“The sooner the better,” Tevin grasped Cantia’s arm gently and their eyes met. “Hurry and pack. I would have you gone within the hour.”
Cantia gazed steadily at Tevin, not voicing what she was thinking. When will I see you again? But she smiled after a moment, nodding obediently as she moved for the wardrobe and pulled out two large traveling satchels. Tevin watched her, thinking the same thing she was, his heart squeezed with sorrow. She began shoving garments into the bags and he tore his eyes away only to see that Arabel was watching him intently. He felt a jolt, as if she could read his expression and know what was in his heart. He smiled warmly to cover his thoughts.
“We do not have to pack for you, I would wager,” he went to her, laying an enormous hand on her blond head. “You’ve hardly been here long enough to unpack. Where is your baggage?”
“On the wagons that Cousin Geoff brought with him,” she told him. “But what about Gerta and Mary? Will they come, too?”
She was referring to the two maid servants who had tended her since birth. Tevin thought a moment before shaking his head. “I think not,” he stroked her head gently. “I must get you away quickly and those two will only slow you down. They will be safe here.”
“But who will take care of me?” Arabel asked.
“I will,” Cantia said before anyone else could respond. She looked up from packing and noticed that a few pairs of astonished eyes were on her. She smiled at Tevin and then Arabel. “I have only had a son all these years, my lady. I have always wanted a girl. It would be my pleasure and joy to tend you until such time as I am no longer needed. Would that be all right?”
Arabel nodded timidly, looking to her father to see what his reaction was. Tevin, however, wasn’t quite sure what to say. “That is very generous of you, my lady,” he said hesitantly. “But Arabel requires more than usual tending. She cannot… well, she cannot….”
“She is a strong, lovely young lady and I look forward to helping her,” Cantia interrupted him, winking at Arabel. “It will give us a chance to become better acquainted.”
Arabel smiled brightly while Tevin’s eyes were riveted to Cantia. He wasn’t sure what more he could say. She seemed so determined. As his dark eyes stared at her with some uncertainty, Cantia simply smiled at him and went back to her packing. He continued to watch her, every graceful move she made, until she was finished with one satchel and almost finished with the second. Then she stood up.
“I must get some of Hunt’s things,” she told Tevin. “May I go to his room next door?”
Tevin nodded silently, moving to open the door of the chamber and peering outside to make sure Geoff wasn’t lingering close. Quietly, he extended a hand to her and she slipped her delicate hand into his as he took her out of the room.
“Hunt,” he addressed the young boy, now lying on the floor with his big yellow dog. “Bolt the door after we leave. Do not open it until I return.”
Hunt leapt up and slammed the door when Tevin and his mother quit the room. He hit Tevin in the rear as he shut it. In the dark hall landing, they could hear the lad throw the bolt loudly. Cantia giggled softly as Tevin merely shook his head.
“He is going to make a fine sentry,” he whispered, reiterating his previous opinion.
Hunt’s small chamber was cluttered with toys and old rushes. A bone for the dog lay near the sooty hearth. Cantia tripped over a cart fashioned with twigs as she made her way to a big chest near the wall. Tevin shut the door quietly and bolted it as she opened the chest and began removing garments.
“Good lord,” she held up a pair of breeches with a big hole in the seat. She stuck her hand through it. “How on earth did this happen? That boy destroys more clothing than I can keep track of.”
As she tossed the ruined breeches aside, Tevin walked up behind her silently. She was muttering to herself about a warm sweater that had a huge rip on the sleeve when he suddenly grabbed her from behind. Cantia gasped as his mouth slanted over her tender neck.
“I do not know when next I will see you,” he murmured against her flesh. “The mere thought is driving me mad with sorrow and loneliness.”
She moaned softly as he suckled on her shoulder. It sounded like a kitten’s purr. “You know where I will be,” she tried to sound confident, not sorrowful and lonely herself. “Darland is not too far. We will be quite safe.”
