Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) (3 page)

After grooming Apollo and leaving the stables, Ella
heard a ruckus coming from the far end of the bailey. Unable to see the cause
of this commotion, she weaved through the soldiers and servants who filled the
training yard, and then came to an abrupt halt at the sight that greeted her
eyes.

Philip, Aunt Eleanor’s cruel husband, was in the
process of dragging a small boy to the whipping post. The child could be no
more than six or seven summers, Ella thought. Her chest painfully tightened as
a soldier tied the boy’s wrist together and secured him to the post.

“Ye will rue the day ye kidnapped me,” the boy spat in
a thick Highland burr.

The various men loyal to Greystone and Montgomery
laughed at the insignificant threat.

A chill raced down Ella’s spine when her gaze found
Roger Moreland, Baron of Montgomery, standing next to Philip. During the only
two occasions Roger visited Greystone, he had eyed her like a prized mare he
would relish in taming.

“Scots are just dirty bastards who aren’t fit to wipe
the arse of an Englishmen,” a Montgomery soldier taunted.

Enraged by this slander, the boy desperately tried to
free himself from the post, but only managed to rip the skin from his wrist and
cause blood to drip down his arms.

With pity in their eyes, the people working within the
castle stopped to watch the spectacle. They were not surprised, since Philip
beat serfs and free men alike with the slightest provocation. A brutal flogging
always seemed to give him a sense of power and control.

In Ella’s eight years at Greystone, she only witnessed
grown men flogged, never a small child captured solely for ransom. It was a
well know fact that England and Scotland had both decreed that captives must
remain unharmed.  Breaking the code of conduct often resulted in harsh
acts of retribution.  It was unlikely that the boy would survive the
flogging; Ella thought to herself. Thus, there would be no ransom.

“Who is that boy, and what did he do to deserve such a
punishment?” Ella whispered to Rose, a castle maid.

Distress was written all over Rose’s face when she
murmured, “Kidnapped boy from some Scottish Clan. ‘Tis said he tried to
escape.”

“The king’s wrath will be upon us if this boy is
whipped or harmed in any way. I must put a stop to this,” Ella cried as she
rushed to the whipping post.

Due to the boy’s size, he had to stand on a wooden box
so the lash would strike his entire back and not just the top portion.

With mirth, Philip unraveled the whip, and then said
to Montgomery, “We’ll give him five lashes for now, for we don’t want to kill
him before his grandfather arrives.”

“I only wish my bride-to-be was here to see the
flogging,” Montgomery sneered. “A beneficial lesson in discipline it would be
for her.” In a whisper he added, “God knows with her Scottish blood I will have
to beat her often, and you know I will nae hesitate to whip her for any
disobedience.”

Looking at Montgomery, Philip thought how utterly
perfect he was for Ella’s husband. Roger Moreland, Baron of Montgomery would
make that bitch scream in pain until death would be a gift from God.

“She deserves nae less. My useless wife always tries
my patience with her futile attempts to protect the wench, but since Eleanor
will nae be around much longer, I find myself itching to flay Ella’s back.”

As Philip raised the whip, Ella burst through the
crowd of soldiers and screamed, “Stop! You cannot do this; he’s just a small
boy. What crime could he have committed to warrant such a severe punishment?”

Philip watched Ella position herself protectively in
front of the boy with her arms raised high, challenging his dictate. He gritted
his teeth and narrowed his eyes at her flagrant disregard for his authority. He
suddenly remembered he had not informed her of her betrothal to the Montgomery.

With a devious smile on his smug face, he calmly
stated, “Ella, I’m so glad you are here to welcome your future husband, Roger
Moreland, to Greystone.” He gestured to the Roger, and then was delighted to
hear her shriek of horror.

The malicious look on Philip’s face told her that he
was sincere in his intent to marry her off to the vile Baron of Montgomery.
Five years shy of two score, Roger still maintained a powerful, well-muscled
body. His dark blue eyes looked black even in the sun, and his hair was as dark
as his heart.

