From the corner of his eye, William was watching Elizabeth. She was a very beautiful woman, indeed. Her manners were impeccable. He desired her, and he would be a fool to deny it. He wanted this woman in his bed. He loved Jane, but she was married and lost to him forever. William needed a woman to warm his bed. Although she kept her emotions from her face, her reaction to him last night had shown William the passion sleeping inside of Elizabeth. If a mere almost-kiss made her pulse flutter in her throat and her breath turn to warm panting, what would she be like in bed? The very thought aroused William. He shifted in his seat and almost moaned aloud. He would not be able to be around Elizabeth for long and not bed her. He had to marry her as soon as he could.
As if reading his mind, Elizabeth looked up and their eyes met for a long moment.
“Elizabeth,” he said in a husky voice, trying not to pay attention to his pulsing groin. “You are free to move within the castle. But you must promise that you will not attempt to run away. If you attempt it, I will lock you in your chamber again. Is that clear?”
Elizabeth nodded and turned away. “Yes, my lord.”
The rest of the meal they spent in silence. William could not find words to start talking to Elizabeth. The tension between them was hanging thick in the great hall. The air seemed to sparkle from it. William felt uneasy, wishing for the breakfast to be over as soon as possible.
When they had finished with the food, Cecily took Elizabeth away and William stayed with his brothers.
“You should have seen yourself,” Stephen said, shaking his head. “I have never seen you so scared to talk to a woman. What has happened to the great warrior bound for revenge?”
William opened his mouth to reply but shut it. He did not want to waste time with stupid arguments.
“’Tis time to do some work,” William said and strode out of the hall.
***
Jane slowly walked into the great hall. To her pleasure servants had almost finished serving the meal. It had been hard to teach them how to please her. Harmton did not seem to care about servants at all, and his daughter had treated them almost as equals. How stupid. They had been servants and Jane had taught them their place.
A young serving girl took a plate of cheese to the table, made a curtsy to Jane and rushed to leave, keeping her eyes cast down.
“Stop,” Jane commanded.
The girl stopped immediately and returned to Jane.
“Yes, my lady.” Her voice trembled, and Jane smiled with satisfaction.
Jane looked her up and down. She was barely sixteen, and very attractive. Jane would wager that her husband had bedded this wench already, though Jane did not care. He could bed whomever he wanted as long as Jane was the one who made decisions in this castle. Oh yes, the earl had bedded her. The fear in the servant’s eyes showed the truth of it. Jane grinned for a second, but then the smile left her beautiful face.
“Tell Lord Harmton that the meal is served, and I am waiting for him.”
“Yes, my lady.” The girl made a curtsy and started walking away.
Suddenly, hoof beats of perhaps a dozen horses thundered from the yard. The horses stopped, the door burst open, and male voices followed. Jane frowned, lifted her skirts, and rushed to the door to see who the newcomers were. But when she was half-way through, a man stormed into the great hall. Edward.
Jane stopped at once and turned to the maid, who was standing by the stairs and looking at the door.
“Tell my husband that Sir Edward is back, and we are both waiting for him to attend dinner. Sir Edward is very hungry.”
When the maid left, Jane went to greet Edward. His face, as well as his clothes, were covered with dust after a long trip.
Edward nodded a greeting and stormed past her. He walked straight to the hearth and threw himself into a chair. “Where is my father?” he asked, looking at Jane.
“I’ve sent for him,” she said, studying him. Jane was eager to know what news he had brought. Had the bloody wench left with William or had she left alone? Edward’s face was pale and intense.
Suddenly, Harmton’s roar cut the silence and made Jane jump.
“Where is she?” his loud voice thundered in the air as he entered the great hall.
Edward looked at his father and stood up immediately. “We have bad news, father,” he said. “I think ‘twas William. He kidnapped Elizabeth. She is in his castle.”
“Bastard,” the earl swore. “Where is my wine?” he screamed, and a maid brought him a goblet of drink in a matter of seconds. “Did he kidnap her, or did she run away with him?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Lord Harmton sat at the head of the table. “Say it.” he commanded once Edward and Jane joined him.
When Edward sat down, he started eating as if he had not eaten for several days. He was hungry, indeed. “Before I left, guards told me that one of the Staffords left the castle with a woman the night after the wedding,” Edward said in pauses between chewing. “They were kissing and searching for privacy. I can hardly believe it was Elizabeth. She knows nothing of men; she’s never had a lover, has she?”
Unlike Edward, Jane could not force herself even to bite anything. Every word Jane heard made her tighten with anger. She was ready to kill the bitch. No one dared touch William Stafford. He belonged to her. William might be gentler than she preferred, but he was the first lover she had ever had. And Jane would not let another woman take her place in his bed. Jane would take care of Elizabeth once they met.
“Humphrey is gone to Baron de Broke’s castle,” Edward continued talking as he ate. “He will gather his vassals and will get Elizabeth out of her prison.”
To Jane’s frustration her husband seemed worried. Puzzled – no, he was worried, but why? She frowned.
“I can’t understand why Stafford would do it now. He always seemed a clever man to me,” he said. “Why would he do such a stupid thing as kidnap my daughter? Why does he need her?”
