There Your Heart Will Be Also (25 page)

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Cedric's head throbbed and his muscles ached with every step his
horse took
.
If he could relax upon the beast most of his pain would dissipate.
But how could he relax?
Sarra was in Boyd's arms.
The lass was so comfortable
she'd
fallen
a
sleep!

Gritting his teeth,
Cedric kept going.
The temptation to stop his horse, dismount, and take Sarra into his arms and onto his own
mount
was great.
But what would such actions accomplish?

Running a hand through his hair, Cedric
glanced
at the sides of the road.
Just because
her
captor had been alone at the church didn't mean he
had no
friends in the woods waiting on him.
They must be vigilant until Sarra was safe inside the keep walls.

The mistress, Charism, would expect no less of him as the new laird.
It was his duty to protect his people.
This
was what he was doing
,
o
f course.
His desire to protect the lass came from duty
.
She was to be his subject.
There was nothing more to it.

But as the horse
came
into view of the keep and Cedric
moved
his head to take a glance at the sleeping beauty in Boyd's arms, he knew
there was
more
to it
.
Try
as
he might to fool himself,
the
feelings for Sarra
remained
.

Cedric slowed his mount
to pull abreast
Boyd and the lass
,
s
tud
ying
her
.
L
ong black hair lay across her face, hiding
expressions
from his view.
If only
he could
reach forward and move it aside.
He wanted to look
upon
her face.
To stare into
her
green eyes and feel the warm
th
in their depths.

The smell of roses
wafted through the air and his heart felt empty.
This was not the way it was to be.
The land.
That was the fulfillment he sought.
Not the love of a maid.

Furrowing his brow, Cedric kicked his heels into the sides of his mount.
The horse
leapt
forward, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.
No one complained as Cedric rushed forward
to
the keep's gates.

“We have returned.
Open.”

The gatekeeper took one look at Cedric and opened the gates to him.
Charism and Sir Henry appeared at his side before he could turn around
and dismount
.

“Where is she?” the knight demanded.

“She is coming.”

“Is she well?” asked a worried Charism.

“Aye.”

“And her assailant?
Was he caught?”

Cedric shook his head.

“What an outrage!
I allowed you to retrieve the mis—maid because I thought you
would be competent enough to bring back the captor as well.
Now you return without him.
Where is he?”

Cedric's own anger was barely restrained as he replied, “Duncan and the others pursued him but he got away.”

Sir Henry
looked as though he was
on the verge of saying more, but Sarra entered the keep walls and he
apparently
changed his mind.
Charism and Sir Henry rushed to
Sarra's
side.
The knight lifted the lass down to the ground.

Tears of joy ran down Charism's cheeks as she hugged Sarra.“Are ye all right lass?”

“Aye.
Cedric rescued me,” said Sarr
a
with a look
from
under
lowered
lashes.

“Fat lot of good it did to rescue you and leave the captor at large.
Now you are still in danger.
I'm telling you
,
mis—maid from now on we will be shutting the gate.
Anyone
who
wishes to enter will have to be approved.”

Sarra g
ather
ed
her skirts in knotted hands
as
she
stumbled
toward
the keep
'
s doors.
Ella and
Shelly
emerged
,
hugging her fiercely.
Sarra leaned back and patted them affectionately.
As a smile lit Sarra's face they offered their arms to her in support.

Cedric watched Sarra take her leave and turned his attention to Charism
,
wondering at the way she seemed to look on Sarra as more than a maid. He'
d never witnessed such warmth between classes.
Perhaps h
e would ask Charism
about
her treatment of the maid at a later date.

As Duncan came up from behind him, Cedric
became aware of
Sir Henry sending looks of antipathy his way
,
hostility apparent in the way his eyes narrowed in Cedric's direction.

Taking this to mean he wasn't welcome to the reunion, Cedric gathered his friends about him and went to the stables.
Duncan, Boyd, and Filib were quie
t
as they walked together. Once they arrived, Cedric dismissed them and walked
Windchaser
inside.

