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“But these—”
“Aren’t your clothes,” he finished, still gazing out the window. “I know that. Your clothes were soaked with blood, thanks to your guardian’s treatment of you and to your own foolishness in venturing out in your condition. They were ruined, and I had to throw them away. Those belonged to the innkeeper’s daughter. I bought them.” He glanced at her and shrugged. “They’ll be a little large on you, but they’ll do.” He turned his gaze skyward again. “There’s a girdle to secure them with.”
Silence reigned in the room for a full minute, until Rosaleen finally cleared her throat to gain his attention. He spared her another short glance from where he looked out the window.
“What?”
“I wish to dress,” she said as lightly as she could, hoping he would understand.
“And so you may.”
“Alone,” she clarified. “Or with the help of the maid, if you don’t mind.”
He smiled. “I don’t mind at all, sweeting, save there is no maid and I’ll not leave this room. You have about three minutes to get yourself dressed without me watching, so I advise you use them well.”
“But…at least send up the woman who helped me to undress in the first place!”
This time he actually laughed. “I’m the one who undressed you, sweet. If you desire my assistance, I’ll be more than glad to help. If you don’t, you’d best do as I advised earlier.”
Being possessed of an amazingly quick mind, Rosaleen grabbed the clothes and began to dress in a hurry. She wasn’t entirely successful, for she was not used to being dressed without help, and her back still pained her with the misery of slowly healing wounds. The underclothes provided, she discovered with dismay, were made of rough wool and not of the soft, supple silk she always wore. When she pulled the surcot over her head, her arms somehow got tangled in the cloth, and, muttering an angry oath, she found herself unable to get them free.
Hearing her, Hugh Caldwell turned away from the window, took in her half-clad figure with a shake of his head and strode to where she sat struggling helplessly. Grasping the light blue surcot, which matched the color of her eyes, he tugged it over her head and down her body, freeing her arms, then he snatched up the girdle to fasten it around her waist. “Your guardian was able to afford a maid to lend you aid in dressing, it seems,” he commented rather pointedly. “You clearly aren’t used to doing it yourself.” He knelt to fasten the overlarge leather boots on her feet.
“My maid was a girl who came from the village,” Rosaleen said truthfully, though guiltily. Jeanne had lived in the village, but Castle Siere had more than eighty other servants who had come from all parts of England.
Hugh nodded. “I see.” He strode to the window again. Once there, he leaned out, saw something he had evidently been looking for and turned back into the room.
He fixed a leather strap around his left arm and sent a sharp whistle out the window. With a great deal of flapping, a compact, fierce-looking gyrfalcon settled on his wrist, and he drew her into the room.
“Sweet baby,” he cooed to the magnificent creature. “Little darling. My beautiful Amazon.”
Rosaleen sat on the bed, her hands in her lap, and watched with interest as Hugh Caldwell filled his mouth with water from a nearby cup, then bent his handsome head to let the bird drink the liquid as it dripped slowly from his lips. When the hunter had drunk her fill, Hugh Caldwell began to hum a little tune to her, over and over, the same simple tones in repetition, which kept the wild bird entranced so that he could set a hood over her head. Once the hood was fixed the bird was perfectly docile, and he proceeded to handle her deftly, tightening the jesses on her legs and setting her on the back of a chair to perch while he went about packing his things.
“She’s beautiful,” Rosaleen murmured appreciatively.
In the midst of stuffing his lute into a traveling bag, Hugh paused. His head shot up and he grinned at her. “You know about birds, then?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied without thinking. “I’ve many fine birds of my own at—” she stopped herself just in time “-home.”
“Do you? I used to have several myself, when I was a lad. Amazon’s been with me this past year. She’s quite young yet.”
Rosaleen looked at the bird with open admiration. In her mews at Siere there were many fine hunting birds, and she was skilled in using them during hunts, but never had she seen a more promising gyrfalcon than the one Hugh Caldwell possessed. It occurred to her that there was more to him than met the eye. Perhaps he wasn’t a knight, but no ordinary man could possibly possess such a creature, or afford one, either.
“She hasn’t any bells,” she commented, still watching as he continued to pack his things.
