CHAPTER XV

Samuel walked without direction. He absently pulled his collar up against the cool evening air, passing several people without noticing them. His mates were at their favorite tavern as usual, but he had no desire to join them.

He was thinking about Kate and how he would see her again. He could not ask her to follow him around from camp to camp, but there was no telling when he would be near here again.

A strong hand closed around his mouth while an arm around his waist pulled him into an alley behind the main street. For an instant, Samuel thought it was Stanley and tried to free his mouth, but a blow to his stomach by a second person took his breath. Another blow brought him to his knees, gasping for any air at all. One of his attackers took him by the hair and pulled his head up. Samuel could see only a dark outline of a face before him, a black shape silhouetted by the dim glow of starlight. A throaty voice hissed at him.

“Tell Kate we want the letter or we’ll kill you both. Do you hear me?”

Kate! What could her connection be to these thugs? Samuel did not have time to consider an answer before the toe of a boot crushed against his ribs. He sprawled on the ground, pain stabbing through his body. Another blow to the ribs was all that he felt before consciousness drifted away, furious that he had no way to protect Kate.

*

“He couldn’t have gone far,” Stanley guessed.

He and Sir Julian looked helplessly down the main street, but saw no sign.

“Are you sure you saw him come this way?”

“I’m sure. And only a few minutes ago.” They continued down the street, checking side alleys as they passed them. “He’s been very distracted these last days. I suppose that love will do that to you.”

“Murder! Help, for pity’s sake, help!”

The voice came from somewhere beyond the next alley. The guardsmen ran toward the voice, which kept up the cry: “Murder! Murder!”

They arrived at a side street where six or seven people, one of them holding a torch, were gathered around a hysterical older man who was still repeating his horrible message for anyone who would listen.

“Give way, in the name of the king!” Sir Julian barked as they arrived. The gawkers, relieved that someone of authority had arrived to take control, parted. Sir Julian saw a man dressed in the king’s colors lying perfectly still, face down in the muck of the alley. “Sweet angels of mercy,” he pleaded as he knelt to inspect the victim. Samuel’s face was caked with mud, and blood oozed from his lips. Sir Julian lifted him by the shoulders and put his ear to his mouth. “He breathes still. Help me with him!” Stanley and James lifted his lifeless form carefully. “Quickly, to the bishop’s palace. It’s close by.” With Samuel between them, and Sir Julian holding him in the middle, they made their way to the palace, where they sent for the bishop’s physician who lived within.

Samuel was laid on a bed of straw in the stable, the closest shelter from the main gates. Sir Julian knelt beside him and listened again at his mouth.

“There is still breath within him,” he said at last. “Go, one of you and get water, another blankets. And be quick!” he snapped as they hesitated. “Someone find Kate and tell her what’s happened here.”

“I’ll go,” said Stanley.

When the water arrived, Sir Julian cleaned the mud and blood from his face and was horrified to see how pale Samuel had become.

“Where’s the bloody physician?” he cursed. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps running toward them and looked up to see Kate standing at the door. Afraid to enter, she paused, as if waiting for someone to speak her worst fears. “Come close, Kate,” said Sir Julian softly. “He still has breath within him, but I know not for how much longer.”

Kate slowly walked to where Samuel lay unconscious. She knelt next to him and put her hand on his cheek.

“What happened?” she asked.

“We found him like this in the street, Kate,” answered Sir Julian. “If an old man hadn’t stumbled on him, he’d still be there now.” They heard another set of running steps, and James entered, out of breath.

“The bishop’s physician says he will not tend to a commoner, and to find the town physician.”

Sir Julian cursed under his breath and left the stable with long strides. In the silence that was left, Kate stroked Samuel’s hair as the tears ran down her face.

“You cannot leave me so soon, my love. Please, Lord, do not take him from me now.” Wiping the tears from her face, she began humming a tune. Stanley began to weep.

*

Minutes later, a distressed voice could be heard from outside.

“I tell you, the bishop has forbidden me to treat others. A price will be paid for this outrage!”

In through the door came the bishop’s personal physician, assisted roughly by Sir Julian.

“You will care for a member of the king’s guard, or I’ll hang you by a rafter here and now.” Realizing that the bishop would be little use to him at that moment, the doctor stooped to look at Samuel.

“Step aside, woman,” he said, nudging Kate away. Removing the blanket that covered Samuel, he began his inspection. When he got to his torso, he paused, then said, “Cut this shirt away, quickly!” Stanley took his knife from its sheath and cut Samuel’s shirt up the middle, allowing the physician to separate the sides away from his ribs. Kate gasped at the sight. Two angry red and purple welts had been raised over the ribs on his left side. The physician scowled as he probed. “He has several broken ribs, and there is unquestionably damage to his lungs. He must not be allowed to move until the ribs have had a chance to heal.”

“Then…he’ll live?” asked Sir Julian.

“The damage does not appear to be severe, and his breathing is steady. He should be fine, but he must remain still, or more damage may occur.” He stood, still quite agitated. “Now I must return to the bishop’s quarters before I am missed.”

“There is nothing more you can do for him?” Sir Julian looked sharply at him.

“I swear, there is nothing more that can be done. He should awake shortly, and then you must restrain him. And now, good night.” He left in a huff, his dignity having suffered enough.

Sir Julian ordered that a pallet, the kind used to carry the injured from a field of battle, be brought from the supply room, and then had Samuel carefully placed on top and tied down with leather straps. He ordered Stanley to move Samuel to his personal quarters. Kate grabbed his sleeve.

“Please, I must be with him.”

Sir Julian nodded his agreement.

*

When Samuel opened his eyes to see Kate he felt a peaceful haze begin to clear. The realization that he could not move his arms brought back the memories of the night before. He attempted to raise himself up but a sharp pain restrained him.

