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.“My dear guests!” said Arthur, his frisky voice grinding on William’s nerves.“Lord William of Miraval and,” his eyes bugged in open avarice as he surveyed the lady’s tumbled state, “Lady Saura.”“Of Roget,” she reminded him.Relieved to see she had gathered her blanket and her invisible cloak of dignity tight around her, William rose to his feet.“Ah.’Tis Arthur.To what do we owe this unexpected hospitality?” Arthur, he was pleased to see, took one step back in reaction to William’s commanding size, and then one step forward in the press of men behind him.Whipping his voice into scorn, he added, “And how many men do you need to help you enforce your hospitality on one blind man and his woman?”Arthur’s stature was always a sore spot to him, and he reacted as William knew he would.“Go, go.” He waved his men out the door, glanced back at William, and pulled two armed hulks back in.“There, we’re alone now.”“Exactly so,” William agreed, cursing his bad luck.He would have laughed at Arthur’s cowardice, at his ignorance about what a blind man could know, but the situation reeked of deceit and destruction.The fragile, vivid woman Arthur ogled with such rapacity depended on him.Of all the people to have kidnapped him, Arthur was the worst.Flighty, vindictive, impossible to question because of his lightness of mind.It would take all his wit and skill to save Saura from ruin.Fixing a vacant gaze in his eyes, he asked, “What do you want?”“Why, nothing.” Arthur simpered in expectant pleasure.“Only your lands and wealth and all those other things.”Arthur smiled at Saura, noting the flush of her cheek, the bright sparkle in her eyes, the rosy blush of her well-kissed lips.William’s hands itched to slap him.“How?” he boomed, and Arthur twitched his attention back.“How do you propose to do that?”“Well, we were going to do it with your little accident, but I told him it would never work.You’re too damned tough.But it did blind you, and that made this whole game a little easier.”“Game?”“Your kidnapping! He’s received my message by now.He’ll be so surprised!”“Aye.When he gets here, he’ll be horribly surprised.” William stroked his hand over his beard, and wondered who “he” was.And more important: “When do you expect him?”“Soon, I would think.I got the message from the mercenary yesterday afternoon.It has taken them days and days to get close to you but I sent a message to him immediately.I boarded the boat last night to get here.I couldn’t wait to see you.Oh, William, this is so much fun! I’ve never been in on a plot before, much less actually thought of one.”“Didn’t he think of this plan?”“Nay.” Arthur shrugged petulantly, impatient at being interrupted and not wanting to discuss the omnipotent “he.” “He wants to think of everything.He thinks I’m stupid, but I showed him.”“Who is he?” William asked.Arthur waggled his hands.“Nay, I’m not going to tell you.I want to see your face when he gets here.Your expression will almost be payment enough for the hardships you’ve put me through.”“But I won’t know him,” Saura interrupted.“What’s his name?”William cursed silently as Arthur’s attention switched back to her.“A woman as lovely as yourself shouldn’t concern herself with such trivial details.”“As trivial as who’s going to kill me?” she asked bluntly.“He’s not going to kill you.”“Well, somebody’s got to do it,” she snapped.“Is it you?”“Nay.” Arthur took one step closer to the pallet.“I’m sure we’ll work something out.”“Soft as butter where women are concerned.And as slippery,” William said with contempt.“Be advised, your friend won’t be pleased about having you kidnap Lady Saura.”“Well, William, what else could I do?”“You could have had her left on Burke land.” William saw the slide of Arthur’s eyes as he contemplated the tousled woman, already naked, already on the palliasse.“Or was it simply the thrill of using my woman?”Arthur began to laugh, trying to be sophisticated and succeeding only in sounding high-strung.“Could you have done better?”“I don’t know.I’ve never done anything so dishonorable.”William’s flat statement infuriated Arthur, and the soft laughter stopped.“Of course not.You’re so damned honorable it sickens me.We all used to laugh about you behind our hands, about what a fantastic, godly knight you were and how you never stooped to rape or lie and how you never slapped your servants or picked on us squires.”“Actually, I have slapped my servants for good cause, and as for not picking on my squires, ’tis not a mistake I’ll make again, if this is the result.”“Don’t fret, my high and mighty Lord William, you will never have squires again.You’re blind, remember? You’re going to be dead, remember?”“Nay, you hadn’t told me that part, yet,” William rumbled.“Aye, and as your dear friends, we’ll go to comfort your father, and in no time we’ll be sitting on your bench, drinking out of your goblet.”“I doubt that.” William’s voice resounded with confidence.“You haven’t the courage to kill me, nor the stalwart strength to take my place.”“Your father will be so distraught.”