Page 88 of The Scot

Chapter 36

“How long do you believe the siege will last?”

Cait wrinkled her nose, making herself very much look like a rabbit. Roysa would have told her as much if they weren’t standing so close to the guard. Terric had insisted they didn’t need to serve as additional lookouts—that was the purpose of the guard who stood beside them—but both of them had wanted to do more than count sacks of beans.

Again.

“I would say until summer, at least,” Cait said, shrugging.

“Longer,” their companion said in a low voice.

They had been out here all afternoon, and until now, the guard had said not a single word to them. Not even when they’d attempted to feed him.

Since they were positioned along the inner wall, none of them wore armor, but Roysa had known him for a knight anyway. The way he stood, hand atop his sword as if the enemy were not well beyond their reach . . .

“Pardon?” Cait asked.

“Ulster has come well prepared and will likely receive reinforcements. It will be longer than that.”

They’d spoken to Lance this morning, who had much the same opinion of matters. If John truly planned to make Dromsley an example of his might, Ulster would be just the first round of men to engulf them. Though his bridge-building attempts had thus far been unsuccessful, he didn’t seem in any hurry to leave. No doubt, he’d send away for more supplies, adding to the trebuchets supposedly positioned outside the walls.

Roysa turned to Cait, raising her eyebrows. “You chose a fine time to return to England after so many years.”

She’d hoped to catch her friend off guard, enough so that she’d offer her true motivation for coming, something she’d done against the wishes of her brother and her mother. Despite knowing she would also incur Terric’s wrath.

“Your nose is red” was her only response.

“You’ll not want to discuss noses. Yours did this.” She attempted to recreate what Cait nose had done earlier, but not much could be said for her dramatics beyond that she managed to make Cait laugh. Even the guard seemed to smile. Maybe. It was difficult to tell.

Roysa looked out at . . . nothing. When they’d asked where additional eyes might be needed, she and Cait had been directed to the Middle Tower. But Roysa had begun to suspect this was the exact location where they were needed least. They could see nothing but the inner bailey and, beyond it, fields of white with occasional patches of mud and earth. She’d always assumed a siege meant the entire castle would be surrounded, but apparently that was not so.

“He hasn’t said he loves me yet,” she whispered, the one thought she’d woken up with. By now, all knew Roysa had slept in the lord’s chamber the previous night. Though most of the women and children had been sent from the keep ahead of the siege, enough servants remained to have sufficiently spread the word before Roysa even broke her fast.

“He did wake me before he left. I could become accustomed to such a waking.”

Cait’s mouth dropped open.

“Nay!” she said. “He rubbed my back is all.”

“Hmph. You’ve two sisters.”

Roysa wasn’t sure she understood how that related.

Cait gave her a rueful smile. “I have two brothers.” She paused, then added, “But I am glad to finally have a sister as well. I begged my mother for one for many years.”

She was glad for it too.

“Terric did say he loved you. In his own way.”

Roysa thought of the man she had met, huge and brooding. And the man who’d woken her up so gently this morn.

“Do you realize . . .” Roysa stopped when she saw men running through the courtyard. “What’s happening?”

They both looked to the guard, who appeared as confused as they felt. More shouts. And then she saw it.

A man being carried into the keep.

“Is that . . .”