A True and Perfect Knight (10 page)

The girl shook her head. “I cannot,” muffled out from behind her hands.

Impatient with her sister-in-law’s hysterics, Gennie asked, “What must Rebecca tell me?”

“That Thomas is missing, Lady Genvieve.”

Gennie’s vision grayed and her world tilted. She felt someone’s arms support her. Through the buzzing in her ears she heard Marie shout, “Rebecca, go fetch Sir Haven this instant.”

When Gennie’s vision cleared and the buzzing stopped, she found herself seated on a rock, her face and hands gently patted by Marie. Still, Gennie could not seem to find breath with which to speak either question or worry.

From somewhere behind her, de Sessions’s voice prodded her out of panic.

“Rebecca, fetch a drink for your sister-in-law. While you are about that, tell Soames to have all the horses saddled, and when he has done so to gather the men and attend me.”

The order snapped across the air. His calm question followed. “Are you well, madame?”

“Well?” The words strangled out of her as fear and anger battled within. “Of course I am well. It is my son who is far from well. And if you think I will leave without seeing him safe in Soames’s care, you are more of a fool than I thought possible.”

“Nay.” His face came into her line of vision as Haven knelt before her. He took her hands from Marie. “We will not leave until Thomas is safe. No doubt the boy just followed a rabbit too far into the wood.”

Heat from his hands seeped through her fingers and up her arms. She had not realized how cold she was. She looked into his brown eyes and saw compassion there. It nearly undid her. “Please, find my son.”

“He will be found with all possible speed.”

Haven looked up as Rebecca returned. He took the cup from her and placed it in the widow’s hands, then he stood.

“Nurse, who was last to see Thomas?”

“I do not know, sir. I left the child with his aunt and stepped into the woods for a moment of privacy.” Marie looked accusingly at Rebecca.

The girl trembled slightly, but she held her arms folded before her. A mulish pout decorated her mouth.

Haven pierced her with a glance. She dropped her arms. “When did you last see him, mistress?”

“A few moments after Marie departed.”

“How long ago was that?”

“I am not certain. I know you and Lady Genvieve had not yet left the clearing together.”

Haven thought back, estimating the amount of time that had passed since his encounter with the widow, and found himself appalled. “You left a child unattended that long?”

“Marie said she would return quickly. I waited. When Watley came by, I told Thomas to wait right here, since I wished private speech with Watley.”

“I see.” Haven spoke in his most forbidding tone. No doubt the desired speech with his squire was nothing more than a flirtation.

“Nurse, how long were you gone?”

“Not long at all, sir. Yet when I returned, neither Thomas nor Rebecca was here.”

“Did you go looking for them?”

“I searched the entire area. Until I found Mistress Rebecca dallying with your squire.”

Haven made a mental note to lecture his squire on his proper place and the dangers of girlish flirtations. “Is that when you discovered that Thomas was gone?”

“Not quite, sir. First I boxed that squire’s ears, begging your pardon. Then I gave Mistress Rebecca a sorely needed lesson about young men. Only when Mistress Rebecca tried to excuse her behavior did I realize that she had no more idea of Thomas’s whereabouts than I.”

At that moment Soames arrived. “You asked for me, sir?”

“Aye, Soames. Thomas is missing.”

The man paled and shot a quick glance toward the river and the suspected location of the unidentified men who had been traveling a similar course to their own. “How…?”

“We do not know,” Haven cut in. “He may have followed a rabbit too deeply into the wood.” Haven shared Soames’s concern about the armed men from across the river, but he did not want to add abduction to the widow’s worries.

“What are your orders?”

“We’ll stay the night here. Even if we find Thomas quickly, his mother will want to spend some time with him before we have to travel again. Choose three men to remain with the widow as guards and to set up camp. I want everyone else searching for that boy. We start at the river’s edge and sweep the area forward past this clearing to one league.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Send one man upstream and one man down. Tell them to search both banks for any sign of Thomas, but not to leave the riverside except to return here. I will take the reports of all men when we return to the clearing. Any questions?”

“Nay, sir.”

“Then assemble the men. I will follow.”

Soames left, and Haven turned his attention to the widow. She no longer trembled, but she was pale and tense.

“Madame, I promise you, I will not rest until I have Thomas safe.”

“Thank you.”

The barely audible whisper squeezed his heart. She showed remarkable courage. He had expected her to demand that she accompany them in the search. Instead, she accepted his orders. With extraordinary calm, the widow placed her son’s life in the hands of a man she claimed not to trust with her own.

“Marie, keep your mistress well. Thomas will need her when he returns.”

“Aye, sir.”

Haven left swiftly. If he lingered, he feared he might gather the widow into his arms.

Chapter Eight

Haven studied the faces of Soames and the rest of the men. All save two had returned, and each face told the same story. He felt a similar despair written on his own visage. He dismissed the men, telling them to get some rest. When they had all dispersed about the camp, Soames remained.

“You wished to speak with me, Soames?”

“Aye, sir. I am somewhat worried about Lindel and Bergen. They should have returned from searching the riverbanks by now.”

Haven felt his mouth settle into a grim line. “I know, but as long as they remain away, there is still some hope that Thomas will be found. I do not relish the duty of telling the widow her son is stolen or drowned. Let us be certain first.”

“’Tis the stolen part that has me worried.”

“Did you warn the men not to leave the riverbank except to return here?”

“So I did, but both men are fond of the boy. I think either man would pursue a trail if he found one. Were that the case and should the trail lead to those armed men, mayhap our man too is now prisoner or dead.”

“That would be unfortunate, for then we would have to fight them, and Edward would be upset should we lose.”

