He followed her, but he took note of everything he saw as she led him out of the keep and through the bailey. He almost changed his mind about leaving when he saw how few men were about, other than servants. The defenses were strong, but there was no one there to man them.
No wonder the brother was off hiring men. Kirkburough could be taken in a day, and Warrick would be back in less than a sennight to prove it.
Chapter 10
“’Tis done.”
“I know,” Rowena said dispassionately as she turned away from the window. “I watched until he disappeared into yonder woods.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Mildred said uneasily. “We should have waited.”
“Nay. Gilbert has already said he will not depart here until he is assured I have the babe. He intends to leave the siege of Tures in the hands of his knights, since they do not expect to make much progress in the early weeks, and he is not really needed there. Today was the first he has even stepped out of the hall, much less the keep. He might not again. And he watches everyone with a hawk’s eye, to make sure no servants sneak up here. Think you he would not notice that huge lout leaving?”
“He sleeps—”
“And the keep is locked tight with his own men set to guard at the doors. Youknowthis was the best time, Mildred, like as not the only time to get that man out of here without Gilbert’s knowing and setting off a hue and cry.”
“But he did not serve his purpose,” Mildred reminded her baldly.
Rowena shivered, though the chamber was not cold. “I—I could not do it again, even were he still here. I told you that last eventide. Not again.”
“Aye, my lamb, I know ’twas hard—”
“Hard?” Rowena cut in with a harsh-sounding laugh. “’Twas wrong, so wrong! And I can no longer commit a wrong to stop another from being committed. I had to at first, to show Gilbert I was doing as he demanded. But after I convinced him to stay away, convinced him his presence disturbed the man so much that I could not tempt him, I did not need to go back in there. Yet I did. I still obeyed Gilbert exactly, when if I had only stopped to think—”
“Whydo you blame yourself?” Mildred demanded.” You did not even get any pleasure out of it, whenhedid.”
“Nay, he did not. How could he have pleasure in what he hated? Mildred, he fought me every single time. He hurt himself to fight me. He hated it, hated me, and made sure I knew it. Those eyes—” She shivered again. “I could not have gone in there again. I could not force him again did my own life depend on it.”
“But if your plan does not work?”
“It will. It must. Gilbert will not know he has escaped. He will think I still visit the man nightly. When I know if I have conceived or not, I will tell him thatIlet the man go. He will not punish me for it, for he will not risk the child. And the man’s life or death is not that important to his plan. He said himself that no one would believe a serf did he lay claim to the child. That is the least of my worries.”
“I am not so sure hewasa serf,” Mildred admitted with unease.
“You noticed his arrogance, too?”
“He claimed he had a squire who was killed when he was captured.”
“God’s mercy, another reason for him to despise me.” Rowena sighed. “So he was a baseborn knight. Think you he will admit to anyone what was done to him here?”
“Nay, never,” Mildred replied without a single doubt.
“Then we need not worry about him starting rumors—if there is a child. But whether there is or not, Gilbert will be told there is. He will leave then, off to fight that damn warmonger Fulkhurst—may they both kill each other. And as soon as he leaves, so will we. I still have all of my clothes, nigh worth a fortune, and we have a town right here where we can obtain a good price for all. We will hire our own men, collect my mother from Ambray keep while Gilbert is busy at Tures, then make our way to France and Henry’s court.”
“Lord Gilbert will not be pleased to lose Kirkburoughandyou.”
“Think you I care?” Rowena almost snarled in her bitterness. “After what he has done, ’tis my hope that he never finds pleasure in anythingeveragain.”
Later that afternoon, Rowena seemed to get her wish, at least temporarily. Gilbert had not been long back from the town, where he had found no more than three men whom he deemed worthy of hiring and another four worth training, when a message came to him that turned him livid with rage. She was pleased to witness it from where she sat sewing by the hearth.
She had been allowed down to the Great Hall a few hours each day so that the people would grow used to her, and so she could assure anyone who asked that Lord Godwine was recovering but still too ill to leave his chamber, and still insistent that only she tend him. Gilbert had realized the necessity in this, and the necessity in claiming that Lyons was not so seriously ill that he could not do his duty to his new wife. When the time was right, Gilbert would merely claim that the lord had had a tragic relapse and died.
Now she watched her stepbrother turn purple, he was so furious, and curse and rant, sending nearly every servant running to vacate the hall. Her first thought was that he had somehow discovered that Lyons’ substitute had escaped. But unless the man had stupidly got himself caught again, that could not be, for Gilbert had not gone abovestairs since the night it had all begun.
When he noticed her sitting there, his high color slowly receded. He appeared so thoughtful as he stared at her, too thoughtful—and calculating. She held her breath when he approached, suddenly horribly afraid that she was going to be forced into some new act that she would despise. But when she heard what he had to say, she would have laughed if she did not think he would slap her for it.
“I know not how he discovered that Kirkburough is now mine, but he must have, for Fulkhurst has followed me here. God curse him, the man is relentless!”
