Page 108 of Feathers in the Wind
He let the stick fall and took a step towards her as she did likewise. She stood within arm’s reach of him, her gaze locked on his eyes. Her lips parted and her eyelids fluttered and as one they leaned in towards each other.
A low growl of thunder rolled across the peaceful landscape, causing the birds to take flight. They flew upwards carolling alarm as Luke and Deliverance jumped apart.
“Cannon?” Deliverance whispered, her eyes still locked on Luke’s wide and fearful. Luke nodded. “Byton. It has begun. We must get back to the castle, Deliverance.”
Deliverance paused only to scoop up the linen cap, and they both strode swiftly back towards the castle and their responsibilities.
Chapter 7
With Byton now under siege, Luke redoubled his efforts on Kinton Lacey’s defences. Every able-bodied person, man, woman or child bent their back to the ditches and fortifications. Even the weather turned against them with cold, sleeting rain turning the clay to mud and the task to one of Herculean proportions.
As the men laboured in the ditches, up to their knees in cold, muddy water, everyone’s spirits began to sag. Patrols of Farrington’s men harried the troops Luke sent out to gather provisions, and he had lost three good men in the ensuing skirmishes. He could ill afford to lose any more.
Luke hunched down under his sodden cloak while the rain dripped off the brim of his hat. He looked down from the curtain wall at the toiling labourers below him. It had been Deliverance’s idea to line the ditch with the antiquated weapons from the great hall. The old halberds and pikes were of little use in siege warfare but still serviceable and would make a nasty deterrent to anyone foolish enough to storm the weakest wall. The gate caused him no concern. Despite the stone bridge, replacing an earlier drawbridge, the double fortified gatehouse had two solid, working portcullis and it would take an enormous force to take the gatehouse.
“Is there anything more we can do?” Ned asked.
Luke shook his head. “Of course, but with the time we have left, we have done as much as we can. If Farrington wants this castle, he will have to work for it,”
Without the siege gun, Farrington would have to starve them out. Deliverance’s careful provisioning of the garrison ensured they could hold out for months. The only thing that could, and probably would, break them would be the Thunderer and at the thought of that enormous weapon, he shuddered.
He turned and looked down into the courtyard where Deliverance’s slight, bedraggled figure stood in the centre of the mired yard, directing barrels of salted meat towards the cellars. He stood watching her for a few minutes, smiling when he saw her hair hanging unregarded in sodden rats’ tails down the back of her cloak. A lesser woman would have disappeared indoors at the first drop of rain, but not Deliverance. Until they had completed the tasks, she would be out there all day.
He sighed and gathered himself together. Ever since that moment on the water meadow when he had nearly kissed her, being in her presence caused him acute embarrassment and he went out of his way to avoid her. However, this time it couldn’t be avoided and, dearly as he might have liked to escape through the Gatehouse, he had a matter he needed to discuss with her.
As if aware she was being watched, she turned and looked up at him. He gestured for her to join him and she left her post, taking the slippery, unguarded steps to the walk at the top of the curtain wall with an ease born of familiarity.
As she reached him, she pushed the matted hair back from her face. “I’m very busy, Luke. Is this important?”
“Yes. I wanted to tell you I intend to raze that line of cottages.” He indicated four cottages a mere three hundred yards from the castle gate.
Her jaw fell open. “You can’t do that,” she protested. “People live there.”
“When Farrington comes those cottages make perfect cover for him and whoever lives there now, most certainly won’t be there for long.”
She looked up at him, her blue eyes fierce with anger. “Luke, where will the people go?”
“They can be rebuilt when this is over, but for now, Deliverance, they are coming down.” He turned back to the wall and gave a sign to Sergeant Hale to proceed with the demolition. The sound of axes crashing into wood pierced the still air. A child cried. Luke set his jaw. He could not afford sentimentality.
“I have already told the villagers that they have three choices. They can stay where they are and face Farrington, they can come inside the castle walls or they can take themselves off to a safer place.” Deliverance looked at him. “What sort of choices are those?”
“The only ones they have,” he said. “And the same applies to those within these walls, yourself and Penitence included.” He hunched his shoulders, straightening as he looked down into her angry face. “In fact, it would be preferable if you both left the castle.”
“And where do you think we would go?” Deliverance turned to him, her hands on her hip, her chin lifted in defiance.
He knew that look and his heart sank.
He shrugged. “Surely you have some kindly relative in a quieter part of the country who would take you in? Frankly, Deliverance, I would prefer it if I didn’t have you and your sister to worry about.”
Rain ran down her face, failing to cool the anger that coloured her cheeks and the fire that burned in her eyes.
“You are insufferable,” Deliverance said. “We are not going anywhere and you know it!”
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “But don’t come bleating to me, two weeks after the gates shut, that you’ve had enough and want to get out.”
He heard the hiss of indrawn breath and her mouth opened to let forth a cutting response, but it didn’t come. She clamped her mouth shut and turned on her heel. He turned back to the wall to watch the destruction of the cottages.
“That was a bit harsh,” Ned spoke at last, having maintained a judicial silence during the confrontation with Deliverance.
