Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

May, 1140 A.D.

C antia could feel Tevin's hand on her belly. Asleep or awake, his hands seemed to gravitate there, feeling the round firmness of her stomach and being rewarded on occasion with strong kicks. Even now, before dawn, they lay naked in each other's arms, burrowed beneath the covers on a cold May morning with his arms around her and his hand on her belly. Half-asleep, Cantia could feel the strong movements of the baby.

"He is very busy this morning," Tevin mumbled, his face against the side of her head. "How can you sleep through that?"

Cantia giggled. "I can sleep through it fine," she pretended to be irritated and rolled away from him. "It is your talking that keeps me awake."

Tevin's arms tightened when he realized she was trying to move away from him.

"Nay, lady," he muttered. "You'll not escape me."

Her laughter grew as he pulled her back against him, wedging himself between her legs as his hands stroked her belly and his lips nibbled sleepily on her ear. Eventually, he lifted her leg so that it was over his hip, his fingers seeking intimate places and listening to her groan softly with pleasure. When he withdrew his fingers and entered her from behind, very carefully, Cantia turned herself over to him completely.

This was a normal morning for them. Cantia would usually awake to Tevin making love to her. His powerful seed had taken root sometime back in the late fall, during that time when she was worried if she'd ever be able to conceive again. Their child was due in the summer and it was all Tevin could speak of. In his world, it was the most important thing that blinded his thoughts to all else.

The man had always been inordinately attentive and passionate, but with the event of the pregnancy, his attentiveness, concern and understand knew no bounds. He made it well known that there was no child ever born that had been more welcome, and Cantia was always made to feel that surely there was no woman more loved. He clearly adored her and she clearly adored him.

Even now as he filled her with proof of his desire, all Cantia could feel from him was his deep love and devotion to her. The fact that she was to give birth to his bastard didn't matter. To her, she was simply giving birth to the child of the man she loved and there was nothing more to it. No shame, no stigma. She had told Gillywiss once that she and Tevin were married in their hearts as much as any man and woman ever was, and it was the truth. She would give birth to this son, and then she would give birth to a dozen more just like him. The mighty Earl of East Anglia must have his legacy.

The physical changes had come over her fairly rapidly as her belly grew quickly. She felt fine most of the time except for occasional exhaustion, but her sexual appetite was enormous. Because of the way the child would sit in her belly, she experienced climaxes so powerful that Tevin had to put his hand over her mouth to keep her screams down and this morning was no exception. Cantia experienced a strong release that had her crying out in ecstasy. Tevin simply put his mouth over hers, kissing her passionately and trying to keep the noise down as he spent himself inside her. Never in his life had he known such desire or lust. It was beyond his wildest dreams.

"You," he admonished, his mouth still on hers, "must contain yourself, madam. One of these days your cries are going to raise the roof and I will have a good deal of explaining to do."

She grinned sleepily, satisfied, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you complaining, my lord?"

He grinned devilishly. "Never," he kissed her again. "But I fear you are drawing the concern of Arabel. Her chamber is right below ours, you know. I think she heard you once because she asked me what you were screaming about. You know how I am when she asks me questions like that."

Cantia laughed softly. "You become tongue-tied and embarrassed," she teased. "The only things that can stump the mighty Earl of East Anglia are personal questions from his fifteen-year-old daughter."

He made a face at her, kissed her one last time, and climbed out of bed. It was still dark in the room, as it was just before sunrise, so he lit a fat taper with a flint and stone purely so he could see where he was walking. The massive wardrobe over by the wall was his destination and he opened the doors to a neat and tidy network of possessions, long cleared of Brac Penden's remnants.

"I have a conference in Thurrock this evening with Lord Chafford," he said, turning to glance at her. "You remember him, do you not?"

Cantia was sitting up in bed. She made a face. "Of course," she said, reaching for her dressing robe on the end of the bed. "A fat man with foul breath."

