Autumn's Touch (Seasons of Fortitude Series Book 3) Page 9

  He saw fear as well as desire in her gaze next. He had never wanted a woman as desperately as he wanted her right now. The aching in his loins was not from his illness. It was from desiring a lady that he didn’t deserve, and there was no doubt in his mind he would never have.

  “I think my session is finished here, Lord Ravenscar.” She closed up the jar and wiped her hands on a rag,. Then she handed him the remains of the potion still left in the decanter. “Drink this later. It’ll help to expel any poisons that you may have accidentally ingested. It will also help to numb the pain.”

  He took the decanter of wine from her, his hand brushing against hers in the process. His fever was back, he was sure of it. Because now he felt hotter than the fires of hell and like the devil for the thoughts invading his head where Lady Autumn was concerned.

  He watched as she quickly packed up her things. She slipped the bag of healing ointments over her shoulder and the basket of herbs over her arm. Then she glanced back over her shoulder. Her eyes flashed down to his waist before she lifted her gaze to his face.

  “Where are you going?” he asked. “You need to stay here and heal me.”

  Her lips turned up into a slight smile and she shook her head. “Lord Ravenscar, I can cure what’s ailing your body with my potions, but I’m afraid I’ll never cure what else is ailing you. So don’t even let that idea entertain your mind.” With that, she left the room and closed the door.

  “Too late,” Benedict mumbled, flopping over on the bed and burying his head in the pillow, trying to ignore his body’s craving for sex. “It’s too late for that, my little fae,” he said. “And it is all your fault!”

  Chapter 10

  Autumn made her way back to the tower, running right past the guard and climbing the tower stairs with Sir Oxley following on her heels. She made it to the top with her basket of herbs and healing potions over her arm. Having felt the flush of her face, it was crucial she get away from Lord Ravenscar as fast as possible. She pushed at the door, trying to open it, forgetting that Nairnie was locked inside.

  “Hurry up,” she called to Sir Oxley who just grunted as he reached out with the key and opened the door. She rushed inside and slammed the door behind her. The sound of the key turning in the lock was heard, making her a prisoner, once again. She didn’t care at the moment since it kept her locked away from the randy Lord Ravenscar.

  “Lady Autumn!” Nairnie was looking out the window and rushed over to greet her. “What’s the matter? Did Benedict hurt ye?”

  Autumn placed the basket and bag of herbal potions on the table. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Mayhap, because yer face is flushed and ye ran into the room as if ye had the hounds of hell on yer heels.”

  “Nay,” she said, heading over to the window to get some air. Her body was burning up with desire and it frightened her. “Lord Ravenscar didn’t hurt me.”

  Looking out the window, she saw Nelek struggling with a half-dozen dogs on leads as he made his way over the drawbridge and back into the castle. The rest of the pack nipped at his heels and ran in circles barking and chasing each other. The kennelgroom rushed out to help him.

  “I ken that look, lassie. Somethin’ happened between ye two. What was it?”

  “Nothing happened, Nairnie,” she said, hoping her heart would stop racing soon. “That is, nothing but me doing what was expected of a healer.”

  “Well, at least ye had the potions I brought, so his healin’ will go faster. With the scant amount of herbs ye collected from the kitchen, his healin’ would take forever.”

  “He’ll be healed by the morning,” she said, walking across the room toward the hearth.

  “How can ye say that? He has hives and lots of them.”

  “I used my gift – my healing touch to speed up the process.” She held out her hands and watched as they shook. She wasn’t sure if it was from the healing or from the thought she was in the room alone with a very aroused, naked man. “I felt my hands tingling so I know it was working. He’ll be healed by tomorrow and then you’ll be set free and can leave this godforsaken place.”

  “I’m no’ leavin’ ye here, lass, so dinna even think I’ll go without ye.”

  She spun around to face the old woman. “You have to, Nairnie. Save yourself. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Why would ye say such a thing? Surely ye dinna want to stay here with him?”

