?Do they think me a lackwit, to fall for such a common trick? And to use a woman!
Get the truth from her, I care not how.?
The woman burst into tears upon hearing that.
?Nay, please! ?Tis true what I claim. My lady bears no love for the new lord,
and did despise his father. Ambray has been a prison to us. We want only to
leave!?
?You found your way out, wench,? Sheldon pointed out.
?So could your lady. Why did you both not just go, instead of concocting?
?Because I need an escort to my dower property if I am to arrive there safely,?
Anne said as she was brought up behind Sheldon.
?I thought to assist you in getting what you want, which appears to be Ambray,
in exchange for that escort.?
?My lady, ye should have waited!? the servant wailed.
?Ye should not?
?Be quiet, Helvise!? the lady snapped.
?I had no patience to wait when that gate stood unguarded. And I would rather be
here than in there, whether we are believed or not.?
She was as soaked as her servant from having crossed the moat without the aid of
a bridge, but she held herself regally despite the guard, who still clasped her
arm in his rough grip. Sheldon stared at her in bemused attraction, for she was
a comely woman, apparent even in her bedraggled state. Warrick stared at her
just as bemused, for she seemed familiar to him, though he had never met her.
?So we are to believe you, lady, merely because you say ?tis so?? Warrick asked
skeptically.
Then Sheldon inquired ?Who are you, lady??
?Anne Belleme.?
Warrick snorted.
?Belleme now d?Ambray.?
?Nay, I do not recognize that name as mine, since the priest did not hear a yea
from me to consent to that forced marriage. ?Twas a farce that has kept me
prisoner here for three years.?
?Then if you had the means to aid us to put an end to your imprisonment, why did
you wait this long?? Warrick demanded.
?We did not only just come, lady. We have been camped here for thirty three days.?
That Warrick was counting the days to know them exactly elicited a chuckle from
Sheldon, which brought Anne?s eyes to him. She blinked to see that he was not as
old as he had seemed at first glance. When he smiled at her, she blushed, for
she did not find him unattractive. Nay, just the opposite.
Warrick scowled at both of them for their sudden distraction with each other
that was not getting him answers.
?Do you mind, Sheldon??
?Actually, I think the Lady Anne should be made dry ere you continue?
?There is no time for that,? Anne interrupted, ?The malaise that has struck so
many of the garrison will not last beyond the emptying of their bellies. We did
but add fouled meat to their dinner, which all have not eaten yet.?
?You still have not said why you would do this now,? Warrick pointed out.
?If you are Lord of Fulkhurst? ?? She waited for him to confirm it, which he did
with a curt nod, then she explained.
?I was told horrible tales about you, so that I would add my prayers to others
that you would not be successful here. But when I saw you had my daughter in
your camp, and she appeared well and healthy, I realized I had been lied to.?
?Daughter?? He snorted.
?You think you have a daughter in my camp, lady? Well, you are welcome to look
for her, but ?tis doubtful my men will want to give her up if you think to take
her away.?
What he was implying had her blushing furiously.
?My daughter is not one of your camp followers. I know not how she came to be no
longer in Gilbert?s foul care and with you instead, for he made no mention that
he had lost her. Nay, he took pleasure in telling me she had done everything
that he?
?Is d?Ambray in the castle, then?? Warrick cut in impatiently, not interested in
her family woes.
She shook her head, bringing a foul curse from him and the gentle query from
Sheldon:
?Did he escape??
?Nay. He had come here in the most horrid rage. I thought surely he must have
lost another castle, to put him in so dark a mood. But he stayed here less than
a sennight, and in fact, left the day before you arrived.?
That brought another foul curse from Warrick.
?Know you where he has gone??
?To court. His resources are so depleted, he cannot continue this war with you
without aid from Stephen. But that has been tried before and is not like to do
him any more good now than then, for the d?Ambrays have not been on the king?s
list of favorites since Hugh sided against Stephen on some matter several years
ago. Verily, in rescuing my daughter from Gilbert?s dutches, you have wrested
her remaining properties from his control. Do you take Ambray, all r Gilbert
will have left is one small keep in?
?Lady, I do not have your daughter,? Warrick interrupted in exasperation.
?Think you I would not make good use of Lord Belleme?s only heir if I had gained
such a prize? As you say, control of her would deplete d?Ambray?s last resources.?
?I do not know why you insist? Anne began, only to frown.
?Can it be you do not know who she is??
?God?s blood, I have heard enough of this!? Warrick exploded.
?Sheldon, you deal with her.?
?That will be my pleasure,? Sheldon said, starting to laugh.
?But before you stomp away, why do you not ask her for her daughter?s nameor has
it not occurred to you yet who this lady so closely resembles??
