by Alexa Aston
She strolled through the open gates, still in no hurry to reach her appointment with the baroness. Both the outer and inner bailey buzzed with activity. The blacksmith hammered away, while she saw the carpenter sawing through wood. Both men concentrated so that they did not even see her pass by.
Finally, Elinor arrived at the keep and started up the steps. She halted when she heard her name called. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Father Leo hurrying toward her. She sensed the blush tinging her cheeks, reflecting her embarrassment over her recent outburst to the man of God. Elinor might not believe in a merciful God but she should have respected that Father Leo did.
He gave her a broad smile. “Elinor, how are you? I have been thinking of you.”
“I am well, Father.”
A shadow crossed his face. “And your falcon that was so ill?”
“Gone,” she said softly. “But she is with her mate.”
The priest touched her elbow. “I know that must have been difficult for you. How is Gerald working out? Have your young falcons taken to him?”
“Gerald is a good man, Father, and he will train them well. The baron will be pleased.”
Father Leo’s eyes darkened in anger. “I’ve learned that our new baron is your cousin and knew you when you were children.” He frowned. “I cannot understand why he would treat his own flesh and blood this way.”
“Why not? He is only holding to the example set by my father. One baron removed me from the keep. Today, another baron will banish me permanently from Whitley.”
He drew in a quick breath. “Nay. The baron is not even at Whitley now. He is away on business. You will be safe for now.”
Elinor gave him a pointed look. “I think we both know who runs this estate, Father, and it is not the coward who is absent today. Nay, I am to report to the real power at Whitley and tell her how Gerald fares with the raptors. Once I have confirmed that he is a worthy successor to Jasper, the baroness will see me gone. For good.”
“Then I will tell her ’tis a sin,” the priest boldly proclaimed. “She cannot wrong her husband’s kin without suffering the Almighty’s wrath.”
She gripped his forearm tightly. “You will do nothing of the sort, Father. Anyone who is not the baroness is in a precarious position. She would make your life miserable.” Elinor released her hold on him. “Besides, I will be happy to shake the dust of Whitley from my feet and leave this place. I have known no kindness here. I plan to make a new life far away.”
Elinor only hoped he believed her words. She had spoken with conviction.
When nothing but doubt and despair plagued her.
He took a long time until he spoke, assessing her words. “If you truly feel that way, then may our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and keep you always, my child.” He made the Sign of the Cross on her forehead and embraced her.
Her throat grew thick with unshed tears. After all this time, it took a man of God to show her an inkling of kindness. “If you will excuse me, Father. I must see Lady Rohesia now.”
“Go with God, my lady,” he said softly.
Steeling herself, she climbed the stairs to meet her destiny. With each step, Elinor resolved to show no emotion—no matter what the baroness said to her. Emotion portrayed weakness. She would not let the baroness see any sign of that in her.
Entering the keep, Elinor went directly to the staircase that would take her to the second floor and the solar. She ignored the fluttering in her stomach as she passed her former bedchamber. What she would give to lie on that soft mattress again, curled next to the warmth of her mother. To go back to a time before her mother lost so many babes. To when she spent time with her only child.
Going back was never an option. Life had taught her that cruel lesson. Elinor continued until she reached the solar. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she knocked firmly on the oak door.
“Come!” a voice called.
Elinor pushed open the door and saw Lady Rohesia standing on a small stool in the middle of the room. She wore a cotehardie of rich gold, embroidered with tiny sprigs of green. Eunice knelt beside the stool, pinning up the hem.
The noblewoman’s eyes swept up and down Elinor judgmentally. Then she clapped her hands twice.
“Eunice. Stop. You can finish later. I have business to conduct.”
“Very well, Baroness. Shall I help you from this?”
“Nay. I won’t be long. ’Tis simpler to leave it on. Come back in a quarter hour to complete the hem.”
“I can stay if you wish, my lady.”