Tevin grinned as he pulled forth leather breeches. "That may be," he said, pulling on his breeches, "but the man commands a strong force that has held Dartford Crossing for months. It would seem that Stephen has been in touch with the man and wants to meet with us both, evidently. Lord Chafford and I need to discuss strategy for that meeting."

"Am I coming with you?"

"I would prefer that you did not. His stronghold is north of the Dartford Bridge and I must cross it in order to reach him. I do not want you on that bridge right now, not with all of the fighting that has gone on around it over the past several months."

She didn't like that answer. "Why cannot Lord Chafford come to Rochester? Why must you go to him?"

"Because he invited me."

"You are the earl, Tevin. You do not bow to another's summons. Tell him you will meet him at Rochester."

It was not a request or suggestion. It was a command. He fought off a grin. Cantia had been quite the tyrant as of late, unusual for the normally sweet and accommodating lady. He found the fire of pregnancy quite humorous at times, but he also had a healthy respect for it. If he didn't defer to her wishes in all things, there was often hell to pay. The powerful Earl of East Anglia was controlled by a lovely slip of a woman and he didn't give a lick about it. He loved it.

"If that is your wish, sweetheart, then I will send him word and tell him to come here tonight."

"Good," she nodded her head decisively. "Let that be the end of it."

"You will have to entertain him and be a party to his foul breath all evening, then."

She made a face at him. "I would rather suffer through it than have you away from me, even for a night."

He just smiled at her as he pulled a heavy linen tunic from the wardrobe. Cantia was on her feet, pulling the robe over her head as she moved for a second robe that was heavy brocade lined with lamb's wool.

"Why would Stephen want to meet with you both?" she wanted to know.

Tevin pulled a tunic over his head followed by another one of heavier wool. "Because I control the south side of the Dartford Bridge along with all of the roads from Gillingham to Wellhall. Moreover, East Anglia is my stronghold and I have ten thousand men at my disposal. I am more important to Stephen than most."

She fell silent as she sat down on the bed to pull on her doeskin boots, very warm in the cold morning.

"Rochester is far from East Anglia," she said softly. "When do you plan to return to Thunderbey Castle?"

He glanced over his shoulder to reply, noticing she was having difficulty pulling on her shoes. Her belly was already quite large and got in the way of normal activities. He went over to her, taking the boot and gently slipping it on her foot.

"Not until this baby is born," he said. "Many things have been put on hold because of him."

Cantia watched him pull on her shoe. "Like our trip to Saxony to seek Louisa's father?"

"Like that."

"I told you that I was fine to travel in the beginning. We could have been there and back again in these past several months."

He looked her in the eye, somewhat sternly. "I am not going to travel with my pregnant lady. I told you that."

"So we must wait until your son is born before we do anything to that regard?" she asked, growing pouty. "Then you will not travel with an infant, and neither will I. He will be several years old before we will be able to travel to Saxony, but what if we have more children? We will never go and we will never receive our annulment because I will never be able to travel."

"I could always send a missive, as I have suggested."

"And chance that it would not be received? A thousand things could happen to a lone messenger. Nay, we must all go together to ensure our request is received and approved."

Tevin wasn't about to suggest he could go alone. It would not be well met, at least not at this time, so he did what he usually did when she grew upset– he shifted the subject in an effort to both distract and comfort her.

"I am sure there are many different possibilities we can speak of at another time," he said quietly. "But in speaking of Thunderbey, to reiterate my position on the subject, I do not want to force you to travel over miles of open road in your condition, so we will wait until the child is born before I will as much as entertain the thought of returning home. Why would you ask such a question?"

Attention successfully diverted for the moment, she shrugged as she handed him the other boot and he slipped that one on as well.

"Rochester is my home," she said simply. "Hunt was born here and this child shall be born here. Do you not like it here?"

He nodded. "I like it very much," he reached down and carefully pulled her to her feet. "But, as you said, it is far from East Anglia. At some point, I must return home to my castle and to my people. I do not want to be gone overlong from my lands."

