Chapter Twenty-One


The next day, Gemma paced from wall to wall within the nursery. She had slept there and stayed throughout the morning. Her first thoughts were to go to the stables or out to the garden to say goodbye to the things she loved the most, but the rain had started before dawn and it had continued relentlessly all morning. Tiny rivers of water appeared along the dirt paths, and the winds blew so hard the leaves on the trees in the orchard were breaking off and flying about the outer bailey.

The dinner horn had sounded. She sent Isabel and Hesse to eat but refused to join them. She had yet to tell her little sister they would be leaving. Hesse tried to keep Isabel busy so Gemma could get her items packed in a trunk. They would leave the next morning at first light. She had wanted to leave this day, but there was too much to do and the rains were not letting up.

She would not tell Isabel until it was time to go. Her plan was to have Oliver and some of her father's men escort them to Wales, sending a note back to her father stating he could join them when he was well enough. She had not yet had a chance to talk to Oliver, but she would do that as soon as he was free.

Leaving her father would be hard, for he was still not himself physically. No matter her feelings at the moment, she knew Nicholas would be kind. He might try to come after her, but she would be safe in Wales. She doubted Henry would care enough to enter Wales to retrieve her or let Nicholas do it as long as Blackstone was secure. He had yet to try to stop her, so she assumed she would leave without argument from him.

It would be different, but she would make a new life there for herself, Isabel, and her babe. She harbored guilt for a moment, knowing she meant to leave without telling Nicholas of the pregnancy. He would be angry if he knew, and he would never let her go. It was better this way for everyone.

She sat down on Hesse's cot for a moment and put her hand on her stomach. The baby was new, but she loved it already. She had dreamed of babes upon her lap, living with Nicholas, and growing old within the walls of Blackstone. Now she would raise the babe on her own, and they would find a way to be happy. She had only met her uncle once, but he was much like her mother and she knew he would welcome them there.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound behind her. For a moment she assumed she was hearing things, but another sound got her full attention. Before she could turn around, a gloved hand clamped down on her mouth, and an arm snaked around her waist. She was pulled from the cot and was being carried toward the back of the nursery.

She tried to scream, but the hand was tight against her mouth. The sounds that escaped were weak. She kicked and twisted, but the arm around her stayed firm. Her mind raced, but she was too terrified to fight back effectively. Was Nicholas doing this to stop her from leaving?

The person holding her was breathing heavily. He stopped, and she stared ahead with her eyes wide open. She could not see who it was, but she knew it was not her husband. She kicked her legs again, aiming for a stool. Her toe caught it under the seat. It tipped and fell softly up against a tapestry on the wall, making almost no noise.

"Be still!" a voice said in her ear. "I shall knock you out if you do not."

The voice was not familiar to her. It was not Phillip coming back for her, as she had often feared in her nightmares. This was someone else. She heard a creak, and she realized this person knew of the tunnel. This one led from the nursery to the orchard and then into the other which went under the walls. This man was taking her and going through the secret passageways.

Terror exploded within her, and she began to struggle anew. She knew she must not let him get her into the dark, forgotten passageway. No one would hear her scream in there.

"If you do not hold still, I will have that brat of a sister of yours hurt. You would not want that to happen, would you?"

Panic struck as she remembered Isabel was in the great hall. This man could do whatever he wanted to her, but she must leave her sister safe. She stopped struggling and allowed the man to drag her into the tunnel. The tapestry hiding the panel shifted, and he pushed it back as they passed. He carefully moved the sliding door shut, and they were encased in darkness.

He dropped her to her feet and something poked her in the back. "That is my dagger, girl. Should you do anything stupid, I will stab you." He deftly tied a gag around her head and urged her through the tunnel.

"Watch your step," he said with a harsh chuckle. "There are many pitfalls ahead. Being left bound and gagged in here would be no way for a lady to die."

Gemma did not know what else to do but to follow directions. She put her arms out to feel around her. The stones were cold, wet, and slimy. She tried not to think about what she might encounter. For all she knew, this tunnel had not been used for years. It would have made her trips to see Nicholas long ago much easier, but she hated it so much she took the chance of going outside instead. The man behind her knew of it too, but even she had only used it once, just to see where it went. That was years ago, and she knew of no other using it. How did he know?

