The Beast of Renald (The Northern Knights) (20 page)

‘Ed-Edward, my lord.’

The soldier looked up at him as the rain washed away some of the blood.  His wide eyes looked ready to burst from his skull. Something did not smell right about this and Darc’s eyes went to Gan and the other guard with him. Both men stood breathing heavily and appeared disgusted with their find.

Darc turned his attention back to the soldier at his feet.  ‘Edward, what is your crime?’

Edward swallowed, more blood pouring from his mouth and nose. ‘I to-took coin from that Saxon.’

Darc looked to Gan. ‘Do you have evidence of this?’

Gan held out a leather pouch that jingled in his palm. Darc still did not believe it. He gave instruction to imprison Edward. He would see the soldier later. He had to see to another matter just as pressing before the household awakened and came in this direction.

Caroline was just about to start Kelbie’s lesson when Mildred came to relieve her to answer her husband’s call.  At first she had wanted to refuse, her emotions still unsettled over what had happened last night. Then she smirked knowing that if she did not, the man would only come for her and besides, mayhap he had gotten the ring from Cedric and wanted to give it to her.

When she reached the hall near the west side of the castle, she stopped at the sight of castle guards standing over a pallet. She could not make out what it was that had them all so transfixed. She spotted Darc across the hall. When he turned in her direction, ‘twas too late. Caroline had stepped forward and her gasp of horror filled the hall.

Cedric lay with his throat slit, dried blood crusted in the deep slit with dirt and one sightless eye crossed, staring at nothing. Caroline stumbled back with the back of her hand pressed to her open mouth. She fell into something hard.

Darc grasped her shoulders tightly.

He’d not expected her to appear so quickly, he had wanted to tell her after the body had been removed. Her reaction was not what he had expected.

Turning her away from the grisly sight, he mounted the stairs with her and walked her to the room across from her chamber. She was breathless and her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.

‘Wh-what? What has happened?’ Caroline managed to gasp out.  They had just had the fight with Cedric yestereve.

‘You mean you do not know?’

Caroline whipped her head up and faced him.  His accusatory tone upset her and she frowned at the cold look he was giving her. ‘What is your meaning?’

‘Well, it seems you are shocked by his death.’

Caroline blanched. What was wrong with him? ‘Aye. I am. Why would I not be? The man was just alive mere hours ago.’ She felt sick when he only shrugged.  She could not believe it! ‘Is there something you wish to share with me, my lord?”

He walked to the window and gave her a look that made her cringe inward.

‘It is no secret you wished the man dead, demoiselle. You yourself tried to kill him with my blade. Do you deny it?’

Caroline gaped at him a moment, a blinding white pain slammed into the front of her brain. The room started to spin and she could not answer right away at first.

‘Aye. I thought as much.’

White hot anger blazed within her. ‘I- you bastard. Wishing someone dead is not the same as killing them. Aye. I would have liked to see him gone, indeed, you know this. But murdered like that. I do not wish it upon anyone. Even you. You were not the most kind to him, so I could ask the same of you!’

Darc didn’t move, he just continued to watch her. Caroline wrapped her arms about herself and rubbed them in an attempt to rid herself of the sudden chill. She fought back the nausea. The image of Cedric’s lifeless body rushed to her mind again and she tried to shake it away.

She was not capable of killing anyone, even such a vile creature as Cedric, Darc thought. But he needed to be sure. A part of him had known.

In the short time he’d known her he did not believe her capable. Still this was body number four and it meant there was a murderer among them. ‘Aye, I will admit I had thought he would be better off dead.’ He met her gaze. ‘However, I did not act on it.’

‘Nor did I,’ she yelled at him.

‘The ring was not on his person, Caroline. His finger was cut clean off. What am I to think?’

‘Well I would like to think you would have some faith in me. But after your behavior yestereve I know that is asking the impossible.’ she yelled at him.

‘What do you want of me?’

‘I want you to trust me. I want you to listen to me. I meant what I said when I told you I would be a good wife to you.’  Caroline held her breath.

