Averill knew her brother and husband were just trying not to burden her with worry, but really, it was insulting that they thought of her as a weak, swooning female who needed to be cosseted and protected from harsh reality. Had they even considered that she might be able to help in this situation? She doubted it...and fully intended to show them the error of their ways once they got there.
"Come, Bess, I shall see you back to camp," Will said, moving to take the woman's arm as Kade headed directly for Averill.
The maid cast a glance her way, but Averill could not seem to take her eyes off her husband. Something about the way he approached made her feel like a rabbit being stalked by a fox. Aware that Bess had allowed Will to lead her out of the clearing, she forced a smile for her husband but also took a nervous step back, coming up against a tree trunk.
The action made Kade frown and pause a step away. "Are ye afraid o' me, wife?"
"N-no," she said, then grimaced as her stammer gave lie to the word. Realizing how silly she was being, Averill forced herself to take a step forward, placing her a hairbreadth away from her husband so that did she breathe in too deeply, her breasts would surely brush his chest.
For some reason, that made Kade smile, and he asked, "How are ye feelin'?"
Averill blinked in confusion at the question, unsure why he would ask it. Did she look pale or peaked? Frowning at the possibility, she said politely, "Fine, husband. And you?"
Kade chuckled, but explained, "I mean did the journey today trouble ye? Yer no' still tender from the beddin'?"
"Oh! Nay," she said, flushing brightly.
"Good," he said, then bent his head and kissed her.
Despite her surprise, Averill responded at once, her arms slipping up around his head, her lips drifting open in invitation, and her body melting into his as his own arms gathered her close. Truly, it felt like forever since he'd last kissed her, though it had only been moments ago. Well, the last one had been. He'd actually kissed her several times today: on waking that morning, as he'd headed out the door after dressing, before he'd lifted her into the saddle at Mortagne, and again each time they'd stopped that day, sometimes several times. In fact, he'd kissed her most passionately before leaving her here with Bess to bathe. That being the case, it was only natural that she would expect this time to be more of the same, a deep, passionate kiss, after which he'd lead her back to camp. However, rather than end the kiss and take her arm to lead her back to camp, Kade began to touch her as well, his hands roaming over her back, then dropping to cup her bottom, before moving to her upper arms to urge her back until she came up against the tree behind her. The moment she rested there, his hands moved to her breasts, squeezing them through the cloth of her chemise and gown. Averill moaned at the caress, her back arching to thrust her eager breasts most wantonly into his palms.
Kade's response to that was to thrust his hips forward, grinding his hardness against her as he began to tug at the top of her gown and chemise. She felt cool air brush over her nipples, then his head ducked down to draw one into his mouth, and she heard a hiss thunk over her head.
Frowning, Averill tilted her head back to glance up, wincing as several strands of hair were torn from her scalp. She then gasped at the sight of the arrow protruding from the tree, still quivering in the air. Averill was vaguely aware of Kade also lifting his head, but was still completely unprepared when he suddenly dragged her to the ground, shouting out as he did.
At first, Averill feared he'd been injured by a second arrow or even grazed by the first, but then a sudden clamor of sound drew her head around as several Mortagne soldiers burst out of the bushes on every side.
"Where did it come from, my lord?" one of them asked.
Kade pointed silently across the river directly opposite, and several men immediately began to wade into the water, but he called them back.
"'Tis no use harin' across the river. The archer will be long gone ere ye get to the other side," he pointed out.
The men hesitated, but reluctantly moved back toward them as Kade stood and helped Averill to her feet.
"Are ye all right?" he asked, shifting to block the men's view of her as he quickly helped her tuck herself back into her gown.
"A-aye, my l-lord, husband," Averill whispered, aware she was blushing.
Kade frowned and gave her a quick, but thorough, kiss. When he lifted his head, he said, "Do ye wish me to have one o' the men see ye back, or will ye wait a minute while I speak to them and allow me to accompany ye?"
