Knight's Caress (29 page)

“Hand her to me!” he cried to Baudelaire, who captured Amberlie about the waist and hauled her up to Guy before she was aware of their intentions.

“What in the name of heaven are you doing?” Amberlie cried, and dropped her gathering basket onto the grass.

Guy wrapped his arms around her, pinning her within his embrace as he grabbed the reins in his hands. “Doing what I should have done long ago,
cherie.
I’ve waited much too long for this moment, and now fate has brought you to me.”

Baudelaire made a move to climb onto the horse behind Guy, but Guy kicked at him, hitting him in the mouth with the toe of his boot. Instantly, Baudelaire’s lips began to bleed. “Have you gone mad! Let me up behind you!” cried the distressed and harried man.

“No! I’m not taking you with me. You can fend for yourself.”

“But—but Tedric will kill me!”

“I don’t care if you spend the rest of your wretched life in the pit. I’ve got what I want!” Laughing viciously, Guy painfully jabbed the horse in the side, urging him forward. Resembling a white bolt of lightning, the animal rushed headlong into the woods.

Amberlie had decided that Guy had gone mad. Whenever she demanded that he return her to the keep and insisted he tell her what was happening, he only chuckled gleefully and refused to answer her. His dark-eyed gaze was trained on the gloom ahead of them. He seemed unmoved by Amberlie’s trembling, caused by the cold and her own fear. What had happened? she wondered. What was Guy running from? And where did he hope to go? And why take her with him? There were so many questions whirling in her mind, but one was uppermost—would Tedric search for her?

She felt as she had on the night when Tedric had kidnapped her. The burgeoning fear bubbled in her throat, and she thought she’d go mad with her desire to scream, to tear herself out of Guy’s arms. They’d ridden for over an hour. She was tired, hungry, and so angry that she’d have gladly scratched Guy’s face if she thought it would make him release her. She had no idea where they rode. The wind whipped past them; her white headdress long ago had loosened and blown away. The cold seeped into her very bones until her teeth chattered violently, but still they rode, and still Guy told her nothing.

Finally, they neared the cave which Tedric and the Saxons had inhabited for so many months, the same cave where Tedric had brought her. Guy stopped the horse and without a word, he pulled her down to the ground with him. Amberlie resented his hold on her arm and attempted to break loose, but Guy pulled her, resisting and clawing at him, into the pitch-black cave.

“You’re mad!” she cried when he roughly pushed her to the ground.

“I’m far from mad.” He pulled the horse inside with them. “Don’t think you can try to escape, for I am all eyes and ears.”

“We’re going to freeze in here,” she protested.

“Then we freeze—together.”

Guy sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her. Amberlie pushed at him, but he tightened his hold. “I shall warm you.” He laughed and nuzzled her ear.

“Stop it! Stop! What has happened? I have a right to know what I’m doing here.”

Guy gave a sigh. “Ah, but you’re a tiresome wench, Amberlie, yet still I find you desirable, though you ask too many questions.
Bien,
I will tell you.” His lips skirted her lips for a second, but he didn’t force himself upon her. It seemed to Amberlie that he took great delight in tormenting her with small physical displays of affection, which he knew she detested. He whispered into her ear, “Your husband wants to kill me. If things had worked out differently this afternoon, he’d be dead and I would be in control of Woodrose. But alas, ‘twas not meant to be. I should have slain him like I slew Henri. Then my troubles would be over, and there’d be no need to run.”

A shudder rushed through Amberlie, her eyes widened in shock. “You … killed … Henri?”

“Oui, cherie.
Who else?” Guy shrugged. “Ah, you thought your Tedric had murdered him. That’s what I wanted everyone to believe. ‘Twas better than the truth at the time. How could I admit that I wanted Woodrose and you as my own? Things would have been perfect if only you’d relented and accepted my proposal. Because of you, I’m now an outlaw. But the fates have smiled upon me by placing you in my path.” He claimed her lips in a punishing kiss, laughing when Amberlie pushed hard against him, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “You’ll get used to my lovemaking in time.”

“I hate you! I’ll never give into you! I’d just as soon be dead!”

