The Darkland (19 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"This has just
arrived, Lord Edmund," Corwin's voice was tight, his face beaded with
sweat from racing up three flights of stairs. "From Wicklow."

Edmund snatched the
missive, damp and stained, from the knight's hand. He nearly tore it in his
haste to unroll the parchment, his faded green eyes greedily consuming the
message contained. After a moment, he sighed with great remorse.

"My God...,"
he breathed, his eyes still glued to the vellum.

"What's
happened?"

Edmund sighed again. The
sun was beginning to set on the winter-dead fields of Lancashire, a break in
the storm permitting a few weak rays to caress the landscape. The small solar
was musty, dim, lit only by a tallow taper and a fire in the hearth. As Edmund
rounded the large desk, the vellum still in his hand, Corwin struggled to make
sense of the expression on the man's face.

"So it comes,"
Edmund said slowly, letting the parchment fall to the desktop. Running his
fingers through his hair, he sighed again as if his entire body was deflating.
"My foolish Irish vassals have finally managed to overrun the Castle.
Kirk's father has been killed in the siege."

Corwin visibly blanched.
"Christ," he hissed. "We must send Kirk a missive immediately."

Edmund nodded, watching
the weak flicker of the hearth. "I have lost him completely."

"Who?"

"Kirk," Edmund
turned away from the blaze, pacing. "The arrival of the le Bec sisters has
driven a wedge between us. Kirk appointed himself their protector and his
loyalty to me was weakened."

"Foolishness, my
lord," Corwin chided softly. "Kirk is ever loyal to the House of de
Cleveley."

Edmund stopped pacing,
shaking his head. "Not at all,” he insisted. “Certainly, I cannot give him
what the youngest sister has. My loyalties would be swayed, too, by a beautiful
face and sensual body."

Corwin was silent a
moment, knowing his liege spoke the truth. "It matters not that he thinks
himself in love with her. His fealty is still sworn to you and he takes his
oath very seriously."

Edmund appeared not to
have heard him. "He asked to take her with him on his journey to Quernmore,"
he resumed his pacing, losing himself in thought. "He gave me some foolish
explanation about her distress with her sister's marriage and the
disorientation of a new home, but I knew better. I knew it was because he was
afraid to leave her here, alone."

Corwin watched his
liege, his expression guarded. "Do you blame him?"  He turned away,
jaw ticking with disgust. "Look what we've done to her sister. And should Johanne
realize that Kirk is in love with Mara, then..."

"She shall never
know," Edmund’s expression was unusually harsh. "She does not suspect
and I wish to keep it that way. With her attention on Micheline, Kirk's
feelings for the little hellion went unnoticed."

Corwin cast a long
glance at the fidgeting man. "When he leaves for Ireland, he cannot take
her with him. What then?"

Edmund shrugged.
"She will be untouched.”

"Why?" Corwin
was genuinely curious. "There have been ten ladies in all, my lord. All
but your wife showed Kirk too much attention and Johanne was determined to do
away with them. Why would you leave the one woman Kirk has responded to
untouched?"

"For the very
reason you give," Edmund’s voice was barely a whisper. "He feels for
her, Corwin. I suspect that if something happened to her, I would see my last
day upon this earth. Kirk would stop at nothing to seek vengeance."

Corwin thought on that a
moment. "So Kirk leaves her here while he sails to Ireland to quell the
rebellion. There is a very strong chance that Johanne will learn the truth of
the matter the longer Mara stays. Whereas you and I are capable of respecting
the emotions Kirk holds for the lady, Johanne is not. She is fully capable of
injuring the girl, if not worse."

Edmund lowered himself
into a chair next to the hearth. "She will not be here."

"I do not
understand."

Edmund was silent a
moment, contemplating the course of his actions. "When Kirk rode to Quernmore,
he carried two missives with him. He was aware of the contents of the first.
But he was unaware of the contents of the second."

"And what was
that?"

"A marriage
contract," Edmund turned to look at him. "A proposal of marriage
between Lady Mara le Bec and Lord Lionel le Vay. If le Vay reacts to Mara as
most men do, then I suspect he will accept and while Kirk is fighting to free
my holdings, the young lady who has managed to turn him against me shall wed
another."

Corwin's eyes widened.
"And you do not think he will seek vengeance for your treachery?" he
could hardly believe what he was hearing. "He'll return from Ireland and
kill you!"

