No doubt there was a special corner of h.e.l.l reserved for fools like him.
Simon gave a bitter laugh. "You can count me in, too. I just have to go tell my wife what I"m about so that she doesn"t banish me from our bedroom for all eternity when she wakes and finds me gone." He indicated Julia and Bryce, who were sitting off in a corner in complete silence.
"You can leave them in her custody. As soon as the tourney ends, she was heading to Scotland anyway. We can rendezvous there."
Lochlan couldn"t believe Simon, Stryder, and Bracken were in this with him. Were they out of their skulls? They had as much to lose, if not more, than he did. "This is more than I can ask any of you to do."
"Nay," Simon said with a laugh, "we"ve all..." he paused before he continued, "well, I, for one, have certainly done far more foolish things for causes nowhere near this n.o.ble."
Stryder nodded. "Likewise."
Perhaps, but Lochlan was grateful to them more than he could ever express with something as meager as words. "My thanks."
After clapping him on the back, Simon left to speak to his wife while Lochlan stared at Stryder, whose eyes accused him of all manner of stupidity. The sad part was that he agreed completely.
What he planned was stupid.
And at the same time he couldn"t make himself let it go.
Catarina needed him and he couldn"t bear the thought of disappointing her.
"You know," Bracken said, "it never ceases to amaze me the things men will do for the love of a woman."
"I"m not in love with her."
Bracken scoffed. "Of course you"re not. Why else would you risk this?"
"I made a promise." But even he was beginning to doubt his conviction. The truth was Catarina meant a lot more to him than she should have.
"I think it"s romantic," Julia said dreamily. "It makes Lord Lochlan a true and decent hero." She leveled a meaningful glare at Bryce. "Would that all men were so n.o.ble."
Bryce groaned as if her words cut through him. "Careful, Lord Lochlan, I fear my sister may have set her sights on your hand."
Julia slapped playfully at her brother. "You"re such an unfeeling cad."
"And you"re a ninny."
"And the both of you are annoying," Bracken snapped. "For the love of G.o.d and all his saints, hie yourselves to Simon"s tent and pester his wife while we think without your mewling voices and petty arguments."
Both Julia and Bryce looked highly offended. For the first time, they locked arms in a unified front, lifted their chins haughtily in the air, and left the tent.
"Good job," Stryder said to Bracken. "Thought I was going to have to kill one or the other."
"Please don"t. For all their trying ways, they are the only thing I have left in this world that means anything to me. As much as they irritate me, I would truly miss them if they were gone."
Stryder laughed. "As an older brother, father, and husband myself, I completely understand."
Bracken let out an appreciative breath. ""Tis a wonder you haven"t thrown yourself from the nearest turret given that load."
"There are times..." Stryder turned his gaze to Lochlan. "Then again, it appears I am definitely a bit suicidal to join in on this crusade."
Lochlan joined his laughter. "Aye and when they lead me toward the gallows, remind me again that I did this for honor."
Bracken scoffed. "I still say you"re doing this for love, but every time I say it you dismiss me."
"And still do." But the more he denied it, the more he wondered if he wasn"t protesting too much.
His heart did soften at the thought of Catarina and with her absence there was an ache inside him that he didn"t even want to contemplate. It was as if a part of him were missing.
That was ridiculous. Catarina annoyed him to the core of his soul. She insulted him.
She"d bitten him.
Yet he considered her a friend. One he was willing to risk his life and his clan for.
Aye, there was something wrong with him, no doubt.
Cat tried to focus on what Lady Anabeth was saying as a small group of women sat sequestered in a sewing circle in the lady"s solar, but honestly she couldn"t. It was something to do with the trim of her gown or perhaps a gown someone else wore. The woman rattled on without pausing even to breathe. In all her life she"d never seen anything like it.
Mayhap she should have allowed Lochlan to be beaten after all...
But even as she thought that she knew better. What was a little boredom compared to what they would have done to him?
Still the lady droned on in her high, nasal tone about something garish.
Then again...
"Princess?"
She looked up at the young maid who was bowing before her. "Please rise, child."
The girl did, then handed her a small piece of paper. "I was bid by a gentleman to give this to you, Your Highness."
"Thank you."
The girl bowed again before she left the room.
"Is it a love note?" Lady Anabeth asked breathlessly, as all the women stared at her as if she held the grail.
Cat somehow doubted it. Who on earth would send her such? A hate note, she"d believe in an instant. But it did make her curious.
Opening it, she had to force her eyes not to bulge.
My dearest, Meet me at midnight out in the gardens and I shall make all your dreams come true.
Lochlan She had to read it three times more to make sure her mind wasn"t playing a trick on her. She couldn"t imagine Lochlan writing something like that.
It was so...
Poetic. Gentle. Tender.
