Page 82 of Love, Remember Me

"When are we going home, m'lady?" Tillie asked.

"We hope to have the king's permission to leave the progress at Amphill," Nyssa told her tiring woman. "He promised we could leave before Christmas. We are anxious to return to Winterhaven too, Tillie."

The sunny and warm respite they had had in Hull was over, and over too was the summer. It was October. The day was cool. The gray clouds lay low on the land, and the rain poured down. Here and there patches of bright color broke the bleakness as stands of trees, dressed in gold, showed off their autumn leaves. There was no hunting now. The court was eager to return south to lodgings with stone walls that the wind did not get so easily through.

The damp, cool weather was beginning to bother the king's ulcerous leg. He rode upon one of the great dun horses that the princess Anne had given him New Year's last, hunched against the rain, and with his pain. He could be approached by no one but the queen and his faithful fool, Will Somers. The Earl of March despaired, for they could not leave court without the king's permission.

"We must wait until we get to Windsor," he told his wife. "There is no getting to him at the moment."

Nyssa was disappointed, but she understood, and strove to be patient.

They stayed a day at Kettleby, where the queen was already excitedly planning for the Christmas holidays.

"We shall celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas at Hampton Court," she told her ladies. "I do love Hampton Court! Nyssa, come and play cards with me. I must have a chance to win back what you won from me these past few nights." She giggled. "Henry says I should not gamble if I cannot win at least sometimes."

I should have said something when she mentioned Hampton Court and the holidays, Nyssa thought, but she decided that had she voiced a request to return to Winterhaven immediately, the queen would have said no, and then they could not have asked the king without insulting her. It was better not to encourage her enmity. I must be patient, Nyssa thought. She played her cards carelessly, and allowed Cat to win back what she had previously lost, plus a bit more.

"You must learn to play as skillfully at other games, Lady de Winter, as you played at cards this evening," Lady Rochford said softly to Nyssa as she prepared to return to her own pavilion.

Nyssa looked at the woman. Her dark eyes were fathomless. Her expression said nothing. "I know not what you mean, madame," she replied. "You speak in riddles. I am not good at riddles." She fastened her cloak about her and moved past Lady Rochford into the night. As the encampment was set up in identical fashion at each stop they had made over the progress, it was not necessary for Nyssa to be escorted. The torches outside of each pavilion gave enough light to show her the way. Moving quickly along, she was suddenly aware of footsteps behind her. As she turned to look about, two cloaked figures came up beside her, and taking her by the arms, swiftly forced her from her path into the darkness beyond the pavilions.

"Do not scream, madame, or I shall cut your throat," a voice warned her.

Scream? How could she? Her throat seemed paralyzed by fear. Who were these men, and what did they want of her? She wore little jewelry. How bold these robbers were to accost her within the king's own encampment.

The pavilions had been set up tonight just beyond the ruins of an old monastery. Nyssa's assailants half led, half dragged her into the shadow of its crumbling walls. At the very moment they stopped, the moon slipped out from behind a bank of clouds, revealing to her the faces of Tom Culpeper and Sir Cynric Vaughn. Knowing her kidnappers immediately eased Nyssa's fear; her throat relaxed and she drew a deep breath.

Then, yanking away from them, she hissed, "What do you mean by your behavior, sirs? How dare you accost me, and frighten me half to death!" She whirled about to return to the encampment, but cruel fingers closed about her arm and roughly yanked her back.

"Nay, madame, we have business together, you and I," Culpeper snarled into her face. "You have involved yourself in something that is not your concern at all. You have deeply distressed and confused a lady of our mutual acquaintance, madame. You must cease these actions. I will see that you do so." He smiled at her, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"You involved yourself in something that could cost that lady her life," Nyssa spat back. "If you truly care for her, you would not do it, but I believe you to be nothing but a selfish, opportunistic bastard, Tom Culpeper! How can you believe yourself safe? Lady Rochford knows your secret, for she foolishly encourages you both. Every day the danger grows greater, and the chances that the king will learn of your treason increases."

