He arrived at the house sometime after in the waning hours of the night and went to the barracks, but Cooper wasn’t there. His blood began to boil. He strode to the great hall, the packed room where most of the castle’s occupants were gathered, to find it was lit by lamps and candles.
Most were asleep but a few guards were keeping watch. He quickly scanned the room but Nicolas was not there either. He spun and strode out, fuming. What he had not realized was that Mary had seen him and she had left the hall behind him. He had gotten to the cold, garden with the aim of yelling out his frustrations.
He spun on his heel when he heard footsteps following him, ready to strike out if needed. But his anger was mollified by the large blue eyes gleaming like the familiar gems he knew. Mary. She came closer and circled her hands around his waist, and with the feel of her touch, the softness of her skin and the river-water scent of her hair, the rigidness of his body left.
“Och, lass,” he sighed. “Did I worry ye?”
“Yes, you did when I heard you were off to a battle,” she replied. “It grew even worse when you came into the hall looking absolutely livid. What’s wrong?”
He pressed his nose to her ear and kissed it, “I dinnae want to worry ye, lass.”
“Too late,” she said as she pressed herself closer. “You can tell me anything. I might not be able to answer it, but I can try.”
Before Leith could reply, someone asked. “Oh, I have a question, and the both of ye can answer it.”
Instantly, he shoved Mary behind him and reached for the sword at his side, ready to lash out, but when he recognized the voice heard, his hand dropped from the pommel.
“Hellfire and damnation,” Leith swore, “tis’ Rinalda.”
The older servant came forward through the gloom, her face twisted in a moue of betrayal. Leith did not move. “We’ll answer ye, but not here.”
“With all respect, Sir, I am nay moving. I am tempted to listen to the whispers about Mary here being a spy,” Rinalda’s voice was loaded with wariness.
Standing between Rinalda and Mary, Leith’s voice was a bare decibel above a growl. “She isnae any spy and I bet those whispers came from blasted Cooper.”
Rinalda tried to crane her neck around Leith’s shoulder, “Then, what is she?”
“I am just a woman who was betrayed by her own parents,” Mary said quietly as she came around him. “And Leith did find me in a ravine, everything he told you is true. He told me to act mute until he was sure that no one would attack me for being English.”
“And…” Rinalda came closer, her voice dipping so low that barely Mary heard. Her eyes were flicking between her and her leader, “the embrace…are ye…?”
Leith snaked an arm around her waist and Mary twisted her head to look at him. “Aye, we are. It’s early days yet…” he dipped his head to kiss her forehead. Her eyes were glassy staring back at him. “but aye…I care for her immensely.”
Those words had not come out right but he was not going to utter words of a deeper emotion growing in the back of his mind until he was sure about them.
“And that only adds to the fear of her being abused for being English,” Rinalda surmised.
“Aye,” Leith said. He listened to the steady thrum of his heart in his chest and felt the soft whispering whistle of cool wind blowing into his face.
Rinalda came closer, “Sir, I wish ye all the best but ye need help. Ye need another pair of eyes, ears, and hands to make sure ye dinnae slip up. I’ll help ye to keep this as secret as long ye can…if ye will allow me.”
18
As she stripped the sheets from her cot, Mary looked over to Rinalda who was doing the same. She felt relieved that Rinalda knew about her and Leith. She began to feel guilty about her unfounded suspicion of Leith and her.
She bundled up her sheets and carried them outside to the massive watching tubs where the washing women were. The strong smell of lye soaps had her nose wrinkling. She deposited her sheets and then went toward the kitchens.
Dawn was about to break and the first meal was due in two hours. Washing was not needed until after, instead, she helped with the preparations for the meal.
The kitchens were already fired up and the heat from the fires was already beginning to make her sweat. Baskets of vegetables and meats from the cold cellars were laid on the tables ready to be chopped.
“Mary, go help Jenna with the eggs,” Cook directed.
Ready to help, she went over to the big tub where the basket of washed eggs was set. She took a seat and began to break the eggs into the pan. Soon, the whole basket was done and the cook whisked the pan away. Taking the basket of shells, she carried them back out to the chicken coop. There the women, who took care of them, mixed them with the corn and feed.
“Ah,” a woman nodded while taking the basket from her, “Thank ye.”
Nodding, she turned and was on her way back when someone grabbed her elbow with an unrelenting grip. Spinning in fright, she met Mister Cooper’s ice-blue eyes.
She tried to yank her hand away but his grip was a vice. Completely terrified she stood and trembled. His voice was a snarl, “Listen here woman, I dinnae like yer presence here, I dinnae trust ye, and if ye dare make any trouble for anyone, I will make sure ye disappear. We dinnae want ye here. Do ye understand?”
We? Who are ‘ we’?
Mary was actively trembling in her shoes but she nodded frantically. His grip released her and pain throbbed up her arm. Nicolas gave her another warning glare and she spun, but ran into another body. Leith’s.
His
