No one has to know

Chapter 37

A short time later, Mary was emerging from Catherine's room, after she had calmed down a little, and she bumped into Greer in the hall.

"Mary. Are you alright? You look upset." she asked.

"It's Catherine. Bash has left her." Greer looked confused. "It was all a misunderstanding, but he's gone. She's devastated."

"Good. I guess my plan worked then." Kenna said coming up behind them. Mary turned slowly to look at her. Anger growing on her face.

"You. You did this?" she took a step toward her. "How dare you."

"Someone had to save Bash from her wicked ways." she said. Mary slapped her. Kenna's hand went to her cheek, her expression filled with shock.

"You have gone to far. You had no right. You say that Catherine is wicked. Well what does this make you?" she asked angry.

"Mary I..." she began.

"I don't have time to deal with this right now. I have to try and get Bash back here...Greer." she and Greer started to walk away when she turned back for a moment. "You had better hope Catherine never finds out about this, because I'm sure that will be your end." she turned back away in huff and left her stunned in hallway.

Mary wrote Bash a letter and sent it with Leith to Anet. Then she and Greer prayed that it would be enough to bring him back.

When Leith arrived in Anet, Bash was sitting outside the chateau with his sister drinking tea and looking miserable.

"Leith. What are you doing here?" he said getting up to greet him. "Louise, this is Leith. He was my second in command at the castle, Leith this is my sister, Louise." Leith bowed his head and turned back to look at Bash.

"I've been sent to bring you back to the castle..." he started but Bash cut him off.

"If Catherine thinks she can..." then Leith cut him off in return.

"Catherine didn't send me. Queen Mary did. She ordered me not to leave until you read her letter." he said handing it to him. Bash took it.

"Alright, if it will get you to leave..." he said and began reading it. A look of shock started to wash over his face. Kenna. Kenna had sent the men to the chateau. It wasn't Catherine. He didn't believe her. No. He couldn't have accused her of this and been wrong. He wouldn't accept that he'd done that to her. He turned back to his sister. "Louise, those men you captured. Did you send them off yet?"

"No. They're still locked up downstairs. Why?" she said. He didn't answer. He just took off inside. Leith followed after.

He rushed downstairs and flung open the cellar door.

"You two! That letter that was found on you? Who gave it to you?" They said nothing. They were clearly terrified. "Who gave it to you?" he said again, grabbing one of them by the collar.

"It...it was a man...he said he was a guard from the castle, but he ain't had no uniform on. He said said the lady that sent him would give us 'nough money to feed our family for a month." he said.

"We ain't really assassins. We wasn't even gonna hurt no one. He said to just make 'em think we was. We wasn't supposed to get caught. We was just supposed to leave the letter. We just wanted to feed our families. Please don't let them kill us." said the other. Bash's face went white.

"A lady." he said.

"Yeah. He said she was a pretty young thing. Then he looked scared, like he done said too much." said the first man. Bash turned to Leith.

"Get these two back to the castle. I need them to tell Mary everything they just told me. I'll ride ahead. I have to get back there as quickly as I can. I have made a mistake after all." he ordered.

He rode faster than he ever had. The guilt driving him. Why didn't he believe her? He wanted to kick himself. Kenna would pay for this.

When he finally arrived at the castle again. Catherine was sitting on their bench in the garden. He watched her for just a moment from around the corner. He could see the sadness in her eyes. What had he done? He collected himself and slowly walked toward her. When she finally noticed him, she looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost. He slowly went to sit next to her.

"Catherine, I..." he said. She quickly stood.

"No. Don't." she replied. He stood too.

"I'm so sorry. I know now you didn't do this. I should've believed you before."

"After all we've been through...How could you?"

"I..just know how much you hate her...I know that's no excuse. I know how mad you must be at me, no madder than I am at myself." he reached for her arm and she pulled it back. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I wish I could take it back. Can we just go back to yesterday, pretend this never happened?"

"I can't do that. You were right, what you said in your letter was right. We can't be married if you can't trust me." she turned and started walking away.

"Catherine. Catherine please don't...." he said, as she retreated into the castle.