Honor Reclaimed (All About Honor) (35 page)

Thomas wanted to caution John, but
this was John’s business and he did not feel it was his place to interfere in
the negotiations.

“I will sign a note right now”.
 
John replied.

“I want cash.” Sir David countered.

“Surely you do not think I carry
that much cash with me.
 
You can
wait while I retrieve it, but I might just change my mind and return with the
sheriff.
 
I think you should take
my word and accept my note.”
 
John
held his breath waiting for Sir David’s response.

“Agreed.”
 
Sir David passed John and a piece of paper on which to write
the note.
 

John quickly accomplished the task
and passed the paper back to Sir David who sprinkled it with sand and shook off
the excess.
 
He waved the paper for
a moment to assure the ink was dry before he folded the parchment and tucked it
safely in his pocket.

“How tell me where I will find my
daughter.”
 
John demanded.

“In the graveyard behind the
chapel”, Sir David said with an evil grin on his face.

The color drained from John’s face
as he staggered back as though he had been dealt a physical blow.
 
Both Thomas and Galen reached out to
steady him fearing that the devastating information might overcome him.
 
“How did it happen?”
 
He at last managed to ask.

“We had no idea what he had in mind
when he ordered us to take her.
 
We
learned early not to question his authority.
 
It was in our best interest to obey as quickly as
possibly.
 
We brought him the child
as he instructed.
 
We had not
harmed her in any way, and she had been treated well.
 
We all have children of our own and we tired to entertain
her and soothe her fears.
 
He took
the child on his lap and asked her name.
 
When he was sure that he had your child in his arms, he took out his
dagger and slit her throat, just as you did my brother’s.
 
We were all shocked and
devastated.
 
If we had known what
he had in mind we would not have brought her to him under any circumstance”,
Sir David expression belied his words.
 
It was obvious to Thomas and Galen that he took great pleasure in
watching the man before him collapse under the weight of his grief.

John could not bare the shock.
 
He went to his knees and let out the
most mournful wail.
 
His anguish
was more than he could bear.
 
His
head dropped to his chest and he covered his face with his hands while he
fought to regain his composure.
 
How was he going to tell Eirian?
 
He had all but promised to bring her baby home to her.
 
He should have come sooner; he might
have gotten here in time to save her.

Thomas demanded to be taken to the
grave.
 
He was still in hopes that
Sir David had lied to them and that Sarah was still alive hidden away
somewhere.
 
His hopes were dashed
as he stood beside the tiny mound of dirt that covered the recently dug
grave.
 
Grass was just beginning to
work its way onto the mound of dirt attesting to the fact that while the grave
was recent, it was not fresh.
 
This
placed it at the right time frame as Sarah’s abduction.
 
Their hopes were indeed dashed.

Thomas returned to the manor to
confirm what he had found.
 
John
wanted to see the grave for himself, but his relatives convinced him to return
later when he was in better condition to withstand the strain.

John managed to mount his horse and
to stay in the saddle until they reached the inn.
 
Once there, he retreated into drink until he could no longer
feel the overwhelming grief and guilt that he was absolutely sure was going to
kill him.

John remained in the taproom until he
drank himself into a stupor.
 
He was assisted up the stairs, and into his bed, by Thomas and
Galen
.
 
They, like their
wives with Eirian, would take turns watching over him through the night to
assure that no harm came to him.
  

Shortly after midnight Galen was
surprised to hear a light tapping sound at the door.
 
He got up, drew his sword, and quickly went to run the
intruder away before they awakened Thomas who had only just changed guard with
Galen and gone to sleep.
 
He was
not worried about awakening John, as he was dead to the world.
 

He was more than a little surprised
when he found a woman at the door.
 
It was obvious, despite the bruises and abrasions to this reasonably
attractive woman, that she was not the common sort.
 
She had the look of a lady despite her injuries.

“How may I be of assistance?”
 
Galen inquired.

“Please, allow me to come in.
 
No one must see me here or my husband
will surely kill me this time.”
 
She was obviously terrified.

“Please come in.”
 
He directed her over to the chair by
the fire and pulled up the straight-backed chair from the table to sit across
from her.

“Now maybe you can tell me how I can
be of assistance.
 
Are you hiding
from the man that did this to you?
 
Do you need assistance reaching someone who can protect you?”
 
He felt sure that he was being caught
in the middle of a domestic situation and he was not entirely comfortable with
it.
 
He could not however turn his
back on a lady in distress.

“I will be alright as long as no one
sees me here.
 
If my husband finds
out that I told you he will finish what he started tonight”, she was obviously
terrified.

“Who is your husband and what does
he have to do with us?” Galen inquired.
 
Thomas had awakened when Galen pulled his chair in front of the
woman.
 
He lay there quietly trying
to determine her purpose and prepare to assist Galen if necessary.

“My husband is Sir David the new
lord of Usk Manor.”
 
She whispered.

“Good lord.
 
