‘Aye, we will. You’ve an advantage I don’t have. You can make a man believe that you’re helpless.’ A wry smile crossed her face. ‘I can’t say that most men would say the same for me.’
Adriana eyed Honora, noting her closely cropped dark hair and her lean arms. She moved like a warrior, though she was ten years older with children of her own. ‘Any woman can disguise herself well enough.’
‘Some better than others. Are you armed?’
‘Sí.’ Adriana showed her the blade at her waist and patted her upper thigh where she’d sheathed another dagger. ‘And you?’
Honora revealed her own arsenal of hidden blades, along with a thin sword that she’d strapped to her back beneath the long cloak.
‘Will your husband be angry that we’ve gone after them?’
‘Oh, aye. Ewan doesn’t mind my fighting, except when it endangers me. But neither of our men will care, once we’ve rescued them and taken them to our beds.’ Her mouth curved into a smile. ‘Ewan wants another child.’
Adriana didn’t share her smile, for she’d never experienced anything but pain within a man’s bed. And it was possible that Liam might spurn her, once she’d told him everything.
They continued rowing along the shore, until they spied movement atop one of the hills.
‘It’s our men,’ Honora said. ‘And look there.’ She pointed to a large ship anchored in the harbor. The shape resembled some of the Mediterranean ships Adriana had seen, and from the size of it, the boat was meant for longer voyages. At least a dozen oars hung from both sides and the mainsail was tied up. In the morning mist, it had an otherworldly appearance, like a ship born from legends.
‘We should join the men,’ Adriana said. ‘Perhaps they’ve found Liam.’ Even as she spoke the words, she didn’t believe them. If Liam were safe, they would have returned last night.
Honora helped her row toward the shoreline, where they stepped into the frigid water and hauled the boat ashore. The morning air was laced with the portent of more snow, and as they trudged up the hillside, the woman’s steps slowed.
‘What is it?’
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Honora said. ‘Our men could use us as a decoy. Especially you, with the way you look. If we go together, we could be the distraction they need.’ She studied Adriana, as if judging her worth. ‘Unless you’re afraid the foreigners might harm us.’
The idea of approaching a ship filled with strange men was enough to make her want to run the other direction. ‘We’ll talk to our men first,’ she bargained. And, God willing, they would have another idea.
* * *
Liam’s body ached, from where Hohengrau’s men had beaten him, but he doubted if they’d cracked any ribs. Worse than the physical punishment were the threats Hohengrau had voiced against Adriana. His insinuation, that something had happened between her and the king, was undoubtedly a lie.
As the hours wore on, the man’s words began to haunt him: She was close to the king in a way you never were.
What did he mean by that? Adriana had been the queen’s lady, and on the rare occasion she was in Richard’s company, she’d been with Berengaria.
Yet, her behaviour had transformed in the past few months since they’d left the Holy Land. She’d gone from a confident, strong woman...to one who drew back when he touched her.
Suspicion swelled within him like venom, filling him with suspicion. Had Richard hurt Adriana, after Berengaria had left? She could have been at the king’s mercy without his knowledge. And if it were true, there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t murder a king.
Liam tried to force the idle thoughts away, but there was enough evidence to weave a web of lies. The frustration and uncertainty fuelled his desire to escape, and he continued working against the ropes, trying to loosen them.
Until he heard female voices calling out.
In the darkness below the ship, he could see nothing. But he heard Honora’s voice, and Adriana was with her. He heard the lilt of her Spanish accent as she spoke in low tones to Hohengrau.
Beneath the words, he heard her fear, the slight tremor in her voice. And when someone lifted up the door to the hold, sunlight blinded him.
Adriana descended first, and when she saw him, she covered her mouth with one hand. ‘Liam,’ she breathed. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’ve had better days.’ But when she moved toward him, Hohengrau gripped her arm.
‘Do you remember me, Lady Adriana?’
‘N-no.’ But there was enough confusion in her voice to make him wonder. The man stood back, crossing his arms as he regarded her.
