Forgetting all her fears, Jane rushed to him. She almost jumped on William, her hands around his neck, and covered his face with kisses. “William,” she whispered in short pauses between the kisses, “I miss you so much. I need you, my dear. Now.”
But he said nothing. He didn’t embrace her or kiss her back. He was like a marble statue. Emotionless.
She paused, startled, and stepped back. Fear of losing him rolled over her with a new power. She took his large palms into hers and looked up into his eyes. “What’s wrong, my love?”
***
Elizabeth had almost fallen asleep in her hiding place, when a woman sat on the bench near her. All her senses were instantly alerted. Had Humphrey sent someone again, or was someone simply looking for a private moment?
Whoever it was, she would not give away her presence. She closed her eyes and relaxed again. No one would see her here.
She heard heavy footsteps; a man coming. He called for Jane. Her eyes flew open. She hoped it wasn’t her stepmother. When the woman spoke, her fears were confirmed.
It was Jane. And now she was kissing a man who was not Elizabeth’s father.
Curious, Elizabeth moved as quietly as she could and took a more convenient position for watching. Jane was a member of their family now. She was the one who had proposed the wedding, not the earl. And now she was having a tryst. At her wedding. How could that possibly be?
Whatever was going on there, Elizabeth had to know.
The couple was standing very close to the bushes and Elizabeth could clearly see Jane in the moonlight. Elizabeth’s eyes widened in surprise, when she recognized the man. The same man who had been watching her for the entire night, was standing here—now—with her stepmother.
The situation was getting more interesting, and more confusing. Elizabeth held her breath, catching every word the couple said, every move they made.
To her surprise, the man was standing still and silent, while Jane was kissing him.
He took Jane’s wrists in his large hands and pushed her away. Jane looked at him in horror. “Stop it, Jane. You are a married woman and I have no right to touch you. I shouldn’t even be here with you.”
He spoke to Jane like an older brother would. It seemed that he was explaining rules to a disobedient child. Whatever this meeting meant, the man obviously didn’t have any feelings for Jane.
“No,” Jane’s voice broke. She made a step towards the man again, but this time he gently pushed her away. “You cannot mean it, William. I love you and I know that you love me too. My marriage cannot stop our love.”
Her voice was full of unshed tears. Jane stilled for a long minute. “You know I was forced to marry Harmton. ‘Tis not my fault. You cannot punish me with your indifference for something that I haven’t done.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in disbelief. It was Jane who had offered her father the marriage. Elizabeth remembered her brother’s words very well. Jane’s lands were next to de Vere’s, and Jane would bring a good dowry left by her late husband. Their father agreed to the marriage to gain the widow’s lands and money. No one forced her to marry. It had been her wish.
“Jane,” William took a deep breath and at looked at her. “I saw you during the ceremony. I saw your face. Your eyes. You were happy to marry him. I tried hard to believe that you were forced into the marriage, but I could not.”
William stopped for a moment and covered his face with his hands. Only now did Elizabeth realize that he was trying hard to control his emotions. The coldness that he was showing to Jane was just a mask. When he spoke again, his voice was much louder, and it was trembling with anger. His cold shell was cracking.
“You have betrayed me, Jane. You have betrayed our love. How can our love survive when you have done everything possible to kill it? And here you are, on your wedding night! It is all wrong.”
“You’re talking about betrayal,” Jane’s voice was cold, her entire posture tightened. “You spent the entire evening staring at Harmton’s daughter. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice the way you looked at her?”
Elizabeth felt heat suffuse her face. She wasn’t the only one, then, who saw that stare.
“’Tis not your worry. You should look after your husband, not after me.”
“William,” Jane was tiny, but still managed to look down her nose at him. “You have no right to talk to me this way.”
“Oh yes, I have.” His voice rose as he came closer and towered above her. His eyes seemed to glow with anger even in the darkness. Suddenly, he grinned, and the anger seemed to pass away. “You have betrayed me, my love,” he sneered, “and ‘tis my turn to do the same to you.”
Jane stepped back.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, her hauteur gone, her voice trembling.
“I speak of revenge, my sweetheart, and I can promise that you will not like it.”
William turned and walked away.
“William,” she called him, but he didn’t seem to hear her. “William,” she cried louder, “Come back.”
Silence. He was not coming back. Jane cursed, waited for several minutes and went back inside.
After Jane was gone and her steps silenced, Elizabeth came out of her hiding place.
She straightened up and cleaned her dress of the dirt that might be on it, feeling her lips curl up at the corners. It seemed her prayers had been answered; escape was finally within her reach.
Chapter Four
When William returned to the great hall, he had only one desire – to be left alone. If he met the Earl of Harmton, he would not be able to control himself. He would kill the man for sure. The bastard had taken away the woman that William loved. Looking around the room, he saw his younger sister, Cecilie, dancing with the man’s son, Edward.
Frustrated, William hit the stone wall as hard as he could, relishing the pain. But the pain in his fist didn’t ease the ache in his heart. The de Vere family would be the death of him.