He looked doubtful for a moment, then he gave her a curt nod. ‘Aye. But, you will have to earn back my trust first, Caroline.’

Anger flared in her anew.  ‘How many times must I tell you that I am sorry I did not tell you about Cedric? ‘Twas not what it seemed. I have revealed all my secrets to you.’

She could see in his face he did not believe her as he reached out and lifted her chin to look at her more intently. ‘Have you?’

The hurt was too great and she stepped away from his touch. ‘Without trust we have naught.’ 

He stared at her a long time then he walked over to her chests against the wall, threw them open and began to fling her things all over the room.

Caroline ran to him. ‘Have you gone mad? What are you doing?’

He did not stop. ‘Where is the ring?’ he growled.

Stunned, Caroline could only stare at him. His hulking frame looked like a juggler with her clothes flying over his head.

She told him angrily, ‘I told you I do not have it! Even if I did have it and I assure that I do not, think you I’d keep it where it could so easily be found?’  That stopped him, but she did not shrink from his glower.

‘So you did do it?’

Incredulous at his stinging and steadfast accusations, Caroline’s anger ballooned. He may as well have cut her up with his blade. ‘Twould be quicker and was how much his words hurt. With both of her hands pressed to her chest, she asked hoarsely in disbelief, ‘You truly think me capable of murder, Darc?’

He shrugged, his eyes never leaving hers, his arms akimbo on his lean hips. ‘At first…’ he started, stopped and began again. ‘One so aggrieved, done many ills…an individual is capable of anything. I’ve seen it many times.’

He did not move when she stepped forward and slapped him.

‘You wound me deeply with this. What you speak is madness as are you. And if you think I’m putting all this stuff back you are sorely mistaken. I’m so angry with you I cannot bear to be in the same room with you….‘Tis a small wonder a man like you has no friends with such intimidation and brute force to get what you want from someone.

‘And aye, you are right. I may just be capable of murder.’ She turned from him but not before he saw her tears.

‘Caroline, wait…’ Darc started then stopped as something fell from the gown he had fisted in his hand. It hit the floor with a clang.

The ring rolled across the floor.

Neither of them said a word, both their gazes locked on the ring until it came to a stop, toppling after a final swift spin onto its side between them.

Darc’s brusque tone broke the silence. ‘That little mouth of yours has nothing to say?’

His words shook her from her momentary flummoxed state and Caroline pointed a shaky finger down at her father’s ring, sputtering, the horror spreading across her face. ‘I-I- have no idea how that-that got in there.’

Darc was not swayed. ‘Of course you don’t.’

Tears burned her eyes at his words and her heart bled at the sight of the ring. She had wanted it back, but now memories of all the pain it had caused and how Darc accused her was too much. Overwhelmed with it all, Caroline could take no more and with one last look at him, she turned and walked out of the room.

Darc cursed aloud and threw the gown back in the chest.

He knew deep down she’d not murdered Cedric. The man was too tall and his neck wound too deep to have been made by her. Nay, it had taken great strength to nearly sever Cedric’s head from his body with the jagged weapon that had been used.

He’d ruined everything. Yet he’d been unable to stop himself from asking, from searching. Her attitude had made him behave so irrational. Nay it was not only that. It was the uneasiness taking hold of him when he was in her presence, the closeness of her, the inability to think…Ah, Darc loosed an oath.

The hole in his heart was starting to feel something and it was choking him. He had to protect himself against this Saxon wife lest she continue to spin her wiles about him.  

He feared her more than any enemy he’d come against.

 The feelings she’d left inside him he could not and did not want to face. Like now, the pain and hurt he’d seen etched across her face before she had fled bothered him. Stung his hard heart that his unjust and unfounded accusations had helped put that look there.

Damn, he was a fool.

Darc scanned over the mess he’d made. He picked up a handful of her newly made gowns, her scent wafted up and he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes briefly and sat down hard on the bed.

After a beat, he bent and picked up the cursed ring. What was this woman doing to him?