‘I was among Duke Leopold’s men. I spoke with the king on many occasions. Surely you saw me.’ The man’s ego suggested that it was impossible for Adriana not to be aware of his presence. But from the blank look on his bride’s face, she’d not recognised Hohengrau.
‘There were many men who attended the king,’ she said. ‘I remained with Berengaria.’
‘But you spent time in the king’s presence,’ he said smoothly.
‘Only with the queen—’
‘I am speaking of the time after she departed,’ he interrupted. His gaze turned discerning, and Liam didn’t like the way Hohengrau continued to stare at Adriana.
‘I was there on the night you went to plead for MacEgan’s life,’ he said.
Liam frowned, for he’d not known Adriana had gone to Richard. Her face had gone white, and she took a step backward.
‘Why have you come?’ she demanded.
‘Duke Leopold sent our ship, as well as many others, in search of the king. He will be held accountable for the murder of Leopold’s cousin Conrad.’
‘So you’ve said,’ Liam interrupted. ‘But as I told you, he’s not here. You’ve no reason to hold me captive or to threaten my bride.’
‘I would never threaten the Lady Adriana,’ Hohengrau said. ‘But I fear she has lied to you, MacEgan. Though she might deny it, she does know me. As I know her.’
In the Austrian’s tone, Liam heard desire and interest. Jealousy ripped through him when he saw the man draw his fingers over Adriana’s skin.
‘I’ve never seen you before,’ Adriana insisted. She started to move toward Liam, but Hohengrau grasped her arm.
‘Your beauty fascinated the king,’ he said silkily, ‘and enchanted him.’ He cupped her chin, and Liam saw his bride’s hand move to the blade at her waist. No doubt it was not only the king who had been captivated by Adriana. From Hohengrau’s tone, he’d developed an obsession with Adriana. There was a trace of madness in his voice.
‘I must continue my search for the king,’ the man said with an apologetic tone, ‘but I had to stop in Ireland first.’
His hand slipped around her waist, and in one motion, Adriana unsheathed a blade and lifted it to his throat. ‘You’ll continue your journey without us.’
Hohenberg seized her wrists and twisted one until Adriana cried out. He slammed her against the back wall of the ship, and a curse tore from Liam’s mouth. ‘Leave her be. She’s done nothing to you.’
‘She’s the reason I came this far, MacEgan. And I intend to take her back with me.’
* * *
Bile rose up in Adriana’s throat. Her skin crawled as if a thousand insects were covering her. This man’s scent was familiar to her, a choking odour that reminded her of the night she’d been violated.
‘You didn’t tell him what happened, did you, Adriana?’ Hohengrau murmured. ‘He doesn’t know.’
She couldn’t speak, for terror had seized her tongue, cutting off her air. No, she’d never seen this man’s face before. But his touch...his scent...had filled up her nightmares.
‘It was dark that night, wasn’t it, Adriana?’ Hohengrau said. ‘You came to Richard, begging for him to spare Liam. He kept that promise, didn’t he?’
Her teeth had begun to chatter, her body growing ice cold. Oh God, oh God. Please, no. Never in a thousand years had she suspected this.
An
d from Liam’s silence, he was listening to every word.
It had been dark that night...and she’d known there was another man there to witness her shame. All this time, she’d believed it was one of Richard’s guards. She’d believed it was the king who had demanded her favour that night.
Could it have been someone else? She’d never seen the face of the man who had stolen her innocence. She’d kept her eyes closed the entire time, trying to forget what was happening to her.
‘It was against my will,’ Adriana whispered, her mouth dry. ‘I asked the king to grant Liam mercy, nothing more.’
The gleam in Hohengrau’s eyes grew possessive. ‘You gave yourself that night, didn’t you? You came to his chamber, and you lay within his bed. Your virginity...for MacEgan’s life.’
