had failed.
In the end, it came down to one horseman. The man who seemed to be the leader. He was riding fast along the riverbank, and to Gavin’s horror, Isabel was directly in his path. By God’s light, what the hell was she doing? He’d warned her to stay back. She stood her ground, either frozen with fear or too panicked to think. Get out of the way, Bel! Run! Too late, she started toward the riverbank. The horseman slowed enough to bend down and scoop her up. She put up a fight, flailing her arms about, trying to hit him or unseat him, but the man was too strong for her. Meanwhile, Gavin was gaining on them.
The attacker turned and guided his mount down the riverbank and into the water. Gavin followed, finally reaching them. “Let her go, coward,” he shouted. Did the man believe Isabel was the queen? “You have the wrong woman.”
“Get back or I’ll kill her. She’s nothing to me.” He’d drawn a dagger from his boot.
“You would kill a defenseless woman? She’s no part of this,” Gavin said. Whatever “this” is.
“There’s a price on her pretty head.” The villain wrapped his fingers in Bel’s hair and yanked, and she screamed in pain.
“This lady is not the queen,” Gavin said. “See how black her hair is? Queen Mary is known for her red hair.”
A look of doubt crossed his face. “I have heard she wears wigs.”
Gavin could not believe he was having this discussion. “You pulled her hair hard enough for any wig to be torn off, fool!” How could he stop this man from killing Isabel? Slowly, he edged closer. He heard his men gathering on the riverbank, poised to help. He hoped they had the sense to restrain themselves. Isabel’s fate hung in the balance, and he didn’t want it tipped in the wrong direction.
The other man’s horse became restive, and he dropped his hold on Isabel’s hair to seize the reins. “Stay back, or I’ll cut her throat,” he said. Gavin glanced at Bel, whose eyes were wide with terror. She lay awkwardly in front of the horseman, somehow holding her head and shoulders upright and staring mutely at him. She was blocking any access Gavin had to the man’s upper body.
Then, just when Gavin feared the situation was hopeless, Isabel jerked free and launched herself into the river. At once, the horseman turned his mount and rode through the water toward the opposite bank. Gavin signaled the Tutbury guards to go after him while he saw to Isabel. God’s breath, she might have killed herself. Quickly, he dismounted and sloshed his way to her.
“Isabel!” Blood was seeping from a wound on her head. He tried to lift her—goddamn it, with her heavy, sodden clothes, he could barely manage—until she began to wriggle and protest. He chuckled. She was all right, then.
“Cease, Gavin. I’m not hurt. Only soaked.”
He set her down gently and he guided her out of the water to the shingle. “Your head is bleeding, sweetheart.”
“Aye, I asked the fellow to cut me. I’m frightfully pale, and the blood will brighten me up.” Gavin cocked his head at her. “This is no time for joking, Bel.”
“’Tis nothing. Only a small cut.”
“And you’re sure you are not injured anywhere else?”
“My dignity may be a b-bit b-bruised, but that is the extent of the damage. The w-worst is—I’m f-freezing.”
Indeed, her teeth were chattering. “We must get you out of this wet clothing posthaste.” When he made as though to unfasten her bodice, she protested.
“Just the p-petticoats, Gavin. The ladies will h-help with the rest. I may need to borrow a d-doublet, if any of the men are willing to part with theirs.”
“Of course. I’ll give you mine.” She looked pale and frightened, and Gavin cursed the bastard who’d treated her life so cavalierly.
It was then that they looked up and saw their entire party gazing down on them, the ladies tittering, the men a bit more interested than Gavin liked. “Get back, all of you. Isabel will need help removing the rest of her attire,” he said, glaring at the women.
But it was the men who nodded and smiled. “Be glad to help Mistress Isabel remove her clothing,” Blake said, smirking.
…
“Putain stupide,” Alice Alymer said as Isabel and Gavin reached the top. Some of the other ladies laughed. Isabel heard it clearly, and she also heard both Mary and Lady Shrewsbury remonstrate with Alice.
From the stricken look on his face, Gavin had heard, too. What had she done to merit being called a whore? Her wet clothes were clinging to her legs, but she couldn’t help that. Gavin grasped her elbow and propelled her forward until they located Frances. “Will you help Bel with her apparel?” When Frances nodded, Gavin removed his doublet and handed it to Isabel.
“When you are ready, I’ll take you back to the castle.” She nodded, just wanting this ordeal to be over with. He went off to speak to the men about their casualties.
While Frances unfastened her bodice, Isabel said, “Is the queen well? They did not hurt her?”
“She is fine. We are all fine. What happened? Why were you standing there, a prime target for that villain?”
A fair question. “I was with Gavin. When we heard the attackers, we ran. I couldn’t keep up, so I told him to go ahead.” She paused to get straight in her mind exactly what happened next. “I kept to the trees, but couldn’t see what was happening. In the end, I risked coming out because everything had quieted. And there he was. That man.”
