The Dark Lady (25 page)

“
It took everything Peter had in him not to knock that barbarian of a man from his seat and pound him until he was senseless. He clenched his fists so tight they began to tremble.

“
He ran for Jackal’s stall. I knew you would not want the boy to upset him, so I touched him again with my whip.” Corey remained sitting, not looking at Peter. “I have done nothing wrong.”

Peter shook with the effort of staying in control. “Touched?” His voice was soft like the calm eye of the storm while the hurricane raged, unchecked, throughout his body and emotions.

Corey looked up and his gaze darted between Peter and Grant.

Peter could see the fear on his face and that satisfied him. “Touched him with the whip?” Peter glanced back at Grant and held his hand out calmly. Grant gently slapped Corey’s whip into his open palm.

“
Touched,” Peter repeated quietly. Without looking back at Corey he swung the whip. In the small room he was unable to get a snap out of it. Nonetheless, it took skin from the man’s arm.

“
Milord, please, no,” Corey cried out as the whip once more connected with the flesh, blood began to well from the resulting welts.

“
I am just touching you.” Peter’s anger mounted. “I should have you flailed for your insolent behavior. I do not have the time or the effort at this moment. You will leave these grounds. Now.”

Peter swung the long leather whip back and forth, the tip of it ran across the floor and the tops of his boots. “Do not set your foot on my land. If you do, I will tell you, my sweet little bride may lose some of that iron control she has over her temper. I will not stop her or anyone from flaying you with a whip again. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

Corey jumped to his feet in protest. “Where am I to go, milord? I have no one to turn to. I have a home here. I have been here all my life.” The words began to blur together as they tumbled quickly from his pleading lips. “If it gets around that you let me go for this, I will be an outcast. No one will go against you.” The tremble in his words increased until Peter could hardly understand him.

Peter looked at him without pity, shook his head, and walked out. He heard Grant giving orders to remove Corey from the grounds before following Peter out. Outside the small building two stable hands waited with their saddled mounts. The horses pawed impatiently at the ground and nickered lightly at the men as they approached. Peter did not believe he had ever been as eager to get away as he was today. He looked forward to a hard day of training to help clear his mind, or at least distract him from his eccentric wife.

“
What are you thinking, my lord,” Grant asked, once they were away from the castle.

“
That I should have allowed her to whip him,” Peter scowled at the reins and sighed. “What am I going to do with her? She acts more like one of the men than she does a docile wife. How is it possible that she could have been raised like that?” Peter considered asking about Vanessa’s voice or if Grant thought she was hiding something, but decided against it. He wasn’t sure he could deal with the answers.

“
I know very little about her, my lord, but I can find out.” Grant was a talent at uncovering secrets and Peter seriously considered it, before deciding it was too early.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Nay, I will talk to her. The trouble is, every time I get around her I want to strangle her. She is as undisciplined as a woman can get. I would like to take her over my knee and give her a good thrashing.”

This brought on gales of laughter from his riding companion. “Aye, my lord, I can see you now, trying to take that giant of a creature over your knee. You may get her there, but I bet she is not there long enough for a thrashing.”

Peter glared at his friend, but couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his lips. “Very amusing, I do not recall asking for your opinion. I can tell you one thing. I will have her tamed before you can laugh at me aga—”

Peter stopped, dumbfounded, on the rise. He stared down at his wife, surrounded by a circle of his men. Terror raced through his veins chilling his blood as weapons flew around her and anger warmed his face. Angry that she stood so calmly as swords fell around her. Angry that he could still see the soft silhouette of her body beneath a dress without the proper under garments. Did she have to disregard everything he said?

She reached for the daggers that Gary had just been juggling. Peter sucked in an infuriated gasp and his patience snapped.

He kicked Jackal into a gallop and raced toward them. Gary saw him, his eyes widening and the color draining from his face. One of the daggers slipped from his now limp fingers and fell to the ground at Vanessa’s feet. Vanessa looked at him, turned to the men, spoke, and looked back, patiently waiting.

***

As Peter had entered the guard house and Vanessa had started toward the lists, Richard had a sinking feeling deep in his gut. He had overstepped his bounds when he had approached her and now he worried of the consequences.

The silence between them was uncomfortable as they walked side by side. Lady Vanessa looked at him several times before she finally opened her mouth to speak. “Are you doing all right back here with Lord Grayweist?”

He ran his gaze across her face and tried to place her. He knew her. He recognized the resemblance to her father, but he didn’t believe that was all there was to it. “You know I was with him before?” It had been three years since he was under Lord Grayweist and few people outside the armies knew he had been.

“
Aye.” She didn’t look at him when she spoke.

“
Aye, I suppose that sort of thing gets around?” He fished for a better answer, but had a feeling he would not get it.

“
Aye, I suppose it does.”

Richard looked at her out of the corner of his eye as they walked. She walked stiffly, and kept her eyes straight ahead. The answer she gave told him she knew more than she was saying.

“
I am doing fine here...my lady,” he added as an afterthought, realizing he was being very informal with the lady of the castle. “My lady, I apologize for speaking to you the way I have. I hope you will accept my apo—”

She waved her hand, turning to look at him. “Nay. You may speak to me the way you wish. Consider me a good friend.” She smiled and returned her gaze forward. “I have heard that Peter is no longer in the war with Eolian.”

Richard stopped and stared at her. “You know of Eolian?” His suspicions peaked. Not many people knew of him, at least not by name. “Where did you hear his name? It is strange you should know of him, except perhaps by the Knight of Fear. I have known no woman who does.” She stopped, but refused to meet his eyes. “If Peter is no longer involved in the King’s armies, then why all the training?”

