Seated across the dining table from Erwin, Brys shot him a venomous glance. In the two days since they’d arrived here, the dolt seemed intent on thwarting every attempt by Brys to be alone with Haesal. They’d had little chance to talk at any length with Erwin hovering from morning to night. Short of turning up in her sleeping chamber after everyone was asleep, Brys could do little about it. His frustration was such that he intended to carry his idea through this very night, and visit her in her bedroom, and to hell with it.
Erwin was adept at managing the estate without moving from the house. Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and no one could argue with his excellent managing skills. If Brys didn’t hate him so much, he might admire him.
Gerald seemed to have forgotten his gratitude and was as precocious as ever. Now he was irritating too, following Erwin’s every move and taking his every word as law. Right now Gerald was lapping up the latest tall story.
Brys pushed his trencher aside. “I admire the way you seem to be able to run the estate from the house. Surely you must have jobs that need your personal attention elsewhere.” He found it hard to keep the dislike from his tone.
Shrugging, Erwin turned his pale gaze back to Haesal, where it lingered. “The men follow my orders.”
“And God help them if they don’t.” Brys glanced at Haesal, who shot him a small smile.
Haesal knew what incident Brys referred to. While they were sharing a few precious moments alone, a servant came running to report that Erwin was beating one of his men. They rushed to the stables where they found the poor man being savagely lashed across his bared back. It shocked her deeply, filling her with such anger she was forced to look on Erwin in a new light.
When Brys halted the punishment, Erwin made no effort to conceal his disgust and annoyance. His excuse seemed poor, when he said, “They know the rules and the punishment if they break them.”
Haesal tended the wounds of the man who was unknown to her. Since their return home, her nights were filled with horrific dreams, due mainly to the loss of her protector. How she had longed to come home, yet now here she found it shrouded by frightening fears, as if shadows of evil lurked in every corner.
While relieved her ordeal was over, she was also filled with impatience. Erwin seemed to follow her or Brys from morn till sunset. They rarely spent a moment alone. She had lost control of her home, and her brother stirred her ire by deferring to Erwin, invariably going against her wishes.
She was brought out of her thoughts when Erwin said, “I was too long without you, my dearling. Is it so hard to understand why I wish to be near you every moment I can?”
How she wanted to snap at him, but tried to keep her patience. “I am busy with the servants. We have much work to catch up on.” At least the cooks were still her responsibility, and she could instruct her women on the running of the house—even if the management of the farms and land seemed to have been taken from her.
Of course she should be grateful for all that Erwin did in her absence. This animosity building in her towards him shamed her. Watching him as she continued to eat, she said, “Should you not return to your own home and estates?”
Many things about him bothered her now as never before. It was apparent she had not looked too closely. There was a coldness about him she never took time to question. Guilt made her push certain realities aside. Perhaps these new feelings for Brys made her see more clearly that Erwin cherished an easy life while never sullying his hands with the labour involved in reaching that comfortable state.
Her servants respected and looked up to her because she always worked alongside them, whereas Erwin kept himself aloof. It was as if shields were lifted from her eyes, enabling her to see the many things about him that displeased her. The way he tried to irritate Brys was most annoying. It was apparent he had forgotten who brought her back safely. That was another thing that gave her doubts. Was Erwin really glad to see her back? At times she was convinced he coveted their lands more than her.
“You would have me out of your house after all I have done for you?” Erwin sounded like a petulant child.
“Of course I do not,” she lied, sure he knew it as a lie. “You know I am grateful for all you have done for us, but I have much to attend to. There is the house and the servants, and it is right that I manage on my own now.”
Since arriving home, she had been hit by an urge to scrub everything in sight, subjecting the house to a thorough cleaning. Everything that could be had been wiped clean. In one of their rare moments alone, Brys explained about the implements used in his time for cleaning, which filled her with envy. How she would love to go through time with him to see all these magnificent things.
Brys studied Haesal, who appeared to be just as fed up as he was with the twerp. She certainly hadn’t acted like a woman in love since the day their journey ended. This filled him with tenuous hope—if only they were back on the road again!
There were four sleeping chambers upstairs. She slept in the largest, and the others were miniscule. These arrangements were unusual. Her father must have been a forward thinking man to design a house where only the house servants slept in the big hall. Of course Erwin settled himself in the room next to Haesal’s, with Gerald next door. It was obvious he’d put Brys far from her, in a small cell where the roof sloped so much he stood a good chance of knocking himself out on a thick beam.
There was just the one bathhouse. Most of the servants attended to their ablutions at the well near the outer wall. Haesal encouraged them to wash regularly. A habit Erwin, for all his efforts to appear superior, hadn’t adopted. His body odor was repellent, and Brys hadn’t missed Haesal’s grimace of distaste whenever Erwin moved in close to her.
