Strangclyf Secret (15 page)

Bernon raised a brow at
the Saxon and accepted the goblet. “And who bids me
welcome?”

“
A lowly farmer beneath
your notice, but who will be loyal to you just the same. I am
Padarn.” He set the keg on the table, spiked the barrel, then
surveyed the hall and shook his head. “I’ll go get some men, so we
can clear out the carnage before your bride gets back. Otherwise
she’ll try to do it herself. Regular little bee, she is. Going to
die young if she doesn’t slow down.”

Bernon hooded his eyes and
scrutinized the man. “I have a feeling I am being given a hint,
Padarn.”

A cagey grin spread across
Padarn’s whiskered face. “Aye, milord, but I’ll take it kindly if
you wouldn’t tell her. You’ll learn her plan for you soon
enough.”

“
What plan?”

“
To please you so you will
give her a new name. I always thought Angel would suit her.” Padarn
began whistling a happy tune, nodded to the fierce Normans standing
next to his lord, and then made his way to the front doors where he
paused and turned back. “You and your men are covered with blood,
milord. She will fret something fierce if you are wearing it when
she gets back. The well is outside the rear door.”

What did he mean by
when she gets back
? He
would have a stern lecture ready for her about running off like
this. “Where did she go?”

“
Into the maze to get
another lady who is going to fret with her, I reckon.” Padarn
scratched his bearded chin then gave Bernon a nod as if he had made
up his mind about something. “You know Sprite has a nice ring to
it—not really a name but it might suit her.” Padarn disappeared out
the door.

“
Medwyn, make sure he gets
help and removes all the bodies to a place where the ladies will
not have to see them.” Bernon set his goblet on the table next to
the cask and walked toward the rear door.

“
Where are you going, my
friend?” Geno called on a gloating chuckle.

“
Same place we are all
going,” Bernon gritted out. “To the well to wash off the blood so
my bride will not fret the rest of her mind away.”

~ * ~

A huge tear splashed upon
Barwolf’s arm as she released the lever, sealing the wall. She
brushed a hand over her wet cheeks and walked through the dark
passages toward Jupiter’s Hall.

Bernon was furious with
her. She hadn’t meant to disobey him.
‘Twas my curiosity and concern for his safety that lured me
from the maze. I truly only meant to watch. What else could I do,
though? I couldn’t let that man just throw a dagger in the king’s
back, could I? How was I supposed to know Hadwyn would come after
me? I was terrified when he ran toward me with that sword, and
thank you, Lord, for letting Bernon arrive in time to save me. Is
Bernon angry enough to send me away? Oh Lord, I don’t want to leave
Strangclyf, so please do not let Bernon send me away. I was rather
looking forward to having him protect me.

From the expression on his
face, he probably wished ‘twas my body and not Hadwyn’s that he
pulled Intrepid from. And the blood! Bernon was covered with blood!
Oh Lord, please do not let the blood be his. What will I do if
anything happens to him? I would be The Strangclyf again and
William would probably marry me to some other knight. What if I’m
forced to marry someone my body doesn’t like or who hits me? Oh
Lord, please let Bernon be all right.

Barwolf entered Jupiter’s
hall with puffy red eyes and sniffed back her tears as she
approached the queen. “’Tis safe now, Your Grace. I have come to
guide you to the keep.”

Matilda’s brows drew
together with worry, and she wrapped a maternal arm around
Barwolf’s waist. “What happened, dear? Is Bernon
injured?”

“
I do not know!” Barwolf
burst into sobs and wiped frantically at her eyes with her fingers.
“He is covered with blood and he is furious with me for disobeying
him. I only meant to watch from behind the ale room screen, but I
couldn’t let that man throw a dagger in the king’s back, could I?
Then Hadwyn came after me and I was so relieved when Bernon killed
him. I have never seen such rage in all my life.”

“
You mean Hadwyn?” Queen
Matilda asked, dabbing at Barwolf’s wet cheeks with a linen
cloth.

