by Alexa Aston
Angry tears gathered in Nan’s eyes but she held her tongue. He bent and pressed a hot kiss against her brow, probably knowing she would bite his lip off if he came close to her mouth.
“Good night, my sweet Nan. Until tomorrow.”
The nobleman crossed the room and closed the door to his bedchamber.
Nan sent a swift prayer to the Virgin Mary.
The bastard didn’t even have the foresight to lash her to the chair. Smiling, Nan bent from the waist and lowered her fingers to her ankles—and the knot she herself had tied around them.
Chapter 20
Tristan waited patiently for Nan to return to the solar.
Until his patience wore thin.
She had left him at least an hour ago. Mayhap, she lurked in the corridor, waiting for him to leave. He couldn’t let her depart Leventhorpe with things so bitter between them. He had no idea what he would say to her but he decided to find her and try to make amends—if she’d let him.
Leaving the solar, he did not find her in the hallway. Thinking she might have taken refuge in Gillian’s bedchamber, he rapped on the door but received no response. Normally, Tristan would respect his sister’s privacy. But this time, he pushed the door open, only to find the room empty. He went down to the great hall but neither woman was present amidst those gathered there.
Stepping outside the keep, he saw it was growing dark. Concerned, he went to the stables, thinking Nan might have taken solace by visiting her horse. Again, he did not find her.
Tristan crossed the bailey and saw David heading toward him.
“Have you seen Gillian?” the knight called out as he closed the distance between them.
“Nay. Neither her nor Nan. I am growing worried,” Tristan admitted. “Nan and I . . . had words. She took off. I wanted to find her and . . . apologize.”
“Mayhap they are together,” David uttered, but his tone said otherwise.
Just then, Drewett Stollars appeared, on his way to the barracks. They stopped him but the squire had seen neither woman.
“We’d best look for them,” Tristan said.
“My lord!” a voice called.
He looked up and saw Sir Dawkin approaching. The captain of his guard shuffled toward them awkwardly as he tried to hurry. It struck Tristan anew how much this man had sacrificed for Leventhorpe.
“’Tis time to close the gates for the evening but I’ve just been notified by the gatekeeper that Lady Gillian and Lady Nan are still outside the castle walls. I think you need to find them and bring them inside.”
“Nan does like to walk. Especially when she’s upset,” Drew said, flashing Tristan an angry look.
“And Gillian has accompanied her several times on her walks the past two weeks,” David added. “They have strolled through the meadow and into the forest, so Gillian has told me.”
“Then we search there first,” Tristan proclaimed. “Stay here, Dawkin. Close the gates behind us. I’ll return if we need more men.”
They debated a moment whether to take their horses or not and favored walking instead, especially since night had now fallen. All three men hurried through the outer bailey and out the gates, which slowly closed behind them at Sir Dawkin’s instruction.
“If they aren’t in the forest, they could be with Hugo, our falconer,” Tristan suggested. “I know Nan has gone to visit him a few times.”
“We should check the meadow first,” David said, worry now evident on his face. “It’s closer.”
They reached the meadow and crossed it, seeing no sign of either woman.
“I’ll walk the perimeter of the woods,” Tristan said. “David, you enter here. Drew, accompany me a little further down before you venture in. I’ll continue on to the large oak and go from there. We should convene in this spot after half an hour.”
David gave a curt nod and moved away from the other two. Tristan and Drew walked several minutes before Drew stopped.
“I see something ahead. On the ground.” The squire drew his sword and Tristan did the same.
They crept closer until they came upon two bodies at the edge of the forest. Drew rolled one over while Tristan went from one to the other.
“Do you recognize either man?” Drew demanded.
“Nay. I have never seen them before. They are not Leventhorpe men.”
“Then what are they doing on your lands?” Drew asked. “Wait.” He bent and picked up something.
Tristan saw it was a baselard. His eyes roamed the ground and saw a sword also lying nearby.
“God’s teeth!” Drew ground out as he gazed at the dagger.
“What?”
Anger flashed in Drew’s eyes. “This is Nan’s blade. I gave it to her. I had Ancel inscribe it.”
He held it out and showed Tristan the inscription engraved upon it. He also saw the blood staining the weapon. Retrieving the abandoned sword, Tristan saw it, too, had blood on its blade.
“Nan would never go anywhere without this in her boot. And if she withdrew it and used it, she is the one who killed these men,” Drew said. “But she would never willingly leave it behind.”
“Unless forced to,” Tristan said dully.
“I’ll fetch David. Stay here,” the squire said.
As he waited for the two men to return, nausea spread through him. All Tristan could visualize were the bodies of his murdered family strewn about the great hall, their blood soaking the rushes beneath them. Panic seized him.
What if the same had happened to Nan?
Tristan could no longer deny his feelings. He thought he had kept her away from his heart, but Nan de Montfort had wriggled under his skin until she possessed him, body and soul. He’d only pretended to himself that he didn’t love her when, all along, she was the very reason he breathed. His life would have no meaning, no purpose, without Nan in it.
David and Drew returned and Tristan knew the squire had explained the situation to the knight.
