destruction. But Mildred would not tell him that. If he did not know who Rowena
was yet, or that her stepbrother was his avowed enemy, she would not be the one
to tell him and thereby add to the vengeance he already sought.
?My home is lost,? was all she finally said.
He frowned at her, and it sent a chill up her spine, for it only made him look
more cruel.
?As I repay those who do me ill, I also repay those who do me a service. You may
make your home at Fulkhurst Castle if you so wish.?
Where he had sent Rowena? Mildred had not expected that, could not credit this
good fortune in the midst of total devastation.
But he saw her pleasure, understood it, and would have none of it.
?Understand me, Mistress,? he added sharply.
?Do you go to Fulkhurst Castle/twill be to serve me and mine, not her. Never
again will you serve her. If you cannot give me your loyalty?
?I can,? Mildred quickly assured him.
?I will, and gladly.?
?Will you?? he shot back skeptically, the doubt clear in those telling silver
eyes.
?That remains to be seen. But mayhap you will give me the name of her brother??
The implications of that name swirled in Mildred?s mind. Gilbert would not
suffer for his knowing, any more than he would have if Fulkhurst ever found him,
for he was already despised. ?Twas only Rowena who would suffer more for his
knowing. He might even change his mind and kill her to have clear honors to her
properties. Yet was he not like to learn Gilbert?s name while he was here? Nay,
the servants knew him only as Lord Gilbert. And she doubted Fulkhurst would
question every single man in the town.
?Why do you hesitate, Mistress?? he demanded.
?Surely you know his name.?
Mildred stiffened her back to meet his full rage.
?Aye, but I will not give it. Though she hates him, he is now the only hope she
has of being rescued from your ?mercy.?
I will not aid her, but I will not aid you against her either. Do you ask that
of me, then I must decline your offer.?
He stared at her for a long moment before he said ?Why do you not fear me??
?I do.?
He grunted.
?You hide it well.?
He didn?t react with rage, then, just with the typical male grouch which told
her he accepted the circumstance, but was not the least satisfied with it. She
found herself smiling at him, and wondering if he was not as cruel as he looked.
Warrick cared not for that smile, but he had no more questions for the woman, so
he dismissed her to gather her things and to send one of his men to collect the
clothes. Beatrix and Melisant could make use of them after the garments had been
altered, for both girls were somewhat taller than the flaxen haired wench. And
he would enjoy having her see her possessions worn by others. Women set great
store by their clothes. Aye, he would enjoy thatand a whole lot more.
He would have to find a suitable reward for Robert Fitzjohn for his quick
thinking in this misadventure. Sir Robert had been left in command of the men
Warrick had brought to escort Isabella to Fulkhurst. Sixteen other of his
household knights had also been in the troop, some older than Robert, yet
Warrick had been impressed with the younger man?s leadership during several
skirmishes this past year and had only just promoted him to captain of the guard.
Twas well done. When he had not met up with his men as expected, Robert had sent
several back to Kirkburough town to see what had detained him. The innkeeper had
claimed that Warrick had left as soon as the town gates had opened that morn, a
lie that he would know the reason for ere the sun set. But Robert had had no
reason to doubt the tale. Assuming Warrick was no longer in the town, he had
begun a search of the countryside surrounding it. Yet the woods were thick and
Robert would have liked, and also have enough remaining on the road to meet
Isabella when her party arrived.
Robert had then decided to send to the closest of Warrick?s properties for help.
This was Manns keep, held by his vassal, Sir Felix Curbeil, and only a league
and a half west of Kirkburough. In the meantime, Isabella had arrived and been
rightly upset that Warrick had not been there to greet her, that he had, in fact,
disappeared.
As it happened, another of his vassals had been visiting Sir Felix when Robert?s
messenger arrived, and Sir Brian had nigh two hundred men with him. So when
Warrick had found his scattered men still in the area that morn, he had been
told that Sir Felix and Sir Brian would be arriving within hours with their two
small armies, with every intent of tearing Kirkburough apart if he still had not
been found.
Warrick could not have been more surprised, or more delighted. He had thought to
waste days in sending to Fulkhurst for more men, for Felix had already given him
his forty days this year in the siege on two keeps belonging to his newest enemy,
the Lord of Ambray. He would not have taxed Felix further, no matter his
impatience, yet Felix had been glad to come. And Sir Brian simply loved to fight,
the reason he always had a small army of mercenaries on hand. In fact, Warrick
had only just sent Brian home this month to ?see to his own,? for the young lord
had been in Warrick?s service for nigh half a year and had given no signs of
wanting to leave him.
