The Brat Page 0,61

smile right off his face. It had been a long and horrible journey. The only good thing about it was that it had been just one horribly long day in length. They had set out at sunrise - just Osgoode and Balan; and Murie and Cecily in the wagon; and of course the wagon driver, who would be making the return journey with an escort of two soldiers on the morrow after resting at Gaynor for the night.

Balan and Osgoode had not bothered with men-at-arms for their journey to court. Her husband had explained that all the men he'd brought back from battle had been needed to help keep Gaynor running now that so many servants had fled or died; he hadn't wished to take them away when they were so badly needed at home. Besides, while he'd gone to court hoping to gain a bride, he'd not expected success to be so quick.

Without men to help guard their party, Balan had insisted on a grueling pace, not stopping to eat but eating in the saddle - or in the back of the wagon as was the case for Murie. However, food was not the only reason to stop. Murie had been suffering with a full bladder for much of the last two hours - not an easy thing when one was being jostled. Now she feared she might not make it to the castle without embarrassing herself.

As she was annoyed with her husband, Murie was reluctant to ask for anything, but she had no choice. Heaving a put-upon sigh, she called out and gestured him over to the side of the wagon. Peeling his mount away from Osgoode's, Balan immediately moved to her side, keeping pace with the wagon as he raised an eyebrow in question.

"I need to visit the woods," she announced.

"What?" he asked with disbelief.

"I need to visit the woods," Murie repeated through slightly gritted teeth.

"Why?" He frowned.

"To ... I... To visit the woods," she said lamely, blushing bright red. She could not believe he could not grasp the concept. For heaven's sake, surely he must need to relieve himself by now, too!

"I believe she needs to tend to privy business," Osgoode said helpfully, having moved to ride beside Balan.

"Oh!" Balan's eyes widened with understanding, he asked in mild irritation, "Well, why did you not just say so?"

"I did," she muttered.

Her husband urged his horse up beside the driver to tell him to stop, and Murie was out of the wagon almost before it did. She immediately forced her stiff legs to carry her into the woods along side the path, not bothering to wait for accompaniment. She did not care if it annoyed her husband that she was traipsing off by herself; she had to go and had to do so now, and she was annoyed with him anyway for making her ride in the cart. He could be annoyed back if he liked.

She carried out her business quickly and with much relief, then returned to the horses and wagon much more slowly than she'd left, uneager to climb into the uncomfortable contraption again. Oddly enough, it seemed a much longer walk back than it had been out.

"Murie!" Balan yelled.

Frowning, she paused and glanced back the way she'd come, wondering how her husband had got behind her.

"Murie!" Osgoode's voice called from the same direction, and she turned and started that way, frowning with concern at the anxiety in their voices.

"Aye!" she shouted, moving a little more quickly. She hadn't retraced far when Balan and Osgoode stepped out of the woods, relief on their faces.

"Were you lost?" Balan asked, looking her over as he approached.

"Nay, of course not. I was just coming back."

"You walked out a terribly long way and took so long we were worried," Osgoode explained. Balan was urging her back the way they'd come.

Murie bit her lip and realized she'd been heading away from the lane where the wagon waited. How had she got herself turned around like that? she wondered. The question flew from her mind, however, when the call of a cuckoo sang out nearby. Murie immediately threw herself to the ground and began to roll.

"Wife!" Balan was at once kneeling at her side, forcing her roll to an end. "Are you all right?"

"Of course," she said, sitting up. "But you really should not have stopped me."

"What were you doing?" he asked with bewilderment. Murie frowned. "Did you not hear the cuckoo? Nay, of course not, else you would have rolled on