Edward looked at his father. “He has multiple reasons, father. Humphrey gave you one more on the day of your wedding, but just think of all you’ve taken from him by gaining the king’s favour.”
His father nodded and rubbed his chin, “You may be right. Perhaps my wedding was the last straw. But why take Elizabeth?”
Edward shook his head, “Don’t you see? You have what he wants,” Edward looked at Jane, “so he took something of yours to use in the same way.”
It was time for Jane to speak. “What if William…”
“Shut up, woman,” the earl stopped her and gave her a dreadful look. “Don’t you see we are talking? Eat your food. ‘Tis not your business to listen to our talks. And don’t speak his name in such a familiar manner. He may have had you before I did,” Jane gasped at his words, “Yes, my sweet, I know all about your affair with Stafford, but you are mine now and you will not speak his name in my house.”
Jane looked up at Harmton in surprise, her eyes wide in disbelief. No one had ever talked to her this way, and she was not going to tolerate it. “You have no right…”
The man grabbed her wrist, the skin turning white under his grip—there would surely be a bruise—and pulled Jane closer to him. His eyes were full of rage. For a short moment she thought he would hit her, but she fought to keep her eyes open. She would not show her fear to this man. “’Tis my home and I can do whatever I please. You are my wife and must do what I say. If you ever disobey me again, I will break your hand. Is that clear?”
Jane nodded, fighting back tears of humiliation. Her hatred of her husband grew stronger with every minute she spent as his wife. When he released his grip, Jane got up and stormed out of the hall, blinking rapidly to hold tears back.
When she finally reached the garden, the tears of humiliation were spilled down her cheeks, blurring her vision. Jane wiped the moisture away and leaned against the stone wall of the keep, trying to suppress her sobs.
Oh, how she hated him. She had planned to marry into a wealthy life, but it turned o
ut that John de Vere, Earl of Harmton, was not only cruel, but also greedy. During their wedding he showed everyone how wealthy he was, but once guests left, the wealth turned out to be just a show. He was constantly talking about how he had to hide his wealth in case the king decided to take it back. What was that about, anyway? His wealth was the reason she’d married him.
A sob escaped her, and tears started running with new force. She sat on the ground and covered her face in her palms, sinking in self-pity.
“Why?” she sobbed and looked at the skies, her arms wrapped around her knees. “Lord, why? Why didn’t you stop me from this marriage?”
Jane remembered then the night in the meadow with William. He had begged her not to marry the man, but she had insisted that she had no choice. How could she have been so foolish? She had agreed to give her youth and beauty in exchange for wealth, but it had turned out the worst possible decision. She had been cursed to spend her life with an old, ugly man who would not make her dreams come true. At least not while he was alive.
***
“I will be first,” Cecily giggled, lifted her skirts and ran to the stairs, laughing, as carefree as a child.
Elizabeth had no choice but to lift her skirts and follow her new friend. In a few seconds she reached Cecily and they stormed up the stairs together.
Laughing and breathless, they entered the great hall.
“There is one place I want to show you,” Cecily said, catching her breath, and waved her hand, asking Elizabeth to follow. Without any doubt Elizabeth went along. Over the day that they had spent together, Elizabeth learnt to trust Cecily. This young woman could make her time at de Broke Castle better than Elizabeth expected.
Cecily took Elizabeth through a narrow staircase and onto the top floor. There, she pushed the door open, and the young women entered a large chamber lit up with the sun.
“It’s our solar,” Cecily said. Her eyes were lit by happiness when she spoke about this place. “I love spending my days here embroidering.”
Curious, Elizabeth looked around the room. The walls of this spacious chamber were covered with tapestries that showed scenes of ladies and knights. How peaceful and romantic it was; Elizabeth had never seen anything so beautiful.
There was a large fireplace on the other side of the solar. Large windows let in sunlight, making the place bright during the day. Benches stood by the walls. Several embroidery frames of different sizes stood next to the benches.
“Here.” Cecily went to one of the frames and turned it around.
Elizabeth came closer, unable to take her eyes away from the embroidery. Light blue flowers were surrounded by golden ornaments. The embroidery was so detailed and neat, that Elizabeth could not fully express her admiration.
“Is it yours?” Elizabeth asked in awe.
“Yes,” Cecily smiled proudly. “Do you like embroidering?”
Elizabeth looked up at Cecily, not knowing what to answer. She bit her lip and looked down. “I have never done it before,” she said quietly, too ashamed to look at the young woman.
A silence hung in the air for several seconds, what seemed an eternity to Elizabeth. When Cecily spoke again, her voice was both gentle and confused.
“I have never met a woman who cannot embroider,” she said and made a step towards Elizabeth. “Do you want me to teach you how to do it?”
Elizabeth closed her eyes when a lump stuck in her throat. No one had ever been so kind to her. This lady should be her enemy, but she was becoming her good friend instead.
When Elizabeth got hold of her emotions again, she opened her eyes, full of unshed tears, and looked at Cecily. “My father insisted I work alongside our servants, never letting me learn the finer skills of a lady.” She almost cried with joy, “Yes, I’d love to learn.”
