Breaking the Rules (25 page)

Conan left the chalice where it was, grabbed her hand, and ran toward the nearest thicket of bushes. Bran ran with them, and they ducked down out of sight just as, to their unutterable dismay, Taynton arrived with his companions, including Vera. As it all to happen tonight after all? They weren’t yet ready!

They could only pray they were wrong. As luck would have it, Vera came quite close to the bushes to put on her robe, and Ursula hardly knew the words were on her lips before she spoke. “Vera!” she whispered urgently.

The blacksmith’s daughter froze. “Miss Ursula?”

“Don’t look around. Just hear what I have to say. I can explain a great deal to you, and I can tell you a way to marry Bellamy Taynton.”

Vera had to make a huge effort not to turn around toward the whispered voice. “You ... you can?”

“Yes. Meet me on the village green in the morning. I will await you by the merry-go-round at ten.”

“Very well.”

“Be certain to be there. It’s very important, and will make much clear to you.”

Vera had turned her head just sufficiently for them to see her profile. She gave an ironic smile. “Then I will be very grateful, Miss Ursula, because I sense so very much, yet understand nothing at all.”

There was no time to say anything more because Taynton called rather irritably to her, “Don’t dally there, Vera!”

“Forgive me, master,” Vera replied, and hurried to join the others.

The ritual of the previous night was repeated, another nail driven into the oak, and the old ring game performed so that Taynton was able to reassert himself as the others’ master. When all was completed, and the thirteen had departed again, the secret watchers came out of hiding.

Conan smiled at Ursula. “That was quick-witted to speak to Vera, if a little risky.”

“I know she loves him, and will do whatever she can to win him.”

“I don’t think much of her taste in men. However, no doubt even Cadfan Meriadoc has some redeeming features.”

Ursula looked at the hollow oak. “What shall we do about the chalice? Take it with us?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll feel a great deal easier if it’s in our hands rather than his.” He hurried to the tree, reached in for the chalice, and then looked at it in the moonlight. “It’s a very beautiful thing,” he observed admiringly, turning it slightly so that the gold and jewels shone.

“And very unholy indeed,” Ursula replied with a smile.

“True.” He continued to study it. “Well, if there is a clue of some sort in this frieze, I’m cursed if I can see it.”

“Don’t say that, for it’s uncomfortably close to the truth,” she said, shivering.

“I’ll take back to the house, for you need some sleep, in readiness for tomorrow. Theo and I need it as well, but have six miles to travel to our beds.”

And so once again they retraced their steps through the wood, then across the lower park to the rose garden. Before going into the house, they concealed the chalice in the stables, not wishing to answer questions about how and where they had come into possession of such a notorious stolen object.

But a shock awaited them, for a sleepy footman informed them that about an hour earlier a messenger had ridden posthaste from Stroud with the news that the River Frome had flooded Fromewell Mill to the possible extent of making the building dangerous. Mr. Elcester’s presence had been required urgently.

The footman made little attempt to conceal his curiosity about Conan’s presence. It would have been bad enough if Ursula had been out and about alone with Theo, whom she was to marry, but to be with his friend instead raised all manner of scandalous questions. Ursula was past caring about such tiresome matters. “Everyone was going to sleep at Elcester Manor tonight. “Sir Conan will be staying here tonight, so I wish you to show him to the east bedroom. We are to be awoken at eight, and breakfast is to be served at half past. Then I wish all the men employed here to assemble in the hall, for there is work to be done. Oh, and I wish my mare to be saddled for half past nine.”

The footman was a little bemused. “Er, yes, Miss Ursula,” he said, pulling himself together as best he could.

“And nothing is to be said of this. No one, but
no one
is to mention Sir Conan’s presence here.”

The footman could well understand the reason. “Yes, Miss Ursula.”

“Nor is anyone to speak outside of my order regarding the men. If anyone speaks out of turn, they will be instantly dismissed. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Miss Ursula.”

“See to it, then.”

The footman bowed, then withdrew, leaving Conan to look admiringly at her. “Oh, I can see what a very splendid Lady Merrydown you will be,” he declared.

She flushed. “There is many a slip,” she reminded him.

“Ah, but we now have the cup,” he pointed out.

“Yes. I only hope we will know how to use it.”