"Faster," he said, as he pushed her shoulder with a hard hand. "We do not have time. If you want to live, you will move."

She obeyed. She moved as quickly as she could. The gag around her mouth made it hard for her to breath, and the air in the tunnel was thick. Her feet hit things as she went, and she refused to let her imagination form an image of what those things were. She was terrified enough, and she did not want to fall or anger the man behind her. Isabel would be safe if she obeyed.

The man moved her through and out the other side, under cover of the orchard. He pushed her through the tunnel running along the curtain wall and then commanded she go into the other passageway that would take them away from the castle and away from safety.

Gemma hesitated, and he pressed the dagger into her back. "Move, girl," he snapped. "You and I both know you know this tunnel well. Be on with it!"

She started counting the steps to get through the tunnel, just like she had all those years past when she would meet Nicholas. The passage that once took her to him was now taking her from him.

They came out into the woods. The rain was harder now and felt like tiny pebbles beating against her skin. The wind was strong but not steady. Each gust tried to knock her from her feet. She was cold and shivering. The rain soaked her to the skin within seconds. The man behind her pushed her away from the castle, deeper into the woods. She stumbled, her kirtle now heavy and clinging to her legs, tripping her as she went.

As the wind howled, she tripped on a rock. She tried to catch herself, but she landed hard in the mud. The man behind her picked her up by her hair and pushed her forwards. She cringed from the pain but did not cry.

Many of them the same men she had encountered in the woods before were waiting for them. She knew instantly the Bigods were involved, but somehow she did not think the man behind her was a simple soldier. Something in her told her she knew this man. His language was that of the educated, which puzzled her more. Without seeing him, she could not know for sure. She was hoisted head first over a horse. Water was now dripping around her neck and soaking the gag in her mouth. She struggled but to no avail.

The ride through the woods and around to the river crossing was brutal. She was bounced and jolted. Once the party crossed the rising river, she glanced back, fearing no one else could cross if the heavy rains continued. She would be gone, and no one would find her. Even if they suspected the Bigods, they would not get across the river today.

She was pulled into a sitting position for the rest of the trip. The man behind her remained a mystery. She thought to throw herself from the horse, but she knew that was futile and it might harm the babe. She had no horse of her own, and she would not get far in the blinding rain. Her only choice was to see this out. Escape would have to come later.

Her heart sank as the group followed the hedgerow of a large field. They were close to Renoir now, and she would be defenseless against whatever the Bigods had in mind for her. Nicholas would not care she was gone. She had told him she was leaving anyway, and he might think she left early. If he tried to follow her, he might go the wrong way toward Wales.

Foolishly she had told him of her love. She had not meant to do it, but it had come out. He had acted as if she had not said it. It had meant nothing to him. Something inside her had hoped he had begun to love her as she had loved him, but it was not to be. She felt he simply did not care. He had tried to tell her she could not go, but he spoke of duty and safety, not of love.

With a jolt, she was shoved off the destrier and landed on the soggy grass near the front of the castle. All of the men dismounted and led their horses in. Gemma was thrown over the shoulder of the largest of the men, and he carried her in through the gate. She studied the men behind her, but none of them appeared familiar.

She was carried in, and the group marched toward a tower. They were taking her to a locked room. She was grateful to get out of the rain and hoped a locked door would keep everyone out, even though it was meant to keep her in. Whatever Hugh had in mind would be life altering.

Tears stung her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she was shoved into a room within the tower. The door locked behind her, and she was left alone. It was a dark room with just a few arrow loops for light. The rain was still heavy and the skies dark, leaving little light to come in through the slits. She still had a gag on her mouth, but her hands were free.

She studied the room. It was rather large for a prison but only contained a pallet on the floor for sleeping, a chamber pot, and a small stool and table. The door was not wood but, instead, was made of metal bars. There was a small fireplace outside the room in the passageway, but no fire was lit.