Her brow furrowed and he could see the pout coming. "I suppose," she said, doing a bad job of hiding her unhappiness. "But I do not want to travel with a new baby and if you must return to Thunderbey at some point soon, I am afraid you will go without us. I do not want you to go without us."

He kissed her forehead, hugging her gently. "I will never go anywhere without you," he assured her softly. "I have told you that before. I will never leave your side, Cantia, not ever."

"Promise?"

"Of course I do."

He appeased her somewhat and was in the process of kissing her again when he heard sentry shouts coming from the bailey. Going to the window, he pulled back the oilcloth to reveal an enormous bailey below, alive with the glow of dozens of torches. As Tevin watched the activity, Cantia came up behind him. Together, they watched the commotion on the walls.

"I wonder what the activity is about?" Cantia asked. "What could be happening so early in the morning?"

Tevin had his arm around her shoulders. He watched the increasing commotion for a moment longer before kissing her on the temple and releasing her. Returning to the open wardrobe, he pulled on a pair of woolen socks before sliding into his heavy leather boots.

"I will find out," he said. "I want you to stay to the keep until I know what is going on."

"But I have a meal to supervise."

"You may not go outside for any reason, at least not until I know what has my soldiers so excited."

She sighed and sat down beside him, watching him tie off the last boot. He leaned over and swiftly kissed her before rising from the bed and heading to the door.

"I will return shortly," he said.

Cantia blew him a kiss as he left the room, shutting the door softly behind him. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, she ended up lying back down on the bed and quickly fell back asleep.

When she dreamt, it was of copper-haired babies and summer weddings.

*

Tevin could hardly believe what he was seeing.

He actually looked at Myles, who was standing next to him, as if to confirm that the man was seeing the same thing. Myles looked surprised as well, so Tevin knew they were both envisioning the same thing. In the darkness of the new dawn, a group of weary and ragged people stood at the gatehouse of Rochester. Men in disheveled clothing, old weaponry, and one very old ox cart comprised the group, and at the head of it was Gillywiss.

Tevin had the gate guards raise the portcullis. When it lifted midway, he walked underneath it with Myles, John and Simon behind him. Although John and Simon did not know who Gillywiss was, as they'd never met the man, they could see that the appearance had Tevin surprised. With weapons drawn, they stood behind the earl as he engaged the ragtag leader of the group.

"What are you doing here?" Tevin asked the man. "What is so important that has you traveling in the darkness?"

Gillywiss was astride an old bay stallion. He wearily slid off the beast, coming to stand before Tevin with his usual wild-eyed look and toothy smile. In spite of his exhaustion, he bowed gallantly.

"My lord earl," he said. "I have brought you something that will make you forever remember my name."

Tevin cocked an eyebrow at the bold boast. "What do you mean?"

Gillywiss cocked a finger at him and began to walk back into his group of haggard travelers. "Come with me, my fine earl," he said. "I want you to see what I have for you."

As Tevin hesitantly followed, Myles, John and Simon fell in behind him with their weapons at the ready. The dirty, ragged group of men that had accompanied Gillywiss gave them a wide berth, unwilling to provoke the heavily armed knights. When the entire group reached the ox cart that was in horrific condition, Gillywiss tossed back the dirty canvas that covered the majority of the straw-covered bed. Upon it, in the darkness, lay a body.

"There," Gillywiss said proudly. "I did what I said I would do.

Tevin's brow furrowed as he gazed at the rolled-up corpse. It was so dark that he couldn't see very well. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I found her."

"Who?"

"Your wife."

Tevin's eyes widened as he stared at the pile. "You cannot be serious."

"Serious indeed. See for yourself."

Expression full of disbelief, Tevin hesitated a moment longer before snapping his gloved fingers at Myles.

"Bring me a torch," he hissed. " Now ."

Myles bellowed orders and someone came on the run out of the gatehouse bearing a searing torch, casting warm yellow light into the dark of the dawn. Myles grabbed it from the man, holding it high as Tevin reached into the cart to make clear the contents. He tried to stop his hands from shaking as he rolled the figure onto its back and peeled back the layers of musty, varmint-ridden material. As he tried to get a clear view, Gillywiss stood on the opposite side of the cart, watching intently.

