Page 13 of Saxon Blade Norman Blood
“I am going to see Cuthbert of Eglemouth this afternoon,” William announced early the next morning. “Some fields on his domains were trampled by a hunting party two weeks ago. I could not convince the barons who took part in the hunt to pay compensation for the lost crops or even apologize.” He made a grimace, as if his countrymen’s attitude grated on him. “But he is not to know that. All he will see is that he is being compensated for the damage.”
“How is that going to happen, if you could not get money out of them?” Rowena asked, selecting a piece of dried apple from the dish in front of her. She would behave as if nothing of importance had happened the day before and hope he followed her lead.
“I will give him the money myself and claim I am come on the barons’ behalf. They are not to know that either,” he added when she arched an eyebrow.
“This is some conciliation campaign you’re undertaking,” she scoffed. But in truth she was impressed that he should take the trouble of appeasing the Saxon—and bear the expense of the compensation single-handedly. “When neither party is aware of the truth.”
“Isn’t it?” He favored her with a blinding smile. “But you will get the chance to see just how effective it is to do what’s in people’s best interest, even if it is done behind their back. You are coming with me.”
She blinked. “Why don’t you take one of your regular interpreters with you?”
“No need. Cuthbert speaks my language well enough for us to converse.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He didn’t need her there, he wanted her there. Why?
“Is this your way of ensuring I keep out of trouble?” she asked more waspishly than she intended.
“Yes. And that way, you will be able to see for yourself that I do not sleep with all the local lords’ wives—or their daughters,” he added with what looked suspiciously like a wink. “Mind you, I think you will agree when you see them that no man in his right mind would attempt to lead Cuthbert’s wife astray, or his daughters, who, unfortunately, take after her.”
Rowena bit into her apple and stayed silent. She found it difficult to handle William in this mood. Formidable as he could be, he was also disconcertingly whimsical when he wanted, and this was not what she expected of an enemy. Aggression, threat, menace, she had been steeling herself for, but she was disarmed in front of his playful teasing.
They set off shortly after, once he had given his men instructions for the day. Rowena was riding a small mare with a placid disposition. William must have remembered how wary she was of big horses and made sure to offer her a mount she could handle. This thoughtfulness touched her more than it perhaps should have.
Eglemouth wasn’t far, and they soon reached Cuthbert’s house where an intimidating matron welcomed them in. Rowena could not help a chuckle when William arched a meaningful eyebrow in her direction.
Indeed, she could well believe he had never been tempted to seduce this woman, who was about as feminine as a blacksmith. She was as tall as he was and almost as broad, with a nose that looked like a misshapen a turnip.
“Lord William.”
A booming voice made her start and she turned to face Cuthbert. Laughter stuck in her throat when she realized that she knew him. Or, more to the point, that he knew her .
Panic set in. How had she not anticipated this? What if he revealed who she was? What would it mean for her? Though strictly speaking being exposed as Godric’s stepdaughter would not place her in any more danger, it would undoubtedly alter things.
At the moment, William assumed she was a poor farmer’s daughter, at the pay of someone else. When he was told she wasn’t, what would he do? He thought her instrumental in someone else’s scheme, and it was her only protection against retribution. She wasn’t ready to have the truth exposed, to risk his revenge, or worse, to…
To be parted from him.
It shocked her that this was the first thing that came to her mind, but it was undeniable. She didn’t want to be parted from him.
“Well,” Cuthbert said roundly. “And who do we have here? Another one of your beauties?”
“She is a beauty, I will agree, but she is not mine.” William’s voice was its usual silk, but his stance had stiffened somewhat.
Rowena could tell he did not like the man, but was doing his best to control himself so as not to ruin his effort at conciliation.
“She’s not a Norman.”
That was all it took. Realization dawned in Cuthbert’s eyes. He had recognized her. She stared at him, willing him to stay silent.
Thankfully, William spoke before the man could say anything. “Will you accept the offer of compensation for your trampled fields, along with the apologies of the barons who passed through your domains that day?”
Cuthbert seemed to consider this for a moment. He looked ready to slam the door in their faces. Then he looked at her and smiled. “I think I might. Follow me.”
