Deception

Chapter 88

"You ride carefully. You carry precious cargo." She whispered as the man nods as thunder rumbles. Esme watched as it slowly began to rain as the main rode off into the night with the baby in his arms. Slowly she made her way back inside to help with Ghislaine until she demanded to stitch up her wound. Neither spoke a word that evening.

*************

"YOU KNEW!" Both Guy and Robin shouted towards Esme as she nodded slightly.

"When they died in the fire I swore I would keep it to my grave. I made an oath" Esme hissed trying to get them to understand. She felt her heart grew heavy as she hadn't thought back on the baby until now and wondered what happened to their brother. She should have done something when the baby had gotten older on Malcolm and Ghislaine's behalf.

"If I had told you about the baby would you have believed me?" She questioned them as they fell silent knowing true well that they would have thought her mad.

*************

Early Saturday morning Robin is up on the grassy hillside. Two small red bags hang from a branch. Robin, with his longbow, shoots both bags in rapid succession and each explodes in a cloud of white dust. He smiles at his feat, then frowns, seeing Roger of Gisborne sneaking around at the foot of the hill. Robin ducks behind the tall grass as Roger goes around to the back of the manor. Robin runs to the village.

"He's back! The leper! Guy's father! He's in their house!" Robin shouted out as he runs to his father who was with Swain, as they stop and turn to Robin running in from behind them. Robin points at the manor. Malcolm looks towards the manor, Swain reaches out an arm to him, but Malcolm runs to the house. Robin tries to run after him, but Longthorn catches him by his jacket.

"Hold! What's going on?" He demanded.

"The leper's back!" Robin spoke as he pulls free and runs after his father. Longthorn addresses the gathering villagers.

"Do you hear that? The leper's back. Risking all our lives again. Come on. Come on!" He shouted to the villagers as Longthorn leads the procession to the manor. Meanwhile inside the manor Malcolm bursts in through the front door where Isabella and Guy are sitting in the chairs by the fireplace.

"Where is he? Out of my way, boy." Malcolm demanded as Guy stood in his way and grabbed hold of a burning stick from the fireplace to confront Malcolm and in hope of scaring him off, from his mother and his family. If his father couldn't protect them then it was up to him to be the man of the house.

"No, not after what you did to my father." Guy defended as Guy thrusts the stick at Malcolm, forcing him to step back. Guy swings the stick again and Malcolm ducks, then pushes him into the table under the stairs, knocking over two goblets of wine. The alcohol ignites, as does a curtain hanging over the table from the banister. Guy stares at the rising flames and Malcolm steps back.

"Get out! Get out! Get your sister out of here!" Malcolm instructed to him, his parenting instincts taking charge as Guy grabs hold of Isabella and pulls her out the door. Malcolm goes upstairs to the master's chamber and opens the door to see Roger and Ghislaine standing together, holding each other's two hands. Ghislaine is wearing a fine gown and has a few blossoms in her hair.

"Ghislaine, there's a fire. You must leave now. You were told not to return." He warns her as Roger takes a step forward alarmed as Malcolm draws his sword. Malcolm briefly points the sword at Roger as smoke starts to rise between the floorboards.

"You expected me to stay away whilst you stole my wife?" Roger questioned annoyed.

"Your wife? The woman that you abandoned for years?" Malcolm snapped back as Roger always drew his sword.