"I told Lady Cantia I would find this woman," he said confidently. "I have many family members living in Paris, in the catacombs, and they know the streets. They know the people there. So I asked them if they knew Louisa of Hesse. Do you know what they told me?"

Tevin wasn't looking at him even as he shook his head. But that was the only reply Gillywiss received, so he continued in his usual theatrical fashion.

"They told me they might know of her," he went on, "but there are thousands of people living in the streets of Paris with no names and no history. I spent months in Paris, following clues that would lead me to nowhere or to women who claimed to be the wife of a great English lord but they could not tell me what your daughter's name was. That is how I tested them. I asked them to name the child they had abandoned. No one could tell me, but this one could. And she wept when she spoke of her."

He was pointing in the cart and by this time, Tevin had pulled away enough of the material so he could look at the face. Heart pounding, he had Myles hold the torch close so he could see the pale features. And what he saw shocked him to the bone.

"My… God," he breathed.

Myles was crowded beside him, equally electrified by the very pivotal moment. "Is it her, Tevin?"

Tevin just stared, unwilling or unable to reply for a moment. He just stared. Finally, he tilted the dirty face upward so he could see it from another angle. Then, he hissed.

"Louisa?" he shook the face gently. "Louisa, can you hear me?"

Gillywiss was watching the scene, rather proud of himself for doing what he set out to do. "She is a prostitute," he said as he watched Tevin try to rouse the woman. "I found her in a hovel of other prostitutes because I had been told a woman calling herself Princess Louisa lived there. When I told her I was looking for du Reims' wife, she wanted to know how Arabel was faring. She asked me to take a message to her daughter."

Tevin's head came up, his dark eyes intense in his pale face. "What was the message?"

"That she was sorry. And then she wept."

Tevin's gaze lingered on the man before returning it to the frail woman upon the straw. She was struggling to open her eyes.

"What is wrong with her?" Tevin asked. "Why is she collapsed like this?"

Gillywiss' gaze moved to the small figure. "She has the French disease," he said, his tone less grandiose. "Many prostitutes have it. It will destroy her mind and eventually kill her. She is not long for this world."

Tevin immediately removed his hands from the woman, as he certainly did not want to contract anything she might have. He pulled his gloves off as he looked at Gillywiss.

"Then why did you bring her here?" he hissed. "I do not want her infecting my entire castle."

Gillywiss shook his head. "You cannot catch her disease unless you bed her," he said. "That is why they call it the French disease."

"Nonetheless, I do not want her here. Cantia is pregnant and I do not want to risk her or the baby."

Gillywiss shrugged. "Can you tell for certain it is your wife?"

Tevin's gaze moved back to the lump on the straw. "I… I cannot say for certain," he said, sounding hesitant and strained. "It may be… but I cannot say for certain."

Gillywiss motioned to the men who were controlling the cart. Tevin and his men stood back as the cart began to move as if to turn around.

"I have done what I set out to do," Gillywiss said. "Your lady saved my sister's life, so I promised her that I would find the person that stood between her and her happiness, and I have done that. I have paid my debt. What you do with this woman is your own business."

Tevin's attention was divided between the cart and Gillywiss. It was clear he was still very shocked. He was also confused.

"Why would you do this?" He had to ask because he never believed the man had been sincere in his declaration to find Louisa. "Cantia is nothing to you, nor am I. I do not understand why you would do this."

Gillywiss' expression seemed to harden. He, too, was torn and attempting not to show it. "Because," he said, almost defiantly, "perhaps you will remember this day and you will be owing to me, and I can come to you when I need something and you will provide it."

"So you did it so I would be obliging to you?"

Gillywiss waved his arms at his men, who began to disband and move away. He followed them somewhat, like a shepherd moving sheep, waving his arms and casting Tevin and his men defiant yet triumphant expressions. The wild eyes were working steadily. But when the group moved a nominal distance down the road, Gillywiss suddenly rushed back in Tevin's direction with a finger thrust forward.

