Knight's Ransom by Suzanne Barclay

Author:Suzanne Barclay [Suzanne Barclay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459275454
Publisher: Harlequin

Chapter Ten

Cat stood in the entrance to the cave, watching the misty valley far below. Fog rose like smoke from the river that snaked its way through the trees. Dawn’s golden fingers crept in, banishing the darkness from the land if not from her spirit. She and the jongleurs had found warmth and safety in the hermit’s cave, but of the others, there had been no sign.

Oh, Gervase. Where are you? She bent her head against the pain of losing him. A few lingering raindrops dripped from the overhang and splashed into the puddles at her feet. Last night they had mingled with tears that even now were close to the surface. At the sound of footsteps, she turned to find the good Brother Bartholome at her elbow with a cup of warm wine.

“‘Tis locally grown, but quite fine.”

“It could be vinegar and I’d not notice.” Cat tried to smile, knew by his frown she had failed. “Thank you for your kindness.” She drank deep, surprised to feel the heat of the wine ignite in her veins, steadying her limbs. “What is in this?”

“Herbs.”

“What kind? Do they grow nearby?”

No reply. Typical. The priest was as sparing with his words as he’d been generous with his possessions, sharing his limited food stores and limitless healing skills with them. Still silent, he rubbed a gnarled hand over his face, then glared down the rocky slope at the trees ranged far below them like fat, black mushrooms. “No carrion birds. A good sign.”

Cat shivered, recalling the vultures at the farms. “Does that mean no one is dead?” It seemed impossible.

In the harsh wash of daylight, Brother Bartholome looked more frail than he had last night by firelight, his skin stretched parchment thin over prominent bones. But she’d watched him work tirelessly to reset Bevis’s leg, tend their other smaller hurts and milk his own goat for Jolie.

“Mayhap buried.”

“What? Oh, the…” Cat stumbled and couldn’t go on. “I…I think I would know if he was…gone.”

“He who rescued you.”

“Rescued?” Belatedly she recalled her story. “Aye. Sir Gervase, the knight who rescued me from the outlaws.”

“Hmm.” His pale eyes regarded her shrewdly. Too shrewdly. “I sense you are confused, daughter.”

Cat sighed. “Aye.” She leaned back against the solid wall of the cave, scarcely feeling the chill for the ice inside her. Suddenly the burden of her plight seemed too great to bear alone. “He kidnapped me…for ransom, but…Oh, Brother Bartholome, how do I explain what I do not understand myself?”

“You love him.”

“Aye.” Cat straightened, fists clenched at her sides. “But I should not. He stole me from my family to get money from my father, and he brought me to…to this.”

“Do you insult my abode?” He smiled wryly.

The unexpected humor startled a chuckle from Cat. “Your cave is the nicest I’ve ever visited, and I do thank you for your hospitality, and the care of my friends. Nay, ‘tis just…”

“Hmm.” He glanced down the mountain.

“He can never love me. He blames my sire for the deaths of his wife and child and the destruction of his home.

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