Hugh didn’t stop this time as he tied the strings of his bag together. “No, she hasn’t,” he replied, straightening and lifting Amazon from her perch. “Well then, Rosaleen no-name,” he said as he toted the bag up over one shoulder, “goodbye. It has been more pleasant than I could ever say, and I do hope you’ll find your way to London with ease.”
He started for the door, and Rosaleen shot up off the bed.
“What!” she shrieked.
He stopped just in front of the door.
“I said goodbye.”
“I know what you said! What do you mean by it?”
His expression was openly bewildered. “I mean goodbye. I was not aware there was another meaning to theword.”
“But you cannot mean to say that you’re leaving!”
“I can’t?”
“Well, no, of course not! I’m not ready to go. I haven’t yet eaten to break my fast, and I don’t know where my things are, though perhaps you’ve taken care of that already. They were on my mount, and you have taken care of my horse, have you not?”
“Ah, no, I haven’t,” Hugh replied. “I didn’t even know you had a horse.”
“Of course I had a horse!” she stated, wondering at how slow-witted he was. “How do you think I came to be here otherwise? Oh Lord!” she said with a groan. “I imagine he must have been stolen. I was in such a state when I arrived here that I didn’t even think to stable him. Everything I had was on him. All my money, my change of clothing, everything!”
“Well, that’s a stroke of bad luck, Rosaleen, and I’m sorry,” Hugh said sincerely. “Listen, I’ve a good bit of money at the moment. I’d be happy to give you enough to help you get started…”
But Rosaleen wasn’t listening to him. She cut him off with an imperious wave of her hand. “Never mind. It’s too late to cry over what’s been done, and it was my own fault, really, for not stabling the beast. You shall simply have to purchase another mount for me, and I shall have to make do with the clothes you’ve provided until we arrive in London.”
Hugh blinked rapidly, certain he hadn’t heard right. “We?” he repeated.
Rosaleen paced the room. “I shall need clean linen to cover my hair, and a brush, of course. If you would go now and ask the innkeeper’s wife to bring me those two items along with some bread and cheese, I shall shortly be ready to leave.” She stopped pacing and glanced at him. “You may make the arrangements for my mount while I’m eating.”
When he simply stood there and stared at her, Rosaleen fluttered her hands as if to shoo him on his way. “Hurry, Hugh Caldwell. We’ve no time to waste. My uncle will be looking everywhere for me, so we must be on our way at once. How many days do you think it will take us to reach London?”
“Far fewer than you think, lady,” Hugh replied stiffly. “I’m not taking you to London.”
“But of course you are. You have to.”
“What I have to do, sweet, is get myself on my way. I’ve surprised even myself by playing the gallant and watching over you these past two days, but don’t think I’ve a mind to do any more. Now, I’m willing to leave you enough gold to get you to London, but that’s all I’m willing to do. Take it or leave it.”
“Your sense of humor is not only badly timed,” Rosaleen chided, “it is sadly improper.”
“And your understanding, mistress, is slower than a turtle’s pace. What makes you think I’d take you to London?”
God’s mercy! Rosaleen thought with irritation. The man was as dense as a tree. “How can you ask such a thing?
Surely you know your duty as a gentleman!”
Shock possessed Hugh’s features for a long, silent moment, and then, quite suddenly, he began to laugh. “My duty as a what? As a gentleman? God’s bones, mistress, but it’s been a long while since I’ve been so amused. I’ve already told you that I am no chivalrous knight, and if you could possibly think me gentle then you must have no care whatsoever for what passed between us last night in that bed behind you.”
Rosaleen gasped out loud. “What!”
Hugh’s laughter died into a very masculine grin, and he fixed her with a decidedly warm gaze. “Do you not remember, little one? Do you remember nothing at all? Or did you think perhaps you had only dreamed it? You were so sweet and warm, so responsive, that I would have wagered all I own that you’d not forget a single moment of what we shared.”
“Oh!” Rosaleen cried. “Oh! You’re lying! They were dreams!”
Hugh lowered his bag and set Amazon atop it to perch. Then he straightened and very slowly approached Rosaleen, who backed away from him. “They were not dreams, sweeting, and I should be most happy to renew your memory, if you like. Now, do you still think me gentle? Do you still wish to spend all those lonely nights on the road to London with me?”
Rosaleen rounded the other side of the bed, moving away from him as quickly as he followed. She wasn’t frightened of him, she was furious. In fact, she wanted to kill him.