“I will send a contingent of men along for protection,” his hands were moving over her torso, feeling her softness, memorizing it for the lonely days to come. “I promise this separation will not be long. I can hardly stand the thought of it now.”
She turned in his arms, winding her arms around his thick neck. Their gazes met and she smiled as he kissed her nose. “I am looking forward to coming to know Arabel better. She seems like a very sweet girl.”
He kissed her forehead, her temple. “She is,” he muttered. “But you should know that she has no control of her bodily functions and must wear a type of garment usually reserved for infants. More than that, she has started her womanly cycle and….”
Cantia cut him off before he embarrassed himself too much. She could see that he was uncomfortable speaking of such things. “Not to worry, Father,” she smiled at him. “It will be no trouble at all.”
He gazed down at her, the warmth in her expression, and felt himself softening towards her even more. He had always known her to be inordinately strong but to take on the care of his disadvantaged daughter deepened his respect for her more than he could express.
“To know that the people I love best in this world are going to be away from me for an undetermined amount of time is testing my control,” he stroked her face. “I know this is the best course of action but my emotions have the better of me. Up until the day I met you, the only human beings that mattered to me were Arabel and Val. They are my family. And now, with you….”
He trailed off when he saw the look on her face. Cantia was staring at him with wide eyes. Tevin’s ardor cooled at the look on her face.
“What is wrong?” he demanded softly. “Why do you look at me so?”
She opened her mouth to speak, seemingly unable to for a moment. She just stood there and shook her head. “What you said… you said that the people you love best will be away from you.”
He nodded, pulling her against his broad chest. “Aye, I did. What about it?”
“I will be away from you also.”
“I meant you.”
She inhaled unsteadily, almost like a sob. “How can you say that?”
He smiled, amused. “Because it is the truth.” His grip on her tightened. “Did you truly believe that my attentions towards you are anything less than blind, crazed adoration? Of course I love you, Cantia. Did you not realize that?”
Her eyes welled with tears as he watched. The hands around his thick neck flew to her mouth as if trying to stifle the tide of emotion. “It’s not possible,” she looked truly upset. “It cannot be possible.”
He smiled gently at her even though his brow was furrowed. “Why not?” he asked, wiping away tears with his thumbs as they fell. “I did not intend to cause you tears. I simply meant to tell you what is in my heart.”
She nodded quickly even as he spoke, as if knowing his reasons for expressing himself even before he said them. She threw her arms around his neck again, hitting him in the throat as she did so. He coughed, laughing softly as his big arms enveloped her.
“Your reaction is most confusing, madam,” he whispered into her hair. “Are you horrified by my declaration or pleased by it?”
She sobbed softly into his neck. “I’m simply overwhelmed,” she wept softly. “Brac has hardly been gone these few weeks and already I find love again? It doesn’t seem possible. It does not seem right.”
His smile faded and he pulled her out of the crook of his neck, his nearly-black eyes fixed seriously on her. “Why not?” he demanded softly.
She wiped at her eyes, struggling with her composure. “’Tis too soon.”
She sniffled delicately, taking his question seriously. “It happens when it happens,” her lavender eyes came up to capture him. “I think I knew I loved you the moment you lit yourself on fire at Rochester Cathedral. From that moment on, I just knew. It terrified and thrilled me beyond comprehension.”
His smile was back and he pulled her gently into his arms once more. “Oh, Cantia,” he whispered. “I cannot tell you how happy you have made me. I’ve never been this happy in my entire life.”
She clung to him, holding him tightly. He hugged her to him for a long moment, savoring the feel of her warmth against him, her body against his, before his kisses resumed with intensity. Before long, he had her backed against Hunt’s messy bed, laying her gently upon the straw and feather mattress and snaking his hands beneath her skirts. Cantia encouraged him to explore her, feeling his hands on her buttocks and thighs, helping him lower his breeches for his swift and heated entry.
