Connie Mason (11 page)

“Open up, Falcon! Something terrible has happened.”

Falcon recognized John’s voice. When he flung open the door, he heard wailing coming from the solar. “God’s bones, what is it?”

“Osgood and Walter are gone, and so is Lady Mariah’s son. They sneaked away like thieves in the night. Robbie’s nursemaid was knocked senseless. Though still groggy, she awakened and alerted Lady Mariah. A short time later we found Sir Dennis lying unconscious before Walter’s door.”

“Is he badly hurt?”

“Nay, but he’ll have a headache for a while.”

His face grim, Falcon poked his arm in his other sleeve and reached for his weapons, strapping them on as he strode from his chamber. “Alert the troops. We’ll leave as soon as I speak to Lady Mariah.”

Falcon didn’t look forward to facing Mariah. He knew
the kidnapping of her son must have devastated her and wished there was something he could have done to prevent the tragedy. He blamed himself for failing to place more guards at Osgood’s door, and securing Osgood’s men under lock and key for the night. Falcon knew Osgood had a cruel streak, but he’d never thought he would kidnap an innocent child.

Falcon found Mariah in her chamber, surrounded by Edwina and her maids. She was sobbing disconsolately. Falcon shooed everyone but Mariah out the door.

Mariah blinked at him through swollen eyes. “ ’Tis your fault! You promised to protect Robbie. Now he is gone, and I’ll never see him again.” She rocked back and forth, her sobs heartrending.

Falcon knelt before her, taking both her hands in his. “Mariah, I placed Walter under guard. I never expected this of Osgood.”

“He said he would hurt Robbie if I refused to marry Walter,” Mariah wailed. “You promised . . . You promised . . .”

Guilt weighed heavily on Falcon. “I meant it, Mariah. And I’m going to make another promise. Robbie will be returned to you safe and sound.”

Falcon prayed his promise wouldn’t prove an empty one. The thought of a vulnerable child like Robbie in Osgood’s hands twisted his insides.

“Where would Osgood take Robbie? I need some idea where to look for him.”

“Osgood lives in a small manor that came to him upon his marriage to Martha. ’Tis located near Southwold.”

“Osgood has a living wife?” That was news to Falcon.

“Aye. He also has a daughter. Elizabeth remains unwed
because Osgood refuses to grant permission to suitors unless he is paid a hefty sum for the privilege of wedding her.”

Falcon rose. “I will find him. Trust me to bring Robbie back to you.” He strode toward the door.

“Wait! I’m going with you.”

“Nay, you will remain here, where it is safe. The ten men I brought with me will accompany me. Your men will remain at Mildenhall. I spoke with your captain of the guards last night. Sir Maynard is a good man, he will protect the keep in my absence.”

“Nay, I need to be with you! What if Robbie’s release depends on my promise to marry Walter?”

“You will
not
wed Walter under any circumstances,” Falcon snarled. “Trust me to return your son to you. I’m wasting time here, Mariah. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can bring Robbie back to you.”

Suppressing a sob, Mariah threw herself into Falcon’s arms and pulled his head down for her kiss. She kissed him hard, showing her desperation without words. He hardened instantly, but before he could return her kiss, she pulled away and grasped his shirt front.

“Bring Robbie home, Falcon. Bring him to me safe and sound.”

Mariah stood before the window, watching Falcon and his men ride through the portcullis. Once she was certain they were well on their way, she grabbed her cloak and raced down the stairs to the kitchen to pack food for her journey. When she returned to the hall, Edwina halted her flight.

“Where are you going, Mariah?”

“I’m going to follow Falcon. Robbie will need me after his frightening experience. Please, Edwina, do not try to stop me.”

“Nay, I won’t stop you. But have a care, Mariah. Falcon knows what he is doing. Do not interfere. Trust him to find Robbie for you.”

“I do trust him, but Robbie needs his mother.” So saying, she strode past Edwina and out the door. Sir Maynard didn’t question her right to have her mare saddled or to leave, for he was busy elsewhere. She rode unchallenged through the portcullis, pleased to find it in a raised position. She had no idea Edwina had fetched Sir Martin, who immediately dispatched two guardsmen to follow her.

Mariah rode through the day, keeping well behind Falcon, stopping for naught but to rest her horse and drink from a stream. When hunger pangs gnawed at her, she nibbled on bread and cheese. At nightfall, Mariah knew she could push her horse no further and would have to stop soon. Her one consolation was that both Osgood and Falcon would also have to stop for the night. Mariah could not stop worrying about Robbie. Had his captors thought far enough in advance to bring food for him? Her son had a healthy appetite.