"I did it because your lady was kind to us," he was nearly whispering but the finger was shaking threateningly. "I did it because she and I have something in common, wanting things we can never have. I did it because she saved my sister's life. There are many reasons why I did this and you will not question me again."

Tevin gazed back at him steadily. He could tell the man was posturing for the sake of his comrades for his words did not match the angry actions.

"Not only do you seem to have a deep understanding of these dark times," he said quietly, "but it also appears that you are indeed a man of your word."

"I am."

"Come to see me again. We will discuss what I may do for you in return."

Gillywiss' gaze lingered on him as if trying to determine how serious he was. Then, the toothy grin made a bright return.

"Invite me to the wedding," he said rather saucily as he turned away. "Perhaps I will wear one of the fine garments your lady left behind. And if you do not understand what I mean, ask your lady. I believe she knows."

"She knows. She told me."

Gillywiss paused, an eyebrow cocked. "What did she tell you?"

"That you like her clothes more than she does, so she left them for you as a gift."

Gillywiss wasn't quite sure what to make of the statement so he laughed. Then he laughed again, that crazy wild-eyed laugh that he was so capable of. He was still laughing as he moved back down the road and mounted the weary bay stallion. The group closed in around him and they began to move off down the rocky road, into the dawn that was growing brighter by the moment. Tevin just stood there, staring at the fading figures, until Myles caught his attention.

"Tevin," he said quietly. "What do you want to do with her?"

Tevin turned around, seeing that Myles as well as John and Simon were clustered around the ox cart, gazing at the dusty, dirty figure on the bed. Tevin walked up beside Myles, gazing down at the unconscious woman, before replacing his gloves. Then, he rolled her onto her back so her face was fully in view. The more he looked at her, the more he knew the face.

"Simon?" he muttered. "You knew Louisa. Is this her?"

Simon sighed heavily as he gazed down at the slip of a woman. After several long moments, he nodded his head.

"I believe it is," he confirmed. "I can hardly believe it, but I believe it is."

Tevin took his hands off the woman, still staring at her. "God's Blood," he hissed. "This is something I never thought I would see again. After all of these years… and in such bizarre circumstances. It does not seem possible."

Simon could only shake his head, as stunned as his lord was, while Myles seemed a bit more logical about the entire thing. Unlike the others, he'd never met the woman and didn't have an over amount of emotional investment in the situation.

"I will ask the question again," he looked at Tevin. "What do you want to do with her?"

Tevin sighed heavily. "If she is ill, I will again reiterate that I do not want her infecting the entire castle."

"But if she has the French disease, it does not spread like the Plague. We can still bring her inside and keep her isolated."

Tevin was still resistant but he didn't have much choice. It wasn't as if they could leave the woman outside the walls, tucked away in the old ox cart, until they decided what to do with her. He looked at Simon.

"Have her brought inside and find a place where she can be kept well away from everyone," he ordered. "Have a couple of serving women clean her up and make her comfortable. Make sure they clean themselves after they have touched her, for I do not want her disease spread through them. Furthermore, have the physic exam her. I will speak with the man for his opinion on her condition when all of this is accomplished."

Simon nodded, already moving to carry out Tevin's orders. He was snapping his fingers at some of the soldiers lingering outside the gates to have them move the ox cart inside. As the old cart began to slowly move towards the gates, towed by a few soldiers, Myles turned to Tevin.

"What are you going to tell Cantia?" he asked quietly.

Tevin drew in a long, thoughtful breath. "For the moment, nothing," he said. "I am not sure at the moment. When this woman is in better spirits, I will speak with her to see what can be determined."

"And if it is Louisa?"

