It wouldn’t be fair to a child.
“My future is unknown,” Mari said vaguely.
The other woman didn’t respond with words, just a sound of agreement.
They cut between two cottages and headed toward the castle. Suddenly, she heard a noise and turned back to see Abagail had slumped to the ground, the contents of her basket scattered in the mud.
Before she made it to the woman to offer aid, Mari was lifted from her feet. A smelly hand was placed over her mouth, muffling her cry for help. Kicking, she connected with her captor’s shin. He dropped her to the ground, only to snatch her up roughly by the arm and give her a good smack on the head.
Stars swarmed her vision, but she didn’t lose consciousness, even when she was tossed into the back of a cart and a tarp was thrown over her.
“Make haste, before she wakes up and calls for help.” Odd, but the man next to her sounded more like a boy.
Her thoughts went to that night in the clearing when she’d been unable to free herself. All the hands grabbing at her, holding her. She kicked and slapped harder in an effort to fend them off.
“Tie ’er so she don’t escape. I don’t want to lose the reward because you let her get away.”
Mari’s mind cleared at his words. These men were planning to claim a reward by turning her over to the English.
Her hands were bound, and she couldn’t see or move. Her previously injured ankle ached as it bounced along the edge of the cart, her feet sticking over the edge. An idea came to her moments later, and she began wiggling the toes of one foot to tug the boot off the other. If she could get it loose, maybe she could drop it as a clue for Cam to follow.
She only had the two shoes, so she’d need to be careful as to when she dropped them. Maybe she’d be able to loosen her stockings and use those as well. That would take a bit more effort.
When the sound of the wheels softened from hard-packed mud to grass, she knew they’d gone off the path and into a field. It was not a smart plan. The wheels would make marks in the grass that could easily be followed. She realized her captors were not the smartest lads, and hoped that would work in her favor.
She shook the boot loose from her foot and started working on the other. Once again, she listened for a shift in the sounds of the wheels. This time the crunching of leaves indicated they’d entered the woods.
She wiggled the other foot, allowing the second boot to drop. Plucking at the strings of her garters through her skirt, she felt one stocking come loose on her thigh and inched it down slowly. Hindered by the fabric and the numbness in her hands because of the ropes, it seemed to take forever until she was able to take over with her other foot, pulling and tugging until the stocking was dangling from her bare toes.
When the echo of trees faded she knew they had exited the woods, and she dropped the stocking. Tears welled in her eyes as she fussed with the stubborn tie of the other stocking. Her hands were like lumps of wood at the ends of her arms. She squeezed them, causing sharp tingles of pain to shoot down her fingertips. Still, she managed to work the tie loose. Her breathing picked up with her struggles to free the stocking.
She only realized the sound of the wheels on hard dirt when she’d gotten the other stocking in position. How long had they been on a road? She wiggled her toes to free the last clue available to her, and then she rested.
If her clues were not found, she would need her strength to fight these men and win her freedom.
Would others come in their place? How long did she have?
Even if she escaped today, what was in store for her tomorrow?
If there was a reward on her head, she would forever be looking over her shoulder.
…
Cam was grateful for Abagail’s interruption as she entered the bailey, calling his name. He’d wanted to get back to drills, but now his shoulder and chest protested at the weight of his sword.
He’d let the healer squawk at him a bit, then retire to his room to rest with his wife.
His wife, who had been with Abagail earlier but wasn’t with her now. He hushed his men so he could hear the healer tell him a horrid tale. No matter how many questions he asked, she could only tell him she’d been hit from behind, and when she woke, Mari was gone.
“Bryce, Liam, you’re with me. The rest of you spread out through the village until you’ve found my wife.”
He and his men led Abagail back to where she’d been attacked, and they followed a trail of wagon tracks.
They’d already found Mari’s shoes, but Cam had to swallow back a flood of fear when her first stocking was found at the edge of the woods. The bastards were removing her clothing.
What were they doing to his wife? He would find them and sever their heads from their bodies for hurting her.
“This way,” he ordered Liam and Bryce, who were already on the trail.
“Shouldn’t we have more men?” Bryce asked.
“Nay, it’s but one cart. It can’t be more than a few men. It’s clear from the footprints there were at least two. Not very big men, from the size of their feet.”
“What if they’re meeting up with the English?” Liam asked, sitting taller in his
