CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The puppy was wriggling in the bed, waking Stephen but Sophia and Avrielle slept right through it. Bundled up in his mother’s big bed with his sister and his mother sleeping peacefully, Stephen woke to the puppy licking him on the chin and he sleepily cuddled it. But the gentle hugs of a young lad didn’t soothe the puppy; it climbed all over Stephen, licking and nipping, playing now that he’d had several hours of uninterrupted sleep. Stephen tried to keep the dog in the bed but the puppy had other ideas.
Stephen sat up as his puppy jumped off the bed and began wandering around the room, sniffing. The boy rubbed his eyes, watching the dog wander around and remembering his mother telling him that the dog was only allowed to relieve himself outside. Fearfully, Stephen looked to his mother, who was sleeping with his sister cuddled up next to her. He didn’t want to wake his mother but he didn’t want the puppy pissing inside when he’d been warned about it. She might even take his puppy away.
Silently, Stephen slithered off the bed and went to the puppy. Wolfe jumped on him and licked at him. Picking the dog up, he shuffled over to the chamber door, which was bolted. He had to put the dog down in order to work open the bolt, which was iron and hard to move. He struggled at it as the dog ran away, back over to the hearth where the fire burned low and hot. Once Stephen managed to open the door, he ran over to the puppy, picked it up, and slipped from the chamber.
It was cold and dark in the corridor outside, a narrow passage that connected the chambers in the family’s wing. Stephen knew that his friend, de Wolfe, had taken the big chamber that his mother and father used to sleep in and he peered down the dark corridor to see that the door was shut. He was sure his friend was inside, sleeping, so he waddled past the door, carrying the puppy that was heavy to a little boy, and ended up in the guard room with the spiral stairs that led down to the bailey below. He knew he had to take the puppy down there to relieve itself so he made his way to the stone steps and sat down on them, taking the stairs one at a time, on his bottom, the way his mother had taught him so he wouldn’t fall down them.
Unfortunately for Stephen, he lost his balance and the puppy fell from his grip, running back up the stairs and down the corridor, back in the direction he had come from. Stephen scrambled off the stairs and ran after it, being rather loud as he did so. It was enough to wake Avrielle.
She thought she’d dreamed the sound at first. She lay there in the darkness, thinking she might have heard fading footsteps but she wasn’t entirely sure. Her sleep-groggy mind didn’t quite process the sounds until she heard a puppy bark and her head shot up, seeing immediately that Stephen wasn’t in the bed. Stricken with panic, she turned to see that the door to the chamber was open and that was all it took for her to fly out of bed. She hit the ground running.
In the passageway outside, Avrielle looked about in terror. From one end of the passageway to the other, her son was nowhere to be found. Her heart was racing as she chose to go to her left, towards the north side of the castle, but she hadn’t taken two steps when she heard the dog bark again only it was in the opposite direction. Bare-footed, and only in her heavy sleeping shift, she tore off down the corridor towards the sounds of the barking dog.
She caught sight of Stephen midway down the spiral stairs, scooting down on his bottom as she’d taught him and holding the puppy in his arms. She didn’t want to shout at him because the castle, as she’d noticed, was as silent as a tomb. She didn’t want to be screaming in the silence if something was happening.
A battle is coming to Canaan, Scott had told her. Glancing at the sky through a window that opened out into the bailey, she could see that the sky was turning shades of pink and purple, as a sure sign of sunrise. Hastening to catch up to her son, he slipped further down the stairs and she slid down after him.
But Stephen wasn’t aware his mother was behind him. As soon as he hit the bottom of the spiral stairs, the puppy fell from his arms and bolted off through an opening into the bailey. He started to run after his dog but he suddenly noticed men all around him, with mud spread over their faces to make them blend into the darkness of the walls, and it terrified him. Frightened, he ran after the puppy, out into the dark and eerily silent bailey to escape from the scary soldiers who were hiding near the stairs.
