After careful consideration, she decided that it would be better if she tried to run because she could hear them in the distance, beating bushes and she knew, eventually, they would make it over her way. Therefore, she had to run. She couldn’t simply wait for them to find her.
Unwinding her legs from beneath her body, she slowly rolled onto her knees, trying to keep abreast of where, exactly, her abductors were. She could hear them, over towards the west, so she crawled through the damp brush, getting her hands and knees dirty, until she emerged from the brush and into a thick bank of trees.
Carefully, she stood up and slipped behind the trees, using them as cover, as she tried to keep an eye on her abductors in the distance. She could still hear them and it gave her confidence. She was putting space between them and her. It gave her such hope and nearly brought tears to her eyes, hoping that, for once, God was looking upon her and would protect her from harm. God had never paid much attention to her in the past, but it would seem that was about to change. She found herself praying fervently for His protection.
The road to Wrexham was just across the meadow in front of her, the same meadow they had crossed in that ramshackle wagon. The grass was waist-high in some places, knee high in most, and she thought she would do better – and not be seen – if she stayed on her hands and knees. So she dropped down and began to crawl across the ground again, grinding mud and rocks into her hands and knees. She left the shelter of the trees and proceeded into the wet grass, continuing to pray for God’s help in escaping those who sought to do her harm. Her praying was silent for the most part but when she entered the grass, it became a fervent whisper, as if that would help God hear her better. She didn’t dare look back.
It was difficult to crawl in the garment she was wearing and, more than once, her feet became tangled in her cloak, but she continued on, pushing through the wet grass, heading for that road to safety and freedom, or so she hoped. She was determined to make it to the road and run, run as fast and as hard as she could, in the direction of Wrexham. Surely by the time her abductors discovered she had eluded them, she would be to safety.
God, let me get to safety and I swear I will never do anything so foolish again!
She was midway between the trees and the road and she could no longer hear her abductors in the woods behind her. That concerned her somewhat and as she was contemplating turning to see if she could spot them back in the overgrowth, she heard what sounded like thunder. It was coming from the direction of the road, south to be exact, and it grew progressively louder.
Curious, she lifted her head slightly to see where the noise was coming from and was immediately confronted with knights on horseback, dressed for battle, accompanied by at least twenty soldiers who were also on horseback. The knights were on fat, well-fed horses and wore tunics of blue and yellow.
She knew those tunics very well.
Lavister!
Madelayne forgot all about the men beating the bushes looking for her. At the sight of men from Lavister, she suddenly bolted to her feet and began screaming. She waved her arms and began to run, trying to catch their attention, but they didn’t seem to notice her. Perhaps she was too far away because no one slowed down; no one even looked in her direction. Still screaming, she ran towards the road, waving her arms wildly. While she didn’t yet catch their attention, she had caught the attention of the men who had been trying to abduct her.
Madelayne heard a shout behind her and turned to see the two slovenly men burst from the trees and head in her direction. Terrified, Madelayne picked up the pace and, in a burst of speed, tore off towards the road. The collection of knights and soldiers were nearly past her now but she continued to wave her hands and shout, praying someone would see her. Praying that just one man would happen to look over and see her racing across the meadow. All she needed was one man.
Just one.
Please, God… just one!
God must have heard her because the very last soldier in the group happened to look over and see a woman running across a field with two men after her. Fortunately, the man was a senior soldier and recognized Lady Madelayne right away. With a piercing whistle, he caught the attention of several men in front of him, who in turn caught the attention of the rest of the group. Kaspian, who had been in the lead with Thomas and Ewan, turned to see what had his soldiers so excited and he was seized with relief and terror to see Madelayne running across a field of blue-green grass with two men in pursuit of her.
The battalion from Lavister turned their mounts for the field and, suddenly, horses were plowing into the grass towards Madelayne. She was so relieved that she started to cry and her legs, so achy and weary, buckled. She fell to her knees as men on horseback charged past her, heading for the two men who had been pursuing her, men who now realized they were in a great deal of trouble. The farmer and his son tried to run but the son was cut down by Ewan while the father was cut down by Thomas. Thomas then ordered the soldiers to go into the trees to see if there were any more men as Kaspian and Dolwyd converged on Madelayne.
On her knees in the wet grass, she wept loudly. Kaspian could hear her crying as he drew near. He was shaky and in great pain, but he managed to pull his steed up a few feet away from her and bail from his horse. In truth, he literally fell off the horse and had to catch himself on the saddle. His legs were quaking and his entire body was screaming with agony. But he ripped off his helm and made his way to Madelayne, taking a knee beside her as she wept and grasping her face between his two big hands. There was great emotion in his expression as he spoke.
“Madelayne,” he said earnestly. “Are you well? Have you been injured?”
Madelayne shook her head, sobbing. Tears cascaded down her creamy cheeks. “I am not injured,” she wept, his big hands on her face causing her heart to pound against her chest. There was such warmth in his expression. “I am so sorry, Kaspian. I did not mean to cause you such trouble that you would ride to my aid. You should not be out of bed!”
