Chapter 21 #2
Suppressing a smile of his own, he realized that his anger had eased now that he knew she was safe. He was glad that she was still speaking to him, and glad to be alone with her. He’d be more pleased if she would just talk sensibly with him.
He said, “You deserve that I should make you wait and find out what I’ll do.”
“Ah, but that would go against your so-notorious nature, would it not?”
“It would, but I’d survive it. Your dignity might not.”
“If you are going to beat me, just say so,” she said testily. “If not, may we cry ‘Pax’ and be done with this, at least for now? I’m sorry that I—”
“Don’t apologize, Robby. You won’t mean it, because you were angry, and the next time you’re angry, you’ll likely speak so to me again.
I told you that you can say what you like to me.
I’ll admit that I’d liefer you remain civil when you do, but I think I’ll find my own head in my lap for incivility soon enough not to make a song about that. ”
Her eyes twinkled then. “I think you can count on that,” she said.
“Even so,” he said, catching and holding her gaze, “I did warn you that you’d have to suffer the consequences of your actions. Don’t forget that.”
The twinkle in her eyes dimmed.
Black Corby sidestepped, and as Robina steadied him, she knew that her own unease had communicated itself to the horse. Recalling how easily Dev had dismissed what she’d said about Rab’s talking to her stirred her ire again.
Knowing that if Dev decided to punish her, she could do little to stop him, she kept silent and waited to hear what else he would say.
“You heard the threats that that Percy chap made,” he said quietly.
She nodded.
“Such threats make riding alone outside our wall more dangerous now.”
“Aye,” she said, looking at the space between Corby’s flicking ears.
“You know better than to ride madly into dangerous territory at such a time, do you not?”
“Corby is well trained,” she said. “He is better than a weapon for me.”
Dev looked silently at her until she grimaced.
“I do know better than to ride into dangerous territory,” she admitted.
“Rab told you as much, if I remember correctly.”
Since he’d used Rab’s own words, she nearly demanded to know if he had heard Rab speak, too, but realized before she did just how Dev knew. “Rab told you what he did the day I took Corby out without asking him first, didn’t he?”
“He did, and you’d be well served if I did the same today, but I don’t want that. I don’t want to fratch with you, either. I know how much you miss him, and I know you were angry with me. We’ll talk more about that but not now. We must return before Sandy or Jock sends lads out in search of us.”
She agreed, but she was glad he was content to walk the horses and chat about unrelated things such as the birds they saw and increasing Coklaw’s stock.
By the time they rode through the gateway, they were in charity with each other again, and it was just as well.
They had missed the midday meal, and so had Benjy.
Benjy wished he’d thought to bring an apple, some cheese, or just bread with him.
He’d hurried off, thinking only of where he wanted to go.
Also, he’d forgotten how long the journey had taken before and how steep the last bit of Sunnyside Hill was.
The weather had been cool then, too. Now the sun was high and beating down on him.
Looking ahead, he saw that he was nearing the hilltop at last and quickened his pace. A short time later, the low fence and lych-gate came into view.
Rab’s grave still lacked a marker, but he knew where it was and made his way past the other graves, wondering if the dead in them could talk, too.
If they could, they most likely did so here, where they were nearest a person.
He had disliked coming up by himself before, which was one reason he had felt so grateful to Beany for suggesting a tree for Rab like her oak in the west woods.
But if Rab could talk to her, then other souls must talk to their kin, too.
The thought made them seem less scary, more like ordinary people.
Standing at the graveside, he muttered, “Rest in peace, Rab,” as Beany had taught him. Bluntly, then, he added, “Why d’ye no talk to me but only to our Beany?”
When he heard no reply, he spoke louder, saying, “I wish ye’d talk to me. I miss ye gey fierce and I ha’ questions to ask ye.”
“What would you ask, laddie?”
The startling voice was all wrong, deeper and growly. But perhaps that was just a hitherto unknown trait of dead men’s voices.
Benjy whirled hopefully toward it.
They searched unsuccessfully everywhere that Dev or Robby could imagine to search for the boy, and Dev unloaded his tamped down anger on more than one unfortunate person, including Ash Nixon and Coll, before it became evident to everyone that Benjy had gone farther than he’d ever gone alone before or something more dire had occurred.
When the boy had not returned by suppertime, Robby said decisively, “Thank the Fates that the moon is full and rose before sunset, so Benjy will be able to see where he’s going. But we must extend our search.”
“Every man we can spare has gone out,” Dev said. “They’ll collect as many more as they can amongst the cottagers to help search.”
“Did you send to the Douglas or to Scott’s Hall for help?”
“Not yet,” he said. “The laddie likely just wandered farther than usual and will return on his own. Our people know the area and are bound to find him, so to summon more men at this hour, especially Wat…”
“Aye,” she agreed with visible reluctance when he paused. “It would be just like Benjy to show up the minute Wat arrives with your father and a hundred searchers.”
He knew she exaggerated and that she was worried sick. But the situation was what it was, and they were doing all they could do.
A thought occurred to him. “Did you look in your tree?”
“Aye, sure,” she said. “I climbed farther up than I had before, too, and found a scrap I recognize from that new tan shirt he tore. So he must have been in the tree the day after our wedding, when the Scotts and your father left. The men on the wall said he went into the south woods earlier, so I thought he might have gone up to Rab’s grave again.
But poor Ash and one of the other lads went up and found no sign of him in the graveyard. ”
“Poor Ash?”
“He is distraught, Dev. He thinks you blame him for this.”
“I merely reminded him that his chief duty is to keep an eye on Benjy,” Dev said, wholly unrepentant.
He ordered her to bed hours later, accepting no excuse and pointing out that she’d be of no help to Benjy when they did find him if she did not sleep. He kept men out all night and dozed between reports but woke at the slightest sound that might herald news.