So extremely unlike him. Perhaps it was his idea of a jest? He did have an odd sense of humor.
However, she understood the sentiment. If he was indeed planning to rescue her, she couldn"t be more grateful.
G.o.d bless the man. Then again, it was the least he could do given that she wouldn"t be in this predicament without him.
"What does it say?" Anabeth leaned forward, trying to read it.
Cat smiled as she folded it carefully, then tucked it between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s so that one of the nosey ladies wouldn"t find it. "It appears to be a lover"s note after all."
The women gave a collective gasp.
"Who?" the small blond beside her asked.
"A secret admirer."
Anabeth"s eyes bulged. "Really? Who do you think he could be?"
"I vote for Lord Stryder." Lucinda giggled from beside Anabeth. "He would make a most splendid lover."
"Shh," Anabeth said, placing her forefinger to her lips. "Lady Rowena would have your tongue if she ever heard that."
"Aye, but I envy her." Lucinda looked around. "And I know I"m not the only woman here who feels that way."
The entire group broke out into a round of wicked giggles.
Cat rose from her chair while the women speculated on the virtues of the knights who were competing and tried to guess who among them would have sent a note to her. Little did they know not a one of those men held her heart.
It seemed to beat only for a rigid man whose brogue was as thick as a Scotsman"s porridge. She ran her hand over the front of her gown so that she could feel his letter there. For the first time since she was led to her prison, she was relieved and when next she saw Lochlan, she would make sure he knew exactly how grateful she was for his kindness.
Hours seemed to have dragged on into infinity before Cat was able to head down to the great hall below to partake of supper. Of course Reginald insisted that she sit at his table up on the dais and away from the other n.o.bles. The only thing that made it bearable was the presence of Rowena.
Unfortunately, the countess sat on the other side of a rather rude, boisterous earl who kept sucking his wine through his teeth.
If I do have to marry the prince, please don"t let that be one of his habits.
Cat would slit her wrists before she condemned herself to another meal with such a man. The best she could do was lean forward and wave at Rowena.
Sighing, she leaned back in her chair as she watched the other n.o.bles at the lower tables eating while the musicians filled the room with soothing melody. Servants came and went as she picked at her food and swept the hall looking for a certain blond warrior.
He was nowhere to be seen and that saddened her.
Where are you, Lochlan?
Perhaps he was planning their escape even as she sat here. They would have to be careful since Oswald knew him and hated him.
Maybe Lochlan has forgotten me.
Now that was a foolish thought. He wouldn"t be so cruel as to send her his note, then not follow through.
The waiting, though, was even more torturous than the man sucking wine beside her. She could swear a full decade had pa.s.sed before the meal finished and the servants began clearing tables and moving them so that people could dance.
Cat left the area and headed down toward the crowd in search of Lochlan or Bracken.
"Would you care to dance, Highness?"
She looked over her shoulder to find a tall, handsome knight smiling at her. Around her own age, he had jolly blue eyes and dark brown hair. There was an air of charitable humor to him.
"Aye, my lord, thank you."
He inclined his head before he held his hand out to her. Taking his proffered hand, she followed him to the floor so that they could dance.
"Do you have a name, sir knight?" she asked, as they took up position with the other dancers.
"Frederick, Your Highness. Baron of Chantilier."
She"d never heard of that place. ""Tis an honor to dance with you, my lord."
"And with you, Highness."
She inclined her head to him before the dance began. They didn"t have an opportunity to speak too much more as they weaved between the others and pa.s.sed partners. Cat continued to search the crowd for Bracken or Lochlan.
But again, she was disappointed. Not even Simon was around. Where could they all be?
Lochlan froze as he entered the hall and saw the dancers on the floor. In truth, there was only one dancer who drew and captured his gaze immediately and she was the most graceful of all.
Every arc of her arm, every step of her foot was a symphony. Surely the woman had to be descended directly from a muse to possess that much talent. There was no other explanation.
And when he saw her smile at the stranger she was dancing with an unwarranted fury a.s.saulted him. Never in his life had he wanted to kill anyone as much as he wanted to kill that unnamed man.
Before he could think better of it, he was across the room and cutting in.
Cat looked up with a gasp as she finally saw the one person she"d been seeking.
"May I?"
Lord Frederick graciously backed away.
Cat couldn"t breathe as she saw the look of furious pain on Lochlan"s face. "Are you going to dance with me?" she asked, hoping to lighten his mood a trifle.
"If I must."
The reluctance in his tone was enough to make her merciful toward him. She took his hand and led him away from the other dancers.
Lochlan let out a relieved breath that she hadn"t forced him to dance. "Thank you for not embarra.s.sing me."
Her smile literally took his breath away. "It"s the least I can do for the man who intends to relieve me of my current predicament."