The Darkland (32 page)

Mara stared at Lily, a
creeping sense of defeat filling her.
But no
. She would not accept it.
She couldn’t.

“Lily,” she said as she
averted her gaze. “You have been a true and sweet friend. I… I have never known
such friendship and I want to thank you very much.”

Lily put a hand on her
arm. “As I have never had a friend like you, either,” she said. “You are
humorous and curious and lovely. I am so sorry this has happened, darling,
truly.”

Mara patted her hand but
then she moved away from it, heading towards one of the small lancet windows
that let light into the chamber.

“Will you do something
for me if I ask it?” she asked.

Lily nodded. “If I can,
you know I will.”

“I want you to leave me
alone. Please.”

Lily wasn’t so sure
about the request.  Mara hadn’t been alone since the day of her father’s
announcement, and for good reason. Everyone was aware of that fact, especially
Mara. Therefore, her question had Lily on edge.

“I… I would like to, of
course,” she stammered. “But….”

“Please,” Mara said
firmly, turning to look at her. “I swear I will not try to harm myself in any
way.”

Lily looked at her
dubiously. “Do you promise? A promise above all promises?”

“I swore, didn’t I?”

“But why do you want to
be alone?”

“I just do,” she said
softly. “I just want to… think. I have so much to think about. Please indulge
me, Lily. Just for a little while.”

Reluctantly, Lily
nodded. “Very well,” she said. “I will leave you to your thoughts. Shall I send
up some food?”

Mara shook her head. “No
food.”

With a final lingering
gaze, Lily hesitantly quit the room. As soon as the door shut softly behind
her, Mara ran to the door and threw the big iron bolt.  The door and frame,
built like a fortress with great iron supports, was built to withstand a siege.

By dinner, a dozen men
were still trying to force it open.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Spencer could see the
torches on the battlements of Quernmore in the distance and he sighed with
relief; they were almost home.  He couldn’t wait to see Lionel’s expression
when he told him what had become of Edmund and Johanne.  If Lionel didn’t
believe him, he’d brought three reliable witnesses with him.

In the darkness of early
evening, Micheline rode beside him astride a small gray palfrey, having
exchanged her peasant clothing for more suitable attire.  Behind them rode
Valdine and Wanda, wrapped up in heavy cloaks astride their own palfreys, and
terrified of traveling on the open road.  Having rarely ventured out of
Anchorsholme, they had an unnatural fear of the outside world.  Micheline kept
glancing back at them to make sure they were well.  Since they had tried, and
succeeded, in saving her from her prison, she felt an obligation to take care
of them.

“They are fine, Lady de
Cleveley,” Spencer said when she turned around for the hundredth time since
leaving Anchorsholme. “You worry like a mother hen.”

Micheline looked at him,
smiling weakly. “They do not look very well.”

Spencer glanced over his
shoulder at the pair, riding so close that they were nearly on top of each
other.  All they could see was their pale faces peering out from behind their
heavy hoods.

 “How can you tell?” he
asked with feigned seriousness.

Micheline giggled.
“You’ll not make light of them,” she scolded softly. “They are brave beyond
measure.”

Spencer was looking at
her, a glimmer in his eye. “I do not make light of them, I assure you,” he
said. “They were indeed brave to do what they did for you. But I would say,
baroness, that you are braver and stronger because you, in fact, survived the
Darkland.  I have the utmost respect for you.”

Micheline blushed
demurely. “Were it not for you, my lord, I am not sure what would have happened
to us.”

Spencer watched her
lowered head.  She had her sister’s nose and soft shape of the face, but her
behavior was far more agreeable and sweet.

“I am sure you would
have bested Johanne somehow,” he said, thinking on what had happened two days
before.  It had been a freakish and shocking happening, but he pushed it aside
for the moment.  There were more pleasant things to speak to Lady Micheline
about. “Now that you have inherited Anchorsholme from your husband, have you
thought about what you intend to do with it?”

Micheline’s head came up
and she cocked it thoughtfully. “I… I am not sure,” she said. “Live there, I
suppose. To tell you the truth, I am still rather stunned about what happened.
It is difficult to comprehend that both Edmund and Johanne are dead.”

The glimmer faded from
Spencer’s eye. He grew serious. “Not soon enough,” he said. “Surely you knew of
the rumors of the Darkland, my lady. Everyone in these parts knew of them.”

Micheline tried not to
look too contrite. “I will confess that I had not heard,” she admitted. “My
father pledged me to marry Edmund in payment for a debt owed to Edmund’s
father, Monroe. If my father knew of the rumors, he never told me. I only
learned of them after I came to Anchorsholme.”

