A Stormy Knight (25 page)

"
Nay,
"
she said while
lifting her chin,
"
I shall leave. What you do not know, Nicholas de Reymes, is that I love you.
"

He froze as she spoke but did not say anything.

"
And because of that love
"
she continued, tears falling in earnest,
"
I can no longer abide this life. For the second time, loving you has been a mistake. My feelings betray me
,
and they anger you. I will be gone before I cause you more pain. I will take Isabel with me, and my father can come when he is up to travel. All I ask is you treat him well in my absence.
"

"
You will do no such thing!
"
he said.
"
It makes no sense
,
and I will not have you telling me what you are going to do. You are my wife
,
and you will do as I say. I will keep you safe
,
and I cannot do that if you are not here.
"

"'
Tis not up to you,
"
she said, her voice low,
"
and you will not stop me. I love you, but I must be stronger than love. I realize now you feel I am the cause of all pain here.
'
Tis only right I lift the burden and leave so all
who
reside here are
safe.
"
She abruptly
left the room, unable to face him for a moment longer.

The silence killed her
. She
wanted to fall into a heap
,
but she stayed strong and walked down the passageway
toward
the nursery. She would speak to her father and gather Isabel and Hesse. They would leave before the next nightfall.

She was not meant for love. It was nothing but pain
,
and she would see to it no one ever hurt her in that way again, even if it meant leaving everything she loved behind.

The next day, Gemma paced from wall to wall within the nursery. She had slept there and stayed throughout the morning.
Her first thoughts were to go to the
stables or out to the garden to say goodbye to the things she loved the most, but the rain had started before dawn and it had continued relentlessly all morning. Tiny rivers of water appeared along the dirt paths
,
and the winds blew so hard the leaves on the trees in the orchard were breaking off and flying about the out
er
bailey.

The dinner horn had sounded. She sent Isabel and Hesse to eat but refused to join them. She had yet to tell
her little sister
they would be leaving. Hesse
tried
to keep Isabel busy so
Gemma
could
get
her items
packed in a trunk. They would leave the next morning at first light. She had wanted to leave this day, but there was too much to do
and the rains were not letting up
.

She would not tell Isabel until it was time to go. Her plan was to have Oliver a
nd some of her father
'
s
men escort them to Wales, sending a note back to her father
stating
he could join them when he was well enough. She had not yet had a chance to talk to Oliver, but she would do that as soon as he was free.

Leaving her father would be hard, for he was still not himself physically. No matter her feelings at the moment, she knew Nicholas would be kind. He
might
try to come after her, but she would be safe in Wales. She doubted Henry would care enough to enter Wales to retrieve her or let Nicholas do it as long as Blackstone was secure. He had yet to try to stop her, so she assumed she would l
eave without argument from him.

It would be different, but she
would make a new life there for herself, Isabel, and her babe. She
harbored
guilt for a moment, knowing she meant to leave without telling Nicholas o
f the pregnancy. H
e would be angry if he knew
,
and he would never let her go. It was better this way for everyone.

She sat down on Hesse
'
s cot for a moment and put her hand on her stomach. The baby was new
,
but she loved it already. She had dreamed of babes upon her lap, living with Nicholas, and growing old within the walls of Blackstone. Now she would raise the babe on her own
,
and they would find a way to be happy. She had only met her uncle once, but he was much like her mother and she knew he would welcome them there.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound behind her. For a moment she
assumed
she was hearing things, but another sound got her full attention. Before she could turn around, a gloved hand clamped down on her mouth
,
and an arm snaked around her waist. She was pulled from the cot and was being carried
toward
the back of the nursery.

She tried to scream
,
but the hand was tight against her mouth. The sounds that escaped were weak. She kicked and twisted, but the arm around her stayed firm. Her mind raced
,
but she was too terrified to fight back effectively. Was Nicholas doing
this to stop her from leaving?

The person holding her was breathing heavily. He stopped
,
and she stared ahead with her eyes wide open. She could not see who it was
,
but she knew it was not her husband. She kicked her legs again
,
aiming for a stool. Her toe caught it under the seat. It tipped and fell softly up against a tapestry on the wall, making almost no noise.