He did this to you?
 
Why?”
 
Thomas sat up on the edge of the bed to hear her answer.
 
Fortunately, he had stretched out with
his clothes still on.

“He was drunk and bragging about
what he did to Mister Lewis today.
 
He thought it was a fine joke to pass off the grave of my niece as the
grave of Mister Lewis’ daughter.
 
I
do not understand how he could be so cruel.
 
It is inhumane.
 
He did this to me when I told him so.”
 
She struggled to fight back tears now that she had confessed
what she came there to say.
 

Thomas came to his feet.
 
“Do I understand you correctly?
 
Are you telling me Sarah is still
alive?”

“She was the last time I saw her
about three weeks ago” She obviously felt better now that the truth was out.

“Where is she?
 
Is she being well cared for?”
 
Galen asked.

“I truthfully can not tell you where
she is.
 
I do know she is with my
sister in-law and is being treated as her daughter.” She wished she could have
been more help.

“I do not care that she is being
treated like a daughter, we want her back.
 
Her mother is devastated by her loss.” Galen was eager to
restore his sister’s will to live.

“I did not say she was being treated
like a daughter, I said she was being treated as a daughter.
 
My sister in-law was pregnant with her
daughter Carys when her husband Jacob was murdered.
 
Carys was all she had, all she lived for.
 
The girl was taken ill and died about
three months ago.
 
Her mother was
inconsolable.
 
Sir William decided
to replace her child with yours who was just the same age.
 
Your child was quickly taken to her
heart and she even began calling her Carys as well.
 
She dressed her in her own child’s clothing and soon it
became apparent the she confused the two and had begun to believe that your
Sarah really was her Carys.
 
She
adores the child and no harm will come to her if it is within her power to
protect her.”
 
Her heart went out
to her sister in-law who had lost so much.
 
By helping these people she would be robbing her sister
in-law of her last hope of solace.

“Do you know where they are
now?”
 
Thomas inquired.

“Honestly, I do not.
 
They disappeared about three or maybe
four weeks ago.
 
Everything she
owned was packed and loaded on a wagon, but to my knowledge Sir William refused
to tell anyone where he had sent
them
.
 
I know my husband was furious because
his father took all the available cash to give her to help her make a new start
somewhere else.
 
The secret died
with him I am sorry to say.”
 
She
seemed truly regretful.

“What of the wagon driver?
 
He would know where he took them.”
 
Galen suggested.

“He and the wagon were never seen
again.
 
He was either waylaid, or
he stole the wagon to sell or to use to make his own way.
 
There were rumors that he was very fond
of my sister in-law, but she being a part of the family, was out of his
reach.
 
Maybe he decided to stay
with her.
 
I wish I could be of
more help.”
 
Sincerity shone in her
eyes.

“Madame, why are you doing
this?
 
Why would you endanger your
marriage and maybe even your life to help us?”
 
Thomas, always the lawyer, felt the need to understand her
motives.

“I am a mother too, sir.
 
My heart goes out to her mother.
 
I lost a child to death and I was not
sure I would ever recover.
 
The
only thing I could imagine that could be worse would be to loose a child, but
to live in uncertainty for the rest of your life as to what happened to
her.
 
Not to know if she fairs
well, if she is cold, if she is well fed or scared.
 
I could not do that to another mother.”
 
Tears now flowed freely down her
cheeks.

“What will become of you?
 
Will you suffer for telling us?
 
We could offer you our protection and
take you where ever you wish to go or even offer you a place in our home.”
 
Thomas offered and Galen was nodding in
agreement.

“My husband is a hard man, but he is
my husband and I must remain with him.
 
I hope to return to the manor with out his knowing that I have slipped
away.
 
If I can accomplish that I
will come to no more harm.
 
I must
go now before he awakens and becomes suspicious.”
 
She stood to leave.
 
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
 
She
reached into the scooped neck of her gown and pulled out a folded piece of
parchment.
 
“I stole this back from
my husband.
 
He does not need to
profit from someone else’s heartbreak.
 
Please see that Mister Lewis gets this.”

Thomas recognized that packet and
knew what it was before he opened it, but he was still amazed to find the note
for two thousand pounds that John had signed that afternoon.
 
It would have meant his financial ruin
if it had been withdrawn all at once.
 
He quickly tucked it away safely in his pocket.

“Poor man, I am sorry that he will
have to return to his wife empty handed.
 
I will pray daily that he finds his little girl and that she is quickly
restored to her mother’s arms.
 
I
must leave now.”
 
She curtsied and
received an elegant bow from each of the men in return.

Galen followed her to the door.
 
“Madame, can I escort you back to the
manor.”

“Oh heavens no.
 
Two would draw more attention than one,
and if I were caught with any of you, he would surely kill me.
 
I will be fine, you need not worry.”
 
With that last statement she slipped
quietly out the door and down the back staircase.
 
Soon she was safely in the wooded area unobserved.