*
It was not until Cuthbert’s house had disappeared behind the trees that Rowena’s heart settled back in her chest. Every single moment they had spent under the old man’s roof had been excruciating. At first, she had feared having her identity revealed, then she’d understood this would be blessing in comparison to having William suspect what Cuthbert had asked her to do.
When the Saxon had dragged her to one side to expose his plan to her, she had almost fainted. But mercifully, she had been able to hold on to her composure until the end of the encounter and everything had gone smoothly. William had not betrayed any suspicion and he and Cuthbert had parted ways as if they’d been the best of friends. She let out a shaky breath. Mayhap it would be all right; mayhap he had not seen anything amiss.
While she was lost in her musings, he led her to a clearing in the woods then stopped for no understandable reason.
“So,” he said, jumping from his horse. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he walked toward an old, gnarled oak. “It seems I finally have my answer. Cuthbert is your master.”
He sounded detached, indifferent almost. Someone who didn’t know him might not have detected any anger in his tone, but Rowena knew different.
He was about to explode.
“He’s n-not,” she stammered.
This she hadn’t seen coming. She’d been so worried William would realize who she was, that him believing her Cuthbert’s creature instead was a shock.
“Don’t even think of lying to me,” he growled. “I saw the looks between you two. Once I realized what was going on I cut the meeting short for fear I strangled him on the spot. But I had to find out the truth first.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He sounded impossibly bitter, as if she had betrayed him. All of a sudden she understood why he had taken her to this deserted spot. He thought he had identified his elusive enemy at last, the man who supposedly wanted him dead. As a consequence, she was of no use anymore—and he was about to get rid of her.
Bile rose into her throat. How would she stop him from killing her?
She slid down from the saddle, fighting the impulse to throw herself at his feet and beg for mercy. She didn’t want to die, not now, not like this. Not by his hand.
Not for something she was innocent of.
“Please, I swear, it’s not what you think.” She could barely talk for fear.
Never had William appeared more formidable than in this moment. If he drew his sword she would be dead before she knew what had happened. Even armed to the teeth, she would never be a match for a man like him.
“Is it not? Are you saying that Cuthbert doesn’t know you? That he did not ask you to kill me? That he did not give you a dagger?” William challenged, coming toward her. “If I slipped my hands under your dress, I would not find any weapons? Shall I try?”
“No, I…” The mere thought of him running his fingers over her body made her knees buckle. “I will do that.”
She turned around and reached out to her stocking with trembling hands.
“I see. This is exactly what I thought,” he commented when she turned back to face him, dagger in hand.
“I-I swear I had no intention of using it on you. Cuthbert did give it to me, he did ask me to kill you, but we had never had any agreement before today, I swear. You must believe me.”
“I must ?” William let out a grating laugh. “I don’t think you are in a position to tell me what I must or must not do. But before anything else…”
Rowena had no idea how he’d done it but in the blink of an eye, he had disarmed and immobilized her against a tree trunk, imprisoning her wrists in an iron hold. The dagger lay on the grass some ten feet away from her. She was utterly at his mercy.
“Now,” he growled, his mouth at her ear. “Tell me precisely what Cuthbert told you to do. And why.”
*
It was only when he asked the question that William realized that incredibly, he was giving the girl the benefit of the doubt.
Again.
He was giving her a chance to justify herself when there was no way of knowing if what she was about to tell him was the truth or some elaborate lie meant to appease him. He waited, holding her close, willing her to be honest, staring deep into her eyes.
She seemed petrified of what he would do in his anger, with good reason. In that moment he wasn’t sure what his reaction would be if he convinced himself she was Cuthbert’s pawn.
“So?”
“It’s…”
The girl seemed unable to organize her thoughts. Whether that was because she was wild with fear or because his proximity had created havoc within her, he wasn’t sure. But he could not make himself less threatening when he was beside himself with fury and disappointment. To think only this morning he had flattered himself that they had reached a new understanding. The disillusion hit him hard, just as when he’d found the dagger in his bed at Old Sarum and he was not sure how to handle it.
“Cuthbert knows you,” he began when it became clear she was not going to talk. It was not a question, and she had better not pretend it wasn’t the case.
“Yes. He did recognize me,” she admitted in a low voice. “He was a frequent visitor of my mother’s. I have known him since I was a child.”