When there was still no sign of the boy when Robby came down to the hall in the morning, she demanded again that he summon Wat.
Patiently, he said, “When our search extends to Rankilburn, we’ll tell Wat, so he can send men into his forest. Our lads are asking everyone they see, and no one has seen Benjy or any strangers, beyond a shepherd or two, seeking lost sheep.”
“We have our own lost sheep,” she replied tartly. “We must find him.”
At midday, she asked him again to send for Wat, and Dev was about to agree when Jock and Sandy came into the hall, flanking a scraggly-looking chap that Dev recognized as Bangtail Joey, the younger of the two erstwhile Percy messengers.
His lip was bleeding, his jaw was bruised, and he walked with a limp.
“What’s this?” Dev demanded, looking at Jock.
“This chappie claims to ken summat about our laird, sir, but he refuses to talk to anyone save yourself.”
“What happened to him?” Dev asked, standing and putting what he hoped was a reassuring hand on Robby’s shoulder.
Jock kept silent, but Sandy said mildly, “Tripped over his own feet, sir.”
“I see.” To their guest, Dev said, “Before I hang you, tell me why you’re here and what you know about the Laird of Coklaw’s absence from this castle.”
“Ye’ll no hang me, ’cause I ha’ a message for ye,” Joey said. “I’m to give it to ye alone, though. If ye want yer wee laird back alive, nae one else must hear it.”
Sandy said, “Give me more time wi’ him, sir. I’ll ha’ all he kens out o’ him.”
“Aye, ye great lummox, ye might,” the man said. “But it’ll do ye nae good. We ha’ men a-watching this place. If I dinna meet one o’ them afore sundown, your wee lairdie will be dead when ye next see ’im.”
Robina gasped, and the hall seemed suddenly fuzzy as if a fog had risen within its walls. Dev’s hand tightened on her shoulder, steadying her, but she believed that the Percy man spoke the truth as he knew it.
“We cannot take the chance,” she said to Dev. “We must do as they ask, but I want to hear what this man says. We must talk to him together.”
“Nay, then,” the man said, looking at Dev. “Ye may as well hang me, for I’ll say nowt till we be alone. I ha’ me orders, and I’ll no stray from them.”
Dev said calmly, “Then it shall be as you say. Nay, lass,” he added firmly when she eluded his hand and stood. “We must do nowt to endanger Benjy, so if you cannot sit here patiently, go upstairs and await me in our chamber.”
She nearly objected but realized when she met his steady gaze just what he was saying to her. She said less sharply than she had intended, “I’ll do as you bid, sir, but I’ll demand later to know all that you know.”
“You may demand all you like, but you will go now,” he said sternly.
Without looking at Sandy or Jock, lest one of them see something in her expression that he should not see, she strode to the privy stairs and ran up to their bedchamber. As she left, she heard Dev say, “Show this chap into the inner chamber, Jock. Then see to it that everyone leaves us alone.”
Certain that Robby had understood him, Dev watched Jock escort their prisoner into the chamber before he said to Sandy, “Tell the lads on the wall to keep their eyes sharp but to do nowt to make anyone watching us suspicious.”
“Sakes, sir, how could anyone watch? We ha’ men out everywhere.”
“We’ll take no chances, even so,” Dev said. “We’ll behave as if there are enemy eyes everywhere. I’m not in any mood for more surprises.”
Dismissing Sandy, he entered the chamber and told Jock to stay nearby but to make sure no one disturbed them. “You must not try to hear what we say, either, Jock,” he added, more for their visitor’s benefit than because Jock needed telling.
“Aye, sir, I’ll see to it,” Jock replied. “Just shout when ye’ve decided what we’re to do wi’ this ruffian.”
“Sakes, I’ll tell ye that,” their guest announced, squaring his skinny shoulders. “Ye’ll leave me be is what ye’ll do, unless ye’re tired o’ your lairdie.”
Waving Jock away, Dev leaned against the heavy table and said softly, “You’d be wise to deliver your message before you irk me enough to make it unnecessary. You do know what they call me, do you not?”
Satisfied to see the cocky look vanish and the man’s face pale, Dev kept silent, knowing that few people could let anyone’s silence continue for long.
At last, the chap said, “We dinna want to harm the laddie, but we ha’ our orders and we darena disobey them.”
“Your orders come from Northumberland?”
“That be what I’m told, sir.”
Dev nodded, saying, “I’ll do whatever I must to bring that boy home safely. Tell me what I must do.”
“Ye’re to come alone tomorrow just afore midday to fetch him. Also, as comp… compen—”
“Compensation?” Dev supplied dryly.
“Aye, that’s it. Ye’re to bring a certain article what ye must ha’ found recently. I dinna ken what it be, but ye’ll ken that yourself or someone else here will ken what our captain means.”
“I know what he wants,” Dev said.
“Aye? Well, it be gey important. ’Less ye bring it, that lad willna survive the day.”
“Where are we to meet?”
“It’ll just be ye meeting me captain and the wee lairdie. Afore I tell ye where, I must ha’ your word as a Borderer that ye’ll do as ye’re bid and willna reveal the meeting place to anyone. Me captain likewise promises he’ll come alone wi’ only the bairn.”
Forcing himself to reply calmly, and belatedly wishing that he’d not sent Robby upstairs, Dev said, “You have my word as a Borderer that I’ll do as you say and will tell no one what you have told me.”
“Ye’re also to make sure that nae one follows ye, sir. Can ye do that, too?”
Praying that he spoke the truth, Dev said firmly, “I can, aye.”
Upstairs, her eyes at the squint and her ears aprick, so she could see all they did and hear every word, Robina breathed, “Blethers!”
Then, in utter dismay, she watched as the messenger whispered in Dev’s ear.