She took another step closer, so close she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Give them to me, Robert.” Her voice softened to a whisper imbued with desperation. “You said I could trust you. If that’s true, then give them to me. Please. I need them.”
He had seen men dying on the battlefield who had held this same look of fear in their eyes. Dreading the inevitable, they had only been comforted by those things that were most familiar to them, things that lent them a false sense of security they could cling to until death claimed them. Naught else would appease them.
Nor, it seemed, would aught else appease Beth.
Swiveling, Robert crossed to Berserker and retrieved the two dark weapons that filled his palms, as well as the one that was the length of his arm.
His men watched in silence, faces alert, bodies tensing.
Beth waited for him in the road, shifting from foot to foot, chewing her lower lip, her gaze darting all around.
Returning to her, Robert held them out.
As he had expected, she reached for them as though they were strips of roasted venison and she were perishing of hunger. She confiscated one of the smaller weapons first. Giving it a swift inspection, she removed a thin object from the part of it that fit into her palm and replaced it with another she had tucked in a pocket of her breeches. Once satisfied, she put it in the leather sheath she had strapped to her hip over his tunic. The second weapon she inspected as well, then slid it into her belt.
The third and largest weapon she took in both hands. It appeared to have a handle similar to the others. Holding that with her right hand, she slid another part of it back with her left, revealing within a green object with a gold base.
Robert would have leaned forward for a closer look, but she closed it and looped the weapon’s strap over her shoulder in a way that left the weapon dangling beneath her arm, able to be raised at a moment’s notice.
That done, she looked up at him with wrinkled brow and chewed her lower lip.
“Beth.” How could he ease her fears if she would not speak them?
Swallowing hard, she glanced at the men behind him, then turned her gaze to the castle.
Why did the gray stone edifice disturb her so? He had seen many more imposing structures in his travels, beginning with his brother’s.
She wagged her head from side to side in silent despair. Her eyes met his once more, filling with moisture she didn’t bother to blink back.
“Tell me,” he urged. His movements slow and careful, he brushed a tear from her cheek, then cupped her face in his palm.
A muscle worked in her jaw as she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”
’Twas only a shadow of a sound.
When next she opened her eyes, she backed away from him, forsaking his touch. And kept backing away, trekking steadily downhill, away from Fosterly.
Confused, he cautiously started after her. “Beth?”
Shaking her head, she turned and bolted.
His men leapt to their feet.
“Nay!” Robert threw out a hand to stay them, then gave chase.
Beth was fast. A lot faster than she looked. One would think he would have little difficulty catching someone with legs so much shorter than his own. But with her astonishing speed and head start, he didn’t reach her until they were at the base of the hill.
“Beth, cease!” Grabbing her by one arm, he dragged her to a halt, careful not to harm her or hold her too tightly.
She put up a brief struggle, then collapsed against him in tears.
“Why did you run from me?” he asked, baffled, as he folded his arms around her. Her own arms encircled his waist as she burrowed deeper into him. “I told you I would never harm you.”
Her sobs increased, almost violent in their intensity. Her small hands clutched his back, fisting in his surcoat.
“Why does Fosterly frighten you so? You were well until you saw it. Have you been here before? Mayhap when Lord Hurley was earl?” A sick feeling invaded his stomach. “Did he harm you in some way?” Fury flooded him at the notion.
“You don’t understand,” she sobbed into his chest.
“Then tell me. Help me to understand. What inspired such fear?”
“I c-can’t tell you,” she wailed miserably.
“You can. I would no more use your words against you than I did your weapons. You must trust me in this.” Cupping her face in both palms, he forced her to look up at him. “I vow I only wish to help you, Beth.”
Her hazel eyes shimmered with liquid. Her cheeks were blotchy and shiny with tears, her nose rosy. She inhaled with short choppy gasps.
Nevertheless, Robert thought her beautiful.
Speaking softly, he drew his thumbs across her cheeks. “Calm yourself now and tell me what has overset you.”
“W-When I saw the castle, I th-thought I was in England,” she choked out.
He frowned. “You are in England.”
His words only seemed to upset her more.
“Don’t you see?” she cried. “I c-can’t make it work!”
“Make what work?”
“N-no one is going to drug me and s-send me to England!”
“Someone drugged you?” he demanded, outraged.
“N-No! Nay! That’s just it!”
He paused. “You think someone intends to drug you?”
“N-Nay.”