by Lisa Shea
Blue-eyes chuckled. “Blue-eyes is it?”
She frowned. “Well, what is your name?”
He pondered that for a moment, then shrugged. “Zachariah.”
She leant forward. “All right, Zachariah. If you’d just listen to –”
Martinus interrupted, “Alicia, please, let me handle this.”
She knew she was babbling, Somehow the words just poured out of her like a ruptured dam. “But, Martinus, you know it’s my fault. It’s always my fault. I called you by the wrong name because I always get things wrong. I love you – and I love Dylan – and you’re not the same person.”
Zachariah nudged his head.
The two men holding Dylan moved him around to sit in the heavy chair. In quick work they had tied his hands and wrists to the chair’s arms and legs.
Martinus looked to Zachariah. “Please, let her go. She’s innocent.”
Zachariah held his gaze for a long moment, his face without expression. “I had planned to torture you,” he admitted at last with a small shrug. “I had come to accept that the extraction process would take a while, with your reputation and all. I wasn’t looking forward to the next few days. Too much mess. Too much screaming. Not good on the ears.”
Alicia shivered, cold fear shaking loose some of the fog in her brain.
Zachariah pulled her closer, the sharp knife sliding along her neck. A trickle of warm blood slid down her throat.
Martinus’s face darkened, and he pulled against the rope bonds. “You hurt her, and I swear –”
Zachariah smiled. “Luckily, this is so much easier. Because I think, while you could probably hold out against just about anything I could do to you, apparently you have a soft spot for this woman …”
The knife at Alicia’s throat twisted deeper.
She gasped, her heart hammering against her ribs. All glib words left her. The deadly import of Zachariah’s actions were all too clear.
Her voice was a rasp. “Martinus, tell him that you’re not Dylan. Tell him it was all a stupid mistake I made. Tell him whatever he needs to know.”
Martinus’s eyes shadowed. “Alicia –”
Zachariah’s voice held laughter. “Yes, Martinus, tell me whatever I need to know. After all, your girl currently has ten fingers and ten toes. I could be occupied for quite a while before I get to the more important parts. Perhaps I should start with …”
His hand reached toward her wrist.
Martinus’s voice barely had breath. “Let her go. I’ll give you whatever you need.”
Zachariah’s eyes lifted with interest. “Oh?”
Martinus nodded. “Return her to Lord Bloodworth’s residence. Have the guard there write a note stating he has received her safely. I know him, so I will know if he wrote it.”
His fingers clenched. “Once I have that note back in my hands, then I’ll tell you everything.”
Zachariah looked at him for a long moment. Then he nodded. “All right, then. We’ll try the quick and easy way. After all, if you do try to play me false, I still have you right here. I can always go the other, more painful, route.”
Martinus held his gaze. “You won’t have to.”
Zachariah chuckled. “I find I believe you.”
Alicia stared at Martinus in confusion. “I don’t understand. Are you going to lie so I’m safe? Just tell him the truth! Tell him you’re Martinus. Then come home with me.”
Martinus’s gaze shadowed. “Go with the men, Alicia. Go back to Lord Bloodworth’s home. Stay with the guard there and do whatever he says. He’ll get you back to your uncle.”
Alicia crossed her arms before her chest. “I won’t. I won’t leave you. Not if you’re going to lie to save me.”
Martinus’s eyes were on hers. “I’m asking you to go.”
Strength flared through her. “No.”
He took in a deep breath.
He spoke.
Alicia’s mouth hung open. The smooth, lyrical music of a Welsh accent flowed from his lips.
“When I first saw you, at that harvest fair, I thought you were a faerie come to life. Your hair was so blonde it shimmered like gold in the sun. And that smile, that honest, beautiful smile …” He shook his head. “It took me ten minutes to build up the courage to go talk with you. But when I did, I knew.”
His eyes were deep. The depths of the ocean.
His voice was low and delved into her very soul. “I knew you were the one for me.”
