The man may have been in the stocks for only a few hours, but Dawn knew that even a short time, especially in the cold, could take its toll on a person. She led the way, giving Dermid no choice but to follow.
The whole kitchen grew silent when Dawn opened the door and Dermid followed her in with Stuart. She went to grab a small bench to place by the hearth when Dermid shouted out a warning.
“Do not let Lady Dawn pick that up!”
A man of meek size hurried to pick up the bench and take it to where Dawn pointed… near the hearth.
Dawn continued to point out instructions with Dermid interpreting a few, and Stuart soon had a blanket draped around him and a tankard, steaming with a hot brew, in hand.
“I am most grateful, my lady,” Stuart said, “and most shameful for how I treated you. Food has not been as plentiful lately and I was worried I would not have enough to feed everyone in the keep, though that is no excuse, and I should not be telling you that.” Tears gleamed in Stuart’s eyes. “You are truly kind, my lady.”
Dawn patted his shoulder and not only felt but saw the man still trembled, and she knew why. He worried what would happen when Lord Cree found out he was no longer in the stocks.
He did not have to wait long. The door to the kitchen flew open and Cree ducked his head to enter and glared at everyone there.
With a snarling anger, he demanded, “Who dared to remove Stuart from the stocks?”
CHAPTER 8
All heads turned to Dawn, and she smiled.
Cree looked to Dermid as did Beast who sat himself next to Cree’s leg.
Dermid hurried to explain. “Forgive me, my lord, but Lady Dawn would not return to the keep until I freed Stuart.”
Cree’s glare worsened.
“Lady Dawn was intent on freeing him,” Dermid continued, offering more of an explanation in hopes it would help. “I stopped her from picking up the hammer to dislodge the peg.”
That had Cree turning an angry scowl on his wife and anyone who stood close to her moved away.
Dawn ignored her husband’s scowl and went to fill a tankard with hot cider. A servant wisely hurried to do it for her. She took the tankard and went to her husband, handing it to him, then wrapped her arm around his and guided him to the arch that led to the passageway that connected the kitchen to the keep.
“I will speak to you later, Dermid, and see that Stuart is locked in the dungeon and he is not to be released until I command it,” Cree called out.
“Aye, my lord,” Dermid said and shook his head, worried over his fate.
Beast went to curl up by the hearth as Cree sat the tankard on the table once they entered the Great Hall. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at his wife.
Dawn smiled, raised her arms to wiggle her fingers as she lowered her arms, then wrapped them around herself and pretended to shiver.
“With it snowing, you thought it would be too cold for Stuart to remain in the stocks.”
She nodded with a pleasant smile.
“You did not think of waiting for my return and asking me to move him to the dungeon? He had not been that long in the stocks.”
Dawn tapped his chest and shrugged.
“That you did not know when I would return is no excuse,” he reprimanded. “And Stuart’s punishment is not for you to decide.”
Newlin came rushing in the room. “Stuart is gone from the stocks. While we searched for the demon, he came here and took Stuart.”
Cree turned his glare on Newlin. “You call my wife a demon?”
Newlin shook his head, his mouth moving but too confused to speak.
Dawn shook her head at her husband for frightening the man. She smiled at Newlin, patting her chest hoping he understood that she was the one who freed Stuart.
“It was you, Lady Dawn?” Newlin asked, not quite sure if that was what she meant.
“It was my wife,” Cree confirmed. “She felt sorry for him with the snow falling. He is being transferred to the dungeon.”
“That is most kind of you, my lady,” Newlin said. “Stuart truly is a good man.”
Dawn hoped to change the conversation and pointed from Newlin to her husband and shrugged.
“My wife asks how the search went,” Cree said.
Relieved he did not have to decipher her gesture for himself, Newlin said, “Unsuccessful, I’m afraid to say.”
“At least in the area we searched,” Cree corrected. We will widen the search area tomorrow, the snow forcing us to stop for the day. The search is not only for the demon, but I also hope to find something that may help us locate those missing. It troubles me that not a sign of them has been found.”