After stabling his mount, Cedric went to
his new lodgings
.
The new landlady
was full of information.
The village rumor mills had been working while Cedric had been gone and
she
had much to share.
He learned all about Sarra's captor.
Wilt Ho
tham
, brother to spurned
George
Ho
tham
.

“The mistress wouldn't ma
rry him.
Told him to get out, she did.
People say he went back to London and hung himself on a pole
or threw himself in the river.
Who knows?
But point is he
l
ost it all.
Greenbriar was the man's only hope of keepin' up his lifestyle
, they say
.
Tell me why does a man do it?
Why is fancy clothing and riotous living all a man has to look forward to?”

Before Cedric could find a voice to answer,
the landlady
continued, “Don't matter none.
The fact is Wilt is trying to avenge his brother.
They said ye found him at a church.
Guess he thought if he married Sarra then he could get his wish.
Nothing but a fool, I tell ye.”

The woman
began to cook all the while shaking her head.
Cedric could sympathize with
George
.
Had he fallen into the trap Charism had set?
Had he
visited
the keep and been offered the food, been scared by the head in the garderobe?
S
omething
must have
happen
ed
to
sen
d
him back to London without claim
ing
the land.

And Wilt?
How could he take the wrong woman?
What good would it do him to marry Sarra, the maid?
Maybe
the man
thought Charism would give up the land to get back the maid.
Charism did seem mighty fond of the young lass.

Cedric stared into the blazing fire.
The flames shot upward, licking at the wood, mesmerizing him.
Who was in danger from Wilt now?
Would
Wilt
realize he took the wrong person and come back for the true mistress?
If Charism
was taken
and harmed before the wedding, would Cedric lose his chance to gain his land?
The bigger question was did he care?

“What happened?”

Sarra
tried
to answer Charism's questions as quickly as they were asked, but the terror of the day before was clouding her mind.

“Does he know?”

“Does who know what?”

“Does Cedric know ye are the real mistress?”

“I don't think so.”

“Sarra, ye have to tell him.”

“Nay.”

“What?
Sarra this has gone on long enough.
Ye are in danger.
If ye tell Cedric the truth then ye can marry him and he will protect ye.”

Sarra laughed.
“Do you honestly think I want to marry Cedric?”

“Aye.”

She
knitted her brows.
“How can you say that?”

“I seen how ye look at him.
And I may be old but I'm no fool.
Ye have love written all over ye.”

“Love?
Surely you jest.
I feel nothing but…but…”

“Love.
Stop denyin' it.
This is
the first man I've ever seen ye look at for more than two seconds.
Why
,
ye swooned when he asked to marry me.”

“
Shock, nothing more
.”

“Oh!”
Charism bristled
.

“Not because someone would want to marry you
,
Charism.”

“Humph.”

“But because Cedric proposed in the way he did.
For awhile I thought maybe he knew my true identity and he thought I would confess once he proposed but now I don't think so.
I don't think he
suspect
s
I'm the real mistress.
Even with the
feelings
he has
for
me
,
t
he
Scot
is willing to marry you just to get the land.
Don't you see?
The man
doesn't want me.
No one ever wants
me
.
It is all about the land.
Nothing more.”

Charism's hand rested on her forearm.
“I know ye are hurt.
But Cedric needs a chance.
He did go after ye and bring ye back.”

“Aye, he did indeed.
But I believe
it
was
done
to satisfy his future bride.”

“But—“

“Did you not ask him to go after me?”

“
I don't rightly remember.
But
whether I did or not,
I believe he would have
gone anyway.
My request
would
only
have given
him a more legitimate excuse.”

“Let it go
,
Charism.
He is going to marry you.”

“Well then we have to stop him!” she said with a
horrified
grin.

“Why would we do
such a thing
?”

“I am not marryin' the lad, Sarra.
I've done many a thing for ye since ye mother and father passed on.
But one thing I
willna
do is marry Cedric.
Ye have but one week left to figure out what ye are going to do.”

With those words Charism
left
.
Sarra walked to her window and
peered
out.
Now w
hat was she going to do?

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