The noblewoman’s eyes narrowed. “What I have to say to this woman will not be a matter of gossip to be spread. Is that clear?”
The old woman winced at the harsh words. “Aye, my lady.”
“And I will expect my garment to be completely hemmed by tomorrow morning. No excuses.”
Eunice rose shakily and faced Elinor. As she walked away, Elinor saw defeat in the servant’s eyes. Her blood boiled at the baroness’ cruelty to the old woman. Elinor warned herself to rein in her emotions as she heard the door shut.
“Come closer.”
Lady Rohesia remained standing on the stool. Elinor thought it comical that the woman wanted to physically lord over her. She crossed the room and stopped before the stool and the person perched atop it. Elinor stifled a smile, thinking Lady Rohesia was like a peregrine sitting on its perch.
With a disdainful look, the noblewoman said, “I’m ridding myself of you.”
Knowing she had nothing to lose, Elinor boldly replied, “Do you have the power to do so, my lady? Shouldn’t it be your husband, the Baron of Nelham, who makes such an important decision? After all, I am blood kin to him. You are only related by marriage.”
She watched shock and then outrage ripple over the baroness’ face and knew no one ever spoke with such impertinence to the noblewoman.
“You think Nigel is responsible for any significant decision?” A cruel smile played along her lips. “My husband is merely clay that I form into whatever shape I deem necessary.” A low, throaty chuckle sounded in the room. “I questioned my father when he betrothed me to such a weak, simple man. I told him I refused to marry sweet, unassuming Nigel Swan. I wanted to wed a strong man, one like my father and brother. One who was hard. Forceful. Persistent. I needed a husband who could make certain I would want for nothing.”
Lady Rohesia paused. “Father beat me senseless. Locked me in my bedchamber for three days without food or water. When he finally opened the door, I listened. And understood.”
She licked her lips. “My father deliberately bound me to a man who was soft. One I could control. Sometimes, I handle Nigel with soft words and softer caresses to see my wishes fulfilled. Other times, I manipulate him without him even being aware of it.” Lady Rohesia looked down triumphantly at Elinor. “I am the one who wields power over Whitley. Its people and fortunes. I’ve endured being wed to a weak, despicable man for years. I loathe my husband’s touch. I despise how kind and generous he is. I had to wait far too long to become the Baroness of Nelham. Now that I am? I will not have anyone question my authority—especially you.
“You will be sent to the property of one of my distant cousins. He lives near the Scottish border.” The baroness’ nose crinkled she studied Elinor. “Of course, I cannot think to send you . . . this way. You will need a bath. And a cotehardie to wear. I have an old one that will suit you well enough.”
“Why?” Elinor asked.
“Why?” The baroness echoed, looking puzzled. “Because you are unacceptable as you now are. I will not be embarrassed by the likes of you, even with lowly relatives I despise.” Lady Rohesia paused. “In truth, I’ve realized you remind Nigel of another time, one before me. I can’t have that. You’re a threat to me and everything I want. So, I will clean you up and send you far away. My husband need never think of you again.”
The noblewoman lifted her skirts and stepped down from her stool. “Take off that disgusting tunic and those filthy pants.”
Elinor held her hands out, palms up. “This is who I am, my lady. I was forced from the nobility years ago by my father, the former baron. This is how I dress. This is how I look. I refuse to change my clothing and hide who I’ve become. Not for you. Not for anyone.”
When the noblewoman’s mouth gaped open at this open rebellion, Elinor drove a stake into her heart. “You might have changed everything for me, Baroness. You could have allowed my cousin—your husband—to welcome me back into the fold of my family. It was within your power to restore me to my rightful place as the daughter of a baron and once again be recognized as a Swan. Instead, you deliberately choose to act uncharitably toward me. You refuse to acknowledge me by name. You prefer to cast me out by sending me to the far north, knowing what you do is wrong.”
Lady Rohesia glared daggers at her. “You must have been an awful child—a monster—for your father to remove you from the keep. I would never expose my precious children to someone such as you. We are all better off without you.”
