Sworn Loyalty - A Medieval Romance (18 page)

Lynessa nodded eagerly. “Of course! What was it again, Antioch? Arabia? Andorra?”

The name was ringing in Mary’s head.
Acre! Acre! Acre!
How could Lynessa possibly forget it? How could she not remember the brutality of the fighting and the horrific treatment of the prisoners? Mary knew how much Erik had been troubled by it all; his Commander had seen Erik writing long into the night, pouring out his concerns in his messages to Lynessa.

Apparently, if the woman had even seen the messages, she had not cared much about their contents.

Lynessa’s voice sparkled with playful teasing. “Alabaster?”

Erik’s response was soft, and Mary could not quite name the emotion hidden behind his eyes. “It was Acre.”

Lynessa clapped her hands together in delight. “Ah, of course. Acre! Certainly, we can visit there, and you can show off all the locations of your triumphs.”

Mary could not take any more. She turned on her heel and strode back to her place between Bronson and Sander. They had a full mug of mead waiting for her, and she drew it down in one long pull.

Bronson wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving her a fond squeeze. “That’s my songbird!” he proclaimed with pride. “I bet you could drink any man under the table.” He reached forward with his free hand to refill her mug. “Another?”

Mary had the mug to her lips before Michael’s sharp eyes caught her gaze from across the room. He made a sharp motion with his head toward the main gate. Then he headed out into the dark night.

Mary sighed. “I will be back soon,” she assured Bronson. It was like pulling free of a briar, but at last she was standing again, making her way to the front steps.

The rain had eased up, and only a light mist drifted through the courtyard as she crossed. She held up her dress as she ascended the long, stone stairs. By the time she reached the back corner Michael was standing there waiting for her, a cloak draped over one arm. He tucked her within it.

She eased down onto the small wooden stool in the corner of the wall, leaning back against the stone with a sigh.

His voice was low and tense. “God’s teeth, Mary, what do you think you are doing with those two? They are wolves. The moment they have their chance they will pounce. What you are playing at is beyond dangerous.”

She shakily ran a hand through her hair. “If there were any other way, I would take it,” she insisted. “We know Lynessa has the money. However, I am sure she will have an excuse for why it’s in her possession. We must separate them. If I can get the two men gambling, their greed will be their undoing.”

She looked up at Michael. “The men will want to use her money in order to bet as much as possible, to fleece our troops before they leave. When Lynessa finds out about this, she could turn on them. They could turn on her. We could finally have them arguing, and prove to Erik beyond a shadow of a doubt how involved she is in all of this.”

Michael’s brow creased in uncertainty. “Surely she’d just claim she didn’t know what the two miscreants were up to.”

Mary shook her head. “There’s only so much she can cover for,” she pursued. “If Erik overhears her fighting with the men, and describing her plan, how can she then deny her role? At some point it will be too much to explain away. We just have to leverage them apart.”

Michael’s lips pressed into a thin line. “If this is going to be an afternoon of heavy gambling, then I will absolutely be there by your side.”

Mary patted him reassuringly on the knee. “I am sure the wolves’ heads will want to take all your money as well as the other soldiers’,” she soothed him. “You will have a quite proper reason for being there. The more potential gain we can lay out for them, the more likely they are to go visit their ‘bank’. And then we simply make sure Lynessa finds out about it, and that we have Erik nearby to hear the fallout.”

Michael sighed. “It does seem we need to bring things to a head, and soon,” he agreed. “I only hope this works out well.”

Mary looked down at her boots. A cold mist seemed to swirl around her feet, and she felt more alone than ever. “As do I.”

There were quick footsteps along the wall, and Erik strode toward Michael, his face tense with worry. He began without preamble. “Have you seen Mary? I’ve looked everywhere for her. Those wolves’ heads are beyond drunk tonight, and I’m afraid that –”

Michael nudged his head right. Erik followed his gaze, and his shoulders slumped with relief as he spotted Mary in the shadows. “There you are.”

For a moment the world fell away, and Mary felt as if she were staring through the barred window of the prison door at Erik. He was gazing at her with concern and steady determination. It seemed to her that his message was clear.

He wanted her to stop the dangerous course she was on.

She gave her head a shake. She was going to see this through, no matter what the cost to herself. It was her sacred vow.

She dropped her eyes. “M’Lord.” She stood and quickly moved past him, before she said something she would regret.

Somehow she was able to thread her way through the shadows and into the kitchen without being seen by either of Lynessa’s guards. In short order the doors were closed and the women were stretched out on mats, blankets mounded over forms large and small. A steady snoring echoed amongst the pots and knives.

Mary pulled her blankets over her head, but it was no use. She had become accustomed to the years of sleeping at the foot of Lady Cartwright’s bed, and the woman had slept as still as marble. The Lady was sensitive to even the smallest noise, so Mary had quickly learned to lie as motionless as possible, not even turning in place.

This cacophony was stretching her to her very limits.

At last she could take no more. She had not had one good night’s sleep since … she blushed, thinking back to the feeling of Erik’s arms around her, of his sturdy, broad chest pressed against her body.

If she were going to be any good to anybody tomorrow, she needed to rest.

She carefully eased up from her mat, but she needn’t have worried – the women around her snored in contented abandon. She crept to the door and slid it open just enough for her to slip through. Then she walked surely through the dark hallways, knowing every turn and step even in the deepest shadows. She nodded to the guard at the keep doors, then moved across the moonlit courtyard to the stables.

She smiled as she stepped into the dark building. The low rumble of the horses’ breathing was exactly what she needed. She pulled one of the blankets from the shelf, headed to the empty stall in the far back, and pushed the gate open.

