flooded me. I was so dizzy that if Freeson hadn’t been holding me, I would have
fallen off the horse. I swallowed and closed my eyes tightly. I must have moved,
for I heard Freeson’s voice right behind my ear. “Please do not move, my lady. I
will keep you steady.”
I became aware that his arm was about me and that I sagged against his chest. “Where
is George?”
“Flynt is carrying him. No, don’t worry. He isn’t abusing him.”
“Who are you? What is happening here?”
“I cannot tell you. Hush, now.”
I said nothing more. Words were beyond me. I concentrated on not vomiting on his
horse. My head ached so badly from that madman’s blow to my temple, I prayed my
brains were still intact.
“Can you not tell me where we are going?”
“I cannot.” He hesitated, then he leaned closer to me. “I tried to convince his
lordship that his quarrel was not with you, but to no avail.”
“Then, who is his quarrel with?”
He looked over at Lawrence, then ducked his head down. “It does not matter. I
cannot tell you.”
There was simply no one else, and so I said flatly, “With my father.”
He took a sharp intake of breath. “Please, my lady, I cannot speak of this
matter further. I cannot.” So he was afraid of Lawrence, then? I didn’t blame
him. I was afraid of him, too.
We rode on in silence, Flynt and my husband some little distance ahead of us.
There was no sun this morning. The sky was leaden, snow threatened. I thought
dully that we must soon be nearing Devbridge Manor. My grand escape had gained
me nothing. If he did take me back to the Manor, what would he tell the servants?
Miss Crislock? What would he say to John, for God’s sake? No, whatever he
planned to do with me, he would not take me back to his own home to do it. It
would be too great a risk for him.
I wasn’t particularly surprised when our small cavalcade turned off the main
road onto a rutted, narrow path not two miles west of the manor. I turned my
head and looked at Freeson. He shook his head and looked resolutely ahead. Soon
we came to a small cottage set in a clearing and surrounded by a forest of maple
trees. Smoke gushed from the disreputable chimney. There was a single horse
tethered to a tree beside the door.
Lawrence pulled back, then reined in beside us. “Ah, madam, I see that you are
awake. It is good of you to oblige me in such good time.” He sounded happy, so
pleased with himself that I wouldn’t have been surprised had he burst into song
at any moment. He sounded, I thought, like he had just won a huge victory.
We pulled up in front of the cottage. Lawrence lifted me down and untied my
hands. He had a firm hold on my left arm. I couldn’t get free of him, he was
just too strong.
“Steady, now, my dear, I would not want you to faint now, when I have such a
surprise for you.” He was so excited that his eyes glittered.
I said nothing, but I knew, oh, yes, I knew very well what his damned surprise
was.
He gave me a puzzled look. “You are not stupid, I will say that for you. You
read the letter in my desk. You know, do you not?”
I just shook my head, and kept quiet. He laughed, and waved Flynt to open the
cottage door. Flynt dropped George to the ground. George wasted no time flying
to me. I picked him up and held him close. Lawrence pushed me through the
cottage door. It was very dim in there. There was one scarred table, that didn’t
look all that steady on its legs, several old chairs set around it, a poorly
burning fire against the far wall, that was only about six feet distant from the
door. Then I saw the single bed shoved against the far side of the cottage,
nothing else, save a cracked chamber pot halfway under that ragged bed. There