“What if we had a family?” I whispered, looking at Maryanne.
Her hand fell on my knee. “Then maybe we would get the chance to protect you,” she told me.
I left her when Maryanne slept, and Bess wanted to sleep as well. I shut my eyes as I closed the door, trying to hold on to the feelings that I had while I had that baby in my arms, to tie them round my heart in some secret way.
“My lady,” someone called.
I opened my eyes to see one of the Nottingham knights there. He were tall, red bearded, and without his armor. “Yes?” I asked.
“There’s a problem in the forest, my lady,” he said. “I was told to fetch you.”
“The forest?” I asked, frowning and going with him. “Do we need horses?”
“It’s just beyond the city gates, my lady,” he said, bowing his head. “I don’t believe so, unless you would prefer.”
“No, we can walk,” I said. “Take me there, please.”
He bowed his head again. “My lady.”
We walked through the main street, and I smiled at him. “I know you’ve just arrived,” I told him. “But I’ve seen how dedicated you are. You and your fellows must have cleared four houses yesterday.”
He didn’t look at me. “It’s my duty, my lady. I’m happy to serve.”
I nodded. “Still. I want you to know your service matters, and that it’s appreciated. Most knights I’ve met are not so hardworking.”
He looked at me for a moment and nodded. “Thank you,” he said.
I saw Rob, meeting his eyes as I walked past. He smiled, and I smiled too, following the knight.
We were almost at the gate when I saw Essex coming in. I frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked him.
He frowned back, looking at me and looking behind him. “What do you mean?”
I glanced at the knight. “I was told there was a problem in the forest.”
“If there is, I don’t know of it. Do you want my aid?”
“Certainly—” I started.
“It’s for your eyes only, my lady,” the knight said.
“What exactly is the matter?” Essex demanded, scowling at my knight.
“It’s a woman,” the knight said. “From the village. A woman . . . problem.”
“Oh, good Lord,” I muttered. “Is someone else having a baby?”
“You do seem to be popular with your people,” Essex allowed me. “New though you are to the title.”
“New to the title, but I am hardly new to the people,” I told him with a shrug. “But I hope they don’t start to think me a midwife,” I said, scrunching my nose. “I have many skills but this is not one of them.”
To my surprise, he smiled a bit. “Return soon, my lady. Unless you would still like an escort?”
I looked to the knight; if a woman felt uncomfortable with a man there, I wouldn’t betray that. “No. I’ll be well enough, but thank you.”
The knight looked grim at Essex, and Essex gave him a good scowl in return.
We walked out through the open gate, heading into the forest. We seemed to be walking straight in, rather than off toward Edwinstowe.
“Where are we going?” I asked the knight, glancing back behind me to where he stood.
“Just a little farther, my lady,” he said.
I turned forward again, and just as I did I heard the whisper of metal sliding.
Turning back once more, I gasped and ducked as the knight swung his heavy blade at me. I ducked and he swung wide, and I ran past him, trying to grab at my knives. With my hands covered, I couldn’t draw them out.
He turned and raised his sword again as I yanked at the bandages, tearing one with my teeth. He swung his blade toward me again, and I dived behind a tree. The metal bit deep into the wood, and I earned a moment.
The tear were enough to unravel the bandage on my full hand, and I grabbed for a knife as he came at me again. He lunged at me, and I crossed my body to push the sword off with my good hand, leaving me off balance.
He saw this and grabbed for my hair, but I were quick and he didn’t get me. He tripped me at the same moment, though, his foot hooking round mine while I tried to escape him.
I fell hard to the forest floor, and his sword thrust down, glinting in the afternoon sun.
Rolling to miss it, I got my hands under me to push up, but his foot smashed down on my back, pressing my face into the dirt.
“Stay,” he growled.
A roared yell came from behind us, and the knight—if he were such—turned. I heard metal scrape on metal, and I scrambled to my feet to see Essex fighting him, swords flashing bright.
“Stay out of this!” the knight yelled at Essex.
Essex hammered a hard blow. “What is this?” he demanded.
The knight moved fast, parrying and lunging, forcing Essex back. “No business for an earl,” he returned.
“You are a traitor,” he accused. “Trying to harm your lady!”
“She’s not my lady,” the knight snapped. “I owe allegiance elsewhere.”
“To whom?” Essex demanded, but I already knew, and the knight wouldn’t tell Essex that.
Essex were excellent. He had perfect form, and a practiced speed and precision most nobles were far too lazy to develop. I already knew the knight were quick and skilled, but they were a surprising good match.
With a hard blow, Essex disarmed him, and without a moment’s breath, ran him straight through. My breath stopped and I covered my mouth.