***
It was a late night when Elizabeth was finally left alone in her chamber. Maids had helped her undress and left her to take another bath, alone. The fireplace and two candles on the side of the bed were the only sources of light in the dark chamber.
Hot water was steaming in the tube. Elizabeth carefully stepped into it, enjoying the sensation that the hot water gave. When she finally sank into the pleasant heat, Elizabeth leaned against the tub, and shut her eyes, relaxing. Her entire body was aching after a long and joyful day. Elizabeth smiled when memories of all the day’s pleasant events flooded over her. She could not remember when she was as happy in her own home as she was in this place. Maybe never.
Cecily was a wonderful woman. If Elizabeth had had a sister, she wished it to be Cecily. The young woman not only spent hours teaching her the basics of embroidery, she also showed Elizabeth a small herb garden she had been looking after. At least Elizabeth was familiar with that, so she taught Cecily some tricks and recipes.
The door slowly opened and soft steps started approaching. Elizabeth took a heavy breath. “Come later,” she whispered to the maid, slightly annoyed. She wanted to be left alone for a while and didn’t need help with the bath yet.
But no answer followed. The steps were getting closer, until they reached the tub. The maid stopped right behind Elizabeth and touched Elizabeth’s bare shoulder.
Annoyed, Elizabeth opened her eyes, sat straight, and turned around to scold the maid. But to her horror it was not Hildred. It was William.
Elizabeth gasped with horror, covered her breasts with her hands, and sank back into the tub.
William laughed at her reaction, his hoarse laughter making her breath faster and deeper.
“Do not be afraid, little lady.” He whispered in her ear and gently stroked her hair away from her neck. Shivers of pleasure ran down her spine as his warm breath touched her skin. Still, she was scared to move, her thoughts totally mixed up in her head.
William kissed her neck.
Before she understood what she was doing, Elizabeth abruptly stood up, sending splashes of water everywhere. Covering her breasts, she stepped out of the bath, rushed to the bed, and grabbed a linen cloth to cover herself from William’s eyes.
Too late. William saw everything.
Slowly, William got up and walked to her, his eyes firmly fixed on her face. Elizabeth tried to step back, but there was nowhere to go. The bed blocked her way. Suddenly, William lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her to the hearth. Once there, he released Elizabeth, gently took the cloth from her hands, and started wiping her with it. Speechless, Elizabeth could only obey.
She stood there, naked, in front of the fireplace, and William knelt, looking up at her. Elizabeth closed her eyes in embarrassment.
He was wiping her so gently and slowly, that it seemed he was exploring every piece of her body. She felt heat creeping into her face, and knew she was blushing.
When he touched her breast, Elizabeth gasped. Now, pleasant heat ran through her veins, making her body respond with the remembered heat between her thighs. Scared of this feeling, Elizabeth tried to pull away from William, but he held her tight.
“Don’t move, he said with a hoarse voice. “I can hardly control myself. When you move you make me desire you even more.”
Elizabeth froze. She did not want to check what would happen if he lost control.
When he finished wiping her, he got up, lifted her again, as if she was a feather in his hands, and took to the bed. He gently put her on the blanket and covered her with his body.
Elizabeth started to panic. Every time William touched her, her body ached for more. It stopped listening to her reasoning, and it scared Elizabeth. This time was not an exception. She was fully under the spell of this man.
William was so close to her now, his lips almost touching hers. She desired for him to kiss her, but she would never admit it. Even to herself.
He touched her hair. Then, his fingers moved down her neck and Elizabeth felt the warmth between her thighs. Again. But she did not want to give in to the pleasant feeling that was about to flood over her.
This man had lied to her, caught her in a trap
, imprisoned her, and now every inch of her body desired him as if he was her husband. It was wrong. Rage started growing inside of her.
She tried to push him away, but with no luck. He was like a stone on top of her.
“Do you want to take me with force?” she snapped at him and, to her satisfaction desire left him. Abruptly, he stopped touching her and rolled away. Elizabeth used the moment and covered herself with a blanket.
“No,” William said as he got up from the bed. “I will never touch you against your will. But the time will come when you come to me willingly. I will be waiting for that moment and will enjoy it.”
“It will never happen. I will never be your mistress.”
William looked at her with a smile, a dangerous light sparkled in his eyes.
“Do you want me to prove you wrong?” he moved closer to her and sat on the bed. He gently touched her face and she felt a shiver of pleasure run down her spine. He caressed her neck and she threw her head back. The next moment he bent down and covered her lips with a passionate kiss. Elizabeth leaned closer to him, wrapped her hands around his neck and answered the kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she gave a moan of pleasure, pulling herself closer to him.
She had lost control over her body. All she wanted was him. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her. She desired him.
Suddenly, he broke the kiss and pulled away.
Elizabeth almost cried in disappointment, staring at him with wide open eyes. She did not want the kiss to end. Not this way. When her vision cleared of the haze of passion, she saw him smiling at her.
“Dear Elizabeth,” he caressed her neck, “You desire me as much as I desire you. There is no need to pretend that it is not so. Soon enough you will come to my bed and I will be waiting for you.”
Before she understood what was going on, William was gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 10