A thud drew Willa from her thoughts and she glanced toward the wall between this bedchamber and the master chamber that had been Richard Hillcrest's. As far as she knew, there was no one staying in that room. She heard a muffled scuffling sound and found herself on her feet and walking to the door. It was probably just Lord Wynekyn looking for the letter, but anything that distracted her from her thoughts was welcome.
She stepped out into the hall and found it empty.
Willa had a vague recollection of Hugh saying he would send Baldulf up. The guard hadn't yet arrived. The hallway was quiet and growing dark as the bedchamber door swung closed behind her. The rest of the doors leading off the hall were already shut, leaving the passage dark. Though it was not late, the torches should have been lit.
Willa was a little more than halfway to Lord Richard's room when it struck her that they must have been lit when she had come above stairs just moments ago or, surely, she would have noticed. A frown crossed her face. She couldn't really swear to that; she had been rather distressed at the time. She still was. Willa considered fetching a candle and glanced back toward the bedchamber she and Hugh were using. Then a cool draft drifted around her. It stirred her hair and made her toes curled inside her shoes. That explained the unlit torches, she decided. A breeze from one of the rooms had put them out.
A soft click drew her gaze down the hall. Willa was sure it had been Lord Richard's door closing. She stared into the inky blackness ahead, trying to make out whether anyone was there. "Lord Wynekyn?"
Willa moved cautiously forward, feeling along the wall until she touched the wood of the door. She paused there, her ears straining to make up for her lack of sight. She would swear she could hear someone else breathing. Another click made Willa pause and peer further along the hall. Another door had been softly closed. She listened for a moment, but could hear nothing above the sound of her slamming heart. It was only then that she realized her heart was racing violently. It was acting as if she had something to be frightened of.
"Silly," she reprimanded herself as she reached for the door. Lord Wynekyn would be inside with candlelight, searching Papa's chamber. She opened the door, but found herself hesitating on the threshold. Her gaze slid nervously around the interior. The chamber was cold and musty smelling, but there didn't appear to be anyone inside the room. That just made her more nervous. She was sure she had heard someone in here.
A clatter made her eyes jump nervously to the window. Willa gave a nervous chuckle as she saw that one side of the tapestry that had always hung over the shuttered window had fallen away. The shutters had also been unfastened, allowing sunlight and a cool breeze into the room as they clattered open and shut. That was probably the sound she had heard from next door.
Feeling foolish for jumping at shadows, Willa started across the room to pull the shutters closed.
"Willa girl! Where are you? Willa!" Baldulf's panicky call reached her and Willa wrinkled her nose. At least she was not the only one made nervous by recent events.
"In here, Baldulf!" she called as she reached the window and leaned out to grab the swinging shutters.
"What the devil are you doing in here? Hugh said he had ordered you to stay in your room until I - " His surly words ended on a grunt that made Willa turn toward the door. She caught a glimpse of someone slipping out of the room, but it was just a glimpse. Her dismayed gaze was focused on her friend as he crumpled to the floor.
"Baldulf!" She rushed to his side with alarm. "Baldulf?"
Kneeling at his side, she turned the old soldier onto his back. She examined his pale face with concern and whispered, "Oh, Baldulf," as she brushed the hair back from his forehead. He moaned in pain, but his eyes did not open.
Biting her lip, Willa lifted his head with one hand. She ran the fingers of her other hand carefully over the back of his head until she found where he had been hit. There was a bump and some blood.
"Willa? Yoohoo! Hello?"
"Jollivet?" Willa called uncertainly.
"Ah, I thought you were up here. I saw you return with Hugh and thought we might discuss the latest fashions to see what sort of gown you would prefer. He asked me to help you assemble a new wardrobe and - Whatever are the two of you doing on the floor?" he asked with amusement as he reached the door to the bedchamber. Then concern replaced his amusement and he rushed forward to kneel on the opposite side of the fallen guard. "Faith! Is Baldulf alright?"
"Someone hit him over the head. Can you fetch Eada for me?"
"Aye, of course." Letting the parchment he had been carrying slip to the floor, Jollivet launched himself to his feet and hurried from the room. He began shouting the moment he was out of sight.