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Four days had passed since Cedric’s death and Darc had spoken very little to her. Caroline did not care and continued to ignore him when he came into a room. Like she was now. It was a beautiful sunny day and not so chilly. She was leaving the maze with Mildred by her side and spotted him just inside the entrance almost lurking in the alcove there. She was too angry with him still, so much so she’d not even inquired about the ring. She was amazed herself at the heavy sadness that hung around her neck.

Darc had wanted to approach her many times during the past few days but had resisted the strong urge, especially with the many times she had given him her back…each time.

God’s teeth! The woman was driving him mad! Being alone and brooding was what he sought, not affection from a haughty Saxon wench.

He busied himself with intense focus on the village deaths. He had sent Edward to one of his manors not far away. He had a man he truly trusted there to keep an eye on the boy. Though the young soldier had pronounced his confession a second time, Darc knew it was forced and that he was not behind Cedric’s murder.

 The real traitor was still in his troop. And he would discover who it was.

On the murders nothing, the trail in the woods had led to a dead end. The scouts he’d sent out came back with nothing to report.

And his wife. She glanced in his direction now and Darc scowled and walked away. As much as he hated to do it or even think it, he had to make things right.

Later that evening Caroline walked into her chamber to see Kelbie’s bed empty and thinking he was still with Mildred in the other room she turned to walk in that direction, then froze when something glimmered out of the corner of her vision drawing her to it.

On the chest next to the lit single tallow candle sat her father’s ring. Hesitantly she reached out for it then drew her hand back. She’d not touched it or felt it in so long.

The gold band, the onyx jewel on which sat her gold crest glittered under the low candlelight and firelight. Caroline picked it up and noticed that her hands shook badly. Anguish flooded her heart and she let out a heart rendering gasp which almost choked her. She closed her fist over the ring.

Pain lanced her chest and opening her eyes she spied the dark figure sitting back in the shadows on the bench. She knew who it was before the shadow unfolded and stood. She faced him.

‘So you will not turn your back on me this night?’ His deep timbre filled the room. She stared at him, saying nothing. Darc approached and stopped scarcely a hairsbreadth from her. ‘I am sorry.’

Her response was a sob-filled croak. He swept her up into his arms and stood there holding her. He thought she would resist him, but she did not and though her tears of grief bothered him, he held her whilst she wept.

When she had regained her composure she pushed away from him and he let her.

He watched her as she set the ring back where she had found it. She came back to him and said in a low voice. ‘We both need to work on trust. No good will come of this union without it.’

‘Aye.’

‘Had I but trusted you when you gave your pledge to handle Cedric…’ Caroline’s voice trailed off as she stared into his eyes.

‘It is over. Do I have your trust and… forgiveness now, Caroline?’

She gave him a positive nod. ‘There is one thing that works well between us without words and ‘tis this.’ She pressed a hand against his chest, leaned up and pecked his lips in a hasty kiss. ‘I need you this night, husband.’

Darc did not move and let her pull his head down for another sweet and longer kiss. He’d not come for this, not that he did not want it. He did in the worst way.

He enfolded her into his arms and returned her kiss.

The warmth his large body provided calmed her and the friction of her nipples against his tunic was sweet. She moved and her sensitive flesh sent waves of pleasure right to her center. Caroline moaned and buried her face into his chest when he stopped kissing her.

She wanted all of his body heat and wound her arms around his middle as far as they would go. Passion shook her and the force of it made her tremble as much as it scared her.

She struggled to breath. Why did she fight it? His hardness against her belly strained for release.

‘Do you have a chill, wife?’

Even his deep voice rumbled in his chest against her ear and stirred her loins; she could not help but place her feet over his booted ones and stand on her toes to kiss his throat. She had a chill aright, but ‘twas being in his arms which had set the gooseflesh to rise up on her skin. She wriggled against him.  ‘Aye.’

His big arms pulled her tighter against him and with his lips pressed softly to her temple, he murmured, ‘Hold on.’

He drew one of her legs up and drew off one of her slippers. It brought her middle over his erection and the groan rolled across her tongue out of her mouth as she pressed her forehead against him. Then he did the same to the other but this time he rubbed her against him. Caroline’s head fell back.