Elizabeth stepped back. “Yes, I am,” to her dismay, her voice sounded thin and weak. Fear took her heart into its iron grasp. Only now did she understand what a fool she had been to trust people whom she had never seen before. She needed to get away from here as soon as she could. “If you don’t want to give me a horse – I will walk.” After a short pause, she walked around William, skirted the table, and continued towards the door. No one would stop her from going to the nunnery. It was the only place where she could feel safe. She would go there, whatever the cost.
Suddenly, William caught her hand and pulled her close to him, murmuring, “You are not going anywhere, Lady Elizabeth. You will stay in this castle. With me.”
Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief. Her mouth flew open, and her eyes narrowed. What was going on? First, this man helped her to escape a loveless marriage, she trusted him, and now he betrayed her and demanded she stay in this castle. No, she didn’t want it to be this way. She had to get to the safety of the Sisters of Mercy.
“Let me go.” She pulled her hand, but his grip was too strong for her. “I am not staying here.”
“Yes, you are,” his eyes went cold, like steel. “You will stay here as long as I want.”
“And what then?”
“I haven’t yet decided,” he grinned at her. “Maybe you will never leave this castle.”
Elizabeth panicked. What was on this man’s mind? The unknown scared her to death. In her experience there had been no good surprises, only painful ones. This surprise seemed no different. Tears started gathering in the corners of her eyes, but she fought herself to stay calm. She would not show William her fear.
“You’ve kidnapped me, haven’t you?” she hissed at him.
“Yes,” William’s smile became wider, his eyes as cold as ice. “I am glad you have finally realized it.”
“Liar,” she hissed into his face and, before she could understand what she was doing, she slapped him. Instantly, she regretted it. His face turned into stone. Horrified of the consequences, Elizabeth shut her eyes, unconsciously raising her arm defensively to ward off a blow.
To her utter surprise, William reached out and gently stroked her face. “You need not fear me, lady Elizabeth. I have never raised my hand to someone weaker than I, and will not start with you. However, you leave me no choice but to do this,” and he lifted her into the air and threw her onto his shoulder. “You need to have some rest, lass,” he said, and carried her out of the great hall.
Breathless and even more afraid of what he intended, Elizabeth stayed quiet, praying to survive the night.
After they ascended dark stairs, William brought her to a chamber lit by the light of hearth and candles. He walked to a large bed and threw her onto it.
Elizabeth knew too well what would follow. William was not any better than Humphrey. She prepared to fight for her innocence, but to her surprise William walked back to the door. “You will stay here until you calm down, little one, and there’s no risk of your running away.”
Bewildered, Elizabeth watched from her position on the bed.
“You cannot force me to stay here,” she screamed to his back.
William stopped for a moment and looked at her, his face serious. “You need to get used to the idea that you will stay here for a while.”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears.
“Why?” she asked, all the anger instantly gone. “Why did you bring me here?” She sobbed and wiped a teardrop from her cheek.
William stopped at the door, then returned to Elizabeth.
Not sure what he wanted of her, she got up from the bed, ready to meet whatever faced her.
William gently lifted up her chin and looked into her eyes. “You know the answer, lass.” He wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Your father took away the woman I love. So, I have taken you away from him.”
William close, his breath hot on her lips. The memory of James’s kisses returned so clearly that she almost felt his lips on hers. Her breath became heavier.
“What will you do with me?” she asked, her eyes on his lips.
“I don’t know yet, lass.” He stepped away from her.
Elizabeth turned away, suddenly feeling cold and scared. “You know that Humphrey will hunt me if he finds out that I ran away with you. St. Mary’s is the only place where I can be safe.”
“You will be safe here,” William said, his voice calm. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. You are under my protection. By the time Humphrey determines where you are, perhaps he—or you—will have had a change of heart.” He winked, and left the chamber.
Elizabeth remained where she stood after he shut the door. She heard William ordering the guards to watch her chamber day and night. Humphrey had done the very same.
Tired and frustrated, she fell onto the bed and burst into tears.
She could not tell how much time had passed till she had no more tears. Wiping her wet eyes, she took a deep breath, got up from the bed, and started undressing. She had no power to fight today. She would fight after a proper rest. But not now.
She stripped to her chemise, leaving all the clothes piled at the end of the bed, and climbed onto the feather tick. Oh, what a pleasure it was to be in a soft bed after a whole night and day of riding. Still, Elizabeth was angry at William. And at herself.
What a fool she had been to trust her stepmother’s lover. And what did she get as a result? She exchanged one prison for another. And nothing had changed, except that she was not getting married right away.
***
William walked back to the great hall. It had been a long and hard day. He needed some rest. He felt guilty about Elizabeth. She was right. Humphrey was a dangerous man and her fear of him had been justified.
When William stepped into the great hall from the stairs, he grinned to see his brothers still there. They looked at him in a funny way, but he did not want to figure out what was on their minds.
Instead, silently, he walked to the table, grabbed his goblet of wine, walked to the large hearth, and fell into the chair opposite it, stretching his legs toward the fire.
“What are you going to do with her?” James asked from the table.