The words wove a spell of anguish over her. ‘I—I never wanted—’
‘You waited for him there and offered your body.’ He cut her off, laying every truth bare. The tears were choking her, for she could feel Liam’s hatred rising in the stillness. If he’d argued back or voiced his own protest, she might have a glimmer of hope. Instead, his lack of a response made her fear the worst—that he would blame her for the choice she’d made.
And she would lose him.
‘It was not Richard who took you that night,’ the man confessed. ‘It was not he who claimed your sweet gift.’
His hand moved down to her breast, and revulsion flooded through her. Adriana reached for the blade strapped against her leg, slowly, so as not to attract his attention. ‘He gave you to me as a reward. And he watched us that night.’
She unsheathed the blade, needing to avenge what this man had stolen from her. Denial caught in her throat, but when she raised up the blade, Hohengrau anticipated her impulsive move. He shoved her down, and Adriana struck her head against a barrel. Dizziness roared through her, but she managed to press her only weapon into Liam’s bound hands. Before she could do anything more, two men seized her and dragged her above the stairs.
‘Whether MacEgan lives or dies is in your hands, Lady,’ Hohengrau stated. ‘Give yourself over to me, and I’ll let him go.’
His words were nothing but a crippling lie. But worse, was the knowledge that he’d destroyed whatever happiness she’d found with Liam. Her betrothed husband had not spoken a single word, and the silence was damning.
All she could do was murmur, ‘I’m sorry.’
* * *
Liam gripped the knife Adriana had given him. Though he used it to free himself, a raw pain had hollowed him out inside. He might not have believed the lies, were it not for Adriana’s apology.
The revelation cut through him worse than any tortures he’d suffered in the past. He didn’t know what to do now. A part of him wanted to kill Hohengrau, to eviscerate the man for daring to hurt the woman he loved.
Or had he harmed her? He’d claimed that Adriana had offered herself willingly to the king, intending to share his bed.
Only to be violated by a different man. The thought of her suffering beneath Hohengrau’s hands, renewed his resolution. He would take the man’s life, avenging Adriana.
But afterward...he didn’t know.
Her lies of omission might have been to spare him. But now that he looked back on the moments they’d shared, he recalled the fleeting guilt, the unintentional flinches. The ghost of another man had come between them, haunting her.
And he didn’t know if he could forgive her for it. Why had she made such a bargain with the king? Did she truly believe Richard intended to execute him?
It was possible. The king’s rage at his disobedience had been terrible, and Richard had ordered a punishment that would have killed a lesser man.
But then, it had stopped. Without warning, Liam had been chained in the dark, his wounds left to bleed. The next morning, they’d released him, with no explanation.
Was it because of Adriana? Had she gone to the king and been led to believe that it was Richard who had claimed her? His mind tormented him with images of her being forced, of her weeping after it was done.
Or worse, her willingness. Of her surrendering to another man’s touch. The rage sliced through him like a razor. She’d spoken not a word of it. Likely, she would never have told him. He gripped the blade in his palm, edging his way up the stairs.
‘Not yet,’ whispered another voice. It was Honora MacEgan.
Liam jerked around but could see no one. ‘Where are you?’
Honora emerged from the darkness, admitting she’d hidden herself behind Adriana, in order to slip inside the hold. ‘If you go now, you’ll ruin all she’s done to save you. Your brothers have the ship surrounded. Adriana is the distraction.’
‘It sounds as if she was more than that to him.’
Honora softened her tone. ‘She loves you, Liam. It was she who went to Trahern and asked him to gather the others. She would do anything for you.’
A harsh lump formed in his throat. Anything. God above, he wished it had been anything but that.
‘And now she intends to sacrifice herself again.’ The vitriolic fury undermined any sense of calm he might have had.
Honora’s hand reached for his in the darkness. ‘You can rage all you want when we’re finished rescuing you. But save your anger for the one who truly deserves it.’ She revealed the position of his uncles and their plan to take control of the ship. Though it would work, the danger was undeniable.
Footsteps approached, and Liam retreated, motioning for Honora to stay hidden.
