Page 72 of Hers To Command
She gasped when a night bird called and rose from a nearby tree—and at that same instant, someone grabbed her and dragged her into the underbrush.
Before she could even begin to struggle, a familiar voice sounded in her ear. “Mathilde, what the devil art thee about?”
She collapsed against Cerdic’s broad chest with relief, and only then noticed the shapes of other men around them.
“Take me home, Cerdic,” she whispered as the vitality drained from her. “I’ll explain everything when we are safely back in Ecclesford.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WHENMATHILDEreturned through the postern gate, Giselle was waiting for her. She gave a rapturous cry of relief and pulled Mathilde into her arms.
Very aware of the curious guards watching, the ones she’d lied to, Mathilde said, “I need to rest” and immediately slipped her arm through Giselle’s. She steered her sister toward the hall before Giselle could ask questions that would reveal that she knew nothing about the supposed arrival of Lord Nicholas and his men.
Cerdic followed them as they hurried across the courtyard, making their way around carts and barrels illuminated by the moonlight. For now, the yard was quiet, except for the occasional snuffle or bark of a dog. Up on the wall walk, the men were tense and alert, and one man paced back and forth close to the gate: Sir Ranulf, unless Mathilde was much mistaken.
She hoped she wouldn’t have his death or serious injury on her conscience, too. “Has Henry awakened?” she asked Giselle.
“I don’t expect him to wake until midday tomorrow,” Giselle replied. “If he woke while I was waiting for you at the gate, Faiga was to come and tell me. I left her to watch over him. Oh, Mathilde, I was so worried! Is Sir Henry’s brother really coming? Why didn’t you tell me before? Where is he?”
“I’m sorry, Giselle,” Mathilde quietly replied. “He’s not coming. He never was. That was an excuse so the guards would let me go out. I’m sorry to upset you.”
“Thou didst upset her, and me, and half the garrison who knows thou wast out there alone,” Cerdic growled. “Why didst thou leave the castle?”
“I’ll explain in the solar,” Mathilde said with quiet resolve as they went up the steps to the hall.
Inside were the wounded, and the smells of dried blood and wet cloth, comfrey, the minty scent of sicklewort and the bitter odor of feverfew that turned Mathilde’s stomach.
Fighting her nausea, Mathilde quickened her pace and hurried up the stairs to the solar. She waited until Cerdic had closed the door and gestured for them to sit, while she stood in front of the table. “I went to Roald and told him he should surrender.”
They both stared at her, eyes wide, too astounded to speak.
Cerdic recovered first. “Thou sought outRoald? Alone?And told him to surrender?”
“I nearly succeeded, too,” she replied, “except that Charles De Mallemaison was with him, and he convinced Roald not to give up. Otherwise, I think Roald would have believed me when I said Henry wasn’t badly hurt and that his cause was lost.”
Cerdic slumped back against his chair. “Of all the strange ideas thou hast ever had…” he murmured before lapsing into silence.
Giselle studied her sister’s dirty, torn, disheveled gown. “What happened with Roald?” she asked, her voice thin with dismay and worry. “Did he—?”
Mathilde guessed what she feared. “No.”
“Thank God!”
“I look like this because he gave me to De Mallemaison instead, but I set him on fire and got away.”
“God in heaven!” Cerdic breathed. “De Mallemaison?”
“You set him onfire?” Giselle gasped.
“His surcoat,” she clarified. “It caught on fire when he landed on some candles that had fallen on the floor. I hit him with a stand and they fell out. Then I got away and Cerdic found me.”
Cerdic jumped out of his chair as ifhehad caught on fire. “And what if I had not found thee? What if Roald had killed thee?”
“Then I would be dead.” She clasped her hands and regarded them beseechingly. “I had to trysomethingto stop Roald before any more men could be hurt or killed.” She went to Cerdic, putting her hands on his strong forearm. “Before more of your friends died or got captured.”
She looked at Giselle. “Before the manyoulove is wounded or dead.”
Giselle turned red, while the color drained from Cerdic’s face. “Thou knowest?”
