“Back to England.”
Corisande didn’t quite understand her at first. Then, her eyes widened. “Back to England?” she asked, looking around rather frantically. “What do you mean? They’re taking us back to Papa?”
Gaia looked at her, then. “We are going home,” she said plainly. “They are releasing us, Cori.”
Corisande stared at her sister. “But…” she sputtered. Then, she grabbed her sister by the arm and lowered her voice. “But how is this possible? MacDuff told me… I was to come to him last night and he would release us, but I must have fallen asleep. Why did you not wake me? Youknewwhat had to happen.”
Gaia’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before returning it to the misty landscape and the men moving about.
“We are being released and that is all that should matter,” she said. “Be joyful, Cori. We are returning to England and you can return to Cole with a clear conscience and a clean body. You needn’t worry anymore. Cole will still love you.”
Corisande stared at her. She may have been groggy, but she wasn’t senseless. Something was amiss because Gaia was being far too casual about the entire situation. Her usually weeping, skittish sister was as hard as a rock. It was then that Corisande noticed that she didn’t recognize the blanket Gaia was wrapped in.
It wasn’t one of theirs.
“Where did you get this?” she asked, pulling at the fabric.
Gaia pulled it right around her. “It was cold.”
“Whogave you the blanket, Gaia?”
Gaia stared at her a moment. Corisande was only now noticing the dark-circled eyes and she was greatly concerned, but before she could voice those concerns, Gaia spoke softly.
“Is it not enough that we are leaving?” she asked. “Please stop asking so many questions. If you misbehave, they may change their mind, so just… be quiet. Let us leave this place before you start pestering me.”
Corisande had no idea what Gaia was talking about, nor did she recognize the attitude her sister was conveying. She peered at her closely, trying to figure out what was happening.
“Gaia,” she whispered calmly. “What do you know about all of this? Won’t you tell me?”
The wagon suddenly lurched, throwing them both off-balance as it began to make its way through the grass, heading towards the trees. On the other side of the trees was the road that they had traveled upon when they’d been brought into Scotland, but Corisande didn’t know that and Gaia didn’t remember. All they knew was that the wagons were heading into the trees with a Scots escort, including MacDuff himself.
Heading for England.
The mist was becoming lighter as the sun began to rise. They could see soldiers walking around them through the mist, a few of them leaning on colleagues for support. They were English soldiers and Corisande caught sight of a few de Bourne men up ahead.
Everyone was leaving, just as MacDuff had promised if she…
…if she…?
“Tell me what you know, Gaia,” she turned to her sister and hissed. “If you do not tell me, I will start screaming and possibly they will stop this caravan to discover what is the matter. And I shall tell them that my sister is ill and they will…”
Gaia cut her off. “Shush!”
She put a hand over Corisande’s mouth, but it was only a temporary measure. Gaia knew Corisande was serious. In fact, she knew she should probably tell her before someone else did. When she’d returned to the wagon, wrapped in MacDuff’sblanket, several English soldiers had seen her, including the de Bourne soldiers. They had seen her coming from the direction of MacDuff’s tent.
But they’d also seen Corisande and Gaia coming from his tent the night before, which could have also meant something lascivious. Two women coming from the Earl of Fife’s tent, unchaperoned, and then the captives being released at daybreak could start a myriad of dark rumors.
It had to be addressed.
But that was more terrifying than the actual deed for Gaia. Now that it was over with, she wondered if she was brave enough to face what she had done. Perhaps she had hoped to keep it from Corisande, but the truth was that it simply wasn’t realistic. Corisande had to know. Last night, Gaia had been courageous, but this morning…
Not so much.
“Please, Cori,” she said softly, pulling her hand away from her sister’s mouth. “Please be quiet. I will tell you want you want to know, but you must be quiet.”
Corisande’s gaze was intense. “What do you know?” she demanded. “Whathappened?”
Reaching out, Gaia took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Let me do this for you, Cori,” she whispered. “I had to do it.”