When the trap door lifted, he was thankful for the darkness that kept the men from discovering that he’d freed himself from the ropes. Two men grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him. Outside, the sun’s brightness kept him from seeing clearly, but Liam thought he spied a fishing boat nearby.
‘Your family, I presume?’ Hohengrau nodded toward them. After Liam’s eyes adjusted to the light, he saw three different boats surrounding them on all sides. Relief came over him, but he knew there were only moments before his uncles closed in.
‘Unless you want to die off these shores, I’d suggest you release us.’ Liam kept his back to the men, awaiting hisfather’s signal. There were at least a dozen crew members manning the ship, and he took note of their positions. In his mind, the voices of doubt reminded him that the odds were not in his favour. He wasn’t the strongest fighter here, and if he made a mistake, their lives were at stake.
But at the sight of Adriana held by Hohengrau, a coldness froze out all of his apprehensions. He felt dead inside, as if someone had emptied all of the emotions from his heart. If she had admitted the truth to him before this, they could have faced it together. But she’d meant to hide it from him. He didn’t know if a strong marriage could be salvaged if she didn’t trust him.
‘Liam!’ she shouted, pointing to the side.
He threw himself to the deck, while an arrow embedded in the wood where he’d been standing.
‘A warning, MacEgan,’ Hohengrau said quietly. ‘You might have loosened your ropes, but the next arrow won’t miss.’
‘Don’t hurt him,’ Adriana pleaded.
Was that what she believed? That he had to hide behind her pleas for mercy instead of fighting his own battles? Did she think he was that weak? He regarded her with coldness. ‘Would you rather stay with him?’
Her dark eyes held misery, filling up with tears. ‘I need you to live, Liam. Please.’
‘That wasn’t what I asked.’ He rose slowly, fully aware of the arrows aimed at him. ‘Is he your choice?’
A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she shook her head. ‘It was always you.’
Hohengrau crossed to the others, pulling Adriana to him. ‘The king gave you to me, with his blessing. He witnessed the consummation.’ To Liam he added, ‘Before the eyes of God, she belongs to me.’
His words provoked a furious response from Adriana. When he reached for her, she snatched a dagger from one of the other men. The blade flashed in the sunlight as she aimed
for Hohengrau’s neck.
But the Austrian had predicted her response once again, and he spun, using his strength to overpower her. The blade rested at her own throat, and she flinched, a red line appearing against her delicate skin.
‘It’s time for you to go, MacEgan,’ Hohengrau said. ‘You may dive from this ship and take your chances with the sea. Or my men will shoot you in the heart. Either way, she stays with me.’
Adriana sent a glance toward the water, as if pleading for him to go. Liam raised a hand toward his father’s ship, giving them the signal. He took one step forward. Then another, until he stood at the edge of the boat.
In her eyes, he saw the belief in his failure. Her eyes held goodbye and surrender to a life she didn’t want.
‘Go,’ she whispered.
* * *
It broke Adriana’s heart to see him standing there, poised to leave. She didn’t understand why Hohengrau would go to these lengths for her, after she’d given herself to him for only the one night.
‘Why?’ she demanded of the Austrian. ‘I never wanted you. I didn’t even know it was you that night. Why would you come this far for me?’
‘Because women don’t refuse me.’ He lowered the knife, drawing his arm across her throat. ‘Any woman I desired could have shared my bed. And yet you ran away afterward.’ His thumb grazed her jaw, sending a shiver of revulsion through her. ‘You disappeared with MacEgan, as if I meant nothing to you.’ Though she could not see his face, the idle caress tightened, like a man bent upon owning her. ‘You chose an Irishman over me.’
‘I love him.’
‘In time, you will come to love me,’ he said, returning the tip of the knife to the underside of her chin. ‘And you’ll learn to obey my wishes.’
The hunger for power and dominance underscored his words. Already she began to understand the truth. He didn’t care what happened to Liam. This man’s vanity bordered on madness.
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