Love Beyond Time Read Free Page A

Savarec and
Danise leading the way and Clothilde walking beside the litter,
Redmond and Guntram carried it out of the forest and into the
Frankish camp. They were not stopped. Savarec was well-known, and
his story of an injured man-at-arms was at once accepted.
    Inside Savarec’s tent, a folding camp bed was
quickly set up and the stranger laid on it. Danise sent Clothilde
for hot water and cloths so they could bathe the man, and while she
was gone, Danise began to undress him. She was not so involved with
her patient, however, that she did not hear her father and Count
Redmond talking just outside the tent.
    “A lovely maiden,” Redmond said. “Your
daughter is all you claimed her to be, Savarec.”
    “I knew you would be pleased,” Savarec
said.
    “We will talk again soon, my friend.”
    “You understand,” Savarec said, “she must
agree.”
    “I would not agree myself if Danise did not,”
Count Redmond responded.
    A moment later, Savarec entered his tent and
stood behind Danise, watching while she worked.
    “Where is Sister Gertrude?” Savarec asked.
“Why is she not with you?”
    “She has gone to the queen,” Danise
responded. “Sister Gertrude was of help to Hildegarde during her
last pregnancy, while we were in Agen, so Hildegarde asked to see
her as soon as we arrived in Duren.”
    “Which is why you took the opportunity to go
off by yourself into the forest?” demanded Savarec.
    “I was not alone. Clothilde was with me. I
thought it would be peaceful amongst the trees.”
    “Peaceful?” To Danise’s surprise, considering
Savarec’s overly protective attitude toward her, her father
chuckled. “On occasion I have myself wanted to escape to some
peaceful place far from Sister Gertrude’s sharp tongue. But she
does mean well, Danise, and she has your welfare always at
heart.”
    “I know. It’s why I am so patient with her.
Father, look at this. I found it tucked into a pouch inside his
tunic. What could it be?” Danise held up a flat, square object
contained in a parchment-like cover.
    “I have no idea what it might be. I’ve never
seen anything like this before.” Savarec took the floppy disk,
looked at it in perplexity, then handed it back. “Keep it with his
other belongings until he is well enough to tell us what it
is.”
    “And this? What could this be?” Danise held
up a leather object. Again, Savarec took it to examine.
    “It appears to be a folding purse of some
kind. These green and white parchments have lettering and numbers
on them. Perhaps this man is carrying a message. Now, that is a
very strange way to fasten breeches.”
    Savarec bent to help Danise, who was
struggling with the unfamiliar fastenings, and soon their patient
lay naked. At once Savarec pulled a quilt over the man’s exposed
torso and then together they examined his arms, legs, ribs, skull,
cheekbones and jaw, noting the many bruises and scrapes he had
sustained.
    “He appears to have no broken bones and no
serious injuries other than the blow to his head,” Savarec said.
“His body beneath the clothing is surprisingly clean, which
suggests you were right to assume he is a nobleman. Here is
Clothilde with the water. Bathe his injuries and cover him quickly
so he doesn’t catch a chill. I am going now to report to Charles
what has happened.” Savarec paused at the tent flap. “I have posted
Guntram just outside. Call him if our guest gives you any trouble.
If he wakens, have Guntram send someone to me at once.”
    The two women worked quickly as Savarec had
bidden them, but not so quickly that Danise did not have time to
note how well made the stranger was. He was not as heavily muscled
as most Frankish warriors, but there could be no discounting the
potential strength in his long legs, or in his shoulders and arms.
His hands were long, with tapered fingers, and his nails were well
shaped, though several had been broken as a result of his fall from
the tree.
    Clothilde, after an exclamation of