Unending Love (38 page)

Maddoc was watching Daniel eat.  “You should
have killed him.”

Daniel slowed his chewing; he knew this moment
was coming and he prepared himself. “Maddoc, I am sure the man will return to
Norfolk,” he said. “I beat him soundly and he was badly injured with a wound to
his back.  He knows what will happen to him if he shows his face at Canterbury
again.”

“Why did you not kill him?” Maddoc would not let
up.

Tension was rising around the campfire. 
Adalind, half-asleep, could sense it and she lifted her head, speaking before
Daniel could.

“Because I asked him not to,” she said.

Maddoc looked at her, rather incredulously. “Why
would you ask such a thing?”

Adalind could see he was bent on honor, on
justice, and her emotions began to rise.  She pushed herself off of him,
wrapping her stolen cloak more tightly around her as she thought on her answer.

“Because…,” she said, searching for the right
words. “I am not even sure I can explain it.  Brighton put me through hell for
weeks.  It… it was as if I had become no better than an animal, fighting him
day and night, trying to hurt him so I could escape, screaming and hitting every
time he would come near me.  I told you that he took me to Arundel.”

“You did.”

  She continued. “When he took me there, I found
a way to escape. I had to; I could think of nothing else.  I spent days on the
road running from him, hiding out like a common thief, terrified every minute
of every day. Even so, he still managed to find me.  Daniel found me, too, and
he and Brighton had a horrible fight.” Her voice softened. “But as Brighton lay
on the ground, injured… it was so strange. It was as if the animal in me went
away and I felt like myself again. I felt safe because I knew Brighton could no
longer hurt me.  And I thought of Glennie, his sister, who had been so kind to
me all of those years at Winchester and I knew how badly his death would hurt
her. I did not want her to go through that.  I had suffered so much pain,
Maddoc, but with Brighton… I suppose Glennie saved his life. I asked Daniel not
to kill him because of Glennie.  Perhaps it is an odd sense of mercy, but I
felt it nonetheless. I simply wanted to be away from the man.  I was tired of
fighting and bloodshed.  I wanted to be done with it and if Daniel killed
Brighton, his blood would be on my hands and I would never be done with it. I
could never forget.”

She trailed off, unable to explain it better
than she had, and Maddoc reached out and stroked the back of her blond head.

“I cannot say I understand your reasoning, but I
respect it,” he said. “Surely you must know that I cannot let the man live. I
cannot have that threat against you, against me, for the rest of our lives.”

She nodded sadly, staring down at her hands. “I
know,” she sighed. “I suppose in hindsight, it was foolish to spare his life. 
I suppose… I suppose I felt that there had been too much pain and suffering all
around. It had to stop somewhere.  I stopped it with him.”

Maddoc continued to stroke her hair. “I must
find him. And I must kill him.”

“Maddoc,” Rhys spoke up from across the fire. “I
would never question your knightly honor because I understand it all too well,
but you are still a sick man. You are still recovering from a very bad wound.
Perhaps you should wait to confront Brighton.  You have Adalind back and that
is the most important thing, is it not?”

Maddoc glanced over at his father. “You are
speaking like a man who does not want to lose a son,” he said. “If this had
happened to your wife, how would you feel?”

Rhys met his gaze steadily. “It
did
happen to me,” he said quietly. “When you were about three years of age,
Elizabeau was abducted by forces loyal to King John.  I spent months searching
for her.  Ask David and Chris, for they were there. They saw what happened to
me; during the course of the experience I transformed into something I never
believed myself capable of.   I became a hunter, obsessed with finding the
woman I loved.  I found her, but not without great personal sacrifice. You
already know the story.”

Maddoc nodded seriously. “I know the story,” he
confirmed softly. “Forgive me, Father. I did not mean to patronize you.  You of
all people understand my conviction.  It is more than justice – it is essential
for my survival and the survival of Adalind.  I
have
to do this.”

Rhys nodded.  He indeed understood.  Then he
hung his head.  He couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.

“I know,” he murmured, glancing up at David, at
Christopher, and at Gart.  The old knights had that same look of resignation
that he did. “We all know.  We will leave on the morrow for Maresfield.”

Maddoc shook his head. “There is no need to move
the entire army,” Maddoc replied. “I will go alone. You will return to
Canterbury.”

Adalind was the one to leap up first. “I am
going with you,” she demanded. “I will not let you go alone.”

Maddoc could see she was gearing up for a battle
and hastened to soothe her. But before he could speak, others began chiming in.

“I am going also,” Rhys said flatly.

“As am I,” David conceded.

Maddoc turned to the men to dispute them but was
interrupted when Christopher suddenly stood up and stretched his big body.

“We had all better try to get some rest if we
are heading to Maresfield in the morning,” he said, looking at Brydon. “You
will take the army back to Canterbury with Gerid, Edward, and Trevor.  Your
father and the rest of us are going with Maddoc.  Settle the army in once you
reach Canterbury but do not let any of them wander, for we shall not be long.”

The men started to move, leaving Maddoc sitting
there, wondering how he had lost control of this venture.  A solitary
undertaking was now turning in to a group effort. David pulled Adalind to her
feet but Maddoc stopped him from going any further.

“Where are you taking her?” he asked.

“To bed,” David lifted his eyebrows. “With me.
You did not believe for one minute that I would leave her with you, did you?”

Maddoc would not be deterred.  He stood up as
well and tried not to make is sound like he was trying to coerce David into
giving permission for something unseemly.

“I have been without her for a month,” he said,
his voice low. “It is my intention to never let her out of my sight again. That
being the case, I suggest you send someone to find a priest who will come here
and marry us before the night is through so that when she sleeps in the same
bed as I do, you will not want to cut my head off for it.”

David lifted a wry eyebrow. “Your head is not
what I would cut off.”

