His Conquest

by Diana Cosby

  “It is odd,” Linet said, unsure whether she should admit her thoughts.

  “What?”

  “’Tis strange I know, but I feel…”

  “Welcome?” Nichola finished, curiosity touching her expression.

  Stunned to be read so accurately, Linet frowned. “How did you know?”

  “When I first entered, I, too, felt the same.”

  Though lightly spoken, Linet sensed an implication she did not understand. From the other side of the bed, a sparkle of light caught her eye. On the sturdy stand rested a bowl, within sat two halved gems. She gasped.

  Nichola touched her arm. “What is it?”

  Linet rubbed her brow. “I must be overtired.”

  She dropped her hand. “Tell me.”

  “In the bowl, a stone…” Linet let her words fall away, unsure of how to explain her urge to walk toward it.

  “It is a halved gem, a moss agate,” Nichola explained. “It is believed to hold the ability to make warriors powerful and shield them from those who would bring them harm. Seathan wears its mate on a chain around his neck.” A smile lingered on her mouth. “A gift his grandmother bestowed to him upon his knighting.”

  Linet remembered the halved stone around Seathan’s neck. “And what is the other halved gemstone?”

  “Other gemstone?” Nichola rounded the bed and halted. Her face paled.

  Linet moved to her side. “What is wrong?”

  “I…” She stepped back, a stunned expression on her face. “Nothing.”

  There was something wrong, but the Englishwoman wouldn’t divulge whatever had upset her.

  Air brushed across Linet’s cheek, and she almost jumped. She turned, expecting to find that a servant had entered. Instead, except for her and Nichola, the room stood empty.

  “Lady Linet?” the noblewoman inquired, her voice cautious.

  “It is nothing,” she said, feeling foolish. She rubbed her arms. “I but felt a breeze.”

  Silence.

  “The window is closed.”

  Tensing, Linet looked over. Indeed, the window was secured. “What is going on?”

  “Worry not. ’Tis a common occurrence within this chamber.”

  But Linet heard the other woman’s unease, again sensed something was amiss.

  A warm smile curved Nichola’s mouth, but edges of uncertainty tainted her attempt. “Seathan will explain once he has rested.”

  Seathan. The reality of why she was at Lochshire Castle hit her. Nerves jangled as she glanced around the amazing room, a chamber filled with love, a room belonging to a woman the brothers loved. Given the minimal time she would remain here, it would be wrong for her to stay in this luxury. She was not the woman they believed her to be. Mayhap she had saved Seathan’s life, but righteousness had little to do with her motive.

  Guilt had Linet taking a step toward the entry. “Please, a simple chamber is all I require.”

  “The oddities of the chamber have upset you?”

  “No.” Linet looked around, torn. “I cannot explain why, but I feel at ease here, more so than in a long while.”

  “Then there will be no further discussion.” Nichola held up her hand before Linet could object. “Please remain. And after saving Seathan’s life, it would be our honor.” A smile touched her mouth. “Duncan said to give you the tower chamber, a room that is special. I assure you, everything about this room is that.”

  Words of refusal came to Linet’s lips, but a wave of dizziness enveloped her, erasing further objections. She laid her hand upon her forehead. She was so tired. Would it be wrong to remain here? The chamber was indeed beautiful. “My thanks.”

  Concern darkened Nichola’s eyes. “After your hard travel these past few days, you are exhausted.”

  As Seathan must be. She prayed a healer was treating him now; then he would rest.

  Nichola walked to the door. “There is a bowl with water and a cloth on a stand at your side. After you bathe, I will have a servant bring you stew to tide you until we sup.”

  “No, please,” Linet said, suddenly exhausted. “I wish only to rest.”

  “I will leave you then.” Nichola hesitated, frowned. “You are sure we have never met?”

  “No.” The lie echoed within the silence, feeding Linet’s guilt. She truly liked Lady Nichola, and had so upon their first meeting at King Edward’s court. But to reveal the truth would yield dire consequences.

  The Englishwoman gestured toward the hearth, which was readied with kindling. “You can break your fast in the morning once you awaken. And I will at least send a servant to light the fire.”