Avrielle was right behind him. She came flying off the stairs only to be grabbed before she could emerge into the bailey and, in a panic, she shoved her fist into the throat of the man who had tried to stop her.
It was Jean-Pierre. He’d been too slow to grab the boy or the puppy, but he’d had his wits by the time Avrielle ran past. He’d knew Scott would be grossly displeased for allowing the woman into the bailey, not now when they were waiting for the Cumbrian lord’s army to appear, but Lady du Rennic had other ideas. Now, he was struggling to breathe as she’d nearly collapsed his windpipe.
As Jean-Pierre was left with a wounded throat, Avrielle continued to run after her son, finally catching up to him as he neared the walled garden. When she grabbed the boy, he screamed and she slapped a hand over his mouth, silencing him, as the dog ran towards the kitchens. Stephen began weeping hysterically.
“My puppy!” he said through his mother’s hand. “I want my dog!”
Avrielle was beside herself. She was terrified to be outside, seeing that both gatehouses were wide open and there wasn’t a soul in sight. Something told her to get out of there immediately. Nothing was normal and a terrible sense of doom swept her.
“Hush,” she hissed in her son’s ear. “Be silent this instant, Stephen. Not a word!”
But Stephen was dreadfully upset. “My dog!”
Avrielle gave him a squeeze, a gesture to silence him. “Enough!” she whispered loudly. “Keep silent!”
But Stephen wasn’t listening. He was crying even as she raced towards the southern gatehouse and to the set of stairs she intended to take back to her chamber. She didn’t even see where the dog had gone; at this point, she didn’t care. All she cared about was taking her son to safety but she had to make it to the gatehouse in order to do that.
Just a little further, she told herself as she ran. Just a little further!
And then, she saw it.
Men were coming over the drawbridge and into Canaan, men on horseback moving rather swiftly. Avrielle could see how fast they were moving and she knew she had no chance to make it to the stairs before they entered. They would cut her off before she could get there. Coming to an unsteady halt, she turned to run the other way but saw men entering from that direction as well.
Oh, God…
Avrielle came to a halt with Stephen crying in her arms, backing away from the unfamiliar soldiers who were now filtering into Canaan’s bailey. The great hall was behind her and she knew if she could make it inside, she could take any number of servant’s passages up to the living level above. But she had to make it into the hall. She kept backing up before finally turning around and breaking into a run, held back from any real speed by her weeping son in her arms. But all of that came to a halt when she heard a shout from the northern gatehouse.
Someone was calling her name and it was a moment of horror that she would never forget.
Adam…
*
Scott saw her.
God help him, he happened to be looking through a narrow arrow slit from his hiding place in the southern gatehouse when he saw a little puppy followed by a young boy followed by the boy’s mother, all of them running out into the cold, gray bailey. The puppy was doing what puppies do, which was running aimlessly, and Stephen was clearly trying to catch the beast. Avrielle, barefoot and in her heavy, sleeping shift, was running after the pair but she wasn’t calling to them and she wasn’t uttering a word. She was simply running, trying to catch up to them before they escaped her.
“My lord,” Stewart was standing on the opposite side of the room, looking out over the lands outside of the castle. “I can see someone approaching!”
Distracted, Scott’s heart was in his throat as he rushed to the arrow slit that Stewart was looking from. The bright moon was setting but the sun was beginning to rise, creating a surreal purplish color across the land. But in that color, against the backdrop of the coming dawn, he could see an army of men approaching from the west. Like little insects, they moved swiftly and in groups, moving ever closer like a dark, surging tide.
That which they had been waiting for was finally upon them.
God, they’d been waiting for this moment.
“It has to be Sadgill,” he hissed, being joined by Jeremy who had been on the other side of the gatehouse. “Just as we had hoped. Damn, I love it when I am correct.”
Behind him, Jeremy and Stewart were jockeying behind him for a clear look through the narrow slit opening. “Word is coming in from the north gatehouse,” Stewart said. “They are much closer on the north side.”