“Nay,” she denied. “I was a good child, quiet and dutiful. ’Twas my father who was the cruel one, a man with no love in his heart for me or my mother. He ignored me because I was a girl. Females meant nothing to him. My hope had been that when Whitley became Nigel’s property and he held the title, my cousin would treat me with respect and restore me to my birthright.”
Elinor took a step closer. “I believe Nigel would have done that very thing—except for your meddling.” She stared with determination into her enemy’s eyes. “I don’t wish to go to this distant cousin of yours whom I have never met. I refuse to live in the north. I would rather find my way as a falconer. I plan to start my life over, far from the Baroness of Nelham and her wicked ways.”
Without waiting for a dismissal, Elinor whipped around and headed for the door.
“You can’t do this!” Rohesia shouted at her.
She ignored the angry noblewoman and opened the door.
“You must obey me!”
Elinor moved into the corridor and strode down it.
“Stop! I say—”
A loud thud sounded. Elinor glanced over her shoulder and saw Rohesia had followed her, tripping over the unhemmed gown. She lay on the stone floor, pushing herself to her feet, a dazed look on her face. Whether it was from her fall or the fact that Elinor had chosen to ignore Rohesia’s commands, Elinor didn’t care. She kept walking. The angry baroness hurried after her, threatening her now with vile language.
As Elinor reached the staircase, she turned in defiance.
“Can’t you understand? You are no one to me. I will go if it pleases me. Not you. I alone determine my fate.”
The noblewoman had bunched up the cotehardie in her hands and trotted down the hallway.
As she hurried along, she cried, “My husband is your legal guardian. He is the head of the Swan family. He will force you to obey him. To obey me.”
“I am of age. A score and two. You wanted your hands washed of me? So be it. You will never see me again. Of that, you can be sure.” Elinor flew down the stairs, rage bubbling inside her, as Rohesia continued to yell at her.
“You are betraying your family,” the noblewoman accused, the whine in her voice revealing her desperation.
At the foot of the stairs, Elinor stopped and glared up. “I have no family.”
Rohesia huffed and quickly turned away but her feet must have tangled in the material of the hem which had come undone. Her arms waved violently as she tried to catch her balance but she had nothing to grab on to for support. She tumbled down the stairs in a blur, landing at Elinor’s feet.
And lay there silent. Unmoving.
Elinor bent to feel the pulse in her neck and changed her mind, withdrawing her hand. Rohesia Swan’s neck had twisted, making her head sit at an odd angle. Lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling. Elinor had no need to check. Lady Rohesia was dead.
And she would be blamed.
Elinor looked around wildly. No one was in sight. Panic poured through her. She had to get out. Escape. Now, while she had a chance. Before they took her away and hanged her for murder. With no witnesses, they would say Elinor pushed the noblewoman to her death. Nigel, Gerald, and probably others knew that Rohesia planned to send Elinor away. It would be the perfect motive.
“I will not suffer the blame,” she whispered.
Instead, she ran to the door and hurried outside. Scrambling down the steps, she decided to leave through the sally port instead of the front gate. She kept close to the structure of the keep and finally rounded the back of it. Elinor made her way to the western side of the inner bailey and continued through the outer bailey until she found the little used doorway. It took her a few shoves before the door gave way and she scurried through it, closing it carefully.
She must leave Whitley immediately. Her only regret was that she hadn’t told Bess and Tris goodbye when she left them earlier. But the first place they would look for her would be at the cottage. Returning to it would be impossible.
Elinor ran as fast as she could, circling the meadow and crashing through the woods until she reached the road to Long Bellbridge. The road Jasper had died on.
The road that had brought Hal to her.
Pushing aside all thoughts, she kept to the edge of the road. She had no idea what lay beyond the village, for she had never gone past it.
She had wanted to leave Whitley. Now she did so, forever, without looking back.