  “Nay, of course not.” Her eyes dropped to the ground. “But I know a way I can escape.” She walked over and pulled open the trap door. “Look at this. I’m not sure where it leads, but after you’ve left and I’m sure you’re safe, I’ll escape through here.” She peered into the dark hole, but couldn’t see anything but the top of a ladder.

  Nairnie hurried over and looked down into the hole as well. “How did ye ken this was here?”

  “Last night a few of the children I’ve seen around the castle were coming up to the tower. I scared them and they ran back down the way they came. I haven’t had time to figure out where it leads yet.”

  “Benedict put ye in a tower with an escape access in it?” Nairnie sounded suspicious.

  “I’m sure he doesn’t know about it or he wouldn’t have done it.” Autumn closed up the trap door and brushed off her hands.

  Nairnie cackled and waddled over to sit in the chair.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Autumn.

  “Ye are naïve if ye think Benedict doesna ken about that trap door.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Autumn plopped down atop the pallet, feeling drained of energy just like the last time she used her healing touch to help Ravenscar.

  “Benedict grew up in this castle, Autumn. He was a child here and a curious one at that! If other children ken about it, then ye can be assured it’s no’ a secret from him, either.”

  “Tell me what you know about Lord Ravenscar - this man you call Benedict.”

  “I ken he isna the infamous Lord Ravenscar that ye think he is. That man was a mean, horrible man who raided the Scots whenever he could. I ken since I was there to clean up the battlefield years ago after one of his skirmishes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I used to follow after battles. I helped save lives and healed those I could. No matter if they were English or Scots.”

  “I didn’t know that, Nairnie. You’ve been so secretive about your past.”

  “It’s no’ that I was secretive – I just chose to forget about the people who hurt me.”

  “Like . . . Benedict?” she asked, using the beast’s Christian name. It almost sounded sacrilegious to say it aloud.

  “Benedict’s faither was once Ravenscar’s captain of the guard.”

  “He was? Where is he now?”

  “Dead. So is his mathair and siblings. Benedict was an orphan of war. He was injured and left to die on the battlefield.”

  “The scar,” she said, understanding now how he’d gotten it.

  “I found him nearly drained of life, his little eight-year-old body lyin’ over the body of his dead faither.”

  “Oh, how sad.”

  “I kent Ravenscar and his men had left. He killed a lot of Scots that day as well. He was such an ogre that he didn’t even stop to pick up the dead bodies of his men. He only cared about himself.”

  “So, you took Benedict?”

  “I saved the laddie’s life, even though my clan wanted me to let him die. I had to leave and survive on my own to raise Benedict. It was just the two of us for four years.”

  “Then what happened?” she asked, curious to know all she could about Benedict.

  “We argued one day. He told me he didna need me and that he wished I had never saved him from that battlefield. I found out that day how much he hated the Scots. He threatened to leave, but he’d done it before and I didna think he would run away. He had nowhere to go. He was an orphan.”

  “So . . . he left you then?”

  “He did. I went to the market at a neighborin’
town one day to trade some of my herbal potions for food. When I’d returned to our cottage – he was gone.”

  “I’m so sorry, Nairnie.”

  “No’ as sorry as I was. I gave up so much to raise him.”

  “What did you give up?”

  “I dinna wish to speak of this anymore, lassie. I’m old and tired and need to get some shut eye.” She closed her eyes and went to sleep. Autumn lay down on the pallet, feeling her heart break for both Nairnie and Benedict, too. How awful it must have been to be an orphan. Or to give up everything and then lose the child you saved.

  She looked over to the trap door and decided she couldn’t leave Nairnie behind. If Nairnie refused to leave the castle, then Autumn would stay as well. Autumn also worried about Lester. He was in the dungeon and she had no idea what they were doing to him.

  Feeling helpless, she realized she needed to do something about changing their situation. She couldn’t just sit there and wait to see what happened.

