She went on sobbing. He closed his arms around her, bending to kiss the top of her head. His gestures were instinctive, intended to comfort her, as he might comfort a child or a frightened animal. To let her know she wasn’t entirely alone, that someone …
Whatever he intended, it was not what she understood. Leaning back in his arms, face turned up to his, suddenly she put her hands behind his head and, pulling him down towards her, kissed him hard full on the mouth.
With her strong, lithe body pressed against him, he began instantly to respond. His mouth opening, he eased her lips further apart with his tongue, caressing hers, feeling the violent sexual excitement flood through him. He could feel her breasts pushed up against his chest, feel her muscular legs firm against his thighs. Feel his erection, hard and full.
Breaking away, she stepped back a pace. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she said, ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.’
Lost for words, he said the first thing that entered his head. ‘Isn’t that what I’m supposed to say?’
Amazingly, she chuckled. ‘Not when it was so plainly I who started it.’ Then, remembering, she said, ‘Oh, sweet Lord. What am I to do?’
‘Let me help!’ he said quickly. ‘Let me come with you!’ She shot him a quick glance. ‘Oh, Joanna, not for that!’ He grinned. ‘Remember, I offered my aid before you flung yourself into my arms.’
‘You did,’ she agreed.
‘Well, then! Can you not trust me?’
She went on staring at him, as if her very life depended on her decision.
Which, Josse thought, perhaps it did.
‘I-’ she began. Then, more firmly, ‘Let me think about it.’
‘What is there to think about?’
‘You don’t know!’ she shouted, angry suddenly. ‘It’s not as simple as you seem to think, sir knight! There are many things to weigh up and only I can do so.’
‘Can’t I help?’
‘No, you can’t.’ Anger gone, she gave him a sudden sweet smile. ‘Yes, I dare say you could in fact be very helpful and I can’t say I’m not tempted. But I need some time on my own. To think it all through, without you going and confusing me by kissing me again.’ Now the smile was wide and free, and he could see just how beautiful a woman she was.
‘Me kissing you?’ he murmured.
‘I’m going now,’ she announced, tightening the cord around her waist. ‘You mustn’t follow me. If you do, you’ll never see me again.’
It sounded overdramatic, but he had a good idea she spoke the truth. Just how would he set about finding that ancient manor deep in the forest, unless she gave him a clue? ‘Very well. You have my word.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you. Stay here by Mag’s house for a slow count of a hundred, then you may go.’
Mag’s house. Belatedly he remembered why he had come. ‘Joanna!’
She had turned away, but now spun round to face him again. ‘Yes?’
‘Who dug up the wolf’s bane and smuggled it into the pie? It was Mag, wasn’t it?’
But, her face shadowed suddenly, she didn’t answer except to remark, ‘You have been busy.’ Then, running out of the clearing, she shouted, ‘Start counting!’
He counted to a hundred extremely slowly. She might be counting, too — in fact, undoubtedly she would be — and he didn’t want her to think he was cheating. It mattered terribly that she trust him.
When the hundred had long been reached, he untied Horace and, leading him along in the deepening gloom of approaching night, headed back towards the Abbey.
Chapter Nine
Josse spent an uneasy night. His visit to the Abbess the previous evening had been brief; he had wanted to reassure her that he was safely back, but it had been too late for long discussions.
And, somehow — he was not quite sure why — he had been reluctant to talk to Abbess Helewise while his blood still sang from the after-effects of kissing Joanna de Courtenay.
When he finally got to sleep, it was to dream that the Abbess held Joanna’s knife in her strong hand and was using it to cut great branches of holly which she insisted were wolf’s bane. ‘It’s for my wedding garland,’ she kept saying …
It was quite a relief to wake up.
* * *
She sent for him in the morning. Now, with the residual unease from his dream to add to his disturbing memories of Joanna, he was even less comfortable in the Abbess’s presence.
‘What ails you, Sir Josse?’ she asked, noticing his fidgeting within moments of his entering her room.
‘I — er, nothing, Abbess.’ He managed a smile. ‘I’m just impatient to be doing something, I suppose.’
She nodded sagely. ‘I quite understand,’ she said. ‘Having offered Joanna de Courtenay your help, and feeling that she is so close to accepting it, you must itch to be with her again.’
Oh, how I do, Josse agreed silently. And not only in the way that you, dear lady, imagine. ‘Well, I do feel strongly that she is in danger all the while she is alone,’ he said.
The Abbess nodded again. ‘Off you go, then,’ she said, with an encouraging smile.
‘Where am I going?’
‘To find her, of course!’
But I undertook to give her time to think it over! Only then would she…’ He trailed off. Only then would she come to find him? But she had no idea where he was!
Half out of the door, he heard the Abbess say, ‘Good hunttng, Sir Josse.’
* * *
He retraced his footsteps to the place where the track up from Tonbridge entered the forest. Then, riding very slowly, he tried to recall how far into the woods he had been when Denys de Courtenay attacked him.
It was difficult to judge. Everything looked different in the daylight. And, besides, the last time he went that way he had been concentrating on trailing his quarry without being seen — something at which he had failed abysmally — and had taken scant notice of his surroundings.
But he must find the spot. Because he had reasoned that the child Ninian could only have moved a semi-conscious, well-built adult a very short way, which meant Ninian’s camp must be close to where Josse was assailed by de Courtenay.
And Ninian’s camp — if he ever managed to find it — was the one slim contact he had with Joanna. Ninian might be allowed to play there again, she herself might think to look for Josse there …
Riding on, realising with dismay how hopeless his search was, Josse’s spirits slowly sank.
What else could he do, though? Go back to Mag Hobson’s house? Would that be where Joanna would go looking for him?
Cursing himself for not having made a more reliable plan, Josse dismounted and, leading Horace, pushed on into the woods.
Presently he found himself walking along the top of a slight rise. Something about the place seemed familiar … Stopping, he stood still, listening, sensing the air.
And heard, from somewhere close at hand, the sound of running water.
Yes!
The boy had clearly had a source of fresh water near at hand; he had brought Josse onion broth which he had made himself. And later, Joanna had requested hot water with which to prepare Josse’s poultice.
Josse had been listening to the sound of the small bubbling stream, now he came to think of it, all the time he had lain in Ninian’s camp.
He looked down into the little vale that ran along below the track. Nothing to be seen there.
Pressing on, he rounded a bend and found that the track entered a sort of passage, formed by overhanging branches. It had been difficult to negotiate it in the darkness, he remembered, and …