“I fully admit I have been a damned fool. I love Nan. I need her in my life. I have to get her—and Gillian—back.”
“Who would wish to take them? Does someone bear you a grudge?” David demanded, his anger evident by his stance. “Who are your enemies?” His voice broke. “I love Gillian more than words can say. I cannot lose her. I can’t.”
“I know of no enemies but that does not mean they do not exist,” Tristan said. “Let’s go back to Thorpe Castle for horses and men.”
As they ran toward the castle at full speed, he tried to think of who might want him harm. The best way to hurt him would be through injuring Gillian. Or Nan.
Tristan decided they would start their search with his closest neighbor, Sir Archibald, and move on from there. Then he stopped in his tracks.
The women hadn’t been on the road. They’d been either in or near the forest so it couldn’t be highwaymen who attacked and took them. Only one man in the area had met Nan and knew she staying was at Thorpe Castle.
Lord Petyr Medford.
He remembered how the baron had been more than interested in Nan. How something ugly had passed between the two, enough to make him swear never to allow the nobleman on Leventhorpe lands again.
But would the nobleman go so far as to steal Nan—and Gillian—away?
Tristan’s gut answered in the affirmative. He came to a halt. His companions did the same.
“You know?” Drew asked.
He nodded. “I think I do.”
They reached the gates to the castle, which swung open, and the three men rushed inside. Sir Dawkin met them.
“Gather every soldier in the training yard,” Tristan ordered. “Even those atop the wall walk.”
The captain left to do his bidding. Tristan shared his suspicions with his companions.
“But why kidnap them?” David asked. “Would he seek ransom?”
“Lord Petyr is very influential throughout Essex. He is not a man who accepts rejection. From what little I know, he cornered Nan in the stables during his recent
visit to Thorpe Castle and made an unwelcomed advance toward her.”
“Holy Mother of Mary!” cried Drew, balling his hands into fists.
“I came across her right after the incident occurred,” Tristan explained. “Nan did not elaborate, only saying she had taken care of the matter. I never had an opportunity to press the baron because when I went to confront him, he rode by me swiftly and left the castle grounds. I assured Nan that Lord Petyr would not be welcomed at Leventhorpe ever again.” He shrugged. “If he took a fancy to her and she turned him down, it might be enough for him to . . .” Tristan’s voice faded.
“For him to want to possess her,” David finished. “I know men such as that. They are vile to their core. I agree, my lord. I believe this nobleman ordered Nan brought to him. Gillian probably accompanied Nan to the woods and unwittingly became part of the plot.”
“Come,” Tristan said and they followed him to the training yard.
Torches had been lit. Every soldier in service to Leventhorpe filled the area. He climbed onto the platform and scanned the crowd.
“Lady Gillian and Lady Nan have gone missing. I believe they have been taken by men sent by the Baron of Wycliffe.”
A rumbling rustled through the yard.
“Lady Gillian is the only family I have left. Words cannot describe how dear she is to me. And you all know Lady Nan from these past two weeks. She fought hard. We found the bodies of two men who attacked her and my sister. Lady Nan’s weapons were drenched in their blood.”
The murmurs grew in volume. Tristan let them play out for a moment.
“I have had a hard time accepting a fact that many of you seem to recognize. For years, I have closed my heart from any kind of emotion, even while my sister did her best to understand me and try to love me. But meeting Lady Nan has changed everything.” His voice broke.
Tristan saw the sea of faces before him, hanging on his words, and couldn’t disguise the raw pain rushing through him. “I bare my soul to you tonight. Nan de Montfort is the woman I love. The woman I want to make my countess. She is the one who brought me back from the blackest pit of darkness that invaded my soul. My life means nothing without her in it. Nothing.
“I ask for you to ride with me now to seek their return. Gather your weapons and saddle your horses.”
As one, the soldiers surged forward from the training yard, eager to do their liege lord’s bidding.
Sir Dawkin stepped up. “We will get them back, my lord, and give you the happiness that you deserve. These soldiers are loyal to Lady Gillian and they truly respect Lady Nan. There’s not a man here who doesn’t recognize how good she is for you.”
Tristan prayed his captain would be proven right this night.
Chapter 21
As Nan began to labor over the knot, she abruptly stopped and sat up.
What if this was a test?
Lord Petyr Medford might be more clever than she realized. If she freed herself too quickly, he could be waiting to pounce. She forced herself to sit perfectly still, eyes closed, waiting to see if he would reappear. Her thoughts drifted first to Gillian. She hoped her friend’s terror had calmed since the baron had instructed his man to free her from the ropes. Nan told herself that, soon, she would find Gillian and they would make their escape. Together.
Though he was the last person she wanted to think about, Tristan’s handsome image invaded her mind. Nan longed to touch his face. Brush her lips against his. Feel his hands caressing her body. She bit her lip, silently begging herself to concentrate on other things. Anything besides Tristan Therolde. Then pictures of Kinwick and her loved ones rushed through her head. A few tears escaped and cascaded down her cheeks.