He thrust firmly into her, his hands on her hips as he kissed her with a deep and abiding passion. It didn’t seem to matter that they were still nearly dressed. All that mattered was that they demonstrate their feelings to one another and feel each other, one inside the other.
Cantia panted softly as he thrust into her, feeling her climax build and biting off her cry of passion against his shoulder as she peaked. Tevin answered shortly and she could feel his member throbbing deep inside her as he spilled his seed. Now there was a new element to their lovemaking, with true love involved that magnified the intensity of the act. The emotions involved were overwhelming and Cantia’s eyes swam with tears at the tenderness of Tevin’s touch, the feel of his flesh against her. When it was over, all they could do was lay there and hold each other tightly.
“I love you, Cantia,” he confessed, feeling liberated and free that the truth had been spoken. “Never forget that. No matter how long we are apart, know that my love for you will grow by the day and I will come for you as soon as I am able.”
She gazed up at him as he lifted his head, her lavender eyes glimmering. “Know that I shall be waiting every second of every day for that moment when we are together again,” she whispered.
He smiled faintly, kissing her once more in a painfully sweet gesture before rising from the bed and pulling her up with him. As he secured his breeches, she smoothed her surcoat and returned to gathering Hunt’s things. It was difficult for them to focus on the tasks at hand because they very much wanted to fall back into each other’s arms. Cantia seemed to be the strong one and more than once gently pushed Tevin aside or avoided his seeking mouth as she finished gathering her son’s possessions. Finally, Tevin simply stood aside and watched her as she finished. She was mesmerizing to watch.
“When this madness is over and Geoff has returned home, I shall take you and Hunt to Thunderbey Castle,” he told her. “I have a white and brown pony that Hunt might like. Someone gave it to Arabel as a gift but she cannot ride it.”
Cantia went over to him and indicated for him to hold out his arms, which he did. She deposited a bundle of clothing in them.
“Do you not think to ask Arabel first if she would mind giving her pony to Hunt?” she asked, collecting the rest of her son’s things. “Perhaps she does not want to give it to another.”
“She would rather know the pony was being ridden and loved,” he told her, moving for the door to open it. “She is a generous, reasonable girl.”
“As her father is also generous and reasonable.”
She winked at him as he opened the door, passing by him with her arms full. Tevin was in danger of pulling her back into his arms, knowing it might be the last time before their separation that he would be able to do so. Gently, he grasped her arm and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her flesh. Cantia closed her eyes with bliss, memorizing the feel of his lips against her. It was a swift, stolen moment of the sweetest measure.
Tevin released her and crossed the hall, knocking softly on the panel. He knocked again a few seconds later when there was no answer.
“Hunt?” he whispered loudly. “Open the door.”
After a moment, the bolt was thrown and the door jerked open. A little blond head and big eyes gazed back at him expectantly. As Cantia pushed past Tevin and her son and on into the room, Tevin put his fists on his hips and gazed down at Brac Penden’s son.
“Well, lad,” he said, a twinkle in his nearly-black eyes. “Are you ready for an adventure?”
He couldn’t recall ever seeing a bigger smile.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was fortunate that Cantia knew all of the minute details of Rochester, for when it came to sneaking the group of women and children out of the castle under Geoff’s nose, her knowledge was invaluable.
Within the hour, they were able to pack one satchel per person, including Arabel, so that they could travel swiftly and lightly. Cantia changed Hunt into durable clothing, layers of it, including a little wool cap all the way from Monmouth. She was dressed in durable travel clothing as well, as was Val, who took charge of Arabel and made sure she was ready to leave. The older women moved swiftly and silently, knowing it was essential that timing was everything in this case. Tevin wanted to get them free of the castle when Geoff was the most distracted.