“My father’s not a mewling fool! Do you think he hasn’t mourned his failure to implant in you the seeds of chivalry? You’d be the last—”“You puff your chest like a pigeon, so proud of your puny wit!” Arthur stripped off his surcoat and tossed it into the corner.“I’m going to have that woman you’ve already warmed for me! You’re going to die and the crows will pick at your body.”He flung himself at Saura, knocking her backwards against the wall, and her small cry was engulfed by the roar of rage from William.Arthur dared! Two steps took William to the pallet, two hands seized Arthur and turned him.When Arthur’s eyes had widened to the point of terror, William said with harsh conviction, “But I can see.I can see you, you sniveling little worm.”The guards, frozen by the turn of events, rushed them at his words.William grasped Arthur by the neck and the seat, and raised him above his head and heaved him like a dog at the rushing guards.That body, inert with shock, flung them against the wall with a crash of tremendous proportion.It resounded in the little room and brought the slam of guards’ armor from outside the door.William was there before them, wedging the spike of the iron candle stand into the wood.One guard inside began to struggle to his feet, but as William raised a stool over his head he prudently dropped back to the floor and played dead.“Clever man,” William approved, and stepped over the bodies to Saura.“How is your head?” Before she could answer, he said, “Here are your clothes.Let me help you.” He raised her to her feet and with the impersonal touch of a eunuch.“I’ll not make the same mistake again.”He pulled her cotte over her head and she objected, “My chainse!”“No time.” He laced it tightly, trying to cover as much of her bared skin as he could.“I’m the stupid idiot who didn’t have you dressed when Arthur arrived.Patience!” he called to the pounding on the door.“I’ll not compound that mistake when his accomplice arrives.We must leave before reinforcements come to finish Arthur’s pitiable job.”“I’ll not argue that.” She wiped her hands on her skirt, the hands that still felt the pebbled feel of Arthur’s acne-pocked skin.“But how will we leave with the guards at the door? And what’s happened to Arthur?”“He’s dead.” He answered the last question first.“Broken neck.Didn’t you hear it crack? And we’ll walk out of here.Arthur’s servants are nothing if not disloyal, they’ll scatter like mice freed from a trap.Where are your shoes?”“Back at Fyngre Brook [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“My dear guests!” said Arthur, his frisky voice grinding on William’s nerves.“Lord William of Miraval and,” his eyes bugged in open avarice as he surveyed the lady’s tumbled state, “Lady Saura.”“Of Roget,” she reminded him.Relieved to see she had gathered her blanket and her invisible cloak of dignity tight around her, William rose to his feet.“Ah.’Tis Arthur.To what do we owe this unexpected hospitality?” Arthur, he was pleased to see, took one step back in reaction to William’s commanding size, and then one step forward in the press of men behind him.Whipping his voice into scorn, he added, “And how many men do you need to help you enforce your hospitality on one blind man and his woman?”Arthur’s stature was always a sore spot to him, and he reacted as William knew he would.“Go, go.” He waved his men out the door, glanced back at William, and pulled two armed hulks back in.“There, we’re alone now.”“Exactly so,” William agreed, cursing his bad luck.He would have laughed at Arthur’s cowardice, at his ignorance about what a blind man could know, but the situation reeked of deceit and destruction.The fragile, vivid woman Arthur ogled with such rapacity depended on him.Of all the people to have kidnapped him, Arthur was the worst.Flighty, vindictive, impossible to question because of his lightness of mind.It would take all his wit and skill to save Saura from ruin.Fixing a vacant gaze in his eyes, he asked, “What do you want?”“Why, nothing.” Arthur simpered in expectant pleasure.“Only your lands and wealth and all those other things.”Arthur smiled at Saura, noting the flush of her cheek, the bright sparkle in her eyes, the rosy blush of her well-kissed lips.William’s hands itched to slap him.“How?” he boomed, and Arthur twitched his attention back.“How do you propose to do that?”“Well, we were going to do it with your little accident, but I told him it would never work.You’re too damned tough.But it did blind you, and that made this whole game a little easier.”“Game?”“Your kidnapping! He’s received my message by now.He’ll be so surprised!”“Aye.When he gets here, he’ll be horribly surprised.” William stroked his hand over his beard, and wondered who “he” was.And more important: “When do you expect him?”“Soon, I would think.I got the message from the mercenary yesterday afternoon.It has taken them days and days to get close to you but I sent a message to him immediately.I boarded the boat last night to get here.I couldn’t wait to see you.Oh, William, this is so much fun! I’ve never been in on a plot before, much less actually thought of one.”