William was quiet for a moment watching the flames dance. “I don’t know,” he said with a tired voice. “I took her away from Humphrey, and I cannot give her back to him. Her life is in danger now.”
Indeed, what would he do with her?
“Take her to St. Mary’s Convent, and everyone will be happy.”
James was correct. The nunnery probably was the best place for an innocent like Lady Elizabeth de Vere. But he wasn’t ready to give up on revenge just yet.
“No,” William shook his head and looked at his brother. “She is not leaving these walls. I am responsible for her now. She is under my protection.”
James grinned at him and sipped wine from his goblet. “'Is it only fear for her life? Or you just don’t want to let her go?”
Stephen smirked, “Bed her tonight, against her will. That would be the best revenge. Humphrey will no longer want her and her father will never be able to get a good match for her.”
William looked at the brothers with a warning. “My anger is with her father, not the girl. I feel sorry for her. Nothing more.” He fell silent for a moment and turned back to watch the fire. “The earl wants Elizabeth to become Humphrey’s wife,” he mused aloud. “Harmton dreams about that match. I also have dreamt about Jane being my wife. He took away my dream.” A sad smile crossed his face but disappeared in a moment. William got more comfortable in his chair and said in a calm low voice. “So, I will take away his dream. I will marry his daughter.”
Chapter Six
Elizabeth woke up with a feeling that something wasn’t right. She opened her eyes and it took her some time to remember what had happened to her a day ago, and where she was.
When the memory returned to her, Elizabeth groaned and closed her eyes. It could not be happening to her.
/> She gave out a heavy sigh and opened her eyes. She threw the woollen blanket across the bed and looked around.
It was a large room with a massive hearth on the opposite wall. The oak bed she had spent the night in was large and must have been expensive. The walls were covered with tapestries. The floor was made of an expensive oak.
Two windows were shut, but sunbeams were slipping into the chamber through the slats in the shutters, making long narrow lines on the wooden floor.
She crawled out of the bed and started dressing. Two days ago, this dress seemed the most beautiful thing she had ever worn, but now it was covered with road dust and horses’ hair. She wished she had brought a change of clothes.
When Elizabeth was finally dressed, she walked to one of the windows, opened the shutters, and looked outside. The window allowed her to see far beyond the castle walls and the forest surrounding it. But she did not care about the beautiful view. At least not now.
Elizabeth looked down. The window was too high above the ground to escape through the window. There had to be another way out, she thought. She was not planning to stay in the castle waiting for William to decide her destiny. Whatever he decided, it would not be good for her.
The only way out of here was through the door, but there was a guard on the other side, watching her day and night.
The door opened, and Elizabeth turned away from the window and returned to the reality of her situation.
A young, beautiful lady who looked slightly familiar entered the chamber, followed by an army of maids. She was a small thin woman, almost as young as Elizabeth. The blue wool dress she wore made her pale skin look even lighter. Her long blond hair had been decorated by a blue ribbon. Elizabeth wondered that she wore no coif or veil, for she was certainly well-born.
The lady made a curtsy and met Elizabeth’s stare. “Good morning, Lady Elizabeth. I am Lady Cecily Stafford, sister of the three monsters who brought you here,” she said, smiling. Love for her brothers sounded in every word she said.
Another Stafford. Angry at the entire family, Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask Cecilie to leave the chamber.
The maids moved apart and male servants brought in a large, deep wooden tub.
The words were stuck in Elizabeth’s throat, as she watched them. The servants put the tub in the middle of the chamber and left. More servants brought buckets with hot, steaming water and filled the tub.
Speechless, Elizabeth looked at the water, her body aching for the bath.
When the tub was full, the serving men went away. Two more maids entered and brought several dresses. They carefully put colourful gowns on the bed.
“You had a long day yesterday, lady de Vere.” Cecily said gently. “You need to have a bath and dress for your station. My maids will wash your clothes and you can borrow some of mine. I think we are close enough in size. I am sure you will find something to suit you.” She looked at the bed, then turned around and walked to the door. “I will come back when you are ready.”
“Ready for what?” she asked. Elizabeth was angry at William, but his sister was a better person. At least she was a woman. “My thanks, lady Cecily. Please, call me Elizabeth.”
Stafford’s sister smiled and nodded.
“My lady,” a good-looking young woman made a step towards Elizabeth. “My name is Hildred. Lady Cecily has ordered me to become your maid.”
Cecily was certainly better than her brother. Elizabeth smiled and turned her back to Hildred. “Please help me to undress. I am in need of a good bath.”
The maids surrounded Elizabeth, helping her get rid of the filthy clothes she had donned when first rising that morning. Once Elizabeth was naked and all the clothes piled up at her feet, she stepped out of them and went to the tub.
One of the maids took the clothes and walked away with them.
Elizabeth stepped into the tub, then slowly she sat down, getting used to the hot water. The warmth spread over her entire body, melting her tiredness away. Oh, how much she had missed this feeling.
Hildred soaped her skin and helped to wash her hair. Elizabeth closed her eyes, relaxing, as the maid’s fingers gently massaged her scalp.
The water was still warm when Elizabeth got up and let the maid pat her dry with a linen cloth. Then, Hildred helped Elizabeth into a linen chemise.