"I will wait," she decided.
For some reason, her response brought a tiny smile to his lips, but it was gone quickly. He gave a nod and moved off to consult briefly with the soldiers. He was back after just a moment, taking her arm to lead her along the path into and through the woods to the larger clearing where they'd stopped to make camp. Averill glanced around as they walked, noting that while two of the men were following, the rest were spreading out and moving into the woods.
"Husband?" she asked. "Who do you think shot the arrow?"
He frowned, but then shrugged. "'Twas probably a bandit."
"A bandit?" she asked doubtfully. "That makes little sense. What would a bandit gain from shooting us with his arrow from across the river?
Kade smiled faintly, and said, "I didna say 'twas a smart bandit."
"But--"
"I ken it makes little sense, wife," he interrupted. "But I've been away for three years and have no enemies I know of who would wish me dead. And since no one would have reason to kill you either"--he shrugged--"it was most like a bandit...or an arrow gone astray."
That seemed like perfectly sound reasoning to her, so Averill nodded and fell silent, but she couldn't help thinking there might be some other explanation. It had been a close call, and only luck and his ducking his head to suckle at her breast had saved him from an arrow in the back of the neck.
Actually, she realized, glancing at Kade, he was tall enough that it would have struck him between the shoulder blades. Aye, they had been very lucky.
Averill drew her horse in beside Kade's and peered up the hill toward the castle ahead. Her gaze slid over the solid stone outer curtain and the keep beyond. At this distance it looked a strong, well-built castle, a good place to call home. When the sun chose that moment to come out from behind the clouds it had been veiling itself in most of the day and shone a bright shaft of light on the edifice, Averill could only think it was a good omen.
She glanced to her husband, her eyebrows drawing together as she took in his expression. When he remained still and silent, she asked, "Stewart castle?"
Averill thought it must be, but there was just something about Kade's expression that made her uncertain. He looked stern and forbidding, a sharp contrast to the smiling, teasing Kade who had been in evidence since the wedding. He did not look like a man glad to be arriving home.
"Aye," Kade said grimly. "'Tis Stewart."
"It does not appear to be falling down yet," Will commented, drawing her gaze his way as he drew up on her other side.
"Wife."
Averill turned attentively to her husband at that growl. The man had taken to calling her Avy since the wedding, so she knew whatever he wished to say was important. "Aye, husband?"
"Ye'll stay close to me or yer brother at all times until I say otherwise, and do as I order without question, ye ken?"
Though it was couched as a question, Averill didn't mistake it for anything but the order it was. She nodded solemnly in response, wondering for the first time just how much trouble he was expecting.
Satisfied by her nod, Kade grunted and urged his horse forward. Averill immediately followed suit, staying close as promised. Will stuck to her side like glue as well, so that they rode three abreast as they started up the slight hill. A glance over her shoulder showed that the soldiers who had accompanied them were also riding three abreast, their number trailing away into the woods, too many to count.
Averill grimaced and turned back in
the saddle, thinking that the men on the wall could be forgiven for thinking them an invading army. But then, from what she understood, that was pretty much what they were, Averill acknowledged with a sigh. If Kade's father would not willingly step down and allow him to run the castle properly, Kade intended to force the issue, and her brother and father had supplied the army to do so.
Kade wasn't terribly surprised to find the gates closed and the drawbridge rising when they reached it. He was only surprised the drawbridge wasn't already fully up. The men on the wall had surely had the time to get it all the way up between spotting the approach of the English army riding with him and their arrival at the castle. However, judging by the drunken shouting on the parapet, and the calmer and much grimmer replies of someone who was not drunk, it seemed obvious his father had not wished the drawbridge lifted at all, but one of the soldiers had ignored his wishes and done the right thing. It sounded as if the soldier was now getting a drunken bollocking for doing so.
"Hail!" Kade shouted, drawing his mount as close to the edge of the moat as he could.