Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,75
hear William’s sarcasm. “Aye, ‘twas spread out inside the cart. I thought I saw shadows in it but told myself ‘twas only the gloom caused by rumples in the blanket and nightfall.”
William released him, calmer solutions taking shape. “Were they long shadows, long enough to be the height of a woman?”
He shook his head. “Nay, ‘twas why I paid them no mind.”
William would not give up. “He could have put her under the blanket, counting on the night to further disguise her as it did. She could have been folded closely into herself, unconscious or…”
“Dead,” Said Bryce.
William ignored him but turned to his friends. “He has no family, and it would not be below Ferdinand to have hired Robert to take her. She still lives.”
Nicholas, always optimistic, was the first to mention the flaw. “How would Ferdinand have contacted him? Someone would have noticed messengers coming from Ferdinand’s castle.”
“And even Robert must know that it would take days to get there. He would be surely be caught. Why the risk?” Asked Hugh.
William shook his head, seeing what they did not. “Ferdinand is staying at Marianne’s old home. ‘Tis just under a day’s ride from here. And if Robert thought he had killed James he would have known I would have searched the entire castle for her before moving elsewhere. That would give him more than enough time to reach his destination and collect his reward.”
Even as he babbled his beliefs, he was moving around his men, towards the stables where Benedict awaited. He would not waste time having new shoes put on the horse for the ride, and William called orders to have every man suited up.
“We have already wasted hours! We must be off immediately.” He did not need to tell Archer to have his horse ready as the man already ran ahead to see it done.
“I will go with you.” Hugh said, catching up and striding alongside him. Nicholas and Bryce caught up as well. Shockingly, even Blaise.
“If ye say she lives, then we will fight with ye until we see otherwise,” said Bryce.
“She lives.” ‘Twas Blaise who spoke, a grudging respect in his voice. “My hot-headed step-mother would never allow herself to be killed by a serf.”
William allowed himself a moment to be warmed by their words before returning to the task at hand.
Then he realized it had been years since he’d fought a battle, and not all of his weapons would be in good condition.
“I want every spare man and squire armed and on a horse. I doubt there will be enough weapons so the rusted ones from the armory will have to be used as well.”
“There are no rusted weapons.” Blaise said.
William stopped to look at him. “What happened to them?”
“The armory was one of the places Marianne visited while on her mission to better your castle. She made certain the men had no sleep until they sanded every last blade clean of rust.”
Love swelling in his chest, William set off for his wife.
***
William and every man available to him shot out of the stables. They rode hard until needing to slow their pace for the sake of the horses.
Hours passed, the snow fell in heavy clumps and covered the frozen earth. It prevented any chance of searching for tracks to confirm if Robert was even going where William thought he was.
“Milord,” Said Hugh. “I do not think they came this way.”
“Even before the snow there were no cart trails or horse tracks.” Blaise said unhelpfully, still gazing down at the ground as though searching for tracks through the white.
William continued to ride, his pace at an even trot so Benedict might catch his breath for the next burst of speed. He inwardly promised the horse plenty of rest, water, oats, and even a mare as long as he brought him to where William needed to go.
William had to agree with them, but could not bring himself to believe that Robert was not taking Marianne to Ferdinand. “Aye, Robert must have found another way to Ferdinand’s manor. He could not take the cart off the road and through the woods, nor would he abandon it. There must have been another way.”
“A shorter path?” Nicholas asked.
William nodded. “Which means there is even less time than we all thought.”
With that he kicked Benedict into speed again.
***
When Marianne gazed upon the lonely walls of her home for the first time in two months, she did not feel as delighted to see it as she once thought she would.
The