The footman returned with the maid, and Conan was led away to the east bedroom. Shortly afterward both he and Ursula were sound asleep in their beds. It was the dreamless sleep of the exhausted, and it seemed to be over all too soon as they were both aroused at eight o’clock.

The morning of May Eve was bright, clear, and sunny, and Ursula found she was surprisingly refreshed. She dressed in her riding habit because she was going to meet Vera later, and then went down to the dining room, where Conan was already waiting. He looked a little incongruous in evening attire, but it did not matter. Servants or not, he greeted her with a kiss, and they both sat down to a hearty repast.

Later, when the men were assembled as commanded, she informed them that she believed she had discovered the Roman villa her father had been seeking, but that in case it was a false alarm, she did not wish the matter to be spoken of outside the manor. That included all family and friends in the village, she added, knowing that Taynton numbered some villagers among his cohorts. She instructed them to bring as many spades and brushes as they could find and told them they were to act under Conan’s command.

Then she went outside, mounted Miss Muffet, and rode to the village to meet Vera on the green.

The village green was a hive of activity, for the fun would start at sundown on May Eve and would go on all night until sunup on May Day. The maypole had been carried from the Green Man and was in the process of being raised, and the merry-go-round was now completely assembled, much to the excitement of the village children. Even greater excitement was caused by the erection of a big wheel, an attraction never before been seen at Elcester. Acrobats and tightrope walkers rehearsed their performances, music played, and there was the smell of late breakfast cooking on various campfires.

Vera was waiting by the merry-go-round. She wore a dark blue mantle over a light blue dress, with a little straw bonnet on her head, and she was very nervous, glancing frequently in the direction of the inn as if she feared to see Taynton coming after her.

She came over as Ursula dismounted. “I cannot stay long, Miss Ursula, for there was very nearly a fire in the kitchens this morning, and now we’re all behind.”

“I will try to be as brief as possible, but there is a great deal you have to know, much of it that you may not even believe. Come on, let’s walk.” Leading Miss Muffet, Ursula walked slowly around the crowded green, with Vera listening at her side. The blacksmith’s daughter’s eyes grew wider and wider as the story of Macsen Wledig unfolded, but gradually their astonishment turned to a more thoughtful glint, and when everything had been related, she halted and faced Ursula.

“Bellamy and Sir Conan were once brothers?”

“Yes.”

“That means you and I were sisters-in-law?” Vera clearly had more difficulty accepting this latter fact than she did about the two men being siblings.

“Yes, we were, Vera,” Ursula confirmed, “and it’s up to us to make certain it all happens again.”

Vera thought a moment. “If he loved me then, he will love me again?”

“Yes, according to Elen of the Ways.”

Vera smoothed her skirts with hands that trembled, and glanced toward the church, where she could see the top of the yew tree and the curl of smoke from her father’s forge. “And my father is the Black Druid who will marry us?”

“We believe so.”

Vera smiled. “I will do whatever I can to help you, Miss Ursula.”

“We think that we can stop Taynton by finding the treasure first. At least, we hope that is how it will be. Whatever the way of it, it’s bound to be best that he doesn’t know we’ve discovered the villa, or that we’ve taken the chalice from the oak, so if you keep him busy today while we search in the woods ... ? I don’t know how much magic he’s capable of, so the least said the soonest mended, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh, I do know, Miss Ursula.”

A male voice intruded. “Vera? Miss Hursula?”

“Father!” Vera turned sharply as the blacksmith spoke behind them.

He touched his hat to Ursula as she turned quickly as well. “Miss Hursula,” he said again.

“Mr. Pedlar$.”

His glance searched their faces. “So ‘tis all astirring then?” he said.

Ursula looked at him in surprise. “You know?”

“I do now, Miss Hursula, on account of I ‘ad the darnedest dream last night. Longest dream I ever ‘ad in all my born days. So I know what ‘appened ‘ere long back, and what must ‘appen again now. The dream even told me I’d find you both ‘ere on the green, so I came to let you know I’ll be at the yew at midnight in my regalia.”

“As the Black Druid?” Ursula asked.

He nodded. “Yes, for that is my place in it all. I am meant to preside over three marriages, yours to Sir Conan, Mr. Greatorex to Eleanor Rhodes, and my Vera to that darned tick Taynton.”