Frances tugged Isabel’s bodice off. “I thought he would kill you. Right before our eyes. Weren’t you afraid?”
“I was terrified. But I had faith that Gavin would kill the rogue.”
“You saved yourself by jumping into the river.”
Isabel’s shift was drying quickly, and she put Gavin’s doublet on over it. She liked it—the feel of something of his on her body. “I never would have summoned the courage to try if he hadn’t been there.”
“Well, I think you were most brave,” Frances said. “And I’m very glad it turned out well.”
Gavin rode up beside them. Isabel thanked Frances, then put one foot on top of Gavin’s and pushed with the other. He did most of the work, drawing her up to sit in front of him. Without her customary attire, she felt light. He wrapped an arm around her, and she relaxed against him.
After they’d gone a short distance, Isabel said, “Who were those men, Gavin?”
“I don’t know, but I i
ntend to find out. Their intent was clear enough.”
“To take Mary?”
“Aye. They were local men, not Scots. Tied to the Catholic church and possibly the Scottish lairds, somehow.”
“Do you think the queen was involved? Mary, I mean.”
“Doubtful, but it will come clear.” Tightening his arm resting under her breasts, he said, “Rest, now, Bel. You suffered a great shock.”
She had no problem with that suggestion. Between Gavin’s warmth and the gentle movement of the horse, Isabel grew sleepy. She dozed the rest of the way back to the castle, waking only when the motion stopped. Gavin helped her down, and Frances walked her to their chamber, where she turned Isabel over to Ann’s ministrations. After washing and donning a clean shift, Isabel climbed into bed and slept until supper.
…
As soon as Gavin was persuaded Isabel would be well looked after, he headed for Shrewsbury’s office. He was not looking forward to informing the earl of what had just transpired, but it had to be done. He rapped on the door and entered.
Shrewsbury had a stack of parchment before him, but looked up immediately. “How was it?” Then he scrunched up his nose. “You smell like the river, Cade.”
“We were set upon by a group of men. One of them captured Isabel, and I went into the river after her.”
He sprang to his feet. “God’s wounds! I knew this was a poor idea. I should never have allowed it! What of Mary?”
“She’s fine. Obviously, they were after her, but they came nowhere near her.”
“How did this happen? Didn’t you have guards posted?”
Gavin, tired to the bone, pointed to the chair. “May I sit before I fall?”
“Pardon, man. Be seated. Tell me everything.”
Shrewsbury poured them both a glass of sack, which he kept on a sideboard and had never before offered to Gavin. It went down well. “We had a surfeit of guards. The attackers seemed to come out of nowhere. After we ate, I asked Isabel to accompany me while I surveyed the area. I had a feeling…but nothing I can be specific about.” Gavin shifted in his chair. “As we walked, I checked every guard to make sure they were in position. All was as it should have been.” He braced himself for the uncomfortable questions he knew would follow.
“Which direction did they come from?”
“I don’t know—I couldn’t see from where I was. Somewhere behind me. I was slightly to the west of the others. By the time I got to them, the fighting was well underway. Everyone will need to be questioned about what they observed.”
“And why were you so far from Mary?”
“As I said, I was checking on the guards. And attempting to quell my uneasy feeling that something was wrong.”
“Dallying with Mistress Tait, were you?” The earl was studying him over the rim of his glass and looking none too friendly.
“No!” Gavin said, perhaps rather too vehemently. “As soon as we heard the shouts, we rushed back.”
“Did we lose any men?”
“I’ve not yet made a thorough assessment, but I don’t believe so. A few guards were injured. We did our share of damage to the attackers, but they all bolted. We had a narrow escape involving Mistress Tait.” Gavin described what had occurred to the earl, leaving out that he’d felt heartsick throughout, sure he was going to lose her.
“Good God, man! Lucky you were there.”
“She launched herself off that horse. I don’t know how she had the strength for it. I did not save her.”
“Nonsense. Without you providing a distraction, she could never have done it.”
Gavin shrugged. “Perhaps. When I leave you, I’ll gather all the men together and question them. The ladies, including Mary, will need to be questioned as well. I’ll write up a report for you after I’ve learned all I can.”
“Any idea who the bastards were?”
“They weren’t wearing livery or any identifying badges, but I’d wager they were local.” One thought had been preying on Gavin’s mind. Something that had occurred to him while he’d ridden home with Isabel resting against him. How had the assailants known they would be on an outing by the river? They would have needed details: exactly when Mary’s party would be there, plus their location. Many agreeable sites were located along the Dove where the Tutbury group might have gone for their entertainment.
Someone in Mary’s inner circle was an informant.
Gavin left Shrewsbury without mentioning his suspicions. He wanted to question everybody who had been at the river and analyze all the facts before he reached a conclusion. He was more than a little surprised the earl hadn’t voiced any suspicions, but he’d caught the man by surprise. Given time, no doubt he would be thinking along the same lines.
