Sworn Loyalty - A Medieval Romance (20 page)

One of the pair shook his head, his grin lopsided. “You’re late.”

Bronson shrugged. “Had to head north first, to throw them off the track,” he pointed out. He moved around to the back of the wagon and removed several large leather sacks. The boys dismounted and hooked them to various parts of the saddle. Then Bronson swept Mary up in his arms and moved her over to sit on the horse. Every instinct within her told her to struggle, to run, but after hours of being cooped up within the chest it was all she could do to stay balanced on the steed.

Bronson turned to the boys. “All set with the plan?”

One of them gave the other a playful shove. “Ding, dong, done,” he agreed.

The boys clambered up into the wagon’s front and took the reins. Without another word they headed on, and within minutes they were lost in the dense wood.

Bronson nodded in satisfaction, then climbed up behind Mary and began guiding the horse down the stream, staying within its running water.

It seemed at least another hour before he finally drew them up the bank and to a rough lean-to, nestled against a rock face. Bronson helped Mary down and left her propped against a decaying stump. He settled the steed within the shelter, removed its gear, and supplied it with food and water. Then he turned his attention back to Mary. He unceremoniously slung her over one shoulder and brought her to a small clearing behind the structure.

He gave her a long, amused look. “I’ll remove your gag,” he informed her, “but you make one loud noise and you’ll be knocked out for the night. Understand?”

Mary nodded. She needed to conserve her strength until the time was right. It would do no good to scream where none would hear her, and risk a concussion – or worse.

Bronson reached over to pull the gag loose, and her mouth ached where the cloth came away from her skin. He handed a leather skin into her bound hands and she brought it to her lips, drinking down the warm ale with gratitude. He turned to the ring of stones before him, and within minutes he had a warm fire blazing before them.

He reached into the lean-to for a moment and brought out a large leather sack. He drew out two loaves of bread, throwing one to Mary. She caught it and began gnawing at it, hunger growling within her.

She looked over between bites. “So, where are we going?”

His mouth quirked up into a smile. “You will find out soon enough,” he assured her.

They settled into silence. Mary strained every sense for signs of approaching rescue. Surely by now Erik, Michael, and Lord Paul would be out scouring every inch of the forest for her. At this very moment Erik would stealthily be approaching their position. He would be –

There was the tiniest sound of a foot on a branch, and her heart leapt. He was here! He had come for her. Her gaze flickered to Bronson, but he appeared oblivious to the danger he was in. He stared into the fire, resting an arm on one knee.

Mary’s heart thundered. Just a few more moments. Erik would charge in and she would be saved.

There was a movement opposite her, and Bronson looked up with a smile.

“There you are. About time you arrived.”

Lynessa’s eyes shone as she stared down in satisfaction at Mary’s trussed form. Her mouth spread into a wide grin.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

Chapter 15

Lynessa shook her head at Mary as she stepped into the ring of firelight. “Somehow you are always bungling into my plans,” she sighed, brushing dust off of her elegant riding outfit. Her gaze swept the rough lean-to and the surrounding forest before coming back to pin Mary. “And now I hear that you are the reason Erik first escaped from Caradoc? You were involved in that fiasco which resulted in Caradoc’s brothers being slain?” Her mouth grew into a toothy smile. “I am sure Caradoc will be quite interested in hearing all about that.”

Bronson let out a heavy sigh, stirring at the flames with a long stick. “Such a shame.”

Lynessa raised her eyebrows, looking down at the man.

Bronson pointed at Mary with the glowing tip of his branch. “Just look at the perfection of those curves. I thought I was close to having that all for myself.” He shrugged. “And it was all an act.”

Lynessa gave a barking laugh. “Just make sure you get her to Caradoc in pristine shape,” she reminded him. “I’m sure he is even more certain this time that he wants to draw out her punishment as long as possible. He will want her as healthy as a fatted ox when he starts, so that she lasts as long as possible.”