Edmund looked away from
the man, studying the weak flame. "After she is married, there is nothing
he can do. He'll simply have to resign himself to the inevitable and killing me
will not solve the problem."

Corwin shook his head.
"Why would you do this, Edmund? To Kirk, of all people. You love the
man!"

"Exactly," Edmund
struggled against the guilt Corwin was attempting to evoke. "I love him
and I want this woman away from him. Away from us all so that things can return
to normal. In time, he'll understand. He must."

Corwin stared at the
man, long and hard, before turning away. "He'll never understand," he
muttered, raking his fingers through his auburn hair. "He'll kill us
all."

Edmund heard the knight,
ignoring the truth of his words. He simply couldn't think on the long-term
implications of his actions, not with his Wicklow holdings in jeopardy. The
flames in the hearth continued to snap and crackle as each man lost himself to
his own turbulent thoughts.

"Send word to Kirk
this night," Edmund’s voice was faint. "He must be prepared to sail
to Ireland immediately. In fact, tell him you will meet him at the port with
our troops. He can ride from Quernmore with le Vay's support."

Corwin sighed heavily,
feeling the familiar disgust for his liege. A man he was helpless against. "Do
I tell him of his father?"

Edmund nodded.
"Aye. It will feed his sense of vengeance against the rebels and move him
faster to his duty."

Corwin turned to glance
at the man one last time, a man he wished he had the nerve to stand against.
Without another word, he moved for the door.

"Corwin," Edmund
stopped the man in his tracks. "If you are also thinking to send word to
Kirk regarding my plans for Mara, I would reconsider. You will be sailing to
Ireland as well, leaving your wife at my mercy. Quite a bit can happen while
you are away."

Corwin turned shades of
red, biting his tongue as he quit the room.

Within an hour, a
messenger was speeding for Quernmore Castle.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Clad in a bright blue surcoat
that, even with its simplicity, was the very best surcoat she owned, Mara was
escorted to the evening meal by Niles. The sun had set and an expensive display
of torches lit the corridors as she was led from her comfortable chamber to the
smoky and crowded hall below.

Kirk had remained with
le Vay all afternoon, affording Mara a good deal of time alone. A chambermaid
came late in the day to help her with her surcoat, the only surcoat she had
packed, and the woman pressed it as Mara sat in a big copper tub. Lady Lily had
sent her a bar of scented soap and Mara felt like a hypocrite for accepting a
gift from a woman she had sworn to hate. But her guilt did not prevent her from
stashing the bar in her satchel.

The chambermaid had
styled her hair, brushing it until it gleamed with auburn highlights. Pulling
it away from her face, the woman secured it with an old clip that had once
belonged to Mara's mother. Dressed in a surcoat that was far too thin for the
winter air, Mara passed the time until supper gazing from the window
overlooking a neat bailey and very high walls.

Twice, she saw Sir Spencer.
He waved to her and she responded weakly, retreating from the window until he
moved on. He was a nice man, but she truly wasn't interested and she was coming
to regret her attempts to make Kirk jealous. She suspected, if Spencer
persisted, that it would be necessary to inform the man he was barking up the
wrong tree.

The afternoon had passed
into evening and still no Kirk. Niles appeared at her door shortly after sundown,
his eyes gleaming with appreciation at the sight of her. Cold in the thin surcoat
but without anything to wear other than her mother's worn cloak, Mara braved
the chill and allowed him to escort her to the hall where a great feast had
been set.

Having never attended a
lavish supper, other than the meals at Anchorsholme, Mara was entranced with
the beauty and warmth. Banks of tallow candles graced the corners of the room
and a massive fire blazed in the hearth. Several people were already seated,
including Lady Lily's women. But she turned her nose up at them as she passed
their table, snubbing them for having paid attention to Kirk. Niles grinned
when he saw what she was up to.

"If you put your
nose any further into the air, a bird will nest in it," he murmured in her
ear.

Mara struggled not to
crack a smile. "I am sure I have no idea what you mean."

He laughed softly.
"You cannot blame them, Mara. Kirk is like a god to them. Instead of
showing your disregard, mayhap you should show your pity. You have, after all,
what they want."

She hadn't thought of it
that way. Her stance began to soften. "But Lady Lily...."

"Lady Lily is to be
married at the end of the month, to a great knight in Henry's court. You
needn't worry over her, or the rest of these women. Kirk has eyes only for
you."

Her smile broke through,
weakly. "And I have eyes only for him." Her smile suddenly faded as
her gaze moved across the room. "Oh... my goodness, Niles. I see Sir Spencer.
And he is waving to us."

