Sapphire - Book 2 (9 page)

“And you think you can help her find
it?”

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head
slightly. “But I do know even with no love between us, she would
still be better off with me than the baron. I would never raise a
hand to harm her.”

“You sound as if you care for her, son.” His
mother placed her hand on his arm.

“I do. And tell me, Mother, do you really care
for your husband, Lord Henry? Because there is something about my
uncle I have never liked.”

“I married him at the death of your father to
secure our holdings in the family name,” she told him.

“But part of it was already yours upon
inheritance.”

“Only a third, son, and I didn’t want to lose
the rest that your father worked so hard to keep. But now that you
have returned, it doesn’t matter. You are the heir to Rye and its
holdings. And I know you will protect it, as well as everyone
within the castle walls and your demesne.”

“I will, mother, I assure you
that.”

Just then, several of the dockmen rushed in,
conversing quickly with the guards. Curious to know what had them
so upset, Roe headed in their direction. His uncle and the baron
followed.

“Godfrey,” he said, greeting his old friend.
“What is it that has you so upset?”

“My lords,” he said, bowing his head to all
three of them. The men with him did the same but stayed silent.
“There is trouble and deceit, my lord, and I know not what to think
of it.”

“How so?” asked Henry.

“Aye,” mimicked the baron, “how
so?”

“The merchants are complaining, my lords, as
well as the sheepherders. They say that fifty tuns of wool has gone
missing.”

“Missing?” asked Roe. “What do you
mean?”

“The sheepherders of Dungeness have approached
the merchants personally, saying they need their pay for the goods
delivered. However, the merchants say they have never received the
wool. This is the second time a shipment has been lost in the past
four months, my lord.”

“I’m sure they’ve just handled their ledgers
poorly,” said Henry.

“Aye,” added the baron. “I have overseen the
Romney Marshes personally, as Castle Lydd is not far from there and
those are my lands. Actually, the sheepherders are always falling
asleep, while part of their flocks wander off. They’ve probably
just misplaced them.”

“Misplaced fifty tuns of wool?” asked Roe.
“Nay, this sounds suspicious to me.”

“There’s plenty wool in all of England,” said
Henry. “Since the plague and the lack of people, the task of sheep
herding which requires only a scant number of workers has increased
and it infiltrates the land.”

“Perhaps too much,” agreed Roe. “And with the
king’s new taxes and trying to control the price by strengthening
the demand for our fine wool overseas, it opens the door to
smuggling.”

“Smuggling?” asked Godfrey. “Do you really
think so, my lord?”

“I do. Have you seen any suspicious ships
leaving port lately?” Roe asked.

“They’ve all been accounted for, my
lord.”

“And has the dockmaster been collecting the
taxes from the ships that come and go transporting goods across the
channel?”

“I believe so, my lord.”

“Then there must be someone we’re overlooking.
Someone everyone trusts who is pulling the wool over everyone’s
eyes so to speak.”

“Sexton, enough with your feeble humor,” said
the baron. “This is preposterous. There is no way smugglers could
get fifty tuns through the streets without anyone seeing them being
moved.”

“Unless they’re smuggling it with the help of
some of the merchants. Perhaps secret tunnels or passageways
beneath some of the buildings in town,” explained Roe.

“That’s ridiculous,” said Henry.

“It’s not out of the question,” said Roe with
a shake of his head.

“I’ll look into this matter myself,” said
Baron Lydd. “After all, it is from my lands that the wool is
disappearing. I’ll go to the marshes of Dungeness myself on the
morrow and see how the sheepherders are faring.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Roe, which evoked a
distinct reaction from the baron.

“Nay,” said the baron. “I am capable of
handling it, Sexton, and want you nowhere near my
lands.”

Roe had never meant to go with him, but wanted
to see if the man would react, which he did. This told him that
something was amiss, and the baron was most likely
involved.

“Fine,” said Roe. “And I have reconsidered and
want you off my land as well, so don’t bother coming
back.”

“So be it,” snapped the baron. “Then I’ll just
collect my wife and tomorrow we’ll be on our way.”

He stepped forward, but Roe pulled his sword
and held it in front of the man.

“Egads, Roe, what are you doing?” shouted
Henry. “You are acting like the man is our enemy when he is really
our alliance.”

“You’ll not take Sapphire anywhere,” he told
him, “as she no longer wishes to be near you.”

“I’m married to her, Sexton,” snarled the
baron, “or have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten the tales she tells me
how you’ve beaten her and also taken every woman you could to your
bed. That doesn’t sound like marriage to me. That sounds like a man
so desperate, he’d do anything to get what he wanted. What is it
you want, Lydd? And Uncle,” he said, nodding toward Henry, “why
were you so fast to say I was dead and hand over my betrothed
without sending a messenger over the channel to find out? It seems
to me you never even discussed the new marriage with Earl
Blackpool, Sapphire’s father.”

“There was no need,” said Henry. “We had the
dowry and the girl, so why make waves by sending her
back?”

“We?” asked Roe. “So are you saying that you
have acquired part of Sapphire’s dowry as well?”

“’
Twas an agreement I had with the
baron,” he admitted.

“An agreement that seems odd to me. Odd that
you, Baron Lydd would allow someone to take half of what you felt
was rightfully yours.”

“What are you saying, Sexton?” growled the
baron. “Just say it already and stop with your feeble
games.”

Roe slowly replaced his sword at this side.
“What all did the dowry include?” He needed to know. Neither of the
men said anything. “I will send a missive to Blackpool tomorrow and
schedule a meeting with the earl to discuss what has transpired
here.”

“Stop it, Sheffield,” said the baron, sounding
defeated. “If you want the girl, take her, but I am not returning
any of the dowry.”

