terribly vulnerable. Rolling quickly onto her back, she found Cecily looming over her, a cruel smile on her face.
"Do you know how many mornings I have fantasized about shoving your head into the basin of water I brought and drowning you?"
"It was not my fault you ended up at court," Murie yelped with frustration, scrambling backward on her behind.
"Mayhap not, but if you had died, I could have left," Cecily pointed out.
"Well then, why did you not kill me?" Murie snapped. " 'Tis funny you could not approach the king for William, but are now willing to kill for Baxley. Mayhap you never really wanted William at all, and it was easier just to allow the king to order you to court. Were you hoping for other options? Other men to woo you? Did that never happen and so you blame me for all your failures?"
"Bitch!" Cecily lunged at her, and Murie prepared to roll away at the last moment - but the last moment never came. A body came hurtling seemingly out of the air and crashed into the maid, taking her to the ground.
Confused, Murie sat up and peered around. Osgoode came running around the corner of a cottage. It was only then that Murie realized who the first body belonged to: her husband. Gasping with worry, she scrambled to her feet and turned to the couple on the ground. She saw Balan getting to his feet and dragging Cecily up with him. It wasn't until they were both standing and he dragged her around that they all saw the knife she'd been holding was protruding from her chest. She'd fallen on the weapon when Balan tackled her. He released her arm and took a step back, apparently as shocked by her injury as anyone. Cecily scowled at the three of them and staggered back a step. She then peered down at her chest with curiosity, noticed the knife there. A small laugh slipped from her lips. Shaking her head, she backed up another step and then collapsed with a little sigh.
A moment passed, and Balan moved to her side. He turned her face his way, lifted her eyelids, then lowered his head so that his ear was over her mouth and nose. After a moment, he straightened and got to his feet.
"Is she . .. ?" Osgoode asked.
Before Balan could answer, Murie said, "Aye."
"How did you know, wife?" Balan asked with a frown.
"I heard the cuckoo call in the woods. It means someone will die," she said simply. Then she turned to walk away. She was feeling a bit shaky and uncertain about her feelings regarding her maid's death. Part of her was sorry. The woman had been with her for ten years, after all. The other part was relieved. At least now she could stop worrying for her husband's well-being. Murie had only taken a few steps when Balan swept her into his arms.
"I love you, Murie," he whispered, holding her as if he would never let her go.
"I love you too, Balan," she whispered, and laid her head on his shoulder. That was really all there was to say.
Chapter Nineteen
"How is Murie?" Osgoode asked quietly.
"She will be fine." Balan joined his cousin at the trestle table and accepted the ale pushed his way. He'd brought his wife straight back to the keep, where she'd told them all that Cecily had said. It sounded to him as if the poor creature wasn't right in the head. He'd voiced that opinion and then spent time soothing his wife in their chamber before putting her to bed and holding her until she fell asleep.
"She is weary and shocked by the events of this day, but she will recover," he added. "She is very resilient."
"Aye, she certainly is that," Osgoode agreed with amusement. His eyes found something over Balan's shoulder that made Balan turn to glance toward the stairs: his wife, rushing down from the upper floor.
Pushing his drink away with exasperation, Balan waited for her to approach him so that he could give her hell for being up and about, but she didn't. Murie hardly seemed to notice his presence and hurried across the great hall to the keep doors.
"Where is she going?" Osgoode asked.
Shaking his head with bewilderment, Balan stood to follow her. He stepped out of the keep, opened his mouth to call out to his wife, who was tripping lightly down the stairs, then paused as he noted the traveling party riding through the