“My lady,” Hildred walked to the bed, where three beautiful dresses had been put. “Which of these would you like to wear today?”
Speechless, Elizabeth looked at the dresses. Cecily Stafford, her captor’s sister, offered her dresses much more beautiful than she had ever seen. Even the dress she had worn on her father’s wedding day could not compare to these.
All of them were beautiful, but a dress of deep blue velvet attracted her attention more than the other three. It had a deep neckline and wide sleeves. The neckline, the edges of the sleeves, and the bottom of the skirt were trimmed with a darker blue.
Elizabeth touched the dress, enjoying the texture. “I choose this one.”
The maids helped her put the dress on. When she was ready, Hildred wove a white ribbon into her hair. The other two dresses went into the closet.
Elizabeth watched herself in the mirror, unable to cast her eyes away. She was more beautiful than she had ever been.
The door silently opened, and Cecily entered. Elizabeth turned around to greet the guest with a grateful smile.
Cecily looked at the maids. “Leave us.” She said, and the maid rushed to obey.
“Cecily,” Elizabeth started speaking, but the young woman lifted her hand, urging Elizabeth to stop.
Quietly, she walked to the hearth and began to speak, staring at the flames. “Lady Elizabeth, I want to apologize for my brother’s behaviour. He should not have locked you in this chamber.”
Elizabeth smiled happily. At least someone in this family was on her side.
Cecily turned around and walked closer to Elizabeth. “Breakfast will be served soon, and I would appreciate if you could come down and share it with us.”
Elizabeth blinked, unable to believe to what she just heard.
“Does lord Stafford release me?” she asked with hope.
Cecily looked down at her hands.
“Not exactly,” she said and looked up at Elizabeth. “We made an agreement. He agreed to let you walk within the castle walls if you don’t attempt to run away. If you do,” she turned away, “he will lock you in this room again and you will stay here as a prisoner.”
“’Tis exactly who I am now.” Elizabeth smiled.
“No,” Cecily looked at her with wide eyes, full of innocence. “You are a guest here,” Cecily said and went to the door. “Follow me, please. We should hurry before William gets nervous.”
“Before we go,” Elizabeth said, “shouldn’t we don our veils?”
Cecilie laughed lightly, “We don’t hold with formality when only the family is here. A ribbon will be headdress enough.”
Elizabeth had no choice but to agree. She would be clever and behave as though she were happy with the arrangements for her staying here. She had to come up with a plan for escape, but first she needed to get familiar with the castle. Oh yes, she would behave until she had a chance to run away.
***
William was standing by the hearth, watching the flames. The blaze on the hearth warmed William’s frozen heart, as well as his hands. He sipped ale from a goblet, frowning at his thoughts and hardly listening to what his brothers had been talking about.
All William’s thoughts were about Elizabeth. As if nothing else existed. His infatuation with this woman made him mad, but he could do nothing about it. She was here, close to him, but it would be hard to keep her within these walls.
William regretted his agreement with Cecily to let the wench out of the chamber. He could bet that Elizabeth would find a way to run. She would not just sit and wait for him to decide on her destiny. She was a wild-spirited woman unlike anyone he had met before.
He needed this w
oman for many reasons. He would watch her close enough to make sure that no rebellious thoughts crossed her mind.
Stephen came closer with a cunning smile. “Look at her,” he said, and nodded in the direction of the side door.
William followed his brother’s stare and froze, speechless. Elizabeth was standing there, close to his sister. The dress that Cecily gave her was slightly smaller than needed, showing off all Elizabeth’s curves. She was so tempting. Instantly, his throat dried out and William took a large gulp of ale. It did not help.
His eyes fixed on Elizabeth, he handed his goblet to Stephen, and crossed the distance between his place at the hearth and where she stood at the bottom of the stairs. A moment later he was next to her.
“I am glad to see you in a good mood, Elizabeth.” he said, bowing his head in greeting. He wanted to say something about her beauty, but words stuck in his throat.
He took her small, fragile hand in his large, calloused one. She flinched but did not move away. Damn it, the wench was scared of him, he thought, sensing the tension in her body. Scared of him. A frown crossed his forehead. He took a deep breath to suppress a growing rage. It had not been his intention to scare the girl. Yes, he was a beast who had been planning to use her for revenge, but he had never meant to harm her.
“Do not be afraid, lass,” he said, staring into her green eyes and drowning in them. “Here there is nothing to fear. I will protect you from anything.”
“But who will protect me from you?” she asked bluntly. William found nothing to answer, but a smile broke out on his face.
He walked Elizabeth to the table and seated her to the right side, while he sat at the head. He could not explain to himself why, but he wanted her to be close to him. He felt like a youth but could do nothing about it. This woman turned the dreaded warrior he was into the young boy he had once been.
Cecily took a place next to Elizabeth. James and Stephen sat on the left side of the table facing the two young women. James kept looking at Elizabeth, then at William, and back. Time after time he exchanged cunning smiles with Stephen. William gave a heavy sigh. What could have been more ridiculous than two grown men giggling at their brother, just like children? William grinned to himself at his thoughts, and started eating, inviting the others to join.
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 9