This wouldn’t do. She needed to clear her mind. Nan decided to count in her head. She began counting by threes, trying to soothe herself. Gradually, it began to work.
Then she heard a slight noise, followed by an almost imperceptible breeze. She forced her face to remain a blank and her breathing to continue to be even and steady. Petyr Medford had opened his bedchamber door and now stood next to her. She could feel his body’s heat. Smell the wine that had been on his breath when he’d drawn near her earlier. Nan continued to breathe slowly, in and out, over and over.
Then a small rustle sounded as the nobleman turned away and left her. She counted to one hundred before she opened her eyes again.
His door was shut as before. Nan was almost glad she had cried so he could see the evidence of how distraught she was. If he thought she had given up hope, he would stay in his bedchamber.
Now, it was time to go to work.
She labored carefully over the knot. When Hal had first showed it to her years ago, he had let her tie it and then undo it dozens of times until it became second nature. He had warned her a time might come when she found herself in a bad situation. Because of that, she needed to practice in a different way. That was when Hal had lashed her wrists together and told her to free her feet, which had been shackled with the trick knot. It proved harder to do with her wrists incapable of movement, but Nan had practiced enough until, once again, she could easily free her ankles from the rope. Thank goodness for a brother who’d taught her such a useful skill.
The knot finally gave way and she wound the loosened rope around until it could be slipped over her feet. She stood, looking about the room for a way to free her hands since she’d had to leave behind her baselard. Lord Petyr had fastened the silk cord firmly. Her search proved fruitless. Nothing in the solar would help her cut through the restraint. She would have to find Gillian and have her help release the binding.
Tiptoeing to the door, she found the solar unlocked and unguarded. The least the baron should have done was put a guard at the door. Did he expect so little from her? For once, Nan was glad she was a woman since men such as Petyr Medford underestimated the fairer sex.
Then she remembered that he had placed a sentry at Gillian’s door, which Roland had said was three doors’ distance from the solar. How was she supposed to get past an armed man? The guard would see her the minute she left this space.
Unless he was distracted. Nan knew she had to venture far enough outside the solar to catch a glimpse of the soldier and where his gaze fell. If he looked down or in the other direction, she might be able to slip inside another chamber, either across from the solar or next door to it. If she could do so, she might be able to find a way to free herself before confronting the guard.
Nan’s lips moved in a silent prayer, begging the Virgin to intercede on her behalf and keep her safe so that she and Gillian could escape from the fiend who held them against their wills. She had never prayed with more fervor than in this moment. Finishing, she opened her eyes and leaned her head out as her body hugged the doorframe.
By the Christ!
No one stood guard in the hallway. Nan’s heart pounded fiercely as she slipped from the solar and gently shut the door. She would find Gillian and then return and take care of Lord Petyr Medford. A plan was beginning to formulate in her mind.
Nan went to the bedchamber and hoped Gillian had not been moved elsewhere. She opened the door and slipped inside as quietly as she could. No candle burned in the darkened room.
She hesitated a moment and then softly said, “Gillian?”
“Nan? Is that you?”
“Where are you?”
“On the bed.”
“Stay there. I am coming to you.”
With her feet free now, Nan stepped slowly, thrusting her tied hands in front of her to feel for any obstacles that might be in her path. She finally bumped into what she hoped was the bed.
“Nan?”
“I’m here.” She used her hands to push up so that she could sit upon the mattress.
Arms went about her. Gillian buried her face in Nan’s neck. Nan could feel the hot tears dripping along her skin.
“How did you get free? Where are we? Why were we brought here?”
“My brother, Hal, taught me a trick knot. I used it w
hen I secured the rope about your wrists and ankles, hoping they would place us together. I could have told you how to free yourself and then help loosen me.”
Gillian’s hands slid down Nan’s arms. “Oh! Your hands are still tied together.”
“Aye. Roland, the man who took us, had me tie my own ankles. I used the special knot then but Lord Petyr was the one who tied my hands.”
“Lord Petyr? He is the one that ordered us taken?” Gillian hiccoughed.
“He is.”
“But why?”
“Later, Gillian. For now, we need to find a way to break my restraints and then escape.”
“But how, Nan? I know it must be late and the castle bedded down for the night. But even if we could flee the keep, there will be sentries along the wall walk. Someone would see us.”
“I will figure something out, Gillian. I need my hands free, though. See if you can untie me.”
She lifted her hands in front of her and Gillian’s fingers found them in the dark. After some minutes, Nan felt the cord begin to loosen.
“That’s right, Gillian. Keep up whatever you are doing,” Nan praised.
At last, her friend pulled the binding away. Nan slipped the cord inside her cotehardie and rubbed her aching wrists.
“We need to go back to the solar.”
“No!” Gillian cried.
“Hush,” Nan warned. “No one was guarding your door when I came, but that could have changed.”
“The one you called Roland told me that a guard would remain outside my door all night.” Gillian sniffed. “And that if I tried to escape, he promised he would . . . hurt you.”
“They said that to frighten you.”
“Well, it worked, Nan. I am still terrified, despite you being with me. Why do you want to go to the solar? Won’t Lord Petyr be there?”