Mariah was looking for a spot to stop for the night when she heard a screech. The hair rose on the nape of her neck; she reined in her horse, waiting, listening. Then she heard it again. No animal she knew made that sound. Mariah had heard that same cry so many times she recognized it immediately as a child’s cry.

Robbie!

Mariah slid from the saddle, peering through the tangle of shrubs and trees in the direction from which she had heard the sound. The cry came again. Once she had identified the screech, naught in this world would keep her from going to her son. Not even the thick forest that lined both sides of the road.

Mariah tied her horse’s reins to a low-hanging branch near the edge of the road. She might have to leave in a hurry and wanted easy access to her horse. Then, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she entered the forest, using Robbie’s crying to guide her.

She came upon them suddenly; Osgood, Walter and six of his dozen or so mercenaries were lounging around a small fire. She slipped behind a tree, her gaze searching for Robbie. When she saw him, her heart nearly stopped.
He had been wrapped in a blanket and tied with a rope, to prevent him from wandering off, she supposed.

Mariah’s anger exploded when she saw his pitiful attempts to wriggle free. She wanted to go to him immediately, to soothe him, to let him know that his mother hadn’t abandoned him. Aware of her vulnerable position, she crouched down and waited for the right time to act.

Robbie lay several feet away from the main group of men. Mariah wondered why they had dared to build a fire, why Falcon had missed them and she had not.

“Can’t you keep that brat quiet?” Osgood hissed to his son.

“He’s hungry, I suspect. We should have brought some food with us.”

“There was no time.”

Walter glanced at Robbie, who was hiccupping between sobs. “I could gag him. Or better yet, let me kill him.”

“Don’t be stupid; that would defeat our purpose. The boy has to stay alive for our plan to succeed. Splitting up was a brilliant move,” Osgood crowed. “While Falcon is chasing after the men I sent ahead, we’ll double back to the keep.”

Walter grinned. “With Robbie in our possession, Mariah will realize how easily we can hurt the brat and agree to marry me. Once Mariah is my wife, Mildenhall will be legally ours no matter what Falcon decides.”

Osgood clapped Walter on the shoulder. “ ’Twas my plan to wed you to Mariah long before Edmond breathed his last. I wanted to leave naught to chance or King Henry’s whim. Once you and Mariah are wed, it matters not whether I am Edmond’s heir. You will get Mariah with child as soon as possible. When she gives you a son,
we will get rid of Robbie. After he joins his maker, I will become earl and you my heir. Mildenhall will belong to our branch of the family into perpetuity.”

“The wedding will be accomplished before Falcon returns, just like we planned,” Walter gloated. “He won’t be able to do a thing about it.”

Mariah heard every word. If she hadn’t chanced upon Osgood and Walter, Osgood’s dastardly plan probably would have worked. She peeked around a tree at Robbie. He had cried himself to sleep. He must be terrified, and there was naught she could do about it.

“The brat is sleeping,” Walter announced.

“We should get some rest ourselves.” Osgood got up and stomped out the fire. “I want you well rested for your wedding night.”

Walter guffawed. “I’ll plow Mariah so thoroughly she won’t be able to walk for a sennight.” He rubbed his crotch. “I get hard just thinking about rutting between her white thighs.”

They soon parted, each curling up in a blanket near the mercenaries, who had already settled down for the night. Mariah feared she would go mad waiting for the men to fall asleep. Fortunately for her peace of mind, the men were tired and fell asleep quickly. Mariah waited until the sound of snoring filled the small copse before creeping from her hiding place.

At first her legs refused to work. She had crouched in the same position so long her muscles had stiffened. After stretching her limbs a few minutes, she began crawling cautiously toward Robbie. She moved slowly, careful not to snap a twig, holding her skirts so they wouldn’t rustle.

Robbie didn’t awaken as she scooped him into her
arms, turned and picked her way through the forest toward the road where she had left her horse. The poor tyke was so worn out he barely stirred, except for an occasional sob that shook his tiny chest.

Mariah flinched every time she stepped on a twig, waiting for a hue and cry from Osgood’s camp. All was quiet. Fortune surely smiled on her. Mariah quivered with anticipation as she spied the road through the trees. That was when Robbie awakened and stared at her through huge, frightened eyes.