Alicia’s legs were weak. It took all her energy to put breath behind the word.
“Dylan?”
Chapter 15
She stared at the man bound to the chair. Past and present merged and slid before her eyes. Dylan, the detail-oriented candlemaker of Wales. Martinus, the well-honed soldier of Provence. The two men she loved.
All the fogs vanished.
They were the same.
She could barely say his name again. “Dylan – is it really you?”
His eyes held hers. “It is, my love. My sweet, sweet love. I’m so sorry -”
Zachariah gave a wave. “And now that we have that settled, back you go, Alicia. I promise my men will give you safe passage.”
His brow narrowed. “But understand that I will have watchers go along with the carriage. Any attempt to have the guards take my men captive, or to hinder the departure of the carriage, and Dylan here dies.”
Alicia’s hands clenched in desperation. It was still almost too much to take in. Dylan – the Dylan she had found and re-found hundreds of times over the past few years – was finally here before her. He was real, alive – and in great danger.
But what could she do?
Resolve firmed within her. She couldn’t fight the men. She knew that much. But once they returned her back to Lord Bloodworth, she could gather up men who could fight – and she could lead them back to rescue Dylan.
Whatever it took, she’d find a way.
She held his gaze. “I’ve only just found you, Dylan. You vowed to me once that you’d come back to me. I want you to swear it to me again, and then I’ll leave. Vow to me that you’ll stay alive. That we will be reunited someday.”
His voice was hoarse with agony. “Alicia –”
Her eyes firmed. “Swear it, or I promise I will refuse to leave this room.”
He drew in a breath, and then nodded. “I swear it.”
She turned to the two guards. “Then I am content. I will return to Lord Bloodworth with you.”
Zachariah’s eyes moved over her. “You are quite a woman. I can see why Dylan here is so taken with you.” His grin grew. “And a good thing for me, too. It made my job that much easier.”
He nudged his head. “Ralph. Don. Take her back and get that paper signed. She’s served her purpose, and as much as I follow orders, I’m just as happy not harming women or children.”
The two burly men, almost twins, took her arms. She’d barely blinked before they were back up the stairs and in the carriage.
Within a few minutes the horses were re-harnessed, the driver had shaken the reins, and they were back in motion. Ralph and Don sat on either side of her, but she had no thought of escape. Her quest now was to find a way to lead help back to Dylan.
She tried with all her might to catch a glimpse through the thick fabric which shielded the windows, but they hung resolutely solid, not stirring at all during the ride.
The pieces began connecting together. The wine had tasted odd – and she had sat in Dylan’s seat. Clearly whatever she had drunk was meant for him. And, judging by the things she had said, the drink was meant to loosen his tongue.
To get him to admit the truth of whatever mission he was on.
By the time the carriage had drawn to a stop again, deep determination ran through her
She would make things right.
Don nudged her; Ralph pushed open the door of the carriage. As she stepped out, the red-headed guard looked up in curiosity.
Ralph spoke up. “We need a receipt
for the lass. Write a note to say that Alicia here is safely with you, and we’ll be on our way.”
The guard looked at Alicia, an eyebrow raised.
She nodded, well aware that hidden eyes were undoubtedly watching her from the darkness. “Please do it. I’ll explain it all later.”
His brow furrowed, but he went into the small guardhouse and unrolled a piece of parchment. In a moment he had written out the note and handed it over to Ralph.
Ralph glanced at it, then nodded to his comrade. A heartbeat later they were within their carriage and riding off into the blackness of the night.
Immediately Alicia spun on the guard. “You – what’s your name?”
“Roger,” he responded. “What is this –”
She grabbed him by the hand. “Quick – we have to get to Lord Bloodworth. It’s an emergency!”
Something in her tone of voice must have gotten through to him. He waved over another guard to take his post, then hurried with her up the long stretch toward the main doors.
