Authors: Amy Mullen
After she left, Gemma dug out her soap and slipped into the tub. The warm water swirled around her
,
and she moved the soap over her skin. Her hair was a problem. It was tangled and nearly impossible to manage on her own. Her chambermaid sat behind her and deftly untangled some of it with her fingers. It was a long and arduous task. All
she
could think about was the man with the arrow in his leg. She did not even know his name.
"
I will finish. You are excused,
"
Nicholas said as he walked into their quarters. Her chambermaid scurried off as if she had just seen the devil. Gemma went to rise but he pushed her back down into the water.
"
You stay where you are. I will finish your hair.
"
Much to her surprise, he began to carefully untangle the rest of her hair. He said nothing for a while, and
she
remained silent too, even though her water was cooling rapidly.
"
Get out,
"
he said, his voice sharp. She stood with her back to him, fully aware she was naked and he was still in his clothes.
"
You will scrub my back.
"
"
Do you want fresh water for
â¦
"
she began
,
but he cut her off.
"
This will do. I only need a quick bath
,
and I do not wish to wait for new water to be warmed and carried up here.
"
He began to strip his clothes off
,
and she gasped at not only his boldness, but also the blood she saw soaked through his tunic.
She grabbed the linen
left by her chambermaid and wrapped her wet, nake
d body in it. Nicholas kicked
off his muddied boots. His expressi
on was that of a man possessed.
Despite her fear, she spoke up,
"
How is he?
"
She watched as he stepped out of the last of his clothes. His body was magnificent
,
and she found herself blushing as she remembered the one night they had spent in
each other
'
s
arms.
Not only was he lean, he was
muscular and moved with grace as he stepped into the bath and lowered himself into the water. He looked like the towering, dark, and dangerous warrior he was, and she all but shivered and melted into a heap just looking at him.
"
He has a name,
"
he said gruffly,
"
and he is alive. His name is Rulnoff
,
and he is a good man.
"
"
I-I-
I
â¦
"
she said as she watche
d him lather and scrub himself.
"
The arrow was pulled from his leg
,
and he bled for quite a while. I feared for his life. Father Darius managed to stop the flow with a hot iron from
the s
mith. He packed
the wound
with a poultice
that
should fight off infection.
As
most do with such a wound
, he
passed out when the arrow was removed, but he breathes well and as long as infection says away, he should live.
"
"
Will he
â
"
she
began
,
but he interrupted her again.
"
Walk again? Aye, I think so. It pierced the inner thigh but did not hit bone. He
may have a limp, but I imagine he shall walk again.
"
She
remained silent as she watched him get out of the tub. He stood before the fire, water dripping from him. He did not bother to dry off or cover himself. He did not look at her.
"
Now you can tell me why you decided to take a ride at sunset when there is danger lurking about,
"
he said.
"
Are you trying to find trouble or trying to escape me?
"
"
Nay,
"
she said, lifting her quivering chin.
"
I am tired of being followed around my own home like a criminal. I just wanted some quiet time to myself. I saw no harm in a quick ride on my father
'
s
â¦
uh, your land.
"
"
And what if it had been thieves
who
overtook you? I never would have found you.
'
Twas almost a stroke of luck
'
twas Bigod
'
s men
,
or I would not have known where to
search
. You should not have been anywhere without me. There is no telling what Hugh Bigod would have done to you. His son may hang because of you.
"
"
I m
eant no harm,
"
she said. She pu
t
her arms up and hugged her midsection.
"
You are a foolish woman, Gemma. Did you also not think of what it would have done to Matthew had you come to a bad end? He was to protect you
,
and you mislead him and then ditched him in the wood.
"
"
I am
sorry
;
I truly am,
"
she said with
a high voice, unable to defend herself any longer. She bent her shoulders and put her hands to her face.
"
I am foolish
,
and I could have put us all in more peril. Please believe me, Nicholas. I have learned my lesson! Now Rulnoff lies in danger thanks to my foolhardy trek through the night.
"
He
stood where he was, but he did not say much more. His skin was drying from the heat of the fire, but he
made no move to clothe himself.
"
I truly am sorry,
"
she whispered.
Moving like a cat, he went to her
. He picked her up and held her in his arms. He lowered them both to the bed so she was on his lap. She stiffened for a moment, realizing the only thing between them was the damp linen wrapped around her body.
His anger was evident
,
and she did not know what to expect next.
He sighed and put his head back.
"
I know you are, and therein lies the problem. You are foolhardy, yet you mean no harm to anyone. You do not think before you act, which can put people in danger, but your intentions are pure. I do not understand your thinking. That makes it harder for me to protect you or to predict what you will do next.
"
She relaxed her body against his, suddenly feeling tired, but also aware of how good it felt to be in his arms.
"
I will not ride off on my own again. I simply meant to have some time to myself. I could not have known Hugh
'
s men would be on
our
land or that they would take me. He was not as I remember him. He was always polit
e when visiting with my father.
"
"
His son may hang,
"
he
chuckled,
"
that is enough to turn any man into an oaf.
"
"
He said he had guests I should mee
t. What do you think he meant?
"
"
I do not know.
"
"
He also told me he went to the king about us. He ruined your family and told lies in hopes Ph
illip could have me.
"
"
It no longer matters,
"
he
said and then
sighed.
"
The taste for revenge has gone cold in me. I have only to be here next to you to know
'
twas not your fault. It does not matter if
'
twas Bigod or anyone else.