Edward de Vere smiled down at the dainty young woman in his arms, ever the polite courtier. “Have you been to court yet, my lady?”
Cecilie looked down, pink creeping up her cheeks at the handsome warrior’s question. “No, sir. This is my first time attending a social event. I am amazed by it all.”
“It will all become dull soon enough. Before long you will dread going to court and having to obey all the rules of polite society.” Edward handed her off to another man in the dance, circling the other man’s partner before they were joined again.
“Oh, I can’t imagine ever tiring of the excitement!”
The music came to an end, and Edward bowed elaborately, showing off for the young lady, and giving her a wink,
“You’re a pretty child, Lady Stafford. Maybe one day when you are older, we shall meet again at court. I will be happy to advise you which courtiers are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
And creep up to her elaborate coif as Edward de Vere walked away. She turned and walked toward a door where her older brother stood, and the two younger ones approached.
“Ho, there!” someone called out to William, and, though his eyes were clouded with anger and ale, William saw his brothers rushing to him.
“Where have you been?” Stephen asked, when he and James reached William.
“I bet he was in the garden with Lady Elizabeth de Vere,” James, the youngest, winked at him. “She went to the garden a while ago and still isn’t back.”
William didn’t share the joviality of his brothers. “I wasn’t with her.” He said emotionless, massaging his wounded fist.
“How did you hurt your fist?” Cecilie asked, taking William’s fist in her own hand.
“Never mind, little sister,” William said, giving her a kiss on her nose, “run along and find a maid to bring us some wine.”
“Who were you with, then?” James continued as though there had been no interruption. William knew his youngest brother wouldn’t give up.
The side door flew open a
nd all three brothers saw Jane entering the great hall. William could not take his eyes from her as she slowly walked past them. Her back was straight, her chin lifted. She looked straight ahead, as if they did not exist. Her entire attention was at the centre of the hall, where her husband was seated. But William would lay odds that her eyes were red with tears. His heart squeezed with pain. He hated himself for hurting this woman. She was a victim in this situation, and he’d had no right to behave like that.
“William,” Stephen spoke and shook his shoulder.
As if waking up from a dream, William shook his head and turned his eyes from Jane to his brothers.
Stephen and James were staring at William, their eyes wide in disbelief. William could clearly see one question on their faces: “What the hell is going on?”
“Brother,” Stephen spoke when their eyes met, his voice full of concern. “You cannot carry on this relationship. She is a married woman now, and at the king’s command.”
“I know,” William said in a low voice, his eyes moving to Jane again. “I need another woman.”
“Now I recognize my elder brother,” James smiled wide and patted William on the shoulder.
“Don’t get me wrong,” William said with a sly smile, looking at James and then slowly moving his eyes from one brother to the other. “I don’t want to start a new love affair. I am going to make one woman my mistress and I don’t care whether she wants it or not. She has no choice.”
There was silence between the brothers for a moment.
“Who is that woman?” James asked cautiously.
“Elizabeth de Vere,” Stephen answered with a wide grin before William could answer, “’Tis perfect!”
William nodded and his eyes lit up with a feral gleam when he thought of her, for every time he thought about Elizabeth, he saw her father. “Earl Harmton has taken away the woman I love, and I am going to take away the woman he loves.”
“But it’s different,” James frowned. He clearly did not approve of this idea, but William did not give a damn about it. “Elizabeth is an innocent. ‘Tis not her fault that the old man took away your mistress, Will. She should not pay for her father’s sins.”
William narrowed his eyes at his brother, his lips forming a thin line.
“’Tis my problem,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t ask for your help. If you don’t want to help me – you can go. Whatever you do, this woman will belong to me. You know me, both of you. I don’t change my mind.”
James patted his shoulder and William turned around, ready to face new objections, but James’s nod reassured him.
“I’m with you. You are my brother and I will help you whatever happens. Besides, I like Elizabeth, and if you decide to harm her, I’ll be there to protect her.” When he said the last words, the smile remained on his face, but his eyes were serious as William had never seen before.
“I am a man, not a beast,” William said, calming down. “I will never hurt a woman. And I am glad that you are with me.”
“Does she know about it?” James asked.
“No.” William shook his head and looked at the garden door. “I will kidnap her. Tonight.” He looked back at his brothers, slowly moving his eyes between them. “Are you with me?”
“Yes, we are,” James said. “Let’s save the girl from that bastard Humphrey.”
William and Stephen gave him a questioning look.
James’s eyebrows rose in surprise, then a grin crossed his face. “Humphrey Harrington wants to marry her, haven’t you heard?”
“No.” William looked at him. When the hell had he managed to find it out and from whom? “What else haven’t we heard?”
“Well, Harmton has already given his permission, but the betrothal isn’t official yet. He promised to do it right after the wedding.”
William grinned. Luck was on his side. What could be more humiliating than a daughter who ran away before her betrothal announcement and right into his rival’s bed? The time for kidnapping could not be better.
“Stephen,” William looked at his brother. “Get Cecilie, then head to our camp and prepare the horses. We must be ready to leave at any time. When our host realizes that Elizabeth is gone, he will immediately begin a search to find out who kidnapped her. Make sure that all our people are safe and away from here.”