“You swine! You despicable knave! How dare you! How could you! I was a maiden, you wretched beast! I-I’ll have you hanged for this!”
Hugh stopped and chuckled. “You truly don’t remember, do you, sweet? I may be a knave and a swine, but I’m not so base that I’d take advantage of a half-conscious female. If you were a maiden last night then you are a maiden still.”
“And I may be an ignorant girl, Hugh Caldwell, but I’m not a fool!” she cried. “You touched me!”
Hugh inclined his head. “ ‘Struth, I did indeed touch you, lovely Rosaleen, and enjoyed every moment. But touch is all I did. You were restless and cried in your sleep. I only tried to comfort you. That’s all. Most gentlemanly of me, do you not think?”
Rosaleen didn’t believe him. The memories she had of his hands and mouth moving over her were dim, true, but they were there all the same. “You did m-more than t-touch me, you lecherous fiend!”
Hugh’s grin was fully masculine. “A little more, yes, my lady. I considered it repayment for my kindness in taking care of you.” He eyed her appreciatively. “Verily, sweeting, I have never been so pleased with any recompense in my life. Shall we get started for London, then?”
“You’re an animal!” she shouted, pointing at the door. “Leave then, you wretched, unchivalrous rat! Get out! I wouldn’t go one step in your company, you…you…ravisher!” Hugh laughed and turned toward the door. In a rage, Rosaleen followed. “And when I get to London, I’ll have a warrant put out for you, signed by the king’s own hand, you…you…defiler! I swear by God’s holy name, I shall!”
“Good lack, woman! If this is the kind of abuse you heaped upon your uncle’s head, it isn’t a wonder he beat you so!” He stopped at a small table near the door and dug his coin bag out of his tunic. “Here,” he said, placing several coins down. “I shouldn’t be so merciful to such a shrew, but this ought to be enough to—”
“How dare you!” she screeched from right behind him, so that when Hugh turned he bumped into her. “First you abuse me, you…you…seducer! And then you try to pay me off like the veriest whore, you…you…”
“God’s bones, I did not ravish you!” Hugh insisted, barely ducking in time when she picked up the coins and threw them at his head. “Calm yourself, Rosaleen! I only meant to help you, not hand you an insult.”
“The only way you can help me is to get out of my sight!”
“All right, all right! I’m going!” He picked up Amazon and reshouldered his bag. “First you say I can’t go, and then you throw me out. What a wild creature you are, Rosaleen no-name. Your gratitude for my care these past two days is overwhelming, indeed.”
“Oh!” she gasped, taking a swing at him. “How dare you, you…you… great randy goat! If you think to wait until I thank you for deflowering me, then you’ll be waiting until Satan’s breath blows cold!”
“I did not,” he said with growing anger, “deflower you! If you don’t quiet yourself, my sweet, I’m going to take you back to that bed and show you exactly what I did do!”
“Get out!” she shouted. “And when you get downstairs I wish you to send up one of the friends who stood with you the other night. Surely one of them will be chivalrous enough to help a lady in plight.”
“You are quite right, my lady. Any one of my friends would have been pleased to play the good chivalrous fellow for you, more fool they, but they are gone, having left yesterday morn, as I, myself, should have done and now wish to God that I had!” He drew in a breath, then said more calmly, “I fear you shall have to seek London on your own, as you did before you ever came to this place.”
Rosaleen froze, staring at him in surprise, as though he had struck her, and then she did the inexplicable. Her face crumpled and her eyes filled with tears.
“But I can’t.”
Hugh looked away, thoroughly aggravated. “You were planning on going alone before,” he said gruffly. “If you’d let me leave you a little money you could still do it.” It was a damned lie, and he knew it. A woman on the open road, alone, was as defenseless to every rogue and knave who came her way as a newborn mouse might be against Amazon.
She shook her head and spoke more to herself than to him. “I learned very well two nights ago that I will need protection. I must get to London. I must.” She turned and walked back to the bed, wringing her hands. Sitting on the mattress, she bowed her head and was quiet.
Hugh cleared his throat. “Well, you’ll be fine. Goodbye, Rosaleen. Good luck.”
She said nothing, only kept her head bowed. Her fingers laced and unlaced in a worried rhythm.
