Chapter 31 #2
“Hell,” he muttered, tracing the path back to see where it had come from.
The path led directly to Bethany, who stood yards away from the farmhouse, holding the weapon. She cursed at missing and set about reloading.
“Bethany.” Suddenly, Rafe knew she’d been the one who was responsible for the previous attacks, that she regarded Angelet as more of a threat than any of the knights.
“Bethany, get over here!” Ernald had avoided the fight, instead moving to one of the saddled horses in the paddock. “This is not the time for revenge.”
“Everyone’s always fighting over her,” Bethany said. “Why? She’s a freak, and she should have run while she had the chance!” Now Bethany held the weapon at the ready, sighting the unprotected form of Angelet, ready to shoot once again.
“Don’t you dare,” Ernald yelled, furious that Bethany wasn’t listening. “She still has a use.”
“I will!” Bethany shouted back at her lover, her composure gone. “I won’t miss this time!”
But she didn’t fire. There was a whistling sound, and Bethany dropped the crossbow, transfixed by the shaft of an arrow protruding from her neck.
Everyone was silent for an endless moment, as Bethany collapsed, dead.
“They have archers!” Ernald shouted. “Mount up! Ride!” He went for the nearest horse, got up and rode off, without waiting to see if any of his men were with him, and without any more thought for his slain lover.
“He’s getting away!” Rafe yelled to his fellow knights.
“Let him go.”
Rafe looked down, where Angelet lay, her eyes now open and alert. “Let him go,” she repeated quietly. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t,” he said, helping her up.
Once on her feet, Angelet embraced him, heedless of how it would look. He held her tightly for a moment, absurdly happy to know she was safe. Then he released her. “Enough of that,” he muttered. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Angelet sighed. “What happened was simple. Ernald followed us all this way, and then took Goswin in order to get me out of Cleobury.” She explained everything, concluding that she had been foolish to trust Ulmar. By then Octavian and Alric joined them, and Goswin also hovered near.
“I should have known something was wrong,” Angelet said at last.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Rafe said. “You thought it was an emergency, and you couldn’t have known Cleobury’s guards all by sight.”
“You were really worried I was hurt?” Goswin asked.
“I was,” she said. “And you were hurt in the end!” She looked angry.
At last Rafe noticed that the boy’s shirt was stained red on the back. “You were whipped?”
“Once,” Goswin said. “It doesn’t hurt.”
The boy was obviously lying, wanting to appear strong in front of Angelet. Rafe gave him a nod. “If you say so.”
“We should return to Cleobury,” Alric said, looking worriedly at the darkening sky.
Octavian said he’d retrieve the horses, who had wandered away somewhat. But the moment he spoke, another rider appeared.
Rafe squinted, since the rider was backlit by the setting sun. “Is that…”
“Robin,” Octavian said, sounding unsurprised, and also unhappy. “Our hidden archer.”
“What the hell is she doing here?” Alric asked.
By that time, Robin reached them, holding her bow. “I followed you,” she said bluntly. “And a good thing too. Three against twelve? Plus a crossbow? Not good odds.”
“A battle is no place for a lady,” Alric said.
“I attended as an archer,” Robin said defensively, plucking at the leather bracer she still wore on her forearm. “And some thanks would be pleasant.”
“Thank you for saving my life,” Angelet said. “But Sir Alric is correct, it’s time to go.”
They rode back to Cleobury in the deepening twilight.
The lack of extra horses meant Angelet rode with Rafe, while Goswin rode behind Alric.
As they rode, Octavian and Robin dropped back, immersed in a heated argument about Robin’s “whim,” as Octavian put it.
The word seemed to infuriate the young woman, whose cheeks had gone beet red.
“I will say that having that first arrow appear was convenient,” Rafe said quietly to Alric.
“But she’s barely more than a girl,” Angelet said worriedly.
“A girl who can shoot,” Alric said. “I know all too well. I met her at arrowpoint, an experience I don’t want to repeat.”
Suddenly, Robin’s voice grew louder. “Because I was bored! And I wasn’t in danger at all. Not with three knights in earshot!”
Octavian said, in a more measured tone, “It was irresponsible.” The rest of his argument was too low to hear.
Rafe didn’t think the knight had much chance to influence Robin. “And Octavian’s argument will…do what?”
“Chasten her, perhaps,” Alric said. “At least she listens to him sometimes. She never listens to me.”
Angelet said, “I’m glad she followed. Ernald might have succeeded if she didn’t. He was going to force me to go to Basingwerke. Which sounds like a horrible place.” She told what Ernald shared about the abbey’s practices.
Rafe’s arm was around her waist, holding her so she wouldn’t fall.
Now he tightened his grip. “He’s probably telling the truth.
Lord Otto acted strangely about it when he first hired us.
We were told not to bring you back. He ordered me to ignore any pleas you might make.
I was to see that you passed through the gate, and then leave when the gate locked behind you. ”
“And you agreed to that?” she asked, aghast.
“I made no complaint,” he corrected. “I let Otto believe what he would—my reputation is that of a man out for himself. But I didn’t like his words, and I never let another decide my course. If I didn’t like what I saw, or if you’d asked…Otto’s orders meant nothing to me.”
He laid a kiss on her head, enjoying the silky feel of her hair. By that point, the sky had changed to a purple-blue, the last shade of twilight. Rafe used the darkness to hold Angelet closer to him than he otherwise could. He almost didn’t want to see the gates again.
Back at Cleobury, the party rode in to find an audience, despite the late hour.
Many of the residents knew of the crisis and found reasons to be in the courtyard when they returned.
At the sight of Angelet, many shouted in relief.
She smiled happily. “I don’t ever remember being cheered upon my arrival anywhere. ”
Cecily made much of Goswin, and took him away to tend the wound across his back. Alric asked if Angelet felt up to talking briefly. “Rainald ought to be told what’s happened.”
She nodded, but leaned against Rafe as they walked.
“Are you well?” he asked in a low voice.
“Well enough, if you are here to help me.”
The warmth of the statement kept Rafe going during the discussion that followed. Angelet related all that Ernald told her, including the fact that he intended to go before the king after Easter.
“He’ll do everything he can to advance his own cause and hurt any other.
He hoped to have me behind walls, and also to recover the stolen gold.
But he’ll settle for destroying reputations.
He’ll destroy mine to ensure that I’ll never get to see Henry again.
And he’ll destroy Rafe’s because Rafe thwarted his plans, more than once. ”
“Then we should go there too,” Rafe said.
“Go there?” Angelet said. “Away would be a better choice!”
“Ernald just threatened to blacken my name with the king. He might be able to do it, especially if he gives his story before I can tell mine. I’m not going to let that miserable excuse for a man ruin the name I just regained.”
“Your name is important to you,” Angelet said softly.
“Of course it is. It’s all I have. Without it, I’m nothing.”
She smiled, but her face looked even paler than usual. “Then we should go. To Northampton. You can put your case to the king, and he’ll see the right of it.”