And Avrielle was in the bailey. Scott broke away from the window, rushing to the other side of the chamber where there was a door leading out into the bailey. Avrielle was still there. She had caught up to her son by this time, who was screaming for his dog.
“Christ,” he breathed. “She needs to get out of there.”
Jeremy heard him, coming up behind him as Scott moved for the door leading to the bailey. Jeremy grabbed him by the arm.
“Wait,” he said. “You cannot go out there. If they are too close to the north gatehouse, they will see you.”
Scott tried to pull away. “Your sister cannot be in the bailey when they enter,” he said. “God only knows what they will do to her. Damnation, I told her to stay to her room. Why in the hell…?”
Jeremy cut him off. “Too late.”
With great trepidation, they could both see Adam riding in through the northern gatehouse, emerging into the bailey astride his frothing steed. Avrielle had Stephen in her arms but she stopped when Adam said something to her. She was trying to make it to the great hall, clearly trying to make her way to safety, but Adam was following her with his horse. The more she moved, the more he moved.
And Scott was so coiled with fear that he was having difficulty breathing. He could see Adam moving after her, like a cat moves after a mouse, and he unsheathed his broadsword. But Jeremy still had hold of him.
“Wait,” he hissed, yanking on him. “You cannot go out there. If they see you, the element of surprise will be ruined because they will know you did not depart with the army. We cannot show ourselves until Sadgill’s army enters or all of this will be for naught.”
Scott knew that. God, he knew that, but he couldn’t stand by and watch Adam torment Avrielle. “Then what do you suggest?” he demanded. “I will not permit Adam to touch her. Someone must save her from him.”
There was something in his tone that caused Jeremy to look at him. He was speaking as if he had some personal connection to Avrielle, as if her terror was his terror. He was speaking like a man who had much to lose.
A man who was greatly concerned for a woman’s safety.
Your sister will not marry a Scottish lord – I have made sure of it.
Those words rang in Jeremy’s head and it began to occur to him what de Wolfe had meant. He was curious about de Wolfe’s intentions towards his sister but, strangely enough, not irate about it. Perhaps, at another time, he would have been. Especially during the past two weeks when he was so deeply convinced that he hated de Wolfe, but now… he could see that de Wolfe was deeply concerned for his sister. Or perhaps even more than that.
But he couldn’t reflect on that now. There wasn’t any time. Avrielle was being cornered by a known traitor and he, too, was gravely concerned for his sister. He pulled Scott back, away from the door.
“Listen to me,” he said. “I am supposed to be here but you are not. I will go out there and protect her. You stay here with the men and pass the word – I will stall until the majority of the army enters the bailey and when I know Avrielle is safe, I will turn my back on Adam. That will be your signal to charge.”
Scott struggled to calm himself, forcing himself away from the frightened lover to the commander of a precise operation. He would be no good to his men if he lost his composure now and he knew it. No matter how frightened he was, he had to control it. Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head.
“I understand,” he said. “Go now. Do not leave her to fend for herself with someone who would just as happily see us all dead.”
Jeremy nodded. “I will protect her,” he said. “I have been doing it for quite some time. At least, when she will permit it. She has a way of being very fearless.”
Scott thought there was something in those words, as if a man was commiserating with another man over a woman they both knew and loved. Does he know my feelings for her? Scott thought. Have I been so obvious? Once, Scott had been concerned about Jeremy hearing rumors about him and Avrielle but, now, he didn’t care much. He loved her and the sooner Jeremy knew it, the better for them all. But he simply nodded his head, watching Jeremy as the man disappeared through the passage that would take him to the great hall that Avrielle was trying to make a break for.
“Stu,” Scott said. “Pass the word to the men. Jeremy is going to speak to Adam and when he turns his back on the man, we charge.”
Stewart nodded, turning to the nearest soldiers and telling them to spread the word. As the men fled, Scott was riveted to the scene outside as Avrielle was being preyed upon by a knight who would be Scott’s first target when he emerged from his hiding place.