"You will not tell him!" Culpeper said fiercely.

"I? Are you mad? I should never betray Cat, nor would I be foolish enough to destroy the king's idyll of love. Nay, I will not tell him! Is that what this is about? You thought I would tell him of your perfidy?" She laughed harshly. "You are a fool, Master Culpeper."

"I do not believe you," he told her angrily. "If the king had not wed Cat, the chances are good he would have wed you. Cat told me how her uncle, Duke Thomas, arranged for your hasty marriage to his grandson to prevent the king from choosing you over Cat. If you betray my ladylove, the king would turn to you again."

Nyssa shook her head. This was precisely as she had thought it would be. "Tom Culpeper, listen to me, and try to understand what I say to you. I never wanted to marry the king.Never!My marriage was forced, but I love Varian de Winter, and I love the children I have borne him. I may even be with child again by my husband," she lied. "I think Cat wrong to behave as she does. I think you are wrong to behave as you do, but I will not be the one to expose your treason. My family would suffer for it. I will not do that to them just to satisfy a principle, particularly when the two people most involved in this disgraceful matter have no principles. Now let me go! My husband will wonder where I am, and you do not want him coming to look for me."

"Perhaps you are telling me the truth," Culpeper said slowly, "and perhaps you are not. Mayhap you say these things simply so I will release you, Nyssa de Winter. Before I do, however, I will give you a little taste of what will happen to you should you attempt to betray my ladylove and I." He moved swiftly behind her and, linking his arms through hers, hoisted her over his back so that she was quite successfully immobilized, her feet just off the ground. "She is all yours, Sin," he said. "Did you know, madame, that Sin lusts after you?"

"I will scream," Nyssa threatened them.

"If you do, we will claim you lured us here for immoral purposes, madame," he threatened. "Gag her, Sin, for good measure."

Sin Vaughn stepped forward and quickly tied a silk square about her protesting mouth. He caressed her face gently, but his eyes were cruel. Carefully, with skillful fingers, he unfastened first her cloak, which he lay aside, and then her bodice, which he fully opened. He ripped her chemise away and her breasts tumbled forth. His hands closed over the trembling flesh, and he crushed her breasts cruelly, his fingers imprinting themselves like scarlet ribbons across her skin.

Nyssa tried to struggle, but Tom Culpeper was quite successful in keeping her pinioned and helpless. She tried to scream, but the gag prevented her cries from being heard. Her attacker smiled, and holding onto one of her breasts, he bent his head and began to suckle strongly upon the other's nipple. When he had satisfied himself, he bit down hard on the nipple. Tears of pain slid down her cheeks as he moved his head to her other breast. Both rage and fear welled up bitterly in her throat, almost choking her. She fought strongly to escape these two beasts, but she could not. Her body arched as he bit upon her other nipple.

Sin Vaughn raised his head and stared lustfully into her eyes. "Let me have her, Tom," he said. "I know that I promised you I would wait, but let me have her here and now! God, she inflames me with desire!"

"Nay, you fool!" Tom Culpeper said angrily. "Cat will have my neck if I let you rape her now."

"A moment more then, and you can release her," he said. Gathering her skirts up, he tucked them in her waistband and tore her silk drawers off, tossing them aside in his eagerness. Kneeling, he leaned forward, pulling her nether lips apart, his tongue seeking her out.

Nyssa did not know how she managed to do it, but she could not allow him to perpetrate this further outrage upon her. She sagged her entire weight against Tom Culpeper, and when he stiffened himself to straighten her, she brought one knee up hard. The crunching contact she made with Sin Vaughn's jaw was extremely satisfying. He groaned, and collapsed on the ground at her feet. Hearing the noise, Culpeper released Nyssa. She tore the gag from her mouth, gasping for air and frantically drawing her skirts down to cover her nakedness.

---