Ria Cantrell - Celtic Storm 03 (16 page)

Despite the dire threat, Rhianna felt happier than she had in weeks. Erik was helping her and working with her. His compassion and his natural ability to lead and take charge were indeed comforting to her. She believed that she needed this man more than she had thought and she felt safe for the first time in months since Randall had disappeared. She had not realized just how vulnerable she had felt until this moment, but that was all changed now, with Erik and his men present within her walls. She tried not to think too much on how safe she would feel with Erik present in her bed, for those thoughts were too wicked and they caused her to be distracted from her pressing work. Still, she could not wait to see him, but knew he would not be back until it was quite late in the night. Her eyes scanned the endless sea of faces of people who were permitted to enter the keep, just suddenly aching to have a quick glimpse of him. 

She had seen him briefly at breakfast, but he was quite focused on the task at hand. He was once again a warrior first and foremost. He had given her the biggest smile while he was eating with his men and before he left the hall, he stole behind her to give her a quick kiss. He winked at her and told her she was beautiful. He also told her briefly what his plans were. He had seen what keeping her apart from the decisions concerning her people had done to her, so he tried to give her a brief over-view of what they had decided to do. She nodded at the wise course of action and then he kissed her again. All too quickly, he was gone.

As Rhianna tried to concentrate on the tasks she was needed to perform, she tried not to think of the wonderful way that parts of her body still felt sensitive from his kisses. His beard had tickled and scraped her flesh in places that she could still feel, perhaps in memory, but she would have sworn the sensations remained this morn. It was not unpleasant and she blushed remembering just where his lips had been.

~~~~~~

Standing on the high cliff above the back road leading to Morcar Keep, Aaron could see the dark shadow of an approaching band of riders, winding back toward the keep. They would, no doubt, be the raiders he had sent on a terror mission. Aaron Jasper could not wait to greet the raiding party sent to instill fear to the locals. He hoped that his plan had been successful. As the riding party drew nearer, Aaron could see that some of them were still covered in the gore from their folly. With an evil grin, he knew that sufficient damage must have been done just by the look of them. He was certain that word of their little
outing
would have reached the high and mighty Rhianna du Montefort by now. He would let their defenses be raised, while he plotted his next course. He knew that she had an unnatural softness when it came to her local villagers and he wanted her to feel helpless in defending them sufficiently. Her keep was not large enough to house them all but Aaron knew she would try. Those left behind would be his for the taking, if he so chose.

The leader of the riding raiders slowed his mount and jumped off to report to Morcar’s lord. He bowed almost mockingly before Aaron Jasper and he said, “The raid was a success.”

“Nothing pilfered?”

“Nay, m’lord. My men just took...hmmm, shall we say, their pleasure with some of the villagers. I assured them they would be paid handsomely.”

“Casualties?”

With a sinister laugh, the man answered, “Enough.”

“And has word been spread of the destruction?”

The man scratched some dried blood off his face and said, “Bells were rung from the town church. We had thought to burn it to the ground too, but then thought the warning bells would be more suited to your
purpose
.”

Aaron nodded in agreement. “Excellent. Have your men wait while you and I discuss the finer points of your mission.”

“They seek their payment.”

“Aye, and they will be paid after you and I speak.”

The man stared into the one good eye of Aaron Jasper and said, “Truly, you do not think me or my men fool enough to wait like sheep. We will be paid as promised, first.”

Aaron smiled evilly, his lips baring the jagged points of his remaining teeth.

“Very well. I
had
underestimated your intelligence.”

Pulling a pouch out from under his tunic, he put several coins into the palms of the men still on horseback. He handed the remainder of the pouch to the leader and he said, “Now, come inside. We shall have a drink and I will learn the full extent of the raid.”

The man nodded to his men and he handed off the reins of his horse to his companion. He followed Aaron into the keep. Aaron then had his steward bring tankards of ale to the men, while he led the leader of the raid into his hall. Taking a flagon off the table, he offered a sip to the man.

“After you,” he said, for clearly he did not trust his patron. Men like him could not afford to trust the men who chose to do business with his kind. After Aaron had taken a gulp and wiped his hand across the back of his mouth, he offered the vessel to his henchman. The man also took a swig from the bottle and he sat down to discuss what had taken place per the instructions of Aaron Jasper.

Aaron learned that many of the sheep had been butchered and left to rot in the fields. Several cottages had been burned to the ground and wheat fields had been razed. At least half a dozen people had been maimed and killed. Those that were violated were just the icing on the cake for Aaron Jasper. As the drink flowed, the man’s tongue loosed. Aaron sat back, satisfied that enough terror had been stricken into the hearts of those he sought to destroy, first and foremost the inhabitants of du Montefort. The leader of the purchased raiders began to slur his words. It was subtle at first, but it soon turned into almost indiscernible ramblings. Fingering his scarred cheek, Aaron Jasper leaned closer and he said, “You thought to be clever with me. You will learn that you cannot outthink me. Your men are already taken to the pits below and soon you will join them there…if you live…for even I do not know how the poison reacts.”

The man began to panic as Aaron’s words registered into his foggy mind. “Poithhbbb?”

“Well, more like a dosing, but I suppose, if you die, it may as well be poison.” Aaron Jasper plucked the purse of coins from the still clasping fingers of the man before him. He called, “Guards, take him to join his friends in the pits.”

As two large men grasped hold of each arm, they dragged the now babbling man to the chambers of hell in the bowels beneath the castle. Aaron’s laughter could be heard throughout the crumbling black walls of the place as screams of torture wafted up from the pits below.

~Chapter Twenty-One~

With each passing day, he felt himself getting stronger. He still did not know his true name, but Janelle’s name of Monty, became almost like a term of endearment to him.
And there was something else;
he had no doubt that he was completely in love with this woman. He had been with her for weeks now and although he could not remember his past, he now remembered everything that had transpired since he arrived at Janelle’s doorstep. He remembered every smile and every moment she sat beside him. He remembered what it felt like to be a man. He no longer had the plague of illness stilling his hand and he had begun to do things around her dwelling that she needed him to help her with. He no longer tired easily and he was convinced that his recovery came at the hands of this beautiful, gentle and kind woman.

They had shared many things in the hours between his arrival and his healing. There was still something that she would not tell him; something that she kept locked in her heart; something that the mere mention of caused sadness to fill her eyes and pain to blot out her smile. He knew it would only be a matter of time ‘til she opened up and bared the secret to him. She had confessed that she had fallen in love with him as well. They had shared their first kiss days ago, admitting their love and hoping for a future where the past would not matter, for either of them.

Of course he could not be certain, because his memories were so scattered, but he felt like he had never truly been in love before. He knew there was someone he loved, but it did not feel like a wife and it did not feel like a lover. He vowed to make Janelle his wife, once he was certain that no wife waited for him. She agreed and said she would do everything in her power to find someone who knew who he was. She was reluctant to do it not so much because she was afraid he was already married, but more because it was clear he had not injured himself. She was afraid that the danger came from his past. Janelle did not want to put him back into the peril that had left him in the state he currently found himself to be in.

Still, she knew that in order for them to have any chance of a life together, she would have to do all she could to solve some of the mystery of the man who could not remember his own name.

Janelle happily decided that she would forsake her mourning period and marry Monty once he had a chance to remember who he was. She thought that even if he never got his memory fully back, then they would leave it at that and he would learn to adjust to the man who she loved. She hoped that would be enough for him.

Monty watched her in her daily tasks. She was so beautiful. When she caught him looking at her, she blushed. His thoughts were not so easily hidden when he looked at her that way.

She smiled a little shyly and she lowered her thick lashes at his appraisal of her. His lips lifted and he moved behind her. Brushing her hair off her shoulder, he kissed her neck and said, “You look lovely today.”

She giggled and teased, “You must be having one of your spells. I look a mess.” She pushed some wayward tendrils away from her face, which had escaped the ribbon tying it back while she was working.

“You do not look a mess. I may not know a lot of things these days, but I know a beautiful woman when I see one.”

Janelle playfully said, “How do you know? Do you remember any other beautiful women? Perhaps I am beautiful to you because I am the only thing you know.”

“You are a cruel woman, Janelle. Cruel, indeed, to remind me of my shortcomings.”

She turned to face him and kissed him deeply. “Well,” she said, less innocently, “I did not find any shortcomings last night and I
do
remember and you can be sure of that.”

It was true. There hadn’t been any. In fact when they had made love, Monty believed that this woman was his mate. There was nothing the Fates could do to prove otherwise. If he had to suffer in order to find her, he was glad for it. He took her in his arms and said, “Hmm, I did feel like a man made whole, Janelle. Come with me now and let me prove to you I am whole again.”

Janelle pushed him off gently and she said, “T’is the middle of the day. Such things are wicked.”

He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her in to kiss him again and he said, “Why would they be wicked? You are on a mission of mercy for you would be helping me remember.”

As she protested, “Monty, no,” she felt his now strong arms lifting her up and he carried her to bed. Any protests she may have wanted to present were lost as his mouth plundered hers. She put aside the guilt she carried over her secret and she lost herself in his touches and caresses. Loving this man could not negate the crimes of her past and so she allowed herself to feel his healing love and passion, which had helped her more than anything she could have done for him, when he first arrived.

They spent the afternoon making love and talking of their dreams for the future. The chores were momentarily forgotten.

