Page 16 of A Dark and Stormy Knight (A Knight’s Tale #3)

C ara silently fumed.

She watched Wallace walk away and join a group of men who were busy building, and thought about going after him, but knew she’d be the one that ended up looking foolish if she did.

She could join the other women in their work, but didn’t want to be around Wallace at the moment.

She turned and walked toward the stables and out buildings, and when she reached the fence, leaned against it and watched the goats play King of the Hill on the only rock in the enclosure.

After a moment, she was laughing.

One thing she knew for sure about Wallace was that the moment she got angry at him, he shot her right down.

The man thrived on praise, and since she knew his mother, she doubted he’d earned much in his life.

So, yelling, demanding, wouldn’t get her anywhere.

One of the goats trotted up to her and nuzzled her palm before bleating at her.

She chuckled. “Sorry about that, if I had anything on me, I’d give it to you.”

The goat bleated at her once more, and she leaned down to rub its head. “I guess I’ll have to call you Hungry, and your friend over there standing so proudly on his rock, can be Bossy. And we’ll call the three others Sleepy, Jumpy, and Chewy.”

“Begging your pardon, my lady, but I don’t think you’re supposed to name them.”

She turned to see Sir Gladwin.

“Sir Gladwin,” she glanced at the goats once more. “Why shouldn’t I name them?” She asked the question, knew it was expected.

“Because, when you’re having goat stew, ye want to be enjoying yourself, not thinking about your friends.”

She chuckled. “Too late, too late.”

The man kept a respectful distance and she realized he might be able to answer her earlier question.”

“Sir Gladwin, do you know where Stirling Castle is from here?”

“Of course. Up north, in Scotland.”

“And that would be, which way?”

He chuckled, and pointed toward the woods, and she realized that was the direction they’d come from when they’d approached the manor. She should have figured that out herself.

“And where is the queen’s niece getting married?”

“Newcastle.”

“And which way is that?”

He pointed in the completely opposite direction, and she realized she should have known that as well.

That didn’t mean she had to like it.

Knowing this didn’t help her any. Okay, now she knew which way was north, and which way was south, and no doubt if she took off, she’d start turning in circles and get lost.

Or attacked again.

Or killed.

So, she was basically stuck here until Wallace decided he wanted to take her to Scotland.

Her stomach sank.

She didn’t like feeling trapped, she never had. One of the reasons she’d chosen her career, was for the opportunity to travel. And also, to be able to return home between contracts.

She missed her parents.

Knowing they weren’t even in the world that she was living in, left her feeling bereft.

“Are you well, lass?” Sir Gladwin asked.

“Can you tell me what year it is?”

“Lass?” He chuckled. “Is this a test of my wits?”

At her arched brow he lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “’Tis the year of our Lord 1260.”

She smiled. “Just checking. I’m trying to get a sense of my place in the world.”

She glanced up to see the confusion on his face. “I just ... I just realized, my freedom has been severely curtailed, and I don’t particularly enjoy the feeling.”

“I understand. If I’m in one place too long, I tend to get restless.”

“Yes, that’s it exactly.”

The older knight gave her a short nod. “If I can ever do aught to help, I will. You’ve just to let me know.”

She let out a breath, already feeling a bit embarrassed about how much she had revealed, but she simply said, “Thank you.”

With a nod, he turned and wandered away.

Before she knew it, her gaze searched for Wallace once more, and she had to shake her head. She might just have a crush on the guy who was refusing to help her.

Not cool.

Not cool at all.

She deliberately turned in the other direction so she could round the house and go back inside.

She wasn’t going to be sighing over his fine figure, if she could help it.

She might be trapped there, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t utilize what little freedom she did have.

* * *

Wallace watched Cara speaking to Sir Gladwin, and then he watched her go until she was out of sight.

He let out a breath, before turning away and getting back to work.

He didn’t wish her displeased with him, and, in fact, found he quite disliked the heavy sensation her disappointment caused.

At the same time, he felt put upon. Could she not see he had responsibilities and that he could not just leave upon her whims?

“Come now, heave to,” he said, quite harshly if the reaction from the men surrounding him was any indication.

Together, they hefted the beam of wood and settled it into the ground, the centerpiece of the dovecote being built.