“You must lie still, my love,” whispered Kate.

Samuel waited until the searing pain had subsided. “Where…?”

“You’re in Sir Julian’s quarters.”

“Who did this?” Every word was an effort.

“We don’t know. Your friends found you in the street. Now please,” she touched his lips with her forefinger, “try to rest, my love.”

“They told me…they wanted…the letter.” Kate froze in horror when she heard the words.

“What?” she stammered.

Samuel was desperate to tell her what little he knew, but the effort had exhausted him and he began drifting back into sleep.

“Tell…Sir Julian…” was all he could manage before falling back into a deep slumber.

Kate felt his cheek and began to shake from fear. What have I done?

*

After four weeks of rest, Samuel could finally move without discomfort. He and Kate had taken their favorite walk along the river the day before, and, moving slowly, he was able to negotiate the rough terrain without difficulty. On this morning, Kate had brought his bread and porridge as usual and was sitting with him in the stable. They had gone there to be alone.

Sir Julian had relieved him of his duties until he had healed, but moved him from his private quarters when he could see that Samuel was no longer in need of close observation. But today there was a sense of urgency that interrupted his leisurely convalescence. The king had also recovered from his illness and was preparing to return to London. The time had come to make hard decisions.

Before the attack, Samuel might have been content to leave Kate here to wait for him. But now he was afraid for her safety and had no intention of leaving her in Durham. They had not spoken much of the attack, but the mysteries of it burned his thoughts. The guard had investigated the incident under Sir Julian’s direction, but no sign of the attackers had surfaced. The motivations behind it remained a mystery.

“I’m going to resign from the guard and stay here with you,” said Samuel, his mouth tightly drawn.

Kate took Samuel’s hand in hers. “Perhaps that would not be the best course of action. Now you have the protection of your friends, but that would vanish if you left to stay with me.”

“I’ve thought of that, but I cannot see another way. I assure you I can protect us. I will not be surprised again, I promise you that.”

“I know that, my love, but you are only one man and these are dangerous men.”

“What would you know of them?”

“I know only that these were not common thieves, or they would not have said what they did.”

“Are you sure that some past lover does not still harbor feelings for you and is jealously trying to discourage me?” Kate became angry, her response quiet but sharp.

“There has been no such person in my past, I assure you.”

Samuel put his hand on her arm. “I didn’t mean it to sound that way. I’m sorry. I just can’t bear the thought of you being in danger on my account. Enough people have suffered because of me.”

Kate leaned over and kissed him gently, and smiled at the sheepish look on his face. She pulled him down into the straw, where a long embrace brought shivers to them both. Pulling his tunic off, she ran her hands gently across his mended ribs. They kissed again, long and deep.

“I’ve never…been with a woman,” Samuel confessed in a whisper.

“Nor I with a man,” she said.

*

The noonday sun warmed the stable and sprayed light through the roof and walls. Samuel lay next to Kate, their naked bodies together on the soft bed of hay.

“I love you, Kate,” he whispered in her ear as he gently stroked the flawlessly smooth line of her hip. To his surprise, she pulled away. “Did I do something wrong?”

Kate put her hand on his cheek. “Of course not, my love. I have never known such happiness.”

“What is it then?”

“Don’t you see? This will only make our lives more difficult, our choices more agonizing.” Samuel rolled onto his back. Sunlight sparkled through the holes in the roof.

“I may have a temporary solution to our troubles, if you are agreeable.” He paused for a reaction, but Kate only waited. “Last week Stanley agreed to ride to Northwood to see what had become of my family. He found that they had left there for York shortly after the battle at Towton.”

“You want to return to your family?”

“Not me, Kate. You. I’m sure that Oliver and Sally will keep you until we can decide what we need to do, and you would be out of harm’s way for a while.”

“You would not come with me?”

“If I knew you were safe, I could stay with the guard until we find more answers.”

Kate pondered the issue for a moment. “Do you have any idea where they are or how I’d find them?”

“No, but I’ll ask Sir Julian to let me go with you, and if they’re anywhere in York, we’ll find them.”

“It would give us a bit more time to make some decisions,” she mused. “Very well, my love. It’s off to York with us then.” She pulled him back on top of her, savoring the feel of his chest pressed against her breasts. “Hold me, my gentle love. God only knows when we’ll know such happiness again.”

*

Two days later, the bishop’s palace was a command center. Horsemen galloped in and out, and carts loaded with provisions rolled out of the gates in a steady stream.

“I’m sorry, lad. I have no choice in this matter. Our duty to the king requires that you remain with us.” Sir Julian, seeing the panic on Samuel’s face, took him by the arm and pulled him over to where they could speak in private. “Old Henry and his wife have managed to raise another army, God knows how. The king requires our services and I can’t let you go.”

Samuel felt like a trapped animal. “I must resign the guard, then. Kate cannot make the journey alone, especially after what’s happened. You know that as well as I.”

“I do indeed, lad, but that changes nothing. And you can forget your resignation. To quit now when battle looms would be seen as desertion. You’d be clapped in irons or worse, as sure as I breathe.”

Samuel slumped against the cold stones of the palace wall. There seemed no way to protect Kate, and he wasn’t even sure that he’d see her again. He measured the distance to the main gate and considered his chances if he made a break for it, but he knew Kate would not be safer if he were a fugitive. He felt Sir Julian’s hand on his shoulder.

“Look here, lad. Go and have her gather her things. I’ll send my page with her on the journey. He’s a strapping boy and will guard her well, and it’s all I can do for you.” Samuel knew that Sir Julian was offering a great deal.

“Thank you, Sir Julian. I’ll tell her now.”

Sir Julian smiled and gave his arm a squeeze. As Samuel ran off to the kitchen, the old knight was almost glad that his own youth had long ago expired.