The only thing that had not gone as he would have liked was that Lady Isabella
had not waited, had camped no more than a day, then had departed the next with
her small escort. He could not understand her reasoning in that. And she had
left no message with Robert other than ?I am going on.?
Verily, he did not want to chastise her before they were even wed, but he would
not countenance such foolishness in a wife. He had left Robert in command. She
should have stayed in his care.
But even that could not dampen his success, for the sight of Rowena Lyons
standing in that bailey, alone, had filled him with a savage elation. He had her.
As he had sworn to do, he had her in his power, and she would eternally regret
that that was so.
Warrick left Kirkburough, but not before he had personally set a torch to the
bed that had held him chained and helpless, and not before he had sent another
twenty men to assure that his prisoner did not escape.
Chapter 13
Rowena was in a daze for what remained of that awful day. She had been put on a
horse, her wrists bound, the reins in another?s control, so she did not need to
concentrate on guiding the animal. And she did not take note of where they rode.
Fulkhurst Castle was in the north. She knew that, and she knew she was being
taken there with all speed. How she got there mattered not.
Her escort had begun with five men, though they were all of them knights, so
less likely to be set upon by bands of thieves, if there were thieves in the
area. However, a sixth knight caught up with them on the road with more specific
orders from their lord.
Vaguely, Rowena heard that she was not to be spoken to other than to be given
direction, that she was to receive no special treatment merely because she ?appeared?
to be a lady which engendered much speculationthat she was not to be touched
other than to be assisted on and off her mount, or to be tied thoroughly when
she was not mounted. She did not care. She did not even think about it, still so
shocked was she by what had happened.
They made camp that eve just off the road, and no sooner were the horses
unsaddled and a fire begun than another twenty men arrived from the Lord of
Fulkhurst. And by the look of their animals, they had ridden hard to reach them
by dark.
Rowena?s interest was finally stirred, only because she feared at first ?twas
Fulkhurst who had come with so many, especially when she saw one man astride a
destrier much taller than all the rest. But as they came closer to the light of
the fire, she decided ?twas not himunless he had removed his armor, for this
dark haired man wore only a tunic and woolen hose. But she had no way of knowing.
Though he was not dressed like the other knights, and there were nine in this
new group, a squire took his horse off the same as the others. At least she
assumed the other ten men were squires, since they were every one of them
younger than she, and too finely garbed to be merely men at arms. But again she
had no way of knowing. Too many talked at once for her to hear any distinct
conversation from where she sat alone, with a tree at her back and the fire
before her.
She had indeed been more firmly bound after she had been allowed to relieve
herself, and that with a damn guard standing not five feet away. Her ankles now
had a rope wrapped around them, so long a length it looped up nearly to her
knees. Another rope, even longer, secured her waist to the tree trunk. And her
hands had been retied at her back, so there was no way she could reach the cords
at her feet. That she was extremely uncomfortable was of no concern to her
guards, and in keeping with Fulkhurst?s order of ?no special treatment.?
When the tall newcomer spared her only a curious glance, she felt immense relief.
Not Fulkhurst, then, for that one would have given her more attention. And then
she had it confirmed when she heard her original guard address him.
?He sent you, Sir Robert? I had not thought her such an important prisoner.?
?Any prisoner is important to him, or he would not take them,? Sir Robert
replied.
?Forsooth,? the other agreed.
?Though I am relieved to give the responsibility of her over to you, when Lord
Warrick made it imperative that she arrive safely in Fulkhurst. Know you what
she has done to merit the dungeon??
?He did not say, and ?tis not our concern.?
But they were curious, all of them. Rowena could see it in their eyes when each
of the newcomers looked at her, having heard the question, too. And if they did
not know why she was being so harshly condemned, then she would not be finding
out either any time soon. Their curiosity could not be as great as hers. Mixed
with their curiosity, however, she also noted admiring looks in some, which gave
her naught but unease. Mayhap ?twas to her good, after all, that they had been
ordered not to touch her, for she knew what could be done to female prisoners.
One had been thrown in the dungeon for just a day at Gilbert?s keep last year,
merely as a light punishment, but the jailer had taken full use of the girl
whilst she was in his care.