Warrick looked hard at his friend, then at the lady. Then he became very still.
He did not curse again as he saw why she was familiar to him, but his voice was
as coldly chilling as it could get.
?So tell me, Lady Anne, what is your daughter?s name??
She was not at all sure she wanted to answer him now. She had never seen anyone
change so suddenly in appearance, to where he now lookedcruel. She took a step
back. Sheldon put his arm around her shoulder, which was a great comfort, but
still?
?Mayhap I am mistaken?
?Nay, you were not, but I was, to think I could trust that deceitful witch!?
?Why is he so angry?? Anne asked Sheldon as Warrick walked away from them.
?It was Rowena I saw, was it not??
?Aye, and you were correct also in thinking she did not tell him who she was.?
?If she did not, she must have had good reason.?
?I doubt my friend will think so,? Sheldon replied, but when he saw Anne?s
anxious expression, he assured her ?He will not harm her. And he is sure to rid
himself of his anger he is like to get rid of immediately by entering the castle
now, whether he still thinks a trap is waiting for him or not. He is that angry.?
?But I did not lie. The postern gate is open and unguarded.?
?Then come, I will take you to my tent, where you can wait until this is over.?
Chapter 45
Rowena saw the two guards walking so determinedly toward her that she knew.
Before they opened their mouths, she knew. They did not have to tell her. But
they did.
?We have a message from Lord Warrick, Mistress. You are to abide in the dungeon
henceforth.?
She had known they would say exactly that; still she turned ashen to hav
e it
confirmed.
?Did hesay for how long??
?Henceforth,? was repeated.
That, of course, was indefinitelyor forever.
?Did he say why??
Stupid question. Why was she torturing herself?
She had known this would happen if Warrick found out Gilbert d?Ambray was her
stepbrother. She should have taken her courage in hand and told him herself when
she?d had the opportunity. She would have faced his anger, true, but she would
have been there to try and soothe it, at least to tell him why she had kept
silent. Alone, he had concluded the worst, and now wanted naught more to do with
her, wanted revengenay, this was not that. This was pure fury, and final.
The guards had merely shaken their heads to her question, then directed her to
come with them. She did. What choice did she have? At least she had been alone
in the hall when they had come for her. Emma had not been there to protest, nor
Mildred, which would likely have brought Rowena to tears. It was all she could
do now to hold them back in front of the two guards.
Aye, she had known Warrick would do this to herbut deep down she had not thought
he really would.
When the jailer she dreaded showed up with his leering grin to gloat that she
was to be in his care again, Rowena turned her back on him ere she was sick.
Twas not the babe making her feel so. Twas the tightness in her chest that was
turning hollow. Now she wished the tears would come, but they would not.
When John Giffard arrived not an hour later to tell her he had had to clout the
other one this time to get him to leave, she had only one question for him.
?Are you here at Warrick?s behest??
?Nay, my lady. The word has spread fast that you were brought here again. I came
as soon as I heard.?
At that point she cried. Why John had been given to her the last time she did
not know. She had never asked. But that he was not this time was self
explanatory. Warrick did not care what happened to her now, as long as she was
locked away where he would never have to lay eyes on her again.
A while later she heard an argument out in the guardroom. She recognized Mildred?s
voice. She and John had become very friendly of late. Just now they were not.
When silence returned, Rowena knew John had won, knew also what the argument had
likely been about. Mildred was not to be allowed to see her, nor would John go
against his lord to let Rowena out.
Two more hours passed, then John came again to open her door.
?He has changed his mind, my lady. I knew he would, but You are to be locked in
his solar instead of here, with a guard at the door.?
?What if I prefer it here?? she wanted to know.
?You do not mean that.?
?Aye, I do.?
John sighed.
?The guard has his orders. He will drag you from here do you not go on your own.?
?Then by all means, I shall walk.?
?Take heart?,
?Nay, John,? she cut him off curtly.
?Mine is dead now, for it hurts no longer.?
God?s mercy, why could that not be true? She prayed for blessed numbness, yet it
would not come with this much pain. But no one was going to know that, not John,
and especially not Warrick.
No hope came to her from the change in prisons. Warrick must have merely
recalled that she was carrying his child. Obviously he had forgotten that in his
first rage, and it must have enraged him more when he remembered and thus had to
make allowances for her just to protect the child. She did not think for a
moment that he had any other reason for moving her to a more comfortable prison.
She was allowed to see no one except the guard, who handed her food to her each
day. Every time she had tried to speak to him, she had gotten grunts or mutters
in answer, so she did not try anymore. Verily, she would have preferred to stay
in the dungeon with John.
