she had run off again.
The Raven had told him not to leave the ladies unattended and what had he done? Taken the first opportunity that presented itself to meet up with his cronies at his favourite pub, leaving Miss Rutledge and the big woman to wander about York all alone. Now he must face Lord Ravenscroft and tell him that the ladies had never arrived at the appointed meeting place.
Half an hour more he had waited, looking up and down the street in the rain, praying that any minute the slender, fair little lady and her stout companion would appear. When he knew at last that they were not coming and that he would be returning without them, he had gone back to the pub and steadily drank five or six more pints of bitter with whisky chasers, only stopping when he had been relieved of his last coppers.
Since there were no ladies to take to the front door, he drove across the courtyard and directly around the side of the castle to the stable yard and carriage house at the rear. The groomsman came running out to greet the carriage, opening both doors wide to lead the horses inside the warm, lamplit stable.
When the doors were shut firmly against the biting wind, Hodder climbed carefully down, staggering and having to catch himself against a standing stall. Even after driving for hours in the cold, open air he was still decidedly drunk.
“Had a few too many, Hod?” the groomsman asked with a laugh.
“As long as you got that young lady returned safely to his lordship.”
He nodded in the direction of the castle. “He need never know you was tipsy on the job.”
“He’s going to know.” Hodder hung his head. “And I’ll be out on the streets for all it’s winter.” The groomsman was already heavily 78
Fyn Alexander
involved in taking care of the four sweating horses. Another man came to help him and they fell into conversation, leaving Hodder to stumble back through the dark stable yard and into the castle through the kitchen.
In the Great Hall he found his master drinking red wine and pacing up and down before a dwindling fire. Bloody man never seemed to feel the cold. It was dark, too, only the fire and one miserable candelabrum on a tall stand to light the place. If he didn’t know better he would think his master a miser for skimping on light and warmth.
Hodder stopped a few paces away and looked up into his master’s angular face and yellow eyes. “They’ve gone,” he whispered.
“What?” his lordship asked softly, then screamed, “What did you say?” The glass in Lord Ravenscroft’s hand flew across the Great Hall, shattering against the stone wall. Hodder’s feet left the ground as his lordship took him by the front of his greatcoat, lifting him until he was inches from the yellow eyes. A grimace from his master revealed even, white, very sharp-looking teeth.
Eyes bulging, his heart ready to explode, Hodder tried to speak. “I waited...they was gone...left them at The Black Cross...said they was going to the Minster.” It all came out at once in a wild jumble of barely articulated words.
Lord Ravenscroft released him so suddenly that he lost his balance and fell to his knees. Scrambling back to his feet he began again. “Everything went exactly as you ordered until I took them to The Black Cross, my lord. The young lady ordered me to leave them alone. She said they was going to go to the Minster afterwards and look around York a bit. I advised them against going to the river at this time of year, it being chilly. We agreed to meet by the Roman pillar. I waited and waited.”
“She has run off again,” his lordship ground out. “This time I will bring her back with her hands and feet bound and that is how she will remain until the wedding is over.”
Sanguinarian 79
“I’m so sorry, my lord.”
“Sorry does not begin to answer how angry I am.” Lord Ravenscroft raised his arm as if to strike him. Hodder stumbled back out of his master’s reach. “In a few hours we will leave
The Raven had told him not to leave the ladies unattended and what had he done? Taken the first opportunity that presented itself to meet up with his cronies at his favourite pub, leaving Miss Rutledge and the big woman to wander about York all alone. Now he must face Lord Ravenscroft and tell him that the ladies had never arrived at the appointed meeting place.
Half an hour more he had waited, looking up and down the street in the rain, praying that any minute the slender, fair little lady and her stout companion would appear. When he knew at last that they were not coming and that he would be returning without them, he had gone back to the pub and steadily drank five or six more pints of bitter with whisky chasers, only stopping when he had been relieved of his last coppers.
Since there were no ladies to take to the front door, he drove across the courtyard and directly around the side of the castle to the stable yard and carriage house at the rear. The groomsman came running out to greet the carriage, opening both doors wide to lead the horses inside the warm, lamplit stable.
When the doors were shut firmly against the biting wind, Hodder climbed carefully down, staggering and having to catch himself against a standing stall. Even after driving for hours in the cold, open air he was still decidedly drunk.
“Had a few too many, Hod?” the groomsman asked with a laugh.
“As long as you got that young lady returned safely to his lordship.”
He nodded in the direction of the castle. “He need never know you was tipsy on the job.”
“He’s going to know.” Hodder hung his head. “And I’ll be out on the streets for all it’s winter.” The groomsman was already heavily 78
Fyn Alexander
involved in taking care of the four sweating horses. Another man came to help him and they fell into conversation, leaving Hodder to stumble back through the dark stable yard and into the castle through the kitchen.
In the Great Hall he found his master drinking red wine and pacing up and down before a dwindling fire. Bloody man never seemed to feel the cold. It was dark, too, only the fire and one miserable candelabrum on a tall stand to light the place. If he didn’t know better he would think his master a miser for skimping on light and warmth.
Hodder stopped a few paces away and looked up into his master’s angular face and yellow eyes. “They’ve gone,” he whispered.
“What?” his lordship asked softly, then screamed, “What did you say?” The glass in Lord Ravenscroft’s hand flew across the Great Hall, shattering against the stone wall. Hodder’s feet left the ground as his lordship took him by the front of his greatcoat, lifting him until he was inches from the yellow eyes. A grimace from his master revealed even, white, very sharp-looking teeth.
Eyes bulging, his heart ready to explode, Hodder tried to speak. “I waited...they was gone...left them at The Black Cross...said they was going to the Minster.” It all came out at once in a wild jumble of barely articulated words.
Lord Ravenscroft released him so suddenly that he lost his balance and fell to his knees. Scrambling back to his feet he began again. “Everything went exactly as you ordered until I took them to The Black Cross, my lord. The young lady ordered me to leave them alone. She said they was going to go to the Minster afterwards and look around York a bit. I advised them against going to the river at this time of year, it being chilly. We agreed to meet by the Roman pillar. I waited and waited.”
“She has run off again,” his lordship ground out. “This time I will bring her back with her hands and feet bound and that is how she will remain until the wedding is over.”
Sanguinarian 79
“I’m so sorry, my lord.”
“Sorry does not begin to answer how angry I am.” Lord Ravenscroft raised his arm as if to strike him. Hodder stumbled back out of his master’s reach. “In a few hours we will leave
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