  A chill swept her, and Linet rubbed her arms. “My thanks, a fire would be appreciated.”

  Nichola paused as if she would say more, then, with a nod, exited the chamber.

  The soft clunk of the door closing reverberated through the room. For a brief moment, panic ripped through Linet as if she’d heard the scrape of the wood, the thunk of a barrier falling into place. No. Nichola would not lock her in. ’Twas her own guilt that fueled such a desperate thought.

  With a yawn, Linet turned toward the bed, but found her gaze drawn to the bowl. Odd, as she stared at it, the moss agate seemed to glow.

  Uneasy, Linet glanced around the chamber but saw nothing else out of the ordinary. Nichola’s words that Seathan would explain the uniqueness of this room came to mind. What was there about this chamber that she should know? Was it haunted? A smile flickered upon her mouth. No, it was but her overtired mind conjuring thoughts that she’d otherwise not consider.

  As she continued to stare, as if drawn by a force she could not define, she found herself walking closer. With every step, the sense of peace grew stronger, a comfort so deep it touched her soul.

  Never one for trivial musings, she wanted to laugh at the foolishness of it all, but however strange, this moment seemed to inspire whimsical thoughts.

  At the table’s edge, she halted. Framed within a gold-encrusted outer layer, the halved gem’s center was a milky white, infused with what appeared to be petrified spirals of moss.

  The moss agate.

  To its right lay another gemstone. Intrigued, she picked up the unique halved round, the roughness of its exterior similar to the moss agate, but the similarities ended there. Inside, a burst of color extended from a pale green to a deep olive hue within its center. It was as if the gemstone were caught in turmoil.

  Why had Nichola paled as she’d viewed the contents of the bowl?

  Linet returned the olive-and-pale-green stone. The moss agate was what truly caught her interest. She lifted the halved gemstone, cradled it within her palm.

  A soft pulse of energy seemed to radiate through her; the gem grew warm upon her skin.

  Sweet Mary! Linet almost dropped the moss agate as she placed it back in the bowl. What was going on?

  The light within the gem began to fade.

  She rubbed her arms, and stepped back. She’d felt nothing. No warmth, no tingle had spread through her body. Naught but fatigue guided her thoughts, which a solid dose of rest would cure.

  A light knock sounded.

  Pulse racing, she whirled, unsure of what to expect. “Enter.”

  The door opened. A lad around the age of ten summers with a crop of muddy brown hair entered. He gave a brisk bow. “My lady, I am here to light a fire.”

  She exhaled a shaky sigh. “Please.”

  He withdrew a flint and knife and hurried to complete his task. In moments, flames stirred to life and slowly engulfed the tinder before catching the larger logs.

  The boy stepped back. “Did you need anything else, my lady?”

  “No. My thanks.”

  With a nervous bow, he turned and hurried out.

  The crackle of the fire echoed within the chamber, the rich scent of the wood infusing the room. More than ready for sleep, she quickly washed, then stretched out upon the bed, thankful for the comfort, smiling as she realized it was feathers filling the mattress, not
straw.

  On a sigh, Linet peered at the fairies painted upon the ceiling, her eyes growing heavy. She paused upon the raven-haired fairy in the moss green gown, her silver-tipped wings caught in midflutter as she landed on a lush, purple-tipped thistle. As if a trick of the light, the fairy smiled at her.

  Smiled?

  Linet tried to sit up, but her limbs, as if weighted by stones, refused to comply.

  The tinkle of laughter echoed around her, a soft sound of gentle amusement. Her nose was tickled with the faint scent of lavender.

  The soft fragrance soothed her; the quiet laughter in the air was like listening to a child’s happy play. Truly at peace for the first time since before her parents’ deaths, Linet closed her eyes and fell into sleep’s embrace.

  Seathan shoved himself to a sitting position, and pain streaked through him at his quick movement. He stared at Nichola in shock. “You did what?”

  Alexander immediately stepped beside his wife. “Do nae be upset with Nichola. With the mayhem of your arrival, being told that Lady Linet saved your life, and with Duncan telling her to give Lady Linet the tower chamber, why would she put the lass anywhere else but our grandmother’s room?”

