Page 24 of The Forsaken
“Hugh, I…” Guy began, but didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence as the lady in question poked her head around the door.
“May I come in?” Kate asked. “I wanted to say goodbye.”
Sunlight from the window fell on her as she stood in the middle of the room. A golden haze surrounded her, probablycaused by Guy’s distorted vision, but to him she looked like an angel. Her glorious hair fell to her shoulders and framed her face, and her wide blue eyes held Guy’s gaze as he looked upon her.
“Your brother is taking me home,” Kate said as she approached the bed. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I know you must be in terrible pain, but the danger’s passed and Nurse will look after you until you’re well enough to rise from your bed.”
“Thank you, for everything,” Guy mumbled, suddenly afraid that he might embarrass himself by getting teary-eyed. He felt ashamed of his weakness, but he didn’t want her to go. Once Kate left, she’d be out of his reach, and the thought made him sick with longing. He’d never been in love, never even looked at a woman with any thought for the future, but he could imagine Kate by his side. She wished to be a nun; he knew that, and he would be prepared to never lay a finger on her if only she agreed to share her life with him. He would remain celibate, for he would never want another woman again if he couldn’t have her.
“Guy? Guy?” Kate called to him. “He’s exhausted. Perhaps we’d better leave him to rest.” She leaned over him and kissed him gently on the forehead. “May God bless you, Guy de Rosel,” she whispered. “And may he keep you safe.”
“And you,” was all Guy could manage. His head was splitting in two, and he could barely focus on Kate’s face, which was a shame because he wanted to store it in his memory forever.
“I’ll be back in a few days,” Hugh said as he rose to leave. “Nurse will look after you, brother. Get well.”
“Right,” Guy muttered as he closed his eyes to hide the tears that stung his pride.
FIFTEEN
JULY 2014
Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland
“That’s the last of it,” Gabe announced as he finished bagging and labeling the bits of cloth, hair, and leather he’d found in the grave. A long box, looking for all the world like a Christmas present, rested on the kitchen table, and contained the bones of the medieval warrior who was about to embark on his final journey.
“Think he’s even been to London?” Quinn asked as she eyed the box. It always amazed her that a living, breathing human being could be reduced to nothing but a box of bones.
“It’s possible,” Gabe replied. “It all depends on where his loyalties lay.”
“I never knew your family was titled.”
“Armand de Rosel, grandfather to William, Hugh, and Guy, was created the first Baron de Rosel. He would have received a Writ of Summons to attend Parliament, quite an honor in those days. The title passed to his son, Gilles de Rosel, and then to William. On William’s death, four-year-old Adam became the next Baron de Rosel. And he was also the last. The family was stripped of the title when Henry Tudor took the throne.”
“Fought for the wrong side, did they?” Quinn asked.
“They did. I know the history, but I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like to live in a time when the balance of power continually shifted, and choosing the wrong side could mean not only the loss of your title and holdings, but possible execution. Imagine the uncertainty. Putting aside the ongoing struggle for the throne, Berwick changed hands more than a dozentimes during the Middle Ages, going from being English to Scottish and back again.”
“Were there any Scots in your line?” Quinn asked.
“Not that I know of.” Gabe looked at the box of bones, his head tilted to the side in thought. “Other than the fact that our man was buried with Guy de Rosel’s sword, there’s nothing to indicate that he was actually an ancestor of mine. He could have been buried here for any number of reasons. It would seem that someone was trying to hide his body, so chances are he didn’t die in battle, or of natural causes.”
Quinn rested her palm on the box containing the mortal remains of the knight. “Whoever buried him clearly held him in great esteem and gave him the honors due to a warrior. I’d wager he wasn’t buried by his enemies.”
“No, probably not, but why bury him beneath the floorboards? A Christian burial was very important, and still is for people of the faith. Burying someone in unconsecrated ground was seen as either an insult or a punishment.”
“What did you do to deserve such a fate?” Quinn asked the silent bones.
“Hopefully, we’ll get some answers from Colin. Once we know what ultimately killed him, we’ll be able to start filling in the blanks.”
“Gabe, would you mind if I shared this discovery with Rhys? It could make for an interesting episode ofEchoes. I know Rhys has several good leads for the second series, but he’d love this.”
“Quinn, you’re on maternity leave,” Gabe replied with an eloquent frown.
“I know, but I feel so restless,” she complained. “I’m not used to doing nothing.”
“You’re not doing nothing, you’re taking care of our baby and preparing for its birth.”
Quinn sighed. “My nesting instinct hasn’t kicked in yet. Right now, I just feel grumpy and listless. Besides, whether Rhys is interested in the story or not, we’re still digging into the past. It’s what we do, Gabe.”
