If Not For The Knight, Debbie Boek [electronic reader TXT] 📗

Calder stood then and began to turn away from them. “I am going to take a walk, Draco, to clear my head. I will return shortly. I need you to find Garrick. Have him get some men to build a dozen pillories. We will have need of them in the morning. Then get some rest and thank you for your help in this matter with my brother.”

“Yes, Milord,” Draco said, draining the last of his ale and wiping his mouth with the back of a hand.

“Devona will show you where you can sleep, Gideon. And thank you for coming so quickly.”

“It was no trouble, Calder. I just wish there was more that I could do for Aric. He and I have been friends for a long time.”

Calder gave him a sad smile and walked out into the courtyard. Seeing Edgar still hanging there fueled all of his impotent fury at the impending loss of his brother.

He strode over to Edgar and sliced through the rope with his dirk. Edgar fell to the ground, his legs unable to hold him up. With shaking hands, the prisoner unwound the ropes from his wrists and took the gag from his mouth, glaring hatefully at Calder as he did so.

“You will do as I command,” the knight ordered. “For every time that you refuse, you will spend another day as you did today. Do you understand me?”

Edgar just continued to glare silently up at him. Tired of his insolence, Calder kicked him viciously in the mouth. Spitting blood, Edgar looked defiantly back up at him.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes,” he replied thickly through his split lip.

Taking several deep breaths, Calder tried to calm his rage. It would take very little for him to beat Edgar senseless right now, but it would serve no good purpose.

“Once before, I warned you about hurting Regan because of your hatred for me. Do you recall that conversation?”

Silent at first, he answered quickly when Calder took another step toward him. “Yes.”

“Good, then we do not need to go over it again. Against her wishes, I have ordered her to be my clerk while trying to determine the taxes owed. You will not interfere with the work she does for me, nor will you cause her to suffer, in any way, because of my orders to her. Do you understand that?”

“Yes,” Edgar said again, his mind filled with visions of the revenge he would take on Calder, and on Regan, when the time was right. Edgar was confident that this arrogant bastard would pay dearly for the humiliation he had been caused to suffer, and soon.

“Go back to your home now and be prepared to give me your assistance tomorrow. If you are not here with the others at dawn, I will find you and let you spend another day hanging like the useless piece of meat that you are.”

“Yes, Milord,” he answered, the hatred palpable in his voice.

Calder turned and walked away from him, headed toward the woods in the opposite direction from where the men were still working. He had relieved some of his frustration on Edgar, but just a small portion of it, and needed to be alone with his thoughts.

CHAPTER 8

Calder was unable to shake the deep sorrow that consumed him. He wandered along, remembering times he and his brother had shared when they were younger, allowing the memories to soothe his mind a bit.

Rounding a bend, he saw Regan picking wildflowers and putting them in her apron. His heart began to race and he called out to her.

She looked up in surprise and smiled sweetly when she saw who it was. “Milord,” she said, gracing him with a brief curtsy.

“Have you finished your work for the day, then?” he asked.

“Yes, it did not take long. Radolf and I thought we would come out and enjoy the nice weather this afternoon.”

“Where is the boy?” he asked, disappointed that she was not alone.

She could not keep the grin off of her face as she answered. "He is hunting down a most fiercesome beast, Milord."

“And what type of beast would that be?” he asked, enjoying how her face lit up when she spoke of her son.

“A wicked old bunny rabbit,” she said, beginning to laugh. “He started to chase it and tripped and fell three times before he even got out of my sight, the little devil. His mind knows what he wants to do, but his little legs don't always cooperate.”

The gentle tinkling of her laughter lightened Calder's own heart and he determined that he was most fortunate in having run into her like this. Just the sight of her lovely face soothed his soul, even more so than the memories of his brother had just a few minutes before.

“Will you walk with me for a bit?” he asked.

“As you wish, Milord.” She moved toward him, feeling light-hearted and hoping that he would not notice how happy she was just to be near him.

They walked for a while in companionable silence, listening to the twittering of the birds as they flitted from tree to tree.

“My brother is dying,” Calder stated in a flat voice, catching her off guard.

She placed her hand on his arm and looked up, seeing the sorrow that filled his eyes. “I am so sorry, Milord. I heard that he had taken ill, but I had no idea it was as bad as that.”

“He is ill because someone poisoned him,” Calder stated bitterly.

“No,” Regan whispered in horror. “Who would do such a thing?”

“I don't know yet, but I was hoping you might be able to help me find out.”

“How could I help, Milord?” she asked in confusion.

“It is your village. Perhaps you know who bears him the most ill will, and who would have been able to obtain such a deadly poison.” He stood perfectly still, his temper easing a bit under her gentle touch.

She looked away, thinking carefully of how she would answer.

He lifted her chin with his finger and saw the indecision in her eyes. With no conscious thought to do so, he bent down and took her half-parted lips with his own, savoring the sweet, soft feel of them as they melted against his.

He felt her lean in toward him, allowing their kiss to deepen and their tongues to dance delicately together. Her hands moved up through the hair on the back of his neck and he encircled her in his arms.

Regan relished the feel of his hard body against hers, his gentle lips drawing a helpless response from her as his hands roamed freely over her body. Regan had dreamed of this moment for so long, and the exquisite agony of it was even more breathtaking than she had imagined or remembered.

Hearing her moan softly against his lips sent a rush of passion through Calder and his body began to shake with restrained desire. He finally pulled back, reluctant to release her, but knowing that the intensity of their kisses were causing a persistent need deep inside of him. A need that would require fulfillment, regardless of the consequences, if they did not stop now.

She trembled in his arms as he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes, half-lidded with passion, sparkling like green gems in her porcelain face.

Calder trailed a finger down her flushed cheek and circled her lips, gave her one more peck on the lips and stepped back. Both of them were so caught up in the other that neither sensed Edgar watching them from behind a tree in the distance.

Calder's voice was unsteady when he spoke. “Your lips taste even sweeter than I remembered.”

She lowered her eyes in embarrassment, not knowing how to respond.

“You grow lovelier each time that I lay eyes on you. I fear, I cannot keep my hands off of you when you are near, Regan.”

“I fear I have the same problem when I am around you,” she replied, blushing furiously.

“I'm happy to hear that,” he responded smugly, taking her hand in his as they continued walking down the trail. He enjoyed the nearness of her, while at the same time had to fight to calm the fire raging within himself.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and get back to the subject at hand. "I need your help to find out who is responsible for what happened to my brother."

“Milord, I must tell you that few people in the village even speak to me anymore. They would never trust me with any information that would help you.” Her voice was strong and sincere as she began but wavered a little as she continued. “And even though they do not want Radolf and I as a part of their community, I do not know if I would have it in my heart to betray one of them. They are my people and I have lived amongst them my entire life. I don't know if could do it.”

“I understand your loyalty, Regan, and I admire it, particularly after how poorly they treat you. But, if I do not learn who was responsible, they may try to do harm to me or my men. I cannot allow that.”

Sighing heavily, Calder continued. “I will not jeopardize your relationship with the rest of the village any more than I already have.”

He looked down at her with a mixture of understanding and disappointment. “I will find the person responsible on my own.”

She was ashamed that she had refused to help him but was more afraid of what would happen to her, and to Radolf, if people should find out she had betrayed one of them to the Normans.