De Luci sounded like a happy man when he shouted up to her, the knife point still at the Healer’s neck, “You see all that I have now, Hastings? Give over. Come to me and all three of them can come into Oxborough. They will all be safe from me.”
“You may not go, Hastings, but I can.”
She turned to see Lady Moraine. She was smiling even as she said, “You are very close to my plan. Come, we need to scheme very quickly. I do not want that madman to hurt the Healer more than he has already done.”
They walked quickly toward the keep. Hastings had to duck around Gilbert the goat, who was chewing on an old gauntlet. Lady Moraine said as she took double steps to keep up, “Why did the child flee? Has she no wits at all?”
“She loves Marjorie very much. She must have become afraid for her when she saw her with de Luci. She escaped through the postern gate. Was no one guarding it?” There was no answer. Hastings hurried into the great hall, Lady Moraine on her heels. Hastings knew she didn’t have long, knowing that de Luci would stick that knife point in the Healer’s throat with as much indifference as he would dispatch a chicken.
Alice appeared at her side. “There must be something we can do, Hastings,” she said as she looked toward the ramparts, at Beamis, who was staring down at de Luci. “I wanted the lout to give over, but now he fancies he owns me and can tell me what to do.”
“He cannot say nay to my plan. Tell me what you think, Alice, Lady Moraine.”
Twelve minutes later, the great gates of Oxborough swung outward, as did the narrow postern gate.
Seventeen cloaked and hooded women walked through the main gates and the postern gate, their heads down, their steps coming directly toward de Luci and his line of men.
De Luci howled. “I will not have this! Which one of you is Hastings? All of you, remove the cloaks and hoods! Do it now or I will kill all of you.”
But the women just kept walking toward him. He shouted at his men to bring them all down, then knew that if Hastings were among them, he could kill her. She was his salvation, only she could protect him. He could not kill her, not until the king had given her to him, removed Severin as the Earl of Oxborough, and placed him in his stead.
Seventeen women! What was the meaning of this? “ Hastings, come out! I won’t stand for this. Leave the rest of the women and come to me. Come now or the Healer dies!”
But the women just kept walking toward him, steps unhurried, coming, coming. De Luci’s horse fidgeted, rearing back, trembling with its master’s fury and indecision. The men behind him were all yelling at the women, all of them sounding worried and frightened. Of seventeen women? De Luci snarled. He wouldn’t stand for this. He hurled the Healer from his horse, sending her to roll away from him in the dirt. He rode his warhorse directly at the women. Not five feet from them, he heard a woman shout, then all of them threw back their hoods.
There were only three women. The rest were Oxborough men-at-arms. They raised their bows and arrows. De Luci yelled, whipped his warhorse about, and rode wildly back to his men. He grabbed Eloise from Marjorie and pulled her up in front of him. Arrows rained around him. He heard his men screaming in pain.
He grabbed the reins of Marjorie’s palfrey, jerking them out of her hands, and rode away from Oxborough, toward the cliffs of the North Sea.
Hastings set her bow and arrow down at her feet. She’d brought down one of de Luci’s men. “He has Eloise and Marjorie,” she said, and felt like a failure. But the Healer was all right. She was standing now, brushing dirt from her gown. The yellow ribbon tying her thick braid had come unfastened and was dangling by her face.
Beamis came running full tilt to Hastings, shouting, “It worked. I knew it would work. You and Alice and Lady Moraine were well guarded. Aye, an excellent stratagem.” He was rubbing his hands together. “Aye, now we will catch him, Hastings. How far can he get with the child and that unkind angel with her silver hair whom every man desires?”
Alice was with the Healer, helping her dust herself off. The Healer came to Hastings and said, “Listen to me, all of you. He is mad. His brain has given way to the red mist. It is rage and impotence that fill him now. He is very dangerous. He looks at you, Hastings, and sees you as his only hope. He believes you will guard him from the king’s wrath. He will not give up until he is dead or he has you, Hastings. Do not let yourself get close to him. Once he realizes that you cannot save him, he will slit your throat.” She lightly touched her fingertips against the thin line de Luci had drawn with his knife across her throat.
“I will not let him near me, Healer. Let us mount and go after him. I must get Eloise. Healer, please remain here to tell Severin what has happened if he returns.”
34
SEVERIN SAW HER FACING DE LUCI AT THE CLIFF EDGE, HER cloak billowing out behind her, the harsh sea wind lifting her hair off her face. Marjorie and Eloise stood behind de Luci where he’d shoved them, close to the cliff’s edge.
De Luci’s four remaining men clustered around him, all armed, all ready. No one was moving. Hastings was speaking, but he was too far away to hear her words. He held up his hand, holding all his men silent and motionless.
“He has Marjorie,” Sir Alan said.
Severin grunted. He didn’t particularly care if de Luci took Marjorie to the Holy Land with him. If he never saw her again, he would count himself blessed. His eyes were on Hastings. What was she planning? He knew she was planning something. She occasionally thought of excellent strategies. He knew he would have to wait, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to strangle both her and Beamis for allowing this, when it was over. Pray God that it would be over soon, that she would be all right. It seemed a desperate prayer, but there was nothing else for him.
Hastings said very slowly, “You can escape, Richard. I will allow the men to let you go if you release Marjorie and Eloise now. There is nothing for you here. You must forget about Oxborough. It will never belong to you. I cannot guard you. I cannot protect you. Do you understand me?”
But she saw the blank rage in his eyes, the mad hunger in his soul, knew that if she were closer, he would grab her, and in his madness, mayhap even hurl her over the cliff.
She spoke louder, to his men. “Listen, all of you. There is nothing for you to do. Will you kill me? Lady Marjorie and Eloise? Why? It will gain you nothing but a deep pit in hell. Sheath your swords. Walk away from this.”
De Luci screamed, “Any of you whoresons leave me and I’ll flay the hide from your backs!”
Several of his men were backing away. His words didn’t slow them. Hastings could see the impotent rage in his eyes, making him shake, and she knew deep down that he would never release his mad dream of what he believed should be his.
She felt the knife she held against her cloak. She wanted to go to him. She wanted the chance to stick her knife in his black heart, but she had promised Beamis to hold back.