  Bedamned! “Duncan’s meddling caused this mix-up?” His anger shoved up a notch.

  Humor glinted in Alexander’s gaze. “Aye, but what is your worry? ’Tis you who claims the tower chamber is only a chamber, not a room that holds magic.”

  Only a chamber? With both brothers married to women who’d stayed within the tower chamber upon their arrival at the castle, Linet’s installment there was no laughing matter.

  Nichola shook her head. “I did not mean to cause you upset, but do not blame Duncan alone. Even without his prodding, I would have felt obligated to give her the most luxurious chamber. And with Lady Linet already settled, it would be improper to ask her to move, or to explain.”

  “Aye,” Seathan agreed, but the thought of her staying within his grandmother’s chamber left him uneasy.

  Nichola glanced from her husband to Seathan, then frowned. “Why do I sense that more than Lady Linet staying in the tower room is at issue?”

  Alexander took her hand, blew out a deep breath. “We are unsure of Lady Linet’s motivation for freeing Seathan.”

  Nichola stilled. “You believe she is working in league with Lord Tearlach?”

  “I am not sure, but if so, I will find out.” Seathan grimaced, the wounds sewed by the healer throbbing. “Whatever her motives, upon awakening, she will be moved to another chamber.”

  Not that he believed that the room had a spell cast upon it, or that the woman who stayed within was destined to marry the man who brought her to Lochshire Castle. That was but a superstition.

  Nichola cleared her throat, slanted a nervous look toward Seathan. “There is one other thing.”

  “Go on,” Seathan said.

  “It is about the bowl in the chamber that contains the gems.” She reached to touch the other half of Alexander’s halved azurite, a gift he’d presented to her when they’d wed.

  The hairs on the back of Seathan’s neck prickled. “You mean the one gem.”

  She shook her head. “No.” Her fingers trembled. She dropped her hand to her side. “I saw them. There were two.”

  Chapter 9

  “Two?” Seathan and Alexander asked in unison.

  Nichola glanced at her husband, then toward Seathan. “I swear, had I not seen them both, I would not have believed it either.”

  Seathan grimaced. Of the four original gemstones, the only one remaining in the bowl was the other half of his moss agate. His other two brothers were already married. The only other person to have been awarded a halved gemstone was…

  It could not be! God’s teeth, he would see for himself. Seathan swung his legs off the bed and stood. The room spun around him.

  Determination tightened Alexander’s face as he stepped before him. “You are not fit to be up and moving about.”

  “Move out of my way.”

  Alexander didn’t budge. “The stones will be there on the morrow.”

  Nichola stepped beside her husband. “If you go up there now, you will awaken Lady Linet. She is exhausted and needs to rest.” Gray eyes pleaded with him. “As do you.”

  “A few hours are little time to wait,” Alexander added when Seathan hesitated, “for all of us.”

  Bedamned. Alexander and Nichola’s reasons for waiting until first light made sense. Besides, if he went to the tower chamber now, he’d look more a fool than lord of the castle.

  With a grimace, Seathan settled back upon the bed. He met Nichola’s worried eyes. “Describe the second halved gemstone.” He would at least have that.

  Nichola scraped her teeth across her lower lip, then glanced at her husband.

  Christ’s blade! “Tell me,” Seathan said.

  “The gemstone,” she said softly, “appears to be Patrik’s malachite.”

  The full impact of her meaning sank in. Seathan shot to his feet. “It cannot be!” The room again blurred, but he focused on Nichola, on the impossibility of her claim. Though adopted, Patrik was family, their love for him as deep as if he were born of their blood.

  Alexander caught his arm. “You need to be abed!”

  “Lie back down,” Nichola urged. “You are going to fall over.”

  Seathan jerked his arm free. “Not until I know what in bloody hell is going on!”

  Alexander shook his head. “I am as upset as you. Upon Patrik’s death, the half within the bowl matching the gemstone he once wore around his neck disappeared.”

