Pale, her eyes wide open, Elizabeth rushed to help the young woman.
“Are you alive?” Elizabeth whispered, kneeling in front of her maid and touching her head. When Norma moved, Elizabeth gave a sigh of relief.
“Leave, maid!” he roared, his eyes fixed on Elizabeth. The maid had no choice but to obey. She got up from the floor and, holding her left arm to her body with her right, rushed out of the chamber, whimpering.
With eyes full of despair Elizabeth watched as her maid left the chamber. Now, she was one to one against the beast.
“Do not come closer to me,” she warned him through clenched teeth, but Humphrey did not hear anything. His eyes were burning with passion. Elizabeth knew for sure what had brought him to her chamber. He was going to bed her, whether she was willing or not.
Scared of what was to come, she wanted to cry for help, but no one would come. Neither her father nor Edward would do anything to stop Humphrey. For all she knew, one of them gave Humphrey the idea and permission to bed her tonight. If she lost her innocence with him, she would not be able to object to the wedding.
Whatever the reason he was here, Elizabeth would not give up. Not tonight. She would fight till the end.
Even drunk, Humphrey was much stronger than she. She had no chance against him, unless she could outmanoeuvre him and run.
She could not run away through the door – he stood between her and the portal and would easily catch her. The only way out was the window behind her back, but Elizabeth was not going to die tonight. Humphrey did not deserve that.
Suddenly, Humphrey attacked. He was as fast as a wolf. Before Elizabeth realized it, she was lying flat on the floor, Humphrey’s heavy body on top of hers. A wave of pain pierced her body like a sharp knife, leaving her dumbstruck for several moments that seemed like eternity.
Humphrey’s sickening breath on her face caused her stomach to squeeze. She opened her mouth, trying to catch her breath. She would not faint. Not now. Not under this man.
The chill of the stone floor cooling her body through the thin chemise, brought Elizabeth back to her senses.
Her head still pounded painfully, but her mind was now clear enough to understand what was going on. With a sense of growing rage and loathing, Elizabeth felt Humphrey’s hands all over her body. He had pulled her chemise above her knees, and now his hands were greedily stroking her legs.
The fear of what was to come overtook conscious thought. Elizabeth gathered all the force she had and pushed Humphrey, but to her frustration he did not move. She hit him as hard as she could, but he didn’t seem to feel it. She was helpless and could do nothing.
“Please, stop it!” she begged, tears running down her cheeks.
He ignored her plea. His sticky lips were kissing her neck, making her stomach roil in disgust.
“Stop!” She screamed as loud as she could.
Suddenly, his mouth covered hers and his tongue thrust into her mouth. Taken aback, Elizabeth bit his tongue as hard as she could.
Humphrey pulled away at once with a scream of pain. He stared at Elizabeth in disbelief, his hand covering his wounded mouth. Suddenly, he slapped her so hard that Elizabeth almost lost consciousness.
When she came back to her senses, Humphrey was on his feet, his pale eyes peering at her with burning hatred.
“You will pay for this,” he whispered and took long strides towards the door.
Her heart racing, Elizabeth watched him leave. When she knew he was finally gone, she released a sigh of relief, covered her bare legs, and rushed to bar the door.
She leaned against the wooden door and burst into tears. He had meant what he said, she knew it. She also knew that she had to run away if she wanted to be safe. Elizabeth could not become his wife. The marriage meant death for her.
Chapter Two
The week dragged by, and Elizabeth did her best to avoid Humphrey and hide the bruises he’d left. Nora’s arm had been broken in the fall, and Elizabeth worked with the healer to craft a sling. She only hoped her maid would be able to use the arm when it healed.
The first wedding guests finally started to arrive. Elizabeth couldn’t tell how many carts and horses with riders had entered the castle gates since morning. The Earl of Harmton had invited the wealthiest families from the entire country to the wedding. The castle could not accommodate them all, so it was not long until a tent camp started growing up outside the castle walls. Coats of arms of some of England’s well-known families were rising above it: Buckingham, Stafford, Devon, and others.
