Captured Hearts and Stolen Kisses

by Ceci Giltenan et al.

  How odd it felt to be carried by this stranger. He smelled of sweat, leather, and earth, scents that told of long days of physical exertion. Such smells, on the right man, might be enticing, but she had no wish to nestle closer, as she had when held by her rescuer.

  Following Gayle, the man-at-arms carried Violetta into the keep, across the high-ceilinged great hall where servants were strewing fresh rushes and dried herbs on the floor, and up the staircase that led to the part of the fortress usually reserved for the lord, his family, and honored guests.

  Why was she being brought here?

  They passed the closed door, decorated with wrought iron, of what had to be the lord’s solar.

  Stay calm. Do not betray yourself.

  Ahead, Gayle entered a chamber off the corridor. The guard carried Violetta into the room and set her on the bed.

  “Many thanks,” she said.

  The guard nodded then walked out, shutting the door behind him.

  Violetta glanced about. The room was sparsely furnished, but clean. The wood-framed bed was plain in design, unlike hers at home which had a carved headboard. With its turned-down linen sheets and cozy blankets, though, the bed looked most inviting.

  Violetta smothered another yawn.

  “Why do ye not get in the bed?” Gayle urged.

  How Violetta longed to do just that, but she must get home. “Mayhap in a moment,” she said. She could only hope the kind young woman wouldn’t be too upset when she returned later to find the bed hadn’t been used and Violetta gone. She mustn’t give away, however, that she intended to flee. “Could you please help me with the pillows?”

  With Gayle’s assistance, Violetta fluffed up and arranged the pillows and sat back against them.

  Crossing to the hearth, the maidservant stirred up the blaze with a fire poker. Violetta trapped yet another yawn with her hand. She could hardly keep her eyes open. The drink she’d downed earlier must have contained powerful ingredients.

  What she would give to be able to sleep for a while—at least catch up on her fitful slumber from last night. But, once she’d returned to Darringsleigh, she could lie abed as long as she liked.

  She couldn’t slip away, though, with Gayle in the room.

  “I think I will close my eyes for a bit,” Violetta said.

  “When ye wake, ye’ll feel much better.”

  Violetta’s eyes slipped closed. She would rest, but only for a moment….

  ~ * ~

  “She ’as been asleep fer a while, milord.”

  Gayle stepped to one side in the doorway, and Osric entered the chamber, Crawford a few steps behind. The damsel lay on her back on the bed, her hands, marked by scratches and scrapes, folded on her belly. Her hair, still damp from being washed and no longer confined by a braid, spilled over the mound of pillows.

  “Leave us,” Osric said to Gayle.

  The young woman curtsied and left.

  Crawford, his gaze on the slumbering maiden’s face, approached the bed. “God’s blood.”

  Osric joined his steward at the bedside. “You recognize her, then?”

  “Of course. ’Tis Violetta Molineaux.”

  As Osric had suspected. “Are you absolutely certain?”

  “I am. She attended the local tournament last autumn with her parents.” The steward’s lips flattened. “At the event, our best archer’s bow was damaged right before the final, prize-winning match.”

  “I remember you telling me,” Osric said.

  “The sheriff is still investigating the incident, which he declared sabotage, but I doubt he will ever find proof Molineaux was involved. After all, the lawman has been unsuccessful at connecting his lordship to incidents in the past.”

  Osric tamped down a flare of annoyance. One day soon, Molineaux would answer for all the grievances he’d committed against the Seabrooks. Yet, of more pressing concern to Osric right now: why he’d found Violetta on his lands. Had she been sent in disguise by her father, to fulfill some kind of treachery?

  Surely, though, her sire would have ordered one of his lackeys to do his bidding, not his daughter. ’Twas strange, too, that she’d been without a single guard…unless ’twas part of the plan, to encourage Osric to take pity on her and bring her inside the castle, where she would…what? Spy on him? Seduce him?

  He shoved the last, tantalizing thought aside. She hadn’t been dressed for seduction. Nor had her manner implied any such intentions. When he’d found her a short while ago, she’d seemed genuinely in distress.