  “I know,” Nichola replied, rubbing her finger along the side of her gown. “And when we returned from Patrik’s gravesite, we all saw the empty space within the bowl where his halved gemstone used to reside. But I swear to you, this stone looks exactly like the same one I saw when you first locked me in your grandmother’s chamber.”

  Seathan clenched his fist. “If Patrik’s malachite has reappeared, why now?”

  Alexander grimaced. “Mayhap a better question is, was it ever gone?”

  Seathan paused. “What do you mean?”

  “What if after his death, someone removed it,” Alexander explained, “and now has decided, for whatever reason, to return it?”

  “That makes no sense.” Seathan blew out a frustrated breath. “It is true that the guard sent back with Patrik’s body disappeared once he’d finished burying him. But I doubt the guard would reappear to return the stone after all this time. But what other explanation is there?”

  Alexander held his gaze. “Our grandmother’s magic.”

  Seathan gave a grunt of dismissal. He had little use for such foolery. “I will check to see if the guard who buried Patrik’s body has returned. I do nae think—”

  The door opened. Duncan stepped in, Isabel at his side. “’Tis good to see you up and—” He stopped, scanned those within the chamber, and drew his wife nearer. “What is it?”

  “Patrik’s gemstone,” Seathan stated. “Nichola believes she saw it within the bowl in our grandmother’s chamber.”

  Duncan’s face paled. “’Tis not possible.”

  “Normally, I would agree,” Alexander said as he gave his wife’s hand a comforting squeeze, “but Nichola saw Patrik’s gemstone before it disappeared. I have no doubt she would recognize it if she saw it again.”

  Isabel frowned. “If so, it is strange that his gemstone appears now.”

  “Not strange at all when magic is involved,” Duncan said, relaxing a degree.

  “It could somehow be tied to the disapperance of the guard who buried Patrik,” Seathan stated, preferring that logical explanation. But his younger brother’s reference to their grandmother, to the notion that she was wielding her influence from the great beyond, settled ill within his mind.

  He pushed away the disturbing thoughts, and instead focused on the lad his family had adopted so many years ago, who had died tragically last fall. He ached with the memory, a
sadness that only years would ever ease.

  What did the reappearance of their adopted brother’s halved malachite mean? Was he alive? No, they’d all seen the grave where the guard had buried his body. Still, Seathan couldn’t remove the wedge of doubt.

  “You think the guard who disappeared after burying Patrik took it,” Duncan asked with a look of sheer disbelief, “and now decides it is a fine time to return it?”

  “It does sound far-fetched,” Seathan agreed.

  “So,” Alexander broke in with a twinkle in his eye, “our grandmother has added Patrik’s malachite to the bowl in her chamber.”

  Seathan glared at his middle brother. “There is no connection to our grandmother or any binding spell.” In his mind, the joke had long since run its course. He walked to the window, a pounding building in the back of his head. He stared into the sky, where night was gradually smothering the last remnants of the day. God’s teeth, this new twist wasn’t making a dram of sense.

  “Until I see the malachite half for myself,” Duncan stated from behind him, “I will not believe it is Patrik’s.”

  Seathan turned, waving Nichola away when she gestured for him to sit. “Until Linet awakens and we can inspect the tower chamber, we will have no further answers.” His throat grew dry. What if indeed it was Patrik’s malachite? He’d believed himself past the worst of his sorrow, but as he thought of his brother, he acknowledged his grief was still very raw.

  He blew out a deep breath, caught a glimmer of interest in his younger brother’s face.

  “Lady Linet is asleep inside our grandmother’s room?” Duncan asked with mock surprise.

  Seathan scowled at his younger brother.

  “I will say,” Duncan continued, the humor in his tone easing the somber mood within the chamber, “that I am surprised you placed the lass in our grandmother’s chamber”—he winked at Alexander—“with the matching spell and all.”

  “You donkey’s arse,” Seathan growled, “’twas your meddling that put Linet there.”

  “Linet, is it?”

  Seathan mentally cursed. He knew better than to play into Duncan’s teasing.

  “Our brother does seem unusually intrigued with the lass,” Alexander prodded. “Methinks mayhap our grandmother has grand plans for the lad.”