His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1)

by Catherine Woodville

  Knowing what a beast his father could be, Edward knew it would not be long before he would have to protect the beauty from his father.

  How old is she? Edward mused, studying her face. She did not look to be older than he was. May be even younger.

  She turned her head and their eyes met. The depth of her eyes fascinated him. Oh, how much passion Edward saw there. Why did this woman not belong to him? He knew for sure what to do with such a beautiful wench.

  Jane turned away and said something to his father, flirting with the old man. Seeing Jane smiling to her husband made Edward’s blood boil in his veins. Why did she belong to the old bastard, his father, not to him? That man did not deserve such a beautiful woman in his bed. He would never appreciate her.

  Edward knew that soon enough Jane’s beauty would be gone in the hands of this tyrant. Soon enough, when she realized whose wife she had become, Edward would take Jane under his protection. Who knew, maybe one night she would end up in his bed.

  ***

  Laughter and joy lit the great hall of Harmton castle. Beautiful women were dancing with well-dressed men, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Elizabeth could not remember a time such joy reigned in the great hall.

  She was watching carefree guests with a bitter taste of envy. She wished she could be as carefree as they, laughing and enjoying herself. Maybe even flirting with someone.

  She could have enjoyed herself, too, Elizabeth reminded herself. Her father had been kind and made sure that his only daughter looked the best she could at his wedding. She was afraid even to think about how much he had spent on the fashionable dress and headdress that she wore. To be truthful, Elizabeth was thankful to him for allowing her to feel as beautiful as other women here. She could walk among the ladies without feeling humiliated.

  Elizabeth did her best to put a happy smile on her face, but the anticipation of her future betrothal made her tremble inside.

  The food on the tables looked so tasty, but Elizabeth could not force herself to eat a bite of it. Time after time her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she needed to eat, but just a look at the tables made Elizabeth sick.

  “Smile,” Humphrey whispered into her ear and the feeling of his warm breath on her skin made her uneasy. “People need to see how happy you are with me.” He covered her hand with his, but she snatched her hand away. Every touch of this man was loathsome.

  Elizabeth looked up at him, but the threat she saw in his eyes made her bite her tongue and swallow the remark she was about to make. He scared her, and she did not want to make him mad once again. Instead, she put on a happy smile back and turned away.

  The moment she did so she met the stare of an attractive man she had never seen before. Well, not everyone could call him attractive. He looked like a warlord from ancient days. He was about ten years older than she. His long, curly hair fell down his wide shoulders. His clothes could not hide his muscular body. His dark grey eyes bewitched her. She did not know for how long she plainly watched him, but the moment he smiled at her, she looked down to her hands. It was improper for a young lady to stare at a man like that. To her utter embarrassment, two men sitting on either side of the stranger saw her stare and grinned at it.

  “I hope you are not planning to run away again?” Humphrey asked in her ear, bringing her back to reality.

  Elizabeth shook her head. “No, you have too many spies. Besides,” she looked up at him and her eyes became as cold as ice, “you made me understand that if I run away, death awaits me.”

  The smile on his face chilled her to the bone.

  “Good. You have learnt your lesson.”

  “May I at least enjoy myself tonight?” she asked, knowing well enough that he was watching every move she made. The sense of freedom that she was having now was just as fake as his smile.

  “Whatever pleases you, Lady Elizabeth,” Humphrey smiled wryly and turned away, switching his attention to other guests and leaving her alone. Still, she knew that Humphrey would be watching her from the corner of his eye.

  Somewhat relieved for the moment, she watched the guests with curiosity. She examined her new stepmother. Jane was almost as young as Elizabeth. Who knew, maybe Elizabeth could find a friend in her?

  Suddenly, Elizabeth felt the skin on her face burning. She lifted her eyes and saw the handsome man opposite watching her. She tried to ignore him just the way she ignored Humphrey, but his interest pleased her. It was different. Humphrey clearly showed that all he wanted was to bed her. But there was something different about the stranger’s interest. She secretly looked at him. Clearly, there was no lust. Or he was a master at hiding it.

  When the guests finished the food and the tables were almost empty, servants put them aside, making space for the dancing. The music began floating over the great hall and the dancing began.

  Elizabeth ached to be entertained. She decided to enjoy herself and did not want to stay in the shadows of other young ladies. Festivities were so rare in their castle that Elizabeth could hardly remember the last time she had danced. She would dance tonight until she fell down, exhausted. Who knew, it might be the last time she would be able to dance. If she married Humphrey, he would likely forbid her to enjoy herself at all.

  Elizabeth got up from her seat, smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, and joined the dancing.

  Whether by accident or on purpose, her dancing partner was a young and handsome man, one of those sitting next to her secret admirer. Were they friends? More likely, brothers. The resemblance between them was obvious.

  He was a tall, well-built man with shoulder length straight hair; light brown, not black as his brother’s was. He was taller than Elizabeth and, she guessed, at least five years older than she.

  The charming smile that the young man gave her would warm any heart. Elizabeth could bet that this smile had resulted in many a maid shedding tears on her pillow.