Bronson’s eyes lit up as he examined Mary’s bound form. “You know, with all I have been through, perhaps Caradoc will allow me to take part in the
humbling process
.”

Lynessa gave a dismissive glance to the woman trussed by the fire. “More likely Caradoc will want to savor every moment of that himself,” she countered. “Even so, I’m sure Caradoc will shower you with ample reward for bringing her back to him. You can buy yourself four more just like her.”

Mary had been carefully observing the interplay, looking for a weakness she might exploit. Bronson’s avarice was exactly what she needed. She turned to him, holding his gaze with steady eyes. “I am still the rightful Lady of Cartwright,” she reminded him, proud of the calm tenor of her voice. “I have access to a substantial amount of funds – both from my own keep and those of my neighbors. Just tell me what you wish. I can give you anything you desire.”

Lynessa laughed out loud in delight. “My naïve girl, do you really think you have any hold in Cartwright after today?”

Mary’s blood ran cold, and she swung her gaze to the blonde. “What do you mean?”

Lynessa took a step forward, towering over her. “I have to say, I owe you a hearty thanks for all of your bungling. Back when I first entered the Mangy Cur Tavern with Erik on my leash, I had given up hope of ever laying claim to the Cartwright Keep. I was ready to count myself lucky to have achieved his money. I would put him out of his misery and move on to a new conquest.” Her smile turned brittle. “It was a hard decision to make, after over a decade of planning to be Lady Cartwright. But it seemed it was not fated to be.”

Her eyes sparkled. “And then you leapt into the fray, and suddenly my fortunes reversed. Erik was granted a warm welcome at his keep. His mother lay moldering in her grave, no longer able to interfere. Best of all, Erik had blindly missed the true import of the previous events. He invited me into his home; he gave me an honored place by his side.”

Her grin sharpened. “Do you truly think Erik’s loyal staff would turn him out now, no matter
what
you said? And do you think Erik, after all the sacrifices he has made to win me, would give up on me now, when his dream was just within reach?”

Mary’s heart thundered in her chest. She knew Lynessa was a master at manipulation. And yet, there was a thread of truth to what Lynessa was saying. Her throat closed up, but she forced herself to speak.

“I am sure Erik –”

Lynessa burst into laughter, cutting Mary off, and it was a moment before the blonde could speak. “If you know anything about Erik, you know how he values loyalty. I get the sense that you dallied with him during your two weeks together. And yet, the moment my men-at-arms walked in the door, you were practically climbing into their arms. Erik all but burst into flame with his disappointment in you. How could you have missed his reaction?”

Iron bands constricted around Mary’s heart. She had known she would upset Erik with her plan, but she had figured the end result would be worth it. Had she lost sight along the way of what truly mattered?

Lynessa shook her head in amusement. “The whole keep knows how you and Bronson have been at it. Half the guards saw you in that indecent crimson dress that not even the lowest wench would wear. Even if Erik had been inclined to believe in you, how could he hold out against the voices of those he trusted, those he had known far longer than you?”

Mary could barely breathe. She knew Lynessa was far from trustworthy, but the blonde’s smile was just too bright. She was telling the truth.

Lynessa dropped her voice to a seductive purr. “When my darling Erik was told that you and your lover had run off for the Scottish border, with half of my jewelry stolen as well, he was beyond furious. Within minutes every spare man was streaming north to bring you and your paramour to justice.”

Mary fought desperately to find a hole in Lynessa’s story. Lady Cartwright had trained Mary for years for this very purpose. Mary knew just how devious Lynessa could be.

Michael.

She sighed in relief, unclenching her fingers. Michael knew the truth of it all. Surely, the moment Michael and Erik had realized she had been taken hostage, Michael would have revealed the whole situation to Erik. Lynessa was twisting the truth simply to keep Mary quiet until Bronson could safely get her to Caradoc’s dungeon.

Lynessa raised a brow at the change in Mary’s mood. “Thinking of Michael, are we?”

