Captured Hearts and Stolen Kisses

by Ceci Giltenan et al.

  This man has taken vows of chivalry and pledged his life to help the king, crown, damsels, and others in need. He’d be very foolish to break such vows, whether he is Osric or not.

  And, the wicked little voice inside her whispered, you need only stay until you’ve seen all you want of the stars. Why not satisfy his wishes as well as your own?

  “Fine. I will join you.”

  ~ * ~

  She was, quite simply, the most captivating woman he’d ever met.

  Osric had told her he didn’t believe in spirits, but in all honesty, that’s what he’d imagined her to be when he’d first seen her: an apparition. A ghostly maiden rendered in silvery light and grayed shadow. She’d bumped a rock with her boot and made it move, though, which had helped convince him she was flesh and blood.

  How beautiful she was. The way the moon glow shimmered on her waist-length braid, lit her eyes, and illuminated her fair skin….

  Who was she? A lady, he’d guessed from her refined way of speaking. Mayhap even Violetta Molineaux, whom he hadn’t seen since he was eight years old. He’d been told, however, by a gossipy shopkeeper in the nearby town, that Violetta was still living at Darringsleigh Keep with her parents. When he’d expressed surprise—most ladies her age were married and bearing babes—he’d learned she’d been betrothed, but her husband-to-be had died after being gored by a wild boar during a hunt. ’Twas a terrible thing to have happened, even if Osric’s family and hers were rivals.

  Yet, no noblewoman he knew would venture out in the dark without armed guards. Nor would Violetta be so bold as to trespass on Seabrook lands again, not after the way he’d scared her off years ago.

  As the young woman crossed to him, he saw her garments were smudged with dirt and torn in several places. Her very ordinary boots were scuffed. Doubtful, then, that she was a lady or Violetta.

  At some point she may have worked in a nobleman’s household. ’Twould explain her refined bearing.

  When she neared, Osric gestured to the fallen monolith nearby. She sat, smoothing the drape of her cloak and gown. When he also settled on the fallen stone, she scooted farther away from him.

  Regrettable, that she didn’t trust him, but he’d make the most of however long she stayed tonight. He’d like to ask her name, but he must earn her trust first. He’d also said they’d sit in silence. Osric was a man of his word.

  She sighed, curled her gloved hands over the edge of the monolith, and looked up at the sky. He studied the heavens as well, although he was curious to know why she wore gloves on a summer evening. Would her hands, being smooth and unblemished, reveal that she was indeed a lady, pretending to be a commoner? Or was her skin chapped and broken from long days of toil? If the latter, he’d ask Coltingstow’s healer for some soothing ointment to give her.

  “The stars are breathtaking, aye?”

  “Aye,” he agreed, not shifting his attention from the sky. She, though, was also breathtaking. “Do you often come here to study the heavens?” he dared to ask.

  “Now and again. When I have been able to get away from work,” she swiftly added. “My job….” She gestured to the town; the cottages on its outskirts were just visible at the far end of his field.

  “You live close by, then?”

  “Mmm.”

  “The town is pleasant. The folk are friendly.”

  “They are indeed.” She stole a glance at him, before she once again studied the stars.

  He reminded himself to be patient, to wait a bit before speaking to her once more. Osric searched for patterns in the alignment of the stars that he’d found many times before. He’d seen them from many different places: the wind-scoured battlements of the castle where he’d served as a page and a squire; the outskirts of Acre, while he’d waited in the darkness with his fellow soldiers for the order to attack the city; the prow of a ship as it spliced the white-capped waters between France and England and brought him home from war. Finding the patterns in the stars had always helped to calm his restless mind.

  “Your words, milord, implied you are new to this area.”

  He linked his hands together while mulling how best to answer. He didn’t want to reveal too much about himself—not until he knew more about her. “I grew up here, but was sent away when I was a lad, so I could train to become a knight.”

  “’Tis the way of things for most young lords,” she said.