  He couldn’t stand that she’d been so vulnerable. Her small dagger wouldn’t have kept her safe from a determined assailant. She could have been taken hostage, only to be released once her sire had paid an extortionate ransom. Or, she could have met a far crueler fate.

  What if Osric hadn’t revisited the ancient site this morning? What if—?

  “Was she the reason you were out late, milord?” Crawford asked.

  The man was exceedingly bold. However, finding Violetta today had raised greater concerns than Osric’s desire for privacy. “Aye,” he said.

  “Dare I ask what you two did together?”

  “Purely by chance, I met her at the stone circle. We sat, studied the stars, and talked.”

  “Talked?” Crawford had practically choked on the word.

  “I guessed that she was Violetta, but did not know for certain until you confirmed it.”

  “Clearly she did not return to Darringsleigh last night. Where did you find her?”

  “The south field.” Hopefully that answer would satisfy Crawford’s curiosity. Osric had ordered the men-at-arms who’d accompanied him to stay silent about the tunnel; he wanted to explore it before anyone else went down into it.

  “She must have come over the wall last night,” Crawford said.

  “I believe so.”

  The steward frowned. “I cannot imagine she, a cosseted noblewoman, managed that by herself.”

  Osric hadn’t seen any ropes hanging down the wall or anyone else at or near the ancient site, but Molineaux guards could have been hiding in the darkness. If she’d had protectors nearby, though, she wouldn’t have been so concerned that Osric knew she had a knife. Moreover, they would have rescued her from the tunnel. “I believe she acted alone,” he said.

  The steward’s eyebrows rose. “What convinced you of that?”

  “If she had been working with accomplices, they would have ensured she got home long before daybreak.”

  Crawford’s steely gaze held Osric’s. “Have you considered that her father may have conspired for you and her to meet?”

  “I have, but I do not think—”

  “Mayhap she was told to distract you.”

  She’d certainly done that, most effectively. But, their interaction hadn’t seemed designed to delay his return to the keep or lure him into a trap. “In other circumstances, I might agree with you,” Osric said. “However, she and her sire could not have known I was going to the stone circle last evening. I did not even know, until I made the decision. By chance, did Lane report any unusual activity overnight?”

  The steward shook his head. “Still, we must find out her intentions. I do not want to fail in my responsibilities to you, milord, and disregard my suspicions, only to later discover she is a pivotal part of a much larger plot to destroy you.”

  Osric studied Violetta, looking beautiful and innocent while she slept. Was he an idiot to not want to believe she could be involved in duplicity? “Her hurt ankle is surely proof she is not involved in any treachery?”

  “Her injury could be part of the deception.”

  “Hold on—”

  “She was to play the role of helpless, wounded damsel so you would rescue her.”

  ’Twas possible, but unlikely. “’Twould mean she deliberately caused, and willingly endured, her badly sprained ankle.”

  “Exactly,” Crawford said.

  “I doubt she would be capable of that.”

  The steward’s ey
es narrowed. “What better way for Molineaux to get firsthand information on your defenses and the layout of the fortress than for someone loyal to him to get inside?”

  A knot of unease lodged in Osric’s chest.

  “If I may, milord…. When you rescued her, did she give her name?”

  “She did not.”

  “Did she tell you she was a lady?”

  The knot twisted. “She told me she worked in the village.”

  A rough laugh broke from Crawford. “And still you will not believe what I have told you?”

  Hellfire, Osric didn’t know what to believe.

  “You would be wise to use this situation to your advantage, milord. Keep her here. Play along with her deception. Find out what she wants. Then, you will have the means to crush Molineaux once and for all.”

  ~ * ~

  Her eyes still closed, Violetta woke slowly. Her mind seemed sluggish, as though before falling asleep, she’d drunk a cask of wine all by herself and in one fell swoop.

  As she groaned and rubbed her brow, she heard the joints of a chair creak, footsteps, and then a door open. A woman spoke, stirring up memories of a ginger-haired maidservant.

