If Not For The Knight - Debbie Boek (reading eggs books .txt) 📗

“Because, Wife,” he answered, his small, bloodshot eyes boring into her, “you will not be doing any service for him.”

“But, Edgar,” she began.

“Don't even think to argue with me about this, Regan.” His use of her name sent a chill down her spine. “I have sworn no fealty to the pig. I will not give him my time, nor my wife. He has taken enough from me already.”

Regan stared down at the table, her heart beating furiously in her chest. She knew that Calder would not be denied and wondered if all of Edgar's bravado was due to the amount of ale he had drunk. She hoped that was the case and that he would forget all of this nonsense by the morning.

“You will stand by my side in front of him while I make my case.”

“Yes, Edgar, as you wish.”

His eyes narrowed at her. “But, before I go to him, I must know if he has bedded you since his return.”

Regan flushed. “Of course not, Edgar.”

He gripped her face tightly in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

“Should I find out differently, I will kill the both of you.”

“I have done nothing but talk to him.” The words were difficult to get out because of the pressure he was exerting on her face.

“You will show me now, how you save yourself for your husband alone,” he said, dragging her toward the bed.

“Please, Edgar,” she whispered frantically, “don't do this.”

He ignored her plea and, instead, ordered her to remove her clothes.

“Please, Edgar, don't,” she pled again, her voice barely a whisper.

“Remove them or I will tear them off of your body.”

Her hands trembled as she removed her clothing. She closed her eyes as his hands fumbled roughly over her body, trying to picture in her mind a handsome, smiling face with vivid blue eyes.

As Edgar threw her onto the bed and entered her, tears of pain escaped down her cheeks. She pictured Calder's soft, full lips and heard, once again, his deep groan as he filled her with the seed that had created their son.

Holding onto the image of Calder was the only thing that kept her from such an abysmal despair, that only pulling out her dirk and plunging it into either Edgar or herself could end it.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 7

 

 

The following morning, Calder stopped short in surprise as he walked out of the Manor and found Edgar, Regan, and their son, waiting for him.

Edgar's eyes were bloodshot and his face bloated from the ale he had consumed the night before. His head pounded and he was ready to do battle with anything or anyone. He looked forward to this meeting with his "Lord".

Calder saw that the boy was hiding behind his mother's skirts, far away from Edgar. Regan stared at the ground. She would not meet his eyes.

He stood straight, staring directly at Edgar, his face hard and unyielding. He would not speak first, he did not initiate this confrontation.

Calder's refusal to speak disconcerted Edgar. It was not what he had expected and those damned blue eyes staring down at him, into his very soul it seemed, made the blood roar in his head.

“My wife will not be fulfilling the duties you require of her,” he said, loud and firm.

“Which duties would those be?” Calder asked. His voice was calm, but the scar on his face had turned bone white and his body was tensed for battle.

The question took Edgar by surprise and infuriated him when he realized the innuendo. “She will fulfill no duties, other than those of my wife. I have sworn fealty to your brother. Until he directs me and my family otherwise, we will continue taking care of our own affairs.”

He grabbed Regan's arm and began to walk away.

Calder's voice was not loud when he spoke, but the threat it contained caused Edgar to stop in his tracks. “Do not walk away from me.” He waited until they turned around before addressing Edgar again. “If you continue to show me such disrespect, I will have no choice but to see that you are punished. If that doesn't help your manners, then it will give me great pleasure to beat you senseless.”

Edgar's eyes were small dark holes in his face as he glared at Calder. ‘You are only a vassal to Lord Aric, as am I. You have no rights or power over my family or me.”

“There you are wrong, Edgar. My brother has entrusted me with the running of his estate until he is well. I will honor that obligation, and you will obey my orders.”

“Your brother is dying,” he spat, “and you will be nothing after he is gone. Do not think you can own us for these few days that he has left.”

Edgar gasped when Calder appeared in front of him an instant later. He could not help shrinking back from him, having felt his wrath before.

Calder backhanded him, knocking him to the ground, wanting to leap on him and choke the life out of him, but not willing to do so in front of his son.

Calder stood staring down at Edgar, breathing heavily, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to restrain himself from doing any further harm. “You are fortunate that you are such a coward. Were your child not here to witness it, I would gladly end your life right now.”

Taking a deep breath, Calder turned to Regan, who was watching him with wide, frightened eyes. “Do not fear for him, Regan,” he said coldly. “I will not kill him. Not today, anyway. But his insolence makes it necessary for him to be punished; and you will honor your agreement with me.”

With that Calder stalked back up the stairs to the Manor. “Kenny, tie this piece of dung up to the pole in the Courtyard so all can see what happens when my orders are questioned.”

“Yes, M'Iord.” Kenny ran down the steps with two of the other knights and dragged the unfortunate Edgar to the pole in the center of the courtyard. His hands were bound together and his arms stretched far over his head by a long rope. He was left to hang from the pole, his feet barely touching the ground.

Calder was watching the scene when he felt a tug on his tunic. Looking down, he saw Regan's son pulling at it. “What are you doing, boy?”

“You are Lord Cawer?” he asked, having some difficulty with the name.

“Yes.”

“Will I still get my silver penny? Will I still get to be the assissant?” he asked. Even his awe of this large knight would not let him forgo the possibility of getting his first coin.

Calder removed the boy's hand from his tunic and picked him up in his strong arms. “What is your name?”

“Radolf, M'lord. It means red wolf,” he answered proudly, with a lop-sided grin.

“And you are to be my assistant and get a silver penny?”

“Yes, Momma told me so.” Then the smile dropped from his face and Calder could see only pure misery in it. “But, Daddy came home and I din't know anymore.”

Calder looked down at Regan, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs watching them nervously, unable to hear what was being said.

“Was it your Daddy who didn't want you and your Maman to help me?” he asked, needing to know if this was all Edgar's doing, or if Regan really did want no part of it.

“Yes,” he answered, nodding his head, his bottom lip trembling as he looked over at Edgar. His voice dropped to a whisper, as if he were afraid Edgar would hear him. “He hurt my Momma.”

“How did he hurt your Maman?” Calder asked, trying to keep his voice calm and even, although rage began to swell inside of him.

“I don't know,” Radolf said firmly.

“How do you know he hurt her then?” Calder asked in confusion.

“Cause I heard her saying please no, over and over, and then later I heard her crying, when I was apposed to be asleep.”

Blue eyes met blue eyes in mutual sympathy for Regan. Calder saw the tears forming in Radolf's and was touched by his concern for his mother.

He set the boy down on the ground and knelt beside him. Chucking him under the chin, he said, “No tears, boy. Only women cry.”

Radolf sniffed and stifled his tears as he nodded at Calder.

“You and I,” Calder whispered confidingly, “will have a secret mission together.”

The boy's eyes opened wide. “What's that?”

“Our secret mission is to watch out for your Maman. To make sure no one hurts her or makes her cry. You will let me know if that happens, and I will give you two silver pennies.”

The boy's eyes almost popped out of his head and he started hopping excitedly from one foot to the other.

“But, Radolf,” Calder said sternly, gaining the boy's attention again, “it is a secret between you and me. You cannot tell anyone, not even your Maman.” The boy frowned. He disliked keeping secrets from her.

“We are doing it for her, Radolf,