~~~~~

A small rap on the door roused the couple from the drowsy afterglow of their stolen moments in bed. Janelle called, “Just a moment, please.”

She knew it to be one of the house maids that had stayed on after her husband had been killed. She threw on her clothes haphazardly and she motioned for Monty to remain quiet. It was her home, truly, but she did not want anyone to speak ill of her. People were so quick to gossip and cause harm with stories.

She opened the door and slipped outside. She offered the excuse that she was lying down with a bad headache for a little while and the maid just curtseyed, holding out a sealed missive.

“It came a short time ago, m’lady. I do hope it is not more bad news.”

The news of the Master’s passing was all too fresh in everyone’s minds so Janelle could understand the fear. She said, “No, I am sure it is just a letter from my brother. Yes, that is his seal. Thank you. You may go now.”

Janelle took the missive back into her chamber and shut the door behind her. Monty sat up in bed, causing the bed clothes to slide to his waist. He could see Janelle’s hand was shaking and he asked, “What is it, beloved?”

“It is a letter from my brother. He has been trying to help find information about you. Oh, Monty, I am afraid to open it.”

“Come, sit beside me. We will face it together; whatever it says about me.”

She sat down and he put his arm around her. Janelle broke the wax seal on the letter and she took a deep breath to calm her now frayed nerves. Her eyes darted over the penned words and she read it again to be certain she did not miss any meaning or valuable information.

“Well,” he said. “Is it bad news? Am I wanted for murder or something terrible,” he teased to lighten the moment. “Do you wish me to read it?”