“You will never be alone, dearling. Now we are together again, we will have our ceremony as soon as the priest can attend.” A satisfied smirk twisted Erwin’s thin lips as he turned that serpent cold stare on Brys—whose gut ached with holding back on the urge to wipe the smirk off the pallid face.
“Please.” Haesal turned desperate eyes to Brys. “I cannot rush into the preparations. The journey was so long and tiring. I beg of you, give me time to recover.”
“Nonsense.” Erwin waved a hand. “You can have all the time you need to recover. But the ceremony will take place as soon as the churchman arrives.”
Brys swore beneath his breath as Haesal lifted her hands in appeal. There was only one thing for it—he’d have this out with Erwin, and soon. This nonsense had gone on long enough. Jaw aching where he’d gritted his teeth, Brys stood. “Perhaps you would care to ride out with me. I would like to see the surrounding countryside.”
“An admirable idea.” Nodding agreeably, his adversary stretched indolently as he rose. Bowing before Haesal, he lifted one of her hands to plant a kiss on it. When she removed it instantly, his annoyance was palpable. “How long do you intend to stay in these parts? When will you go back to your home?” he asked, as he turned to Brys.
“I have no home to return to. My home is here with Haesal for as long as she needs me.” Satisfaction swept through Brys at Erwin’s incredulous gasp.
“She will have no need of you once we are joined by the priest.” The ice in Erwin’s tone was enough to freeze anyone within its zone. “In truth, she has no need of your protection anymore, so I suggest that since you have no home, it is time you considered returning to your travels, or whatever occupations you indulged in before you went to her aid.”
Gerald chose to butt in as he pointed to the talisman. “He is a sorcerer, or a son of a wizard. See, his necklet gives him special powers.”
“I am certainly no sorcerer.” Brys cursed the boy. More than once he’d caught Erwin covertly eyeing the talisman. “I merely have more strength than the average man.”
The youth wasn’t about to let the subject go. “He must have powers like no other man to be able to fell Garth, and some of his best fighting men.”
Erwin’s eyes glittered feverishly as he gazed at the pendant. “Special powers, you say?”
Damn it! Why did the boy choose now to bring this up? “Gerald exaggerates.”
Erwin stared at Brys a moment before bending again over Haesal’s hand. “We will talk more on the subject of our ceremony when we return, dear one.”
Haesal rose from the table and it was noticeable that she hastily moved away from him, while rubbing her temples, and as Erwin came up behind her to kiss her cheek, she visibly flinched.
Not happy with her blatant rejection he glared at Brys, gesturing arrogantly as he walked away, saying, “I will show you what crops have been planted.”
Brys turned to ask Haesal, “What will you do while we’re gone?”
She sent him a shaky smile. “I have much to catch up on in my pharmacea. My supply of soaps, potions and fragrances is very low.”
As Erwin stopped by the doorway Gerald asked, “Can I come too?”
Looking more cheerful now, Erwin agreed, “I see no reason why not.” He sketched an arc with his hand. “These are your lands, are they not?”
When Godwin prepared to follow them, Gerald stopped him. “You stay here. Go make eyes like a cow at your Rhoda.”
With a confused frown, Godwin looked to Brys for confirmation, which Brys gave with a small nod.
When they reached the barn housing the stables, Erwin said, “We will need the horses, and men for protection. There is danger the Saxon pigs could be far from their hunting grounds.”
While the horses were being prepared Brys tried hard to talk Gerald out of going along, but the young fool stubbornly refused to be left behind.
The eight surly men who rode out with them were strangers to Brys. They kept their eyes ahead and their cowls pulled close to their faces. It was easy to see that this was no outing to view the farmlands.
Naively ignorant of the danger he faced, Gerald cantered alongside Erwin, eagerly asking, “Have you planted new crops to the south? We never tried that before, it is far too rocky.”
Brys sighed.
* * *
Haesal worked steadily in her small pharmacea. It was peaceful and orderly here, a place she had loved since the first time her mother brought her here when little more than a babe. As she matured, her mother taught her everything the mistress of a large household needed to know. Here she was mistress of all she surveyed. Jars were lined up on the shelves and shells containing dried herbs sat in neat rows on the long oak wood bench. None dared set foot in this room without her permission, so it was no surprise that her stores had depleted sadly.
She worked painstakingly on an ointment for wounds made from lavender and the white blossoms of yarrow, and then boiled catkins to use their fragrant wax for sweet scented candles. The women had collected some yellow flag, and its roots needed to be boiled for her sweet smelling body oils.
When her back began to ache, she yawned, arching her spine, and Rhoda said, “You are tired, mistress. Shall I fetch you some refreshment?”
“The men should be back soon. I will bathe, and you can bring me a glass of wine.” Placing her pots and jars back in order, she looked about to ensure everything was tidy. A strange uneasiness overrode the tranquility she usually felt when working here. This feeling grew as she made her way to her chamber.
