Chapter 5
M aggie hightailed it for the gate, hoping to get out of the castle and to the road before Evan started after her. She had almost made it out of the castle before he showed up, but then he’d pulled her away from the fishmonger at the last moment. Actually, she had been a little leery of climbing into the wagon with that filthy, scary man, so mayhap this was for the best. She’d just keep her eyes open for a traveler with a wagon on the road who seemed safe, and ask them for a ride to town instead.
She was almost over the drawbridge when she hear the clip-clop of a horse’s hooves coming up behind her. It was getting faster and she realized it was probably a guard or a noble so she moved to the side, hoping not to be trampled. The horse and rider came up behind her before she could even turn to look. She screamed when a man’s hands reached down from his horse and he grabbed her, swinging her up into the saddle with him.
“Nay! Leave me alone,” she screamed, her hair in her eyes so she wasn’t able to see her abductor. If she hadn’t been gripping her basket with two hands trying not to lose her belongings, she would have reached out and slugged him.
“Stop squirming or we’re both going to end up on the ground,” the man commanded in a deep voice.
She pushed her hair from her eyes to see that she was on her belly and flung across the lap of a man, riding atop a horse with none other than Evan. His hand on her back steadied her as her body pressed against his and her feet dangled off the side.
“Oh. It’s you,” she said, letting out a frustrated breath. “You almost made me dump my basket.” She struggled to get to an upright sitting position in the saddle.
“You’re welcome,” he said, helping her. The rich timbre of his voice resonated against her back as she faced forward.
“I wasn’t thanking you.”
“I know. But deep in your heart I am sure you are grateful that I saved you from being molested by a toothless, filthy, lusty old man who smells like the rotting flesh of week-old fish. I must point out that I just came from the practice field, so I cannot vouch for the fact I smell much better at the moment. Still, at least I have all my teeth, so I’m not half as scary.”
His words amused her and suddenly things didn’t seem so grim anymore. Something about being with Evan made her heart sing. She smiled. “I think even your sweat smells sweeter than that fishmonger’s rancid breath!”
They both laughed at that.
“You might want to move a little closer to me so you don’t fall off the horse. Lean back against me and I’ll put my arm around you if you’d like.”
“Oh,” she said, feeling her heartbeat picking up in speed. She shimmied her butt closer to him, sliding in between his spread legs. Maggie was reluctant to let him put his arm around her, so she refrained from leaning back against him. It felt much too intimate to do so. She didn’t even know this man. “I’d better sit upright and hold on to my basket. I don’t want to lose anything important.”
“I’d say you’re more important than anything you could possibly have in there.” He nodded at the basket. “But don’t worry. I’ll hold on to you anyway and I promise I won’t let you fall.” Evan snaked one hand around her waist, drawing her tightly against him.
It felt damned good to Maggie. She hadn’t been touched by a man since the death of her husband just after she had gotten pregnant with Emma. Evan’s strong arm around her felt so protective. She instantly relaxed in his embrace. An odd feeling of being safe washed through her. Feeling safe was something that she had not felt in a long time now.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and he heard her.
“There is no need to thank me, Midwife. I am just doing my job.”
Somehow she felt he was calling her Midwife instead of by her name and also saying he was just doing his job because she’d told him the same thing when he’d tried to thank her for helping Lady Martine.
“Oh, I see your squire following us,” she said, looking back at the road as they traveled.
“Yes, I asked Giles to accompany us.”
“I see. I’m sure it is safer to have him to protect you since you’ll be carrying a lot of money on your return from collecting all those taxes.”
He laughed heartily at that. Maggie felt his chest rumble.
“What is so amusing?” she asked.
“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” he told her. “Besides, my squire is still in training and has a long way to go before I can count on him to have my back.”
“Then why did you ask him to accompany you?” she asked out of curiosity.
“It was for your protection, Maggie.”
“I don’t understand.” She turned her head to look into his clear green eyes. “You are a knight, Sir Evan. I thought you were going to protect me.”
“I am. But let’s just say … he is going to protect you from me.”