Spencer lifted his
eyebrows in understanding. “Now that you know of them, surely you know what a
blessing Edmund and Johanne’s passing is.”

“I am coming to.”

He smiled confidently. “Anchorsholme
will be an inviting and pleasant place once again under your hand,” he said. “I
am sure of it.”

Micheline was fortified
by his kind words, blushing beneath the moonlight.  He seemed like such a kind
man; she was coming to like him a great deal. “I hope so, my lord. I will do my
best.”

Spencer didn’t say
anymore to her after that as the approached the massive walls of Quernmore. It
was growing cold and very dark by the time they came upon the great gatehouse
with its massive smoking torches, smelling of animal fat.  Spencer announced the
party to the sentries, who ordered the gates opened.   Chains clanked and
groaned as the big woodened panels slowly swung open.

They were greeted inside
the gatehouse by a few soldiers and a senior sergeant.  Spencer wearily climbed
off his charger, handing the reins to one of the soldiers and moving to assist
Micheline.  She was light and slender, sliding easily into his big arms.

“Where is Lord Lionel?”
Spencer asked.

“In the keep, my lord,”
the sergeant replied. “He is attending his bride.”

Spencer had just lowered
Micheline to the ground but he froze, his hands still on her waist as he looked
at the soldier. “They are
already
married?”

The sergeant shook his
head. “Nay, my lord,” he replied, unaware that the woman in Spencer’s grip was
the sister of the reluctant bride. “It would seem that his intended has
barricaded herself in a room and they are trying to get her out.  A priest is
waiting for them in the hall once they manage to purge her from the chamber.”

Micheline gasped and
Spencer glanced at her with concern. Without another word to the gaggle of
soldiers, he took Micheline by the hand and began walking, very swiftly,
towards the keep.  Wanda and Valdine slithered off their palfreys and followed,
clutching each other and terrified of all the strange men and the strange
surroundings.

Quernmore’s keep was a
big, square and squat building, four stories including the lower ground floor
storage level.  It was massive. Micheline skipped after Spencer, hardly able to
take the time to view her surroundings as he pulled her through the keep entry
and up a rather large flight of spiral stairs that was built into the thickness
of the wall. Once they reached the top level, he pulled her down a narrow,
arched corridor, ducking his head to avoid the iron wall sconces and their
smoking torches.

Almost immediately, they
could hear voices and what sounded like a chopping axe echoing in the tight
quarters of the passageway.  Men were speaking, sometimes barking, and Spencer
could hear Lionel’s agitated tone. Turning a corner, they could see the
situation of a torn-up door and several soldiers trying to break it down.

“My lord,” Spencer said
as he swiftly approached. “What goes on here?”

Lionel looked surprised
to see Spencer.  But just as swiftly, his attention was drawn to Micheline in
Spencer’s grip and the identical women hovering fearfully behind her. His gaze
lingered on the women for a moment before he refocused on Spencer.

“Nothing a few dozen
soldiers and three months of hard labor will not see resolved,” he said, rather
exhaustedly.  “I did not hear the sentries. When did you arrive?”

“Just now,” Spencer told
him, still eyeing the door. “What has happened?”

Lionel slumped against
the wall as he, too, eyed the door. “The Lady Mara has barricaded herself and
we are attempting to free her,” he replied. His attention was drawn to
Micheline. “Who is your lovely escort, Spencer?”

Spencer looked at
Micheline. “My lord, allow me to introduce you to the Lady Micheline de
Cleveley,” he said, returning his attention to Lionel with a lift of the
eyebrows. “Lady Micheline is the Lady Mara’s sister.”

Lionel’s eyes widened. 
He focused on Micheline. “Lady Mara’s sis…?” He couldn’t even finish.  He
pushed himself off the wall and grasped Micheline by the arm. “You are Mara’s
sister
?”

Micheline was rather
intimidated by the man with the busy dark eyebrows. “Aye, my lord.”

Lionel’s hope was
renewed. “Perhaps she will open the door for you!”

Micheline knew that
wouldn’t happen; but, then again, perhaps Mara might. The sisters had been
separated for a few weeks, more separation than they had ever experienced in
their lives. Perhaps Mara would be glad enough to see her sister to forget her
stand-off and open the door.

“Perhaps,” Micheline
nodded, eyeing the soldiers trying to twist the door off its hinges. “But you
must send your men away. She will never open the door if she feels threatened.”

