Mary Reed McCall (14 page)

“C
ome now, ’tis not so difficult. Just cast to the water and pull back smoothly. The motion must be fluid if ’tis to bear fruit.”

Struggling to follow Gray’s suggestion, Catherine bit her lip and squinted at the offending string dangling from the rod in her hand. A snip of blue feather fluttered near the metal tip at its end, seeming to mock her efforts. The cast-off plumage was supposed to lure the fish, enticing them to bite, though why they’d choose to eat something so awful Catherine couldn’t guess. It didn’t look very appetizing to her.

Giving her pole a few practice flicks, she eyed the dripping feather again. It was a sad sight indeed. Aye, she’d warrant her bedraggled bait had more to do with her lack of success so far this morn than
want of proper technique. But she’d not say as much to Gray. To do so would only invite him to devise some practice even more outrageous, she was sure. As it stood, her muscles and joints already groaned from his inventive methods of training these past weeks. When she wasn’t in the clearing practicing sword strokes, she was doing other strengthening skills that he conjured up.

Just two days ago, he’d told her to drag baskets full of dirt back and forth across the tilting yard; last week he’d insisted that she raise buckets of water from the well until she could lift no more. Before that, he’d had her climb a gnarly tree to fetch each of a score of linen strips that he’d tied among the upper branches.

And now this.

Yet she couldn’t deny the success of his methods. Her hands were developing protective calluses from wielding her weapon, and she could sense the growing power in her arms, back, and legs. For the first time in her life she felt strong instead of merely awkward and clumsy.

Still, she’d debated begging off of this exercise today, thinking the better of it only when she realized that, unlike some of the other activities he’d put her to, this task had another purpose; theoretically, there would be fish to eat at the end of it.

Bolstered by the thought, she shot Gray a look, pulled back her arm and cast the line again, jerking it toward the water. She followed his direction to the very point, and was rewarded with naught but disaster; she succeeded only in catching the line in a
thorn bush that jutted from the stream. Biting back an unladylike curse, she yanked the pole, ensuring that the string knotted itself more securely on the branch.

“Saints preserve us, but this is useless!” Stomping over to the bush, she began to snatch at the string to untangle it. Thorns jabbed her as she worked, and she gritted her teeth.

The fact that Gray stood there watching only fueled her temper further. She felt his gaze, calm as always, boring into her back. Even without looking, she knew that he stood with his arms crossed, legs slightly apart, with that familiar, mildly amused expression on his damnably perfect face. One brow would be arched, the corner of his mouth lifting in that way that maddened her beyond reason.

Curse him, but he seemed to revel in her struggles—all masterminded by him, she reminded herself—and to take pleasure in her feeble shows of resistance when she found enough courage or daring to show them.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” she finally yelled over her shoulder.

“Nay.” Gray shook his head and smiled. “One of these days you’re going to learn to harness your anger. It can serve as your best or worst enemy, depending on how you handle it.”

Catherine ground her teeth not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a reply, but in the end she couldn’t resist mumbling, “
You’ll
become my worst enemy in a moment, if you don’t help me with this.”

Gray made a clicking noise of reproach as he
strolled closer. She could still feel his smile on her and, rankled by it, she stiffened. He leaned in, reaching his arm over her head to clip the string from the branches. His breath tickled her ear, sending a delicious tingle down her neck. But she’d not let him know it.

“That passion of yours, lady,” he murmured, “will get the best of you if you cannot learn to govern it. Try to focus. Channel it. Use it to your advantage.”

“And how might I do that, pray tell?” she snipped, turning to glare at him; it was a mistake. He stood dangerously close, and the glint in his eyes made her go still. Sweet heavens, but he was handsome. And when he gazed at her like that…

“You should channel your passions, milady,” he said softly, “into endeavors like this.” All thought ceased when he brushed his lips over hers; he came back to taste again, drawing her into a maelstrom of sensation. She felt like she was falling, drifting to a place both strange and wonderful. Reaching up, she gripped his shoulders to steady herself and found that she couldn’t stop her traitorous hands from moving up to tangle in the dark waves of hair at his neck.

