AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But I never said I wouldn’t marry you,” she protested as he pulled himself up behind her and turned the horse.
“Neither did you say you would. I don’t have time for games, Sweetheart. I have an army to finish training and a job to do. I’ve already been too distracted by you. When we get back to camp, I think it is best if you take Ricker and leave.”
“Leave?” Maira’s heart skipped a beat. “But what about the rest of the training? Should I return early tomorrow? I want to help.”
“If you want to help, then stay at the castle and hide with the boy in the tunnels until after the attack.”
“Hide? I’m not going to hide. I’m going to fight alongside you just like you wanted.”
“I changed my mind. I don’t want you to fight in my army anymore.”
“Why not?” she asked, feeling rejected. “You know I can fight better than any of the villagers.”
“Nay, Maira,” he said, getting back to camp and dismounting quickly. “I made a mistake in asking you to fight, and even a bigger mistake in asking you to marry me. Go back to Durham Castle and marry the High Sheriff like your father and guardian want you to do. And when you’re a widow left alone to raise a child that isn’t even of your womb, don’t blame me for doing what I had to do.”
“What you had to do?” asked Maira, dismounting his horse by herself. “What does that mean? Are you talking about killing the High Sheriff?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I have decided I will kill the man no matter if you are married to him or not. So don’t even ask me to change my mind because I won’t.”
“Stop it, Jacob. You are acting like some sort of . . . assassin.”
“Aye, I suppose that’s what I’ll be once I carry my plan through. I’ll be a rebellious, excommunicated thief and assassin. I can see why you don’t want to marry me. Now go.”
He turned and stormed away, disappearing into his tent. Will walked up with Ricker in his arms. The boy clung to the wooden wolf Jacob had carved for him. He started crying, looking for Jacob.
“Shall I take the boy back to Jacob so he’ll stop crying?” asked Will.
“Nay,” she said, taking Ricker from him, glaring at the tent. “Let Jacob cry. He deserves it. No one can talk to me that way.”
“Jacob? Oh, no, I meant to stop the boy from crying,” said Will with a chuckle.
“I know what you said, and I meant what I said as well,” replied Maira, heading for her horse. “Jacob will cry when I’m married to the High Sheriff. And you can tell him that I’m going to reveal his plan as soon as Sir Gregory returns.” She mounted her horse and headed out of camp with the crying boy on her lap, feeling as if she were the one who was going to cry next.
Jacob pokedhis head out of the tent as Maira and the boy rode away through the woods.
“Roger,” he called to one of the village men who he knew he could rely on.
“Aye, my lord,” said Roger, hurrying to his side with a sword in his hand.
“Take Gerald with you and follow Lady Maira. Make certain she and the boy get back to the castle unharmed.”
“We’ll do that,” said Roger, hurrying away.
“Will, saddle my horse quickly,” Jacob said next.
“My lord?” asked Will in question. “Are we going somewhere this late in the day?”
“We’re not, but I am.” Jacob grabbed his cloak from the tent and continued to don it as he spoke. “I probably won’t be back until the morning, so I’m counting on you to handle things at camp.”
“You know you can count on me, my lord. But may I ask where you are going?”
“I’m going to Hartlepool.”
“Hartlepool? On the coast?” asked Will. “That’s a good two hour ride from here. Why are you going there?”
“Lady Maira said she was going to reveal our plan to Sir Gregory and I can’t let her do that.”
“So . . . shouldn’t you be going to Durham Castle instead of Hartlepool then?”
“Nay. My brother is in Hartlepool and, right now, he is the only one who can possibly help me out of this mess.”
“Oh, he’s going to fight with us.” Will nodded as if the idea pleased him. “We could always use another hand.”
“Nay, he’s going to marry Maira and me.” Just as Jacob was preparing to mount his horse, his eye caught on something shining in the sun. It was Maira’s sword, still lying on the rock where he had placed it before he took her to the knoll. His heart ached that she had rejected him, but this was no time to mourn his loss. The High Sheriff was returning to Durham tomorrow and there was no way in hell Jacob was going to let the bastard marry Maira. He knew Maira didn’t want Sir Gregory. The man was naught but a murderer and a thief. Jacob left her sword where it was and mounted his horse, realizing he would be naught but a murderer and a thief once he killed the High Sheriff and stole the castle. Then again, Jacob didn’t care.
He would bring his brother back with him. And once he convinced Maira that he was going to be a titled nobleman again someday soon, she would marry him without hesitation. If that didn’t work . . . he didn’t know what the hell he was going to do.