Nile's head snapped in
the direction she was indicating and his eyes narrowed. "I think it would
be best if we sit over here, away from him." He stopped at the next
available space, seating Mara while still keeping check on Spencer. "All
we need is for the man to pay you more attention and we shall have a bloodbath
on our hands."

Mara's back was to Spencer.
"Kirk would really kill him?"

Niles took his seat.
"You have no idea what the man is capable of when provoked." He
motioned for wine. "I have seen him... well, it does not matter. But he is
most protective of you and I...."

"So you have chosen
to sit here?" Spencer was on her other side, helping himself to the vacant
seat. "Then this will suit me fine, as well. Good eve, Niles."

Mara smiled weakly as
Niles cast the man a heady look. Spencer, however, ignored the knight, bringing
Mara's hand to his lips.

"My lady looks
ravishing tonight," he said smoothly, his pale eyes glittering. "I
trust you have a healthy appetite for tonight's fare? Wild boar I killed
myself."

Mara pulled her hand
away as discreetly as she could manage, glancing about to see if Kirk had
entered the room. "How... how impressive, Sir Spencer. I am sure your
skill is amazing."

He shrugged modestly,
taking a chalice offered by a serving wench. In the balcony, a cluster of
minstrels began to play and Mara glanced up, watching the performance. Across
the swell of her breasts, Niles and Spencer exchanged glares.

"I have always been
rather fond of the hunt," he said, still hexing Niles with his stare. When
Mara looked away from the musicians, he smiled warmly. "And you? Do you
hunt, my lady?"

She shook her head.
"I do not. But I am rather good at catching rabbits. Unfortunately, they
are so cute that I have a difficult time killing them."

Spencer laughed, deep
and hearty. "Take heart, my lady. Boars are ugly, so you may be guilt-free
when consuming their meat."

Mara smiled at his
humor, noticing over his shoulder that one of Lady Lily's women seemed to be
glaring at her.  Her smile faded and, without tact, she pointed at the woman.
"Sir Spencer, who is that lady? She is frowning at me."

Spencer glanced over his
shoulder, clearing his throat when he realized who Mara was indicating.
"That is the Lady Juliet." He turned his back on the woman. "And
it is not you she is frowning at, but me."

"You?" Mara
lifted an eyebrow. "Have you angered her somehow?"

Spencer wriggled his
eyebrows, turning his attention to the guests filling the hall. "I suppose
so. I rejected her suit."

"Oh." Mara
looked at the lady again, rather small and average-looking. "No wonder she
is frowning."

Niles was gulping his
wine, his gaze scanning the room in anticipation of Kirk's arrival. He ignored
the conversation between Mara and Spencer, mostly because Mara kept it very
generic. Whenever he would ask her something of herself, she would give him a
vague answer and change the subject. And the message, as Niles saw it, was
obvious.

Pleased that she was
making an attempt to disinterest the man, Niles was feeling rather comfortable
with the situation when his gaze suddenly came to rest on the balcony directly
above their table. And who should be staring down at them but none other than
Kirk himself.

Niles nearly choked on
his wine. He sprayed it over the table, his tunic, leaping to his feet as Mara
and Spencer turned to him with concern. He assured them that he was well,
already moving away from the table in an attempt to intercept Kirk, who was
leaving the balcony and heading down the stairs. Covered with red wine, Niles
met his captain half-way down the steps.

"How long were you
standing there?" he demanded.

Kirk was in no mood to
be interrogated. "I told you to keep him away from her. Now I see I must
take matters into my own hands."

Niles put his
red-stained hands on Kirk's chest, preventing him from descending. "She is
handling him quite well, Kirk. The conversation has been very limited and she
has made it obvious that his presence is of little interest to her." When
Kirk tried to push past him, Niles asserted himself and shoved Kirk against the
railing. "Listen to me! 'Twill be much simpler and far less bloody if Mara
discourages the man herself. How do you think le Vay will react if he learns
you have challenged one of his knights?"

Kirk eyed him, righting
himself where Niles had pushed him off-balance. "Le Vay is aware of my
feelings for Mara. He will understand if I must defend what is mine."

"Officially, she is
not," Niles reminded him quietly. "Technically, Spencer has every
right to pursue her. You have hardly told him otherwise."

A dark eyebrow rose.
"But I inferred as much. If the man cannot understand that she belongs to
me, then I will gladly teach him a lesson."