  Recollections of the past evening and morning filled Violetta’s thoughts. Her eyes flew open, and she pushed up to sitting.

  She was still in the chamber where she’d been brought earlier. Gayle, having spoken to someone outside, was returning to the bedside chair.

  How long had she slept? Oh, nay. Nay!

  “’Ow are ye feelin’?” Gayle asked.

  “I….” She had to leave now. “My clothes?”

  “Bein’ washed.” The young woman smiled. “Ye ’ave more important matters ta think about. ’Is lordship is on ’is way ’ere.”

  “His lordship? You mean the knight who brought me here?”

  Gayle sighed wistfully. “Aye. Lord Seabrook.”

  Oh, God. Oh, God!

  Violetta slid her legs off the bed.

  The young woman gasped. “What are ye doin’?”

  “I cannot stay here.”

  “Ye must. The healer told ye ta rest.”

  Violetta grabbed the corner of the bedside table and attempted to stand. She had to leave. If Seabrook realized who she was—

  Men’s voices, faint but growing louder, carried in through the open doorway.

  Violetta tried to take a step forward. When she put the slightest weight on her wounded leg, pain shot through her limb.

  Gayle looked aghast. “Cease! Ye will make yer injury worse.”

  With a pained sigh, Violetta acknowledged there was no way she could get to the door, let alone flee. She was going to have to face Seabrook and continue to play her role as though her life depended upon it, which, in truth, it did.

  Settling back on the bed, she folded her hands in her lap.

  The tread of booted footfalls slowed outside the chamber, and then the knight she’d met at the ancient site walked in. His gaze locked with hers, and turmoil rose within her in a sickening wave, reviving the torturous memories of their first meeting years ago. While she longed to hold his stare, a little voice inside her warned no woman of humble birth would dare to be so forthright. She lowered her lashes and studied a scratch on the back of her left hand.

  “Good afternoon,” he said.

  “Good afternoon, milord,” Gayle answered with a curtsy.

  A tremor raced through Violetta. Her injured ankle prevented her from curtsying. What should she do instead? “Milord,” she finally said, wishing her voice hadn’t wobbled.

  He approached the bedside.

  Stay calm. Do not betray yourself.

  “We did not exchange proper introductions before. I am Osric Seabrook, lord of this castle.”

  “’Tis an honor to meet you, milord,” Violetta said. He is going to want to know my name.

  “And you are?”

  While Shelley had tended her in the infirmary, Violetta had imagined such a meeting and what she’d say. “I am Lettie,” she replied, giving the nickname her late sister had bestowed upon her

  “Lettie.” Was that a teasing note in Osric’s voice? “How are you feeling?”

  Would you care, if you learned I am your enemy? “Better, after my rest. Thank you.”

  “Good.” Osric’s attention shifted to Gayle, hovering nearby. “You may go.”

  As the maidservant quit the chamber, Violetta’s stomach whined. She was going to be alone with her enemy. Her hands clenched so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

  The door clicked shut, and then, the chair scraped on the planks as Osric sat, his legs spread slightly. Muscles bulged under the taut woolen fabric of his hose, and as he braced his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, she couldn’t help but notice the breadth of his shoulders and thickness of his arms. Her head swam as she acknowledged how strong he must be.

  His gaze traveled over her, slowly and very thoroughly. Her pulse pounded. After studying her clenched hands, his attention shifted to her ankle.

  What did he want? She longed to ask, but didn’t dare.

  Stay calm. Do not betray yourself.

  “Shelley will come by soon to look at your ankle again,” he said. “Do you suffer any other body pains she should treat?” When Violetta shook her head, he added, “Twould not be surprising if you had cracked a rib falling into the tunnel, or even bones in your arm.”

  “I have some bruises. Shelley said they will heal before too long.” How Violetta wished Osric would go away. If she told him she was fine, mayhap he would get up and leave. “I am—”

  The squeak of the chair made her jump.