“Didn’t he think of this plan?”“Nay.” Arthur shrugged petulantly, impatient at being interrupted and not wanting to discuss the omnipotent “he.” “He wants to think of everything.He thinks I’m stupid, but I showed him.”“Who is he?” William asked.Arthur waggled his hands.“Nay, I’m not going to tell you.I want to see your face when he gets here.Your expression will almost be payment enough for the hardships you’ve put me through.”“But I won’t know him,” Saura interrupted.“What’s his name?”William cursed silently as Arthur’s attention switched back to her.“A woman as lovely as yourself shouldn’t concern herself with such trivial details.”“As trivial as who’s going to kill me?” she asked bluntly.“He’s not going to kill you.”“Well, somebody’s got to do it,” she snapped.“Is it you?”“Nay.” Arthur took one step closer to the pallet.“I’m sure we’ll work something out.”“Soft as butter where women are concerned.And as slippery,” William said with contempt.“Be advised, your friend won’t be pleased about having you kidnap Lady Saura.”“Well, William, what else could I do?”“You could have had her left on Burke land.” William saw the slide of Arthur’s eyes as he contemplated the tousled woman, already naked, already on the palliasse.“Or was it simply the thrill of using my woman?”Arthur began to laugh, trying to be sophisticated and succeeding only in sounding high-strung.“Could you have done better?”“I don’t know.I’ve never done anything so dishonorable.”William’s flat statement infuriated Arthur, and the soft laughter stopped.“Of course not.You’re so damned honorable it sickens me.We all used to laugh about you behind our hands, about what a fantastic, godly knight you were and how you never stooped to rape or lie and how you never slapped your servants or picked on us squires.”“Actually, I have slapped my servants for good cause, and as for not picking on my squires, ’tis not a mistake I’ll make again, if this is the result.”“Don’t fret, my high and mighty Lord William, you will never have squires again.You’re blind, remember? You’re going to be dead, remember?”“Nay, you hadn’t told me that part, yet,” William rumbled.“Aye, and as your dear friends, we’ll go to comfort your father, and in no time we’ll be sitting on your bench, drinking out of your goblet.”“I doubt that.” William’s voice resounded with confidence.“You haven’t the courage to kill me, nor the stalwart strength to take my place.”“Your father will be so distraught.”“My father’s not a mewling fool! Do you think he hasn’t mourned his failure to implant in you the seeds of chivalry? You’d be the last—”“You puff your chest like a pigeon, so proud of your puny wit!” Arthur stripped off his surcoat and tossed it into the corner.“I’m going to have that woman you’ve already warmed for me! You’re going to die and the crows will pick at your body.”He flung himself at Saura, knocking her backwards against the wall, and her small cry was engulfed by the roar of rage from William.Arthur dared! Two steps took William to the pallet, two hands seized Arthur and turned him.When Arthur’s eyes had widened to the point of terror, William said with harsh conviction, “But I can see.I can see you, you sniveling little worm.”The guards, frozen by the turn of events, rushed them at his words.William grasped Arthur by the neck and the seat, and raised him above his head and heaved him like a dog at the rushing guards.That body, inert with shock, flung them against the wall with a crash of tremendous proportion.It resounded in the little room and brought the slam of guards’ armor from outside the door.William was there before them, wedging the spike of the iron candle stand into the wood.One guard inside began to struggle to his feet, but as William raised a stool over his head he prudently dropped back to the floor and played dead.“Clever man,” William approved, and stepped over the bodies to Saura.“How is your head?” Before she could answer, he said, “Here are your clothes.Let me help you.” He raised her to her feet and with the impersonal touch of a eunuch.“I’ll not make the same mistake again.”He pulled her cotte over her head and she objected, “My chainse!”“No time.” He laced it tightly, trying to cover as much of her bared skin as he could.“I’m the stupid idiot who didn’t have you dressed when Arthur arrived.Patience!” he called to the pounding on the door.“I’ll not compound that mistake when his accomplice arrives.We must leave before reinforcements come to finish Arthur’s pitiable job.”“I’ll not argue that.” She wiped her hands on her skirt, the hands that still felt the pebbled feel of Arthur’s acne-pocked skin.“But how will we leave with the guards at the door? And what’s happened to Arthur?”“He’s dead.” He answered the last question first.“Broken neck.Didn’t you hear it crack? And we’ll walk out of here.Arthur’s servants are nothing if not disloyal, they’ll scatter like mice freed from a trap.Where are your shoes?”“Back at Fyngre Brook [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]