That was very true and he was feeling rather lightheaded now, but he didn’t speak on it. He would not acknowledge it. He didn’t want to admit that coming after her had been more taxing than he thought it would be. But the fact that she should be concerned for him in the midst of her danger touched him deeply. He’d never had anyone care for his well-being like that before and that endeared her to him even more than she already was.
“It does not matter,” he scolded softly. “All that matters is that you are not injured. But why did you leave? What happened that you would run from Lavister and risk yourself so?”
Madelayne was trying very hard to stop her tears but it was difficult. Along with her relief at finally being safe, her sense of embarrassment was great. Gazing at the man, she could feel those torn feelings rising up again, feelings of warmth and excitement for Kaspian against feelings of mourning for Cairn. It was an internal struggle that was only growing worse as Kaspian gazed at her almost as if he were glad to see her.
Almost as if he cared.
“I… I would be a burden to you if I remained,” she sniffled, trying to fight off the idea that the man might actually care about her. “You were simply being kind by asking me to stay at Lavister, Kaspian, but the truth is that I do not belong there. You were right when you said a widowed woman would face a bleak outlook and it is not your responsibility to provide for me. You are too kind to send me away so I had to leave.”
He just looked at her, greatly disheartened by her words. “So I did say something to chase you off,” he muttered, realizing his sense of lightheadedness was growing worse. “I suspected as much. Why did you not simply come to me and speak to me of your fears? I did not mean to offend or hurt you, Madelayne. Surely you know that.”
Madelayne nodded, her tears calming and nearly gone by now. “I know you did not mean to intentionally offend me,” she said. “I never thought that.”
His gaze turned soft and a gloved thumb stroked her cheek, ever so faintly. It was a gesture tha
t sent a wild chill up Madelayne’s spine.
“Then why did you run away?” he asked quietly.
She averted her gaze. “I told you why. Because you were too kind to send me away.”
That thumb stroked her cheek again. “I did not mean to…mean to….”
He suddenly trailed off and his eyes took on a rather glazed look. As Madelayne and Dolwyd watched, Kaspian suddenly pitched right over into the grass and passed out cold.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Two days later
So softly sings, the wind, my babe; On the wings of angels, may you sleep, my babe; God watches over you, my arms embrace you; never are you more content than now; Sleep, my lovely, sleep….
Madelayne finished the lullaby, a whispered sonnet. She had become accustomed to singing it to Kaspian over the past two days and it was coming to tenderly suit the man who had probably never known any tenderness at all. He had always seemed hard and cold that way. She gazed down at him, so still and silent on the bed, and her heart twisted with concern.
“He hasn’t awoken,” she said. “It’s been so long, Dolwyd. Why doesn’t he wake?”
The old man sat upon a stool and scratched his spotted scalp. “Because he did too much damage to himself riding about the countryside looking for you,” he snapped. “Had you not been so stupid, he would be well on the road to recovery now.”
Madelayne turned her face from the churlish physic. She was feeling guilty enough without his added anger. “What’s done is done and yelling at me isn’t going to help.”
“It helps me a great deal,” the physic exclaimed. “Maybe you won’t do anything like that again and wreak havoc all about Lavister.”
Madelayne’s jaw was tight. “I know what I did. I do not need your lectures.”
“’Tis not enough lecture you’ve had,” Dolwyd pointed a finger at her. “If Kaspian has any sense when he awakens, he’ll thrash you soundly.”
Madelayne visibly perked. “Then you reckon he’ll awaken soon?”
“I didn’t say that!” he barked. “I said you need thrashing!”
“You’ll not speak to her like that.”
It was a very faint, very muffled voice. It took both Madelayne and Dolwyd a moment to realize it was coming from Kaspian. With a gasp of delight, Madelayne bent over the supine form and pulled the pillow away from his face, giving him plenty of air to breath. He was horribly pale and licked his dry lips, but the blue eyes were open.
“Kaspian,” Dolwyd leapt up and hovered over him. “How do you feel, man?”
“As if I need to stay in bed for the rest of my life.” Kaspian blinked up at the physic. “But if I hear you speak to Madelayne like that again, the only person thrashed around here will be you. Is that clear?”
The old man merely grunted. “If you can get up and catch me, you are welcome to try. But I’d advise against if for now, so I suppose I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
Kaspian didn’t say anything as Dolwyd checked his wound again and tightened the bandages. “Well? Are my innards still intact?” he finally asked.
“Enough so,” the old man replied. “I do not think you did any real damage, but you tore some of my stitches.”
“Then I’ll recover?”
“More than likely. But you cannot take any more strain, Kaspian. You need to stay in bed and rest and eat. Only then will you fully recover.”
Kaspian’s eyes moved to Madelayne, her angelic face looming above him. “Do you hear that? No more running off with you. I’m too old and weak to be chasing around after you.”
She smiled at him, vastly relieved he was conscious and speaking. “Old? You cannot possibly be that old.”
Kaspian sighed faintly, closing his eyes. “Old enough,” he muttered. “Christ, I probably look every year of my thirty-seven years and then some.”
“Damn old for a fighting man,” Dolwyd concurred. “You should have retired years ago.”