“
Nay, Bernon. He looked
like he was ready to kill me too. We are supposed to talk about my
disobedience later.” She sighed and ran her fingers through her
short locks. “I have ruined everything. I think he was starting to
like me a little and now he is displeased with me.”

Matilda raised her eyes to
heaven. “You are too easily dejected, dear. You cannot go by his
expression in the middle of a battle. You were seeing his war mask.
Heaven knows there is nothing meaner looking than a Norman warrior
in the midst of battle. Now tell me how William fares, then I will
tell you how to offset a man’s temper.”

“
The king was fine the last
time I saw him.” Barwolf sniffed.

“
Good.” Matilda cupped
Barwolf’s cheeks and smiled. “Now when you see Bernon, do what you
did in the dungeon. Throw your arms around his neck, tell him you
are sorry for disobeying him, and tell him how glad you are he is
still alive and married to you. Your small size will bring out his
protective male instincts and overcome his anger. The most you will
get is a stern talking to.”

“
You do not think he will
send me away?” Barwolf asked, unable to keep the tremor from her
voice.

“
Nay, and
remind him of your wedding vows.” Matilda nodded and her cobalt
eyes sparkled as she embraced the notion. “You only promised to
obey him
the best you could
and you will try to do better next time. That way
you will beat him to the end of the lecture and he will have
nothing left to say. Now let us go see our men. We have been
through a trying ordeal and ‘tis their duty to comfort us.
Sometimes they need a reminder.”

Barwolf extinguished all
the torches and lamps in the throne room then led Matilda through
the maze to the ale room. They entered the hall just as an agonized
scream reverberated from the rafters. She saw five Norman knights
holding an injured soldier down on a table. A burly warrior, whose
blond hair was cropped so close that he appeared bald, raised a
sword over the injured man’s leg.

“
Wait!” Barwolf cried. She
ran toward the table as Bernon entered the rear door with Geno and
the king. The soldier holding the sword halted and glared at
her.

“
What are you doing?” she
shouted.

The husky Norman grunted
at her then again prepared to lower the blade. Barwolf pulled her
dagger and took aim. “If that sword falls, you will speak with a
woman’s voice for the rest of your life. Now answer me.”

Hugo slowly lowered the
sword and glowered. “How dare you interfere when ‘twas your people
responsible? Jerold’s leg is dying. We are cutting it off so he
won’t die with it. Now get away from here. This is not your
concern.”

Barwolf glared back. “’Tis
my husband’s soldier, so ‘tis my concern.”

“
We will be tending our own
without interference from someone whose cousin tried to kill us
all,” Hugo hissed. “Now be gone.”

“
I am not my cousin and I
will not let you remove his leg until I have decided it cannot be
saved. I mean it. I am good with a blade.” The man looked at her as
if she were a nasty bug he would like to step on and wipe across
the rushes. “If you will not listen to sense then listen to reason.
Bernon may be my husband, but who do you think he values more—a
strong fighter or an insignificant woman whom he married only
because of a king’s order?”

Hugo looked over her
shoulder and paled, saying nothing.

“
He values the strong
fighter. That is who. Do you think me simpleminded enough to harm
one of his valued men and risk his wrath?”

Her hand holding the
dagger ached with tension. They were not listening to her and she
could read the distrust in their eyes.
Zut!
They probably saw through her
bluff too. She wouldn’t harm one of Bernon’s men to save
another—especially one as big and fierce as this brute.

“
Why not
settle this the way you settled the dispute between Aiken and
Merton,
ma petite?”
Bernon asked from behind her.

Barwolf started, not
realizing Bernon had entered the hall. She spun around and cast
bewildered eyes upon him.

“
Ask Jerold what he
prefers,” Bernon suggested, crossing his arms over his chest.
Hopefully his support of her in this matter would help her learn he
placed value on her. He would speak with Hugo later about denying
and disrespecting his wife.