  When they met in the dance, the young man glanced over her shoulder and slightly nodded. “Is Humphrey Harrington your brother?” he asked with slight surprise. Elizabeth shook her head in denial. “Then he must be your father,” the man was still looking behind her. “For he wants to slaughter me with his stare.”

  The way he said it made Elizabeth burst out laughing. She instantly liked the man. At least he did not pretend to like Humphrey. Thanks to him, Elizabeth was able to relax and enjoy the dancing.

  Suddenly, the man tensed, and Elizabeth felt someone grab her elbow and roughly pull her out of the dancing circle.

  Startled, Elizabeth turned around to face the offender. To her horror, she saw Humphrey, his face twisted with fury.

  “What do you think you are doing?” he hissed at her as he pulled her to the opposite corner of the great hall, away from the crowd. “You are my woman, and no man has the right to talk to you.” Each word he said was full of barely hidden rage.

  “Let me go,” Elizabeth hissed, trying to get out of his grip. Whatever she did, the grasp was too strong for her, his fingers seemed to be made of stone. “I am not your woman, and I will never be.”

  She almost screamed these words to his back.

  These words seemed to strike Humphrey like a lightning bolt. He stopped at once and turned around to face her.

  For one long dreadful moment Elizabeth thought that he would slap her – his eyes were lit with blood. Only now did she realize how drunk he was. A chill ran down her spine. This man could not control himself when he was drunk.

  Elizabeth started to panic. She needed to run away from this man as soon as she could, hide somewhere, and wait till the morning. Until he was sober again.

  Humphrey pulled her closer to him and Elizabeth tripped, almost falling.

  Suddenly, to her relief and utter surprise, the man she had been dancing with appeared as if from nowhere.

  “Leave the lady alone,” he demanded, his voice low and ominous.

  Humphrey was taken aback. Humphrey released his grip on her for a moment.

  “Ste
phen Stafford, she is my woman. If you dare to touch her once again,” Humphrey started, almost roaring.

  Not waiting for him to shift his attention back to her, Elizabeth pulled away from Humphrey, gave her saviour a thankful smile, and ran away to the garden. Humphrey screamed something to her back, but she did not listen. She tried to escape to the only place in the castle where she could hide away from her tormentor.

  When Elizabeth left the great hall, darkness surrounded her, cool air refreshing her skin. It was colder outside than she had expected after the brutal heat of midday.

  She shut the heavy wooden door behind her and ran as fast as she could to her secret hiding place in the furthest end of the garden.

  The night was dark, the moon hiding behind the clouds. After the brightly lit great hall, Elizabeth was stunned by the darkness of the outdoors. With each step she made, the lights of the castle became duller, and it was getting harder to see where she was going. Soon, she could see nothing.

  Relying on her inner sense, Elizabeth made her way through the garden, so familiar to her. She knew every path, every corner there, and soon enough she reached the place that could hide her from unwelcome eyes. Bushes here made a small arch, so that a slim woman, such as she, was able to get through into the thicket and to remain unseen for anyone who would pass by.

  Years ago, when Elizabeth was just a child, this place had not been as hidden. There had been a bench and it had been possible to sit there and enjoy the scents of countless flowers around. The bench was still here. But since her mother had been gone, no one took care of the rose bushes in this area, so they became wild and took over a lot of space. Now no one even remembered about the bench hidden in the rose bushes. Elizabeth was the only one who kept coming here. Especially when she needed to hide from someone. This time it was Humphrey.

  Elizabeth passed the so-called arch very carefully, avoiding thorns and trying not to cut her new dress. Still, they managed to scratch her fragile skin. Once she was inside, she wiped off the stone bench and sat down, ready to wait. Maybe till the morning.

  Suddenly, a cry full of fury cut the silence. “Elizabeth!” It was Humphrey. Elizabeth froze, trying to calm her breathing. She had to be as silent as possible.

  To her surprise, Humphrey was approaching too fast. When his steps were close to Elizabeth, her heart started beating furiously. She held her breath, but could not calm her heart, scared that he might hear her.

  “I know you are somewhere here,” he said as if he was toying with her. His voice softened, but it was just a trap, she knew it. “Come to me, girl. I won’t hurt you.”

  Suddenly, the sound of a branch cracking broke the silence, followed by a loud curse and the sound of a falling body.

  Elizabeth almost laughed, when she realized that Humphrey must have tripped over something and fallen into thorny bushes. She covered her mouth right before a laugh escaped it.

  Screaming with pain and cursing, Humphrey got up and walked away. Thank the heavens, Elizabeth was safe from this man for tonight. She hoped that his wounded pride would not allow him to come back to the garden before the morning.

  She also hoped that Humphrey would not remember what happened to him this evening, otherwise revenge was awaiting Elizabeth on the morrow.

  ***

  Jane was whirling in a dance, feeling tired but very happy. Constant dancing made her legs hurt. Still, she was so happy that she could not remember the last time when she had felt so good.

  Yes, she was ecstatic. Finally. Married to a wealthy man, she was now a mistress of a great castle. That was all she needed; all she had ever dreamt about.