His sword would be thirsting for Adam’s blood.
*
“Lady du Rennic!”
Avrielle watched in frozen horror as Adam rode up behind her on a frothing warhorse. She wanted to run from him but she couldn’t seem to manage it; all she could do was watch him as he came near. As dawn broke overhead, his face was as pale as death against the cold, gray dawn.
“Lady du Rennic, is something amiss?” he asked, pointing to Stephen, sobbing in her embrace. “What has happened?”
Everything that Scott had told her about Adam came tumbling down on her and Avrielle felt fear such as she had never known. A knight who was unscrupulous enough to betray his fellow men would surely have no conscience in killing a woman and child, especially the son of the father who had refused to acknowledge him. That realization terrified her.
She pulled Stephen closer.
“We… we lost his puppy,” she said. It was the truth. “The dog ran off and we were chasing it, but Stephen is much too upset now. I must take him back to bed.”
She turned for the great hall, quickly, but Adam stopped her. “I am sorry to hear that,” he said. “May I help you search for the dog?”
Avrielle shook her head quickly but she didn’t stop moving. “It is not necessary,” she said. “I must take my son inside.”
Suddenly, Adam was beside her, his big horse blocking her way. Avrielle stepped back, struggling against utter panic as she looked up at the knight.
“Please,” she said. “He is cold and tired, and I have no shoes on. My feet are cold. I must get inside.”
Adam eyed the woman; he could see that she was trembling. It was cold outside, but there seemed to be something more in her expression, something of terror. He began to realize that he needed to keep the lady calm if there was any chance of a smooth transition at Canaan. He had no intention of sending her away, or her children away. At least not at the moment. She was a good chatelaine and he would need one when he took command of the castle.
When he finally received his due.
“I am sorry to trouble you, my lady,” he said. “But, as you can see, I have brought men with me to man Canaan while the bulk of the army is helping Pendragon Castle. Canaan cannot be without an army to protect her. You remember Lord Sadgill, do you not? Lord Nathaniel knew him. I have asked him to help keep order at Canaan until the rest of the army returns.”
Oh, but it was a smooth lie. He made it sound so believable. Avrielle’s instinct was to deny him, to insult him and his sense of loyalty, but she bit her tongue. She had Stephen in her arms and she didn’t want Adam to take out his anger against Nathaniel on Stephen. She had to get the child to safety and that was her one and only thought.
“That was kind of you,” she said. “I… I do not see anyone so I suppose they have left. Now, allow me to pass, Adam. I must put Stephen back to bed.”
“Avrielle.”
The voice came from the great hall and both Avrielle and Adam turned to see Jeremy in the entryway. His face was bandaged and still swollen, but his eyes were bright as he fixed on his sister. He motioned her towards him.
“Come inside,” he commanded softly. “You and Stephen are going to catch your death out in the cold morning. Come inside this instant.”
Avrielle didn’t question her brother. She darted around Adam, carrying her son who was still crying for his dog. She just made it to the door when Adam’s voice stopped her.
“I hope to see you later today, Lady du Rennic,” he said. “Lord Sadgill is anxious to meet you. He has heard a good deal about you.”
Before Avrielle could reply, Jeremy spoke. “Sadgill?” he repeated, noticing that the bailey was flooding with men. “Who are these men, Adam? What are they doing here?”
Adam was cool as he spoke. “I was just explaining to Lady du Rennic that I have asked Lord Sadgill to reinforce Canaan while de Wolfe has taken the army to Pendragon,” he said evenly. “Being a good ally, Lord Sadgill has graciously complied.”
Jeremy had honestly held out hope until that moment that Adam’s suspected treachery hadn’t been the truth, but as he saw the bailey fill with unfamiliar soldiers, he realized, without a doubt, that everything he’d been told had been true. Adam had taken the information he’d been fed the previous night and he’d run straight to Lord Sadgill with it. Now, Sadgill’s men were filling the bailey and it was time to bring about their plan. All he had to do was turn away from Adam and that would be the signal. But he couldn’t seem to do it without telling Adam just what he thought of his betrayal.
