Mathias liked that idea. “A better option.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow before dawn,” he said as he eyed his father. “It will take us at least six or seven days to reach Carlisle and five to return if I am fortunate and the weather holds. I can move much faster alone. I will be gone two weeks at the most but hopefully less. There is a lot that could happen while I am away.”
Justus knew what he meant. “We will ably defend the outpost in your absence,” he said. “And if the ships from Yorkshire arrive, we will send you word. Will you be returning the way we came?”
“Aye.”
“Then we will send someone to find you along that route should it come to it. Meanwhile, remove your wife. She is not safe here.”
Mathias thought on that a moment longer before nodding his head and patting his father on the arm. “Your advice is sage,” he said as he stood up. “My thanks.”
Justus watched his son head for the narrow stairs that led to the second floor. He was such a proud and powerful man, and Justus had always been wildly proud of him, but he couldn’t have been prouder of him at any time in his life than he was at this moment. The sometimes selfish and always arrogant knight he had seen through Mortimer’s days had grown a heart in the last year and a half, but it was never more apparent than at this moment. Justus knew that the lovely Lady Cathlina had a good deal to do with that. She had made his son more than just a knight. He was a man now, and a good one.
Justus closed his eyes and attempted to go back to sleep, ignoring the gentle argument that was now gaining steam over his head as Mathias explained to his wife the way of things from now on. As Justus tried to ignore the increasingly loud voices, he felt something around his feet. Lifting his head, he could see something moving in the covers, heading towards his chest. He wasn’t surprised when Midgy appeared, grunting happily as he gave scratchy kisses to Justus’ chin.
“Settle down, you silly beast,” Justus said, positioning the otter so he wasn’t lying on his wound. “Settle down if you want to stay here.”
Midgy did. When Mathias descended the stairs an hour later, the first thing he saw was his father and the otter, all wrapped up in blankets, sleeping peacefully next to the fire.
They were both snoring.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The trip southseemed oddly faster than the trip north. Perhaps it was because Mathias was moving much quicker than he had on the ride north, as if he was being trailed by Scots and was working as hard as he could to put distance between his wife and danger.
Whatever the case, they left her brown palfrey behind and rode double astride his muscular silver charger because Mathias didn’t want to have to worry about his wife on a separate horse. He wanted her with him, and on an animal he trusted. But most importantly, they kept the otter bottled up so he could not escape and run off, costing them valuable time. Cathlina had him swaddled up like a babe in her arms, and the otter rode fairly contentedly that way.
No amount of pleading or arguing could convince her to leave Midgy behind. Mathias had tried, Sebastian had even tried, but ultimately she refused to leave her pet. She was upset enough that Mathias was taking her home and, in truth, he didn’t have the heart to forcibly remove her from her pet, so he let the beast come along purely to keep her happy.
But Cathlina wasn’t happy. She was miserable at the thought of being separated from Mathias, especially since he was evidently heading towards a massive battle, Scots against Scots, with the English participating purely for their own benefit. Mathias, her sweet Mathias, was in the middle of it. When they had come north, she knew why and she knew that he would be involved in military operations, but she had no idea the realityof it. A concept was one thing but the reality was quite different. The knowledge of it all was overwhelming her.
Mathias knew this and it ate at him. Cathlina had become increasingly distant from him since they had left Kinghorn to the point where they would ride for hours and not speak to one another. He tried to break the ice, to engage her in conversation, but she would barely answer him or not at all. She was nothing like the adorable chatterbox he had come to know. She was sullen and withdrawn no matter what he tried to do to break her out of it. Her behavior was tearing him all to pieces.
On the fifth day on the road to Carlisle, they entered Langholm near sunset. The river was flowing softly by the familiar town and the smells of cooking fires hung heavy in the air. It was the magical time of twilight and Mathias headed for the same inn where he and Cathlina had stayed on their way to Edinburgh. He hoped it would break her from her mood with only good memories associated with it. At that point, he was willing to give anything a try.
The man at the tavern remembered them and rented them the same cottage for the night. Mathias ordered a meal to be sent to them as Cathlina took her satchel, and the otter, and headed for the cottage down the narrow path towards the river. Midgy, smelling his home, leapt from her arms and immediately dove into the muddy river, swimming happily. Cathlina watched him for a few moments as Mathias unlatched the cabin door and took their possessions inside.
As Mathias started a fire, Cathlina remained outside, watching the otter play. There were other otters around, now coming out to join in the fun. As Cathlina stood there and observed, Mathias came out of the cottage and walked up behind her.
“You must be exhausted,” he said softly. “Come inside and rest awhile. Our meal should be down shortly.”
Cathlina shook her head, watching Midgy play. “I am not tired,” she said.
Mathias sighed faintly. “Cathlina,” he murmured. “Love, it has been days since you have spoken civilly to me. I realize you are upset. I am upset, but I do not want to spend my last few days with you in tense silence. Please do not shut me out. I cannot bear it.”
Cathlina’s gaze was still on the otter but she could feel his words like stabs to her heart. Her eyes began to fill with tears and before she realized it, they were pouring down her cheeks. Pain filled her, such as she had never known.
“This has all happened so fast,” she whispered, lips trembling. “We have been living a fool’s dream, Mathias. We married hastily, we ran from my father to Scotland so that you could restore your honor as a knight, and now we are returning home again, only I will be returning home in shame and you will be returning to Scotland to fight for glory. You have no right to take me home and leave me there alone to bear the shame for what we have done. It is cowardly.”
Mathias’ jaw ticked as he struggled not to become overwhelmed with emotion. “I am taking you home for your own safety,” he said. “How many times do I have to tell you that? Would you rather stay in Scotland where your life would be in danger every minute of every day?”
“Why not?” she whirled on him, shouting. “Whynot?Your life is in danger every minute of every day, so why not mine? You married me because you wanted to share your life with me, but you are not. You are casting me aside like so much rubbish because you do not want to be bothered with me. Your glory and your restoration of honor are far more important. I was convenient to you until a few days ago, until you learned what de Beaumont wanted from you, and now I am inconvenient so you are returning me where you found me.”
He looked at her, horrified. “Isthatwhat you think?” he asked, incredulous. “That I find you convenient or inconvenient depending upon my whim?”
“Aye, I do,” she said, now in his face and matching him outrage for outrage. “There could be no other reason for taking me back to England. While you are at it, you should pin a note to my chest that says how sorry you are for taking me without permission but now that you are on your way to being a great knight again, you no longer have need of me.”