He lowered his gaze, contemplating his answer. After a moment, he shook his head. "Anything I say will sound harsh and ugly," he said, lifting his eyes to Myles. "The truth is that I am relieved. I am relieved if it is Louisa and the fact that she is very sick and more than likely dying. It means that she will soon no longer be an issue and I can marry Cantia as God and the laws of Nature intended. If that is a horrible statement, then I am horrible. I feel guilty for even thinking such things. But I will overcome that guilt the first time I take Cantia in my arms and call her my wife. Cruelty such as this will seem trivial."

Myles wriggled his eyebrows in sympathy. "I do not disagree," he replied. "But I should at least tell Val."

"Why?"

"Because she can read my mind. She has already learned this skill and we have only been married two months. If I do not tell her, she will beat it out of me."

Tevin gave him a half-grin. "Then it would be wise to tell her," he said. "Moreover, she knew Louisa. If anyone can confirm the woman's identity, Val can."

"I am not entirely sure I want my wife around a sick woman until we can determine whatever she has cannot be spread."

"Agreed. Make sure the physic examines her in short order so we know what we are dealing with."

Myles simply nodded and the pair of them watched the ox cart, which was now lumbering beneath the yawning portcullis as it made entrance into the enclosure of Rochester.

With wonder, disbelief, and perhaps some fear, they followed.

*

It was noon before the physic could be found and instructed to examine the woman in the cart, mostly because the castle physic of Rochester, although a knowledgeable man, was something of a drunk and it had taken that long to find the man sleeping off a binge in a muddy crevice of the castle.

Myles had manhandled the old surgeon to one of the unused smithy shacks where they had the woman called Louisa sequestered. Tucked away on a straw bed with a serving woman to watch over her, the surgeon took his time in examining the woman, struggling to shake off the after effects of too much drink with the big knight glaring daggers at him. The man felt her pulse, looked in her eyes and ears, and listened to her lungs. He also poked and prodded a good deal, and thumped her several times on the back and listened to the results.

Myles stood in the entry to the shack, watching, glancing over his shoulder now and again to make sure Val or Cantia weren't around to wonder why he was hanging around an old smithy shelter. Cantia was curious but Val was worse. She had the senses of a trained knight and he swore the woman could move like a phantom and read minds like a witch. He rather liked it, though. The past two months had been the best of his life.

Grinning when he thought of his lovely, strawberry-blond wife who was trying very hard to learn to be a good chatelaine, he refocused on the old surgeon as the man thoroughly examined the patient, who was by now becoming semi-lucid. Folding his arms across his big chest, Myles leaned against the door jamb, his mind wandering, when someone stuck a finger in his ear.

"Boo!"

Myles jumped as much from the finger in his ear as the voice, turning to see Val grinning back at him. He returned her smile as he turned his back on the door to block her view of the interior. Then he wrapped her up in his embrace.

"Greetings, wife," he kissed her sweetly.

Val put her arms around his neck, accepting his affection. "Greetings," she kissed him in return, savoring the gesture. "What are you doing?"

He shook his head, trying to distract her with sweet kisses and moving away from the shack at the same time. "Nothing of note," he said, trying not to lie to her. "More importantly, what are you doing?"

Val had her arms wrapped around his neck as he picked her up and began to walk off with her, her legs trailing down his long body. She giggled as he swung her around playfully.

"Walking with Arabel," she said, removing an arm and pointing over to her niece several feet away. "She wanted to come outside on this lovely day."

Myles smiled over at Arabel in her specially built chair with wheels on it, being tended by the two women who had raised her. She lifted a weak hand to wave at Myles and he waved back.

However, as Myles was smiling and waving, he was also quite frantic to move them both away from the old smithy shack. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen them coming. His mind must have been wandering more than he realized. But to take the blame off himself, he silently reiterated that his wife moved like a wraith and he was paying the price for it by being surprised at her appearance.

"Arabel," he called over to the girl. "I saw that a dog had a litter of puppies over in the stables. Do you want to see them?"

As he hoped, Arabel was properly distracted. She cried out gleefully. "Aye!" she clapped her hands. "Perhaps my father will allow me to have a dog like Hunt does!"