“I never told you to do this,” he said to Adam. “When I told you last night that the army was departing and that you and I were to be in command in their absence, I never told you to seek reinforcements for Canaan.”
Adam didn’t falter; he looked smug, in fact. “I know you did not, but certainly we cannot leave Canaan without an army,” he said. “Lord Sadgill is our ally. I have brought him to help.”
Jeremy was increasingly disgusted with Adam’s farce. “Lord Sadgill is not an ally. He never has been.”
Some of Adam’s smugness slipped. “That is unkind, Jeremy. He has come all this way to make sure Canaan is not vulnerable.”
It was such a lie that Jeremy wanted to punch that smug expression right off of Adam’s face. He was about to say something even more unfriendly but realized his sister was still standing next to him, trembling. What he wanted to say to Adam, he didn’t want her to hear. Or, perhaps, he wouldn’t say anything at all. He would simply send her inside and out of harm’s way, and then turn away from Adam to begin the ambush. In truth, he had nothing more to say to the man.
“Go inside, Avrielle,” he said to his sister. “Go back where it is safe and warm.”
Avrielle did. Leaving her brother outside with Adam, she was verging on hysterical tears as she ran to the far end of the hall where a servant door led to a passageway to the kitchen. With muddied feet, cold, and in tears, she ran through the door and straight into Scott.
Startled by the enormous body standing in front of her, she started to scream but he put a hand over her mouth quickly.
“’Tis me,” he hissed at her. “Do not be afraid.”
The sound of his voice flowed over her, like warm honey, filling her and comforting her like nothing ever had. She burst into quiet tears.
“I am sorry,” she wept. “The puppy ran away and Stephen ran after him. I had to go after my son, Scott. I could not let him go!”
Scott could see her terror. Truth was, he’d just suffered some of the worst terror of his life and to have her in his arms, safe and sound, was more relief than he could handle. Throwing caution to the wind, he pulled her against him to comfort her.
“I know,” he whispered. “It is not your fault. I am not angry.”
Avrielle struggled to stop her tears. “I was so frightened,” she whispered. “Those men out there – Adam brought Lord Sadgill with him. He told Jeremy he had only brought Sadgill to help while Canaan’s army was away, but it is a lie!”
Scott knew that. God, he knew that all too well. Stewart wasn’t too far from him, watching what was going on in the bailey through an arrow slit in the wall, and Scott knew that all hell was about to break loose at any moment. The very second that Jeremy gave the sign, they were to move. He had to get Avrielle to safety no matter how much he wanted to comfort her.
“I know,” he said, turning her for the small stone staircase behind him. “All will be well, I promise, but you must go to your chamber at this moment and lock yourself in. Do you understand me? Stop for nothing. Run as fast as you can.”
Avrielle nodded, allowing him to herd her towards the stairs. But before she mounted the last step, she put a hand to his face. In full armor, the terrifying vision of Scott de Wolfe had her heart breaking.
“Take great care,” she murmured, gazing into his handsome face. “The last time a man left me to go to war, he did not come back.”
“I will come back.”
“Swear it?”
“With all that I am, I do.”
Scott gazed into her frightened eyes, feeling a pull towards her like he’d never felt in his life. She was concerned for him, worried for him, and he was more touched than he could express. He never thought he’d ever know a moment like this again, having a woman who was concerned whether he lived or died.
But Avrielle was concerned. Swiftly, he kissed her hand and practically shoved her up the stairs. Only when she was out of sight did he turn his attention back to Stewart. Before he could get to the lancet window to see what was transpiring outside, Jeremy must have given the signal because arrows began flying and every man hiding in the guard room began charging out to the bailey.
After that, chaos reigned.