?Verily, Richard, are you quite sure she cannot get away??
Sir Robert said this so dryly, Richard flushed. ?Twas the rope around her waist
that Robert had noticed. The one binding her feet was hidden beneath her skirts
and the single blanket that had been spread across her lap.
?You did not hear Lord Warrick?s tone when he threw her at me,? Richard said in
his defense.
?Nay, but I am here with enough men to assure the prisoner is guarded at night
as well as day. He said naught about denying her sleep.?
Sir Robert came around the fire to untie the rope at her waist even as he spoke.
He also retied her wrists in front of her again. Rowena thanked him when he had
finished, but he gave no acknowledgment of having heard her, nor did he meet her
eyes. And then she was forgotten by most of them as they ate what food had been
carried with them, then settled down for the night.
One of the squires eventually brought her a crust of bread and a chunk of moldy
cheese, with a bag of water. She had no appetite for the food, would likely be
sick if she tried to eat it. But she was grateful for the water. She did not
bother to say so, however. If they would not talk to her, why should she talk to
them?
She wished she had not been brought to such a keen awareness of her predicament
with Sir Robert?s arrival. It had been much easier to deal with when her mind
had refused to grasp all the implications.
She now knew his name, the man who was sending her to his dungeon. She had heard
the name Warrick de Chaville earlier, but had not known the speaker had been
talking about the Lord of Fulkhurst. His dungeon. God?s mercy, a dungeon?t It no
longer lacked reality. A dungeon. And she would be there on the morrow at the
rate they were traveling.
He must have known her, and that she was the rightful owner of three of the
properties that had recently surrendered to him. Why else? but how could he know?
She had never met him, never even seen him before. But he could have simply
heard that she was to wed Godwine Lyons, and she had given him her new name. Aye,
why else would he want to put her away in a dungeon? People died in dungeons,
from neglect, fouled food, or any number of other reasons. If she died, she
could not make claim or her propertiesand neither could Gilbert.
Ah, God, then it was not to be even temporary her imprisonment. Fulkhurst wanted
her to die he just did not want to murder her with his owr hands. She could see
no difference, but he would.
She wished she were not an heiress. She wished she were a lowly serf with naught
to her name that men would covet. Tures and all it entailed had brought her
naught but grief since the d?Ambrays had decided to kill her father so they
could have it.
Little did she sleep that night, but Rowena was not tired the next day. Her
anxiety would not give her mind peace. And the day passed much too swiftly, as
did the miles.
They arrived at Fulkhurst just as the sun was setting. The red glow on the
castle walls so reminded Rowena of her first sight of Kirkburough that she was
close to trembling. Had it only been four days ago that she thought she was
entering hell? This, she knew, would be much worse the home of the fire
breathing dragon of the north.
It was an impregnable fortress, a stronghold similar to Tures Castle. But
whereas Tures just stretched toward the sky with a keep five stories high,
Fulkhurst stretched and spread out over the land. An outer bailey had been added
only in the past ten years, which was why the inner bailey was larger than
normal. The walls of both baileys were massive in thickness and fronted by deep
moats.
The larger
outer bailey was almost like a town, it contained so many buildings,
including a new hall under construction that would be only two floors in height.
Arms practice was still done in the inner bailey, however, since it had so much
yard space.
The stone keep was merely four stories high, though larger than the norm. But
Rowena soon found that there was one other floor dug out beneath it. Reached
through a trapdoor in the storage basement, the dungeon was another addition
Lord Warrick had added to his castle.
The stairs led down to a small guardroom with stone walls and wooden floor that
was presently empty. The only door was made of iron with an iron bar set across
it. It led to a corridor no more than six feet long, with another iron door at
the end, and two on either side. The cell at the end was the largest, though
Rowena would not have guessed this, for it was only an eight by eight square.
The floor was beaten earth, the walls well set stone, the ceiling an iron grid
similar to a portcullis, with the wooden floor of the basement seen above it.
This cell was entirely empty, without even an old rag to lie on. It was not
exactly cold, for it was summer, but a draft seeped in through the floorboards
above. Rowena stared at this small, barren cell in the torchlight and willed
herself not to cry.
Sir Robert himself had brought her to it. He said not a word as he removed the
cords from her wrists, but he was frowning. When his eyes caught hers as he