He smiled. “If you are not going to answer my questions, then I am not going to answer any more of yours, my friend. Unless you want to change your mind on how I can speak to you, my lady?”

“
Nay, my friend.” She took a deep breath and began to walk again, looking around nervously. He followed along beside her. “I have heard the name. I am sure many women have. Just because they do not tell you, does not mean they do not know.”

He eyed her carefully. “Aye, I suppose. I am not sure of your answer, but I’ll let it pass for now.”

“
Thank you, Devenroe. Now, as to the training?” she asked.

“
This has always been a training facility for pages and squires, now we are going to become a full time institution. Lord Grayweist has spoken to folk from all over who will send their sons to us to train. The king will also be sending us several new men.”

“
What of the men? Some will surely want to leave, return to the wars?” Their gait drew them close, walking as old friends, the awkward silence now gone.

“
Aye, some have already requested to go. We have only a few weeks with the king’s new men before he sends for their return. They are young, without any training and he has given Lord Grayweist only a small amount of time to turn them into warriors.”

Vanessa shook her head. She listened closely and seemed genuinely interested, darting glances at him while he spoke. “That is terrible. He must know it takes more time than that.” Her voice broke as she spoke.

He glanced at her quickly. She smiled nervously and looked away. Suspicion grew like a vine, winding through his thoughts.

“
That is why it is so important to begin this institution. It is the first of its kind around. Training needs to begin as soon as possible.” Richard walked along comfortably beside her, forgetting himself for a moment, forgetting who it was that walked with him.

Vanessa grumbled and shook her head. “Warriors with page training are more dedicated, more meticulous about their work and their loyalties. Young boys pulled from behind the plows are a danger to themselves as much as they are to the others in the group.”

Richard looked closely at her as she spoke. Most women would not even consider such a thing, but he was sure it was not unheard of.

“
Aye, that they are. When the King comes for his men, some of the younger men, have received permission to go. The ones who have been with Lawston for years, and the men with me, have decided to stay. We will be here to teach and to protect the tenants.” He thought it just as well. Only a certain amount of men were necessary here and more men were needed in the wars.

Cresting a small knoll the men came into view. He watched Lady Vanessa, looking for signs of fear, but expecting none. None came.

Vanessa looked across the sea of bodies that began to gather. “I can fully imagine the tenants are relieved to have the warriors here all the time.”

Richard noted her eyes come to rest on several of the men as she scanned the individual groups. He would almost swear it was his men she looked upon. Just a coincidence, he was sure—Maybe.

He had almost convinced himself of that when her gaze stopped on a massive group, all his men. She looked over each one, seeming to count each man before moving on. He was mostly sure her eyes landed on only his men, but he was also half sure he was mistaken. All doubt was removed when a look of concern crossed her face and she began to scan the crowd once again.

He shifted his feet as he watched her. He had noticed four of his men were missing and was sure she had as well. Although how that was possible he did not know.

Van glanced at him, worry tickling at her mind, but could think of no way to ask about the missing men. She had been so occupied at the meal the night before she had not kept a good count on her men.

Now she wanted to know if they had come here, if something had happened to them. Had some been more injured than she had previously believed? Anxiety wormed its way to the base of her thoughts and began to eat at her.

One of her missing men topped a rise on the far side of the lists. Her heart fluttered as the other three followed a moment behind him. Relief hit her hard before she could think to hide it. She glanced quickly at Richard, but he didn’t say anything, just raised an eyebrow.

Van resumed walking toward the men when Richard stepped in front of her. “You cannot go down there until Lord Grayweist arrives,” Richard said, his voice rose in the familiar way that told her he was anxious.

She knew very well the power she had over the castle and all the inhabitants. She grinned crookedly at him. “Are you going to be the one to stop me?”

“
Nay, I would like to tell you though, Lady Vanessa, Lord Grayweist is not going to be pleased if I allow you to get close to the men. Even someone of your status can be in danger from warriors.” His eyes darted behind him and then he scowled at her.

“
I will take my chances with the men, and as to Peter, well.” She took a deep breath and smiled apologetically. “I will apologize now, for he is not going to be pleased that you have allowed me this far.”

His jaw dropped. She turned and walked directly into the center of the men, smiling at the shocked expressions that stared back at her. “Good morrow, men. I thought I would formally introduce myself.”

“
My lady, we know who you are. You are the Lady Grayweist, Lady Vanessa Lawston,” Devon said from the ranks of the men. He pushed his way to the front of the group.

It was her turn to feel shock. She had not considered who she now was. It was like she was an entirely different person. Lady Lawston, her breath came heavy as if by a physical blow. She had lost another part of who she no longer was.

Devon was not detoured by the sudden change in her. His smile grew and his voice rose. “Mostly we know you are the protector of the small, friend to the animals, mainly us, and above all you are the Dark Lady.” Behind him cheers went up.

Before she could speak one young man that she didn’t recognize shyly asked, “Did you really grab that whip? That would have been impressive to see.”

She grinned at the youth. “And you are?”

“
Sorry, my lady. I am Francis Devlin. The story has spread all over as to how you saved that little boy, without thinking of the danger to yourself.” He stood proudly before her as he spoke and Van shook her head. Her smile widened, though she did not believe she had done anything special.

“
Well, Francis Devlin. What can you show me that’s impressive?” She enjoyed the glow brought onto his face. His smooth features would soon be ravaged with the grief of war, but for now he still had a child-like quality that touched her ragged heart.