Free The Captive Heart by Bertrice Small

apothecary and set aside her pouch. She would sort everything out later. Hurrying to the hall she found her father as she had left him, but he was now sleeping. “Papa, I’m back,” Alix said, bending to kiss his brow and kneeling by his side. It was cold, and Alexander Givet did not move. “Papa? Papa! ” Her heart began to hammer in her chest. “Non! Non! Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! Papa, do not leave me,” Alix sobbed, and then she began to weep wildly.
    The servants coming into the hall saw her grief and quickly realized what had transpired. One of them ran to find Sir Udolf, who hurried quickly to Alix’s side.
    “My child! Ahh, my poor lass. He is gone, is he?”
    Alix looked up at her father-in-law and nodded. Then she said, “Why was no one with him? Why was he left to die alone, my lord? Where was Wat?”
    Wat stepped forward. “I brought him wine when he asked me, mistress. Not more than an hour ago. He drank some and then said he would rest for a while and dismissed me. I went to his chamber, for he had a robe that needed repair, and my mother said she would do it. I brought it to her and waited. I was not gone long, I swear it!”
    Alix looked at her father. His body showed no signs of distress. His face was at peace. Indeed, there was a small slight smile upon his lips. It was obvious to her that he had just gone to sleep. “There is no blame to be had here,” she finally said. “Wat, go and fetch the priest.”
    “He will be buried on the hillside with our own family,” Sir Udolf said. “I am so sorry, Alix. He was a good man even as his daughter is a good woman.”
    Alix rose to her feet wearily. “Thank you, my lord,” she said.
    Hayle did not come to her that night, and Alix was relieved. She could not have born his cruelty right now. She felt vulnerable and alone. In the morning she learned that Maida was still in labor. She briefly felt pity for the girl. The priest had come the night before and blessed the body of the physician. Alix and two of the women servants had bathed his frail body and dressed him in his best dark blue damask silk robe. His body had been carried to his chamber, and now with morning the men brought a coffin into the house. Alexander Givet was put into it and carried to the church at the end of the village, where a Mass was said for his soul. He was then buried on the hillside, Alix, Sir Udolf, and Wat following the coffin to the graveyard.
    Alix remained by her father’s grave for much of the day. The winds had begun to blow from the north, and she was glad for her heavy wool cape with its furred hood. Finally, with the red slash of the setting sun burning through the gray clouds on the horizon, Alix arose from her sire’s grave and returned home. Passing Maida’s cottage once again, she heard shrieks from within and the roar of her husband’s voice as he protested something that did not please his childish nature.
    Alix went to her bed, for she was exhausted from her sorrow and her weeping. She had never felt more alone in her life. And then in the morning Bab came into her chamber filled with the latest gossip.
    “Good morrow, mistress, and it is certainly a good morning for you. Maida has died, and her babe with her! It was a lad. A great big creature like his father, and it almost split the lass in two birthing it. When it came out the cord was about its wee neck and its face was blue. And then she began to bleed and it couldn’t be stopped, so she died, Maida did.”
    “Why was I not called?” Alix asked Bab. “Perhaps I might have stopped the girl’s bleeding. There are herbs.”
    “Call you?” Bab laughed harshly. “Why would we call you? You hated our Maida. Why would you help her? She was the lass your husband loved. You probably wanted her dead. Her sister, Nora, says you made a wicked face as you passed the cottage yesterday. Did you spell our Maida?”
    “I stuck my tongue out at the brat,” Alix said. “She looked rudely at me.”
    “He’s mad