Chapter Five

Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

Psalm 88:16

For four days, Darrin spent his time inspecting every aspect of the château and its grounds. He examined the great hall, the stables, the larder, the buttery, the gatehouse, the battlements, the bailey, the smithy, the armory, the cellar, the storerooms, the crops, the fortress walls, and even the garderobes. He checked all but one of the bed chambers; he did not enter Lady Faith’s room since the night of their wedding. Her words constantly rang in his ears. I cannot sleep with an unbeliever. He almost said sleeping had nothing to do with it, but that would not help the situation. Nor did the thought of forcing give much appeal. Without being able to resolve the problem, he decided to push it out of his mind for the time being.

Thus he turned his attentions to the château, where everything seemed to be in impeccable condition. Undoubtedly his uncle had planned to live out the rest of his days here. The thought brewed a bitterness inside Darrin. The results could not be denied. Château du Vent Doux was in better condition than when his father had run of the place. Darrin should have sent up a prayer of thanks, but he had not prayed in years and he had no intentions of beginning now. Certainly not now. Not when Lady Faith desired so.

The thought of prayer brought up another area of the castle he had only visited briefly. The chapel. As he remembered, the place had been quite damp and dreary on his wedding day. Just as it had been when he was a boy. Apparently his uncle did not spend a lot of time in prayer either. One thing Darrin and his uncle had in common. But the chapel would serve its purpose to those who wished to use it. Theo had told him that Nun and Faith frequented the chapel daily. How dare she act pious when she was naught but a liar and schemer? I cannot sleep with an unbeliever. Bah. More lies and tricks. Nay, she tried to pull him off guard. ’Twas just some diabolical plot. Only this time, he would have the upper hand.

He gave a heavy sigh. Though he had yet to figure out what that upper hand would be. Still there had been rewards. He stood on the battlements and overlooked all that he now possessed. His years of suffering and paying homage to others had been magnificently compensated. All was perfect…almost perfect.

A frown settled on Darrin’s face once again as his mind pictured Faith, his wife. Once he knew his future was secured, then he would have his revenge on her. He played the scene again in his mind. He would take his child away from her the moment it was born. Then he would give her the letter from King Richard. No doubt she would squeal with delight over her good fortune and forget all about her child. She would demand that King John should hand over the throne. King John would then strike her down where she stood. A fair death for a fair lady.

Fair. Aye, Faith would catch the eye of any knight. Slender but not overly much. Neither too tall nor too short, but the right size, where a man could hug her properly. Pleasant features, but… Who was he kidding? Her features were striking, even more so than they were ten years ago—when he had noticed she was no longer a child, but a woman. Her chin had the right curve to cup in a man’s hand and kiss her plump red lips. Pale hair, which rivaled the heavenly angels, shimmered gold and silver in the sunlight. Though King Richard had claimed that he and Faith had the same eyes, hers shone brighter with a light grey-blue aura. Darrin shook his head. He must be wary, for Lady Faith could steal a man’s heart.

A slap of approaching footsteps on the hard stones drew him from his unsettling thoughts. “Good morn to you, Theo.” Darrin lifted his face to the warm spring sun. “I believe we are going to have a fine day.”

Theo looked up at the sun and grunted. He had been sullen ever since returning from making sure Sir Rollin was indeed tracking Sir Adrien. Theo had hoped to find Sir Rollin derelict in his duty but found no fault. “We have a couple of problems.”

“Of course.” Darrin sighed heavily. “Out with them.”

“Which do you wish to hear first? The problem with the sheep or the problem with Gouch?”

The man’s name made Darrin’s mind trip backward. When he arrived in England ten years ago, he had nothing but the clothes on his back, and slowly he lost most of those as he sold them for food. In desperation, he went to the forests and started living off as many rabbits, squirrels and other small game as he could snare. Wanting more, he whittled a large stick into a spear. He caught more game, larger game. What he didn’t eat, he sold at the local villages. When he had enough coin, he purchased a bow and made most of the arrows. He made a warm cloak from deer skins and bartered other skins for spun tunics, breeches and a pair of good boots. He survived, avoiding the king’s men and the many lords who claimed to own the forests and all the game within.

“What’s the scoundrel done now?” Darrin asked.

“He got drunk last night and he started chasing the smithy’s daughter around the bailey.”

In the forest all those years ago, Darrin came across a group of skinny runts who were tied by long ropes and forced to run behind the king’s horsemen as common villains. From the looks of their gaunt, dirty faces and bare feet, they probably were caught in search of game to eat. Not thinking clearly, being outnumbered ten to one, Darrin aimed his bow at the king’s guard. He struck two before they figured out his position. He took off in a run, not seeing that some of the poachers used the distraction to drag their captors from their horses, choking them with the long ropes.

In his haste to retreat, Darrin stumbled over a large tree root and crashed to the ground. The pursuing horseman dismounted and drew his sword. But the blade never touched Darrin’s skin. One of the poachers came up behind the horseman and stabbed him in the back with a stolen dagger.