  She got up and took the lit candle off the table and then headed over to the trap door and pulled it open. It was dark down there and there was no telling where it led. The children hadn’t come back, but they must have gone somewhere. She needed to find out where this led and who the children were that always seemed to be lurking in the shadows like ghosts.

  Looking back to Nairnie, she figured the woman would be sleeping for a while. She could explore the tunnel and be back before she awoke, or before Nelek came to bring them their meal.

  Lifting the hem of her skirt, she carefully stepped onto the rung of the ladder. With the candle in one hand, she took a step down and then pulled the door closed in case someone came to the tower. If this was a secret tunnel and Ravenscar didn’t know about it, then she didn’t want him to find out.

  The ladder was attached to the stone and it was a long way down. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and her mouth felt so dry she could barely swallow. Excitement mingled with fear but gave her the courage she needed to continue. It seemed to go on forever. And just when she was about ready to go back up the ladder and forget about this altogether, she heard muffled voices echoing off the walls.

  “I hear somethin’,” said a voice.

  “Nay, ye didna,” came another voice.

  “He’s no’ lyin’. I heard somethin’, too.” This time it sounded like a girl.

  Autumn got to the bottom of the ladder only to discover it led nowhere! There was only enough room to stand. The only way out seemed to be back up the way she’d come. Then she heard the sliding of stone and turned around, holding the candle lower, seeing a rock moving aside. A head poked out and she recognized the boy with the red hair that she’d seen in the tower last night.

  “It’s that girl,” he said, retreating. The stone started to slide back into place.

  “Wait!” she cried. “I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Lady Autumn. Who are you?” She kneeled down and peeked into the hidden room. The stone stopped and then slid back open. The boy’s head popped out again.

  “Are ye sure ye’re no’ goin’ to hurt us?”

  “I promise.”

  He mumbled something to the others and then gave her a shake of the head. “Follow me.”

  Autumn got down on her hands and knees, careful not to let the candle go out. She crawled through the hole and, to her surprise, it opened up into the undercroft of the castle. Standing up with the burning candle balanced in one hand, with her other hand she brushed off her gown. In front of her stood three young, bedraggled boys that included the two she’d seen in the alcove the day she arrived. Behind them stood two girls that looked to be older than the boys. They were ragged and dirty. They protectively rested their hands on two of the boys’ shoulders.

  “What are you doing down here?” She held the candle higher and walked forward into the undercroft room. It was high enough that a grown man could walk through without bending over. There were barrels and boxes stacked up against the walls. In the corner was a pile of dirty, crumpled clothes that looked as if they were being used as a bed. Stairs led up out of the undercroft with several jarred candles burning to light the way. It was cool down there and a shiver wracked her body. It was dark and eerie and no place for children.

  “This is where we sleep,” said the smallest boy, wiping his runny nose on the torn sleeve of his tunic.

  “You sleep down here? All of you?” she asked.

  “We’re orphans of war,” said the tallest girl. “My name is Iona.”

  “How old are you?” asked Autumn.

  “Iona is twelve and I’m ten,” said the other girl. They both looked to have blond hair but it was so dirty that it could be brown, she wasn’t sure. “I’m Ishbel. We’re sisters.”

  “I’m Rab,” said the smallest child. “I’m five.”

  “And I’m Enar,” said the boy with the dark hair. “I’m eight and he is nine.” He nodded to the redhead who was staying silent.

  “And what is your name?” she asked.

  “He’s Torkel,” said Rab, not waiting for the boy to answer.

  “Ye fool,” said Torkel, pushing Rab. The little boy fell against Ishbel. “Ye’re all fools. We shouldna tell her a thing. She’s a stinkin’ Sassenach and we canna trust her.”

  “Ah, I see.” Autumn walked over and sat down on the stairs, putting the candle next to her. She figured if she were at their level she wouldn’t seem so threatening. “So you’re all Scottish?”

  “We are,” said Iona. “Our families were all killed by the English, but we survived.”

  “They took everythin’ and then burned our homes,” said Enar.

