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“I wonder what will become of him?” She watched him till he disappeared out the door.
“Hard to say. Once he would have been wealthy. Now…” Ral shrugged his massive shoulders. “Who knows? Mayhap one day his luck will change.”
Caryn thought of the ragged man who had first been brought to Braxston Keep, of the hard times he must have suffered. It reminded her of the difficult times that lay ahead, of the Ferret and the land they so desperately needed, of the cattle that had died and the winter they must face in the months to come.
She thought of Ral and her uncertain future. Of her love for him that stubbornly continued to grow, of the love from him she so desperately wanted. Gareth’s wasn’t the only luck she hoped would change.
Chapter Twenty-one
Ral rode over the drawbridge, the sorrel’s hoofbeats rattling on the rough heavy timbers, the guard stepping out of the way as he passed. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled and clouds cast a dismal pall to the already darkening horizon.
Ral barely noticed, his mind instead on the information he had just received. He was returning from the village, from a meeting arranged by Tosig with a man from a neighboring hamlet farther north, a man well-paid to discover the location of the Ferret.
Ral smiled grimly, even a little bit cynically.Coin enough, by Christ, and a man’s own mother would betray him.Or at least so it seemed. In this case, it was the Ferret’s wench from an alehouse in Camden, a comely piece who would slit a man’s throat for the coin in his purse.
The Ferret had taken her into his camp, entrusting her with the secret of his whereabouts, and now he would pay the price. The outlaw would be surprised by the woman’s betrayal, but Ral was not. He had seen it too many times.
He rode straight into the stable yard, calling for Aubrey, his squire, to see to his horse, which nickered softly and switched its long red tail. The youth appeared from the back of the barn, but so did Caryn, slippingquietly out from behind a pile of straw, the little spotted fawn trailing silently behind her.
“I am glad you are returned, my lord. I had begun to worry.” She looked slightly disheveled, her heavy braid stuck with stems of straw, wisps of dark auburn hair curling softly against her cheeks.
Despite his earlier musings on the nature of women, he found himself smiling as he swung down from the saddle and moved toward her. This wasn’t the wench from the tavern. This woman was his wife, and his heart had expanded at the sight of her.
“It pleases me to know that you are concerned,” he said, “but I am fine.”
“And your meeting… it was successful?”
“Aye, ’twas more than I had hoped for.”
Footsteps carried through the open stable door as Odo walked in, his expression anxious yet hopeful. “I heard you were returned. News of the Ferret?”
Ral glanced at Caryn, fighting a moment of hesitation. Sweet Christ, she had pledged him her loyalty, the same as Odo had. She cared for him, mayhap even loved him. He had vowed to trust her—against his instincts, against his bitter experience—now he meant to see it done.
“Aye. He camps in the hills near the crossroads at Tevonshire Pass. Some forty men or more. Tonight we make ready. We will move out at dawn.”
Odo’s freckled face split into a grin. “At last we take the wily bastard. You get your land and the Ferret pays for his sins with the loss of his head.”
“Aye, and high time it is.” Ral reached for Caryn, slid an arm around her waist, and felt her tremble.
“You are cold. You should not be out without your cloak.”
“I am not cold; I am frightened. The Ferret is a bloodthirsty killer. I worry for your safety, husband.”
Ral smiled, a thread of warmth gliding through him ather words. “Have you so little faith in my skills as a warrior?”
“You know that is not the way I feel. There is no finer, braver knight in all of England.”
Ral arched a brow, more pleased by her praise than he should have been. “Then you must trust me to dispense with the Ferret and return safely home.”
She still looked unsure, her fine dark-auburn brows drawn together in a frown. “I will try, my lord.”
Ral tipped her chin up, bent and settled his mouth over hers. Her lips felt incredibly soft, and her breath tasted sweet and womanly. She smelled of soap mingled with the earthy scent of straw. Hearing Odo walk away, he deepened the kiss, then groaned as the blood surged hotly into his groin. He felt like pulling her down on the thick pile of hay, like lifting her skirt and driving himself inside her.
Instead he pulled away. “I am glad that you care, my love.” He smiled, his voice a little husky. “I will be busy for the next few hours, but afterward, mayhap you could show me just how much.”
The bloom in his pretty wife’s cheeks grew a deeper shade of pink. “Aye, my lord, ’twould be my greatest pleasure.” With a last warm kiss, she left him and made her way back toward the hall.
Along with Lambert, Hugh, and Odo, Ral worked to ready his men and equipment. He had been preparing for this moment for weeks, gathering the needed supplies, checking and rechecking their weapons, yet the task continued late into the eve.