For a moment it made no sense at all that the dinner was going on strong. In her mind it had been long hours that she had been gone. She had expected to find the entire place asleep. She’d thought the guard would have to wake up Lord Bloodworth and that precious time could be wasted waiting for him to dress and prepare himself. But instead the wine was still flowing, the laughter rang high into the ceiling, and it looked like the party would be going strong until full into the next day.
She didn’t have that kind of time.
She wove her way through the tables, coming around the head table up to Lord Bloodworth’s side. Others had filled in their places and were laughing over some sort of a joke.
He smiled as she approached. “There you are, my little lovebird. Have you abandoned Martinus so quickly then? All the better for me.”
She glanced around, uncertain. Someone had drugged Dylan. For all she knew it could have been Lord Bloodworth himself. But she had to trust someone. She knew she couldn’t rescue Dylan on her own.
She clutched at Lord Bloodworth’s arm. “Please, Lord Bloodworth, I have to talk with you alone.”
Amused eyebrows raised along the table – but she didn’t care. She gave him a tug. “It’s urgent!”
Roger had come up to her side and gave a shrug. “She was dropped off by a black carriage, M’Lord. They made me write out a note saying that she had been delivered safely.”
Lord Bloodworth’s eyes twinkled. “Curious. I do like a puzzle. All right, then, let’s go into my study.”
He rose and led her off to the right side. As they reached the door, Benet came up to join them. “My dear, you look in quite a state. Did something happen with Martinus?”
She paled and stepped within to the privacy of the inner room. In a moment Roger, Lord Bloodworth, and Benet had joined her.
As soon as the door closed behind them, she turned to Roger. “He said that he knew you. How?”
Roger’s brow creased. “We served together in France.”
Alicia took in a deep breath. She knew she was taking a chance – but she had no choice. “Did you serve with him when he was Martinus – or Dylan?”
His face went still, and he glanced at Lord Bloodworth.
Benet’s face didn’t flicker.
Alicia rounded on him, her mouth falling open. “You knew?”
He put his hands up in a soothing motion. “Yes, Alicia, I knew. The way he looked at you. There was more than just besotted attraction in his eyes. That was deep-seated love if ever I knew it. And there was more. You haven’t met many travelers from Provence yet, but there is a cadence to their speech. Something built from childhood. Dylan was good – very good – but it was just a little too musical. And sometimes he’d slip. Say something natural to a Welshman. You wouldn’t notice, of course, because it was natural to you, too. But I’ve lived in Canterbury many years now. I’m more aware of those dialect differences.”
She stared at her uncle. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He swore me to secrecy,” explained Benet. “He said your safety depended on it.”
“Well now his safety depends on us,” Alicia stated, her voice firming. “Zachariah has him – and threatened to torture me if Dylan didn’t comply.” She turned to Roger. “That’s why you had to write the note. It was to prove to Dylan that I’d made it to safety, before he began talking.”
Roger’s eyes fired with heat. “We have to get to him! Whatever Zachariah might have promised, Dylan will be dead before morning, once Zachariah has what he wants.”
Lord Bloodworth rounded on Alicia. “Where is Dylan now? I will send all my forces out to get him to safety.”
Alicia paled, wrapping her arms around herself. She could barely get the words out.
“I don’t know.”
Chapter 16
Three sets of eyes stared at her in surprised shock. Benet was the first one to speak.
“My dear, what do you mean you don’t know where Dylan is?”
She shook her head, fighting back the desperation which welled within her. “I mean I don’t know. They grabbed us from the street in a black carriage. The windows were covered with a heavy black fabric. I tried my best to peek out when they drove me back here. Really, I did. But I wasn’t able to see anything at all.”
Lord Bloodworth rounded on Roger. “Did you notice anything?”
He shook his head. “I saw the two men with her, but I didn’t recognize either one.”
Alicia spoke up. “They were named Ralph and Don, but does that help? I’m sure a thousand men in London have those names.”