  Her first husband, she thought with disgust, had died leaving her with ruins instead of a castle. She was in a need of a wealthy husband who could sort out all of her problems and pay her debts. She liked William Stafford, maybe was even in love with him, but unfortunately, he wasn’t rich enough.

  Her clever plan had worked out and Jane married the wealthiest man in the kingdom. At least the wealthiest man she could get. Unfortunate for her that her husband was so old, quite ugly, and fat, but it did not matter. He was the solution to her problems. Besides, she would not have to sleep with him every night. Jane would have young lovers to fulfil her appetite for young male bodies. Besides, there was William, her passionate lover.

  Jane’s eyes searched for him among the guests. When she saw him, he was standing at the far wall. A young woman stood next to him. Her coloring was fair, and she was richly dressed. One of William’s brothers approached and escorted the girl to the dancing area. Jane sighed with relief. A man as handsome as William had always been the centre of attention. Deep inside Jane was scared that some young lass would attract him more than she did. She did not want that to happen. She couldn’t lose him.

  William’s eyes were wandered around the great hall. They seemed to be everywhere at once. Everywhere, except on her.

  He was avoiding looking at her. She sensed it. This man was like an open book for her. Although they had not spoken a word to each other today, Jane knew that he would not deny her the warmth of his body. Soon, he would get used to her marriage and his anger would pass.

  But in the meantime, Jane would concentrate on the good-looking young man she was dancing with.

  Edward de Vere, Harmton’s son, was slightly younger than she. He was tall, well-built, and hardly resembled his father. Jane enjoyed his company.

  “Welcome to the family, my lady,” Edward said, smiling, when they were close to each other in the dance. The smile was so charming that she could not help but to smile back.

  Jane looked down, as a proper lady would do, if she was embarrassed. But Jane was not. Truth to be told, Jane had forgotten what embarrassment felt like. Still, she had to play her role. These people thought her an innocent and fragile flower, so she had to behave like one.

  The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she knew that William was staring at her. She cast a glance in his direction moving only her eyes. Yes, he was. If a stare could set fire, she would be burned to ashes.

  Jane grinned and turned her head fully in William’s direction. He instantly moved his eyes away. How childish, she thought. He loved her; she knew it. But how could he not understand? He wasn’t rich enough for her. He could be her lover, but never her husband. And the sooner he understood that, the better for him. His love and passion could not replace the wealth that she had been aching for.

  Jane lifted her eyes at Edward and their eyes met for a short moment, before she looked away. She could not cast her eyes away from this man. He attracted her as much as William had when they had just met. Who knew; maybe, if William decided to break up with her, Edward would be able to replace him in her bed. Perhaps Edward was as good lover as William had been.

  Still, she didn’t want everything to end up just like that. She needed to talk to William, to keep his affection. He knew too much about her. It was too dangerous to break up with him and become enemies. If his love disappeared, her control over him would be lost. Forever. She could not let that happen.

  She had to talk to him. Not here. In privacy. Just like old times.

  When the music paused and the dance was over, she spoke to Edward with the most charming smile she could manage. “I am sorry to leave you, but I need to attend other guests.” She turned away, lifting her skirts, and left.

  As she walked towards William, her heart started beating faster, her legs trembling. He did not want to see her, and she did not know how he would behave now, when there were so many people around. She did not need a scandal on her wedding from a jealous man.

  When she reached him, she turned away and looked at her husband. He was busy drinking with his men and did not look at her. Good. He should not see her here.

  “I need to see you,” she whispered loud enough for William to hear. Her voice was trembling. Damn. Jane tried to catch his eyes, but he was looking into the air and did not seem to notice her presence at all. It was all just a mask, she re
minded herself. His stare at her while she was dancing had proved it. “I miss you.” She gently touched his hand as she walked past. “I will be waiting for you in the garden.” She barely finished the sentence, when desire came over her.

  Jane walked away, cursing herself for being weak to the charms of this man. There were dozens of men around her, but he was the only one who haunted her dreams. It was him whom she had imagined when in bed with her late husband.

  Whatever she was feeling for William, she would not beg him. He had to understand it was he who needed her love, not the other way around. She would easily find a man to replace him. At least, she hoped so.

  Frustrated and confused with her own feelings, she walked through the crowd of guests straight into the freshness of the garden. William had never been this cold to her, and it frightened her. What if she was wrong about his feelings? She was not sure that William would follow her. Still, she hoped that his love was strong enough to survive anything.

  Once in the garden, she stopped for a moment, listening. Silence. Every now and then, a soft soughing broke the stillness; the wind playing with the tops of the trees.

  There was no one to hear them when William came. If he came.

  Slowly, she walked into the darkness. Here and there, moonlight cast long shadows. Jane walked as far as she could from the castle, until she was completely hidden. She found a bench and sat there, waiting.

  She did not have to wait long before she heard fast, heavy steps approaching her. Jane held her breath, her heart beating faster with every step she heard.

  “Jane,” a loud whisper, not far from her, broke the silence. “Where the hell are you?”

  William. It was him! Jane wanted to scream with joy. She abruptly stood up and the next moment William appeared from behind the corner.