Perfection.

She laid out the blanket, made a small mound of hay beneath one end for a pillow, and gave a sigh of contentment. She would finally get some sleep. She took a step forward toward her makeshift bed.

The main stable door creaked as someone pushed it in.

Her hand flashed to her hip. God’s teeth, would those men never let up? How had they seen her come in here? Well, they would learn something about pushing their limits too far. She moved to the side of the stall entrance, crouching down, drawn dagger in hand.

The footsteps came closer, cautiously, and she waited … waited … he stepped into the stall. She was on him in an instant, her arm high around his neck, her blade against his throat. Her voice came out in a hiss.

“I tell you once and for all, I will not be yours, not if you plan to force me!”

Erik’s voice was a guttural growl. “Who assaulted you? I’ll kill him!”

Mary blinked in surprise, releasing him in an instant. Erik turned on her, his face half fury, half wild concern. “Did they hurt you?”

She was shaking her head before he finished. “No, no,” she soothed him. “They have not laid a hand on me.”

His face darkened. “That is hardly true,” he snapped.

She slid her knife back into her scabbard. “Not in any meaningful sense,” she promised. “And soon it will all be –”

She flushed, realizing suddenly who she was talking with.

His eyes were sharp on hers. “Soon it will all be what?”

She took a step away from him, trying to shake off the mesmerizing heat of his body, the nearness of the strong arms she so longed to curl within.

Her eyes dropped to the mat. “Soon I will finally get a decent night’s sleep,” she murmured.

His eyes followed hers, and understanding lit his gaze. “So that is why you came out here?”

She nodded. “I love the staff here dearly, but laying in that kitchen is like trying to sleep beneath a waterfall.”

He glanced up in the direction of the keep. “Surely we can set you back up in the master bedroom.”

She gave a sharp shake of her head. “No. You know I cannot. You are Lord of the keep – that is your room.”

He drummed his fingers against his leg. “Then perhaps we could –”

Mary gave a gentle smile. “Truly, Erik. I prefer to sleep here for now.”

He looked around the stall, gazing at the hay for a long moment, then at last he sighed and nodded in acceptance. “Then I shall stay here with you.”

She blanched, her eyes meeting his in shock. “But you cannot! If Lynessa were to catch you –”

“She won’t,” he promised, “and I won’t allow you to sleep here unguarded.” His eyes darkened. “There are too many wolves prowling.”

A large yawn erupted from Mary’s mouth, and she realized she was beyond exhausted. She ran a hand through her hair. “Fine,” she sighed. “I am getting to bed. I haven’t had a good sleep in ages, not since –” The image of his arms around her flooded her memory, and she flushed crimson.

He stood in the doorway for a long moment, his eyes on her, and then he turned, closing the gate behind him. There was a rustling noise, and Mary realized that he had hunkered down immediately outside her stall.

The thought warmed her, and she climbed in under her blankets. Her head had barely touched her hay pillow before she fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 13

Mary blinked her eyes awake, feeling more rested than she had in a long time. The sweet smell of hay rose around her, and the late morning sun danced through the shuttered window with a golden glow. She pushed herself up onto her elbows. To her right the hay was dented, as if someone had knelt on one knee for a while, watching over her as she slept.

She put a hand to the spot, warmth coming to her heart.

She sprung to her feet, moving to the gate, pushing it open –

He was not there. The stables were quiet, only the soft
whisk
of horses’ breath sounding from the stalls.

She ran a hand through her hair. Of course he had gone back to the keep. It would not have done for them to be found in the stables together. She knew it as well as he did – and yet she felt an empty hollow within her. For a few hours, at least, they had been close again. She found she missed that more than she had thought possible.

There was the sound of footsteps, and the main stable door pressed in. Michael stepped through, his head sweeping, and he gave a shake of his head when he took in Mary.

“Aiming for the role of scarecrow, are we?”

Mary looked down her dress. She was, indeed, covered with bits of straw, and she was sure her hair was no better.

Michael chuckled, then moved to one of the stalls. “Erik and Lynessa are nearly ready for their morning’s ride. He stalled her as long as possible, to give you time to wake, but we need to get the horses saddled.” He took a blanket from the bench and brought it over to Lynessa’s elegant steed.

Mary turned to pull open Erik’s horse’s stall door. “Where are the stable boys?”

Michael gave a low chuckle. “They were kept away as well, as you might imagine.”

Mary looked up in surprise. “But the poor horses!”

“I’m sure they will survive having their grooming a few hours later than normal,” he assured her. “Erik saw to their food and water.”

Mary ran a fond hand along the neck of Erik’s steed. He was a fine animal, sturdy, steady. For a moment she envied the horse, that he would be able to spend the afternoon at Erik’s side.

Michael gathered up both sets of reins, then gave a nod of his head toward the keep. “All right, you. Go out the back way and over through the kitchen entrance. You need to get cleaned up, if you are going to be joining me for our gambling this afternoon.”

Mary’s brow furrowed. “Is everything ready?”

He nodded shortly, his gaze serious. “If this is going to be our chance to break the group apart, we need to do everything we can to draw them in. I have instructed all of the soldiers who are free to be available, and to bet whatever they have. We want to drive the stakes so high that the two men are willing to do anything to take advantage of the situation. If we can get them to risk stealing the coin, and maybe even her jewelry, then we should be able to breach their alliance.”

Mary nodded. “And if we can ensure that Erik is nearby when they go for each other’s throats, that should prove to him for once and for all that Lynessa is deeply involved in this treachery.”

Michael held her eyes for a moment. “I will do everything I can to bring that about.”