Chapter 17
Hal’s eyes eagerly surveyed the road before them. Soon, they would spy Kinwick Castle perched high upon a hill. It had been far too long since he’d visited home. Simply breathing the surrounding country air made him realize how different life would be for him now. Away from London. Away from his duties at court in the royal guard.
But with Elinor by his side.
At least he hoped she would agree to come live here with him. Wed him. Bear his children. He’d never experienced rejection by any woman. His life had been a charmed one. Yet, Hal realized that a life without Elinor in it would be no life at all. She had to want him as he wanted her. Oh, she had cleverly hidden her interest in him but the intimacies they had shared—the sounds she had made—the tenderness he’d felt for her as he touched her silken skin—let him know she needed him as much as he needed her.
And if she didn’t love him? He could only pray that love would come. That she would give it a chance to blossom between them. It meant he must convince Elinor to abandon everything about the life she knew at Whitley and come on a lifetime of adventure.
With him.
Kinwick came into sight. Hal spurred his horse on, one that Michael and Elysande had insisted he take as a gift since Derby had kept his steed that day at Radcot Bridge. Elinor would also need a horse of her own. He doubted she’d ever ridden before and he couldn’t wait to teach her to do so. With her affinity for birds, he knew she’d take to riding with ease and have all the horses in the stables eating from her palm, much as Elysande did with hers at Sandbourne.
The gates swung open as he charged down the road. Hal glanced over his shoulder when he heard thundering hooves approach and saw Nan turned the last portion of their ride into a race. He adored this sister of his, with her competitive nature and giving heart. The man who captured it would have a treasure beyond measure.
Together, they passed through the Kinwick gates at the same time, both laughing as the wind tore through their hair. Hal pulled on the reins, slowing his horse to a trot. Nan did the same as they headed toward the keep.
“Will you go back to Sandbourne?” he asked.
“In a few weeks. I want to see Edward off and give the Sandbourne men time to practice.” She grinned. “And time to miss me. Only then will I return and see if they’ve taken my lessons to heart.”
They entered the inner bailey and he spied Edward and Rosalyne waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs that led to the keep. He would recognize Edward’s muscular frame anywhere. His hair, which normal
ly seemed dark brown, picked up Merryn’s chestnut highlights whenever Edward stood in the shining sun. How he would miss this brother of his. Hal had always led, while Edward blindly followed him. Close in age, they had spent their childhoods together, then years of fostering with Lord Hardwin and Lady Johamma, and they’d finally joined the king’s guard together after Edward was knighted on the battlefield for bravery.
His younger brother had changed in recent years, though, all because of the irresistible beauty standing next to him. Edward’s arm wrapped protectively around Rosalyne’s shoulder. Her dark blond hair gleamed in the sunlight. Even after birthing a son then a daughter in the past two years, she still remained slender.
Hal halted his horse and sprang from it. Edward met him and wrapped him in a bear hug, pounding him on the back.
Pulling away, Edward smiled. “I had no idea we’d be treated to a visit from you. Mother and Father have been sick with worry, Hal.”
“I know.” He turned and embraced Rosalyne, drawing in a deep breath before he pulled away. “You still smell of paints,” he teased. “And I love that about you.”
Hal had met Rosalyne when she came to London from Canterbury to paint the portraits of the king and queen. If Edward had not staked his claim and declared his love for the artist, Hal might have done so himself, for Rosalyne was not only a beautiful woman but one with depth and talent and kindness. Looking at the two of them, he saw how well they fit together.
Besides, he’d found love of his own and couldn’t wait to share the news with them.
“I am delighted to be welcomed by the new Baron and Baroness of Shallowheart,” Hal told them. “No one deserves a title and estates more than the two of you.”
By now, Nan had approached and greeted the couple warmly.
Rosalyne said, “Though we are sad to hear Uncle Benedict passed, Edward and I are excited to begin this new part of our lives. With the children so young, Shallowheart will be the home they always remember. They will have the childhood there that I never did.”