After bathing and changing into clean clothing, the knowledge that Brys was in danger was such that she felt sick with worry. As she secured her belt, Rhoda who was peering through the window slit, cried out, “They are back, mistress. The gate is being opened.”
Eager to reassure herself that her feelings of unease were false, Haesal hurried from her chamber, and down the stairs. Erwin entered the main door as she reached the bottom step. Haesal knew before he spoke that her brother and Brys were not with him.
“Where are Brys and Gerald?” she asked sharply.
Erwin sighed. “Bad news, dearling” Striding to her, he set a hand on her arm. “I fear that Brys met with a nasty accident.”
Haesal pushed him away, crying, “No!” He pressed her onto the nearest seat. Anguish overwhelmed her. “I cannot believe it.” With the talisman to protect him, Brys could face any manner of problems and come through unharmed.
Erwin clasped one of her hands. “The animal Gerald was riding bolted in fright when a wild boar charged it, and for all his skill on a beast your brother was unable to stop the terrified run of it. Brys went after him and I regret to tell you that his horse stumbled on some rocks. Horse and rider fell over a high cliff to their deaths.” He delivered this explanation in a voice devoid of emotion.
Tugging her hand free, she moved her head from side to side. “No, it cannot be so—you lie.” Tears streamed down her face. “This is not true. Brys is an excellent rider, and would never be so foolhardy. And I cannot believe Gerald would not be able to control his horse. Where is my brother now?”
Erwin gave a heavy sigh. “Your brother has not yet been found. But as you say—he is an excellent rider and will be home soon. As for Brys…” He shrugged. “…the sea swallowed him and his horse.”
A scream rolled around in her head as blackness surrounded her.
When Haesal opened her eyes, she lay on the pallet in her bedchamber. Staring up at the smoke-blackened beams—a grief as heavy as those blocks of timber weighed her down.
Rhoda touched her arm gently. “Mistress, do not pine. It must be a lie. Mayhap he will swim and find his way back.” Her maid squeezed water from a square of rag and gently wiped at Haesal’s tear-dampened face.
Numb with grief, Haesal knew she would feel nothing but this awful sense of loss ever again.
“He can do any manner of strange and wonderful things. He will return.” Rhoda sounded so confident.
As Haesal pushed herself onto her elbows, it seemed every part of her had lost its will to move. “And what of my brother?”
Rhoda shook her head. “They are still looking for him. Do not fret. He will be found. They both will.”
Haesal could not share such conviction. She would surely die with the pain of losing Brys, and could not bear the agony of also losing Gerald.
When a soft tap came at the door, Haesal shook her head, but before Rhoda could tell the visitor to leave them in peace, Erwin entered. A hand over his heart, he bent over Haesal. “The men are searching for your brother. Soon he will be with you, my dearling.”
As she pushed herself into a sitting position, he offered a helping hand which she ignored. The sky glowed like a great fire near the horizon as the sun set. Going to the window, Haesal saw the sky’s brilliance through a veil of tears.
“Come and sit, dearling. I will wait with you for his return,” Erwin said softly, and Haesal turned to find they were alone.
“Where is Rhoda?” Without thought, she sank onto the chair, a sob bursting from her throat.
Gazing at her with the eyes of a simpering fool, he said, “I sent her to prepare a hot beverage for you. And told her to get some of that potion you use to calm you.”
His presence gave her no comfort and his gestures of solace as he stroked her arm grated on her already shredded nerves. Shaking him off with an impatient sigh, she cared not for his shocked gasp.
A dreadful premonition that Brys had returned to his own time filled her. When Rhoda brought her a goblet, without question Haesal drank its contents. She could neither think nor feel. How could she face life without Brys and Gerald?
As the light gradually disappeared, the stream of words Erwin badgered her with barely registered as he went on about their future together. At one stage he left, but was only gone long enough to summon Rhoda to light candles.
Haesal wanted to scream at him to let her grieve alone, but when she said, “I wish you to leave,” he patted her hand as if she were a witless child.
“I will stay until Gerald is brought safely home.” She lacked the energy to force him to go.
How much time passed before a shout went up in the courtyard below she had no idea. At the sound of the main gates being opened, she jumped up, crying, “Gerald—my brother is found!”
Erwin muttered a denial as a wave of dizziness swept over her, forcing her to sit again, a hand to her head. When the door opened, it was not Gerald who entered, but Brys, and her relief was so great she almost collapsed in a swoon.
A sleek swath of his hair fell damply over his forehead and strands clung to his throat. His handsome face bore signs of fatigue. Those features tightened rigidly with anger as he glanced briefly to Erwin—whose mouth was now slack with shock.
When Brys’ gaze returned to her, she was dazzled by the intensity of feeling there. She tripped over Erwin’s outstretched legs as she jumped up to run towards Brys. He caught her before she fell, and the anxiety and numbing weariness fled the moment his beloved arms tightened about her.
