Mortimer cut her off. “What was so funny? Is it a secret?”
It was apparent he would not let the subject go. The group of them came to the targets and she turned to face Mortimer with some irritation.
“Nay, my lord, it is not a secret,” she said with veiled impatience. “We were discussing cats. I had a cat that used tojump on unsuspecting people. Once it grabbed me around the neck and almost bit my ear off. That is all we were discussing—cats.”
Mortimer lifted an eyebrow at her as if he did not believe her but he let it go. He returned to the targets.
“Look and see, Lady de Lara,” he pointed to the giant bale of hay with arrows sticking out of it. “Is my arrow not closer than de Roche’s?”
Toby was tired of the game, exhausted in general. Most of all, she hated being around Mortimer and his men. They were pompous, overbearing, conceited and powerful. She found it a stifling combination. All she wanted was to go home, wherever that may, be so long as Tate was there. She missed him more with every breath and the fact that he’d not yet made it to Wigmore to rescue her was beginning to weigh quite heavily on her. It was part of the reason for her severe moods.
“Aye, it is,” she said shortly, turning to Kenneth. “My feet are wet. Carry me back to the castle, please. I am cold.”
Kenneth didn’t say a word as he bent over and scooped her into his enormous arms. Bundled against the cold as she was, she made an armful. As he walked away with Timothy beside him, Mortimer called after them.
“You will attend the nooning meal, Lady de Lara,” he said in a tone that suggested she had no choice. “I have visitors I should like for you to entertain.”
Kenneth glanced down and could see the storm brewing on her face. “Pleasantly, my lady,” he whispered. “Pleasantly.”
She looked up at him, scowling, but knew he was correct. By the time Kenneth came to a halt and turned around, Toby’s scowl was gone.
“As you wish, my lord,” she said.
“And wear something delicious. I should like to show you off.”
“I am not yours to show off.”
Mortimer cocked an eyebrow. “You are indeed my guest to display as I please.”
Kenneth could feel Toby tensing in his arms again and he gave her a quick squeeze, silently telling her to behave. She was close to exploding. Still, she managed to keep a civil tongue.
“As you wish, my lord.”
She said it through clenched teeth and Kenneth very quickly swept her towards the castle before she could say something more that would have them all in trouble. Just as they came to the muddy road leading into the big gatehouse, Toby pushed herself out of Kenneth’s arms with a growl.
“Ooooo,” she stomped her feet angrily. “I do not want to attend him at the nooning meal and I do not want to entertain his visitors. I hate him, I hate this place, and right now I hate you for stealing my candied pumpkin. I want to go home!”
She suddenly burst into tears, weeping angrily. Kenneth struggled to keep a straight face as he and Timothy moved forward to comfort her.
“You are simply exhausted, my lady,” Kenneth said evenly, taking her elbow. “Let us go inside where you may rest.”
“I do not want to rest!” she stomped her feet again, a full-blown tantrum quickly approaching. “I want to get out of here. I want my husband. Why has he not come for me yet?”
Kenneth had her by the arm as he led her under the gatehouse. She was pouting and weepy, angry one moment and sad the next. Timothy kept his head lowered lest she see his grin and Kenneth tried to focus on anything other than her comical ranting. He tried to think of battles, bloody wounds and ugly women. But he was losing the fight.
“Come along, Toby,” Kenneth pushed aside the formalities as he had many times during their captivity. “Go inside and rest.I will go find you more candied pumpkin if it will make you happy.”
She sobbed, stepping in a big mud puddle and wailing when she saw that she had completely mucked the bottom of the lovely surcoat. It was all Kenneth could do to keep a smile off his face; she was hysterically funny. With a patient sigh, he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to the keep.
She sobbed and muttered as she made her way into the enormous keep of Wigmore. It was cloyingly warm as the result of several blazing fires; Mortimer did not like the cold and the keep was generally kept quite warm. It was also a vast and luxurious place as far as castles went; creature comforts were everywhere. Kenneth and Timothy escorted Toby to the third floor where her chamber was located. But she came to a halt just outside the elaborate bower door, yanking her arm from Kenneth’s grip.
“I am hungry,” she announced. “Go and get more pumpkin.”
Kenneth just looked at her, his ice-blue eyes glimmering with humor. Nodding his head wearily, he turned for the stairs. But he apparently wasn’t moving fast enough and Toby swatted him on the shoulder as he began to descend the stairs.
“’Tis your fault so you need not blame me,” she told him. “You ate my pumpkin so now you must find me more. And if you see anything else that looks good, I want that, too.”
“God give me strength,” Kenneth muttered.