in bed, wide-eyed as he stared about in confusion. He blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and then cried, "'Sabelle! What are ye doing here? What's wrong?"
"Shhhhh. Keep your voice down!" she warned lowly. "There's been an accident in the stables. Lord Oadby is dead, and 1 need your help."
Wide awake now, he took in the state of her apparel and inhaled sharply.
"Godamercy, 'Sabelle! Did he rape ye?"
"Nay, but 'twas only by the grace of God that I escaped. Come quickly. We must think what is to be done."
Her brother was already hauling on his clothes as silently and rapidly as possible. In moments, the two were out in the corridor.
"Wait, 'Sabelle. I'll get Lionel. We may need him."
Briefly, she paused, considering, then nodded in agreement. Her beloved would not betray them. Giles slipped down the hall, only to reappear a short time later with his foster brother. Lionel was still tucking his shirt into his hose, and his golden visage was shadowed with anger and concern. He strode forward worriedly upon spying Isabella and took her hands in his.
"'Sabelle! Art hurt?" he asked.
"Nay." She drew comfort from the warmth of his touch, glad he was there, holding her close.
"By God, the whoreson bastard!" Lionel's voice shook with rage. "I should never have let ye go to the stables alone!"
Giles stared at them sharply at that but said nothing. Lionel was his foster brother. If he had been trysting in the moonlight with Isabella, it was with honorable intentions, Giles was sure. Besides, the girl had had little enough happiness in her life as it was. He did not begrudge her a few moments of stolen joy.
"Come," Isabella urged. "We must hurry, else someone may find the body."
"Jesus Christ!" Giles cursed when they had reached the stables. He kicked the Earl's corpse viciously. "The pig!" he spat.
"Oh, Giles, what are we to do?" Isabella inquired anxiously, biting her lip. "We dare not let anyone discover what has happened, for many know of Lord Oadby's perfidy to us; and perhaps none would believe my story, thinking we wished our warden ill. And, oh, Giles! We didst swear to have our revenge upon him! Fiat! Let it be done. Remember? We cannot risk having anyone investigate the Earl's death and find some reason to bring the King's wrath down upon us."
"No one who knew Lord Oadby would doubt your word, 'Sabelle," Giles assured her. "Still, perhaps 'tis best not to take , any chances. In truth, we do not know what sort of friends the Earl may have had at Court, and if they are at all like him, we would not be safe from their vengeance."
"I have thought of a plan," Lionel announced. "We must dress the swine in his hunting clothes and take his body out to that ravine—ye know, Giles—the one in the woods, where the waterfall runs down into that little stream. We must throw the corpse down into the gully, as though the whoreson bastard suffered a fall from his horse while out hunting and broke his neck. How fortunate for us that the pig didn't ride well and was as fat as a toad besides. No one will doubt that the clumsy glutton pressed his overburdened steed and took a fatal tumble. The churl used his spurs often enough most cruelly on the poor beast, did he not?"
"Aye." Giles nodded. "It might work. It might indeed. The whoreson bastard often hunted alone—although methinks his prey was but poor wenches, with whom he made savage sport." Her brother's face looked deadly in the flickering torchlight, and Isabella shivered uncontrollably for a moment. "We shall have to hurry," Giles continued, "for already, dawn draws near; and we must leave here in the morning as we'd planned." "Oh, Giles, nay!" the girl cried.
"Aye, dear sister, we must. 'Twould seem odd to change our plans at the last minute, and 'twould give cause for suspicion if
we stayed, and then Lord Oadby's body was discovered. Ye must be brave enough to face, without us, whatever tomorrow may bring."
"Giles is right, 'Sabelle," Lionel declared, giving
"Shhhhh. Keep your voice down!" she warned lowly. "There's been an accident in the stables. Lord Oadby is dead, and 1 need your help."
Wide awake now, he took in the state of her apparel and inhaled sharply.
"Godamercy, 'Sabelle! Did he rape ye?"
"Nay, but 'twas only by the grace of God that I escaped. Come quickly. We must think what is to be done."
Her brother was already hauling on his clothes as silently and rapidly as possible. In moments, the two were out in the corridor.
"Wait, 'Sabelle. I'll get Lionel. We may need him."
Briefly, she paused, considering, then nodded in agreement. Her beloved would not betray them. Giles slipped down the hall, only to reappear a short time later with his foster brother. Lionel was still tucking his shirt into his hose, and his golden visage was shadowed with anger and concern. He strode forward worriedly upon spying Isabella and took her hands in his.
"'Sabelle! Art hurt?" he asked.
"Nay." She drew comfort from the warmth of his touch, glad he was there, holding her close.
"By God, the whoreson bastard!" Lionel's voice shook with rage. "I should never have let ye go to the stables alone!"
Giles stared at them sharply at that but said nothing. Lionel was his foster brother. If he had been trysting in the moonlight with Isabella, it was with honorable intentions, Giles was sure. Besides, the girl had had little enough happiness in her life as it was. He did not begrudge her a few moments of stolen joy.
"Come," Isabella urged. "We must hurry, else someone may find the body."
"Jesus Christ!" Giles cursed when they had reached the stables. He kicked the Earl's corpse viciously. "The pig!" he spat.
"Oh, Giles, what are we to do?" Isabella inquired anxiously, biting her lip. "We dare not let anyone discover what has happened, for many know of Lord Oadby's perfidy to us; and perhaps none would believe my story, thinking we wished our warden ill. And, oh, Giles! We didst swear to have our revenge upon him! Fiat! Let it be done. Remember? We cannot risk having anyone investigate the Earl's death and find some reason to bring the King's wrath down upon us."
"No one who knew Lord Oadby would doubt your word, 'Sabelle," Giles assured her. "Still, perhaps 'tis best not to take , any chances. In truth, we do not know what sort of friends the Earl may have had at Court, and if they are at all like him, we would not be safe from their vengeance."
"I have thought of a plan," Lionel announced. "We must dress the swine in his hunting clothes and take his body out to that ravine—ye know, Giles—the one in the woods, where the waterfall runs down into that little stream. We must throw the corpse down into the gully, as though the whoreson bastard suffered a fall from his horse while out hunting and broke his neck. How fortunate for us that the pig didn't ride well and was as fat as a toad besides. No one will doubt that the clumsy glutton pressed his overburdened steed and took a fatal tumble. The churl used his spurs often enough most cruelly on the poor beast, did he not?"
"Aye." Giles nodded. "It might work. It might indeed. The whoreson bastard often hunted alone—although methinks his prey was but poor wenches, with whom he made savage sport." Her brother's face looked deadly in the flickering torchlight, and Isabella shivered uncontrollably for a moment. "We shall have to hurry," Giles continued, "for already, dawn draws near; and we must leave here in the morning as we'd planned." "Oh, Giles, nay!" the girl cried.
"Aye, dear sister, we must. 'Twould seem odd to change our plans at the last minute, and 'twould give cause for suspicion if
we stayed, and then Lord Oadby's body was discovered. Ye must be brave enough to face, without us, whatever tomorrow may bring."
"Giles is right, 'Sabelle," Lionel declared, giving
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