“Aye. What is the matter with her? Does she not know me?” He reached out and touched his mother’s elbow. She turned at the feel of his fingers and looked up into his eyes. “Mother. ’tis Nic—William. Do you not know me?”
For a moment, her vision seemed to clear. Just for an instant, she drank in the sight of him, touched her hand to his face. “William, my love.”
“Where have you been?”
She looked around the cell and tears filled her eyes. And then the fog returned and she stepped away from him.
“I do not understand this!” Nicholas shouted, taking her hand and not letting her go. “What has happened to you? Where have you been?” His voice shook with emotion. “Why did you leave us?”
She pulled and tried to free herself from him. He let her go. She was here! How long had she been here?
He heard the sounds of men running toward them. He let go of Berengaria and reached for his sword. It was gone. He looked at Margaret.
“The men who found us and brought us here took your weapons,” she told him.
When the two men reached the cell, Nicholas stepped up to the iron door. “Where are we?”
“Alnwick,” one of them answered. “What is all the screaming about?”
“Where is the governor?” Nicholas demanded. “Has he returned?”
The man cast a suspicious smirk at him. “Who is asking?’
“The Earl of Rothbury,” Nicholas informed them, squaring his shoulders. “His close friend. Why were we put in this cell?”
“I did not know you were his friend, now did I?” the man asked nervously and took keys from his belt.
“Who is the woman with you?” asked the second man, looking her over.
“My wife,” Nicholas told them. “Who may I ask is the older woman? What is wrong with her?”
“We call her Leigh because, according to the tales, ’tis the only sound she has ever made.”
Not the only sound, Nicholas thought, recalling her words of affirmation only moments ago.
“We do not know her real name,” the first man continued. “She has been here for years. Before we got here. She seems to be a dumb mute.”
“A dumb mute who healed my wounds in a day?” he asked angrily. “What is her crime? Why is she here?” Here for years.
“Look, m’lord. I do not know the answers to all your questions. You just missed the governor. He was here a few days ago. He did not say where he was going or when he would be back. We thought he would be in York by now. Did we not, Harry?”
“We did,” his lanky companion returned.
“We will release you and your wife and your bald friend and you can stay here or be on your way.”
“And what of her?” Nicholas asked, pointing to Berengaria. He knew what would become of her if she remained here. Nothing. She would die here behind a locked door where no one visited or bothered to know anything about her.
“She stays,” the first man said.
“No,” Nicholas countered. “She comes with us.”And I will not kill you.“I will be responsible for her.”
“She is locked up for a reason,” the men tried to convince him.
“Aye, and you do not know what it is. Release her to me. I will remain here and eat your lord’s food until he returns and he can settle the matter.”
“The good Lord will bless you,” Simon added.
The men discussed it between themselves for a moment or two and then turned to him. “Very well. You can take her.” They opened the door.