  Ah. Was that remark intended to lure him into admitting he was lord of Coltingstow? He fought a grin, for he would keep her guessing. “After years away, I returned to Wiltshire a short while ago. Not surprisingly, few of the townsfolk recognized me until I introduced myself.” He’d made a point of visiting most of the town officials with his steward and placing orders for candles, spices, inks, and other supplies with local shop owners—rather than having such items shipped from Lincoln or London, as his late father had preferred. With political unrest simmering in England, and longtime foes as neighbors, ’twas vital for him to have good connections amongst the local folk. “How about you?” he asked. “Have you lived in this area for long?”

  “All of my life.”

  He mentally filed the useful tidbit away. “I know who to ask, then, to find the best local tailor or cobbler.”

  Smiling, she tucked a wisp of hair back behind her ear. Her glove whispered against her tresses, and he yearned to lean in, gently kiss her cheek, and inhale the scent of her skin. But he mustn’t.

  “I could at least tell you some of the stories about this place,” she said. “Then you would be as informed as the other locals.”

  A chill crawled down Osric’s spine, for he was all too familiar with one particular tale. When he’d been but a boy, his sire had threatened that if Osric didn’t do as he was told, he’d face the ghost of the thief who had supposedly tried to bury stolen riches on the ancient site and been crushed by a toppling monolith. Growing up, Osric had suffered nightmares about encountering the tormented spirit, but thankfully, he never had.

  “Are you truly unaware of the old stories?” They were obviously a source of fascination for the woman, since she’d mentioned them several times.

  “I recall one that I heard when I was a child. But, I have not lived here for a long while, remember?”

  “Well, curious things do occur at this site.”

  “Indeed they do. Knights and damsels meet unexpectedly and end up watching the stars together.”

  She chuckled. “I certainly was not expecting to meet anyone here tonight.”

  “Nor was I.” Resisting the tug on his conscience that told him to beware, he reached out and set his hand upon her gloved one. “I regret I do not even know your name.”

  Her eyes widened; in them, he caught a hint of fear. She swiftly withdrew her fingers from beneath his. “I do not know your name, either.”

  Suspicion flared. A commoner—especially a woman—would never be so forward as to challenge a man of higher social status in such a way. Even as the thought settled in his mind, her lashes lowered and she shook her head. “I have been overly bold. I…had no right.” She abruptly stood.

  The maiden appeared ready to flee, so he reached out and caught her hand.

  “Milord—”

  Squeezing her gloved fingers, he smiled in the roguish manner that usually made women blush. “Surely you are not leaving? If you would rather not tell me your name, so be it. But, I will be disappointed if you go before sharing your tales with me.”

  “Mayhap another night,” she said, stepping backward.

  How frustrating, that his charms hadn’t worked, but he didn’t let his smile slip. “With much anticipation, then, I look forward to us meeting again soon.” Reluctance crossed her features, even as he added, “May I offer you a ride into the town? My horse is tethered close by.” He’d be sure then that she’d reached home safely, and he’d also learn where she lived.

  She glanced across the field bordering the town. “I…’twould be best if I made my own way home.”

&
nbsp; His suspicion intensified, but he merely nodded.

  “You must not follow me, either.”

  Had she read his mind? “Not even to watch over you, until you get home?”

  She shook her head.

  Osric frowned. “Why not?”

  “You will get me into trouble.”

  “From whom? Your family?”

  “Please, I cannot—”

  He rose, unable to sit still a moment longer. “As a knight, I am honor bound to protect you.”

  “As I told you before, I have a knife. I can look after myself.” Resolve gleamed in her eyes. “Dare to follow me, and we will never meet again.”

  ~ * ~

  The knight released her hand. Despite her inner sense of dread that urged her to run, fast and far, Violetta curtsied then hurried between the closest standing stones and out into the field. She must head toward the town, continue her ruse until she was certain he no longer watched her. Only then could she climb over the wall.

  How keenly she felt his gaze upon her. ’Twas akin to a touch, coaxing her to slow down, turn around, and go back to him.

