Rage and Redemption (Rebel Angels) (27 page)

He turned into her touch. Closing his eyes, he let the heat of her hand soothe him. “What do you suggest?”

“We must speak with Roderick. Find out the exact nature of his arrangement with Father John. We need to know where the children were taken when they left the castle. Jack said this was the second winter they’ve passed in the ruins. Were they under Father John’s care for the previous three? We need to know what happened. What changed?”

Kissing her palm, Gideon said, “Give me ’til sunrise with the priest and I will have your answers.”

She chuckled moving closer still. “I suspect he deserves that and more, but I prefer a less violent approach. The children will watch how we conduct ourselves. What message do you want to send them?”

He framed her face with his hands and kissed her gently, slowly. “I would tell them I trust their Lady and bow to her expertise in this matter.”

Naomi circled his neck with her arms and smiled into his eyes. “For how long?”

Chuckling softly, he pulled her against him. “For as long as I feel we are making progress. If the time comes that I feel your gentler methods are not working, I will visit Father John.”

* * * * *

After escorting Naomi back to the castle, Gideon went to find Daniel. Naomi’s determination to investigate the situation with the orphans frustrated Gideon to no end. Information was for monks and scholars. He was a man of action. The children had immediate needs and he intended to address them.

Daniel stood before the barracks with two of the knights they had recruited for Naomi’s private guard. Gideon motioned Daniel to him, out of earshot of the other men.

“What ails you now?” Daniel asked, his dark eyes flashing.

Three days into their grand adventure, Gideon convinced Alyssa that
England
was as good a place as any for their relocation. Daniel hadn’t been pleased.

“I need your assistance.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he tossed back his mantle, freeing his sword arm. “Why do I have the feeling this is more along the lines of scrubbing floors than slaying giants?”

Gideon grinned. His restlessness had quieted upon his arrival at Monthamn, but his friend’s discontent grew in keeping with Gideon’s calm.

“We have uncovered a great injustice that must be put to rights.” It was really unfair to utilize the one call to arms Daniel couldn’t resist, but the orphans needed help.

“You’re a manipulative bastard,” Daniel said, but amusement stirred within his black gaze. “May I presume that ‘we’ is you and Lady Naomi?”

“You may.”

“What is the nature of the injustice?”

“I will show you but provisions must be gathered and loaded into some sort of cart,” Gideon explained.

“What sort of provisions?”

Gideon steered him toward the stables. “Food, blankets, the basic essentials of life. Would you please find the marshal and see to the cart? I will begin gathering what we will need.”

“You have Alyssa playing nursemaid to your—”

“Watch which words you choose to describe Lady Naomi,” he said tersely.

Daniel’s dark gaze turned intent. “What is so special about this human?”

“She is unique, Daniel,” Alyssa answered from behind them. “She is warm and caring, shrewd yet innocent.”

“She is not all
that
innocent,” Daniel scoffed. “I know where she spent last night.”

Gideon sprang. Twisting his fists in the front of Daniel’s tunic, he slammed him back against the stable wall. “You will not mock her. Do you understand? You will—”

“I don’t believe this!” Daniel shoved him back. “You are in love with her.
You
. In love with a human! This is unreal.”

Gideon didn’t deny it. He hadn’t applied a name to the emotions Naomi unleashed within him, but he refused to lie to himself any longer.

Ignoring Daniel’s indignation, he turned to Alyssa. She looked adorable in her servant’s garb, her flame-red hair now soft strawberry blonde. “Where is she—
Elspeth?”

Alyssa smiled and dropped into a quick curtsy. “My lady is in the great hall with her Lord Uncle.” She slipped effortlessly into her role.

“You are both acting like fools,” Daniel muttered.

Gideon pulled Alyssa against his side but met Daniel’s angry gaze. “Will you find the marshal?”

“Aye,” Daniel said, obviously annoyed.

* * * * *

Roderick coughed repeatedly into a cloth, his thin shoulders shaking. Kruthers handed him a cup of heated cider as the spasm ended and Naomi’s heart lurched. In the few short days since she had come to
Monthamn
Castle
, her grandfather had become incredibly dear. She didn’t want to watch him die, and if she were brutally honest, she didn’t want to face the responsibilities of Monthamn without him.

“So what’s this about the orphans?” Roderick asked.

They sat at the small table in Roderick’s counting room. Kruthers handed Naomi a cup with the spiced apple cider and then silently slipped from the room, leaving the door ajar.

“What did Father John agree to do for the children and how is he compensated for the service?” Naomi gently took his hand in hers.

“Father John found homes for the orphans.” Roderick’s voice was thin and hoarse. “He had them housed in the old cloister down by the mill for a time, but their numbers dwindled until a separate building was no longer necessary. He kept the last few with him at the parish church until they were placed with families. As for compensation, I gave him whatever he needed and he asked for support from the Bishop of Chichester. This parish is in his diocese.”