“Such brave and untrue words. Anything is preferable to death, even me.” He smiled a cold, calculating smile. “Now let’s rest. We’ve a long ride ahead of us on the morrow.”

“Tedric will search for us. He’ll find us,” she bravely asserted, but she wasn’t certain Tedric would even care if she disappeared from his life.

“I’m not afraid of your barbarian husband,” Guy declared as he took out his dagger and went about sharpening it on a rock. “Still, he won’t think of looking in the very hiding place he once used. He’ll assume I took off for the coast and will somehow return to Normandy. And maybe I shall, but not until Tedric ceases his search.” In the murky darkness, Amberlie felt his gaze upon her. “Don’t you want to go home to Normandy,
ma petite?
Our times were happy there.”

“I want to return to Woodrose and my husband, you murdering cur!”

Guy’s eyes flared with anger. “Quiet! You’ll still your tongue or I’ll knock you senseless. I detest a woman who doesn’t know when to keep silent. My late wife opened her mouth one too many times, and I was forced to silence her forever. Don’t make me have to resort to such a dreadful deed again.”

Amberlie cringed and drew away, wishing she could melt into the stone wall. She didn’t doubt that Guy would do what he threatened. She realized she must mind her tongue or perhaps risk an injury to her child. Because of the child she carried, she wouldn’t try an escape at night. But in the morning, if she survived the cold, somehow she’d think of a way to free herself of Guy, though she didn’t know how. She knew only that she loathed Guy, hated him more now than she’d ever hated another human being in her life. All of this time she’d thought Tedric had killed Henri, when it had been Guy who’d murdered him. What a foolish woman she’d been!

Tears spiked her lashes, but she refused to shed them and have Guy believe her weak. Inside, she cried for Henri, who’d suffered death at his uncle’s hands, and she cried for Tedric and for what could have been—if only she’d listened to her heart instead of her head.

~
~
~

Tedric and his mounted knights halted in the forest. The ceaseless chirping of crickets broke the stillness. “Lord Tedric, we can’t go any further tonight. Perhaps in the morning…” Christophe began, but Tedric broke him off with an angry shake of his head.

“Nay, ‘twill be too late by then. De Bayonne probably believes we’ll not continue because of the dark. If only Baudelaire knew where Guy was headed.”

“You questioned him at length, my lord. He knew not what Sir Guy had in mind.”

Tedric nodded, relieved that they’d captured Baudelaire soon after riding into the forest. The man had been quite agitated over having been abandoned by Guy de Bayonne, but he’d admitted that Guy had taken Amberlie captive and pointed in the direction Guy had ridden. Where was Guy truly headed—to the coast or deeper into the woodlands? And Amberlie, was she all right? He dreaded thinking about the harm that could befall her. Above all else, even if it meant allowing de Bayonne to escape, he wanted Amberlie safely back. She carried his baby. His child was now growing within her. If only she was returned to him, there were so many things he would say to her. Really one thing he’d say to her, the one thing he’d wanted to tell her from the very beginning and was too prideful to admit.

He loved her.

The very knowledge set his heart to thumping hard within his chest. If there was a merciful God, then God would see that his wife was returned unharmed to him so he could get on his knees before her. He’d beg her to forgive him for the wrongs he’d done to her, even for things he hadn’t done, if only she was safely returned.

“Lord Tedric, I’ve found something!” Flaubert, acting as a scout, had ridden ahead of the others. The man reined in next to Tedric and solemnly presented him with a white linen headdress. It belonged to Amberlie.

Tedric clasped the material in his hand and surveyed the darkened landscape. He knew the forest well and the landmarks within it. Now he knew that de Bayonne hadn’t headed for the coast at all; the headdress was proof of Guy’s direction. “I know where de Bayonne has taken my wife,” he told Christophe. “And I will hunt down the man and kill him … alone.”

“But, my lord, you cannot. De Bayonne is dangerous,” Christophe protested, much concerned about Tedric’s safety.