Her hand fell on my knee. “Then maybe we would get the chance to protect you,” she told me.
I left her when Maryanne slept, and Bess wanted to sleep as well. I shut my eyes as I closed the door, trying to hold on to the feelings that I had while I had that baby in my arms, to tie them round my heart in some secret way.
“My lady,” someone called.
I opened my eyes to see one of the Nottingham knights there. He were tall, red bearded, and without his armor. “Yes?” I asked.
“There’s a problem in the forest, my lady,” he said. “I was told to fetch you.”
“The forest?” I asked, frowning and going with him. “Do we need horses?”
“It’s just beyond the city gates, my lady,” he said, bowing his head. “I don’t believe so, unless you would prefer.”
“No, we can walk,” I said. “Take me there, please.”
He bowed his head again. “My lady.”
We walked through the main street, and I smiled at him. “I know you’ve just arrived,” I told him. “But I’ve seen how dedicated you are. You and your fellows must have cleared four houses yesterday.”
He didn’t look at me. “It’s my duty, my lady. I’m happy to serve.”
I nodded. “Still. I want you to know your service matters, and that it’s appreciated. Most knights I’ve met are not so hardworking.”
He looked at me for a moment and nodded. “Thank you,” he said.
I saw Rob, meeting his eyes as I walked past. He smiled, and I smiled too, following the knight.
We were almost at the gate when I saw Essex coming in. I frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked him.
He frowned back, looking at me and looking behind him. “What do you mean?”
I glanced at the knight. “I was told there was a problem in the forest.”
“If there is, I don’t know of it. Do you want my aid?”
“Certainly—” I started.
“It’s for your eyes only, my lady,” the knight said.
“What exactly is the matter?” Essex demanded, scowling at my knight.
“It’s a woman,” the knight said. “From the village. A woman . . . problem.”
“Oh, good Lord,” I muttered. “Is someone else having a baby?”
“You do seem to be popular with your people,” Essex allowed me. “New though you are to the title.”
“New to the title, but I am hardly new to the people,” I told him with a shrug. “But I hope they don’t start to think me a midwife,” I said, scrunching my nose. “I have many skills but this is not one of them.”
To my surprise, he smiled a bit. “Return soon, my lady. Unless you would still like an escort?”
I looked to the knight; if a woman felt uncomfortable with a man there, I wouldn’t betray that. “No. I’ll be well enough, but thank you.”
The knight looked grim at Essex, and Essex gave him a good scowl in return.
We walked out through the open gate, heading into the forest. We seemed to be walking straight in, rather than off toward Edwinstowe.
“Where are we going?” I asked the knight, glancing back behind me to where he stood.
“Just a little farther, my lady,” he said.
I turned forward again, and just as I did I heard the whisper of metal sliding.
Turning back once more, I gasped and ducked as the knight swung his heavy blade at me. I ducked and he swung wide, and I ran past him, trying to grab at my knives. With my hands covered, I couldn’t draw them out.
He turned and raised his sword again as I yanked at the bandages, tearing one with my teeth. He swung his blade toward me again, and I dived behind a tree. The metal bit deep into the wood, and I earned a moment.
The tear were enough to unravel the bandage on my full hand, and I grabbed for a knife as he came at me again. He lunged at me, and I crossed my body to push the sword off with my good hand, leaving me off balance.
He saw this and grabbed for my hair, but I were quick and he didn’t get me. He tripped me at the same moment, though, his foot hooking round mine while I tried to escape him.
I fell hard to the forest floor, and his sword thrust down, glinting in the afternoon sun.
Rolling to miss it, I got my hands under me to push up, but his foot smashed down on my back, pressing my face into the dirt.
“Stay,” he growled.
A roared yell came from behind us, and the knight—if he were such—turned. I heard metal scrape on metal, and I scrambled to my feet to see Essex fighting him, swords flashing bright.
“Stay out of this!” the knight yelled at Essex.
Essex hammered a hard blow. “What is this?” he demanded.
The knight moved fast, parrying and lunging, forcing Essex back. “No business for an earl,” he returned.
“You are a traitor,” he accused. “Trying to harm your lady!”
“She’s not my lady,” the knight snapped. “I owe allegiance elsewhere.”
“To whom?” Essex demanded, but I already knew, and the knight wouldn’t tell Essex that.
Essex were excellent. He had perfect form, and a practiced speed and precision most nobles were far too lazy to develop. I already knew the knight were quick and skilled, but they were a surprising good match.
With a hard blow, Essex disarmed him, and without a moment’s breath, ran him straight through. My breath stopped and I covered my mouth.