“I said goodbye, Rosaleen. Godspeed.”
“Yes, yes,” she mumbled tearfully. “Goodbye.”
He opened the door and walked out, shaking his head to rid it of the memory of her sitting so unhappily on the edge of the same bed where he had spent some exceedingly enjoyable hours with her. Well, he’d be damned if he’d feel guilty about that, he told himself as he made his way down the stairs to the main room. She had enjoyed herself quite as much as he had, though she didn’t remember it yet. And he had considered it repayment for all the trouble he’d gone through. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. She was a beautiful girl; any other man would have used her much differently had he had the chance.
The innkeeper was standing behind his serving board when Hugh walked in, and the little man smiled in greeting.
“Well, sir, are you on your way, then?”
“Yes, I’m on my way,” Hugh replied. “The lady is feeling better this morn, and would like some food to break her fast with. She also wishes the use of a brush and needs clean linen to cover her hair. See that she has all she desires.” He tossed the innkeeper a couple of gold coins and watched with disdain as the man pocketed the money with lusty greed.
“That I will, my lord,” the man promised quickly. “The lady be well satisfied, I vow. Will there be anything else, my lord?”
Hugh gave the man a considering glance and wondered how far he could trust him. The innkeeper was willing enough now, when a fighting man was present, but how would Rosaleen fare once he’d ridden away? Aside from that, he hated the way the man spoke of her, as though Rosaleen were naught but a whore flaunting herself as something better.
He struggled for a long moment, telling himself sternly that he was going to regret this. If he only could have expelled the image of her sitting so defeated and miserable on the edge of that damned bed, he might have won.
“The lady,” he said curtly, emphasizing the word, “will need a good mount. Is there anyone in this godforsaken village who owns a decent horse he’d be willing to sell?”
Chapter Three (#ulink_7b991068-873a-50bc-9397-730ac7a39887)
“I am not taking you to London.”
They’d been traveling together for only half a day, and already Hugh felt like strangling her.
“You needn’t be so intemperate, sir,” Rosaleen stated from where she rode beside him on a tiny brown mare that made his own magnificent black steed look like some mighty and fabled creature. “It certainly wasn’t my idea that we go anywhere together. And if you think that escorting me to London will stop me from issuing a warrant for your arrest, you are sadly mistaken. I intend to go straight to the king regarding the matter of my ruin, and when he hangs you, I shall be at the very front of the crowd, cheering the executioner on.”
Hugh gritted his teeth and wondered what sin he had ever committed to make him suffer this fate.
“Rosaleen, I am going to say this one more time, and if you ever again mention the matter I shall make you exceedingly sorry. Listen well, lady. You are still a maiden. I did not ruin you. And I am damned well not taking you to London!”
She perched as high as she could in her saddle, trying in vain to level herself with Hugh Caldwell.
“Then what good do you do me?” she demanded. “I’ve told you over and again that I must get to London as quickly as possible, yet you refuse to tell me how taking me to your brother will help me in getting there. Don’t you understand anything? I must get to London!”
“I understand perfectly, Rosaleen,” Hugh replied with what he felt was admirable calm, considering the measure of his vexation. “And I promise that my brother will be able to help you. He is a man of no small influence and can help you attain whatever goal you have. He could even get you an audience with King Henry, if you desired it.”
With a sigh, Rosaleen settled back into her saddle and turned her eyes to the road. Hugh Caldwell was lying, there could be no mistake of that. What would such a man as he know about influence? His brother was probably a pig farmer, a big man in some unknown village who held a few dozen ignorant peasants in thrall. And as for Hugh Caldwell himself.. .well! She didn’t care how handsome he was or how handy with a sword. He was as bad as a pig himself. Worse, even, for he hadn’t the faintest idea of how to treat a lady.
“How far away is this so esteemed brother of yours?” she asked, thinking that she must start planning anew her route to London.
He sounded grim as he answered, “Two days’ ride. No more than that.”
“You live with your brother, then? In the same village?”
“No.” He kept his eyes on the road ahead. “I’ve not been home in over ten years. In truth, I have no home.”
“Really?” Rosaleen’s womanly heart responded to the sad note of his reply. “That seems very strange. Ten years! Did something happen to keep you from returning to your family? A fight with your brother?”.