Stephen nodded and left.
Suddenly the crowd roared, and everyone looked toward the wedding table, where the bridegroom was still seated. He tried to get up, but instead almost fell over. Two men caught him from falling and helped him stand up. The bastard was heavily drunk. When he finally got up on his feet, he looked at Jane, standing beside him. “’Tis time for a wedding night,” He said in a loud voice, licking his full greasy lips, his eyes firmly fixed on Jane. “Come wife, you must please me tonight.”
The room rang with cheers. Some people wished wellbeing to the newlyweds, others cried out frivolous or ribald jokes.
Harmton pulled Jane into his embrace and kissed her with a long passionate kiss, grabbing her buttocks in front of the guests. Jane did not object.
William watched the couple, his blood boiling, hands formed into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. William started walking towards them. Jealousy was taking over his entire existence. Jane was his woman and no man could touch her.
Suddenly someone hit him hard from behind. William turned around to face the enemy, but it was James.
“Leave them,” James hissed at his bother. “She is his wife. Did you really expect that she would marry him and not share his bed? Don’t be such a fool.”
With every word that James said, the fog of anger and jealousy faded away. He was right. There was nothing William could do about it. Only revenge. William threw a final stare at the couple.
“The time has come,” James whispered into William’s ear. William could do nothing but nod. “Soon everyone will leave to the lord’s chamber for the bedding ceremony. “T’will the moment when we can kidnap Lady Elizabeth and no one will notice. I have been watching the garden door. She is still there.”
Yes, James was right. Elizabeth. William’s heart had been torn apart. He had lost. But he would not leave unavenged.
William and James stood by the entrance to the garden and watched the newlyweds go upstairs. To William’s utter frustration Jane seemed radiant even now, when she had to be bedded by a fat, old, and heavily drunk man, just minutes after professing her love to William and begging him to make love to her in the garden.
Slowly, most of the guests followed the couple. The rest were searching for privacy. The great hall was getting emptier every moment.
William was trying to calm the storm raging inside, but it was damn hard to do. James was right. If William wanted to kidnap Elizabeth to thwart and shame the earl, this was the perfect time.
“Let’s do it,” he said when the last guests disappeared from the hall. William took long strides towards the garden door, James right on his heels.
William kicked the door open, they stepped outside, and soon the darkness surrounded them. The cool air eased his pain and cleared his head. They stopped, listening to the silence.
Suddenly, they heard light steps not far from them.
“It must be her,” William started toward the sound of the steps. James soon caught up with him.
To his utter surprise, William realised that he was going to the same place where he had spoken to Jane not so long ago. It wasn’t a good sign.
They stopped, when a slender figure, lit by moonlight, appeared in their path.
It was her. His prize. His means to revenge. William lifted his hand and a command was ready to drop from his tongue.
“You are William de Broke, aren’t you?” Elizabeth spoke first and took a step towards them. “I am lady Elizabeth de Vere, Earl of Harmton’s daughter.”
Her behaviour caught William by surprise, and he paused before responding.
“I know who you are, and you know who I am,” he said caut
iously. Her voice didn’t sound scared, as William would have expected. For a moment it seemed to William that Elizabeth wanted to say something but wasn’t brave enough. “What do you want from me?”
Elizabeth took a few more steps towards him and his brother, until they were only a couple of steps apart. The wench looked straight into his eyes.
“I heard your talk with my stepmother, Lady Jane,” she said in a low voice. “I believe I can call her this now.”
James snorted behind William’s back.
“I know that you love her.” Elizabeth stopped for a second and lowered her eyes. “I want you to know something.” She lifted her head and their eyes met. “She was not forced into the marriage.”
William cursed. The woman had to be lying. It could not be true. Jane wouldn’t marry another man willingly. She’d always loved William.
“What do you want?” William asked, working hard to keep his rising temper suppressed.
“I want you to help me get outside the castle gates.”
William was staring at her, caught by surprise, not knowing how to react. The game they were after came to them and asked to take her away. He had to be sleeping. Or it was a trap?
“Why?” he asked cautiously, his eyebrows lifting in surprise, arms crossed on his chest.
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and lifted her eyes to the skies. He had to admit that she was a beautiful woman. Here, being so close to her, William felt his manhood twitch. The way she had bitten her lip made William want to grab her, pin her to the nearest tree, and make love to her. He shook his head to clear it. Soon, she would belong to him, but now he had to think about kidnapping, not about bedding.
“My father wants me to marry Sir Humphrey Harrington,” she started. “He has been dreaming about it for years. I know from experience that Humphrey is a brute.”
William noticed a fading bruise on her cheek. Could it be that she had already been abused at Humphrey’s hand?
Not realizing that William was studying her, she continued, “Now that Humphrey wants to marry me, my father will do everything to make this wedding happen.” She stopped talking and looked at William. “If you help me run away, you will ruin my father’s chances to become allied with Humphrey and his family. You will get your revenge twofold.”
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 6