Gouch saved Darrin’s life. Thus began a new friendship and a new way to survive, with others.

Darrin’s mind returned to the present. “Please tell me he didn’t catch her?”

“Nah, Niles caught up with Gouch and bashed him a good one over the head before he could harm the girl,” Theo answered.

“Good. Tell him if it happens again I’ll throw him in irons.” Darrin folded his arms across his chest, but Theo did not leave.

“It isn’t the first time. Seems Gouch has been sniffing around her since our arrival. The smithy is very concerned. He swore if he catches Gouch even looking at her again, he’ll take a hammer to him.”

Darrin washed a hand over his face. “Send him to me. But before you do so, what is the other problem?”

Theo folded his arms across his chest. “We have a thief.”

“Aye, most of the men who came with me from England are thieves.” Darrin chuckled.

“This one is stealing your sheep.”

Darrin could not see Theo going around counting sheep, so the knowledge had to come from him from a different source. “Who told you this?”

“The shepherd who takes your sheep out to the fields each morn and then brings them back to the pen each eve. He claims two nights ago he counted fifty sheep, but in the morning the gate was open and there were only forty-nine sheep in the pen.”

“Only one sheep left the pen?”

“Aye, so the shepherd says.” Theo shifted his gaze past Darrin’s shoulder to the fields beyond the keep. “He then said the next day the same thing happened. The gate was found opened and another sheep went missing.”

“Interesting. Then put a lock on the gate and give the shepherd the key.”

Immediately Theo’s gaze shot to Darrin’s face. “You know as well as I if the gate was truly found open, more than one sheep would have wandered away. The shepherd is the thief and he foolishly thinks you will believe his story that someone else is stealing your sheep.”

Darrin smiled. “If we entrust the shepherd with the key and he is the thief, then he cannot steal another without betraying himself. And if it is someone else, then the shepherd will be ever watchful, not wanting the blame to fall his way. In fact, give him the keys to all the pens. The goats, pigs and any other farm animal that needs penning, except the horses. Those shall still be held by the stable master.”

“Are you mad?” Theo said. “Those are usually held by the château steward.”

“Of which we have none. Or if there was one, he has gone with Sir Adrien. Now, find some locks and keys and give them to the shepherd. His elevated role will ensure his loyalty.”

Theo stroked his long, tangled beard. “Aye. No wonder you are a lord. A wise plan.”

Wise or not, there was no other idea that came to Darrin’s mind. “Now fetch Gouch and then go to the smithy to see if he has any locks with keys.”

Theo nodded and left.

Again Darrin’s mind tripped back to England and his band of thieves. He taught them to fight and hunt like warriors. They finally settled in the forests, surrounding a keep owned by Sir Hugh de Maury. Being a fair-minded man, Hugh allowed Darrin and his men to hunt freely and steal a chicken once in a while. They became good friends. More than good—the greatest of friends. He’d still be roaming that forest if Hugh hadn’t gotten married. ’Twas then Darrin met King Richard and the bargain had been struck—service in the king’s army for return of Château du Vent Doux.

Before Darrin could think more on the past, Theo returned with Gouch. The latter looked down at his boots knowing full well his fate hung in the balance.

“Well. Do you wish to tell me what this is all about?” Darrin demanded.

Gouch looked over his shoulder at Theo. “Can we talk in private?”

It took all of Darrin’s strength not to throttle the man where he stood. Instead Darrin took a patient breath and nodded to Theo, who tried to unsuccessfully hide a smirk as he made his way to the battlement steps.

“All right, Gouch. We are alone. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I-I love her.”

Over the years, Darrin had heard many rash comments come out of Gouch’s mouth, but this was by far the most foolish. Pure folly. “Love her. You don’t even know her.”

“I know, but the moment I laid me eyes on Monique I knew I loved her. She’s the most beautiful maid I have ever seen.”

A vision of Lady Faith crossed Darrin’s mind. “Be careful. Beauty sometimes holds the heart of a viper.”

“Aw, that’s not true when it comes to Monique. Her smile is so sweet and innocent, it just isn’t possible for her to have an evil thought.”

Darrin shook his head. He hoped Gouch would not suffer because of his infatuation. “It is apparent you are smitten with her, but I have seen you chase after women before.”

“This isn’t the same.”

“And how is that?”

“I want to marry her.”

“What?” The man had gone mad. Darrin took a closer look at Gouch. His body was caked with a thin layer of dirt. A thick beard covered most of his face and he had hair filthier and stringier than Theo’s. No one knew for sure what he looked like under all that hair. As a matter of fact, no one had a clue on his age either.

“I swear I’ll die if I can’t wed her. You have to talk to the smithy for me. Tell him I’m not crazy.”

The way Gouch stood there wringing his hands, one could easily believe he was cracked and a mite loose in the head. Darrin put a hand on Gouch’s shoulder. “You must admit this is very sudden. Have you even spoken to her?”

“Aye, twice. She has the voice of an angel.”

“I see. And what did you talk about?”