Outside the bars she could see steps going up and steps going down. The room stank terribly. The stone floor was covered with rushes, but they had not been changed in a long time. She knew unspeakable filth could be hiding under the reeds, and she made a mental note to stay off of the floor if at all possible.

Her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps. She could see the light of a candle bob as someone came up toward her. She backed away from the bars and stood near the rear of the room. The steps were light, almost soundless. A woman appeared before the door with a candle in her hand and a basket. She lifted the tallow candle up to ignite a torch on the wall behind her and light quickly spread throughout her prison room.

"Lady Gemma," she said. Her voice was kind. She was tall with thick, dark hair that curled around her shoulders. Her face was plain, but it was not unpleasant. She had a shapely body and fine clothing. "Please, come and let me take off your gag."

She hesitated. She trusted no one, but the gag needed to be removed. Her jaw hurt, and she feared she was bleeding. She moved backward and allowed the woman to put her hands through the bars to untie the gag.

It took some doing, but as soon as it was off, Gemma put her hands up to her aching jaw and moved away from the door quickly. "Who are you?" she asked.

The lady looked her up and down for a moment. Gemma guessed she was near her in age or a year or two younger at most. She could be a wife, as there were three Bigod sons other than Phillip. Somehow, she seemed troubled but happy at the same time. It was an odd combination that made Gemma shudder.

"I'll be back to see you later. You should rest," she said as a boom of thunder sounded, and Gemma jumped. The woman pulled a skin of wine and a long loaf of bread from the basket and tried to pass them through the bars.

When Gemma made no move to take them from her, she dropped the bread on the floor among the rushes and set the wine down. "You should eat, dear. I assure you, 'tis not poisoned. My husband needed you out of the way, so you were brought here. No one will harm you."

She did not reply. The woman smiled weakly and went back down the steps from where she came.

When Gemma awoke, it was almost dusk. The rain had slowed, and the sun was now setting. She had paced the room for quite a while before giving in and lying down on the dirty pallet. It turned her stomach, but she was exhausted. The pregnancy was weighing on her more and more.

She heard sounds in the passageway. The footsteps must have been what woke her. Trembling, she stood quickly. She was still wet and now she was shivering. This time the person coming to the door was not the woman but instead a man. She could not see him clearly, but something made her bristle. He chuckled, and she placed the voice instantly.

"You!" she said. "Why have you brought me here?" She recognized him as the man who had dragged her through the tunnel.

The man sighed. "Do you not recognize me, dear sister?"

Sister. The word made the world stand still. Her brother Gavin stood before her. She had not seen him in years, but now she knew who he was, she recognized his face. He was a grown man now and for some reason, he spirited her away from their childhood home against her will.

"Gavin," she whispered, moving closer to him. "What have you done? Where have you been? We were so worried about you. Why are you staying with Hugh and not your family?"

"Aye, you have grown into a beautiful woman. My wife seems quite taken with you. She made me promise not to hurt you."

She flinched. The woman who had visited her was Helena and they were already married. "I fear I do not understand," she said.

"What is there to understand? You are in my way. I thought you would be a docile woman who would go into hysterics upon seeing Minna in the water. Instead, you ran to Henry for help."

Gemma's gasp was so loud it reverberated off the stone walls surrounding her. "You killed Minna? But why?"

"I didn't kill her, you fool. I had someone else do it. And then the smith. That one was more fun. I wish I could have been there to see it. You would be surprised what a man will do for a few coins."

"But why?" Her mind was reeling. Her brother was involved in Minna's death. He had not been missing at all. Her head spun in confusion.

Gavin shook his head. "Did you honestly think the Bigods were smart enough to do all of this? For what reason would they? They have been gracious in letting me stay here, but I must take credit."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you telling me this?"

He did not reply. He just stood where he was staring at her blankly. It hit her in that moment. He was not letting her out alive.

"Please, Gavin, why have you done this?" she said in a whimper. Her entire world was now completely shattered.

His foot started to tap. "Do you not hear well? I said I had to get you out of the way."

"To what end?" she said, fearing for all of those she loved.

"Someone will bring you food soon," he said as he left without warning, ignoring her question entirely.