He swiped up a hammer, climbed the ladder, and pounded the top hard, to stabilize the beam in the ground.

It was not an easy task, continually adding to the village, making sure new fields were plowed, even as others were getting ready to be harvested.

He also needed to work to fortify their position, work with his knights, as they could be attacked at any moment by his enemies, or by raids from the north.

He did not have the time to coddle her, and the fact that he wished to, only angered him all the more.

Bollocks!

He was glad for the physical exertion, and set himself to help his men in their next task.

He had no business having field days, mooning about, or even wondering about the wishes of his future bride.

And he didn’t need to. She was here, and could not leave on her own.

His mood lightened at that fact.

He understood this was all new to her, but she’d get used to it soon enough. He’d certainly had to.

“Is aught amiss, my lord?”

The speaker, one of his guards, asked the question, but he was not the only one watching him closely.

Most of the men in his vicinity looked concerned, or uneasy in his presence.

He took another deep, calming breath. He might have been pounding on the wood a little too hard.

He wiped his brow before straightening. Some of the men looked nervous, and he didn’t like it.

Cara had a way of making everyone in her vicinity comfortable, with humor and laughter, and so, considering her example, he tried out a slight chuckle, and lifted the hammer in his hand.

“Just testing it out as a weapon, I thought I might exchange it for my sword when going into battle.”

All of the men stared at him wide-eyed, as if trying to work out whether he was serious or not, and though they weren’t so much as smiling, their expressions tickled his humor and he threw his head back and laughed.

The men gaped, and he laughed all the harder, lifting the hammer up with one hand, and pointing at it with the other.

This, finally, set the men off, and soon they were all roaring with laughter too.

In fact, Wallace couldn’t remember laughing that hard in an eon, and when he finally calmed down to chuckles, and had to wipe at his eyes, he felt a tremendous relief.

Mayhap the Lady Cara had the right of it. He thought her frivolous and silly at times, but if life wasn’t to be enjoyed, why did he feel so good around her, and why did he now feel so content?

* * *

Cara went to her room and tried for a nap, but it didn’t take her long to realize it was a lost cause. With everyone in the manor so busy, she felt lazy, and it didn’t sit right with her.

She got back up and went downstairs, and when she peeked her head into the huge dining area, she saw Lady Helena sitting at one of the tables.

Before she could jerk back, Lady Helena spotted her and called out her name. “Lady Cara, come here at once.”

Why did she suddenly feel like a reluctant child sent to the principal’s office?

Unwilling to let the older woman see any weakness, she lifted her chin and pasted on a smile, coming forward as if it was her idea. “Hello, Lady Helena. How are you today?”

Lady Helena blinked. “As well as I was earlier when you saw me, thank you.” She sat at the head of the table, and gestured toward the bench at her side. “Have a seat, will you? We have concerns to discuss.”

Cara took a seat. “We do?”

“My son has changed our plans, and we are to travel to Marshall Keep, and join forces with our neighbors on the route to Newcastle. Did you have aught to do with this?”

“Nope,” Cara said decisively.

Lady Helena looked at her suspiciously. “Regardless, he’ll not be swayed from his decision, so we are to leave early and there are things that need doing.”

“Such as?”

“We need to pack our finest clothing for the wedding; I suppose you shall wear the dress you arrived in, but you will need a few others adjusted before we leave as well. This is also a chance for my daughters to be seen in their best light, and as you are already to marry my son, I would appreciate it if you tried not to outshine them.”

“Oh, really?” Cara smiled suddenly. “What if I find someone that I like better than your son?”

Lady Helena’s expression frosted over. “Then you will, of course, act with honor, and remain committed.”

She felt like saying, oh, will I? But she held her tongue. She hadn’t made a commitment, and so she wouldn’t be forced into keeping one. “So, we need to get ready? Anything I can do to help?”

For a moment Lady Helena looked at a loss. “I suppose you can help the girls.” She glanced at Cara’s hair. “You seem to have an innate sense of style. Mayhap you could help them pack? Sort through their clothing and help them decide what would suit?”

Wow. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought that Lady Helena had just given her a compliment.

“’Tis for you as well. We need to outfit the three of you, though you already have Wallace, so I would prefer it is the girls who look their very best.”

“I’d be glad to.” Glad to have a task, she stood and made her way out of the room.