Everlasting (35 page)

 
Abrielle’s relief was almost overpowering. “Nedda? Dear Nedda, what ails you?”

 
The woman groaned. “My leg, m’lady. It hurts somethin’ fierce.”

 
“It might be broken,” Raven said solemnly. “Ye need the services of a healer.”

 
“Ye must get m’lady back to the keep,” the servant said between grimly pressed lips. “I’ll only slow yer progress.”

 
“Nedda, we cannot leave you alone!” Abrielle cried. Turning to Raven, she asked, “Have you men?”

 
“They’re on the way with your stepfather, but for now, ’tis just us.”

 
Cedric appeared in the doorway. “You need ta get the women away, lad.” He kicked one of the captors, who didn’t move. “Who knows when these ones will awaken? Is this all there are?”

 
“The brigands were waiting for someone else to arrive, no doubt the man who enlisted their services,” Abrielle said, allowing Nedda to squeeze her hand. “Although I have no proof as yet, Thurstan may well be the culprit. ’Tis my belief that he resented the fact that my agreement with Desmond left me the keep and most if not all the wealth that once belonged to Lord Weldon.”

 
“But we canna ken that for sure,” Cedric said. “Any number of young bucks could’ve taken it inta their heads ta have ye for himself. To that end, I’ll remain behind and hide myself well in the forest. When I know the identity of the men behind this terrible deed, I’ll meet with Sir Vachel and come to the keep, bringing these villains with me.”

 
“And I’ll remain with ye, Laird Cedric,” Nedda said faintly.

 
“But you need healing,” Abrielle cried.

 
“And ye need to be safe, m’lady. I not be in mortal danger; I can wait a few hours.”

 
“And I’ll make her a comfortable litter while we wait,” Cedric offered.

 
“Let those villains ride in the bumpy cart,” Nedda said, with a faint show of determination. “I have enough bruises from that.”

 
“Are you certain?” Abrielle said, looking between her maidservant and the two men.

 
“’Tis the best way, m’lady,” Nedda said kindly.

 
“We’d best be getting these brigands inta the cart, lad,” Cedric suggested. “Otherwise, there’ll be the devil ta pay should we be caught by those yet ta come.”

 
After binding and gagging all three men, Cedric lifted one over his shoulder as his son hefted another in the same manner. Leading the way into the adjoining room, he was wont to chortle. “Raven, me lad, should I ever forget what I’ve seen here today, kindly remind your ol’ da na ta get inta a row with these here lasses. I’m thinking me poor pate wouldna be able ta stand the abuse.”

 
Nedda cast a glance toward the elder and spoke stiffly. “Ye needn’t worry, m’lord. ’Tis only brutish culprits I’m inclined ta lay low.”

 
“Then I’ll be thanking me good fortune ye didna mistake us as part of that vermin,” the laird said with amusement as Abrielle ran ahead to open the front portal for the men. Over his shoulder, Cedric advised, “Take this as a warning, lad. Treat the women kindly or they’ll be of a mind ta raise a crop of lumps on your pate.”

 
Abrielle wrung her hands in agitation, knowing the men were only trying to ease her spirits. But all she could think of was her maid’s safety, for after all, the woman wouldn’t be in such grave peril if not for her mistress.

 
Once all three villains were in the cart, Raven hid the conveyance behind a tumbledown shed where it would be easily accessible to Vachel and his knights. After erasing the tracks with a branch, he joined his father in improvising a litter with the quilts and a bed frame. Having often traveled with his father in service to their king, Raven was reluctant to leave Cedric behind. His parent had always been a noble warrior, but since the death three summers past of the beauty he had taken to wife more than twoscore years ago, he had seemed inclined to take unnecessary chances with his life. Raven decided his da would likely be heartened by the premise that he hadn’t yet lost his appeal when it came to the fairer gender, and be more careful for his own life.

 
Seeing that Abrielle was feeding her maidservant a bit of cheese, Raven said to his father, “I overheard the Lady Cordelia saying some fine things about ye ta a cousin of hers at the squire’s funeral.”

 
Cedric elevated a hoary brow as he peered at him in wonder. “About me?”

 
“I’m thinking the lady has set her heart on having ye, Da.”

 
The elder scrubbed a hand across his mustached mouth, as if making an earnest attempt to wipe away a widening grin. “’Tis true what ye say? Ye wouldna be up ta some mischief?”

 
“Were ye ta take yourself so young a bride, ’tis sure I’d be finding myself with a whole new brood of brothers and sisters. Why, I can just see them now, swarming ’round my knees, wanting me ta mend their broken dolls or horses.”

 
Cedric harrumphed as he cocked a quizzical brow at his son. “Ye wouldna resent them?”

 
“Mayhap a few…at the very beginning,” his son teased, “but they’re sure ta grow on me after a time.”

 
The elder laughed. “Aye, they could grow on me, too. Your mother, she never was able ta have more’n ye, lad, but ye can be sure I was always true ta her. She was me only love.”

 
“Take care, Da,” Raven urged in a moment of sincerity. “I want ta see ye at the keep after this is over. Should I be blessed with bairns of my own, they’ll be wanting a grandfather ta read ta them.”

