Chapter 2
Winter stood at the docks the next day, bidding farewell to her family.
“Ye stay out of the smithy, lassie,” Reed warned her, giving her a hug and kiss atop the head.
“Ye ken she willna do that, so dinna waste yer voice, Brathair,” said their sister, Spring, from his side. Another of her sisters, Summer, was mounted on a horse having already said her goodbyes. Their eldest sister, Spring, wasn’t one for showing a lot of emotion since she’d been raised as a warrior. But she was changing since she married Laird Shaw Gordon, and hugged Winter before mounting her horse. Winter’s mother and father stood on the pier next to Autumn and Autumn’s husband, Benedict.
“Spring! Summer! Why dinna ye come with us instead of ridin’ back to Scotland and Suffolk?” asked their father, Ross Douglas.
“Aye,” said Benedict. “We’re going to drop off your parents in Scotland before we take the ship to France. We could swing down the coast afterward and drop off Summer as well.”
“Rook and I will be escorting Summer home,” said Rowen.
“Thank you,” said Summer. “I am looking forward to spending time with my brothers on the journey.”
“I like the outdoors and will be ridin’ back to Scotland with Reed,” said Spring.
“If you two change your mind, you are welcome to come on the ship with us,” offered Autumn. She looked up at her husband and smiled. “It’s going to be a trip we’ll never forget.”
“Going to spend a little time celebrating your new marriage in France?” asked Rowen, mounting his horse as well.
“I’m sure they’ll never forget the hot nights of passion they’ll be spending together in a country that is known for its lovers,” added Rook with a chuckle, already atop his horse.
“Boys, that’s enough,” Annalyse scolded them. Annalyse was the mother of the girls. While the bastard triplets called her their mother, too, she was really the twin of their deceased mother, Gabrielle. “What Autumn and Benedict do on their trip is their business, and you shouldn’t get involved. Although I’m worried for your safety, Autumn. England is still at war with France.”
“Not all of France is our enemy,” said Autumn. “Besides, Benedict has many alliances there. I’m sure this will be a trip to remember.”
“Oh, it’ll be a trip we’ll never forget,” agreed Benedict, putting his arm around Autumn and pulling her closer. “However, I’m afraid there won’t be all those nights of hot passion you imagine, Rook.”
“Why not?” asked Rook. “Is the thrill gone already?”
“Nay,” said Autumn. “It’s just that we won’t be alone.”
“Who is goin’ with ye?” asked Reed.
“Take a look for yourself.” Benedict nodded as a horse-drawn wagon sped up to the docks, driven by Benedict’s squire, Nelek. On the bench seat next to him was the old midwife, Nairnie. The wagon was filled with children and dogs. The children were laughing and talking loudly, and the dogs were all barking and running around. Benedict’s steward, Sir Gawain, followed the wagon with even more dogs running alongside him.
“My lord, I’m sorry we’re late,” said Nelek, stopping so fast that Nairnie lurched forward and had to grab on to the side so she wouldn’t fall out.
“Ye dunderheid,” scolded Nairnie, reaching out and walloping Nelek with her bag of herbs. “Ye almost dumped an old woman onto the road.”
“Sorry about that,” said Nelek, helping Nairnie out of the cart.
“Aye, be careful. Nairnie is still healing from the bolt she took to save me,” said Benedict. “Be gentle with her.”
“I’m no’ still healin’, Benedict. I’m just as strong as I always was, and dinna ye ever forget it.”
“And as ornery, too,” Benedict mumbled under his breath.
“I’ve been using my healing touch on Nairnie,” Autumn told him. “She’s no longer as frail as you might think.”
“Well, let’s get moving,” Benedict called out. “Enar and Torkel, help Sir Gawain get those trunks aboard the ship. Ishbel and Iona, bring the bags.” The children were all Scottish orphans of war. Benedict had saved their lives when the castle was under the rule of the former Lord Ravenscar.
“Wait for me,” called out the youngest of the children – the little boy named Rab. He climbed out of the wagon and then reached over and picked up a small, white, fluffy dog in his arms and headed for the ship. When he did, all the rest of Benedict’s dozen hounds raced down the pier after him.
“Nay! The dogs are not coming with us,” shouted Benedict. His large wolfhounds came to his side. One of them jumped up and put its paws on Benedict’s shoulders. “Down, Goliath,” he grumbled, running a loving hand over the dog’s head before pushing it away. Autumn moved behind him, holding his arm, peeking out but staying protected.
“You’re not still afraid of dogs, are you, Sister?” Winter rushed over and grabbed the other wolfhound named Sampson that was about to jump up on Autumn.
“I’m learning not to be,” Autumn said, still standing behind her husband.
“Nelek, why the hell did you bring the hounds?” asked Benedict. “What were you thinking?”
“They wanted to say their goodbyes as well,” answered the squire, hauling a trunk up the pier.
“Aye, Ravenscar, you look like you’ve got one hell of a trip planned,” said Rook with a chuckle.
