Page 71 of The Knight’s Reward

Those guards must have heard something, because all four of them closed ranks, cinching in around Kathryn and Sara. And then Kathryn heard it too—the sound of horses’ hooves riding quickly toward them. The woods were too thick for them to see much beyond the small clearing ahead, so their small riding party stopped.

And waited.

Suddenly, four riders thundered around the corner. They reined in abruptly when they spotted them.

Kenshire men.

“Gerald!” Sara exclaimed. Breaking free of the guards around them, the countess rode ahead to meet the man in the lead.

“You’re hurt.”

Indeed, Kathryn saw the blood on his upper thigh, and then something else caught her eye. One of the horses was riderless. From the way Sara leaned sideways in her saddle for a better look, she knew Sara had noticed it too.

“Who?” she said, her voice throbbing with command. This was the Countess of Kenshire, not her spirited hostess, and she was very much in charge.

“Charles, my lady.”

“What happened?”

The man named Gerald spoke just loudly enough for all to hear.

“Scottish reivers. We were returning from Dunburg Abbey when they struck. There were ten men, my lady.”

“And they attacked without cause?”

“We were close enough to the abbey. They seemed to know that we trade in gold.”

“And Charles?”

“Fought bravely, my lady. Two of my men retrieved his body but were separated from us afterward.”

He looked as if he wanted to say more but changed his mind.

Violence along the border.

She’d heard the phrase so many times. Had seen fights break out between Englishmen and Scots at the inn. But this . . . this was entirely different. To see the evidence of the unrest before her . . .

As if remembering Kathryn was there, bearing witness to what had happened, Sara rode back toward her. “We are on Kenshire land now and quite safe.”

“You return for more men?” she asked Gerald.

“Aye, my lady.”

With that, they followed the newcomers on the path they’d been traveling toward the main road. They set a quicker pace, and no one spoke on the ride back to the castle. All seemed to feel the same miasma of dread and horror.

By the time they entered the courtyard, Geoffrey was waiting for them. He must have received word of the attack.

Sara dismounted, and although Kathryn was too far away to hear anything, she could tell the countess was quite upset. No wonder. Her people had been attacked most viciously, without provocation.

This had happened because of Caxton. Because of what he’d done to the Day of Truce.

Not wanting to interrupt, Kathryn dismounted and handed her reins to a stable boy. She hung back until Sara waved her over.

“It is getting worse every day,” Sara said to her, pulling her aside as Geoffrey spoke to Gerald. “Before, this would not have stood. Without the Day of Truce, our warden is powerless.”

The words hit Kathryn like a knife to the stomach. “I’m sorry to hear of the man you lost,” she said, following Sara through the courtyard toward the main keep. “Sorry, also, for his family.”

“I will visit them this evening.” Sara made her way up the steps as Peter opened the door to the front entrance of the keep. “Thank you, Peter.”