A Stormy Knight (29 page)
Authors: Amy Mullen
At first light
,
Gemma woke to someone pounding on the metal bars of the door with a stick of wood. She
flinched
. She did not know where she was for a moment
,
and the noise was deafening
. Standing, she tried
to orient herself.
"
There you are, twit,
"
Gavin said with a sneer. He was well dressed, as if he were expecting
company or leaving the castle.
"
I want to give you one last chance to tell me what I need to know. I need to know how to get in to get to your husband once and for all. If you do not tell me
,
you will never get out of here alive. I must get in.
"
She
blinked
a few times to clear her eyes
and stared at her brother.
In that moment,
she
realized she
had never
truly
known him.
Her memories suggested
he was a sweet, doting older brother who had ridden off to become a man.
However, i
n reality, he was a twi
sted, bitter man who
confuse
d
what was real
with fantasy.
Her lack of answer angered him. Hi
s cheeks and his ears burned re
d as he stared at her.
"
Answer me or I
'
ll send my men up here one at a time to have you in any way they like.
"
A gasp escaped
her
but she closed her mouth quickly.
"
If you got into Blackstone once, I am sure you can do it again.
"
"
I have two choices,
"
he said. He put his hand behind his back and stared at her. He tipped back on his heels a few times before speaking.
"
One is to kill you and figure it out on my own. The second is to hold you here until he comes for you. Then I can kill you both.
"
"
You should not hold your breath, dear brother,
"
she
retorted
.
"
He cares not for me. He will never come.
"
She knew she
might
be shortening her life by saying so, but she no longer cared. She wished for anything but this, but she had to be brave and face reality so her sister
might
live on.
His eyes glowed
,
and he
growled
like a wild beast
. He cocked his head to the side and then stepped up to the door.
"
I shall see you dead before dark if you do not tell me how to get to him within Blackstone. You knew of the tunnel
,
so I am sure you know of other me
ans of entry and exit. T
ell me where Nicholas has other men and if the outer gate near the river might work. Blast him for sealing that tunnel! I stayed near my post
,
so I did not learn the rest. That was my mistake, but you will rectify that for me!
"
He was still staring at her when Helena arrived with food for Gemma.
Without a word to his sister, he
stalked away quickly
also
without acknowledging his wife. She
appeared
torn and set the food down with a frown on her face. As she slid the food under the door, she noticed something.
Gemma
'
s
eyes went to the floor
,
and
she
saw a rose lying there
. Helena picked it up
;
her fingers were shaking.
Instantly, she
knew it had not been her imagination last night. It was Nicholas she heard. He had left the rose to let her know he had been there. It had to have been him. Fo
r the first time since Gavin had
taken her from Blackstone, she
dared
hope. She instinctively put her hand over
her
stomach and held her breath.
Standing, her sister-in-law
twirled the rose between two fingers. It was not a large rose, but a small one not unlike the ones outside the gates of Renoir or the ones
which
grew in Blackstone.
"
Where did you get this?
"
she asked.
She
had to think fast.
"'
Twas a soldier. He came up last night to flirt. He left the rose to impress me. I left it w
h
ere it was. I am a married woman after all.
"
Helena seemed to buy the story. She tossed the rose through the bars
,
and it landed at Gemma
'
s feet.
She
desperately wanted to reach down and pick it
up, but instead she ignored it.
The brunette
studied her for a moment.
"
Was it the tall, handsome one with dark hair and bright eyes? I saw him in the hall last eve late at night. He needed food. I did not recognize him, but then again, I do not know many of the men-at-arms here. Gavin keeps me busy with womanly pursuits befitting a lady.
"
"
Aye,
"
she said
,
"
that may have been him.
"
Her description sounded like Nicholas, but it was vague enough to be half of the men employed here.
"
Gavin tells me you will be gone soon. I hope you hav
e not been in too much distress.
"
"
He means to see me harmed!
"
Gemma said, trying one last time to get some sympathy from the woman.
"
Gavin? He would not harm a hair on your head,
"
she said.
"
He is your brother. He said you must be out of the way. I assume for your own safety. I think he plans to take Blackstone today.
'
Tis a shame it had to happen this way.
"
"
Listen to me,
"
she
said in an even voice as she walked
toward
the door
.
"
Y
ou have to believe me. Things are not as they seem.
"
"
I shall see you at dinner time with your meal,
"
Helena said with a troubled look on her face as she backed away from Gemma. She then
twirled
and ran down the steps, her slippered feet barely making a sound as she went.
