‘Come, my lady,’ Marion said. ‘We must do as Bertrand told us and take shelter. Whoever attacked the castle may pass this way and we should be easy prey.’
‘Yes.’ A little shudder went through her. Had she not gone foraging with Marion she might even now be dead or a prisoner of whoever had attacked her uncle’s castle.
Chapter Two
‘Tell me where your niece is, woman, or you will join your husband in an early grave.’ The Earl of Newark glared at the woman his men had dragged from her chamber and brought to him in the great hall. The remains of his supper lay strewn on the table, for he had ordered the food served even while the stain of his victim’s blood remained on his hands. ‘Tell me where she went and I shall spare you.’
‘If I knew I would tell you,’ the poor lady cried, wringing her hands in distress as she looked about and saw bodies still lying where they had fallen. Some of her husband’s people had tried to defend him and for that they had lost their lives. ‘Forgive me, sir. I lay sleeping when she left the castle and have no knowledge of her whereabouts.’
The earl drew back his mailed fist and struck her a blow that sent her to her knees. She stayed where he had put her, head bowed, weeping with fear and grief.
‘Stop that snivelling, woman,’ he growled. ‘If you are hiding her, it will be the worse for you.’
‘I beg you, lord, do not strike my lady again.’ One of the pages ran forward. ‘I saw the Lady Elaine go riding with her serving woman and the groom Bertrand earlier. They have not yet returned to the castle.’
The earl’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the young page. The boy was slight, but stood proudly before him. He would have felled him, but something in the youth’s manner stayed his hand.
‘You speak the truth?’
‘I swear it on my life, lord.’
Newark nodded. ‘Very well, I believe you. If she took nothing with her, she must return. We shall send out men to find her and bring her back.’ He frowned as the page reached the side of his weeping mistress. ‘Yes, take her away out of my sight.’
As the countess staggered to her feet, he held up his hand. ‘Leave the castle in the morning. You may take your clothes and chattels with you—but the silver and gold remains. If you try to cheat me, I shall kill you.’
The countess bowed her head, making no protest as other servants came forwards to lead her away. She could return to her brother and sister-in-law, who would give her a home. She would not linger until the morning, for she could not wait to leave this place—and she would not stay even to see her husband buried. She would grieve for him, but in her heart she knew that her grief would not last long for he had not been a loving husband. She must thank God that the earl had seen fit to spare her. Whether her brother would take revenge for what had happened remained to be seen.
Allowing her servants to lead her away, the countess wondered what had become of her niece. If she could warn her to stay away from the castle, she would do so, but, since she had no idea where the girl had gone she could do nothing. For all she knew Elaine had taken flight to her dower lands. Yet it seemed she had taken nothing with her so it was more likely that she had merely gone riding, as the page claimed. It was a mercy that she had not been in the castle when the earl attacked them, but no doubt he would have her one way or the other.
Weeping, the countess ordered the packing of her things, secretly hiding a few of her jewels about her person. The earl had too much on his mind to order her searched and she did not intend to leave with nothing. She would take what she dared and leave swiftly, before he changed his mind.
She thought of Elaine’s jewels, but decided it was not worth the risk of trying to steal them away. The earl had ordered a watch kept on the girl’s chambers and any attempt to spirit away her things would meet with a sharp punishment.
Elaine must just make the most of her freedom if she could and perhaps reach her dower lands, though now that her uncle was dead there was no one to protect her even there. The countess could do nothing to help her, for she must throw herself on her brother’s charity and hope that he would take her in.
‘Listen…’ Elaine touched Marion’s hand as she heard the owl hooting. ‘I am sure that is Bertrand. He has returned at last.’
‘I knew he would not let us down.’ Marion rose joyfully as the barn door opened and a shadowy figure entered. ‘Bertrand, is that you?’
‘Yes, dear heart,’ Bertrand said and moved to catch her in his arms, holding her close for a moment before turning to Elaine. ‘Ill news, my lady. The Earl of Newark took the castle by a trick for he came under the guise of friendship. Your uncle was foully slain and your aunt mistreated before being told to leave the castle.’
‘My uncle dead?’ Elaine gasped. her hand flew to her mouth—despite her recent argument with him, she honoured both him and her aunt. He was her father’s brother and, though stern, she knew that he cared what became of her. ‘And my aunt?’
‘Told to leave with her goods and chattels, but not the silver or jewels.’
‘Newark intends to have it all. Why could my uncle not see him for the villain he is?’ Elaine asked, a little sob in her voice. ‘Had I wed him he would not have rested until my uncle was in his grave. We dare not return to the castle. Somehow we must try to reach my dower lands—but I have no money with me. We have nothing but the clothes we wear and the food we gathered.’
‘We have a little more,’ Bertrand said. ‘Your chamber was guarded, my lady. I fear I was able to take nothing of yours, but it was easy to enter Marion’s chamber. I have brought some clothing, which you may share, also some silver and pewter that I managed to snatch. I have a little coin of my own and a few of my own things.’
‘Yes, Marion’s clothing will fit me and it may be best if I change before we begin our journey. If I pass as your sister and Marion your wife, we may escape detection and be safer.’
‘Yes, my lady, that is true,’ Bertrand agreed. ‘I am sorry I could not bring your jewels.’
‘I wear the silver cross and chain my father gave me beneath my gown always,’ Elaine said and smiled. ‘Nothing else matters but our lives. If we can reach my dower lands, we can recruit more men to defend us—though I fear the earl will try to stop us before we reach safety.’
‘Once he realises that you do not intend to return to the castle he is sure to scour the countryside for us,’ Bertrand said. ‘Yet if his men ignore a yeoman and his wife and sister they may pass by without noticing us.’
‘I shall be careful to cover my head and face if we are questioned.’ Elaine looked at him gravely. ‘You know that you both risk much by accompanying me. If the earl captures us, you may suffer for helping me to escape.’
‘I would never desert you,’ Marion declared instantly. ‘We love you, my lady.’
‘Yes, I know it and I thank you. I pray that we shall reach my dower lands safely. Once there we can at least try to defend ourselves.’
‘At least you were not in the castle when he took it,’ Bertrand said. ‘We have the advantage for he will not know where to look. I know you must both be tired, but we ought to leave soon. If we ride through the night, we may get ahead of them.’
‘Will the earl not send men to your dower lands?’ Marion asked.
‘We must try to get there first,’ Bertrand said grimly. ‘Yet we should not go directly south, as he would expect. We shall ride to the east and then double back and that way hope to avoid his patrols. If we are fortunate, he will not send men out until the morning and by then we shall be