Debra Kay Leland (27 page)

The door closed, she paused breathlessly
with tears in her eyes not at all certain of what had just happened, and feeling real fear in her heart for both herself and her child.  Had not Edmund told her that there were those who would do them harm!  She bit back tears and hurried further down the empty hall, then stopped and slowly brought the satchel before her again with a trembling hand and opened it.  It was then that she saw the familiar necklace, the stone polished by the rippling waters of the creek near Chadwick, a necklace she herself had made…  She frowned and whispered her brother’s name, for he was the only person in the world who could have brought this. 
‘Turin…’
 
But how could this be?!  And what did it mean?!  And if he were here, why had he not spoken to her…?!

She didn’t have time to consider it further as a hand snatched it away from
her; she gasped and looked up with a frown into Nigel’s angry face.
“Where did ye get that?!” 
He glanced down the hall towards the bailey door with a hard scowl as he realized that the sound he’d heard was her coming back inside!
  “Were ye in the bailey?!  Ye know that Lord Sheridan does not want thee to wander off alone!” 
He didn’t wait for her to answer as looked at the necklace and leather sachet not at all please with her right then. 
“Ye should have waited for Lord Sheridan, before ye opened the thing!”

She glanced at him and then at the small leather satchel in his hand and her
heart clenched tight with guilt.  She reached for it and closed her hand around it gently, not able to look at him as she did so, but he took her wrist firmly as he frowned down at her. 

“Nigel, Please…”

He stood there for a long tense moment; she hesitated then glanced up at him with worried eyes.  “
Nigel, please, ‘tis mine.”

He scowled
down at her, but then grudgingly released it not sure if she had just lied to him or not, nor was there any way for him to prove it. 
“Ye shall show that to Lord Sheridan on his return!”

She paused and held the thing tightly to herself. 
“’Tis but a trinket, it has no value.”

He
drew an angry breath. 
“Ye shall go to thy room now until thy father-in-law calls thee to his solar!”

She looked down and flushed guiltily before she stepped away
, and then hurried up to William’s chamber again.

He watched her take the stairs and it worried him.  He would keep an eye on her this night and tell the Lord Sheridan about the strange things on his return, even if it
was late...!  And he would find the guards who had been ordered to watch the doors, and see that it didn’t happen again!

In her room, Miranda stood at the window with the necklace still clutched in a soft hand to her breasts.
Her mind turning in circles at what had just happened, feeling shaken and confused…
  If it truly was her brother, then why had he done this?!  And
what did it mean?
 
Was it that he only wanted her to know he was near?
 
But why?  What reason would he have for journeying this far onto English soil?!
  She worried that something might have happened in Chadwick, and that he only wished for her to know that he needed her… 

She
sank down onto the chair beside her and took the satchel again with a trembling hand and looked at the necklace—more than sure it was the one she had given him!  And somehow it made her feel afraid…  She frowned and inspected the leather satchel hoping that it held some sort of clue for her…  Deep inside she saw the small piece of bark from a birch tree and the faint etching from a sharpened knife that scored it, not words, for neither she nor Turin could read, only an etching, a map of sorts telling her all she needed to know…
He was close by, and he wanted to see her…

Her eyes scanned the courtyard and meadow beyond the castle walls from her windows, even those parts of the bailey she could see looking for a familiar face, but none were found.  She knew it would be impossible for her to leave her room that night for Nigel was more than suspicious now.  She could only hope that her brother would know that too!  But somehow, she had to find a way to meet with him and find out what he wanted—
somehow!

Nigel stayed in the great hall with his eyes on the stairs till late into the night as he waited for Lord Sheridan to return, more than worried at his delay and the events that had happened that day...

Miranda herself didn’t sleep either, not knowing what she would tell her father-in-law when he returned, for surely he would ask! 
But what could she tell him without endangering her brother?!  First, she needed to find out why he was here and what he wanted of her before she told Edmund anything…!
  But before she had even finished thinking the thoughts, the sound of horse’s hooves on the wooden drawbridge caught her attention and she froze… 
They had returned...  And soon Nigel would tell all…

She took the small piece of bark and threw it into the fire that burned slowly in the hearth then placed the necklace back into the satchel and waited, all the while trying to calm her racing heart and find words that just wouldn’t come
…

Lydan spoke in a low voice as they rode through the gates. 
“Do ye really think there is reason to be concerned?”

Edmund shrugged not willing to share his thoughts right then. 
“I cannot be sure of anything at this point, but it unnerves me knowing that a group of Welshmen have journeyed so far from their lands.  We both know they would not have made such a journey unless it were important; for being caught here would only be taken as trouble.  And I cannot understand their purpose other than to come here out revenge—or that they have come for the girl...”

He glanced up as he dismounted and caught sight of his daughter-in-law in th
e windows above and frowned—then paused, as he watched her purposefully step away as not to be seen.  His brows knit together darkly, as did Garrick’s who had seen it also. 
“I wonder, uncle, if truly we have more to worry about than we first thought.”

Edmund scowled and glanced around him cautiously before he headed wordlessly up the tall castle steps knowing that Garrick was right.