Mary paled, her heart stopping.

Lynessa patted her gently on the cheek. “Oh, child. You do concoct such rosy fantasies. I’m afraid Michael was out after you long before Erik and I returned to the keep. By all reports he drove hard north, aiming to cut Bronson off before he got you across the northern border. The man was in such a state that he didn’t stop to leave a message at all.”

She gave a delicate shrug. “So whatever you think Michael might have told Erik, that won’t happen for weeks. Not until Michael gives up the chase.”

A chill settled through Mary’s body, settling into her very bones. It had not seemed that one word Lynessa had spoken was false. It was as if the woman felt there was no need to lie – that the truth was damning enough.

Lynessa ran a hand through her golden tresses, smoothing them into place. “So, for now, it will be just me and Erik in the keep. It won’t take me more than a day or two to convince him that you and your bandit lover are gone for good. After that, I will cling to him with misty eyes and whisper how all the chaos has shown me just how brief life truly is. That we should wed immediately.”

She brought her hands together in an attitude of prayer, placing them just over her heart. “After all these long years, I know how thrilled he will be. He will want to wed as quickly as possible before something else separates us.”

Mary lowered her gaze to the ground, desolation pouring into every corner of her being. Lynessa had Erik wrapped around her finger. Mary could imagine the days playing out exactly as Lynessa had described. Lynessa would know exactly what to say to Erik and the perfect tone to draw him in. The accomplished liar had benefitted from decades of practice.

Only the iron core forged by Lady Cartwright’s years of training insisted that there must be some way – any way – to ruin Lynessa’s well-laid plans. Mary sorted carefully through all she had learned over the past few weeks, searching for a path out of her predicament.

Ah – Lynessa had seemed far from bosom buddies with Caradoc. Maybe this could serve as the lynchpin. Any delay Mary could cause would give Michael a chance to turn back, to meet up with Erik and put things right.

She set her face to hold rational calm when she looked up to the blonde. “You are hardly in need of money now, between your stolen funds and your access to the full keep’s resources. Why not keep me yourself as a hostage? Play me off of Caradoc and Erik. See who would grant you more concessions in return for handing me over. Within a short time you might have doubled your land holdings, or gained who knows what other accomplishments.”

Lynessa laughed out loud. “Oh, you would enjoy a delay, wouldn’t you,” she grinned. “But I am afraid that, after so many years of waiting, I want my wedding day over as quickly as possible. No negotiations or other distractions will interfere with that.” She glanced at Bronson. “You see how quickly she turns on you? Now she wants to cheat you out of your reward.”

She tapped a finger to her lips. “Speaking of which, I would appreciate having my jewelry back now.”

Bronson shot a sharp look at Mary, then his shoulders fell and he nodded. In a moment he had retrieved the bags from the shed and brought them over to Lynessa. She knelt by the fire and went carefully through each bag, checking over the items within. At last she nodded in wry satisfaction.

“Nothing missing. Good.”

She stood, hefting the bags over her shoulder. “Bronson, you get her safely back to the old keep and into Caradoc’s hands. I will be by as soon as I can.” Her grin sharpened. “I wouldn’t miss this event for all the fish in the ocean. It will make the perfect wedding present.”

She turned on her heel, and in a moment she was lost in the depths of the forest.

Bronson gave a low chuckle, then sat back against the aging lean-to. “Sleep well, Mary,” he advised her. “It might be the last good night of rest you have left in life.”

Chapter 16

 Mary slowly blinked her eyes open. She took in the familiar damp stone walls, breathed in the dense, musty stench, and winced at the guttural laughter of her guards. The men sprawled around the same worn table she herself had sat at only a few weeks earlier.

Her arms were throbbing in pain, and she tugged uselessly at the ropes to try to bring even slight relief to her state. Her wrists were tied high and out in a Y position. Torches guttered in iron brackets on the walls. She had no idea if it were dawn, dusk, or the darkest depths of night.