“Why should we lose? We have an almost equal number of men and surely the battle prowess of our men would measure up to, if not surpass, our opponents.”

“Aye but you yourself taught me that there is more to winning in battle than simple numbers. And I suspect that men who can steal a boy from under our noses have the kind of cleverness needed to sway the numbers in their favor. No.” Haven rubbed his twitching cheek. “A battle is not my best choice.”

“You would not fight just to get Thomas back?”

“If Thomas is with these men, I would steal him back. But if I were them, I would suspect that and be extra vigilant until I had put more distance between us.”

Soames nodded sagely. “Then what will you do, sir? What will you say to Lady Genvieve?”

“Indeed, Sir Haven, what will you tell my brother’s widow has happened to Thomas? What excuse will you give her for the convenient loss of a reminder that together you and the king murdered Roger Dreyford?”

Surprised, Haven turned together with Soames to look at Rebecca. Rage distorted the pretty girl’s features into a hideous mask. The expression shocked Haven, for up to this point the girl had been obedient, if rather sullen and silent. Could she have overheard his refusal to attack the men on the opposite side of the river? He had deliberately not told the women and servants about the fifteen men, to avoid just such a confrontation as he was having now. Or was her outburst the result of a guilty conscience?

Regardless, her hysteria had to be stopped now. He had neither the time nor the inclination to indulge the girl’s temper. “Quiet yourself.” He used the same tone that he employed on the battlefield to shake sense back into green warriors who panicked at the first charge. “You know naught of what you speak.” He continued in a softer voice. Unfortunately his words fell on deaf ears.

The fury in Rebecca’s face fled, rapidly replaced by tears and sobs. “You great hulking bully,” she wailed. “You kill your friends and abandon small boys to the wilderness. What will you do next, sir? Will you rape my sister-in-law and me, then sell our servants for slaves? You are more cruel than the king…”

Haven watched in horror as the girl ranted on, drawing the attention of all in the camp. Never in his entire career in the king’s service had his command failed to restore order. Appalled at the effect of his words, Haven hesitated, uncertain for once in his life of what action to take.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the widow running toward them. She had lifted her skirts, revealing flashes of slender white calves above the boots he had given her. Her feet had barely begun to heal. She would hurt herself moving like that. Rebecca was the cause of this. “Stop that caterwauling. Now,” he bellowed at the girl.

The young woman’s eyes widened and her wails ceased with a loud gulp followed by a choking sound.

Haven ground his teeth. He might finally have stopped Rebecca’s outburst, but he had been unable to save the widow pain, for she skidded to a halt, hugging Rebecca to her side.

“Rebecca, dearest sister, what is the meaning of all these tears?”

“Madame…” Haven spoke sternly but softly. He had no desire to provoke another outburst, but he wanted to explain what had happened.

The widow completely ignored him.

Rebecca’s tears began afresh, and she turned her head into the widow’s shoulder. “That awful man is going to abandon Thomas to the wood, after which we shall be raped and our servants sold.”

The woman patted the girl’s back. “Nonsense. He promised me before witnesses that we would not leave this place until Thomas is found.”

Rebecca raised her head. “Lies to fool us into cooperating with him.” The girl no longer shrieked, and her tears began to dry.

The widow placed one hand on Rebecca’s shoulder. With the other, she raised the girl’s chin until they stood eye to eye. “In all the days since we left Yorkshire, Sir Haven has never lied to us. He is an honorable knight, dedicated to his king’s service. He has never failed in his duty nor in the performance of any oath. Is this not so, Soames?” As she sought confirmation of her claims, the older woman’s gaze remained on Rebecca.

“Aye, milady. Sir Haven is Edward’s most true and perfect knight in all things.”

“Truly?” Rebecca hiccoughed and looked from the widow to Soames and back.

“Truly.” The widow nodded. “Now calm yourself and tell me where you got such foolish notions.”

The girl swallowed. “I would prefer not to say.”

“Rebecca,” the widow urged. “If someone is telling lies of Sir Haven, he has the right to know who and to confront the man.”

“It was not lies. Watley would never lie about Sir Haven.”

An audible gasp poured from the group crowded around them and nearly drowned out her words.

Haven’s eyes narrowed at her ridiculous statement. “Do you say that my squire accuses me of murder, rape and slavery?”

“Nay, sir, he accuses you not.” Within the shelter of the widow’s arms, Rebecca trembled. “He…he but told me tales of things that you and others did on the crusade. He never said you did those things, but others did, and you were with them…”

Her voice quailed and wavered before the ire Haven took no trouble to hide.

Haven opened his mouth, but the widow spoke first.

“Foolish child.” The older woman stroked the girl’s face, making an endearment of her words. “You dishonor Sir Haven and his squire by drawing such groundless conclusions from stories no doubt exaggerated to impress the ignorant.”

“No, I meant no such…”

“Hush now. No matter what you meant, you still insulted two good men. You know what must be done.”

Rebecca nodded. She straightened her shoulders and stepped away from the widow. “Please, Sir Haven, forgive my rash and foolish behavior. You have been all that is kind to us, and I have offered you undeserved insult in return. How may I make amends?” She looked Haven straight in the eye as she spoke.

Haven studied the girl, looked briefly to the widow, who raised her eyebrows at him, then returned to the girl’s steadfast gaze. “I accept your apology. You may make amends by seeking more information before you jump to conclusions, and by taking better care of your nephew when he returns. The time before you will be difficult, and you may find that you need Thomas as much as he will need you. Now find a seat by the fire and contemplate what has happened here.”

Rebecca left, and the gathered men dispersed, leaving Haven alone with the widow. “Thank you, sir, for dealing so evenly with a young woman’s pride.”