***
A joyous atmosphere still pervaded the castle the next morning. Wedding guests crowded the outer yard, waiting for the tournament to start. Peasants were standing outside the wooden bars of the tournament field, while ladies and lords who would not compete were taking their places in pavilions. Men who would fight were in their tents on the further end of the field, preparing for the contests. The clanking of their armour and weapons filled every corner of the castle.
Jane was sitting in the de Vere’s pavilion high above anyone else. Finally, she was a wealthy lady and people who used to look at her with disdain had to kneel in front of her. Oh, what a feeling it was!
Jane leaned back in the chair, observing the field at her feet. She turned to observe the tents. The tents were of much more importance than just a place to rest at night. They represented each family in attendance, and each tent displayed a different noble family’s flag. She saw flags of many families above the tents. All but one. The Stafford family. Where the hell had they gone? Where was William?
She was desperate to see him after their last talk. She was desperate to be in bed with him after her wedding night. But his flag was nowhere to be seen. To her utter disappointment, she had seen neither William, nor his brothers for the entire morning.
Earl of Harmton was sitting next to her, observing the field with great interest and giving out orders. He did not seem to notice Jane, and she was glad. This man made her sick and she did not want to attract his attention. She also avoided looking at him. It was enough that she heard his voice.
Suddenly, Sir Humphrey Harrington stormed into their pavilion. He passed her as if she did not exist and moved straight to her husband, his face flushed. “I cannot find Elizabeth, my lord,” he said, instead of extending the usual greeting.
The Earl waved his hand in dismissal and snorted, not bothering to look at the guest. “Leave my daughter alone, lad. She will be yours soon enough, but for now let her be. The wench must be hiding from you.” He looked at Humphrey, frowning. “’Tis my wedding celebration. I don’t want to spend time looking for my stupid daughter. I have guests to entertain.” He waved his hand lazily and looked back to the field.
Jane’s eyes stayed fixed on the field, though she strained to listen.
Humphrey kept silent for a moment, but he did not move away. Instead, he kept staring at Harmton.
“What is it?” the old man asked impatiently, his voice full of annoyance.
“What if she ran away?”
The earl grinned at him. “Elizabeth is not so stupid as to run away alone, Humphrey.”
“But she already tried to run away, my lord, as you remember.”
Earl Harmton shook his head and looked back at Humphrey. “She did not try to run away that time. Why don’t you understand? She tried to force us to cancel your betrothal. ‘Tis the same this time. She is a woman. Young and stupid. She must be hiding somewhere while you are searching for her. I repeat, leave her alone. For now. Soon she will come out of hiding. Do not worry.”
Jane was listening to the conversation with a great deal of interest. With every word they said, her heart beat faster. If Elizabeth wasn’t so stupid as to run away alone, then she could have run away with someone. If someone had offered her help.
“I’ll have revenge,” William’s words sounded in her head as if he were there.
What if Elizabeth had not run away but had been kidnapped as revenge toward Jane? The reason why she had not seen anyone from the Stafford family since the night before struck her like lightning. They were gone.
But why Elizabeth? A dull girl. She was not nearly as beautiful as Jane. She would never attract William. Still, jealousy pricked her heart.
William was planning to replace Jane with Elizabeth in his bed as revenge.
Her jaws tightened, her hands turned into fists, and her lips formed a thin line. The very thought that someone would be in William’s bed instead of hers made Jane furious.
If William dared to make Elizabeth de Vere his mistress, he would regret it, she swore. Jane was the only woman for William’s bed, and she would not let anyone else take her place. Not while she was alive.
She did her best to relax, but it was damn hard to do. Finally, she looked at her husband, her eyes as innocent as she could make them, and cleared her throat.
“May I speak, my lord?”
Both men stopped talking and looked at her in surprise.
“I might be wrong, but,” she looked down, as if embarrassed by their attention and paused.
“Speak, wench,” the earl commanded.
She hardly suppressed a satisfied smile and continued speaking. “Last night, during the feast, I saw William Stafford watching your daughter, my lord, with great interest,” she said in a low voice. “Perhaps she is with him.”
Humphrey looked her up and down, frowning, then turned to Harmton. “I saw her dancing with the youngest Stafford brother. I will search for the Staffords, my lord. If she is with him, he won’t live long.”
The earl silently nodded in agreement. Humphrey left; his expression thunderous.
Jane smiled, watching him. This man was so naïve and so easy to use. Unbelievable. He could become a merciless weapon in her hands. She turned to her husband, “Perhaps I should seek out your daughter’s maid. Certainly, she will know what the girl planned.”
Harmton just grunted in acquiescence and waved his permission for Jane to leave the pavilion. Jane wasted no time removing herself from the man’s presence. After returning to the castle, she was directed where to find her stepdaughter’s maid. Grabbing the girl by the arm, she twisted it and shouted, “Where is the de Vere chit?”
“I-I don’t know, my lady!”
Jane twisted the arm even more, causing the maid to crumple to the floor in pain. “Please, my lady! She means no harm to anyone! She goes to the nunnery south of here to escape being betrothed to Lord Harrington.”