****
Nicholas woke up stiff. He had been sleeping up against a wall with his knees to his chest. He was in position just below where his wife was being held. Men-at-arms walked to and fro as if something was happening, but no one
noticed
him. So far his luck had held out. How easy it must have been for Gavin to blend in at Blackstone. He vowed then and there to hand pick his forces and send the rest back to Henry.
Also, he would
get to know Blaise
'
s men better so no one could ever do this again.
He saw the woman from the night before come out at the base of the tower. She was movi
ng quickly
,
and she was crying. Though she tried to hide it by keeping her head down,
her tears gave her away.
Had something happened to Gemma?
As he stood to stretch his weary muscles, he watched the woman move purposely
toward
the keep. A man stopped her
,
and she threw her arms into the air.
Attempts to calm her down failed.
He
realized he was staring at Gavin de Vere. He resembled Gemma, but he never would have pegged him as a de Vere unless told. He memorized Gavin
'
s face as he watched them. They had more words. Gavin then
glanced
around them, grabbed her arm, and took her
toward
the keep.
"
Are ya ready for the big ride?
"
a stout, shabbily dressed soldier said to him as he poked
him in the ribs with his elbow.
Nicholas nodded
in answer.
"'
B
out time we took Blackstone. We be waitin
'
far too long if ye ask me,
"
he said as he cut a chunk of cheese in half with a dull blade and offered some to Nicholas.
"
Patrol said the river be low enough
,
so we be headed out at sundown. Gavin will soon be the master of Blackstone and that fine
gal
above will be ours, if ye get me drift.
"
Nicholas waved the cheese away
,
and the man winked at him.
He
said nothing as his stomach rolled. If Gavin was planning to ride out at sunset,
he
had the advantage. He hoped his men had made the crossing and were out in the nearby woods. He had told them he would give them a signal, but he was not yet sure what the signal might be.
Renoir was a strong castle, but a small one. It was on the
R
iver Thames just like Blackstone, but it was surrounded by land whereas Blackstone also had the River Lea for protection. The woods near the castle were thick, which was a huge mistake. Had Hugh Bigod been a smart man, he would have had them cleared or thinned
, like Blaise had done near Blackstone
.
Hugh
'
s
mistake was
now the advantage of his enemy.
"
Our patrol be soon. No one is ta leave the gates, but we have ta keep an extra eye out on the fields. Gavin is not expecting trouble
,
but he says Nicholas de Reymes be a sly one.
"
Nicholas chuckled at this and then nodded. They
climbed
up the steps to get to the top of the tower.
Slyly, h
e peered into the chamber where Gemma was being held
, but he
did not see her nor did he hear a sound. The rose was missing. He only hoped she held it in her hands now, knowing he was near.
Nicholas grew weary of waiting, though in
reality only minutes ticked by as he stood
watch atop the castle. He was not sure how he had so easily escaped any attention, but the men seemed to accept him as one of their own. Either Bigod ha
d
a high turnover of men, or they were the most undisciplined soldiers he had ever encountered.
Watching, he kept his eyes on the woods but
saw nothing
that
would give his men away. That was to be expected. They were well trained, unlike the ones Nicholas now accompanied.
The wait was undetermined, so he
used his time wisely. He walked around the top and memorized the lay
out of the outbuildings. Hugh Bigod went
in and out of the chapel many times
,
but he did not talk to his men or see to anything else. Gavin was looking around the bailey, but he seemed to be distracted, not alert for signs of trouble.
Nicholas sighed. Had
this been Blackstone
,
he would have been riding his men day in and day out. This was no way to defend a stronghold
, and this
was also to his advantage. They were intolerably laid back, especially with a prisoner in the tower.
Orders were given to be ready by
sunset, yet they acted as if it were just another day.
"
Is there someone among the trees?
"
a voice behind him said. A few men
appeared
alarmed, but they did not do much. Nicholas
glanced
out but saw nothing amiss.
"
Mayhap we should find out,
"
another said as he walked up and stood right beside Nicholas.
"
The lord will be spittin
'
mad if we miss somethin
'
.
"
It was a half hour past daybreak. His
men should be in place by then.
"
I will go,
"
Nichol
a
s
volunteered. The perfect way to get out to his men had just presented itself to him.
"
Aye
,
but I be needing a horse
,
I do,
"
he said, stumbling on words
,
trying to speak like the native English rather than the Norman knight he was.