Maddoc fought off a grin. “I believe we passed a
small church about five miles back.  Send Edward and Trevor to retrieve the
priest.  Adalind and I will wait here.”

By this time, Adalind was smiling up at Maddoc.
“Please, Papa?” she begged softly. “Will you please do this?”

David could see he hadn’t much choice. Moreover,
if Maddoc and Adalind were truly married, then it would lessen de Royan’s
threat, at least in their own minds.  She would be safer.  And they deserved to
be together after all they had been through.  Gazing into Adalind’s hopeful
face, David knew he couldn’t deny her.

“What am I going to tell your mother and
grandmother?” he wanted to know. “They will be hurt to know you married Maddoc
without all of the preparation and ceremony they wanted to give you.”

Adalind squeezed his hand. “They can still plan
a grand celebration,” she said. “We can be married twice. 
Please,
Papa?”

David’s gaze lingered on her a moment before
kissing her on the forehead and wandering off into the darkness, calling out to
Edward and Trevor, who were more than happy to rush off into the night for a
daring adventure.   As the knights got mounted, Maddoc and Adalind stood
together by the fire, arms around each other, thinking that this night would finally
bring the culmination of their dreams.  After weeks of horror, the realization
was euphoric.

Rhys was still sitting by the fire. He hadn’t
left when the others had.  He was watching his son and de Lohr’s granddaughter,
seeing the love and affection between them, appreciating it because it was
something he had with his own wife. He knew what it was like to love someone so
desperately that you would risk everything for them.  A long time ago, he had
done just that.

He stood up, grunting when his weary bones
pained him.  Maddoc glanced over at his father, not realizing the man had still
been present.  He’d been so focused on Adalind that he hadn’t noticed.  Adalind
glanced over as well, smiling at the older man who looked a good deal like
Maddoc.  They had been properly introduced earlier in the evening, an
introduction that had been brief as all of the knights had moved in to help
settled the camp.  Now, with just the three of them, she had a bit more time to
focus on her future father-in-law.  She smiled up at him.

“It is truly uncanny how much you and Maddoc
look alike,” she said. “I am so glad to have finally met you. Maddoc has always
spoken so highly of you, as has my grandfather.  He told me you used to carry
two broadswords that you kept sheathed on your back. Do you still carry them?”

Rhys grinned. “I do,” he replied. “Although I
have not used dual blades in years, I still carry them with me just in case I
meet a challenge where a single blade will not do.”

“Have you come across such a thing recently?”

“Nay, but you never can tell.”

They shared a small laugh and when they sobered,
Rhys’s expression turned serious. “I would like to congratulate you both on
your impending marriage,” he said to them. “Maddoc, I will have a lot of
explaining to do to your mother about the swiftness of this marriage.”

Maddoc grinned. “Tell her it was necessary,” he
said, then thought on that answer and laughed softly. “Well… not
necessary,
but important. Aye, that is a better word –important.”

Rhys grinned. “Important, indeed,” he agreed,
looking between the pair. “My wife and I were married hastily also, and it was
important. I think she will understand.”

“I am looking forward to meeting Elizabeau,”
Adalind put her hand on Rhys’ arm, sincerity in her expression. “Maddoc has
told me of her over the years. I am anxious to know her.”

“And you shall,” Rhys said with a twinkle in his
eye.  Then, he looked at his son and his good humor seemed to fade. “This is a
momentous moment, Maddoc.  I suppose if I could give you any advice it would be
to be faithful, be patient, and love her more than anything else in the world. 
Beyond that, you will have to find your own way in this marriage.”

Maddoc smiled faintly. “It is something I am
looking forward to,” he said, the emotion of the moment not lost on him.  There
was something else not lost on him and he reached out, taking his father’s
hand. “I am so glad you are here, Da. Thank you… well, for everything.  You are
my rock and I shall never forget that.”

Rhys touched his boy on the cheek, winked at
Adalind, and left them alone by the fire. As a father, his job was finished and
as he walked away from the glowing flames, he found himself thanking God that
he was experiencing this moment.  Up until a few days ago, he didn’t think he
would ever see this moment with Maddoc. He cherished it. 

And he further prayed that after Maddoc found
Brighton, he would not be left comforting the widow.

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times…
In life after life, in age after age, forever.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO

The anxiety was building.

The rains had cleared out, leaving the days for
traveling bright and sunny if not cool.  As the six knights from Canterbury and
one small lady made their way into the town of Maresfield, the town looked
completely different than it had only days earlier.  People were out, the sun
was out, and everyone was going about their business.  But at the appearance of
so many knights into the town center where a plethora of clothes washing was
going on, people became understandably nervous.  That many knights, in one
place, was never a good thing. Trouble was coming.

Adalind rode with Maddoc.  As they approached
the church, Daniel spurred his charger on ahead, as did Gart.  They dismounted
their steeds as the rest of the group approached, heading into the church to
scout it out for Brighton.  Several seconds after they entered, worshippers came
shooting out of the front door, scattering in the street.   Maddoc, David,
Rhys, and Christopher came to a halt in front of the church, watching people
run out of it as if the devil had just made an appearance inside.

The knights dismounted, feeling the fear from
the villagers.  It was like a fog, covering them all, spreading out from the
church with invisible fingers.  Maddoc climbed off his horse and held up his
arms for Adalind, who slid down into them. He lowered her to the ground and
took her hand, his gaze moving over the large church that was more like a
cathedral.  He had his own apprehension to deal with, that was true, but only
in the sense that he was eager to confront Brighton and settle this matter once
and for all.  He could feel his father behind him and sense the man’s disquiet,
but he would not acknowledge it. He knew his father was worried.  They were all
worried. There was no use in speaking of it, mostly because he didn’t want to
upset Adalind.