Barwolf nodded then turned
around and walked to the man lying on the table. “Jerold, open your
eyes and look at me.”

Two amber eyes clouded by
pain slowly opened and focused upon her. “You have a bad wound in
your leg, Jerold. I do not know if I can help you or not. Your
friends want to chop it off without letting me look, so you have to
make a choice. You can let them cut off your leg with that dirty
sword or you can let me see if I can save the leg. You could die
either way. If they cut it off and you live, then you will end up a
pathetic, worthless beggar dependent upon charity for the rest of
your days. My way hurts more, but if you pick me and you live,
there is a chance you could keep the leg, be a whole man, and fight
another day. What do you want, Jerold?”

“
You,” he whispered upon a
moan.

“
Nay,” Hugo snapped. “He
will die if the leg is not removed.”

“
Jerold has made his
choice, Hugo,” Bernon admonished. “You insult me by suggesting my
bride would purposely harm Jerold.”

“
I will exam the wound,
Hugo,” she said softly. “If I truly do not believe I can save it,
then you may take over.”

Hugo grunted at her and
sheathed his sword. “Come, men. We will give her an hour to
decide.”

“
Don’t you men dare leave,”
Barwolf ordered, casting her ferocious glare. Hugo halted and
turned toward her with a contemptuous expression. “I will need your
help.” Padarn entered the hall. “Padarn, go to the shed and fetch
Ardith and Betia please. Tell them to take fresh linens, water, and
wine to my chamber. And tell Ardith we will need her medicinal tray
too.”

Padarn took off, and she
faced the men who stood glaring at her. “Be careful and lift him
from the table then follow me. Jerold will use my chamber until he
recovers.”

As she turned to leave,
she noticed Bernon standing beside William off to the side,
watching her. She ran toward him, jumped at his chest, and wrapped
her arms around his neck. His arms came up, holding her against
him, and she lay her head on his shoulder. “Thank you for washing
off the blood. I’m glad you are not hurt, and I am sorry I
disobeyed you. I would not have if I hadn’t been so worried about
you.” Her tiny hand patted his cheek. “I will try to do better next
time, and I appreciate your patience during this discussion. I will
not ask you to kiss me now, because of your control problem and I
truly need to take care of Jerold, but you should kiss me two extra
times tonight, because you have put me off twice. You can put me
down now.”

Bernon set his bride on
her feet and watched her lead his soldiers, who carried the injured
man, toward the alcove containing the anterior tower stairs. What
in perdition had just happened?

Geno sauntered across the
hall, holding a goblet of ale, and stood next to Bernon. “What did
the little wolf say to put such a bemused look on your
face?”

“
I am not sure,” Bernon
replied in a mystified voice.

William chuckled. “You
misunderstand, Geno. They were having a discussion about his wife’s
behavior. She has agreed with him that she will try to do better in
the future.”

“
But he never said a word,”
Geno pointed out.

Glancing down at his
queen, now standing beside him, William winked at her then looked
at his two confused vassals. “He will get used to it.”

Padarn entered the front
door, toting two buckets of fresh water, and headed for the common
tower. A middle-aged woman of short stature with mousy-brown hair
and a blotchy olive complexion followed him, carrying a tray piled
with bowls, flasks, and linens. A young girl with curly chestnut
hair and gentle violet eyes in a heart-shaped face accompanied the
woman. She carried a leather case in her arms.

The trio was just passing
Bernon when Padarn’s voice increased in volume. “Aye, Ardith, I’m
telling the God’s honest truth, I am. Got us a big wounded Norman
upstairs and our little lady is plannin’ on tending him. Hope he’s
not as strong as he looks. If he starts fightin’ her when the wine
burns, one blow from his fists could knock our little angel clear
across the room and right out the window, aye, it
could.”

Bernon frowned and strode
after the trio.

“
Where are you going,
Bernon?” Matilda asked, laughter almost choking her
speech.

“
Upstairs to make sure my
bride remains indoors.”