The Faithful Heart (11 page)

Madeline felt a band squeeze around her chest
as Jack watched Lydia walk back to the castle. She’d never really
hated anyone until now. She couldn’t keep the emotion from her face
when Jack turned back to her.

“Oy, what’s wrong with you?” he blinked. “You
look like you swallowed a bee.”

For a moment she trembled with tension,
poised on the edge of giving him a piece of her mind. Then she blew
out a breath, shoulders dropping. “I’m just worried about you.”

A slow grin spread across his face. He took
her hands. “You don’t have to worry about me.” He raised her hands
to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles. His moustache
tickled, all the way down to places she blushed to think about.
“Although I do sorta like it.” He tweaked an eyebrow in a
mischievous arch.

She laughed in spite of her frustration. “I’m
glad. Because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop worrying any time
soon.” Her lips tightened as she glanced past him to the door where
Lydia had disappeared.

When she looked back at him Jack was watching
her with the same intensity as he’d been watching Lydia. It stopped
her heart in her throat. The broad lines of his shoulders and the
glimpse of his firm, smooth chest where his shirt hung open stood
out in the sunlight. His hands holding hers were warm and powerful.
She wanted to feel his arms around her, his lips on hers as they
had been when he kissed her goodbye.

“Oy, I got an idea,” he spoke again as if
nothing were out of the ordinary. “How ‘bout I go get cleaned up
and we go for a walk.” She glanced up at him. “Somethin’ tells me
Crispin’ll be too occupied for the next hour or so to deal with
business. What say we take advantage of that?”

“I’d like that,” she breathed.

“Right.” He let go of her hands and turned to
go. Just as quickly he turned back and leaned in to steal a light
kiss on her startled lips. Then he winked and jogged off to the
castle door.

Madeline let out the breath she’d been
holding and touched her fingertips to her lips. Her heart was as
light as a feather and her whole body tingled. Five minutes ago it
had been as heavy as a brick. She dropped her hands and huffed out
an indignant sigh. How could he indulge that strumpet the way he
did?

“Men,” Joanna laughed as she stepped up to
her side. “They don’t have a clue what they’re doing.”

She widened her eyes at the woman. “I think
you must be right.” Her anger swung back full force and she crossed
her arms over her chest, fists balled. “Who does that woman think
she is?”

Joanna narrowed her eyes at the door Lydia
had gone through. “You have a fight on your hands with that one.
I’ve seen the likes of her. They collect hearts and wear them like
a string of pearls.”

“I can’t believe Jack would be that … that
stupid.” There was no getting around it. She loved him with all her
heart, but her dear Jack was an idiot.

“He’s a man,” Joanna smirked. “Young or old,
high or low, they all think with their little head.”

“Their little head?” She caught the reference
a moment too late. “Oh!” She flushed scarlet and dropped her arms
and her head. “Oh.”

“You have to fight to keep him on the
straight and narrow, my lady.” Joanna took her arm and walked with
her from the sunny practice yard towards the shadier gardens at the
side of the castle. “You can’t let that witch put a spell on
him.”

The pep talk had the opposite effect of what
Joanna intended. “I can’t compete with wiles like that,” Madeline
drooped. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

Joanna laughed. “Start with the fact that he
loves you, not her.”

“Does he?” She chewed her lip and stared down
at the rows of herbs they walked past.

“Oh dear,” Joanna smirked. “You have been in
the convent too long if you can’t even recognize a man in love.”
She was sure Joanna didn’t mean to make her feel miserable. “Plus
you have a distinct advantage.”

“I do?”

“You’re going out to Kedleridge tonight.
You’ll have him all to yourself. Just you wait and see what happens
then.”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to imagine.

Joanna was about to go on but a rustle from
the bushes at the end of the garden and the clatter of gardening
tools being knocked over hushed them both. Joanna gripped
Madeline’s arm tighter and stepped forward to see what the noise
was and defend her if she had to. A grubby man in stained clothes
stumbled out from behind the bush.

“Toby!” Joanna dropped her arm and rushed to
embrace the man. “Dear God, you smell awful!”