“I think this is where I leave,” said Rowen, turning his horse, trying to get away from all the barking dogs.
“Goodbye, and thank you for coming to our wedding,” called out Autumn, waving as her brothers and two of her sisters started on their journey.
“Lady Autumn, canna Bailey come with us?” asked Rab, cuddling the dog in his arms as he walked back toward her. The boy’s big green eyes begged her not to turn the dog away.
Autumn looked up at her husband. “Benedict? Can’t we bring at least one dog with us? For the children.”
“Nay,” Benedict grumbled, but Autumn still stared at him and so did Rab. He let out a breath. “Oh, all right. But just Bailey can join us, none of the rest.”
Rab squealed and ran toward the ship with the dog in his arms, almost dropping the animal when it squirmed.
“Wait!” Benedict called after him. “I hope that dog hasn’t been rolling in any weeds. Heaven knows I don’t want a rash while I’m trying to celebrate my marriage.”
“Winter, why don’t you come on the trip with us?” asked Autumn.
“Nay, but thank you,” said Winter, petting one of the dogs. “I’m going to stay here and help Wallace.”
“Not in the smithy, you’re not,” said Benedict.
Both of the girls looked up at him and smiled.
“It doesn’t matter what I say. You’re going to go anyway, aren’t you?” asked Benedict.
“My sister grew up spending most her time in the blacksmith’s shop,” said Autumn. “Benedict, you’re not going to be able to stop her. Especially since we won’t be here to do anything about it.”
“Then I’m assigning a guard to you, Lady Winter. And don’t try to fight it, because he’ll be with you in town and anywhere you go outside the castle walls.”
“If you say so,” answered Winter nonchalantly, smiling and playing with one of the dogs.
“Nelek, get Rab down from there before he cracks his skull,” shouted Benedict, spying the boy climbing atop the bowsprit.
“Aye, my lord.” Nelek dropped a trunk and ran to collect the boy.
“All right, Nairnie, get aboard,” said Benedict. “I only hope that you and Nelek can keep these children from driving me crazy. I’m not sure why I agreed to bring them along.”
“They need this trip more than we do,” said Autumn. “They’re our children now, Benedict.”
“I’m not sure I’d say that,” he mumbled, looking back to the ship where Nelek was crawling out on the bowsprit, chasing Rab. The other two boys, Enar and Torkel, were playing with the tiller. The girls, Iona and Ishbel, were standing much too close to members of his crew, smiling and laughing. “I suppose with Nairnie along, they’ll be shipped into shape in no time. I know firsthand how she raises children.”
“I’m no’ comin’,” said Nairnie.
“What did you say?” The look on Benedict’s face was amusing. Winter almost laughed. But when she saw Autumn from behind him motioning not to, she held back her amusement.
“I’m stayin’ here with Lady Winter,” announced Nairnie.
“But . . . we need you.” Benedict looked back at the ship and his face turned ashen. “What about the children? They need you.”
“Benedict, ye command an entire army of men,” said Nairnie with her hands on her hips. “I hardly think a few orphans are too much for you to control.” She shoved her bag of herbs into his hands. “Here.”
“What is this?” asked Benedict.
“It’s time ye learn how to heal yer children’s wounds before yer bairn arrives. And I assure ye, with that motley pack, there will be many accidents.” She nodded to Torkel now climbing the rigging of the ship.
“Torkel, get down from there,” shouted Benedict. He turned back and put his arm around Autumn. “I’ve got Autumn. She’s a healer, so I don’t need to know about these things.” Benedict pushed the bag back to Nairnie, but she didn’t take it. Instead, the old woman gave him the evil eye. Benedict made a face and faked a shiver. “All right, I suppose it’s time to get going. Let me give Sir Gawain a few last-minute instructions since he’ll be in command until I return.” He handed the bag to his wife and then turned back and called over his shoulder as he headed away, “Lady Winter, you will obey Sir Gawain’s every command. If not, you’ll have to deal with me when I return.”
“Of course, Lord Ravenscar,” she said, just to pacify him. Once he walked away, Autumn spoke up.
“You’re not going to listen to Sir Gawain, are you?”
“That all depends on what he says,” said Winter with a smile.
“Dinna worry, lassie,” Nairnie told Autumn. “I promise to keep an eye on Lady Winter like a hawk. I willna let her out of my sight. I’ve already had a vision that she’s goin’ to need me and that is why I stayed.”
“What kind of vision, Nairnie?” asked Winter. The old woman was known for having visions of death and all of them coming true – except for her own.
“I dinna ken for sure, but I see ye gettin’ on a ship soon, and it is no’ this one.”
“I’ll be going on a journey?” asked Winter excitedly.
“No’ if I can help it,” the old woman told her. “Because what I saw was no’ a pleasure trip but, instead, one of lies and deceit and possibly danger.”
Winter didn’t answer because, deep inside, the idea somehow brought her to life. If there was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be or something she wasn’t supposed to do – then she wanted it to happen more than ever.
Little did she know that it would happen sooner than anyone could have ever imagined.