It was public knowledge that he was desperate for an
heir, but even with all his wealth, titles and land, most men refused to give
their daughters to the ignoble man who killed his first two wives within a year
of marriage. In exchange for wealth and power, a few heartless families offered
their offspring as bride, but Montgomery rejected their daughters because they
did not possess the qualities he required.

Since Montgomery did not need a wife’s dowry, his
requirements were of a different nature. Young enough to bear many sons, strong
enough to endure harsh acts of discipline, and beautiful enough to incite his
lust. Above all, she had to be a virgin.

Montgomery’s broad-carved face twisted in anger when
he noted her horrified expression. Deciding to confirm his intent, he stated,
“Regardless of your wishes, you will be my wife.”

Straightening to her full height, she lifted her chin
and proclaimed, “Baron Montgomery, I believe Lord Greystone has misled you to
think I would be an appropriate wife for someone of your station. I assure you,
I have nothing to offer a husband, neither dowry nor land. My state of dress
alone confirms I’m ill-suited to be your wife.”

Montgomery’s right hand tightened into a fist and the
veins in his neck began to protrude dangerously outward

Slowly stepping back towards the boy, Ella declared,
“My deepest apologies, but I will nae marry you.”

Publicly refusing to be his wife would not go
unpunished, but she didn’t care. She glanced over her shoulder at the boy, then
said, “Lord Greystone, I won’t allow you to whip an innocent boy. He has-”

Before Ella could finish, Roger’s backhand slammed
into her cheek, sending her flying into the dirt. Despite the pain, she did not
cry out or shed a single tear. As she picked herself off the ground, her gaze
met and locked with the crystal blue eyes of the young boy.

“I will see ye dead, ye bastard,” the boy screamed.
“Only a coward would strike a lass half his size.”

People within the courtyard gasped in utter shock at
the boy’s insult. To denounce a man like Montgomery, one would have to with be
mad or a Scot.

Montgomery’s rage knew no bounds as he tried to grab
the whip, but Philip pulled it away and whispered, “Nae, Roger.” His eyes
shifted to Ella, then back to Roger before he continued, “I believe ‘tis time
to teach her a valuable lesson.”

Montgomery was not appeased. “That bitch-”

With eerie calmness, Philip cut in, “We still have
need of the boy and five lashes could in fact kill him. But, five lashes
wouldn’t kill her.”

Seeing that Montgomery was still grasping the pure
genius of his plan, he continued, “The dirty Scot defends her and would be
quite reluctant to try to escape again if he knew she would be punished for his
defiance.”

Understanding dawned on Montgomery as did a slow grin
of anticipation. He took a step back and eagerly awaited Philips next move.

Turning to Ella, Philip explained, “This hostage
attempted to escape, his punishment fits the crime-”

“Mayhap for a grown man, not a young boy,” she
interjected. “A whipping will kill him afore you gain any ransom. And the boy’s
death will bring the wrath of his clan, along with that of King Henry and King
Alexander to our gates.”

Thoughts of flaying the skin off her back drowned out
her words as Philip took a few menacing steps towards his defiant ward. “You
insolent wench, this matter does nae concern you. How dare you challenge my
decree. Five lashes will prevent any further attempts to escape and-”

“I will take his punishment,” Ella declared.

Philip could not believe how easy it was to goad her
into accepting the boy’s punishment. He looked over his shoulder at Montgomery,
whose nod told him to get on with the punishment.

The boy had listened, understood what would happen,
and cried, “Nae lass will take my punishment. Let her be, ye English bastards.”

She stood in awe of the boy’s courage as he
frantically tried to break free of his bonds. His sandy blonde hair hung in
waves to his shoulders and his skin was golden by the sun. He was so young, but
defended her as if he were a seasoned warrior. In her heart, she knew he was
special, and for that, she would do whatever it took to keep him safe.

“Bind her hands and tie her to the post behind the
boy,” Philip ordered one of his soldiers. “I think he should hear her scream in
pain, horrific pain caused by his careless act.”