Right now, Gavin badly needed to bathe and change. Then he’d begin the work of questioning the guards and sentries and all the members of Mary’s entourage. He would need to interrogate her staff as well. Those who hadn’t been with them: the cooks, tailors, grooms, and secretaries, among others. He’d need to enlist someone he trusted unequivocally to help. Blake would do. Their priority would be to question everybody who’d been on the outing. Separately.
Servants brought hot water for him, and he eased himself into the copper tub. He felt his weary muscles begin to relax, and his mind, which had been running in all directions, did likewise. For the first time since the incident at the river, he allowed himself to think about Isabel. The lovely, enticing Isabel. The way she’d looked with her wet skirts clinging to her legs. He wished he could have stripped her naked. He wished she were right here in the tub with him. His breeding organ, as Isabel called it, was now standing at attention. God’s teeth, how he’d like to bed her.
For the first time since Anna’s death, Gavin felt a genuine and powerful attraction to a woman. But Bel was not an experienced female one could dally with. That was for the best, because his wife’s actions had hurt him deeply. Loving her had hurt him deeply. After he lost Anna and the babe, he’d merely gone through the motions of living. He hadn’t slept, hadn’t eaten for days. And then he’d found the letter and the truth. Since then, he’d become an embittered and cynical man.
Had he met the woman who could transform him? Help him to revert to his better self? The man he used to be?
The timing was abominable. God’s breath, he was working for Ryder on the queen’s business. Bel was a diversion he couldn’t afford. And she was sympathetic to Mary. He would simply have to put her out of his mind. It had been easy enough not to flirt or dance with her, although he’d been sorely tempted. But the times they did meet, just the two of them, were killing him.
No, he would simply have to train himself to view her as he did the other ladies surrounding Mary. Dangerous, and to be avoided at all costs.
Now, he’d best finish bathing and see to the task at hand.
As soon as he was dressed, Gavin sought out Blake and explained what they must do. Over tankards of ale, the two men made a list of essential questions they would pose: Did you speak to anyone outside the castle about today’s plans? Has anybody at Tutbury or elsewhere spoken to you about a plot to kidnap the queen? When did you first see the assailants? From what direction did they come? Did you recognize any of them?
“Depending on their answers, other questions may come to mind,” Gavin said.
“Aye. Where do you want to do this?”
“Use my office. I’ll remain in the presence chamber if Her Majesty allows it.”
“We’ll not finish today,” Blake said. “Nor even tomorrow.”
As the equerry to Shrewsbury, Gavin kept a list of every person employed at the castle, and they worked from that. Initially, Gavin would interview Mary, Cecily, Alice, and Lady Shrewsbury. Blake would question Isabel, Dorothy, and Frances, and the lady’s maids, Ann and Aimee. Tomorrow, Gavin would question the guards and sentries, while Blake interviewed the staff.
Before the evening meal, Gavin and Blake headed for the queen’s presence chamber, where ever
yone would be gathered. Pausing on the threshold, he glanced about for Isabel. She wasn’t there. She’d been done in after her ordeal at the river. Perhaps she was still resting. There was a buzz of conversation in the room, which Gavin interrupted. “Hear ye, friends!” He had their attention immediately. “I have a charge from the Earl of Shrewsbury to question all of you about today’s events. We will commence now, before supper.”
“Surely you can’t think we had anything to do with it,” Cecily said.
Gavin avoided a direct answer. “There are certain facts we must gather from each of you.” He turned to Mary. “Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I will interview you here while Cecily, Alice, and Lady Shrewsbury wait in the passage.”
“Mais oui, Gavin.”
“The passage? Why there?” Alice asked. “Where will we sit?”
“Alice, do as Gavin asks. Now.” When Mary used that tone, it was to great effect. There were no further questions.
“Dorothy, Frances, come with me, if you please,” Blake said. “And we need to collect Ann and Aimee on the way.”
The women uttered a fair number of complaints sotto voce, but eventually did as they were asked.
After everyone had left, Gavin waited for Mary to arrange herself. Her little spaniel jumped up and nestled against her side. “I knew nothing of this, Gavin,” Mary began. “My worst fear is to be kidnaped by a passel of ruffians who won’t have any idea of what to do with me.”
“I know that, Your Majesty. We believe these were local men whose only interest is the Catholic church—and perhaps restoring you to the Scottish monarchy. Did you speak of the outing to anybody who comes and goes from Tutbury regularly?”
“Non. Only among my ladies. There was much excitement about it.”
“And you were not aware of any plot to steal you away from here?”
One brow raised, she said, “Had I known of such a thing, I would have informed the earl immediately.”
“I suspected as much, but I had to ask.” An attempt to smooth ruffled feathers. “When did you first see the assailants, and do you recall from what direction they approached?”
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