Elizabeth was slowly walking towards the inner gate, absorbed in her thoughts. The sun was about to hide behind the horizon, but its last beams warmed her face. Cool evening air gave some relief to her tired body. She was happy to leave the worries of the day behind and enjoy a simple evening walk. Alone.
Thoughts of how to escape Humphrey and the betrothal never left her. She had come up with dozens of options of how to stop the betrothal, but none of them was good enough. Except one.
The last, but least favourite option was to run away from the castle. From her family. But what then? She had no idea. Deep inside she knew that her life would be over. She had nowhere to go, but she preferred to spend her life in poverty rather than married to Humphrey.
Who knew? Maybe if she went to London, as an experienced healer, might she find a living? Well, she would have enough time to think about it later, when she was free. If she did not come up with a better plan, she would run away first just to stay away from Humphrey.
Elizabeth slowly walked past the inner gates, intensely watching the guards. They were sitting by the gates, playing games and laughing at jokes. None of them paid any attention to the people crossing through. Elizabeth felt certain that the same situation was at the outer gate. It was exactly what Elizabeth needed if she decided to make her escape.
When Elizabeth reached the outer ward, she saw a scene completely different from what was going on in the inner ward. The outer ward was crowded with merchants and peasants selling their goods. Also, there were some of the guests who had recently arrived. They wore silk, fur, and other fabrics that Elizabeth had never seen before. They must have spent fortunes on their gowns.
A group of young ladies attracted her attention. They gathered around a merchant selling finery. Ladies laughed and tried on expensive earrings and brooches, while others examined lace.
These were the most beautiful women she had ever seen. They looked like princesses from the old legends. Only now did Elizabeth realize how she must look, compared to them. Her brown woollen dress looked ridiculously poor next to their silk and velvet gowns. She’d never realized before that her father dressed her as a peasant.
Suddenly, one of the ladies turned around and noticed Elizabeth watching them. Their eyes met for a moment. The smile disappeared from the lady’s face. She gave Elizabeth a look of disgust, turned back to the merchant, and continued looking through his goods.
Elizabeth felt as if she was thrown into the cold waters of a winter river. She had never been that humiliated by a woman. Never. She blinked, casting her tears away, and walked past the ladies with her chin lifted high. She would not show how much she was hurt.
Well, whoever this lady was, Elizabeth had to admit that she had every right to look at her like that. While her father was rich, he was too greedy to spend money on his daughter. She could not remember the last time her father ordered her a new dress. All of her garments were now too short, and she needed to have dresses made to fit.
Elizabeth swallowed the realization of how poorly her father treated her and tried to forget it. She had more important things to think about. She needed to plan her escape.
Her attention instantly shifted from the ladies to the outer gates. Several women just passed through the gates and left the castle. No guard checked on them. She had been right. The guards were too busy entertaining themselves. Nothing else worried them.
It was her chance. No one would check who she was and whe
re she was going. Her father was too busy with the upcoming wedding and he did not care where she was. But after the wedding everything would change; she could bet on it. He would start preparing for her wedding and would keep a close eye on her. She would not be able to make a step without his approval.
If she were to run away, the timing was perfect. Elizabeth had to wait until dark. She would sneak with other people from the castle and no one would stop her.
***
Slowly, the darkness surrounded Harmton castle, hiding everything like a heavy blanket. Countless stars were shimmering on the endless horizon. A waxing moon glistened on the deep dark blue sky, flooding meadows around the castle with moonlight.
All sounds of the day had disappeared, the darkness muffling even the sounds of nature. A rare sound of a howling dog could be heard through the open shutters of Elizabeth’s chamber.
Noises from the yard were almost gone. Instead, the noise from the great hall was getting louder every minute. Every man in the castle and in the camp around must have been in the great hall drinking with her father. Dinnertime was long gone, and it was time for men to have their drinks.