So they chose the evening meal to make their escape even though it would be dark and more difficult to travel. But it would also make their escape more difficult to detect. Tevin had been with Geoff for the remainder of the afternoon, keeping him occupied, until the evening meal was served and then he accompanied the man into the hall. Excusing himself on a pretext, he appeared at the chamber door to find four occupants, ready for travel.
There was palpable fear in the air, apprehension with the certainty of being able to execute their plan without being caught. Taking Arabel in his arms, Tevin led the way down the spiral stairs as Cantia took Hunt in hand plus their two bags, and Val took her possessions plus Arabel’s. They moved quickly, carefully, like hunted animals. Hunt kept trying to get ahead of Tevin on the stairs and more than once, his mother had to yank him back. As they neared the bottom of the steps and into the range of the great hall where Geoff was in the process of getting drunk, the big yellow dog appeared.
“George, go back,” Cantia hissed. “George, go!”
“Mam,” Hunt grabbed the dog. “I want him to come. He isth my friend. Pleasth?”
Tevin shushed them both. He didn’t want them to be overheard. “Quiet,” he whispered. “Hunt, take the dog. Move along.”
Hunt grabbed the dog by the rope collar around its neck and, with his mother urgently herding him, followed Tevin to the base of the stairs. Sounds and smells from the banqueting assaulted their senses. They could hear the low hum of conversation and the clanking of utensils. Tevin peered out of the stairwell, his dark eyes on the entry to the banqueting hall and the movement beyond. He felt like a fugitive, waiting to be discovered at any moment.
The placement of the table inside the room gave it a view of the doorway but not the entry hall beyond, so Tevin silently slipped from the stairwell and to the keep entry about twenty feet to his right, which led into an enclosed stairwell that sloped down to the bailey. He made sure Hunt, Cantia and Val were into the enclosed stairwell before following. The evacuation of the keep had been successful.
But his heart was still pounding with apprehension as they reached the bailey. It was dark outside as the full moon started to rise. In the shadow of the great keep, Tevin turned to Cantia.
“Get us to the postern gate,” he commanded softly.
She nodded swiftly, grabbing Hunt, who had the dog, and pulled them along as they stayed close to the mighty keep, making their way to the west side where the interior bailey wall was very close to the keep. There was a gate that led to yards and the massive exterior wal
l beyond, so she slipped them all through the thick iron and wood gate.
Once they were through the gate, however, she came to a halt and faced Tevin. “From here, the only way out is through the front gate,” she told him.
He nodded, heading back to the north and the gatehouse. “There are no worries at that point,” he said. “My men are waiting there to take you out of this place.”
Cantia pulled Hunt and the dog along as they scurried after Tevin, crossing the muddy outer bailey beneath the ghostly moon glow until they reached the main gate of Rochester, which was eerily lit with torches and guarded by men.
Rather than a large escort, Tevin thought it best to have a very small but well-armed party so it would not attract the wrong kind of attention. Therefore, he only had two knights riding escort, men of the highest caliber. Next to the gate astride their big chargers await Dagan and Gavril, not John and Simon as Tevin had ordered. He peered curiously at the pair.
“Where are John and Simon?” he asked.
Dagan answered. “They have commanded us to ride in their stead, my lord.”
Tevin’s brow furrowed with annoyance. “They did not say why?”
“Nay, my lord.”
Tevin’s frustration grew but there was no time to track down the two knights who had disobeyed his direct orders. The time to leave was now. He directed Cantia to a gray palfrey as Val went to her charger and prepared to mount. Tevin went to his sister.
“Are you well enough that you can ride with Arabel?” he asked. “I would rather that she ride with you, leaving Dagan and Gavril free to fend off any assaults should it be necessary.”
Val nodded, holding out her arms for her niece. “I can ride with her and fight, too, if it is required.”
Tevin shook his head even as he handed Arabel up to her aunt. “You will not fight with Arabel in your custody,” he instructed in a low, firm voice. “Your duty will be to protect her at all costs. If there is any fighting, you will ride clear of it and get to safety. Is that understood?”