Roger nodded. “And, as she said, the carriage was black and nondescript. It traveled east down the road, but it could have been headed anywhere. I was more concerned with her safety.”
Benet’s gaze clouded. “As well you should have been.” He stepped forward to embrace Alicia. “My poor dear, all you have been through!”
She looked up at him. “But we have to get to Dylan! There must be a way!”
He held her gaze. “About how long were you traveling for in the carriage?”
She gave that thought. “Perhaps fifteen minutes.”
Lord Bloodworth’s shoulders slumped. “Do you know what kind of a radius that is? Even if we went house to house, and somehow gained entry to every single location, it would be days before we checked every place. And by then …”
Her stomach rumbled, and she pushed down the hungry feeling with annoyance. Now was not the time! Her hunger had only been made worse by passing that bakery with its raisin bread …
Her eyes lit up, and she looked to Roger.
“Is there anybody nearby who makes raisin bread this time of night?”
His brow creased in confusion, but he nodded. “Certainly. The Drakes, a few blocks over, are well known for it. We order it fresh every day for our breakfast meals.”
She lit up with delight. “I passed them! I passed them! I remember the smell. It was definitely raisin bread!”
Benet turned on Roger. “Are there other bakers in the area that make that bread as well?”
Roger shook his head. “Nobody at all. The other local bakers make cinnamon bread, walnut bread, and other varieties – but not raisin bread.”
Lord Bloodworth turned to Alicia. “All right, think. You passed the raisin bread aroma. Then what happened? What other smells were there?”
Alicia thought carefully about the trip. She had smelled the raisin bread … what else had she smelled?
She thought … thought … sighed.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t think of anything else.”
Benet held her hands. “All right, maybe they aren’t smells. But maybe there is something else you noticed. Something else not involved with sight. Think carefully.”
Alicia closed her eyes tightly. They had moved past the bakery. She was talking to the others … and her voice had gone rumbly …
She blinked open. “My voice!”
Benet
looked to Roger in confusion. “Did her voice seem different when she returned?”
Alicia shook her head. “No, no, I mean when we were riding out I was talking with them and my voice began vibrating. I remember making fun of it. It was as if we were riding over something very rickety.”
Lord Bloodworth nodded. “I know just the bridge. The slats are uneven. When you ride across it it creates quite a rumble within the carriage. That’s further north past the bakery.”
Alicia’s heart lifted. They were making progress! If only she could give them another clue.
She remembered the carriage jolting, then heading downhill …
“Is there a long downhill slope somewhere along that path?”
Roger’s eyes lit up. “Yes. It’s lined with jewelry shops. And then there are warehouses past there.”
“He must be in one of those warehouses! We were in a stables by a walled-in courtyard. And then we went down stairs into a basement. Is that a small enough area to search?”
Lord Bloodworth nodded. “We’ll turn the entire household out –”
Alicia shook her head. “No, no. Someone tried to dose Dylan with a truth drug of some sort – but I drank it by mistake. So I have to think someone in this household is involved. If we let the entire place know what is going on, they’ll send a warning.”
Lord Bloodworth’s brow drew together. “That’s a serious accusation, young lady. Are you sure?”
“All I know is that I sat in the seat meant for Dylan, and I’m the one who ended up drinking it. I had seen Blue-eyes … I mean Zachariah … here at the party – and he’d been following us all the way from Canterbury.”
Benet paled. “You didn’t tell me you’d seen him after that failed attack on the North Road.”
She blushed. “I know I was wrong. But he didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt us at all. He just wanted to find out where we were going. And if I’d spoken up, Martinus would have sent us back to Canterbury, and I’d have lost him … lost him …”
The reality of her situation came back to her, and she wrapped her arms around herself, cold fear soaking her.
She rounded on Lord Bloodworth. “We have to save him. But if we alert the person in the household who is responsible, it’ll be too late! What if we just had a few, trusted men? I only saw the three at the warehouse, and the driver, I suppose.”