Nigel met him in the hall with a hard scowl. 
“M’lord, I have ordered thy meal to be brought.  The women have already eaten and the lady Miranda is in her chamber for the night.”
  He lowered his voice discreetly and leaned closer, his dark frown did not lessen as he spoke. 
“And—I have need to speak with thee about her.  The lady herself had wandered off into the bailey, though I did not catch her there.  But I found her in the eastern hall near the bailey door with satchel in her hand.  And I have never seen such before this!  I could only presume that someone had given it to her, for she was greatly shaken…”

Edmund
’s voice was low and hard. 
“A satchel?”

“Aye, I took it from her, but she
insisted on having it back; I would not have done so, but there was no way for me to be sure.
 
Though I did inspect it, and there was nothing but a peasant’s necklace inside, a mere stone on a leather string.  I questioned her about it; but she was vague and insisted it was hers
, s
o I ordered her to her chambers to wait for thee.”

Edmund drew a loud tense breath. 
“After—I have washed the dust from myself and taken my meal have the lady brought to my solar, and put a guard at her door also.”

“Aye, m’lord, I shall—and a guard is already in place.”

Garrick eyed him cautiously. 
“Do ye think that is necessary?”

Edmund removed his heavy cloak and threw it on a chair as he went to the basin and washed
, not meeting the other man’s concerned eyes. 
“I do.  For in truth, I believe the men we seek have already made contact with her.”

The knock on the door wasn’t a surprise to Miranda, she had expected her father-in-law to come and inquire of the satchel for nigh an hour, but who it was at her door did surprise her.  She opened it shyly and peered at Nigel’s hard face. 
“Lord Sheridan would like ye to come to his solar—now…  Bring the satchel, and whatever else it contains with ye.”

She turned back guiltily knowing that she had already destroyed the piece of thin bark that she had found and what was left would in no way compromise her brother.  He was still waiting at the door when she turned back hoping he hadn’t notice how flushed she had become. 

She followed him down into the great hall where his men lingered at the hearth, they glanced at her with frowns and she couldn’t help but worry.

He paused at the
solar door and knocked discreetly, a low voice bid them to enter and he held the door for her.  “M’lord, the lady is here.”

Miranda stepped into the dimly lit room, candles gave it a low golden light that looked warm and inviting, though she felt none of it.  She could only hope it hid her guilty face well; but when she met his eyes she knew it had not.

He sat at the end of the table in a high back ornate chair, to his right and left sat Lord Farrington and Lord Hastings.  All three sat with cups in their hands, staring at her silently and she stopped stiffly feeling the flush in her cheeks even before it took her.  She hadn’t even realized she had stopped until her father-in-law motioned her to the end of the long narrow table where a simple bench sat.

“Come, come, Miranda, sit.”  His voice was low and stern as he set his cup
down slowly, watching her as he did so.

The others in the room were quiet, unnervingly quiet; as they watched her move towards the end of the table and seat herself there silently
.

“What hav
e ye in thy hand, girl?”

She looked down at the only message her brother could have given her and hesitated, not having anything to say until she had spoken with Turin first.  Her father-in-law noticed her hesitation and wondered at it; as did the men seated next to him at the long narrow table.

“Miranda?”

She looked up with guilty eyes that made him tense.

“Show me.”

She lowered her eyes again to the satchel, and then lif
ted her hand so he could see.

“Miranda…”

She did not meet his eye as she opened it and poured the contents into her palm.

The three men glanced at each other uneasily before their gaze riveted on her again.

“Bring it to me.

She stood then and walked around the table to where he was seated and held it out for him to take; but he caught her wrist instead making her eyes jump to his with a startled look on her soft face. 
“Do ye know who gave this to ye?”

She hesitated.  S
he didn’t want to answer, not yet, not before talked to Turin…

“Miranda?”

She flushed again and sought words that just wouldn’t come.

“What does this mean?!”

She hesitated again. 
“I—I’m not sure…” 
That at least that was the truth.

“But ye know who sent it?”

She didn’t answer, wishing that she had something to say to satisfy his questions and yet she did not.

“I can see in thy eyes that ye do know.  Ye came here with nothin
g save the clothes on thy back and I am to believe that this is thine?!  Why are ye being so secretive, girl?  What could this possibly be that ye would not feel as if ye could not trust me with it?”

She didn’t know what to say as he lowered his gaze to the simple necklace in her tre
mbling hand.  He took the thing and fisted it in his strong hand not bother to look at her as he spoke; but neither did he release her. 
“Lord Farrington, would ye escort the lady to the tower and have her locked in the room under guard.  I shall send a maid to her shortly.”

The three heard her gasp softly, her blue eyes wide with fright. 
“…M—m’lord?”

He raised a hand to silence her. 
“I shall talk to ye again when I am sure that this is not a threat against what is mine.  And—ye are mine, m’lady…  Do not fool thyself into thinking otherwise!”

Garrick stood without a word and took her arm; only then did
Edmund release her thin wrist.

She glanced at him as he drew her away from the table; but even he refused to meet her gaze.  She turned away then and followed the tall man
out of the now very quiet room.

Lydan’s hard eyes followed her as she left at Garrick’s side.  He wanted to say that she was more trouble than she was worth,
but he held his tongue instead…

Garrick hesitated at the door to murmur to Nigel who was standing vigilantly just outside it.  The steward nodded and motioned for the guards to follow.