 
Cedric cocked a brow toward Abrielle. “Dinna be counting your chicks before they’re hatched, lad. That one dinna seem too partial ta ye.”

 
Raven smiled. “Give her time.”

 
At last the litter was done and Nedda was settled into it. Cedric swept an arm about, urging them to leave. “Now mount up and be gone from here afore those miscreants catch us unawares. If I’m going ta fight, I’d rather be assured ye’re safely away afore I start bloodying those devils.” He grinned. “Otherwise, Lady Abrielle be inclined ta think me a ruthless savage.”

 
Abrielle smiled at him after she tucked the quilt up around Nedda’s chin. “I think you my heroic rescuer.”

 
Raven straightened with pride. “And me, my lady?”

 
She shrugged. “I’m grateful you came to keep your father company.”

 
He winced and staggered as if she’d wounded him, but Abrielle did not relax into a smile. Sighing, he mounted his black stallion and patted the animal’s neck fondly to keep him from shying away as his father lifted Abrielle up behind him. Settling astride the steed, she adjusted the skirts of her robe and nightgown for a moment before she lifted her gaze and found Raven peering over his shoulder.

 
“Are ye ready, lass?”

 
Though she nodded, it only just dawned on her that she and Raven would be traveling alone. She would have no choice but to depend upon him for her survival.

CHAPTER 16

 
As the horse began walking down a lane into the forest, Abrielle looked back at Cedric, who pulled Nedda’s litter down a different path near the cottage and disappeared. She found herself wishing she could have stayed behind. Instead she was sharing a too-small saddle with Raven Seabern. Straddling his body with her legs, she felt indecently close to him. To keep their touching as minimal as possible, she was trying not to hold on to him, but she found herself swaying with the movement of the horse, and the awkwardness of the two of them together.

 
Raven looked over his shoulder at her. “If ye dinna hold on, ye’ll find yourself on your backside in the dirt.”

 
Gritting her teeth, she clutched the folds of his cloak in her fists.

 
“That’s better, lass.”

 
She could still hear the amusement in his voice, and she hated being the source of his humor. She needed a distraction from this strange tension. “How did you find us so quickly?”

 
“A serf named Siward alerted Sir Vachel after he saw a cart being loaded with quilts and pillows near the back entrance of the keep. He
watched ta see what they were putting in it, thinking mayhap Mordea was stealing from ye again. Then he saw your maid come out afore being tied up and thrown inta the cart. He began ta suspect what was in the quilt they’d loaded earlier, and told Sir Vachel what he’d just seen.”

 
“I shall personally offer my gratitude and a suitable reward to him for raising up a hue and cry,” Abrielle avouched. “Nedda and I were afraid no one would even notice we were gone until the morning.”

 
“Siward claimed ye’d likely saved his son’s life by providing better vittles for the children. The lad was barely surviving, but when ye started sending over food, he took ta eating again. Siward said even if the brigands killed him, he couldna keep quiet on the chance that ye’d been taken.”

 
“But what about my stepfather and his knights?” Abrielle asked.

 
“After Siward’s news, Sir Vachel found traces of blood on the floor outside your chambers and within. He sent out riders ta bid the knights who were living fairly close ta come in haste ta the keep. Since it promised ta be a goodly wait afore they arrived, my da and I decided ta ride out ta find the brigands’ trail and mark it for Sir Vachel. ’Twould seem ye did that well enough with the scraps ye left. They gave us hope we’d find ye alive.”

 
“I am glad,” she said softly, trying to think of Nedda’s safety, rather than Raven’s broad back and warm thighs.

 
“So how were ye able ta subdue three large men? Surely ye had help.”

 
“Just Nedda and I and our clever minds,” she said with faint sarcasm.

 
Over his shoulder, his blue eyes touched her. “I never said ye weren’t clever, lass.”

 
She frowned, tempted to say that he seemed concerned only with having a wealthy, beautiful bride until she remembered he was escorting her safely home and she was grateful. Instead she told him of their successful overthrow of their captors.

 
“I am quite impressed,” he said afterward. “Ye certainly made things easier on us poor men who thought we were facing danger to rescue ye.”

 
She could not suppress the small smile that turned up a corner of her mouth. For a while they rode in silence, the forest masking the setting sun and a chill beginning to seep upward from the ground. Suddenly she noticed the path they were taking. “We are not traveling the same way that our captors took us.”

 
“Nay,” he replied. “In case their leader—”

 
She could not help but interrupt, eager to know who had done this terrible thing to her, to Nedda, to her family. “Thurstan?” she asked.

 
He took a moment to reply. “Perhaps. But in case he knew to follow the same roads as his henchmen, ye and I should travel another way.”

 
She nodded with comprehension, and found that simply closing her eyes gave her a start, as if she’d fall off the horse. Raven’s voice spoke softly in her ear. “Ye didna sleep much,” he said. “Hardly a surprise, considering the circumstances.” His voice became even softer. “Sleep now.”

 
She gave a little snort. “And how should I be doing that?”

 
“I willna let ye fall, lass. Rest yourself against me and sleep.” It was so tempting, as the rocking of the horse’s gait lulled her, and although she resisted, at last she found her body easing against his, her arms creeping around his waist. What harm could it do to trust him just this once? He was large and warm and so very soothing.