“But it was also one of the most courageous acts I have ever witnessed,” his scolding softened considerably. “It was an honor to have been a part of it.”
“How did they capture you?” she whispered.
He patted her hand. “They did not exactly capture me.”
“What happened?”
He sighed, unsure how much to tell her. He opted for all of it for there was no point in keeping it secret. “I was too late to help you; by the time I came upon you and the men in pursuit, they had already captured you. At that point, I had a choice of either returning to Tate to tell him what had happened or offering myself as a hostage so that I could stay with you during your captivity. I chose the latter.”
“Why on earth would you do that?”
“Because your husband made you my responsibility. You are caught up in something bigger than you can comprehend. I did not want you to face Mortimer alone.”
She squeezed his hand again. “But they beat you.”
He waved her off. “If you think I look bad, you should see the men who did this. Trust me when I say that at least eight of them are far worse off than I.”
He sounded rather proud of himself and she peered more closely at him, thinking he seemed amused by it all. Kenneth was an enormously broad man and she had no doubt he could do a substantial amount of damage. But he was enjoying it. She sighed with disapproval.
“You should have returned to Tate,” she told him. “He will not know what has happened to us.”
Kenneth’s amused expression faded. “He will know soon enough,” he said quietly. “I am sure that Mortimer is even now sending word.”
Toby stared up at him and Kenneth could see the thoughts rolling through her head. The tears were gone and she suddenly looked very serious.
“So Tate was correct,” she said softly. “The remnants of the forces that attacked Harbottle two days ago were waiting for reinforcements.”
Kenneth nodded slowly. “Tate is usually correct. But it did not take a great military genius to deduce that a larger, more substantial force was on its way to Harbottle. Once Edward had been located, it was just a matter of time. Mortimer has been trailing us for two years.”
“So the man that spoke to me earlier really was Roger Mortimer?”
“Aye.”
She fell silent a moment. “Sir Kenneth,” she ventured hesitantly. “I am going to ask you a question and you must swear to be entirely truthful with me.”
“Of course, my lady.”
“I have made a mess of things, have I not?”
“What do you mean?”
“Mortimer is going to send word to Tate that he has me as a hostage. Tate will want me back.”
Kenneth suspected what she was driving at. “He will undoubtedly negotiate for your return.”
“There is nothing he can negotiate with except Edward. And he will not turn the king over to Mortimer, not even for me. I would not want him to.”
Kenneth gazed at her a moment before averting his eyes, looking down at her hand as it held his. “It is possible that Mortimer will ask for Edward in exchange for you.”
Toby’s grip tightened and her hazel eyes were unnaturally hard. “This cannot happen, Kenneth. We must not put Tate in a position where he must choose between me and Edward.”
“It may not come to that. Tate is very skilled at negotiating; we must wait and see what transpires. Do not give up hope.”
She sighed heavily and looked away. The tears were returning and she closed her eyes tightly, trying to stave them off. “I should not have run from Harbottle,” she whispered tightly. “I should have stayed where you told me to and I should not have moved. Perhaps we all would have gotten away safely had I not interfered.”
Kenneth squeezed her hand again. “Lady, had you not fled when you did, Tate and Edward would have been discovered by two dozen men who would have quite eagerly speared Tate at the end of a broadsword and taken Edward a captive. What you did… you saved their lives. I believe you saved all of our lives. Do not question your bravery.”
Her eyes opened and she turned to look at him. “Do you really think so?” she sniffed.