Brys would never forget the look that transformed Haesal’s tear stained face when she looked up and saw first him, and then her brother behind him.
“I thought you both lost.” She tried to wrap both of them in her arms at once. She was crying and laughing at the same time, while searching their faces.
Erwin pushed himself to his feet and swayed as if drunk, then staggered back a step, clutching at his shirtfront.
“Cat got your tongue?” Brys felt tempted to laugh at the expression on the previously angelic features. Erwin looked as if he was seeing a ghost. Clearly his tongue had stuck to the roof of his mouth, for he opened and closed it like a man suffering an apoplexy.
His bulging eyes drifted to the doorway and then back to Brys and Gerald. It was clear he weighed his options.
Brys grinned. “Bit of a fix, eh, old buddy?”
“He left us to perish.” Gerald half sobbed the words, and Haesal gasped, as she turned to stare at Erwin. “He took the necklet and pushed us down into a cave. I still cannot believe he would do such a thing.” Gerald sneered at his erstwhile friend. “He will die for betraying us and so must the traitors who helped him. Henrik has that task.”
Gerald’s coltish legs were spread and his head held regally, the stamp of the great leader he would doubtless become clear in every line of his bearing.
Erwin jabbed a thumb in Brys’ direction. “You lost all desire to look my way when you returned with him,” he whined. “Every time I spoke of our joining ceremony you made excuses to delay it.”
Haesal gripped Brys’ hand, as she cried, “But I was promised to you. Surely you knew I would keep my word. How could you even think of killing Brys and my brother?”
Brys put a supporting arm about her waist when she looked about to keel over.
Erwin’s lips curled in a sneer. “I’ve waited a tediously long time for you. You were of an age to come to me long ago, yet your father kept us apart.” All pretenses at civility had fled. His only means of escape was blocked by them, yet Erwin kept sidling in the direction of the doorway.
Brys returned Erwin’s sneer. “Her father was very wise.”
Gerald shook his fist at Erwin. “I thought you and I were allies. I agreed when you said you would make sure Brys left, but I never wanted him harmed. You left us to die.” Shock appeared to be catching up with him.
“Don’t blame yourself.” As Brys turned to place his hand on the boy’s shoulder, Erwin whipped a dagger from the waistband of his breeches, and lunged at Brys.
But Brys saw the flash of the blade, and as he took a dive Haesal twisted sideways, putting herself between them. “You will have to kill me first!”
Plainly stunned by her show of defiance, Erwin said, “I have no wish to kill you. We could work well together, dearling. I did this all for you.”
“For me?” Now her soft lips curled in contempt. “How noble of you.”
There was a shuffling and stamping of feet on the stairs before Godwin, Henrik, and six armed men halted outside the doorway. Obviously guessing there was little hope of escape, Erwin rushed at Henrik, the nearest. Henrik lunged, and his sword went through Erwin’s chest and out through his back.
“Mayhap that was his only noble deed.” Godwin eyed him dispassionately as Erwin gave a gasp and fell forward.
Henrik retrieved his sword and carelessly wiped it on Erwin’s breeches. Lifting the bloodstained tunic, he pulled the talisman free and thrust the lifeless head down so it landed on the floor with a dull thump. Turning to his men, he ordered, “Get him out of here.”
As they dragged the body away, Henrik handed the talisman to Brys. “Three of the traitors fled. Do you wish us to go after them? We have killed the others.”
Brys looked to Haesal, who shrugged as she said, “Let them go. Without Erwin they are no threat. They will find they have no safe refuge in these parts. If they dare show their faces here, we will deal with them. But unless they give us cause for concern, leave them to their fate.”
As she hugged Gerald again, her eyes brimmed with tears. The smile she gave Brys over Gerald’s shoulder was tremulous. “Once again I have to thank you for bringing my brother back safely to me.”
“And I repeat that I would do anything for you,” Brys said huskily.
“I’m sorry.” Gerald also had a crack in his voice. “I was a fool. I believed Erwin and yet should have believed Brys. I was jealous and full of sinful envy too.”
“No lad, you’re just inexperienced.” Brys squeezed Gerald’s shoulder. “And young. As you grow older you will gain wisdom.”
Two women came in to replace the bloodstained stems strewn across the floor with clean coverings. As they went out, Godwin passed them at the door. “The men have taken the bodies to the moors to toss in a bog. A fitting end for them.” He bowed to Gerald, who covered a yawn with a grubby hand. “Come, I will get you food, master, and see you to your bed.”
Gerald gripped Brys’ hand saying, “Once again I must say how sorry I am. My behavior was unforgivable.”
“All is forgiven.” After they’d gone, Brys turned to Haesal and said with a wry smile, “What a day!” And if that wasn’t a huge understatement he didn’t know what was.