Lionel began waving his
hands at the soldiers.  “Cease!” he hissed. “Drop what you are doing and leave
at once.
Go!
”

The soldiers, weary and
sweaty from hours of exertion, gladly did as they were told.  As they backed
off from the panel, Lionel turned to Spencer. “You will stand flush against the
wall next to the door,” he told him. “If Lady Micheline can coerce her out into
the corridor, you can grab her from behind.”

Spencer’s brow furrowed.
“Grab her? Why?”

Lionel’s features
hardened. “Because this girl has put me through nine long days of madness and
foolishness,” he snapped. “I will stand for it no longer. The priest awaits us
downstairs and unfortunately, Lady Mara has chosen to be married by force. I
shall be happy to oblige her.”

Micheline wasn’t at all
thrilled with his reply. It was a struggle not to outright refute the man.

“My lord,” she said
steadily. “I was informed that my husband offered my sister to you in
marriage.”

Lionel nodded. “He did,
and I accepted.”

It wasn’t in Micheline’s
nature to resist or go against a directive of any kind. She was too meek. But
knowing how Mara felt about Kirk, nothing about this situation made sense to
her. She tried very hard to be respectful.

“My lord,” she began
again, carefully. “I am not sure if you are aware, but my sister has hoped to
wed Kirk Connaught.  My husband was not aware of this when he sent you the
marriage offer.  Had he known, he would not have offered Mara to you.”

“Aware or not, I have
accepted,” Lionel repeated. “This is not a subject open to debate. Mara will
become my wife before the night is over.”

Micheline didn’t like
the soullessness from the man, and that dislike fed her bravery. “Do you
understand that she is in love with another man and he is in love with her?”
she asked. “I am sure if you understood this, you would not make such a callous
statement.”

Lionel eyes narrowed.
“It does not matter,” he said. “Furthermore, this is a contract between Edmund
and me. With all manner of respect, my lady, this is none of your affair and
you will kindly stay out of it.”

“It
is
my
affair,” Micheline shot back softly. “My husband is dead; therefore, I have
inherited his affairs, this one included.  I am rescinding the marriage
contract, my lord. You will find yourself another bride or I will not lift a
finger to aid you in removing Mara from that room.”

Lionel was geared up for
a retort when her words sank in;
my husband is dead
. “Edmund is dead,
did you say?” he repeated incredulously. “When did this occur?”

“A few days ago,”
Micheline replied, her manner strong and confident. “His sister killed him and
when she tried to murder me, Sir Spencer saved my life.”

Lionel looked at Spencer,
astonished. “Is this true?”

Spencer was grim. “It
is,” he said softly. “Johanne was running mad. She murdered her brother and was
attempting to murder the baroness when I intervened. When she tried to kill me,
I killed her instead.  I am not proud of the fact, my lord, but it is the
truth. The woman was insane and I had no choice.”

Lionel was completely
shocked. He stared at Spencer, wide-eyed. “The madwoman attacked you?” he
breathed. Then he shook his head. “I have heard tale of what she was capable
of, but to attack a fully armed knight? I cannot believe my ears. The woman
truly was mad.”

Spencer nodded grimly.
“She was not particularly strong but she was ruthless,” he said. “As much as I
did not relish killing a woman, there was no alternative.”

Lionel was quickly
overcoming his shock, thinking of a world without the horrors of the Darkland
hanging over their heads.

“What did you do with
Edmund and Johanne?” he asked, looking between Spencer and Micheline. “I am
assuming there was no mass said for them?”

Spencer looked at
Micheline, who answered without hesitation. “None that I would attend, my
lord,” she replied. “I paid the local parish priest to bury them in a location
he deemed appropriate but I do not wish to know the details. I wash my hands of
them both.”

“Wise,” Lionel
concurred. He began to look at Micheline with new, and perhaps respectful,
eyes. “Lady Micheline, you seem like a woman with a good head on her
shoulders.  How is it that you married into that hellish family?”

Micheline repeated the
details. “In payment for a gambling debt my father had with Monroe de
Cleveley.”

Lionel stroked his
bearded chin, eyeing her. “I see,” he said. “How old are you, my lady?”

“I have seen twenty-two
years, my lord.”

“And you feel yourself
capable of running an established house such as Anchorsholme?”

“I cannot be any worse
than my husband was, my lord.”

Lionel snorted. He
approved of his newest neighbor even though the truth was that he had little
choice. It also occurred to him that he needed to establish a good relationship
with her from the start and trying to break the woman’s sister out of her
barricaded room wasn’t perhaps the best way to go about such a thing.