The man crouched down a few feet away, a poorly dressed wretch with dark-circled eyes and a mop of shaggy gray hair. “It was not, I assure ye,” he said. “They call me The Bold Hobelar, my lady. May I have yer name?”
Maitland was angry and weary, and very frightened for the children. “I am the guardian of these children,” she said warily. “What do you want with us?”
Hobelar didn’t seem offended by her reply. “Ye’re valuable tae us,” he said. “Ye’re very valuable tae the de Wolfe pup.”
“Who is the de Wolfe pup?”
“The commander of Wark Castle.”
Maitland stared at him a moment before averting her gaze. “I do not know what you mean.”
Hobelar’s pleasant manner changed in an instant. He picked up a nearby stick and whacked it against the ground in a startling motion, causing Maitland and the children to jump with fear and surprise.
The message was clear.
“Dunna lie tae me,” Hobelar growled. “We followed ye from Kelso. We saw every move de Wolfe made and we saw his attention tae ye. Are ye goin’ tae tell me again that ye dunna know him?”
The whistling stick in Hobelar’s hand had Maitland’s attention. She didn’t want any of the children to be hit by it so she thought better of her resistance.
“I know him,” she said. “He is a patron of Edenside’s foundling home.”
Hobelar’s pleasant manner returned frighteningly fast. “Is he, now?” he said, though it was more of a statement than a question. “Then ye do mean somethin’ tae him.”
Maitland wasn’t sure where the conversation was going, but she knew it couldn’t be good. “He is very generous and so are his parents,” she said. “Please… the children are cold and hungry. We can do nothing for you. Won’t you please let us return home?”
“Not now,” Hobelar said. “Ye’re goin’ tae tell me what ye know of Thomas de Wolfe.”
“I told you that he is our patron. He lives at Wark Castle. Beyond that, I do not know much.”
Hobelar eyed her for a moment. Then, he reached out, quick as a flash, and grabbed Artus by his skinny arm. As the boy yelled and Maitland screamed, Hobelar picked up the stick he’d so recently smacked on the ground and lifted it to Artus as if to strike him. The children were screaming and crying as Maitland bolted to her feet, holding out her hands.
“Nay!” she cried. “Please do not strike him, I beg you!”
As Artus squirmed in his grip, Hobelar brought the stick to a halt just shy of Artus’ face. “Then ye’ll tell me what I wish tae know, woman,” he said. “If ye dunna tell me, I’ll take it out on these bairns.”
Maitland nodded quickly, reaching out to pull Artus from the man’s grasp and tuck the child behind her. She stood there, the only barrier between the children and a man who would abuse them. Her heart was pounding with fear.
“I swear that I will be honest with you, but leave the children alone,” she said, her voice trembling. “They have been through enough. They are parentless, for God’s sake. Would you really abuse children who have no one to love them?”
Hobelar lifted his shoulders. “I had no one tae love me and I’m no worse for the wear,” he said as his men chuckled behind him. Then, he crooked a finger at Maitland. “Come here, woman. We are goin’ tae have a talk.”
Maitland was becoming more frightened by the moment. “What about?”
“De Wolfe,” Hobelar said. “I want the man. He killed many of my men and I want him.”
Behind Hobelar, Maitland could see a host of unhappy faces. Scruffy, dirty, smelly men who lived like beasts in the wilderness.Outlaws, she thought.They must be outlaws.The men didn’t look like Scots to her, or even English, and she wasquickly trying to assess just, exactly, who they were. The only thing she could come up with was outlaws.
“Did he kill your men in battle?” she asked.
Hobelar shrugged. “Ye could say so.”
“And you were fighting against him?”
“Aye.”
“Then I am sure you killed many of his men, too.”
Hobelar eyed her. “It is not so easy,” he said. “What de Wolfe did was murder. He murdered my men and Iwillhave my revenge on him.”