Vera’s eyes filled with tears. “He isn’t a tick, truly he isn’t, Father.”

“I’ll ‘ave to be convinced of that, my girl.” The blacksmith looked at Ursula again. “But it ent all cut and dried yet, Miss Hursula. I don’t know if I’ll preside over any marriages at all, on account of Taynton ‘ave done some sorcery  ... ”

“I know.”

“I can tell you that only part of it ‘ave ‘taken’.”

“You know what he’s done?” Ursula asked quickly.

“Not really, just enough to know ‘e’ve not been as thorough as ‘e thinks. ‘E’ve still done mischief though, and come midnight tonight I can’t say ‘ow many couples there’ll be beneath that there yew tree. ‘Appen three, ‘appen none at all. I’ll be ready and waitin’, though, you ‘ave my solemn vow on that.”

Vera stepped uncertainly toward him. “Father, do you forgive me now?”

He smiled. “Of
course I do, you foolish little trot.”

She ran to him and flung her arms tearfully around his neck. They hugged each other tightly, then he held her gently away before walking back the way he’d come. Vera gazed after him. “I-I can hardly believe all this is happening. Miss Ursula,” she whispered.

Ursula gave her a wry smile.
“You
can’t? Vera, we’re
all
having the same trouble. Anyway, you get back to the Green Man and see that Taynton stays there, and I’ll go to the woods to see if anything exciting has been found.” She mounted Miss Muffet, and reached a hand down to Vera. “We’re going to win, I feel sure of it,” she breathed.

They clasped hands for a second, before Ursula kicked her heel and urged the mare away from the green.

* * * *

Taynton was waiting for Vera when she returned. “And where have you been?” he demanded. “There’s a stagecoach due any minute, and I’m told the mutton has boiled away to next to nothing!”

“The stagecoach is
not
due any minute,” she replied calmly, removing her bonnet and mantle and hanging them on the hook on the wall in his parlor. “There’s another hour yet, and I have everything in hand. You surely do not imagine I need to scurry around over one stagecoach when I’ve been preparing for the fair since last week? You’ve seen fit to grandly tell everyone in creation that there’s free food and drink to be had, but you didn’t pause to wonder where it was all going to come from, did you? There’s various cold hams I can slice for you from the pantry in the cellar, and more than sufficient other cold meats,” she replied calmly. “I’ve been preparing enough to feed the five thousand.”

“Well, I’m glad one of us is so at ease!” he snapped, then sneezed.

“Is your cold worse? Oh, and I expect your poor leg is still hurting,” she said solicitously, and put a loving hand to his cheek.

He stepped hastily back from her. “Don’t do that!”

“Do what? Here, come and sit down while I put some more balm on the bite, then I’ll make you some more rum gruel.”

He looked suspiciously at her. “What’s all this? Just before you went out you all but bit my head off!”

“Because you were being a bear. It wasn’t my fault that the kitchen almost caught fire.”

“Well, I had to shout at someone,” he replied with the infuriating thoughtlessness of so many men.

“And it’s always me you choose,” she replied tartly, almost pushing him to sit down in a comfortable armchair. Then she reached for the jar of balm from the nearby table.

Taynton sat back. He was determined to relax all he could today. It was foolish to panic too much. The gods were with him, and that was what really counted. He’d done all that was necessary, except enchant Conan Merrydown, and now he only had to wait for the witching hour. He closed his eyes as Vera massaged the balm gently into his sore calf. Oh, it felt good, he thought. Her fingers were warm and supple, and he could smell the rosemary infusion in which she had washed her hair.

He hardly noticed that the massaging had ascended from his calf to his knee, then to his thigh, then ... His eyes flew open as her fingers moved where they definitely should not be. She was leaning close to him, her brown hair tumbling forward, her soft brown eyes dark with desire, her buxom figure pressing needfully against him. “Make love to me, Master,” she whispered, and pursed her moist lips toward his.

Now was the caster of spells under a spell himself. Her clever fingers knew how to arouse and please, how to banish resistance. The centuries peeled back, and she was his Lady Severa again. Desire flooded through his loins, and he pulled her roughly into his arms. It wouldn’t harm his plans if he gave in a little—just a little. After all, he wasn’t just of the Otherworld, he was human too ... .