“He is no more dangerous than a cornered fox. I can make better time alone, rather than having all of you trampling with me through the forest at night. Most of you are unfamiliar with the surroundings, but I know the woods well.” Tedric positioned the sword at his side and gazed resolutely ahead. “The time has come for old grievances to be paid, and I’ll make certain that de Bayonne pays his due to me.” Without a further word to Christophe, Tedric kicked at the black gelding’s flanks, and within seconds, his figure was lost in the dark recesses of the woods.

~
~
~

It was the destrier who sensed Tedric’s presence first. The large animal lifted its white head and whinnied softly.

Amberlie, who had been dozing, came suddenly awake. She noticed Guy’s shadowy form, standing in the cave’s opening, illuminated somewhat by a small fire which Guy had started to warm them. “The beast senses something,” he told her when he turned to find her staring at him. He clenched his dagger in his hand. “We’re not alone.”

Tedric! Amberlie somehow knew Tedric had found them, but she knew better than to say this to Guy. She swallowed hard, her pulse pounding. And then she saw her husband’s looming figure behind Guy’s and gave an involuntary gasp that alerted Guy to Tedric’s presence. Tedric lifted his sword, the silver flashing like moonfire as his voice filled the cave. “De Bayonne!” Guy, with a mocking grin on his face, didn’t turn at the harsh summons. Instead he took Tedric completely by surprise when he fell to his knees and swiftly rolled into the shadows, out of Tedric’s vision, and behind the horse.

Guy’s jeweled dagger flew through the air, finding its mark in Tedric’s right shoulder. Amberlie’s screams rent the air as a rush of red stained Tedric’s tunic. She heard Tedric give a muffled groan, and saw him lower his right arm to his side, almost as if he’d lost all sensation. With his other hand, he pulled the blade from his flesh, ill prepared to deflect the punishing blow which Guy delivered to Tedric’s stomach with his fist. The wind rushed from him, and Tedric fell to his knees and dropped the dagger. Guy took the sword from Tedric’s hand.

Standing over Tedric’s prostrate form, Guy sneered. “Saxon, your end is much too tame for a warrior of barbarians. I thought you’d present more of a challenge. See, Amberlie, how your fearsome Saxon cowers upon the ground. If only King William could see his brave knight now.”

In the firelight, Amberlie saw the dagger, but realized it was too far from Tedric’s hand. If only she could reach it…

Stealthily, she rose from her position by the wall. Guy seemed totally unaware of her movements as he delighted in seeing Tedric upon the ground. Tedric noticed her, and for only an instant she thought he was silently warning her to keep away, but his eyes then riveted on de Bayonne. “I ask that you release Amberlie, send her back to Woodrose,” Tedric said.

“Ah, how noble of you, wanting to save your wife’s life, but Amberlie is perfectly safe with me. I plan many uses for her lovely body. Sending her away isn’t in my plans.”

Just a few more feet and she’d have the dagger. If only Tedric could keep Guy’s attention diverted…

“Amberlie, touch the dagger and I’ll run the Saxon through now!” Guy didn’t move his eyes from Tedric or from the sword that he placed by Tedric’s throat. With a long swipe of his arm, he grabbed Amberlie’s wrist and jerked her roughly beside him. An arrogant, pleased grin turned up his lips. “See, Saxon, I have her and she belongs to me. I do wish you’d have made our little battle more interesting. I hate running through a man who puts up no resistance, but then it was that way with your father too, if I recall.”

“He begged for his life!” Tedric savagely reminded him.

“Oui,
he did. Will you beg for yours?”

“I beg only that you see reason and release my wife unharmed. You can’t escape. My men will hunt you down.”

“Oh, your men, is it?” Guy scoffed in disbelief, his eyes filled with bitter hatred. “I trained them, they obeyed me, until the king took a fancy to you. I should have killed you when I captured you instead of returning you to Woodrose.”

“But you did return me,” Tedric said with equal bitterness, “so you could impress the king, but it didn’t work, did it?”

The tip of the blade grazed Tedric’s throat, and Amberlie had no doubt that Guy would have ended Tedric’s life at that moment. But a howling wind rushed through the cave at that second, and she heard a voice. “Avenge me, Avenge me!” She knew it was Henri, and she wasn’t the only one to hear it.