  Her whole being, too, seemed intensely aware of sensation: the brush of her linen chemise against her bosom; the earthy scent of grasses trampled under her feet; the coolness of the night breeze against her flushed cheeks. Oh, mercy, but what she’d felt this eve, for him, was astounding, but also dangerous, especially if he was Osric Seabrook.

  The more they’d talked, the more she’d suspected he was indeed the Seabrook heir. Yet, Osric’s late father, like her own sire, had built up the number of knights in his garrison. He’d recruited the youngest sons of lords who owed fealty to him as well as battle-hardened soldiers who’d returned from the East and needed employment.

  Somehow, she must find out for certain the knight’s identity. Mayhap she could convince her father to let her visit the town for an afternoon and she’d make inquiries.

  A tremor raced through her, for she was far enough away now that she dared to slow down. Violetta yielded to the temptation to glance over her shoulder. The knight was no longer by the fallen stone.

  Had he followed her after all?

  Movement drew her gaze to the far side of the ancient site; he’d swung up onto his horse and gathered the reins. His back to her, he tilted his head, as though he’d become aware of her watching him. He wheeled his horse and waved to her. Warmth blossomed inside her as she waved back, and then he spurred the animal in the direction of Coltingstow Keep.

  Her shoulders lowered on a sigh. She continued on through the field until she was certain he was too far away to see her any longer then ran back to the stone circle. She usually climbed over the wall farther up the field, but she saw good handholds in the section of barrier nearest her and she was eager to be back on her father’s estate.

  The ground yielded a bit under her boots as she headed for the wall; the earth must still be damp from the recent rains—

  Her right foot sank into the ground. She squawked, waved her arms to try and stay upright, but the soil crumbled away.

  She plunged into blackness.

  Chapter 2

  Violetta landed hard on her right foot. Her ankle buckled. She cried out in agony as pain shot up her leg. She clawed for something to grab onto, but fell backward, landing on her side on hard, uneven ground.

  Once her head had stopped reeling, she slowly, carefully, pushed herself upright in the darkness and tried to assess her surroundings. However, moonlight didn’t reach where she’d fallen, although she could see the starry sky through the opening in the dirt above her.

  A musty smell pervaded the air belowground: the scent of things damp and ancient. Violetta shuddered. She wasn’t going to spend a moment longer than she had to in this place.

  Rallying her courage, she removed her gloves and tossed them aside. She stretched out her right hand. Her fingers met only air, and then, as she leaned sideways, cold, crumbling soil. Her fingers slid higher, to scrape the protruding edge of a rock and the rough, rope-like texture of roots.

  She seemed to be in some kind of tunnel. Who had built it? What it had been used for, and how far did it run underground? Questions to be answered later. She must find a way out of the tunnel as swiftly as possible and get back to Darringsleigh.

  Gritting her teeth, she flattened her hands to the ground and shifted her body sideways, little by little. Don’t dwell on your throbbing ankle. Keep your mind busy with other thoughts. She remembered the texture of the fallen monolith against her palm and the handsome, gallant knight who had watched the stars with her.

  A flicker of hope urged her to scream for help. Yet, the knight would be too far away to hear her, and she hadn’t seen anyone else in the field. Long ago, guards used to patrol her sire’s side of the wall, but her father had stopped that in favor of putting more armed men on Darringsleigh Keep’s battlements.

  If she didn’t get home this night, her father would send out soldiers to search for her. He might even suspect Osric of being responsible for her disappearance and besiege Coltingstow. Oh, mercy, she couldn’t allow her excursion tonight to be the catalyst for her father going to war.

  Her back touched the tunnel wall. Pressing against it, she rose until she was standing on her left leg.

  The hole above, though, was too high for her to reach. Ignoring her hurting ankle, she raked her fingers along the wall, digging her nails into the dirt in hopes of discovering a tree root or vine to pull herself up, but found naught.

  A frustrated sob jammed in her throat. There had to be a way out.