With a growl of pleasure Gray pulled her to him and deepened their kiss, taking her mouth this time with sweet urgency that left her breathless.

Finally, he pulled back a little, smiling. “Hmmm. It seems you’re capable of learning
some
pursuits rather quickly. I’m relieved, considering your dismal show at fishing.”

Laughing, Catherine shoved at him, but the mo
tion threw her off balance; she started to tip back, heading toward a good dunking in the stream. Gray laughed too and grabbed her, swinging her around to land with him instead on the mossy bank.

The fall knocked the breath from her, though she felt certain that if it hadn’t, her husband’s physical proximity would have accomplished the same result. He lay half over her, his lips hovering a breath away from hers. Grinning, he moved to kiss her again, but a bloodcurdling yell from the meadow made him stiffen. In the space of an instant, he leaped to his feet, clearing his sword from its sheath.

Three boys charged over the knoll, shouting mock battle cries and brandishing wooden sticks at each other. They fell silent and slid to a halt when they saw Gray, his upraised blade glinting in the sun, his massive warrior’s frame silhouetted in the golden rays.

Catherine recognized the lads as some of the pages who served them at the castle. One of them was named Tom, she thought. Aye, that sounded right. She didn’t know the other two, but she’d seen them near the kitchens carrying trays or scrubbing pots. All three lads looked to be no more than nine, and they were as pale as ghosts as they faced their fearsome master.

Brushing grass from her skirts, Catherine pushed herself to her feet. There was no need to make anyone feel worse by remaining in her indelicate position.

Tom was the first to break the silence. “My—my lord! My lady! Forgive us!” he shouted. His voice
cracked on the last word, and Catherine winced in sympathy, biting her lips to keep from smiling when he dropped to one knee, his chin tucked and his forearm thrown over his chest in tribute. The others just gaped, wooden swords dangling useless from their grips. Aye, she’d peg young Tom as a natural gallant in the making.

“Tom, arise. Charles, William, at ease.” Gray nodded, eyeing the boys sternly as he sheathed his sword.

They began to fidget, and Catherine stepped up to Gray and touched his arm. He glanced to her and caught her playful expression. Almost immediately, she felt his muscles relax under her fingers. Still, he maintained his fierce aspect as he turned to the boys again.

“What have you three to say for yourselves, then?”

She knew he was trying to sound firm, but she recognized the lilt of humor in his tone. Clearing her throat, she tried to keep the mirth from her own voice when she added, “In truth you gave us quite a start when you scrambled over the knoll.”

Tom’s face crumpled. “A thousand apologies, my lady, my lord. We were practicing and little knew that you were taking your ease by the river. If I had thought you here, I’d have cut out my own tongue before I disturbed your peaceful moment!”

Catherine choked back a giggle, and Gray’s mouth twitched. Aside from Tom’s extravagant speech, taking their ease and enjoying the peace were not how she would have described her calami
tous attempts at fishing—or their heated kissing afterward. But Gray saved her from losing her composure and the boys from further discomfort by speaking again.

“’Twas an honest mistake, Tom, and one that gave me leave to better view your skills. Your practice has been well taken, if what I witnessed is the result,” Gray said. “’Tis a fine ambush you made. And that yell…why, ’twas enough to inspire terror in a man’s heart.”

Pride lit Tom’s face, burnishing his freckled cheeks, and he swaggered a little. “’Twas I who made the yell, my lord,” he said. “William here has mastered the waving of the banner, and Charles is the fastest of us at a charge. We’ve been practicing these last weeks, since Sir Alban came to stay and lead the men in the drills.”

“Ah.” Gray crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels. “So Sir Alban is the inspiration for all of this fervor, is he? He has a way of inciting riots, I’ll give him that.” Moving to take up Catherine’s abandoned pole and tackle, Gray nodded to the boys. “I’d warrant Sir Alban is in the midst of running the men through exercises right now.”

“Aye, my lord. He trains with a dozen of them in the lists, practicing sword strokes and hand to hand combat,” young William offered in a wobbly voice, his initial concern that Gray might slice them in half apparently subdued for the time being.