"
Be still!
"
a voice
said
in her ear.
"
I shall knock you out if you do not.
"

The voice was not familiar to her. It was not Phillip coming back for her, as she had often feared in her nightmares. This was someone else. She heard a creak
,
and she realized this person
knew of the tunnel. This one le
d from the nursery to the orchard and then into the other
which
went under the walls. This man was taking her and going through the secret passageways.

Terror exploded within her
,
and she began to struggle anew. She knew she must not let him get her into the dark, forgotten passageway.
No one would hear her scream in there.

"
If you do not hold still, I will have that brat of a sister of yours hurt. You would not want that to happen, would
you?
"

Panic struck as she remembered Isabel was in the great hall. This man could do whatever he wanted to her, but she must leave her sister safe. She stopped struggling and allowed the man to drag her into the tunnel. The tapestry
hiding
the panel shifted
,
and he pushed it back as they passed. He carefully moved the sliding door shut
,
and
they were encased in darkness.

He dropped her to her feet and something poked her in the back.
"
That is my dagger, girl. Should you do anything stupid, I will stab you.
"
He deftly tied a gag around her head
and urged
her through the tunnel.

"
Watch your step,
"
he said with a harsh chuckle
.
"
There are many pitfalls ahead. Being left bound and gagged in here would be no way for a lady to die.
"

Gemma did not know what else to do but to follow directions. She put her arms out to feel around her. The stones were cold, wet, and slimy. She tried not to think about what she might encounter. For all she knew, this tunnel had not been used for years. It would have made her trips to see Nicholas long ago much easier, but she hated it so much she took the chance of going outside instead. The man behind her knew of it too, but even she had only used it once, just to see where it went. That was years ago
,
and she knew of no other using it.
How did he know?

"
Faster,
"
he said
,
as he pushed her shoulder with a hard hand.
"
We do not have time. If you want to live, you will move.
"

She obeyed. She moved as quickly as she could. The gag around her mouth made it hard for her to breath, and the air in the tunnel was thick. Her feet hit things as she went, and she refused to let her imagination
form
an image of what those things were. She was terrified enough, and she did not want to fall or anger the man behind her. Isab
el would be safe if she obeyed.

The man moved her through and out the other side, under cover of the orchard. He pushed her through the tunnel running along the curtain wall and then commanded she go into the other passageway
that
would take them away from the castle and away from safety.

Gemma hesitated
,
and he pressed the dagger into her back.
"
Move, girl
,
"
he snapped.
"
You and I both know you know this tunnel well. Be on with it!
"

She started counting the steps to get through the tunnel, just like she had all those years past when she would meet Nicholas. The
passage
that once took her to h
im was now taking her from him.

They came out into the woods. The rain was harder now and felt like tiny pebbles beating against her skin. The wind was strong but not steady. Each gust tried to knock her from her feet. She was cold and shivering. The rain soaked her to the skin within seconds. The man behind her pushed her away from the castle, deeper into the wood
s
. She stumbled, her kirtle now heavy and clinging to her legs, tripping her as she w
ent.

As the wind howled
,
she tripped on a rock. She tried to catch herself
,
but she landed hard in the mud. The man behind her picked her up by her hair and pushed her forwards. She cringed from the pain but did not cry.

Many of them the same men she had encountered in the woods before were waiting for them. She knew instantly the Bigods were involved, but
somehow
she did not think the man behind her was a simple soldier. Something in her told her she knew this man. His language was that of the educated, which puzzled her more. Without seeing him, she could not know for sure. She was hoisted head first over a horse. Water was now dripping around her neck and soaking the gag in her mouth. She struggled but to no avail.

The ride through the woods and around to the river crossing was brutal. She was bounced and jolted. Once the party crossed the rising river, she
glanced
back, fearing no one else could cross if the heavy rains continued. She would be gone
,
and no one would find her. Even if they suspected the Bigods, they would not get across the river today.