  She couldn’t rest until she found it.

  ~ * ~

  The sound of knocking pulled Osric from slumber.

  He groaned and dragged his hand over his face, for it seemed he’d only just fallen asleep. As he turned his head on the pillow and opened his eyes, though, sunlight shone through cracks in the closed shutters at the window.

  Yawning, he willed his drowsy mind to wake. Upon returning to the castle last night, he’d handed his destrier’s reins to a groom in the stable and retired to his bedchamber, but had lain awake for a long while, watching the fire in the hearth.

  In the hiss of the flames, he’d heard the night breeze whispering around the standing stones. In the brightness of the blaze, he’d caught the gleam of the maiden’s beautiful eyes. As hard as he’d tried, he’d been unable to get her out of his mind. And the yearning to kiss her…. The craving had grown to a restless hunger. He’d never been so tempted by a woman, certainly not one he’d only known for such a short while, which had made him wonder if somehow, she’d enchanted him.

  The knocking came again. “Milord.”

  Hellfire. What could the steward possibly need from him right now? “Enter,” Osric called.

  The iron-banded wooden door swung inward. Osric adjusted his feather pillows so he could sit up in bed, while the sheets and blankets slid down to gather across his naked belly.

  As usual, Anson Crawford’s straight, gray hair was tied back in a neat queue, and his garments were tidy and spotless. Crawford’s son Lane, who had been appointed captain-of-the-guard at Coltingstow years ago, was equally fastidious about his appearance.

  Osric thought of the dirt on his boots from last night; the steward wouldn’t fail to notice. Folding his hands in his lap, Osric wondered how long he’d have to wait before the man’s features hardened with disapproval.

  Truth be told, it really didn’t matter what Crawford thought of the mess. While men of the Crawford family had held the position of steward at the fortress for several generations, and while Osric’s sire had treated Anson like a blood brother, Osric was lord now. If he wanted to muddy his boots, ’twas his right. Moreover, he was a grown man, not the anxious boy who’d avoided Crawford as much as possible when growing up, because the steward had relished reporting Osric’s every activity to his father.

  No man was going to govern Osric’s life ever again.

  Crawford walked partway into the cha
mber, pushed the door closed, and bowed. “Good morn, milord.”

  “Good morn. Do you have news of import?”

  The steward smiled, as though privy to an extraordinary secret. “Indeed, I do. ’Tis important enough to require waking you, milord, when I know you had a late night.”

  If Crawford hoped that Osric would divulge details about last evening, he was going to be disappointed. “What is the news, then?”

  The steward had seen Osric’s boots. A muscle leapt in the older man’s cheek before his attention returned to Osric. “Forgive me, milord, but where did you go last night?”

  “It matters not.”

  “With utmost respect, it does.”

  A rough laugh broke from Osric. “Beware, Crawford. I am no longer a child who will tolerate your meddling.”

  Irritation flickered in the steward’s eyes before he dipped his head, a sign of acquiescence. “I did not mean to cause any offense.”

  “Good. Then you will accept that my whereabouts last night are none of your concern.”

  “With the greatest respect once again, milord, they are. Your late sire insisted ’tis my responsibility, as steward, to oversee every man, woman, and child in this fortress.”

  That did indeed sound like something Osric’s controlling bastard of a father would have said. “Father died months ago. As we have discussed before, I do not intend to rule this castle as he did.”

  “And I am most honored to fulfill my duties in the manner you prefer. However, if you had been attacked last night….”

  Osric gestured to his sheathed broadsword propped against the oak chair where he’d draped his garments. The fine weapon, bought from a dealer in London, had helped him vanquish many enemies while on Crusade. “If attacked,” he said, “I would have defended myself.”

  “Could you have subdued several assailants at once?”

  “I did in battle.” Osric’s gaze sharpened. “I have not heard of any such attacks occurring in this part of Wiltshire. Have you?”

  “Nay, but that does not mean you are safe. Lord Molineaux does, after all, live the other side of the wall.”