"You did not see who set the fire?"
Hugh scowled at Lucan's question. He had left his horse at the stable and sought out Baldulf first. He'd taken the time to give the soldier a quick rundown of the situation so he would be aware that vigilance was needed. The moment the guard was on his way to Willa, Hugh had gone in search of Lucan and Lord Wynekyn. He had thought clearer heads than his were needed to sort out this mess. Hugh was too furious to think clearly at the moment.
Having found Lucan and Lord Wynekyn in the great hall, he'd related all that had taken place at the cottage. Well, he had left out certain personal bits, but had explained about the fire. Then he had awaited their opinion on the matter. Wynekyn had been silent since Hugh had finished speaking. As for Lucan, he seemed more interested in asking stupid questions than in offering any wisdom on how to bring an end to these attacks.
"I told you we were sleeping," Hugh said with forced patience.
"In the cottage?" his friend asked with one raised eyebrow.
"Aye. In the cottage. We were sleeping. I did not see who set the fire," Hugh growled.
"You were sleeping in the cottage?"
"Did I not just say that?" he snapped.
"Aye. 'Tis just such an odd thing to do. Why would you go all the way down to the cottage to sleep on a tiny pallet that would barely fit you, alone, when you have a lovely large bed here in the castle?"
His friend's smile said he knew exactly why Hugh and Willa had been asleep on the pallet. He was just attempting to annoy him. It was working. Hugh was growling deep in his throat when Lord Wynekyn chose to intervene.
"I really do not think that is important, Lucan." He gave the man a reproving look, then added, "I believe it is more important to learn how whoever set the fire knew you were there."
Hugh stiffened at that remark. It had not occurred to him.
"Do you think the arsonist followed the two of you down to the cottage?" Lucan asked.
Hugh considered that, but shook his head. "Nay. I think the wolves would have been aware of that. They would have growled or something, as they did the night of the attack in the clearing."
"Then you do not think he was there the whole time?"
Hugh shook his head slowly, working it out for himself. He really didn't believe anyone could have followed them to the river. The wolves would have warned them somehow.
That meant the person had most likely come after the wolves had left.
"If he did not follow you, how did whoever set the fire know you would be there? Could it have been blind luck on his part?"
Hugh scowled at the question. He didn't believe in that kind of luck. Had he told anyone they were going to the cottage? Hugh considered the matter briefly, but knew he hadn't. Baldulf had known, though. The soldier had been on the stairs with Hugh and Willa when she had said that she must see if she could not coax the beasts to return and stay near the clearing by the cottage. Had anyone else been near enough to hear?
He was pondering the matter when shouting from above drew his attention. Turning toward the stairs, he saw Jollivet rushing down them. "Hugh! Eada! Where is Eada? Hugh!"
Hugh's first instinct was to roll his eyes at the man's hysteria, but then he realized his cousin was coming from above stairs, where Willa was. And he was shouting for Eada. Hugh hurried to meet his cousin at the bottom of the stairs. "What is it? Is Willa hurt?"
"Nay. Baldulf. Someone hit him over the head and - "
"Fetch Eada," Hugh interrupted and rushed passed him up the stairs. He went to his chamber first, aware that Lucan and Wynekyn were on his heels. They all paused in the doorway in confusion on finding the room empty. Hugh turned at once, pushing past the other two men as he bellowed for his wife. "Willa!"
"Here!"
Following the sound of her voice, he hurried to his uncle's chamber, only slightly relieved to find her there. Sparing barely a glance for the man on the floor, he hurried to her side. "Are you alright?"
"Aye. 'Twas Baldulf who was hit," she assured him, then glanced to the door. Relief covered her face. Following her gaze, Hugh saw Eada push past the other two men.
"What happened?" Eada asked, kneeling to examine the fallen man.
Hugh glanced down at the fellow and scowled at his pallor while Willa said, "I heard a noise in here and thought Lord Wynekyn must be searching for the letter. I came to see, but the room was empty." She gestured toward the window. "The tapestry was down and the shutters were banging. That was the noise I had heard. I was trying to close them when Baldulf came in. He was speaking, and then he grunted. I turned, and he was falling. Someone had hit him over the head."