“Good. Wait but a moment, lads, and I’ll go back to the yard with you. You can watch and learn another stroke or two while I join Sir Alban and the
others in the sparring,” Gray said, laughing when the boys whooped with pleasure and raced a little ways off to battle again with their sticks.

After gathering the last of their equipment, Gray glanced at Catherine with an expression that made her go weak in the knees. “’Tis a disappointment, my lady, but it seems we must resume your lessons later.”

She nodded and dropped her gaze, trying not to grin like a fool. Taking the tackle box from him, she said, “’Tis time for me to return to the castle anyway. I need to overlook the weavers and view their work, though they’ve made much progress in their skills these past weeks.”

“The result of your apt guidance, no doubt,” Gray said, his gaze warm on her. They began to walk, the boys shouting and playing on the path ahead of them. “You’ll meet with me after the noon meal, then? The village fair begins today, and I’d like you to accompany me and the others to it.”

“Aye.” She still smiled, filled with pleasure at the thought of spending the entire afternoon with him.

Hurrying to keep up, she kept pace with him and the boys as they headed back to the castle, laughing at their antics and thrilling to the feel of the wind in her hair. It whipped in wild gusts round her legs, making her scarlet gown snap and flutter like the pennants atop Ravenslock’s massive towers.

The early morning sun shone down, lighting the autumn air, it seemed, to shimmering gold, and all was right with the world for this brief moment. The
afternoon promised more of the same. More happiness and sweet memories to sustain her through the dark days ahead.

But she’d try not to think of the future now. It would come soon enough, she knew, for her decision had been made. Soon she’d take action to bring Eduard’s evil plotting to its end. She had to, for with every day that passed, every moment that brought Eduard’s return here closer, the danger to her children seemed more real.

Aye, soon she’d see this nightmare to its end, only it would not be in the way that Eduard had planned. Not like that at all. Because she’d decided that she only had one real choice in this matter, though its outcome frightened her almost as much as the thought of murdering Gray had. In truth, her heart nearly stilled from fear when she allowed herself to think on it…

For she’d decided that her only real hope lay in telling Gray the truth.

Gray wiped the sweat from his eyes and continued his methodical strokes, relaxing as he moved through a sparring sequence with one of the younger knights. Derrik was developing well. The young knight’s stamina had improved since the last time Gray worked the men. Still, this exercise had proved more of a show for Gray than a challenge to his abilities.

“Break!”

Alban’s shouted command caused them to cease
and back away from each other. Gray was surprised at the call to halt, but he knew Alban must have good reason. ’Twas true that young Derrik looked as if he needed a respite. As he took a long pull from his water skin, Gray saw Alban approach. By the swagger in his friend’s step, Gray knew he had something brewing. As soon as Alban spoke, he knew what it was.

“You look a little winded, Gray.” Alban obviously tried to look concerned, leaning in as if to avoid anyone else hearing his comment. “Could it be that the rumors are false? Might a simple mortal frame compass the famed warrior of steel?”

Tossing the water skin back to his squire, Gray raised his brow. “I don’t know what wind’s been blowing in your ears, old man, but ’tis not my labored breathing you heard.”

“If you say so.” Alban shrugged, playing his role to the hilt. “But I only called break to spare you the indignity of suffering a cut at the hands of a new blood. ’Twas a foregone conclusion, the way you huffed and puffed through that last set.” He looked hurt. “It wouldn’t be amiss, you know, to show a little appreciation for my quick thinking.”

Grinning now, Gray leaned on his sword. “I’ll appreciate you more when you lift your blade and get to work with your arms instead of your mouth. ’Tis tedious to hear you keep braying like an ass on a barren field.”

Shouting a laugh echoed by the boys surrounding them, Alban caught the sword Gray tossed to
him and moved to the center of the yard, shifting his weight back and forth. “A challenge from my old friend? I’d hoped your creaky bones would be up to it. Come, then, let us begin!”

“At your service.” Gray smiled again and took his stance opposite him. He kept his gaze fixed on Alban, calling out to the young men, who were gathered in a circle around them, “Observe this set well, lads. ’Tis a prime example of how to out-thrust your opponent and keep him controlled on the field.”