“So noble of you to offer me something that
was mine all along. But tell me, how do you propose we get the
marriage annulled? And why are you so willing to give her up when a
moment ago you told me I couldn’t have her?”

“Let’s discuss this in the morning,” said
Henry, placing his hand on Roe’s shoulder.

“Nay!” Roe pushed it off. He then looked over
at the dockmen. “Keep a close eye on every ship and every sailor
and every piece of cargo upon it that comes or goes from the port
of Rye. I will be contacting the baron of the Cinque Ports and will
discuss this matter with him immediately.”

“He is gone and will not return for several
weeks,” said Godfrey. “And he is joined by many of the portsmen and
crews of the ships that protect the channel as they have started on
their journey to Yarmouth for the annual herring festival,” he told
him.

“Damn, that’s right,” said Roe. “Then I’ll
have to wait, but tell the dockmen, merchants and the sheepherders
too, that I’ll be looking into this personally and hopefully have
answers for them soon.”

“Aye milord, thank you milord.” The men bowed
and Roe dismissed them with a wave of his hand and they hurried
away.

“You’ve not heard the last of me,” snarled the
baron, storming across the great hall.

“Roe, the baron will look into the matter. And
the barons of the Cinque Ports are in charge of the ports, not you.
Just let them investigate, and don’t get involved,” warned
Henry.

“If I wait, it may be too late,” he told him.
“And I have a feeling I know just the place to start
looking.”

Chapter 7

Sapphire awoke early, having had the best
night sleep in a long time. She turned over in Roe’s bed and
stretched her arms above her head lazily.

“Good morning, my lady,” said her handmaiden,
who had slept on the pallet at the foot of her bed. “’Tis a
beautiful morning, and the sun is shining. Just look,” she said,
pulling open the wooden shutters over the window that blocked out
the night air. The sun streamed in and caught Sapphire by surprise.
She squinted and blocked her eyes with her hand.

“That is so bright, Corina. Can’t you turn
down the sun?”

The handmaid laughed and so did Sapphire. Then
the girl flipped back the coverlet, all but pulling Sapphire from
the bed.

“You seem to be in a hurry this morning,
Corina.”

“I just enjoy the morning. Now let’s get you
up and dressed, my lady.” She took her by the arm and pulled her
over to the washbasin. “Perhaps you’d like to wash your face while
I ready your gown?”

Sapphire stopped and crossed her arms, looking
at the girl. Sapphire had slept in her shift since most her clothes
were still in the chamber with the baron and there was no way she
wanted to enter his room last night.

“Corina, where is it you need to
be?”

“My lady?” Corina, picked up Sapphire’s blue
velvet gown and held it to her chest. “Why do you think I need to
be somewhere?”

“Because you have been my handmaid for four
months now and never once have you rushed me into dressing.
Actually, if you have forgotten, I am the one who usually rises
before you and has to rouse you from your slumber.”

“Oh, I am sorry, my lady, but I have lied to
you.” The girl looked frightened and tightened her grip on
Sapphire’s gown. Sapphire reached over and gently took it from
her.

“If you clench this any tighter, you’ll crush
it,” she told her. “And it truly is one of my favorite gowns, given
to me by my father. Now sit down, Corina, and tell me what troubles
you.” She guided the girl to the bed and made her sit upon
it.

“I am frightened, my lady.”

“Of what?” she asked. “Has the baron been
trying to get you to his bed as well? You can tell me, Corina, as I
truly will not hold it against you, even if you have laid with
him.”

“Nay, my lady. I would never. But I do have a
young man back in my homeland of Dungeness who I have not seen in
months now.”

“And you’re frightened of him?”

“Nay, I am excited. You see, while we plan on
marrying some day, he works sheering the sheep that graze in the
marshlands. And I . . . ,” she held her hand to her stomach, . . .
“I have some news to tell him.”

“Corina?” Sapphire’s smile spread across her
face. “Are you by any chance with child?”

The girl looked up sharply, her gaze
unsettled.

“If you are, I think it is the most wonderful
news,” she added to ease the girl’s mind.

Corina let out a sigh of relief. “I am,” she
admitted, smiling and laughing and crying all in the same breath.
“I am with child and today I felt the baby move.”

“How exciting!” Sapphire sat next to the girl
and hugged her. “Then you must go to the man you love anon and tell
him you are to have a child together.”

“But I must take care of you, my
lady.”

“Nonsense.” Sapphire walked over to the table
and picked up her pouch. She slipped a gold coin from within and
handed it to the girl. “Take this to your lover. And stay with him
until the baby is born.”

“But – what about my position as your
handmaid?”

“You can return whenever you want, and I will
not turn you away. I will find another handmaid to take your place
for now, but having children is the most important thing in life.
That and true love which I see in your eyes for this man. ’Tis
clear to me that you and your lover hold a deep love for each
other. Now go! And take with you my blessings for a healthy
child.”

“Are you sure, my lady?”

“I am.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said jumping up and
giving Sapphire another hug. “I knew you would understand.” And in
a second, Corina had left and closed the door behind
her.

Sapphire dressed herself quickly, thinking of
how happy she was for the girl. She wished it were her running off
with child to tell her lover the good news. She didn’t know what
the day would bring, nor if the baron would be angry that she’d
spent the night in Roe’s chamber. But she did know that Roe would
protect her. Of that, she was sure. And that was something she
truly admired about the man.

She quickly ran a brush over her hair, keeping
it long though a married woman always wore it up. She didn’t feel
like a married woman, so it mattered not to her. She secured her
pouch at her side, feeling the last of the coins her father had
given her within.