“I don’t believe you!” Jane’s beautiful face was mottled with rage. “I know she went with William Stafford. Tell me when they left.”
Weeping and begging for mercy, the maid shook her head, “No, my lady. She said nothing about leaving with a man. She took her dark cloak and a small bag of food and wine, just like before. I swear it on my life. Please have mercy. She is going to wed the church so no one can force her to marry a man.”
Jane released the arm she’d been twisting, still towering over the cowering figure. “I’ve heard of unnatural desires of men and women for their own kind. Is that what you are telling me? Elizabeth does not want to be touched by a man, but prefers women? Is that the reason why she decided to leave? She just wanted to avoid her marriage to a man?”
“That I don’t know, my lady. She is an innocent. Her father has already treated her as though she were a servant. She has never expressed any romantic interest in either men or women.”
The new countess smirked in satisfaction. “Hmm, as long as she isn’t after the man I want, I suppose there’s no issue. Go, and tell no one of this encounter, else I’ll have you whipped for lying.”
Jane returned to the pavilion wearing a look like the cat who swallowed the cream. William was still hers. Humphrey could run off to the convent and bring the wench back if he wanted. She would gain favour with her husband, perhaps more freedom to meet with William, when she gave him this new piece of information about his daughter’s whereabouts.
“My lord,” she said, fluttering her lashes and leaning so that her breast brushed against his arm, “your daughter is safe. She is merely seeking refuge at the nunnery south of here. I heard the information from her maid.”
Harmton rubbed his chin. “The nunnery, eh? At least she will be untarnished and still eligible for the betrothal to Humphrey. I’ll let the lad know. He can go after her if he wishes, with my blessing.”
***
An hour later Humphrey returned to the earl’s pavilion, his mood even worse. Elizabeth was gone. One hour earlier he’d had some
doubts about it, but now he was sure.
The tournament had already started, and Humphrey made his way to the pavilion through the crowd of curious peasants, pushing them out of his way. Still, he entered the pavilion unnoticed – everyone’s eyes were on the fighting knights in the middle of the field.
Humphrey approached Harmton from the back and spoke quietly in his ear so that no one else could hear. “Guards saw James Stafford last night. He left the castle and never returned.” Humphrey did his best to control the rage inside of him, but it was hard to do.
“It means nothing.” Harmton dismissed him with a wave of his hand and moved his attention back to the tournament.
“He wasn’t alone.” Humphrey clutched his fists. “Guards saw a woman with him. She did not return, either.”
“Damn it,” the earl said through clenched teeth. His eyes still watching the knights on the field below, but his thoughts were now far away. “Have you spoken with her maid??”
“I haven’t seen her. She must be somewhere among the spectators,” he nodded toward the peasants surrounding the field.
“Bloody wench managed to escape under our noses,” Harmton muttered. “My wife has heard from the girl’s maid that she ran away to be cloistered with the sisters at St. Mary’s south of here. I didn’t believe that, but now it seems she was right. Edward,” he raised voice to call his son, sitting on the other side of Jane, “take a dozen men, and,” he leaned back in his chair and lowered his voice, “get your sister back. Now.”
Edward nodded and stood. Silently, he walked past his father, who caught his arm. Their eyes met for a long moment. “No one should know about this. Do you understand?”
Edward nodded.
“You must leave unnoticed. I don’t want people to say that I cannot control my own daughter.” The earl released his grasp and looked back to the tournament.
“Yes, father,” Edward said, frowning, and left.
“I am going with him,” Humphrey said and met his host’s questioning look. “Lady Elizabeth is my betrothed. I need to find her and make her pay. ‘Tis not only you she has insulted, Lord Harmton. She has insulted me and my family.”
“Go, lad,” Harmton dismissed him with a nod.
Humphrey followed Edward. When he found Elizabeth, he would make her his, whether she was willing or no. No one, not even the church, could take away anything that belonged to him. Elizabeth was his. She was his woman and she would never belong to anyone but him.
***
Dusk was falling on the land, bringing the first day of their trip to its end. Elizabeth was tired, and all she could dream about was a hot bath and a warm bed. One full day of steady riding had taken away all the strength she had. It turned out to be more difficult than she could have imagined, having no experience of travel, though she was stronger than most maidens her age due to the constant work she did in the castle. Although they had stopped twice, the short rests did not ease the pain in her body. She realized that she should have brought some willow bark to make a soothing tea.
By the middle of the day they had caught up with the Stafford caravan that had left camp the previous evening, and now they were travelling all together.
Elizabeth had never been that far away from the castle and it worried her slightly. But at the same time, she enjoyed the new feeling of freedom. Finally, she was a mistress of her own life and could do what she wanted.
Half asleep, she got comfortable leaning against William’s chest as they rode through the forest. Through half-closed eyes Elizabeth saw strange shadows between the trees, and the sounds that came from the forest made her nervous.
“There should be an inn soon,” Elizabeth said to William, leaning back against his chest. “My maid told me that by the night of the first day we would reach an inn where we could sleep on the way to the convent.”
