Chapter 11
R egina awoke the next morning feeling happier than she had in a long, long time. She was a full-fledged woman now in every way and didn’t regret for a moment having made love with Hunter. He was the only man she had ever really wanted. Now she was his sweetheart and that made her heart soar. His Ladybird, he’d called her. She smiled and rolled over the other way, still dreaming about flying high when she found her release. She had truly felt as free as a bird. Then she heard men’s voices outside her tent. Her eyes sprang open thinking she and Hunter were about to be discovered. But when she rolled back over and reached for him, he was no longer there.
“Hunter?” she whispered, sitting up and holding the blanket to her bare chest. The fact that he wasn’t there should have relieved her since she was sure it was her brother she’d heard talking outside. Still, it made her feel lonely and empty that he just up and disappeared.
The flap to the tent was open a little and sun streamed in making a streak across the make-shift bed. Even his clothes and boots were gone. A frightening thought flitted through her mind that this is how she’d feel when Hunter caught and delivered the thief and headed back home. Without her. It wasn’t a good feeling at all. She hurriedly got dressed, needing to know what was going on.
Hera became restless on her perch. Almost as restless as Regina felt. Was it from the fact that Hunter wasn’t here? Or was it because he had been here in the first place? Confusion muddled her mind.
“Come on, Hera. Let’s go find Hunter.” She put on her glove and picked up her bird and stepped outside the tent.
Hunter tried his hardest to get the fire going again this morning, but it was too late. Robin had just emerged from his own tent, followed by his squire and the other men. If Hunter hadn’t been sleeping with Regina, mayhap he would have realized that the rain had stopped hours ago and morning was here. Thankfully, he had at least got out of Regina’s tent before anyone discovered just what happened between them last night.
“What happened to the fire, Hunter?” asked Robin. “I’m chilled from the rain last night and would like to warm up before we head for home.”
“I’m sorry, my lord. The rain was too much for it and the wood is too wet to light. I’m afraid I didn’t do my job as well as I should have.”
“I’d beg to differ about that.” Regina walked out of the tent with Hera on her arm.
Hunter felt like all hell was about to break loose. Was she perhaps talking about what happened last night between them? Was it her way of saying a job well done? God’s eyes, what had he been thinking? Bedding a noblewoman could land him in the dungeon. Or on the gallows. Taking a noblewoman’s virginity had to be even a worse offense somehow, he was sure. Now, because he’d been so enamored by her and he’d had a weak moment, the girl was ruined for life. She’d never be able to be betrothed to any nobleman or marry for an alliance in the future. His lovemaking had seen to that. If only he’d never have gone into the tent with her, none of this would be happening right now.
Once again, his sister’s judging voice swarmed his head. What did you do? What were you thinking? You just used the girl for your own needs, never thinking of her and her needs. Her future.
God’s eyes, he thought to himself. What the hell had he done?
“Regina, what are you talking about?” asked Robin.
“Brother, you left Hunter out here by himself last night in the rain without even giving him a blanket or any kind of cover. That was very insensitive of you.”
“Nay, it wasn’t. I don’t mind.” Hunter didn’t want this conversation to get back to last night and tried his hardest to push it in any other direction.
“Baldwin, take apart my sister’s tent,” ordered Robin. “Since we have no fire, we’ll be on our way as soon as the tents are packed.”
“Yes, my lord,” said his squire, going inside Regina’s tent.
“For being out in the rain all night, you’re not as wet as I would have expected you to be,” said Robin looking at Hunter’s clothes.
“Nay, my lord. I was able to…find shelter.” Hunter wasn’t lying, even if he didn’t say where that shelter might have been.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” said Robin with a yawn. “So how was your first hunt? Was it everything you expected?”
He looked over and his eyes locked with Regina’s. Damn, just looking at her made him go weak in the knees. “It was more than I expected, my lord. With a few surprises thrown in,” he answered. Regina smiled.
“Surprises? What kind of surprises?” asked Robin, but before anyone could answer, his squire ran out of the tent holding on to Regina’s blanket.
“My lady, are you hurt?”
“Nay, why do you ask?” she answered.
“There is blood on your blanket. I thought mayhap you’d cut yourself.” He held up the blanket, displaying the proof of Regina’s loss of virginity to every man there. Hunter groaned to himself and closed his eyes. His life was about to end right here, right now.
“Regina? What is that?” asked Robin.
“It…it’s my flux” she said softly, looking at the ground.
“Oh, I see,” said Robin clearing his throat. “Well, at least you’re not hurt.”
Hunter’s eyes popped open. He couldn’t believe what just happened. Such a stroke of luck because of Regina’s quick thinking. She may have just saved his ass from landing in the dungeon.
“Nay, I’m not hurt,” she said, once again looking at Hunter. What the hell did she want him to say?
“Yes. Yes, it is good you are not hurt,” he choked out. Hunter bent over to fix his boot, his tunic falling open as he did so.
“Hunter? Are those scratch marks on your chest?” Robin walked over to inspect them. Hunter’s heart stilled. He’d almost forgotten that Regina had raked her nails down his chest in the throw of their vivid lovemaking. Now, he knew he was about to die for sure.
“It was my fault,” Regina called out, making Robin stop in his tracks and slowly turn.
God’s teeth, was she really going to tell him? What the hell was the matter with her?