A soldier tied Ella behind the trembling boy, and
heard his heart- wrenching sobs. She quickly took hold of his small hands. With
tenderness in her voice, she whispered in Gaelic, “Shhh . . . All will be well.
It will be over soon.”

He was surprise she knew his language, but instead of
commenting on it, he cried, “Nae, dinna let them do this to ye.”

She could hear Greystone and Montgomery arguing about
the number of lashes she deserved and knew she had little time to sooth the
boy. “What is your name,?”

“Gabriel.”

“They call me Ella.”

“Ella, why are ye taking my punishment?”

She gave his hand a good squeeze before replying,
“This punishment could kill you, and I will nae let that happen.”

“I’m scared.”

“So am I, but I need you to be strong and not cry out
when the lash falls. They want to hear us cry and beg for mercy. I believe we
are better than that. Your courage will help me be strong enough to endure
anything. Will you help me, Gabriel?”

He moved his hands so they covered hers, and then
said, “Aye, I will nae let ye go. I give ye all my strength, all my love.” His
voice cracked with emotion.

Ella had not cried in years, but hearing the boy’s
words of love, a single tear streamed down her face.

Philip’s voice broke through her thoughts, “Hear me
well, boy. Your protector will take your five lashes this day, and if you cause
any more problems she will receive another whipping.” He waited for a response,
then continued, “For her ungracious behavior towards her betrothed, Lady Ella
will be given an additional five lashes.”

The gathering crowd was horrified. The female servants
cried in dismay, while the male servants struggled to control the blood boiling
in their veins.

Every muscle in her body tightened in anticipation as
Philip ripped her tunic and undershirt to bare her entire upper body. She knew
he was immensely pleased with himself for the humiliation and pain he was about
to inflict.

Greystone saw the predatory gleam in Montgomery’s eyes
at the sight of Ella’s enticing form and exquisite beauty. Her ivory skin, tiny
waist and shapely shoulders complemented the sleek lines of her back to
perfection.

Unlike Roger, Philip’s hatred for her and her family
was greater than his lust. And with that last thought, he raised the whip.

Ella’s body jolted with shock, followed by
excruciating pain. The first lash ripped through the smooth skin of her back,
causing warm blood to drip down her body.

She heard Gabriel’s childlike voice implore, “I am
here with ye. I’ll nae let ye go.”

As the lashes continued to fall, she heard Gabriel
whimper, “Be strong. I am with ye, Ella . . . I love ye.”

It was the child’s last words that gave her the
strength to endure the horrific pain that Phillip and later Roger wreaked on
her body. When Montgomery wielded the tenth lash, her vision blurred and she
knew she was about to lose consciousness. Her only hope was that her Aunt
Eleanor and Uncle James did not witness the sight of her tied to the post, bloody
for all to see.

Eleanor raced through the courtyard to the punishment
post where Ella’s lifeless body hung. She screamed, “Stop . . . nae more . . .
please!”

Unable to finish due to the uncontrollable sobs that
replaced her words, she quickly closed the distance that separated her from her
niece. The full magnitude of what her husband had done to the girl she loved
more that her own life hit her full force, and the impact was devastating.

Eleanor fought to gain control of her emotions when
she finally reached Ella’s bloody form tied to the post. Glaring at her
husband, she asked, “Why?”

Philip smiled at his wife, and then said, “She
insulted the man who will take her for wife.” He gestured to Montgomery, who
seemed unable to take his gaze from Ella’s bloody back.

Eleanor did bother to acknowledge her husband’s
ludicrous statement, instead she ordered one of the male servants to assist
her. While untying Ella’s bloody wrists, she realized that her niece could no
longer remain at Greystone.

Eleanor and James had been conspiring to escape
Greystone with Ella for two years, aided by the monks at the Westshire Abbey.
In addition to storing the supplies the trio needed for the journey, Abbott
Davis had contacted other abbeys with the request to give lodging to the trio
while they made their way north to Scotland. Money, clothing and weapons had
also been set aside, along with documents that may prove Philip’s malicious
involvement in the death of her family.