  “They even killed women,” said Torkel. “They killed my mother!”

  “Nay!” She stood, too shocked by what she heard to believe that such a thing could have happened. “That is awful.”

  “Then they brought us here as servants,” spat Torkel.

  “Were you trying to escape when you came into the tower the other night?” asked Autumn.

  “Nay. We sleep up there because it’s warmer,” said Iona.

  “We’re supposed to sleep down here,” Enar told them. “But Ravenscar wouldna even give us blankets. We had to steal some of the guards’ clothes from the washwomen so we could make a bed on the floor.”

  “I can’t believe this,” she said. “What about food? Does he starve you, too?”

  “We work in the kitchen,” said Ishbel. “We are lucky enough to eat the scraps left over from the meals.”

  “We also steal apples and dried figs from the barrels in the undercroft,” Enar told her.

  “I’m going to help you,” said Autumn.

  “What are ye doin’ here?” asked Iona. “We dinna usually see anyone come to the castle that doesna already live here. Especially no’ a noblewoman.”

  “Do ye live here now?” asked Rab.

  “Oh, I don’t live here,” she told him. “I am a healer from Mablethorpe. The ship I was on docked here in the storm.”

  “And ye came to the castle?” asked Torkel. “Are ye daft?”

  “I didn’t come to the castle of my own choice. I was . . . kidnapped.”

  “So ye’re a prisoner, too,” said Ishbel, with sadness showing in her blue eyes.

  “I – I guess I am,” she said. Little Rab shot forward, throwing his arms around her waist and burying his face in her skirts as he hugged her like he never wanted to let her go.

  “Save us,” he begged her.

  “I will,” she promised. “I’m going to get all of us out of here soon.”

  “They watch us constantly! The dogs are trained to fetch us if we go too far,” said Enar.

  “No one escapes the claws of Ravenscar,” Torkel told her. The anger in the boy was evident and she couldn’t say she blamed him.

  “Lady Autumn,” she heard Nairnie’s voice calling from the top of the escape tunnel. “Lady Autumn are ye down there?”

  “Who’s that?” asked Ishbel with wide eyes.

  “Do
n’t be frightened,” Autumn told them. “That’s Nairnie. She’s a Scot like all of you.”

  “Oh, so she’s a prisoner then, too,” said Torkel.

  “Yes, I guess she is. I need to go now, but I will look for you in the kitchen tomorrow. I will tell you when I have a plan to get us all out of here.”

  “The boys work in the mews and the kennel durin’ the day,” said Iona.

  “And cleanin’ out the gongpit,” mumbled Rab against her skirts.

  “You had to do that?” she asked in shock. How could anyone be so cruel to innocent children?

  “Torkel was put in the stocks,” added Enar.

  “Nay!” Horror-stricken, Autumn now knew that Benedict was more of a beast than she realized. How could she have thought he was handsome? She would say extra prayers tonight to be forgiven for the lustful thoughts she had about him when she rubbed down his naked body with the healing balm.

  “Lady Autumn. Dinna make me come after ye because I’ll break my fool neck if I try to climb down that ladder,” called out Nairnie.

  “Come up to the tower tonight when you’re sure everyone has gone to sleep,” Autumn told the children. “You can share the pallet and use the pillow and blanket. I’ll make sure to get more, and, hopefully, by tomorrow you will all have a bed of your own.”

  “Thank ye, Lady Autumn,” said Ishbel, reaching out and hugging her, too. Then, before she knew it, all the children were hugging her at once. That is, all but Torkel who just crossed his arms over his chest and kept his face void of any expression at all.

  She headed back up the ladder, her heart breaking for these orphans of war. Benedict was a horrible beast and, tomorrow, she would tell him so to his face!

  Chapter 11

  “Fast, everyone down through the tunnel,” whispered Autumn the next morning, hearing voices out in the corridor. She hurried the children to the trap door, opening it, sending the girls down first.

  “There’s no time,” said Nairnie. The sound of a key was heard turning in the lock.