“I know,” Toby lamented, hugging his sister
close, resting his head against the side of hers. He was near tears
and wiped his face with the sleeve of his dirty tunic when Joanna
held him at arm’s length. “I’ve been waiting for an hour for you to
come out somewhere where I could see you.” He glanced past her to
see Madeline. His bedraggled face split into a smile. “Sister Mary
Peter! I’d heard a rumor that you were back in Derby.”

“Hello, Toby.” Madeline greeted him by taking
his hands in spite of how dirty they were. “It’s just Madeline
now.”

“Oh, I see.” He nodded as if unsure whether
he should show her deference or not. His struggle was short-lived
and he turned back to Joanna, eyes frantic. “Are you or Lady Aubrey
planning on venturing out of Derby any time in the next few
days?”

Joanna shrugged. “I don’t think so. There
isn’t time to go to Windale and back before the counsel.”

“Good!” Toby breathed a sigh of relief.
“Whatever you do, don’t leave the city or go anywhere near the
forest.”

“What? Why?”

Toby pressed his lips together and sighed.
“Ethan would flay me alive if he knew I was telling you this, but
he has plans.”

“Plans?” Joanna arched an eyebrow, hands on
her hips.

Toby wrung his hands. “He thinks that if he
stops every carriage and caravan of nobles coming through the
forest on their way to and from this emergency council that
Huntingdon will lose face. He’s sent missive after missive to
London demanding that Huntingdon be removed as sheriff and be
stripped of his titles and lands.”

“But why?” Madeline furrowed her brow.

“Well, he has it in for Huntingdon, doesn’t
he, because old Buxton gave Windale to him.” He blinked as though
it were as obvious as the sun rising. “And he thinks that because
Huntingdon was appointed sheriff and earl by Prince John and not
King Richard that the appointment and granting of lands and title
was illegal.”

“No,” Madeline shook her head. “I mean, why
is he pleading with London one day then attacking carriages the
next? Isn’t that a contradiction.”

Toby sighed. “I don’t know, my lady. I wish I
could defend his actions, but ever since….” He let his words drop
and his heart drop with them. “The problem is, the outlaws that
Ethan considers ‘his men’ have been doing far more thieving than
Ethan knows about. I mean, I’ve tried to tell him, I’ve tried to
tell him about Roderick, but these days he’s more interested in….”
His face went red. “Well, never mind what he’s been more interested
in. The forest is a very dangerous place right now.”

The three of them exchanged glances, none of
them knowing what to do. Madeline swallowed, pressing a hand to her
stomach. “Should … should we inform Sir Crispin about this?” she
wondered aloud.

Joanna chewed her lip. “I’m sure he’s already
on the alert.”

“There are soldiers all through the forest,”
Toby confirmed. “But there are more and more outlaws joining in
every day. Rough men,” he blanched. “Thieves and cut-throats most
of them. Men who want a piece of the hoard.”

“The hoard?” Joanna smirked at what she
assumed was her brother’s exaggeration.

“Don’t laugh,” he pouted. “There’s more gold
and silver tucked away from all the highway robberies than, well,
than I know I want to think about.”

“Really? And Ethan lets this happen?” Joanna
crossed her arms and shook her head. “And to think the man was once
our lord.”

“He still is!” Toby protested. “And he can’t
very well be blamed for the crimes of others when he’s so …
distracted.”

“Yes, well, we all know how you feel about
him,” Joanna arched an eyebrow.

Toby flushed and looked more hopeless than
ever.

“Oy! Someone plan a party without inviting
me, mate?” Jack jogged into the garden, startling the three of
them. His hair was still soaked and his embroidered tunic was
skewed, the linen shirt under it not tucked in. Toby skittered back
and glanced towards the wall as if he might run but Jack smiled at
him as he reached Madeline’s side. “Toby! Long time no see,
mate!”

“Jack, um, Lord John.” Toby nodded, giving
him a stiff half bow with a guilty expression to match.

“Nah, don’t bother with none of that, mate.
To you I’m still Jack Tanner.”

“Yes, my … Jack.” Toby sent his sister a wary
glance. “I need to get back.” He turned and scrambled off towards
the garden wall.

Jack scratched his goatee as he watched him
run off. “What’s got into him?”

“Ethan is planning to waylay the nobles on
their way to and from the council and the outlaws are planning on
robbing them,” Madeline told him, not sure if it was her place to
say anything.