“I asked if I could have a drink of water from a jug she was carrying. She said, ‘aye,’ and I said, ‘My thanks.’”

Darrin waited for Gouch to continue, but the grubby man remained mute.

“And?” Darrin encouraged.

“And that was it.”

“You two said nothing more?”

“Nay. Not the first time.”

“And the second time?”

Gouch smiled, showing his stained teeth. “I lifted a bushel of cloth from a cart for her and she said, ‘Many thanks.’” Again Gouch stood there not adding another word.

“No other words?”

“Nay.”

“Yet you wish to wed this woman?” Darrin ran a hand through his hair. Never in all the years they had been together had Gouch ever acted so irrational. Not in the years they poached the English forests and not in the five years they fought gruesome battles against the French. Yet within four days of meeting some maid, he acted like a simpering green lad.

Gouch sniffed and wiped his grimy nose. “I just don’t know what to do.”

As Darrin tried to puzzle out a way to reason with Gouch, a willowy figure came toward them.

Lady Faith.

She stopped right next to Darrin.

Blast!

Not now. She had managed to stay out of his way over the past few days. Had she reconsidered and decided to be a true wife in all respects? Or did she have some other more devious reason?

“Good morn to both of you,” she said, giving Gouch a brilliant smile. She then turned her false charm toward Darrin. “May I have a word with you, my lord? ’Tis very important.”

How dare she interrupt him. He gritted his teeth. How dare she be so bold. “Lady, it will have to wait. My good man Gouch has a problem that must be tended to this moment.” Darrin expected her to mumble an apology and leave, but that did not happen.

“Oh, I am so sorry, Master Gouch. I do hope you can find a quick solution.”

Gouch shook his head. “Nay, my lady. No one can help me. My heart will stay broke forever. I see it in Darrin’s eyes.”

“What is this?” She turned an accusatory gaze on Darrin.

“This is none of your affair,” he snapped.

She took a step back but did not leave. Instead she looked to Gouch. “Tell me what ails you?”

Gouch poured out his heart and Faith listened patiently.

“Master Gouch, how old are you?” she asked.

Now Darrin found this to be a very odd thing to ask. What did it matter? No woman would want a man who looked more like a hairy goat regardless of his age.

“Well, let’s see.” Gouch scratched his head as he contemplated the question.

“My mum always got me mixed up with my brother, Liam. So I am thinking thirty summers or mayhap twenty and eight.”

“Well, then, you are of an age where you would want a wife,” she said.

Gouch smiled and nodded.

Darrin wanted to strangle her. Why was she giving the man hope?

She clasped her hands behind her and began circling Gouch. “Mayhap if we shave the beard…a bath…and a new set of clothes.” She stopped in front of him and then smiled. “Aye. You might be pleasing then. What do you say?”

“Huh? My lady, what do you mean?” Gouch rubbed his long beard.

“I mean let’s clean you up. Your maid may like what she sees. Of course, you must use proper manners. You can’t go running after her. Engage her in polite conversation.”

“I’m not sure how to use polite words. I’ve been living with Darrin and the others a long time. The only one that ever talked fancy was Darrin and sometimes he spoke just like us.”

She turned a stern eye toward Darrin. Did she truly think to accuse him for Gouch’s lack of education? What haughtiness was this? She was the one who needed a lesson and he planned it give it forthwith.

But she gave him her back. “I see. Let us not worry on this yet. Let’s clean you up first and then mayhap a little instruction on how to speak to a maid.”

Gouch beamed. “Oh, aye. Can we do it now?”

“Well, if it is all right with Sir Darrin, then aye, we can begin now.”

“You don’t care, do you, Darrin?” Gouch asked.

“Sir Darrin,” Faith corrected.

Gouch nodded. “Right. Proper talk. Sir Darrin.”

An angry heat flooded Darrin’s body. She had decisively come between him and one of his men. He should say absolutely not, but he could not dash Gouch’s hopes. Even if they did remain slim. “’Tis fine. But remember you do have duties to this keep,” Darrin quickly added.

A huge smile split across Gouch’s face. “I won’t forget. I’ll get right on my duties after Lady Faith cleans me up.”

Without even looking Darrin’s way, Faith folded her hands under her chin. Turned and started walking to the battlement steps. “Then come along, Master Gouch. This may take some time. I’ll call for a large hot tub of water and—”

“Water. Hot,” Gouch said uneasily as he followed her. “Haven’t had a bath in months and never in a tub.”

“Lady Faith,” Darrin called.

She stopped and turned to face him.

“What is it you wished to see me about?”

She hesitated, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. “Oh, it can wait until later.”

With that, she left, followed by Gouch, leaving Darrin flummoxed. She had wanted a word with him and now she simply dismissed what had been so important moments ago. Lady Faith had to be closely watched, for certainly she had something evil brewing in her mind.

Mayhap she thought to sway his men against him. To win their loyalty? She would be disappointed, for never would they give up their allegiance to him. Never. Not one. Not ever.