She sat often in the window embrasure, from where she could look out on the side
yard. Not much activity ever happened down there, but ?twas a better view than
none at all. She sewed a lot, too, for the child that was nigh three months
along, soft chemises for Emmanaught at all for Warrick. What she had made for
Warrick ere he left for Ambray she now ripped apart to make tiny tunics for the
babe.
No one had told her aught about the siege at Ambray. For Warrick to have learned
the truth of who she was, he had to have taken the castle. Had Gilbert been
there? Was he captured or dead? Was her mother all right? Free? In a new prison
as a result of Warrick?s fury?
She counted the days. For each one that passed, she stabbed a hole as deeply as
she could with her small eating knife in one of the carved bedposts. They had
been fine bedposts, richly detailed. Now there were twenty five unsightly holes
that she took to admiring. Before the twenty sixth could be added, Warrick
returned.
Rowena had had no warning. He was just there, walking into the room, stopping
before the window embrasure, where she sat with her feet propped up on the
opposite seat, her hands on her belly, which was thickened, but not yet rounded.
She had been trying to determine if the fluttering she had felt was the child or
indigestion. Her first look at Warrick, and she decided ?twas going to be
indigestion.
?So the mighty warlord returns,? she said, not caring whether he liked her
sneering tone or not ?Did you kill Gilbert??
?I have not found him yet, though not for lack of hunting him these weeks past.?
?So that is why you did not return here? But there was no hurry to return here,
was there? You sent your orders. That was sufficient.?
?God?s blood, do you dare!?
He stopped when she looked away from him to stare out the window, deliberately
ignoring him. She was not frightened or contrite. Her expression was calmness
itself. He had not expected that, but then, he had not given what he did expect
much thought, for he had forced her from his mind to concentrate solely on
finding d?Ambray. But he found now that he did not like her undertone of
resentment. And the anger he had felt that night he met her mother was starting
to rekindle.
He sat down on the opposite bench to face her.
?Such an innocent demeanor to hide such deceit,? he remarked coldly.
She glanced at him with raised brows to ask quietly ?When was I deceitful? At
Kirkburough when I knew not who you were? Or at Kirkburough when you came with
your army to kill my stepbrother, knowing not who he really was? But I thought
you were there for Gilbert d?Ambray, your avowed enemy, so aye, I should have
told you then, when I was sure you would kill me as well if you knew he was my
stepbrother. Or mayhap I should have told you when you took me out of your
dungeon the first time to explain to me how you were going to have your revenge.
Was I to tell you then, Warrick, to add to what you had already planned for me??
?You knew I would not kill you!?
?Not then I did not!?
They glared at each other. Rowena was in no wise calm now. There were twenty
five days of repressed anger glittering in her eyes. His had turned to silver
ice.
?What excuse do you offer for your later silence, wench, when you escaped, only
to have d?Ambray return you? Did he send you back to spy on me??
?I am sure he would have asked me to if he had thought of it. But until you
arrived, he thought he had won the day, that he would have the means to bring
you to your knees. When you did arrive, he had no time to think of aught but
escaping himself. But I did not tell you then that he was d?Ambray, for the same
reason I did not pr tell you when you summoned me to his castle. I did not want
to face your anger againor this.?
She waved a hand to indicate her imprisonment.
?And I am to believe that, when ?tis more likely that you and d?Ambray go hand
in hand in this deceit? He left you at Kirkburough for me to find,? he reminded
her harshly.
?Was I to become smitten with you and tell you all myl plans?? I
?He assumed you would make terms with me But I was left there because he
panicked. You were approaching with five hundred men, while he had only a
handful remaining. He intended to come back with Lyons army, which had been sent
to retake Tures from you. Possibly he hoped I would distract you long enough for
him to get away. More like he thought I would slow him down if he took me along.
Whatever ran through his mind that day besides fear and rage, I know not. But I
do know ?twas not his intention to leave me with you any longer than it would
take him to return. And he did return. When he found me that day in the woods,
he told me he thought you had killed me.?
Warrick snorted.
?Very cleverly said, wench, but I do not believe a word of it.?
?Think you I care anymore what you believe? Last month I would have, but now I
do not.?
?Your circumstance depends on what I believe, wench,? he reminded her.
?My circumstance cannot be any more wretched.?
?Can it not?? he replied with quiet menace.
?I ought to punish you properly, not just curtail your freedom.?
That brought her to her feet in a burst of wrath.
?Go ahead, damn you! Do it! It will not make me despise you more than I do now.?
?Sit down,? he growled low.
She did not, not by him. She stalked around the fireplace to the other window
and took a bench there, her stiff back half turned away from the room. She
stared blindly out the window, seething so much her hands trembled in her lap.
Lindsey, Johanna - Prisoner Of My Desire Page 31