“Oy, tell me somethin’ I don’t know,” Jack
glared at the wall as if Ethan were right on the other side. His
scowl lightened when he turned back to her. “Me an’ Crispin got it
under control.”

“Really?” She brightened. Joanna didn’t seem
convinced.

“Yeah,” he grinned. “Why don’t we take a walk
around town and I’ll tell you all about it. Joanna, you don’t mind,
do you?”

“Not at all, my lord.” She curtsied and
started out of the garden. As she passed Madeline’s side she leaned
close and whispered, “Fight for him!”

Madeline turned bright red.

“What’s that all about?” Jack grinned, taking
her arm.

She squeezed his arm and sighed, “I wouldn’t
know how to begin to tell you.”

Chapter Six

The sky had clouded over and was threatening
rain by the time Jack and Madeline rode over the hill into
Kedleridge. The gloomy backdrop didn’t give the best view of his
manor but it still brought a smile to Jack’s face. He turned to
Madeline, riding beside him on a horse she had borrowed from
Aubrey. “Well, there she is,” he grinned, “My estate.”

Madeline’s green eyes sparkled as if the sun
were high in the sky. She watched him, not the manor. “It’s
perfect, Jack. Prince John was a wise and good man to give it to
you.”

Warmth spilled through his chest. “If you say
so, MP,” he winked. “Oy, there’s Simon now.” He nodded to the manor
house and nudged his horse to lead Madeline forward.

They headed down the slope and he walked his
horse to a stop in front of the house and dismounted, jumping to
help Madeline to her feet. Simon paused the errand he’d been
running to greet them. “My lord.”

Jack’s full attention was on Madeline as he
circled his hands around her waist and eased her to the ground. As
she settled he kept his hands where they were, grinning at her full
pink lips. She glanced up at him, her green eyes glittering, then
glanced away as a flush came to her face. Her smile was perfection.
He hardly noticed when the stable boy jogged up to take both of
their horses. He was warm all over, even though raindrops were
spitting from the sky. His manor had never felt so much like
home.

When he noticed Simon the magic of the moment
burst and he raised a quizzical eyebrow at his steward. “Oy! What
happened to you?” he asked when he saw the small plasters on the
man’s hand and an angry red bump covered with something white on
his face.

“Bees, my lord,” Simon replied with just a
hair of dark humor.

“Never!” He stepped away from Madeline,
keeping a hand on her elbow. “Wait, we got bees?”

Simon’s eyebrow flickered up for half a
second. “We have an apiary in the orchard, my lord”

“Brilliant.” He turned to Madeline. “I got
stung by a mess of bees once when I was a boy.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” he smirked. “Tom and I snuck into a
convent to steal honey from the nuns.”

Her lips twitched. “And you love nuns.”

He winked at her, striding over and thumping
Simon’s back. He kept his arm around his steward’s shoulders,
turning him to face Madeline. “Simon,” he began as if holding a
formal audience, “I’d like you to meet someone very.…” The words he
wanted to use refused to be spoken. He cleared his throat. “Well,
this is Madeline. Madeline of Matlock. Formerly Sister Mary Peter
of the Abbey of St. Mary in Coventry.”

Madeline blushed and rolled her eyes at
Jack’s introduction. She nodded to the stoic middle-aged man. “It’s
a pleasure to finally meet you. Jack has told me so many good
things about you.”

Simon bowed to Madeline. “The pleasure is all
mine, my lady.”

“Thought I’d bring Madeline by Kedleridge for
a visit,” Jack told Simon, walking back to stand by Madeline’s
side. “Before this Council of Nobles an’ all. If she likes things I
thought, you know, maybe she could stay for a while. The manor is
much more interesting than puttering around a big, old, empty
castle.”

“I’m sure I’ll fall in love in no time,”
Madeline added, glancing sideways. “With Kedleridge.”

Simon’s expression remained neutral as he
glanced back and forth between them. “We will do everything in our
power to make your stay an enjoyable one, my lady.”

“So I thought maybe Imogene or Alice could
try their hand at being a ladies maid for a bit,” Jack continued
his train of thought and glanced up at the sky as it continued to
drop rain on them. He nodded for the door and the three of them
headed up the short stairs and inside of the manor before the rain
could really start.

“Not Imogene or Alice, my lord.” Simon’s
mouth twitched. “I don’t believe they have the temperament for
it.”