“Mama?”

“Be quiet, darling,” she whispered. “I’m taking you home. But you mustn’t make a sound. If you do, the bad men will come after us.”

Robbie continued to stare at her but remained silent as Mariah reached the road, and ran straight into the arms of two men. She was on the verge of screaming when a sliver of moonlight revealed the faces of Chad and Horace, two of her own guardsmen.

“My lady, thank God you are well. We came upon your horse and were about to enter the forest to find you.”

“What are you dong here?”

“Sir Martin ordered us to follow you,” Horace informed her.

“Mama, I want to go home,” Robbie whispered.

“Hush, darling, you’ll be home soon.”

“You have Robbie?” Chad exclaimed when he realized the bundle Mariah held was her son. “Where is Falcon?”

Mariah snorted. “Following a false trail. I’ll tell you all about it when we reach Mildenhall. Horace, take Robbie on your horse and ride as fast as you can to the keep. I’ll be right behind you. Chad, find Falcon. Tell him Osgood’s
mercenaries are setting a false trail for him, and that Robbie is safe.”

Chad rode off immediately while Horace mounted and held out his arms for Robbie. Mariah removed the rope binding her son but left the blanket in place to keep him warm. Then she handed him to Horace.

Robbie protested until Mariah said, “You know Horace, darling. He’s going to keep you safe.”

“Are you ready, my lady?”

Mariah mounted with the help of a nearby stump. “Aye, Horace. Don’t spare the horses. We must reach safety before Osgood’s camp awakens and he finds Robbie missing.”

They rode the rest of the night and into the day, stopping briefly near a stream to drink and feed Robbie the last of the bread and cheese Mariah had brought with her. Around midday, she took Robbie up on her own horse for the remainder of the journey. He wound his arms around her neck and nestled his towhead into the space between her shoulder and neck, gaining comfort from his thumb stuck firmly in his mouth.

They reached Mildenhall near dusk. Once they rode through the portcullis, Horace ordered that the gates be lowered and not raised for anyone but Falcon and his party. People rushed out from the keep to greet them when they reached the courtyard.

Mariah spotted Becca hastening toward her. “Take Robbie, Becca. He’s dirty, hungry and thirsty.”

Becca took Robbie from Mariah’s arms and carried him into the keep. Mariah slid from the saddle and collapsed the moment her feet touched the ground. Then she knew no more.

During the time Mariah had been rescuing Robbie, Falcon had called a halt for the night. He knew he was gaining on Osgood’s party, but his men and horses were tired and needed a short respite. Though Falcon knew he would catch up with Osgood on the morrow, he feared that Osgood might hurt Robbie in the meantime. That thought had kept him going, pushing horses and men mercilessly to catch up. He had promised Mariah he would bring Robbie home safely, and he wouldn’t countenance failure.

Falcon scanned their surroundings, hoping to find a campsite. He had no sooner dismounted than he heard the sound of hoofbeats pounding along the road they had just traveled. “How many men does it sound like to you?” he asked John, who had come up to join him.

“One horse, one man,” John replied.

“I agree. It could be someone from Mildenhall. We’ll wait for him here.”

They didn’t have long to wait. The horseman appeared a few minutes later, a mere shadow beneath the waning moon. He reached Falcon and skidded to a halt. Falcon grasped the reins, noting that the horse was foaming at the mouth and panting. The rider wasn’t in much better shape.

“It’s Chad, one of Mildenhall’s guardsmen,” John cried. “What’s amiss, man?”

Falcon’s heart was thumping so fast he feared it would leap from his chest. “Has something happened at Mildenhall? Is Lady Mariah all right?”

Chad fought to catch his breath.

Fearing the worst, Falcon grasped Chad’s doublet in his fist. “Tell me.”

“My lady found Robbie,” Chad said breathlessly. “She and Horace are returning to Mildenhall as we speak. My lady sent me to tell you that Osgood set a false trail for you.”

“How does she know that? Where and how did she find Robbie?”

“I do not know the details,” Chad replied. “Edwina encountered Lady Mariah leaving the hall shortly after you rode through the portcullis. She intended to follow you. Edwina informed Sir Martin, and he sent Horace and me to follow her and make sure that she came to no harm. We found her some distance behind you; she had Robbie with her. Somehow she had stolen him away from Osgood and Walter; that’s all I know.”