'
Tis done and over, and I fear my only option is to move forward.
"
Gemma
'
s spirit soared when she heard him say that.
"
Do you truly mean that?
"
she asked.
He shifted, his arms tightening around her.
"
I think I mean it. That is going to have to be good enough for you for now.
"
"
I will accept it. I want the iciness between us to thaw,
"
she admitted.
"
I can offer you this night, Gemma, though I cannot say what the dawn will bring,
"
he said as he tugged at the linen around her body. She arched her back as he slowly unwrapped it. He tossed
it onto the floor near the bed.
He brought her naked body back to his, and Gemma marveled at the feeling of his skin on hers. She was not injured this time, so she could fully experience what it fe
lt
like to be next to him. She nuzzled down as her mouth found the side of his neck. His skin was soft
,
and the
day
'
s
growth of beard tickled her. She tasted his skin
,
and he let out a low moan.
His arms wrapped around
her as she wiggled, trying to be as close to him as she could.
Nicholas made love to his wife. It was not the slow, tender experience they shared the first time. Their passions flared
,
and he took her places she never imagined.
They made love two more times that night
,
and both fell asleep in total exhaustion in
each other
'
s
arms. Gemma never felt safer
or more loved
in her life.
Just as Gemma feared, Nicholas was not beside her when she woke up.
T
he sun was well above the horizon. She was surprised to see her chambermaid waiting for her, as she had been up late seeing to her bath the night before. It had been well after midnight when they had returned from her ill-fated trip outside the curtain walls.
Gemma did not know where
he
had gone, but she knew the pressure on him was mounting. He had probably gone to see to Rulnoff or perhaps he had castle business to attend to. Whatever the case, she hoped he let her sleep because they were up late, not fully falling asleep until almost dawn, and not because he
thought
the night before was a mistake. He said he did not understand her, but that went both ways. He remained largely a mystery to her.
Her entire body was sore. She was not sure if it was the ride or the lovemaking,
but whatever the case, she had a hard time getting out of bed.
As soon as she sat up s
he dismissed her chambermaid and told her to go rest. She would get herself around no matter how mu
ch her body hurt at the moment.
After dressing, she slowly made her way down the steps and went to the kitchen. Leda did not say anything, though she did offer her a frown for rising so late.
She
handed her a small basket she quick
ly packed with fruit and bread.
The great hall was empty except for Matthew standing near the doorway, waiting for her. He tipped his head
toward
her as she neared.
"
Matthew,
"
she began,
"
I am so sorry for yesterday. I did not think
,
and I am deeply sorry if I have caused you any problem with Nicholas.
"
"
Milady, do not fret.
'
Twas my mistake not stopping you. Nicolas has reminded me of my duties. All is well.
"
She
nodded, not knowing what else to say. She walked out into the late morning sun and
glanced
around. The usual hubbub of the day was about her, though something seemed off. The men on the ramparts on watch were where they were supposed to be, but their
numbers seemed to have doubled.
It was apparent
Nicholas had to double each watch because of what she had done. She sighed and set off to find Isabel to share her basket. Matthew, of course, was right behind her.
****
Nicholas was walking with Willis when he stopped and faced the main gate. He had been up all night with his wife, which was what he had been afraid he would do. He had slept only an hour before the sun was fully over the horizon
,
and he knew he could not sleep in, not on this day.
After breaking his fast, he
went down to see how Rulnoff fared. There was no change, but the priest seemed to think
it
was a good omen.
He then got a report from Willis
, who
must have been up all night
. He
had been left in charge when
he
had ridden after Gemma and
Willis
was still awake when Nicholas found him. They were talking about the night before, and
he
warned
Willis
that
Bigod
might
retaliate, though he thought it unlikely.
"
Milord,
"
Willis said as they stood before the gate,
"
I do have something to report. I did not want to alarm you
,
but we are missing three men.
"
"
Missing? What do you mean? They have deserted
,
or they are gone without cause?
"
"
I do not know,
"
the seneschal
said
.
"
I only know three were missing at guard change
,
and no one can account for where they are.
"
"
Who? I need names,
"
he
said, looking up at his men standing atop the tower.
"
I do not have names, milord, but I was told it was a few of the men-at-arms Henry sent to reinforce yours just after you arrived,
"
Willis said.
"
I need names,
"
he
repeated, anxiety rising within him.
"
And I also need some men to search. I do not wish to alarm anyone, but they must be found. Round up a few of the soldiers you trust the most and scour every inch of the castle and then the surrounding land. They must be found alive.
"
Willis did not answer but instead offered a curt nod and wen
t off to do his lord
'
s bidding.
F
or the first time in his life,
he
was not sure what to do next. Everything was spiraling out of control. He had to flush the problem out now before anyone else came to a bad end. Gemma had scared him the night before and
,
in his relief that she was safe,
he
gave in
to his desire for her. He knew it was a mistake
,
and he must keep his mind on this mystery, no
t on his wife
'
s welcoming body.
Her beauty
was the biggest distraction there was
,
and this time
,
he was going to hold tight. The safety of those around him depended on it. There would be time for lovemaking when safety and security
were
restored.
Action was needed.
He decided to take a closer look at the tunnels. It made sense someone was coming in through them, though he did not understand why his men had not caught anyone yet. It was the only way, unless it was someone who was living among them, which he found hard to believe. Everyone was being watched, and everything seemed to be normal. He decided to relieve Willis an
d take over the search himself.