Her father was probably already drunk, she thought with disgust. The forthcoming wedding was his newest reason to get drunk every night, along with other men. Elizabeth could not remember any night for the last couple of weeks when her father was sober.
Elizabeth was sitting on the edge of her bed, ready to leave at any moment. Her black cloak was already on, a bag of bread and wine tight in her hand. It had been a difficult decision to make, but she could not think of any other way to escape the marriage to Humphrey. She didn’t even know where she’d go. London scared her.
She had heard maids talking about a nunnery several miles to the south of the castle. It sounded better than London, and it was closer. Elizabeth thought to go there. A nun’s life was hard, and Elizabeth knew for sure that she would make a bad nun, but it was her only chance to escape the marriage her father desired. None of them, neither Humphrey, nor her father or brother, would be able to get her out of the convent. It was her only hope.
Cautiously, she watched her chamber door, scared that Humphrey might enter at any moment. The door was locked from the inside, but still, Humphrey could stop her from running away if he appeared at the doorstep. Each loud noise behind the door made her heart freeze with fear.
Norma would not come tonight, Elizabeth was sure. She had allowed Norma to spend the night with a groom for whom Norma had feelings. Truth be told, it was Elizabeth’s idea for the young couple to spend the night together. Elizabeth had confided her desire to join the nunnery after Humphrey’s attack last week. Poor Norma; unknowingly, she played a part in her lady’s plan.
Elizabeth felt pity for the young woman. Harmton would get mad on the morrow when he found out that Elizabeth had disappeared. He would blame Norma for it.
Elizabeth’s heart ached for her maid. Norma was a good woman and did not deserve Humphrey’s ire. Elizabeth could only hope that her father would not hurt Norma. If only Elizabeth could take her maid with her, she would do it. But her own future was not clear.
Time dragged slowly, and Elizabeth had to fight the urge to fall asleep.
Finally, as her fire died down and the moon moved higher in the sky, the noise downstairs began to decrease. Half of the men must have gone to sleep by now. The fire in the hearth was almost gone and the chamber plunged into darkness.
Elizabeth had to act now, while there were people leaving the castle, returning to the camp. If she left later, the guards might suspect something and not let her out.
She pulled the large hood attached to her cape over her head as far as she could – to make sure that it fully covered her face. She could not afford to be recognized, either in the castle or in the camp. She got up from the bed, and casting a goodbye look at her chamber, left.
At first, the darkness of the staircase deceived her, and she stopped until her eyes adjusted to the change in light, afraid of tumbling to her death. Slowly, she made her way down the narrow circular staircase to the great hall. Elizabeth had to move down the stone stairs by touch. She did not light torches on the wall, avoiding unneeded attention, but kept a hand on the wall next to her. Every step she made was quiet and very careful.
When Elizabeth was finally at the bottom of the stairs, she stopped for a moment to calm her breathing. She had not expected she would be so nervous. With shaking hands, she slowly pushed the door to the great hall open. A beam of light blinded her.
When her eyes got used to the light thrown by numerous torches and candles, she saw the mess that reigned in the great hall. Pieces of partially eaten food were strewn everywhere, not only on the tables. Men. How could they be that dirty?
Some men were sleeping right there where they had drunk, their heads resting on the tables and even on plates of food. The ones who were awake made so much noise that Elizabeth could cross the hall and no one would hear or see her. That was exactly what she needed.
***
Humphrey was sitting in the darkest corner of the great hall, observing the madness that ruled there. Noblemen, who behaved with arrogance during the day, now reminded him of pigs, who laughed, argued, and did other stupid things. He could bet that a fight would start soon.
A slim, beautiful maid came close to him and poured some ale into his goblet. She looked into his eyes and smiled seductively. Humphrey looked at her slim figure, and her large breasts almost touched his shoulder as she reached for his cup. Without another thought, Humphrey grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. It had been a long time since he had bedded a woman, and this wench would be perfect for tonight.