"Did you see who hit him?" Hugh asked.
"I - "
"The letter!"
Hugh glanced around at that exclamation from Lord Wynekyn. The man was holding a rolled scroll. Standing, Hugh moved to his side. "Where did you find it?"
" 'Twas right here on the bed." His troubled gaze lifted to Hugh. "I searched this room thoroughly - several times. 'Twas not here earlier."
Hugh's mouth tightened, but he merely took the scroll and slid it in his belt. Then he returned to stand behind Willa. She twisted where she sat, her gaze sliding curiously from the scroll to his face and back again. Baldulf groaned and she turned her attention back to the man who had guarded her life for so long.
"Baldulf?" She reached out to touch his cheek in an affectionate gesture that made Hugh oddly jealous. He forced the petty reaction away as the man clasped her hand and blinked his eyes open.
"Willa?" He appeared confused.
"Aye." She smiled. The expression was full of a love and tenderness Hugh would have given his title to receive. He silently vowed to himself that someday she would look at him just that way. He just hoped he wouldn't have to receive a kosh on the head to get it. Hugh grimaced over that thought as Willa asked the man, "How is your head?"
"Aching."
"Hmmm. That's good," Eada announced.
Baldulf turned his head to peer at her doubtfully. " 'Tis?"
"Aye. Means ye're alive and well enough to complain."
Hugh had to work to keep from laughing at that comment. Baldulf's outraged expression did not help much. Clearing his throat, Hugh scowled at the woman. "Could you give the man something to ease the ache?"
"Oh, aye." She heaved a put-upon sigh and straightened. "If ye great men could stop standing about long enough to lug him to the bed, I shall fetch some meade and mix him a potion." When Hugh lifted an eyebrow at the order, she added, "The potion will make him sleepy. He can rest here while Willa and I see to cleaning this room. Now that the letter has been found, there is no reason not to move the two of ye here. An earl should sleep in the master's chamber."
Hugh glanced around as he considered her words. She was right. There was no reason now not to use this room. The delay had been due only to the fact that he and Lord Wynekyn had wished to search it for the letter ere moving things about too much. Now that the letter was found, there was no reason not to use it. It was much larger than the chamber he and Willa were presently in. Hugh nodded. "Aye."
"Get him in the bed then," the old woman ordered as she straightened. She ignored Hugh's irritation at being ordered about by one of his own servants and left the room in search of meade into which to mix her herbs.
Uncle Richard obviously had allowed the woman to get away with much during his time as earl. Deciding that it was probably too late to train her to behave more respectfully, Hugh urged Willa out of the way and knelt beside Baldulf. He'd just pulled the soldier's arm over his shoulder when Lucan rushed over to take the opposite side. Between the two of them, they got him into the bed.
Eada returned shortly afterward and dosed the man with something that made him grimace and curse. Having suffered the woman's potions himself, Hugh could sympathize. Still, although he wasn't sure whether it was the potion or Baldulf's disgust with the taste of it that did the trick, the man did have more color in his cheeks by the time Eada was finished with him. Deciding Baldulf appeared recovered enough for the questions he'd been waiting to ask, Hugh stepped up to the bedside. "Did you see who hit you?"
Baldulf shook his head apologetically. "Nay. I was hit from behind as I entered the room. I saw nothing but the floor coming up to meet me. Whoever it was must have been hiding behind the door."
Hugh scowled, his gaze moving to the door in question. He'd been hoping that Baldulf had seen something useful. Of course, life was never that easy. He nodded and stood. "Well, you rest here. We will find the culprit soon enough."
He started toward the door, aware that Lord Wynekyn and Lucan were following while Jollivet hesitated by the bed.
"My lord?"
Willa's voice made him pause. Turning back, he smiled at her wearily. "Aye, wife?"
"The letter?"
Hugh felt for the letter at his waist, relaxing when his hand touched it. He'd forgotten he had the letter, but the moment she'd mentioned it, he had feared he'd dropped it. "Aye. I have it."
"Aye, husband. Did you plan on letting me read it?"
Hugh knew his surprise showed. "Nay. There is no need. I shall tend to it."