“What?” Her body stiffened. Did he mean to hurt her after all? Or since he said he’d buy her clothes, was he planning on getting her naked and taking advantage of her? Right now, she didn’t know what to think.
“Relax, Maggie. I am not going to harm you nor take advantage of you,” he said, almost as if he had heard her thoughts. “I just meant he is here as a witness.”
“A witness? To what?” She still wasn’t able to relax.
“To whatever might happen, or more likely whatever someone might accuse me of, even though it isn’t true.”
It took her a minute to know what he meant, but finally it dawned on her. He thought she was going to accuse him of doing something, even though the thought had never entered her mind. “Sir Knight, I am disappointed that you’d think I would accuse you of improper behavior between us. That is what you mean, is it not?”
Evan could have kicked himself for saying what he did. He didn’t want her to think he was a lustful cur, but in defending himself from something that never even had the chance to happen, he’d more or less insinuated that she might be a liar.
“I didn’t mean you’d make up anything. I just meant … I mean ...”
“It’s all right,” she said, surprising him that she no longer sounded angry. “I am sure that being a noble you need to take every measure to protect your reputation.”
“Well, I suppose,” he said, not meaning that at all. Still, anything he said would probably just make the situation worse, and he was trying to get the girl to like him. He decided to just keep his mouth shut for now.
They traveled in silence until they got to town. He stopped and dismounted, holding his arms up to aid her.
He half expected her to slap away his hands or to dismount on her own but she didn’t. Instead, she reached out with her arm still through the basket handle, and put her hands on his shoulders. With his hands encircling her waist, he gently lifted her from the horse, slowly sliding her down his body until her feet touched the ground.
Damn, he liked the feel of her small waist under his fingers. He liked even more the way her curves pushed out from under her clothes. Never had he thought a wench dressed in mainly rags could excite him. Maggie’s clothes were dirty, but her body smelled heavenly. Like she’d used some kind of sweet herb on her hair and skin.
“Mmm, you smell good,” he said, already regretting saying this aloud.
“What you are smelling is one of the medicinal oils I make. This one is infused with honeysuckle.”
“Honeysuckle? Like the flower?” he asked, slowly removing his hands from her waist.
“Yes. The flower. Exactly. It is good for lots of things.” She put her basket on the ground and fixed her head wrapping, tucking her hair beneath the covering, since it had all become exposed during their little escapade on the road.
“It is? I didn’t know that. Like what?”
“Well, honeysuckle is used to fight inflammation, infections, and it even aids digestion. I use it when I wash my hair because it keeps my hair healthy.”
“You have beautiful hair,” he said, so mesmerized by the woman that he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and tucking a silky strand of her light blonde hair behind her ear. He noticed the way her face reddened and her gaze dropped to the ground when he did it. He cleared his throat and quickly pulled back his hand when he noticed his squire atop his horse watching them. “So. What else is honeysuckle good for?” asked Evan.
“Actually, infused in hot water it makes a good drink to help with nausea during pregnancy,” she explained. “I want to make the drink for Lady Martine, but I don’t have any more dried honeysuckle flowers. I had hoped to either purchase some in town today or pick the flowers myself, if I can find them growing nearby.”
“What do they look like?” he asked her.
“There are several different kinds, but the type I believe will be blooming now is the climbing one. They are trumpet-shaped flowers with a sweet essence, and they’re usually yellow or white.”
“They climb? Like on a vine against a building?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Ah, I think I know exactly where to find them. There is a vine like that that is growing up the side of the blacksmith’s shop in town. I know the smith well. His name is Alan. I will ask him when I collect his rent if he’d mind if you picked some of the flowers.”
“Thank you,” she told him. “I would like that.”
Maggie strapped on her new shoes, picking up the hem of her new gown to take a better look at them. Evan had brought her to a mercantile that sold a few simple gowns for women, and then to the cordwainer’s shop where he insisted on getting her shoes to go with her new gown. He’d also made sure to leave her old gown and holey shoes behind. Maggie actually felt better already. It was amazing how clean clothes and a good pair of shoes could change her mood so quickly, giving her a dose of confidence. Now she felt like she was ready to face anyone and not only ask for a job, but get it, too.