She giggled and leaned over him, allowing Humphrey to grab her breasts. He kissed her neck, his hand caressing her. His inner voice almost screamed at him to take her to his chamber and bed her right now. Oh yes, he would do it. Reluctantly, he lifted his eyes from her luscious breasts. He lifted the wench to her feet, stood up himself, grabbed her waist, and started toward the opposite side of the great hall. The maid giggled and followed him. Suddenly, a dark silhouette moved through the door and started walking along the wall.
Humphrey spotted it out of the corner of his eye, and normally would never pay attention to this woman, but there was something familiar about her. He turned his head and looked at her.
To his surprise, it was Elizabeth. She was slowly walking towards the outer door, constantly looking around as if afraid that someone might notice her. The black cloak with the hood she was wearing covered the majority of her face, but it did not matter. Humphrey would recognize her even if she wore rags and it was pitch dark.
Humphrey released his grasp, leaving the maid behind. Suddenly, he stopped and made a couple of steps back. He kissed her neck and slapped her bottom, “Come back to me later,” he said.
The woman gave Humphrey a disappointed stare, but he did not care.
He watched Elizabeth intently, his eyes filled with blood. The wench had refused him several nights ago, but now she was sneaking out of the castle in the middle of the night to meet someone. The very thought of her being with another made Humphrey mad. She was his woman, and he would not allow anyone to take her away. He was the only man who would ever bed her.
Slowly, trying to stay invisible to Elizabeth, Humphrey started following her. When only a few steps separated Elizabeth from the door, Humphrey took long strides and reached it just in time. His massive body blocked her way.
He crossed his arms on his wide chest. “Where are you going, wench? ‘Tis too late for a lady to go for a walk,” he said, peering at her with narrowed eyes. Anger was seething in him, but he tried not to show it. At least not yet.
Elizabeth gasped and stopped. The hood fell from her head, exposing her auburn hair. A mixture of horror and surprise froze in her eyes. She looked so fragile and so scared, that his suspicions were confirmed. Humphrey tried to calm down his rage, but it was damn hard.
She didn
’t answer at once, but when she spoke her voice trembled. “I wanted to have a breath of fresh air. ‘Tis such good weather,” she said and pushed out a reassuring smile. “Am I forbidden to do so?”
She was lying. He saw it. But Humphrey was not her husband, nor her father, to forbid her a walk.
“No, you are not,” he stepped aside, letting her get through. “Have a nice walk, Lady Elizabeth,” he said through clenched teeth.
Elizabeth slightly bent her head and gave him a polite smile as she walked past.
Humphrey peered at her until she left the great hall. No, he would not leave just like that. He had to know with whom she was meeting tonight. The bastard would not live till the dawn.
When Elizabeth disappeared from view, Humphrey followed her, keeping a distance.
Elizabeth crossed the empty inner yard quite fast and soon she reached the outer ward. When she was almost at the outer gates, she stopped. The shadows of the wall hid her from Humphrey. All he could see was her dark silhouette. She stood there for several long moments, obviously checking whether guards were there. There was no one. Humphrey could bet they were as drunk as their lord.
When Elizabeth stepped out of the shadow and the moonlight lit her silhouette, Humphrey saw a bag that Elizabeth had been hiding in her skirt. A sudden thought struck his mind. Fool. Elizabeth was not going to her lover. The bloody wench was trying to run away! Away from him.
Suddenly, Elizabeth started running towards the gates. Not giving it a second thought, Humphrey crossed the distance between him and Elizabeth in a few large steps and caught her arm when she was ready to sneak through the gates. Elizabeth turned around and, to his pleasure, surprise in her eyes turned into horror.
Humphrey was furious. He pinned her to the stone wall, her helplessness bringing him a strange feeling of joy. The muscle on his jaw was flexing and unflexing, his ghostly eyes peering at her. He caught her other arm and pinned it to the wall, the bag falling to their feet. Elizabeth was fully in his possession, pinned to the wall, her hands above her head.
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 3