He didn’t react with rage, then, just with the typical male grouch which told her he accepted the circumstance, but was not the least satisfied with it. She found herself smiling at him, and wondering if he was not as cruel as he looked.
Warrick cared not for that smile, but he had no more questions for the woman, so he dismissed her to gather her things and to send one of his men to collect the clothes. Beatrix and Melisant could make use of them after the garments had been altered, for both girls were somewhat taller than the flaxen-haired wench. And he would enjoy having her see her possessions worn by others. Women set great store by their clothes. Aye, he would enjoy that—and a whole lot more.
He would have to find a suitable reward for Robert FitzJohn for his quick thinking in this misadventure. Sir Robert had been left in command of the men Warrick had brought to escort Isabella to Fulkhurst. Sixteen other of his household knights had also been in the troop, some older than Robert, yet Warrick had been impressed with the younger man’s leadership during several skirmishes this past year and had only just promoted him to captain of the guard.
’Twas well done. When he had not met up with his men as expected, Robert had sent several back to Kirkburough town to see what had detained him. The innkeeper had claimed that Warrick had left as soon as the town gates had opened that morn, a lie that he would know the reason for ere the sun set. But Robert had had no reason to doubt the tale. Assuming Warrick was no longer in the town, he had begun a search of the countryside surrounding it. Yet the woods were thick and dense to the south, and thirty men could not cover much ground as quickly as Robert would have liked, and also have enough remaining on the road to meet Isabella when her party arrived.
Robert had then decided to send to the closest of Warrick’s properties for help. This was Manns keep, held by his vassal, Sir Felix Curbeil, and only a league and a half west of Kirkburough. In the meantime, Isabella had arrived and been rightly upset that Warrick had not been there to greet her, that he had, in fact, disappeared.
As it happened, another of his vassals had been visiting Sir Felix when Robert’s messenger arrived, and Sir Brian had nigh two hundred men with him. So when Warrick had found his scattered men still in the area that morn, he had been told that Sir Felix and Sir Brian would be arriving within hours with their two small armies, with every intent of tearing Kirkburough apart if he still had not been found.
Warrick could not have been more surprised, or more delighted. He had thought to waste days in sending to Fulkhurst for more men, for Felix had already given him his forty days this year in the siege on two keeps belonging to his newest enemy, the Lord of Ambray. He would not have taxed Felix further, no matter his impatience, yet Felix had been glad to come. And Sir Brian simply loved to fight, the reason he always had a small army of mercenaries on hand. In fact, Warrick had only just sent Brian home this month to “see to his own,” for the young lord had been in Warrick’s service for nigh half a year and had given no signs of wanting to leave him.
The only thing that had not gone as he would have liked was that Lady Isabella had not waited, had camped no more than a day, then had departed the next with her small escort. He could not understand her reasoning in that. And she had left no message with Robert other than “I am going on.” Verily, he did not want to chastise her before they were even wed, but he would not countenance such foolishness in a wife. He had left Robert in command. She should have stayed in his care.
But even that could not dampen his success, for the sight of Rowena Lyons standing in that bailey, alone, had filled him with a savage elation. He had her. As he had sworn to do, he had her in his power, and she would eternally regret that that was so.
Warrick left Kirkburough, but not before he had personally set a torch to the bed that had held him chained and helpless, and not before he had sent another twenty men to assure that his prisoner did not escape.
Chapter 13
Rowena was in a daze for what remained of that awful day. She had been put on a horse, her wrists bound, the reins in another’s control, so she did not need to concentrate on guiding the animal. And she did not take note of where they rode. Fulkhurst Castle was in the north. She knew that, and she knew she was being taken there with all speed. How she got there mattered not.
Her escort had begun with five men, though they were all of them knights, so less likely to be set upon by bands of thieves, if there were thieves in the area. However, a sixth knight caught up with them on the road with more specific orders from their lord.
Vaguely, Rowena heard that she was not to be spoken to other than to be given direction, that she was to receive no special treatment merely because she “appeared” to be a lady—which engendered much speculation—that she was not to be touched other than to be assisted on and off her mount, or to be tied thoroughly when she was not mounted. She did not care. She did not even think about it, still so shocked was she by what had happened.
They made camp that eve just off the road, and no sooner were the horses unsaddled and a fire begun than another twenty men arrived from the Lord of Fulkhurst. And by the look of their animals, they had ridden hard to reach them by dark.
Rowena’s interest was finally stirred, only because she feared at first ’twas Fulkhurst who had come with so many, especially when she saw one man astride a destrier much taller than all the rest. But as they came closer to the light of the fire, she decided ’twas not him—unless he had removed his armor, for this dark-haired man wore only a tunic and woolen hose. But she had no way of knowing.
Though he was not dressed like the other knights, and there were nine in this new group, a squire took his horse off the same as the others. At least she assumed the other ten men were squires, since they were every one of them younger than she, and too finely garbed to be merely men-at-arms. But again she had no way of knowing. Too many talked at once for her to hear any distinct conversation from where she sat alone, with a tree at her back and the fire before her.
She had indeed been more firmly bound after she had been allowed to relieve herself, and that with a damn guard standing not five feet away. Her ankles now had a rope wrapped around them, so long a length it looped up nearly to her knees. Another rope, even longer, secured her waist to the tree trunk. And her hands had been retied at her back, so there was no way she could reach the cords at her feet. That she was extremely uncomfortable was of no concern to her guards, and in keeping with Fulkhurst’s order of “no special treatment.”
When the tall newcomer spared her only a curious glance, she felt immense relief. Not Fulkhurst, then, for that one would have given her more attention. And then she had it confirmed when she heard her original guard address him.
“He sentyou, Sir Robert? I had not thought her such an important prisoner.”
“Any prisoner is important to him, or he would not take them,” Sir Robert replied.
“Forsooth,” the other agreed. “Though I am relieved to give the responsibility of her over to you, when Lord Warrick made it imperative that she arrive safely in Fulkhurst. Know you what she has done to merit the dungeon?”
“He did not say, and ’tis not our concern.”
But they were curious, all of them. Rowena could see it in their eyes when each of the newcomers looked at her, having heard the question, too. And if they did not know why she was being so harshly condemned, then she would not be finding out either any time soon. Their curiosity could not be as great as hers.
Mixed with their curiosity, however, she also noted admiring looks in some, which gave her naught but unease. Mayhap ’twas to her good, after all, that they had been ordered not to touch her, for she knew what could be done to female prisoners. One had been thrown in the dungeon for just a day at Gilbert’s keep last year, merely as a light punishment, but the jailer had taken full use of the girl whilst she was in his care.
“Verily, Richard, are you quite sure she cannot get away?”
Sir Robert said this so dryly, Richard flushed. ’Twas the rope around her waist that Robert had noticed. The one binding her feet was hidden beneath her skirts and the single blanket that had been spread across her lap.
“You did not hear Lord Warrick’s tone when he threw her at me,” Richard said in his defense.
“Nay, but I am here with enough men to assure the prisoner is guarded at night as well as day. He said naught about denying her sleep.”
Sir Robert came around the fire to untie the rope at her waist even as he spoke. He also retied her wrists in front of her again. Rowena thanked him when he had finished, but he gave no acknowledgment of having heard her, nor did he meet her eyes. And then she was forgotten by most of them as they ate what food had been carried with them, then settled down for the night.