“Have you told your maid where you were going?” his voice became tense.
Elizabeth looked back at him. “Well,” she stammered, “I told no one about my plans, except my maid saw me searching for my cloak. She knew how much I feared marrying Humphrey, so I told her I was heading to the nunnery, but she swore to keep my secret. She is faithful. I know I can trust her.” Elizabeth turned around to face the road. “Martha, the healer, had told me about St. Mary’s Convent a long time ago. Her younger sister is a nun there. Martha had been there once.”
“We are going a slightly different way,” William said. His words alarmed Elizabeth.
“Where are we going?” she asked, moving away from William and sitting up straight in the saddle.
“To my castle,” he said and pulled her back into his arms. “I have to make sure that my men are safe. And we need to have a proper rest. Besides, it’s much safer to spend a night in a well-guarded castle than in an inn. Humphrey could catch up with us tonight. If we were at the inn, he would take you back easily. Is this what you want?”
“No.”
He was right. Elizabeth relaxed and closed her eyes.
The next time she opened them it was dark, and they were approaching a massive castle, its walls lit by countless torches. Elizabeth thought that the walls rising in the middle of the darkness were just a dream. Her father’s castle was nothing compared to this. But it was real.
The drawbridge lowered when the cavalcade approached, letting the troop into the castle. Slowly, tired travellers passed the gates and outer ward. Elizabeth looked around with curiosity, but it was pitch dark and difficult to see anything. It was the same in the inner yard. The entire castle seemed to be asleep, other than the guards on the walls. When the riders reached the entrance to the great hall, they stopped. A sleepy groom came to take the horses and was waiting for them to dismount.
William dismounted first and helped Elizabeth to the ground. Tired and eager to rest, she gladly accepted his help, sliding right into his arms.
William caught her from the horse and held her tight in his arms for a moment before releasing her and stepping away.
“’Tis good to be back. Home, sweet home,” James said, walking close to William and patting his shoulder. “I hope there is some food left. I am dying to eat.”
Elizabeth smiled at his words. Out of all three brothers, James was the most talkative and funny. Well, truth to be told, he was the most light-hearted man she had ever met. And he was the first man she had ever kissed, although William’s touch sent a warm sensation through her like nothing she’d ever known.
William took Elizabeth’s hand into his and walked her up the stairs, into the great hall. He threw the door open and Elizabeth saw a hall much larger than in her father’s castle. The place was dark except for the further end of the room, where there stood a raised platform with a large table. It was lit by torches, so the table was clearly visible.
Sleepy servants were walking here and there, serving the table with food and drink.
“Food,” James almost screamed and rushed to the table. “I am so hungry.”
The weary travellers chuckled. James was the first to reach the table. Once he was there, he looked back at his brothers. “I am dying for good food and sleep.”
Elizabeth understood him too well. She needed a good night’s sleep more than anything else. William pulled her to follow him to the head of the table.
“Lady Elizabeth.” He helped her to a seat and then sat next to her.
Elizabeth felt embarrassed by his attentions and even more to sit at the head of the table. It was the place where a lady of the castle would sit. But she was too hungry and weary to object. Although, she realized, she was the highest-ranking person in the room, being the daughter of an earl.
When the servants finished placing food and drink before them, William dismissed them to go back to sleep.
The table was well served. There was a roasted boar, chicken legs, fried apples, freshly baked bread with honey, and cheese. It all looked so tasty, that Elizabeth’s stomach started rumbling immediately.
When she started eating, she real
ized that she was even hungrier than she thought. The food was much tastier than she had been used to. She remembered hearing her friend, the healer, say, “Hunger is the best seasoning.”
When her initial hunger was satisfied, Elizabeth began to eat slower and examine her surroundings. She was particularly interested in the many tapestries with hunt scenes that covered the walls of the great hall.
Unfortunately, her father had been too greedy to decorate the walls in the great hall in his castle.
Elizabeth concentrated on the food, but time after time her thoughts returned to tomorrow’s trip. She almost forgot to listen to what the Stafford brothers were talking about.
When she finished with the food, she looked up at William.
“Are we going to the nunnery tomorrow morning?” she asked him, and, to her utter bewilderment, James and Stephen stared at her in surprise, then slowly moved their eyes to William.
William looked confused. He cleared his throat and looked at Elizabeth as a flush crept up his neck. A muscle twitched in his jaw. “We are not going anywhere.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. They must be playing a joke on her. “You promised to take me there,” she said slowly.
“No,” William cut her off. “We promised to help you run away from the castle, but no one ever promised to take you to St. Mary’s.”
“But,” Elizabeth was frantically trying to remember the exact words he—no, James—said in the garden, but with no luck. She moved her eyes from William to James, and back to William. Stephen and James lowered their eyes. William didn’t. He kept looking right into her eyes.
Her heart beating faster with every second that passed, Elizabeth got up from the table. “Then I am going there alone.” She stepped away. “Give me a horse, please. I will send it back to you once I am there.”
“Lady Elizabeth,” William said, slowly rising from the table and standing in front of her, blocking her escape. “You are not going anywhere.”
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 8