“Secure the boy now,” Ranulf told Kenric before laying Reina down on the cover. One hand on her chest, just below her breasts, held her there. “Be easy, lady,” he unbent enough to tell her. “We do not take you to harm you.” There was a spate of garbled mumbling from behind the gag, loud enough to make him lean closer to add, “Do you go quietly, no one will be harmed. Do you draw attention to yourself, make no mistake, there will be killing aplenty. Think you your men, such as they are, can stop me?”
He was satisfied to hear no more noises from her, and she stopped squirming beneath his hand as well. In a moment Kenric returned to kneel beside him, and together they rolled Reina up in the thick cover. This not only secured her more completely but also concealed her and would better muffle any more noises she might make.
“Should she not have more clothes than that shift?” Kenric asked as Ranulf picked up the long bundle to toss over his shoulder.
“She can go to Rothwell naked for all I care,” Ranulf said, only to recall that it would be days yet ere she would be turned over to Rothwell. “Very well,” he amended surlily. “Find a gown or two in her chest and bring it along.”
In another few moments they were both moving back down the passageway to the stairwell. Below, Kenric went ahead, ready to use his dagger hilt again should any of the servants wake to see them, but ’twas unnecessary. The castlefolk’s labors had been much increased throughout the day, and they were now dead to the world.
Across the hall, Walter waited by the stairwell leading down to the second floor and the forebuilding where a guard stood duty at the entrance. With a nod, he went down to draw the guard away, and in only another minute Ranulf was able to pass his burden on to Searle, outside the door.
Back upstairs, they waited for Walter to return. He was grinning when he did.
“You had no trouble with the lady?”
“Nay, we need only wait for Eric to arrive now.”
“It has gone too easy,” Kenric remarked. “What if Eric is delayed, or—”
“Bite your tongue,” Ranulf retorted. “Eric will come within the hour, so return to your beds that you may be ‘awakened’ for his message.”
“Idiot, only one layer of those sacks! Any more will smash her.”
Those were the last words Reina heard for a long while. And she was not only smashed but had nearly been suffocated by a sack unknowingly set directly on her face. If she had not managed to twist her head to the side, they would have had a fine surprise when they got around to digging her out.
She did not have to see to know she had been put in their supply cart, hidden under the sacks of grain Gilbert had sold to them earlier. ’Twas the only way they could smuggle her out of Clydon, and from what she had heard, that was obviously their intent.
Other things were known to her as well without her having to be told. Of course she had seen who was abducting her. And there could only be one reason for it. That it was a planned abduction, rather than a lark, was indicated by the mention that she was going to Rothwell, whoever that was. The stupid giant was not even taking her for himself.Thatshe could have understood. Whoever wed her, be he landless knight or great lord, would have Clydon as long as he swore homage to Lord Guy. But to go to all this trouble for someone else? Fitz Hugh must be earning a fortune to do it. That was the only answer.
Reina had also gathered from his manner that Fitz Hugh was still angry with her because of Theo, that he had not accepted her apology. She wished now she had never made it. How did he dare be wroth because of a little insult when all the while he had been planning this?
It galled her to the teeth to know she had welcomed the viper into her home, had in fact been grateful to him. The truth was, he had saved her to suit his purpose, not for any noble service to her benefit. Trickery, deceit,lies!Some chivalrous knight this. But her own gullibility could not be corrected now. She was well and truly captured. Even should their ploy be discovered, Fitz Hugh had it aright. Her men could not hope to defeat his, would only forfeit their own lives trying. And the soonest she could anticipate help would be several days hence. She could be wed before then, depending on how far away this Rothwell was. Who the devilwasbe?
Reina grunted, feeling a new weight atop her belly, but it was quickly removed. Not the sack, however. So she had company, did she? Aye, someone was definitely moving around in the cart, shaking it. And she could hear other sounds now, just barely. The cover and sacks meant to conceal her and keep her quiet made hearing most difficult. Were they leaving now, or was she just being guarded, to see she stayed put? As if she could move even a little, as tightly as she was wrapped up.
“Here, Lanzo, keep this with you.”
“What is it?”
“Some clothes for her. There was not time to dress her proper.”
“Oh?”
“Oho, best get rid ofthosethoughts. She is too old for you, and spoken for besides.”
“What has age to do with it, when Rothwell is old enough to be her great-great-grandfather?”
“How you go on. One ‘great’ was enough. And quiet now, they are opening the inner gate. Remember to moan if you have to.”
“I know what to do, Kenric. You best mount up yourself ere you get left behind.”
The cart began to move and right quickly. Reina wondered what possible excuse they could have used to leave before morning, but soon she felt the jarring bumps of the new bridge crossing the dry ditch and had no thoughts but of her own discomfort. The lad was bounced around, too, at one point right onto her. She moaned as his knee slid between two sacks to gouge her thigh.
“Shh, lady!” she heard him hiss at her. “You will not have to stay under there much longer.”
Reina ground her teeth against the wad of cloth in her mouth. The sneaky little cur, him and that other sweet-faced lad. All along they had known what they meant to do, yet all afternoon the two young squires had been smiling and flirting with her younger ladies, and were naught but innocent looks when she happened to gaze on them. The others, too, the young knights and Sir Walter, with his smiles and jests and friendly manner, all deceivers, all despicable knaves in their pretense, their foul plans already made. At least Ranulf Fitz Hugh had had the decency to avoid her the rest of the day. Whether in anger or because he could not dissemble as easily as the others, at least there wassomehonesty in that—but not enough to warn her or do her any good.
Chapter Eleven