Myles grinned at her enthusiasm. "Perhaps," he said. "But do not tell him I told you about the puppies. He will berate me when he is unable to refuse you."

Arabel nodded happily and her women began to wheel her off in the direction of the stable. Just as Myles settled Val in beside him to follow, the physic emerged from the shanty and called out to him.

"My lord!"

Myles came to a halt, inwardly groaning as the physic made his way towards him. In fact, he was rather desperate to remove Val so he gently turned her in Arabel's direction.

"Go with Arabel," he said. "I will join you in a moment."

Val started to agree but the physic started talking before she could move out of earshot.

"My lord," the physic said again. "It would seem the woman has a disease of the lungs. I have seen it before. It is indeed contagious but should not create an issue if we keep her isolated and keep her mouth covered so she cannot breathe out her disease on others. I believe I can keep her contained."

Val heard him. She came to a halt, looking at the physic curiously even as Myles tried to turn her around.

"What woman?" she wanted to know, then looked at her husband with concern. "Do we have sickness at Rochester?"

Myles shook his head and started to reply to her, but the physic interrupted. "They call this disease phithisis ," he said to them both. "The woman coughs up black blood. I can hear her chest laboring. She is far gone with the disease and will not live much longer."

Val looked very concerned as well as puzzled. "But I have not heard of anyone at Rochester being ill," she said to Myles. "Is this woman from the village?"

Myles sighed heavily, glancing at the physic and making a gesture for the man to vacate. As the old surgeon wandered back towards the shack, Myles turned his attention back to his wife. Gazing into her dark eyes, he knew he had to tell her. He could easily make up another story to satisfy her, but his conscience would not allow it. He had never lied to her before and wasn't about to start. Moreover, Tevin was sure Val could identify the woman if, in fact, it was Louisa. He put his arm around her shoulders and turned in the direction of the shack.

"Early this morning, we had visitors," he said quietly. "I must ask you now to keep this to yourself until Tevin informs Cantia. It is important."

Val nodded seriously. "Of course, Myles. What is it?"

Myles began to escort her towards the shanty. "Did Cantia or Tevin ever tell you about Gillywiss?"

Val nodded. "Cantia told me," she replied. "He was the outlaw who saved her from Dagan, was he not?"

Myles nodded. "Indeed," he said. "He also formed some kind of strange attachment to Cantia. He made her a promise."

"What do you mean? What promise?"

"That he would discover Louisa's fate so that Tevin and Cantia could be married."

Val's brow furrowed. "Why on earth would he do that?"

"As I said, he formed a strange attachment to Cantia. When he appeared this morning, he said that he did it because they had something in common, wanting things they could never have. He also did it because she saved his sister's life and he felt indebted to her."

Val came to a halt at the door to the shack, looking at him with an utterly baffled expression. "What did he do?"

Myles lifted his eyebrows at her. "I am hoping you can tell me."

He pushed the door open, exposing his wife to the dark and unsettling world inside. The physic and the serving woman were there, washing out some clothes in vinegar to put over the patient's mouth so she could not cough out her germs. Wary, Val stepped in with Myles behind her. He took her over to the straw mattress where a small figure lay, now with a cloth over her nose and mouth, and still swathed in jumbles of dirty blankets. She smelled like a sewer. Myles glanced over his shoulder at the physic.

"Remove the cloth on her mouth," he instructed. "I want to see her face."

The physic slid into the space between Val and the bed, peeling off the vinegar-soaked cloth. A very pale, very fair face came into view and the physic pulled back the blankets around the woman's head so her hair and features could be more plainly seen.

"Tell me who this is," Myles whispered to his wife.

Perplexed, Val bent over to gain a better look. She truly had no idea who she was looking at until the woman shifted and more of her features came into view. Then, an inkling of suspicion gripped her and Val peered more closely at the woman, drawing on distant memories to put a name to the face. When the woman sighed faintly in her sleep and a big dimple appeared on her chin, Val was seized with recognition. She grabbed Myles as if something had just terrified her.