She stroked the back of his fingers, reassured by the warmth of his skin and his responding squeeze. “Is Father John the only priest in this parish?”

“Aye.” Roderick stifled a cough by taking a long drink from his cup. “He had an underling a few years back, but I do not know why he left. Probably too ambitious for his own good. Priests usually are.”

Naomi fidgeted on the narrow wooden bench. Perhaps Gideon had it right. She imagined engaging Father John in a decidedly physical confrontation. Already it was evident that he had been lying to Roderick.

“You said he housed them in a cloister. Were the nuns available to care for the children?”

“The cloister was abandoned. The nuns are long gone. What is this about?”

She started to explain but couldn’t bring herself to speak the words. Roderick had borne enough already. He had more than earned what peace he could find.

“Nothing, Grandfather. I just overheard someone talking about the orphans and wondered what had become of them.” She set her cup on the table and offered him a beaming smile. “I never got the opportunity to thank you for the tower room. It was a wonderful surprise.”

Roderick returned her smile with a bit less enthusiasm. “That was Gideon’s doing. He has been a godsend.”

Naomi bristled at the phrase. It had been many years since God sent him anywhere.

“I’ll not keep you.” Naomi scooted off the end of the bench. “You need your rest.”

“I have everything I need, young lady. But you do not.”

The sudden strength in Roderick’s tone drew her attention. She paused beside the table.

“What do I need that I lack?”

“A husband.” He paused for a moment before he said, “I will be frank, Naomi. I know where you spent last night.”

Her heartbeat sped up and she worried her lower lip. Had she really believed no one would notice?

“Sir Roderick.” Gideon spoke from the doorway. “I have every intention of wedding with Lady Naomi. I had hoped to secure her agreement before I brought my petition to you.”

“You seem to have the cart before the horse here, lad.” He pushed to his feet but his legs wobbled beneath him. Mustering a scowl that must have been fierce in his prime, Roderick stared down the younger man. “Generally a man asks permission of the guardian before he woos the woman.”

“I am asking your permission now.”

“Don’t see that there’s much of a choice. The wedding is supposed to come before the bedding too.” He shook his head. “If your intentions are honorable, I’ll leave the details to you.”

Tension emanated from every nuance of Naomi’s posture. Her jaw was set, her eyes narrowed, her hands tightly fisted at her sides. This was not good. She met his gaze, but Gideon could not read her expression. She offered her farewell to Roderick and followed Gideon out into the great hall.

He watched the tempest gather within her eyes. Despite the intimacies they had shared, she wasn’t ready to accept him as her mate.

“Do you age?” she asked as they started across the room. “You told me you have been banished from the light for nearly a century and yet you look to be a man in his prime.”

“There has been no change in my physical appearance since I was banished,” he admitted.

“You cannot…you told me you are unable to father children. God took the ability away and you have hated humans ever since.”

“I do not hate you, Naomi.”

She ducked his outreached hand. “But you are unable to father children.”

“Aye.” He took a deep breath. “Why is this of such importance now? You were contemplating your final vows when I first met you. Nuns do not have children.”

“My circumstances have changed, Gideon. I have changed.” She was silent for a long time. Her lips trembled and she clutched the embroidered edge of her sleeves. “What happens when your punishment ends? Will you return to Heaven?”

“I don’t know.”

Releasing her sleeves, she made a broad gesture with both hands. “Then how can you expect me to wed with you?”

“I expect nothing,” he said softly. “I want you with me. That is all.”

Silence descended again.

He hadn’t expected her to relent easily, but it didn’t make the disappointment any less painful. Raking his fingers through his hair, he squared his shoulders and asked, “Where are you bound?”

“I’m going back to the ruins to speak with Jack,” she said, stubbornly fighting back tears. “Will you please accompany me?”

Quickly averting his gaze, he made certain she didn’t see how well the question pleased him. “Daniel and Al…err, Elspeth are gathering provisions. Wait for me here.”

Naomi watched him walk out into the night. Her heart hung heavy in her chest and tension banded her middle. If only he were human. If only…

Just like Gideon’s passionate interest in the orphans.
We always want most what we cannot have.

But how could she accept a husband who could not give her children? She must produce an heir to solidify her claim to
Monthamn
Castle
.

And she wanted no other husband but Gideon.

She forced away the useless thoughts and retrieved her cloak from the chair where she had laid it earlier. He had asked that she wait, but he knew where she was bound and she was anxious to question Jack. Gideon would catch up with her.

Walking briskly through the moonlit night, Naomi soon reached Monthamn Major. Why had the orphans left the cloister? If Father John was attempting to find them homes, why had they abandoned his care for the uncertainty of the forest? Something was not right and she intended to find out what it was.