“Your fault, Sister? How so?” Robin slowly walked back to her. Regina’s chin rose in the air as she held her bird high atop her arm. She didn’t look at all frightened. Shouldn’t she be running for her horse by now? Hunter knew that is what he felt he should be doing.
“I was careless and put Hera too close to Hunter at the campfire last night after the rest of you had retired. He moved to stoke the fire and Hera was frightened, and scratched him. Those marks on Hunter’s chest are from the bird.”
“Is that right, Hunter?” Robin looked back at him. The only way to get out of this without being sentenced was to go along with the lie. Lies again. Damn it, he hated having to live this way.
“Honestly, I don’t even remember the bird scratching me,” he said, getting an odd look from Robin. “I think I was too tired to think straight after such a big day.”
“Is that right?” Robin’s gaze flashed from Hunter to Regina and back to Hunter again.
“He was tired, that’s true,” said Regina. “So tired that he went to bed right after the rest of you.”
“To sleep,” Hunter interjected. “I didn’t have a bed of course. I mean, my bed was here. By the fire.”
“Didn’t you wake up when it started raining on you?” Robin had to know something was going on.
“I found shelter. Like I told you,” said Hunter. “I’m sorry once again for letting the fire go out.”
“Well, it’s over now,” said Robin. “I suppose no harm has been done, so what does it matter?”
“Aye,” agreed Hunter, his gaze going back to Regina. He couldn’t stop feeling like harm was done. Harm that could not be undone. Bid the devil, he’d just ruined a lady and couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
The ride home was long and uncomfortable. Hunter did his best to ignore Regina, not wanting to talk about last night and not wanting Robin watching them like a hawk anymore either. He needed to think this over. By himself. He hated ignoring the girl, but right now he felt as if this was what he had to do to protect both of them from being exposed. Damn, life never seemed to get any easier.
Hunter, you are such a fool, came his departed sister’s voice in his head once again. What made you think you had the right to even touch a noblewoman let alone take her virginity? You ruined her now for life. Because of you, she has no chance to ever be happy.
Damn it, his dead sister kept taunting him and it was not only about his mistakes with Luke, but about his personal life now. His love life to be exact. He just couldn’t stand it anymore. He wanted his sister’s chastising out of his head forever.
“Get away from me,” he warned his sister’s ghost, but Regina had rode up next to him at that same moment and thought he was talking to her.
“Get away from you? What did I do to make you so angry, Hunter? Why are you talking to me that way?” She rode with Hera on her glove, looking regal and elegant as always. The spring air smelled fresh and crisp and it seemed everything was budding to life all around them.
“Nay, Regina. I wasn’t talking to you.”
She scowled. “Well, I hardly think you were talking to Hera.”
“Nay. Nay, I wasn’t talking to her either.”
“What is the matter with you, Hunter?” she asked, sounding more than perturbed with him. “You have been ignoring me all morning.”
“Regina, I think it might be better if we make distance between us for a while.”
“What? Why?” she asked, first sounding sad and then sounding angry. “Are you ashamed of what we did together?”
“Shhh,” he said, looking around, hoping none of the men had heard her.
“Hunter, I’m not going to hide in the shadows anymore. It is my life and I can do what I please.”
“Yes, you can, but I can’t.”
“What does that mean?”
“Regina, can we talk about this later?”
“How, when you want us to make distance between us?”
“I mean, can we discuss it at a better time?”
“Better time? No, Hunter we can’t. This time is as good as any. We have feelings for each other and I don’t see why we have to hide them.”
“I’m no good for you, sweetheart. You should find a nobleman who will make you happy.” It’s not what Hunter really wanted, but he didn’t want her saddled with a man like him for the rest of her life either.
“I don’t want a nobleman,” she spat. “If I did, I would have found one long before now. And I don’t want you telling me what I should or shouldn’t do, either.” She sped off on her horse in a huff, making Hunter feel even worse than before. Part of him wanted to ride after Regina and stop her and tell her that he loved her and wanted to be with her. Forever. But another part of him kept telling him that he had done a bad thing and that he didn’t deserve her. After all, Regina was goodness and light, poise and grace. The woman was smart and sassy and more than strong in every aspect of her life. She had a keen skill with training birds like no man could ever attain, he was sure. She had so much to offer.
He had so little.
Damn, he was confused right now and only hoped that once they got back to the castle he could sort out his thoughts in his head and know the right thing to do. Know how to fix his mistake and make everything better.
Well, it didn’t take long to figure out that he was wrong.
When they rode through the gates of Shrewsbury Castle, Roger the falconer ran out from the mews to meet them. He had a look of terror on his face. Hunter knew that whatever the boy had to say, it wasn’t going to be good and neither would it make Regina happy.
“Roger, how are you feeling?” asked Regina from atop her horse, obviously not noticing that the boy was in turmoil. She dismounted, not needing the help of a man, managing to keep Hera on her glove.
“My lady, I am so sorry,” cried Roger. “I honestly don’t know how it even happened.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Regina dug a piece of raw meat from her bag and fed it to the bird.
“When I returned to the mews this morning is when I noticed. I thought mayhap you had taken both birds on the hunting trip, but Cassian said that you hadn’t.
“Roger?” asked Regina with worry in her voice now. “What are you trying to say?”
“It’s horrible, my lady. Just awful. The thief has struck again, and this time he has stolen from the mews. Lady Regina, I am sorry to tell you that Lightning is gone!”