“Why don’t you join me in collecting the rents today?” Evan asked her, as they left the cordwainer’s shop.
“No, thank you. I don’t think I’d like that.” The thought of assisting a noble as he took hard-earned money away from a working commoner just didn’t sit right with her.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “It would be a new experience for you, I’m sure.”
“Nay,” she said once again. “I have several supplies that I am hoping to find so I will know where to refill them once I get a job and have money again, but thank you for offering.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Evan untied a small pouch of coins from his belt and tossed it to his squire still sitting atop his horse. “Giles, take this and purchase whatever supplies Maggie needs.”
“Nay! I can’t take your money,” Maggie objected.
“Why not?” he asked. “I have plenty of it.”
“I’m sure you do. However, you’ve already been kind enough to buy me a gown and shoes, and this is really too much.”
“Consider the clothes a gift. And the bag of coins is your pay for helping my cousin.”
Maggie eyed the heavy bag of coins Giles tossed up and down in his hand. Giles smiled as the clanking noise filled the air. “My lord, I have only worked for you for a day,” she pointed out. My fees are high, but I assure you that you have overpaid me threefold.”
“Then consider it an advance on your pay.” Evan climbed atop his horse, not seeming at all concerned about this.
“Are you ready to go, Maggie?” asked Giles, tying the money pouch to his belt.
“Not yet.” She removed her apron from her bag and put it over her new gown. Then, having had to remove her cap earlier when she dressed in her new gown, she replaced that as well.
“Why are you wearing your midwife cap and apron over your new gown?” Evan asked her from atop his horse.
“I thought it couldn’t hurt,” she said with a shrug. “Some people don’t believe I’m a midwife since I am so young, but seeing me dressed like one might lessen their doubt.”
“How old are you, anyway?” he asked.
“I am twenty.”
“I am one-and-twenty,” he said. “So, you have just one child?”
“Yes. I gave birth to Emma when I was sixteen.”
“You said you are a widow, so you don’t have a husband, then.” Evan wanted to find out more about Maggie, and she was finally starting to talk. He was extremely curious about her parents and husband and if she had any siblings.
“Nay, I don’t. That is usually what being a widow means.”
“Yes, I know that. So, what happened to Emma’s father?”
“He died in a fishing accident in a storm just after we were married.”
“Oh. Sorry to hear that,” he said, meaning it sincerely. “Do you have any other siblings? Besides Charles?”
“Nay. Just Charles. And before you ask, my father died from a passing pestilence when I was only thirteen.”
“What about your mother?”
Maggie’s head snapped up and she suddenly seemed to become guarded.
“What about her?”
“How did she die?”
It seemed to strike a nerve in Maggie that he’d asked, even though she had volunteered the information freely about the death of her father. Her body suddenly became rigid and she clenched her jaw. “She’s dead, and that is all that matters, my lord,” she said, reaching down and picking up her basket.
“I know she’s gone. I was just curious how it happened, that’s all.”
Her expression became even colder. “Sir Evan, I really need to inquire about a job, find and replenish my supplies, and get back to the castle to check on Lady Martine, all in a timely manner. I am sure you are anxious to collect your rents as well.”
“Yes. I suppose we should get back to business, if that’s what you mean.”
“I will meet you at the blacksmith’s shop later.” She started to walk away.
“Wait, Maggie,” he called out. “Be sure to stay with Giles. He is escorting you today. Giles, keep a good eye on her and don’t leave her side.”
“Aye, my lord,” said Giles, hopping down from his horse. “You can count on me. Maggie, did you want to ride on my horse with me?” asked the boy, seeming much too happy of the possible prospect of having a pretty woman in his arms atop his steed.
“That is sweet of you to ask, Giles. However, I prefer to walk, but thank you,” said Maggie, making her way down the wooden walkway in front of the shops, not waiting for a man to escort her. Then again, it sounded as if Maggie hadn’t really had a man in her life besides her brother in a long time now.
Evan decided he would have to take care of that, because a strange voice inside his head said not to share Maggie with anyone. Aye, he wanted to be the only man in her life for right now, and he was going to make it happen.