"You are forgetting something, my love."
Leilaspun,her breathcatching as she met his eyes. Guy smiled at her roguishly. "I would have aparting kiss. Something to last me until youreturn."
Walking those few steps back to the bed was the hardesttask she had ever undertaken. His warm lips on hers rocked her completely.After covering him to the waist with the fur blanket, she hurried from the roomwithout a backward glance, the door shutting behind her with awful finality.
Don't think of it now, Leila toldherselffiercely, running down the stairs. There will be plenty of time for tearslater. You must think only of your escape.
When she stepped outside the keep, she saw that the skyhad grown dark, the heavy clouds which masked the sun portending a rainstorm.Wrapping her cloak tightly about her and donning the fur-trimmed hood againstthe chill wind, she hurried toward the hospital.
She was relieved to see that there were still somewagons and two-wheeled carts lined up in front of the grain storehouse, and agroup of deWarennetenants were gathered justoutside the open double doors. It was sowing season for wheat and rye, and aneveryday occurrence for several weeks now to see wagons laden with sacks ofseed rumbling through the gates. If she managed to climb into one of the wagonswithout anyone noticing her, she might be thus able to leave the castle.
As Leila passed the large timbered building, her planbegan to look easier than she had imagined. She spied two loaded wagons pulledup along the side wall which faced the adjacent storehouse. Even better, theywere both covered with canvas—no doubt as a precaution against the threateningstorm—and situated in such a way that they were protected from the view ofanyone crossing the bailey or the castle guards strolling along thebattlements.
Surmising that the drivers were still laughing andtalking with the tenants whose wagons were yet to be filled with grain, Leilaseized her chance.
Her heart thumping nervously, she cut in between thetwo storehouses and waited an interminable moment with her back pressed upagainst the logged wall to see if she was being followed. When boisterouslaughter carried to her from the front of the building, she knew none of thetenants had seen her. She rushed to the nearest wagon and was just about toflip aside the canvas when three little boys dashed around the comer, playing amerry game of chase. Her hands fell, and she whirled around when she spiedNicholas at the lead.
"Lady Leila!"
She groaned inwardly at his cry of greeting, wonderingwhat she was going to say to him as the boys came to a breathless halt in frontof her, almost stumbling over one another. Eyeing her curiously, Nicholasswiped an errant lock of blond hair from his flushed forehead.
"I—I thought you were napping," she beganlamely.
Nicholas shrugged. "I woke up." He glanced atthe ground, then back at her. "Did you lose something? We could help youfind it." He twisted to look at his friends. "Right?" The twoboys bobbed their heads eagerly.
"Ah, no," she replied uncomfortably, hatingthe thought that she must lie to him. "I didn't lose anything. I was justgoing to peek under this canvas to see what was inside the wagon."
Nicholas laughed as if she'd said something silly. "It'sjust seeds. Papa's tenants are going to plant them in the fields."
"Ooohhh." Shesmiled self-mockingly. "All that curiosity just for seeds. Well, I guess I'lljust go on to the hospital—"
"We'll walk you there!" Nicholas blurted, "Iwant to show my friends the bandages I've made."
"No, no, another time, Nicholas," Leila said,a hard lump in her throat. "The hospital is untidy from all the visitorswho came to see your papa the past few days. I'm just going to clean it up."As his face fell, she chucked him gently under the chin. "How abouttomorrow morning? You can bring your friends and we'll all make more bandages.Would you like that?"
As he brightened, Leila felt even more wretched.
"Good." She bent and whispered in his ear. "Ifyou start running right now, Nicholas, you'll get a good lead on them and they'llnever catch you."
He nodded, throwing his arms around her neck in afierce hug,thenjust as quickly he released her andtook off at a run toward the back of the storehouse. Startled, the two boysfollowed him, shouting hisnameand crying "Nofair!" In an instant, all three had disappeared around the corner.
Heartsick, Leila wasted no more time. She threw backthe canvas and hoisted herself over the side of the wagon. Taking a last deepbreath of fresh air, she dragged the canvas back into place just as thundercrackled high overhead.
A light rain began to pelt the covering and the nextthing she knew, a man's voice shouted out, "We'll have to leave now if we'regoing to beat the worst of this storm."
"Aye, let's be off."
Huddled between two large sacks of grain, Leila let hertears fall as the driver's seat creaked and the wagon lurched into motion.
***
It couldn't have been more than a half hour later whenthe wagon came to a final stop.
Wiping her damp face with a fold of her cloak, Leiladiscerned that they must be in some kind of shelter, for the rain had ceased tobatter the canvas and she could hear the two horses being unhitched. Fearfullyshe wondered if the tenant might unload the wagon, but, to her relief, she guessedhe had decided not to when a door opened and closed, and the building grewquiet. No doubt a warm fire and a good hot meal awaited him.
She remained very still for a few more minutes just tomake sure he wasn't coming back,thenshe could standthe close confines and stuffy air no longer. She cautiously drew back thecanvas and peered above the rim of the wagon.
To her surprise and good fortune, she found herself ina stable. And here she had thought she would have to walk all the way to herbrother's castle!
