Percy looked between them again with hostility. “If I see Anna abused, I owe you naught.”
“Fair enough,” Bartholomew said and stood. “I think we should break our fast.”
“Not all at once, lad,” Duncan said. “You go first. We shall tend to the boy.”
Bartholomew thought he might collect Anna from the chapel, but found that portal locked. He crossed the bailey to the keep and opened the portal there, blinking at the sudden darkness.
“How strange that you wrapped yourself tightly against the cold just moments ago,” Marie said softly. “Yet now you have abandoned your cloak completely.”
Bartholomew froze, realizing too late that he had left his cloak in the stable. He saw Marie sidle toward him from the bottom of the stairs, a knowing smile upon her lips. She paused before him and sniffed.
“And even more curious, you have a definite scent of dungeon, though I know for a fact that you slumbered in a fine bed with your lady wife.” Her fingertip landed on his chest. “Surely, you do not deceive your host, sir?”
“Surely I do not. I was cold but am so no longer.”
“You carried a filthy child but do so no longer,” she corrected. Her hand flattened against his chest and eased to his shoulder. “Such a fine man.” She took a deep breath, then met his gaze. “You may have been exhausted last night by your lady’s passion, or you may have been avoiding my offer,” she purred, her gaze unswerving. “But now I believe we can negotiate.”
“I do not understand your meaning,” Bartholomew lied. “You are right about the scent. I should change my chemise before my baggage is all packed.” He made to move past her, but Marie stepped into his path again.
“You will not leave here with thatbaggageunless I contrive it to be so,” she whispered. “And I will not contrive it to be so unless you pledge to meet me four days hence and give me what I desire.”
The intent in her eyes could not be doubted. She would reveal them to Royce, without a moment’s hesitation. If Percy was found, they doubtless would be searched completely, and the reliquary would be found. Anna might be identified and the priest might be cast into peril.
They could all end their days in Haynesdale’s dungeon.
Bartholomew bowed his head as he surrendered. He believed her request was wrong, but maybe some other course would become clear to him. If they did not escape from Haynesdale with Percy and the reliquary, there would be no future for any of them.
“Where?” he asked quietly and the lady smiled in her triumph.
“The mill,” she decreed, much to Bartholomew’s confusion. There was no mill, not that he could see. But he had no chance to ask, for the others joined them in that moment.
He supposed he should be relieved that he could not keep such a promise to the lady, not if he could not find her assignation, but in truth, it troubled him to have given his vow when he could not fulfill it.
*
“All will be well, lad, so long as you keep your head down,” the older Scotsman advised Percy in an undertone. There were three knights, including two Templars, and four squires loading the horses and checking their trap. Percy did not know whether the Scotsman was knight, Templar or man-at-arms. He was gruff, to be sure. It was early in the morning, and Percy’s stomach was growling because he had not eaten much since the previous morning.
Father Ignatius had not been allowed to bring him food the night before.
Percy did not know who these men were and he could not understand why they would even make a wager with Anna to help him to escape the baron’s dungeon. He and Anna had robbed them just the day before. After being brought to the stables, he had been commanded by the Scottish knight to quickly dress in the garb of one of the squires, while the other Scotsman watched. He was lifted into the saddle of a palfrey behind the red-haired boy before the Scotsman granted him such advice.
Percy nodded agreement.
He had few choices, and he had given the French knight his word.
The Scotsman pulled Percy’s borrowed hood forward, the better to hide his face. “Best if you do not speak at all, lad. We shall be outside the walls soon enough.”
“Did you get it back?” Percy had to ask. He should have held his tongue, but he could not do it. They were being kind to him, for whatever reason, and it felt wrong to deceive them.
The Scotsman peered at him. “And what business would that be of yours?”
“You might think I can lead you to it, but they took it. It is here. If you want it, you should not leave without it.”
The Scotsman’s smile broadened. “It will only be within these walls for a little longer, lad.”
So, they had found it and reclaimed it. Percy liked the sound of that. He hated when Royce claimed anything of merit. He also would like to have a better look at what they had been carrying. He had seen that it was big and it was gold, that it was studded with gems, but not much more than that. What was it exactly? It might be a big bowl…
Percy wanted to ask the Scotsman about Anna, but he feared that doing so would put her in peril. What if she were hurt? Why was she with them? Where was she? He had been hoping that she was safely back at the cavern or with the others, but knowing she was in Haynesdale keep, even with these knights, made him uneasy.
