Page 16 of Christmas Secrets

“It doesn’t matter. Holly is a damned good cook. It seems she can make something out of nothing so she’ll do her magic to it.”

“Holly, huh? So does this Holly have a surname?”

“Damn,” mumbled Percival, grabbing a jug of ale and a bottle of wine and shoving corks into the necks before putting them under his arm. “You tricked me into telling you what you wanted to know.”

“So, Lady Holly is from which castle? And how the hell is it that she’s staying in a hovel with you? This is odd indeed. Spill your secrets, Brother.”

“Bedivere, I don’t need you asking so many questions. And I don’t want you telling anyone that I’ve got a girl with me in the secret garden. Do you understand? No one is to know.”

“Percival, you have a lassie in the secret garden?” Morag overheard, walking up to join them.

“Why me?” groaned Percival, wanting to rip his tongue out for being so careless. Morag, as lovely a girl as she was, also happened to be the biggest gossip in the castle. He never meant for her to hear any of this. Morag had tried to stop gossiping when she met Bedivere, but the girl was hopeless and still did it on occasion. One thing about Morag was that she always wanted to know everyone’s business and she never stopped talking. The last thing he wanted was for her to know about his doings. She would tell everyone now.

“Morag, no matter what you thought you heard me say, forget it. I didn’t say it and it is none of your business.” He hoped that would shut her up.

“Percival,” said Bedivere in a warning voice. “Be nice. That is my wife and the lady of castle you are speaking to, remember.”

Morag sucked in her cheeks, not saying a word. Then, she nodded slowly. “Husband, I will be gone for a short while. I am goin’ ridin’.”

“Not by yourself, you’re not.” Bedivere didn’t like the idea in the least.

“Of course, no’. My cousin Maira just arrived. I’ll take her with me.”

“I still don’t like the idea of two women out alone,” protested Bedivere.

“Maira is as good with a sword as any man and ye ken it. We’ll be safe.”

“Take her husband’s squire with you as well, or I won’t agree to you leaving the castle at all.”

“You want us to take Branton?” She raised a brow and her voice got higher. It was clear she didn’t want him along. Branton had once been a page and grew up with Morag and her sister and cousins at Rothbury Castle, where they had been the wards of the late Lord Walter Beaufort. He had been their guardian until the day he died.

“Is there something wrong with taking Branton?” asked Bedivere.

“I dinna think we need him, that’s all.”

“Branton will go with you or you’ll stay here,” he told her.

“Fine. I’ll take Branton with us,” said Morag with a deep sigh, heading away.

“Be back soon before another storm kicks up,” Bedivere called out.

“I will. Oh, Bedivere. Yer mother has been askin’ if you found Percival yet. Ye two better stop in the ladies solar and talk with her to put her mind at ease that Percival is here.”

“I’m not staying.” Percival didn’t want to stop to see his mother. If so, he’d be here for at least another hour. He was in a hurry to get back to Holly.

“Percival, I think Morag is right,” agreed Bedivere. “You need to stop and talk to Mother. Don’t make her upset at Christmastime. Besides, there is too much going on here and I don’t want her asking me to go out and find you again. I really don’t have the time to be doing that.”

“All right, all right,” said Percival, blowing air from his mouth. “But no matter what Mother says, it doesn’t change things. I will not be here for the celebrations. I can’t stay long. I need to gather a few nails and possibly a board to fix a broken stair at the cottage and be on my way. Oh, and where can I find a few good wax candles?”

“If you knew what was good for you, Percival, you’d bring that girl and her brother back here tomorrow for the Christmas feast,” Bedivere told him. “That would make Mother more than happy.”

“Mayhap not,” he mumbled, throwing his bag over his shoulder and heading for the solar. He realized his mother wanted the best for all her children. But he wasn’t sure she’d agree to him harboring a mysterious woman who seemed to be hiding something. Especially when the girl wasn’t even a noble.

* * *

Holly felton edge while waiting for Percival to return to the cottage. If one of Lord Neville’s guards showed up, she and Noel would have no chance to escape on foot. As nervous as she felt, she had to keep calm. If not, Noel would pick up on her uneasiness. She was all Noel had now. He counted on her for his needs and safety and she couldn’t let him down. She had to remain strong because she didn’t want her little brother to be scared.

“Why do you keep looking out the window?” asked Noel, sitting at the table playing with a wooden horse—the only toy he had been able to bring with them because they left so quickly.