He arched a brow at this piece of information. That a man of Cuthbert’s consequence consorted with her family could only mean one thing. She was not, contrary to what he’d thought, a simple servant. This was getting interesting.
“When he saw who I was, he naturally assumed I was with you against my will. Which of course, I am.”
William let out a snort. Even now the girl could not resist the pique. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed.
“He said that such a chance of killing you would never present itself again and gave me the dagger when you went to speak to his groom. But he never ordered me to kill you before this day. He didn’t even know we knew each other before this morning, I swear. If we had been in league together, don’t you think I would have found an excuse not to go to him today? Or at least looked horrified when you announced who you were visiting?”
She had a point, William had to admit. At the mention of Cuthbert’s name this morning, she had not batted an eye. A girl like her, who could never hide her turmoil at his proximity, her ire or her anguish, would never have been able to hide her dismay if he’d announced he was talking her to her master. His hands relaxed around her wrists. Suddenly he realized how hard he was gripping her, and although she had not complained, the idea that he might have hurt her sent a chill down his spine.
What was he doing?
He did not want to harm her. Hell, he did not even want to question her!
But he had no choice. From the start he had been oddly lenient with her. It was high time he reestablished who was in charge. “Why did you not send him to hell then, seeing that only yesterday you rejected the opportunity to see me die?”
“I-I don’t know. Only…” Only she had her own reasons for killing him, so she’d thought she might as well let Cuthbert believe she was complicit to the scheme. It made sense, in a way. “But I never intended to use the dagger. The important thing was to placate him, so he did not reveal we knew each other.”
“Why? If you are not in his pay, it matters little.”
She shrugged, as if she could not quite make sense of her decision either. This, more than anything, convinced him she was telling the truth. Schemers always have an explanation at the ready and are not so easily confused. Innocent people, on the other hand, sometimes do stupid things they cannot explain afterward.
“I panicked, that is the only way to explain it,” she finally answered. “But you should beware of Cuthbert. He pretended to go along with your plans today, but in reality, he wants you dead.”
“Yes, thank you. I had guessed as much from the fact that he asked you to kill me,” William said wryly. “So much for trying to do the right thing by him. That money was spent in vain, I see.”
“Why are you not angrier?” the girl exclaimed, taking him by surprise. “Your efforts at conciliation deserve better than this. Men like Cuthbert who cannot see beyond their own personal gain will be the ruin of my country. I can’t believe he is being so stupid. Why can’t he just accept the helping hand he had no right to expect in the first place?”
If William had had any doubt about the girl’s sincerity, they would have vanished there and then. She didn’t have to reveal what Cuthbert had told her, but she had chosen to warn him. And she looked genuinely disgusted by the man’s double dealings.
“I am not angrier because he is only one man,” he told her with a sigh. “And I always knew this would be a long-drawn process. Now. Let us get back to the castle. I’m hungry.”
The girl opened wide eyes. “You… You are not going to punish me?”
“For what? You never actually tried to strike me, did you?” He ran a hand through his hair, moving away from her. “It seems I have gained a lot by taking you with me, for if I had not, I might still believe Cuthbert a potential ally. Now I am on my guard regarding an enemy I can’t actually keep an eye on at all times.”
Unlike her, who was so well guarded, she slept in his arms night after night.
He went to retrieve the dagger lying on the ground. Then he walked to the girl weapon in hand, drawing himself to his full height, wanting to see if she was still afraid of what he might do. She swallowed hard but did not recoil. Good.
“Did you honestly think I had dragged you into the woods so I could cut your throat and throw your body in a ditch?” he asked in a low voice.
“I… Yes. I did.”
He shook his head in dismay, hating to be her enemy. “I would never have killed you,” he murmured in her ear, leaning in to cage her in. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to let her see that she was safe, but he could not bear the idea that she was afraid of what he would do to her.
She let out a shaky breath. “I know it now. Had you really wanted to get rid of me you would have brought me to justice, not strangled me like a dog.”
“No. Never that.”
William clasped his hands behind his back. Though he badly wanted to touch her, draw her into his arms, he could not. He had just found a dagger on her person, and she had all but reiterated her intention of killing him.
It wasn’t safe for him to get too close to her.
In all senses of the word.