"Louisa!" she gasped. "It… it is Louisa !"

Myles held on to his stricken wife. "Are you sure?"

Val nodded, so hard that her hair flopped over her cheeks. "My God," she breathed, blinking back tears. "I knew her. I thought we were friends. That is her, I swear it."

Myles pulled her away from the bed, gesturing to the physic, who went to his patient and covered her mouth and nose again with the soaked cloth. Meanwhile, Myles pulled his wife all the way to the door, kicking the panel open to get her out of the diseased hut. He had a strong grip on her because she was shaken and upset.

"Listen to me," he whispered. "You cannot tell Cantia. Tevin must tell her."

Val lost the battle against the tears. "It is not Cantia I am worried over," she wept. "Arabel will be devastated. All she knows of her mother was that she abandoned her and did not love her. Dear God, why is that woman here? What will we tell Arabel?"

Myles put his arms around her to comfort her. "You will tell her nothing," he said soothingly, steadily. "That is for Tevin to decide. I simply needed your confirmation that it is indeed Tevin's wife. You have done that. You must let your brother take care of the rest."

Val was wiping at her eyes with shaking hands. "That… that outlaw actually found her?" she was flabbergasted. "How did he find her?"

"He has family in Paris," Myles replied. "Since Paris was the last known location of Louisa, Gillywiss apparently went there looking for her. It took him months to track her down, but he did, finding her in a brothel. He brought her back because he promised Cantia he would."

Val was gazing at him with a wide-eyed expression, full of incredulity. " Promised her? But I simply do not understand. For what purpose?"

"I told you," he said patiently. "I can only surmise that it is so Cantia can know the woman's fate and, in knowing, pave the pathway for her and Tevin to be married. At least, that was the gist of what I understood."

It made some sense, but Val was still reeling. "I can hardly grasp all of this," she breathed. "Louisa has actually returned."

"Aye, she has."

She started to reply but the words caught in her throat and her expression changed from disbelief to one of sorrow. Her gaze moved to the mighty keep of Rochester soaring over their heads.

"I must speak with Tevin," she said, moving for the keep and pulling Myles with her. "He must know… my God, what must he be thinking of all of this? He must be astonished at the very least. The woman humiliated him, abandoned him, and now she is returned."

Myles took her hand to both slow her down and steady her. "Your brother can well handle his feelings, Val," he said softly. "I know you want to protect him, but he is a grown man. He can handle himself."

Val knew he was right but she didn't like his answer. Val had been watching out for Tevin for many years, as the younger sister to a powerful brother. There was something vulnerable about Tevin in her eyes and her protective instinct for him had only gotten worse when Louisa had deserted him and their month-old infant. She could feel her anger rise.

"You were not there when that… that woman discarded Tevin and Arabel like so much rubbish," she said, pointing angrily in the direction of the smithy shack. "She ran off with another knight, a man from her homeland. She never wanted to be married to Tevin but she went through with the marriage anyway, eventually leaving him with a sick baby and humiliating him. I know my brother can handle himself in any situation but it does not stop the sense of protection I have for him and for Arabel. I have tried very hard not to hate Louisa for what she did but right now, all I can feel is fury."

Myles was calm as he watched her. "Then what would you have me do with her?" he asked softly. "Do you want me to dump her in a church somewhere, with a charity where she will be cared for until she dies? Do you want me to send her away from Rochester to save your brother and Arabel's feelings?"

Some of Val's fury seemed to abate and she grew uncertain. "Tevin already knows she is here."

"He does, but he is not sure it is Louisa. He said you would know for sure. Would you lie to your brother and tell him it is not Louisa and we can simply rid her from Rochester?"

More of her fury took a dousing. After a moment, she shook herself, struggling to calm.

"Nay," she muttered, averting her gaze. "I would not lie to my brother, no matter how much I want to protect him. He should make the decision on what to do with Louisa."

"Then let us go and tell him the truth. Louisa has indeed returned."

Reluctantly, Val agreed.