Her knight

Chapter Eight

Vanessa found a clear spot where she spread out her shawl and sat down dropping the basket

containing the flowers beside her. She was alone with two guards but as usual, they kept their distance.

The second guard had followed her because she had refused to allow another maid to follow her since

Mary had fallen sick two days ago. Ian on the other hand was busy, courtesy of Adam who has been

sending him on different chores to avoid him getting closer to her.

She closed her eyes as she waited for the dizziness to pass. She would call for a healer soon before her

health deteriorates further.

Adam was still angry with her and they have barely said as much as a sentence to each other for close

to a week since the incident that happened in their bedroom. He would come back late after she has

slept or he believe she was sleeping, undress and get into bed without even touching her and leave

before she wakes. Sometimes she laid awake pretending to be asleep and listens as he undresses and

gets into bed.

She missed him but she hardly knew what to do. He was so close to her yet very far away. He spent

more time with Elaine when he wasn’t training though to her, she knew Elaine sticks to him just to

spite her but in all he now preferred Elaine’s company to hers. He barely at with her but when he did,

he was either awfully polite or didn’t spare her a glance at all. She didn’t know if the others in the keep

have noticed the growing discord between them.

The snap of a twig behind her made her to sharply turn back. The guards have never tried to approach

her or attempt to come close.

Her eyes landed on the very last person she wanted to see and the person who seem to be rejoicing

over her quarrel with her husband. Elaine.

Vanessa turned back as Elaine approached and wondered what she was doing out here away from the

keep. Was she already tired of following Adam around? Was she now her new target? Elaine squatted

and sat beside her after spreading out her shawl on the grass close to where she sat.

‘What are you doing here?’ Vanessa asked not bothering to look at her.

‘Keeping you company and looking out for you. I heard your maid came down with the flu.’

‘I don’t think I need your company. I’m fine. I have the two guards keeping me company.’

Elaine looked back to where the two men stood far back, discussing.

‘You can hardly call that company.’

‘Did my husband send you?’ Vanessa inquired. She didn’t believe Elaine cared for her enough to want

to keep her company.

‘No. Why would he?’ Elaine replied sniffing the flower she had picked from the basket.

Vanessa bowed her head hurt. She didn’t know what answer she had been expecting when she had

asked such a silly question.

‘The basket keeps getting emptier each time you come out here to pick them.’

‘Well it’s almost winter. The flowers are out of bloom.’

‘Do you know his favorite flower?’ Elaine asked. Vanessa impulsively lifted her head and stared at the

other woman. She wanted to know and elaine who saw the curiosity spark in her eyes, smiled.

Her game was only just beginning. She was going to have lots of fun playing with Adam’s wife. She

was bored targeting him as he knew almost all her tricks courtesy of them growing up together.

‘Why don’t you tell me since you seem to know an awful lot about my husband,’ Vanessa told her

when it was obvious Elaine wanted her to say something.

Elaine let out an unladylike laugh, falling backwards on the grass. Vanessa stared at her with apt

confusion not knowing what exactly was funny in her response to have prompted such a reaction.

‘Forgive the outburst my lady,’ Elaine apologized trying to control herself as she sat up.

‘What was so amusing in what I said?’

‘Nothing my lady just that for a moment I thought I heard jealousy in your voice.’

‘That’s preposterous!’ Vanessa snapped. ‘How could you say something so absurd. I’m not jealous.

Why should I be?’ she said almost at once.

‘Forgive me. I must have been mistaken. Well Adam has no favorite flower as a man but as a boy, he

had. Lilies.’ She looked at Vanessa to see her reaction but she was facing away from her. ‘As a young

boy, he was very mischievous. Always a handful and naughty but he was always honest and caring.’

Vanessa turned to look at her and the expression on her face as she recalled her childhood with Adam

made her jealous. Here she was with little knowledge of the life Adam had before he met her and

sitting beside her was a woman who could even write a chronicle about her husband.

She stood up, picked up her shawl and stepped forward to pick her basket.

‘I think I’m done for the day. I’m going back to the keep.’ She turned and left without waiting for

Elaine who seemed to be surprised by her sudden desire to leave.

The walk back to the keep wasn’t entirely what Vanessa wanted. She had expected Elaine to keep

quiet but the annoying woman just wanted to show off that she had grown up with Adam. She had

even claimed they would have been married if she did have a desire to marry him since she saw him

as an older brother. She had finally got her peace and quiet when they had reached the keep. Elaine

had seen Adam and abandoning her at once she had dashed over to where they had seen him disappear

to.

Vanessa heaved a sigh and made her way to the entrance of the keep. The guards that had followed

her had gone back to their post when they had entered the keep. She gave the basket she was carrying

to one of the women who worked in the keep and made for Mary’s room. She had been told Mary

was recovering fast when she had inquired about her before she had gone to pick the flowers.

Vanessa knocked on the door and quietly opened it letting herself in. Mary was lying on the bed,

backing the door and she appeared to be fast asleep.

‘Mary,’ she called out still standing by the door. There was no response. She debated whether to wake

her or not and after much thought, she turned and left the room as quietly as she had entered.

Having no other place to go, Vanessa went to her room and collapsed on the bed spreading her arms

wide. She sighed loudly remembering her encounter with Elaine earlier. She was still angry that her

perfect morning had been ruined and she had no idea what to do to change the way she felt.

Finally, she settled on taking a nap and curling into a fetal position and tightly hugging his pillow to

herself, she closed her eyes and slowly she became oblivious to the world around her.

*****

Robert limped to his study trying to increase his pace. He had been in the process of having his lunch

when his steward had come to inform him that the leader of the deadly gang, he had requested for

was waiting for him in his study. Robert turned the knob, opening the door and letting himself in after

which he shut it behind him. He had given strict instructions not to be disturbed and his servants

knew better than to defile him.

He limped to the couch and sat down placing the walking sit beside the injured leg.

‘You came faster than I expected,’ he told the man sitting opposite him.

‘The information I got said it was urgent. This is how I respond to urgent situations,’ came the hoarse

voice. ‘I’m led to believe you have a job for me.’

‘Correct. I need you to kidnap a lady and I want her brought here unharmed. Nothing I repeat nothing

should be traced back to this place. Can I trust you?’

‘We earned the reputation the invisible because we are truly invisible when we carry out a job,’ the

man told him with a smile which didn’t quite reach his eyes.

He wasn’t a handsome man and the scar that ran down his face from his forehead across his eyes and

down to his left cheekbone made his face even a more horrid sight to behold.

Robert smiled and stood up extending his arm for a handshake. Evans looked at the outstretched

hand. He wasn’t a man who liked formal dealings and he wasn’t one for handshakes but this was a

lord and he couldn’t refuse. He stood up and received the shake.

‘My steward will give you part of the payment and when she is delivered here without a scratch, I’ll

give you the balance.’

‘Then the deal is done.’ Evans tipped his hat and left the study.

Robert smiled satisfied with the result he knew he would soon be expecting. Adam would rue the day

he ever knew him. his hell was about to be unleashed.