Page 61 of The Daughters of Avalon
When only a groomsman came to greet him, he ushered the lad away, commanding him to leave the horse where she stood because he intended to ride within the hour. The boy bolted away, but not to the stables; he ran quickly to the donjon as fast as his skinny legs could carry him.
Cursing beneath his breath, he left Merry Bells drinking at the trough, loosely hobbled to a post, with the express purpose of going inside long enough to rouse Elspeth from her slumber. He was more than relieved to find her rushing out the door, tripping down the steps in her haste to greet him. She passed by the groomsman and Malcom bolted after her, overjoyed when she embraced him as vigorously as he did her. “Malcom! Oh, Malcom!”
He swept her into his arms, holding her close.
“You’re back!” she cried, and for the first time in his life, he was beside himself with glee to hold a woman—this woman. He allowed himself an instant to drink her in, to revel in the feel of her soft, warm body and her familiar scent.
He splayed his fingers through her unbound hair, turning her face up to his scrutiny. The words, ‘I love you’ teased his tongue, parting his lips… alas, they were not words he’d ever said. “We’re leaving,” he told her, instead.
“Now?”
“Aye, now.” Far too aware of the need to be away, he released Elspeth from his embrace and took her firmly by the hand.
“What’s wrong, Malcom?”
Peering back at the donjon, Malcom pulled Elspeth toward Merry Bells, rueful that he would be putting his faithful horse back on the run. “I’ll explain when we’re away.”
“Malcom! You are frightening me!”
“I’ll explain everything when we’re gone,” he said again.
She tried to free her hand from his. “My dress!” she protested. “It was a gift.”
“There’s a coffer full of rich gowns at home that belonged to my grandmother. You may do with them what you will, and if they do not please you, I will buy you a hundred more.”
Still, she struggled to free herself. “But your silver, yourhauberk, your blade?”
“I have plenty of silver,” Malcom reassured, refusing to release her. “My armorer will fashion me another. And it was an old dirk; I’ll get myself another.”
“It wasnotan old dirk,” she argued. “Tis shiny and new and bears the sigil of your house!”
“Ourhouse,” he reminded her. “What is mine is also yours.”
“Wait!” She gasped, sounding alarmed. “My Llanthony tunic, Malcom! We cannot leave it here, or he’ll know.”
They reached Merry Bells and even before he lifted her up to put her on the horse, he untied Merry Bells from the post. Then he grasped Elspeth about the waist and set her atop his saddle, praying Merry Bells was up to the challenge.
“’Tis like he already knows,” he told her. “You must trust me,” he demanded. “As I trusted you.” As he’d trusted her sister, though he wasn’t ready to say that yet, lest she wish to dally longer to hear more.
She opened her mouth to speak, but said not another word, and Malcom mounted behind her, drawing up Merry Bell’s reins. “Hie, lass!” he called. “Hie!”
Outside the chamberroom where Elspeth slept, Alyss knocked gently.
“M’lady?”
There was no answer, so she pushed open the door, calling again for the lady of Aldergh. Only after she entered, she found the room empty—save for the scarlet dress that lay folded on one chair.
Could she have gone to break her fast?But nay.Alyss had come straight from there, having gone to fetch Dominique a slice of bread to settle her belly. After all, that’s why she was here now: to explain to Elspeth that her mistress would see her later once the ill effects of their festive evening had passed. The bed was still mussed. The drapes were left open. She went to the window to pull them closed, but first peered down below, and saw that the Lord Aldergh had returned. Confused, she watched as he put Elspeth atop his black horse, then mounted behind her.
Were they leaving? Now? With no good-bye? But how rude.
Evidently, she hadn’t liked her gown—the one that Dominique had been saving for her own wedding and so graciously gifted it. Instead, she’d stolen the gown Dominique let her borrow.
“Hmph!” she said and turned about, once again examining the room with the morning sun.
Spotting a glint of silver at the foot of the bed, she bent to pick up the coin, and then spied the gleam of a blade under the bed. She stooped lower to find a pile of garments hidden there. Frowning, she reached under to pull out the pile, examining the garments one by one.
On top lay a costly hauberk, probably worth more than Alyss’s entire dowry. The blade itself was expertly fashioned, and she recognized Lord Aldergh’s sigil. There were also a few more coins tucked into the folds of an old ruinedsherte, but the tunic and breeches were a shock. The breeches were leather, like those a soldier might wear, and the tunic was done in coarseblanchet. It was nicely embroidered with the sigil of the Church, a red cross extending across the front, with four small, identical crosses beneath each arm of the crucifix.