Kaspian grunted. “I choose to ignore you. Be gone with you now. I feel as if I could sleep for a hundred years.”
Dolwyd lifted an eyelid, studying the eyeball, before standing back. “Aside from the fatigue, nothing is paining you?”
Kaspian inhaled deeply, feeling for any aches or pains he might have. “Not too terribly.”
“You are damn fortunate, Kaspian. Need I say more?”
“You do not. Get out of here.”
The old man grinned, heading for the door. Madelayne began untying her bodice. “You must be famished,” she said softly. “Here, take some sustenance before you sleep. I’ve been full to bursting for two days and it has been most painful. You would be doing me a favor, really.”
Kaspian put his hand up to stop her; the contrast in size of his hand against hers was striking. He looked at her a moment, studying her fine features. “In truth, I only wish to sleep. But I thank you for your concern.”
Madelayne gazed at his hand over her own, fighting off a tide of warm, giddy feelings. Two days of fighting off those same torn feelings had seen her leaning more and more towards Kaspian and the excitement of his touch. The truth was that Cairn had been more like a brother to her, a protector and provider, and she had been fond of him. Aye, she’d done some soul searching in the past two days since her return to Lavister and she knew, in her heart, that she had never loved Cairn. That was well known.
But what she hadn’t expected was her response to St. Hèver, the thrill of his touch and her lust for the man. She felt guilty for allowing her sense of excitement for him to overwhelm her mourning for Cairn. Was it wicked? Perhaps. But all she knew was what she felt every time Kaspian touched her. She couldn’t ignore it. For her own sake, she simply couldn’t.
“Then I shall leave you to your sleep,” she finally said, retying the bodice. “I… I am glad you will recover. I shan’t be far should you require me.”
Kaspian’s fingers curled around her hand, preventing her from leaving. “I would ask you to stay,” his voice was soft. “To call out to you would require too much effort. If you simply stay here, I won’t need to exert myself.”
She eyed him, feeling the warmth of his tone, reluctant to admit that she very much wanted to stay. Slowly, she captured the stool Dolwyd had been sitting upon. An awkward silence prevailed until she pierced it.
“I am sorry,” she said softly. “For leaving, for causing your strain… I am truly sorry.”
He stared at her for a moment. “’Tis I who should apologize, madam.” His voice was husky from fatigue and disuse. “I did not mean to upset you so with my careless words.”
Madelayne looked at her hands, fumbling in her lap. “It was a foolish reaction. I must harden myself to the facts of my desolate situation.”
He was watching her like a hawk, his blue eyes intensely penetrating. “I would ask a question, Madelayne.”
He used her Christian name, soft and sweet, and her head came up, her gaze locking with his. “What is that?”
“What were you going to do once you ran away?”
Her cheeks flushed. “The only thing a person in my circumstance can do. Go back to my father and, presumably, find another husband.”
“You would leave us, then?”
“Who is ‘us’?”
He seemed suddenly reluctant to answer. “Those… well, those of us at Lavister.”
She lifted her shoulders. “My husband is dead,” she said. “I have said this before – with Cairn gone, there is no reason for me to stay.”
Kaspian knew this but he didn’t want to agree with her. “But you are my chatelaine,” he insisted. “Did you not stop to think that I need you here, now, more than ever? With my injury and the chaos going on, you are more valuable to me than ever.”
She was dubious. “I am?”
“Of course. How could you believe otherwise?”
She shrugged lamely. “Because Mavia is here and….”
“Must we have this discussion again? You are a far better chatelaine than she is.”
He was flattering her but it was also the truth. She cast him a sidelong glance, reluctant to believe him even though she wanted to. “But I do not wish to be a burden.”
“Upon whom?”
“Well… you, my lord.”
“Kaspian,” he reminded her.
She shook her head quickly, forgetful. “Kaspian.”
He struggled not to smile. “Why do not you let me make that determination? You are worth your weight in gold at this moment and I’ve no intention of letting you slip away. Is that clear?”
Madelayne felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She opened her mouth to thank him, but instead, tears filled her eyes. Kaspian caught them immediately.
“What’s the matter?” he demanded. “What have I said now?”
She shook her head and wiped, embarrassed, at her eyes. “’Tis nothing. I… I’m simply overwhelmed with your graciousness.”
He watched her, feeling the pangs of uncertainty. He was trying to reassure her that she was not a burden, but instead, perhaps he had been selfishly demanding. He realized that for quite some time he did not want her to go, albeit because he felt responsible for her since Cairn’s death, or perhaps because he didn’t like the thought of not seeing her about the castle, he wasn’t sure. She was a fixture here, a radiant bit of light in the midst of smelly, fighting men, and he very much wanted her to stay.
“If you do not want to remain, I will not force you,” he said, though it was difficult for him to say. “But we need you, Madelayne. I need you. I hope you will consider staying with us.”
Madelayne was feeling terribly foolish for all of the misconceptions she’d had in recent days. She hadn’t given Kaspian enough credit for his compassion. I need you, he had said. She wondered if she was reading too much into his statement.
She hoped not.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.”