"And what lesson is
that? That you are bigger, stronger, and by far more skilled? Before this
afternoon, you liked Spencer a great deal, Kirk. Now you are determined to kill
him?"

"He has eyes for
Mara."

"Every man in the
room has eyes for Mara. Are you going to kill them all?"

Kirk sighed, his hard
stance softening in the slightest. After a moment, he scratched his scalp
irritably. "Then what would you suggest? That I simply look the other way
while he pants and paws over the woman I will marry?"

Niles shook his head
slowly. "I have already suggested the solution. Allow Mara to discourage
him in her own way. She was doing quite well when I left."

Kirk pursed his lips,
eyeing Niles as he continued to scratch and pace on the narrow stair. "She
all but encouraged him this afternoon."

"Because she was
seeking revenge against the attention Lily was paying you. Truthfully, Kirk, it
would have been well had you informed her of Lily's infatuation."

He shrugged. "It
was never an issue. Certainly not enough to explain it to Mara as if it was a
viable threat."

Niles grabbed Kirk by
the shoulder, shaking him gently. "So you have both punished one another
with your schemes and petty jealousies. I would say the time has come to put
this foolishness behind you." He released Kirk and began to descend the
steps. "Come along, my Irish hooligan. The time has come to return to Mara
and forget about Spencer' weak challenge."

Kirk growled in response
and, reluctantly, followed Niles into the great room.

The tables were full.
The only seat at Mara's table was the one vacated by Niles and the man
graciously allowed Kirk to occupy the spot. Ignoring Spencer altogether, Kirk
lowered himself onto the bench and kissed Mara's hand sweetly.

"You look lovely, love,"
he said as if they were alone. "I apologize that my business kept me all
afternoon. I hope you were not bored."

She shook her head,
beaming into his handsome face. She was terribly glad to see him. "I spent
the time looking from the window, watching the happenings of the bailey. I
watched the blacksmith shoe a large black charger and when the horse tried to
bite him, he punched him in the nose."

Kirk smiled drolly.
"Such lady-like entertainment. Is that all you did?"

"I took a bath,
with some soap that Lady Lily sent me." She giggled when he held her arm
to his nostrils, inhaling deeply. "What do you smell?"

He closed his eyes, lingering
in the fine scent. "Jasmine. Rose." He growled and sank his teeth
into her arm as Mara squealed with delight. "Christ, you taste good enough
to eat. I take it that you and Lady Lily have spoken?"

"Her maid brought
the soap. I have not seen nor spoken to Lady Lily."

Kirk glanced over his
shoulder at the table behind them, reserved for the le Vay family. He knew that
Lionel would insist he sit with the family and he smiled, thinking of Mara
struggling to maintain her anger in the face of Lady Lily's overwhelming
sweetness.

 "You shall have
the chance to thank her personally," he said. He was still holding her
arm, caressing it, as Spencer watched. "When Lord le Vay and his daughter
arrive, we shall sup with them."

"Hardly, my
lord." Spencer was cool, his eyes fixed on Kirk over his chalice of wine.
"Lord Lionel's sister and her family are visiting from Kent. There is no
room for you at the head table."

Kirk sensed the man's
pleasure to have informed him that he was being displaced from Lionel's table.
With equal calm, he collected his own goblet and took a large swallow.

"I hope you like
ships, Sir Spencer," he said casually, "because you shall find
yourself aboard one very shortly. Your liege has graciously pledged you to my
service when I sail for Ireland later this week to quell a minor rebellion on de
Cleveley lands."

This was the first Mara
had heard of such a thing. She sat straight in her seat, the brilliant eyes
wide. "Ireland? You are going to Ireland?"

Kirk had meant to
unbalance Spencer, forgetting the fact that Mara knew nothing of his plans. His
expression softened when he saw the shock in her eyes.

 "In a few days, love,”
he said softly. “I shall hardly be gone long enough for you to miss me."

Her jaw dropped.
"But... you have said nothing of this. Why did you not tell me
before?"

He could see the rising
storm and hastened to ease her emotions. "Because nothing was for certain
until a day or two ago. I saw no need to worry you."

"
Worry
me?" Mara would not be soothed. She was angry as well as surprised.
"You are going to Ireland to quash an uprising and you do not have the
courtesy to tell me of your future plans?"

Spencer smiled smugly
over his goblet, enjoying Kirk's distress. Kirk could sense the taunting gaze
and it only served to inflame him.