  He touched her right cheek, his fingers warm and rough as they cupped her face. “Lettie,” he said with quiet command. “Look at me when you speak to me.”

  His eyes, accentuated by dark lashes, were brown; a rich, hazelnut hue that made her think of molten metal and sleek leather armor. He searched her gaze as though to find every one of her secrets. She averted her eyes, but remembered he’d ordered her to look at him. Grudgingly, she returned her full attention to him.

  His mouth curved in a faint smile, as though he’d recognized her inner struggle and realized he’d won.

  “I ask you again. Any other discomfort?”

  Having to obey you. “Nay,” she said.

  Osric’s stare sharpened slightly. “You would tell me, if you had other pains?”

  “I would, milord.”

  “All right, then.” His smile broadened before his hand dropped to the coverlet. “I am glad you are being truthful with me.”

  What irony, his words. Guilt weighed upon her; she must divert his attention to other matters. “There is one thing bothering me, although ’tis not a physical ailment.”

  “Go on.”

  “My dagger. I left it behind—”

  “My men-at-arms retrieved it. Your gloves and boot too. They are in my solar.”

  Violetta exhaled in relief. The knife had belonged to Jacqueline; she’d given it to Violetta shortly before she’d died.

  Osric hadn’t, though, said he’d return Violetta’s belongings to her. While the dagger didn’t bear any markings that would reveal her identity, she’d like it back, as soon as possible. How did she ask without him becoming suspicious?

  As her mind scrambled to think of a way, he reached into the leather bag tied to his belt and drew out an earthenware pot. He removed the stopper, releasing the brisk scents of lavender and rosemary, and then put the stopper and pot on the side table.

  “Milord—?”

  “Your poor hands.”

  “Shelley tended them earlier.”

  “I wish to tend them again. ’Twould be a shame for them to be forever scarred.”

  Applying ointment meant that he’d be touching her again, stirring up those awkward feelings of vulnerability and longing. “You must have more important responsibilities to attend. I can apply the salve myself.”

  Osric shook his head. “I have a certain skill.” Hi
s larger left hand pressed over hers, a silent command for her to unclasp her fingers. When she didn’t obey, he gently but firmly eased his fingers between hers until her hands separated. Then, with his other hand, he scooped out some ointment and rubbed it onto the scratch running from her thumb to her middle finger.

  The glide of his fingers upon her flesh…. ’Twas both heavenly and shockingly sensual. Her skin tingled in a most unsettling way, the sensation skittering down her arm and into her upper body, causing her bosom to grow warm.

  She withdrew her hand. “Thank you, but—”

  “I insist.” He pulled her hand back and resumed rubbing in the salve.

  Did he know how his touch affected her? Indeed, how could it? She hadn’t experienced such sensations even when Melwin had raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  She must block out her shameful awareness.

  She must focus on the resentment she’d harbored for Osric since childhood.

  She must plan how to flee Coltingstow—

  “How about you tell me what you were really doing last night in my field?”

  Oh, mercy. “W-what I was really doing?”

  Again, his fingers traced the red scab on her skin. “You were on your own, as far as I could tell.”

  She fought not to shiver. “I was. As I told you, I wanted to watch the stars.”

  “You put yourself in great peril, out alone at night.”

  His fingers gently slid to her middle digit, then back again, massaging in the ointment. She swallowed hard, uncertain how best to answer him.

  “You do not strike me as foolish.” He moved on to another scrape closer to her wrist. “Why would you risk such danger?”

  “I had a weapon.”

  His mouth twitched, as though he tried not to smile. “I had no trouble getting you to push your knife out of reach.”

  “Aye, because I needed your help. I wanted to get out of the tunnel, so of course I did as you asked.”

  His gaze flicked up to meet hers. “You did not even try to bargain with me to keep the dagger. Rather foolish, love.”

  “I did not realize I had any choice in the matter. Besides, I believed I could trust you.” She glowered. “Was that also foolish?”

  A wry laugh broke from him. “I hope the kindness you have been shown proves you can, indeed, trust me.”