Humphrey did nothing to her. Instead, he began running. They left the solar and were going down the stairs.
With every step they made away from her chamber, she was bounced against Humphrey’s shoulder and she could beneath the excruciating pain, she felt panic rising inside of her. Tears of despair gathered in her eyes.
When they entered the great hall, Elizabeth gathered all the power she had.
“William!” she cried as loud as she could and something heavy landed on her head, making her unconscious once again.
***
William was sitting in his cabinet at a large wooden table, his head resting on his hands, and watching flames dancing in the fireplace. Sleep would not come to him and he was glad that James decided to keep him company. Being alone was the last thing William wanted right now.
The door to the study had been shut, so that no one could listen to what they were talking about. Indeed, even at this time of the night there could be people in the castle, who could overhear them.
“What bothers you, William?” James leaned against the opposite wall and watched his brother with worry. “Everything goes well.”
“No,” William shook his head and a thunder strike swallowed his words. “Elizabeth ran away from her father a week ago. You ask what bothers me,” he looked up at James. “I want to know why no one is searching for her. Her father must know by this time that Elizabeth is here.” William narrowed his eyes. “Why is he not attempting to get her back? She is his only daughter and he has plans for her marriage.”
James shrugged. “What if the earl thinks that she ran away alone? What if he does not connect us with her? I understand that she had been planning her escape before she met us. Now that I think on it, she told me that she mentioned to her maid that she was going to run away to the cloister of St. Mary’s.”
William gave out a heavy sigh. James was right, of course, but William felt in his gut that there was something more. Something that was amiss.
“Whatever it is,” he said, staring at the fire, “I need to send my men to Harmton castle. I need to know what is going on there.”
James’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Do you really worry about Harmton doing nothing to get back Elizabeth or do you want to find out how your Jane is doing?” James asked, and a flash of anger sparkled in his eyes. “William,” he crossed the distance between the wall and the desk behind which William was seated and leaned toward his brother. “Stop thinking about that woman. She betrayed you and chose a wealthier man. Don’t you understand that?”
“Stop it.” William said through clenched teeth, rising from behind the table, so their eyes met on the same level. William was running out of patience. He would not allow anyone to speak this way about the woman he loved.
“No, I won’t,” James answered in an equal manner. “You act like a fool. You could marry a wonderful woman, but still think about a wench who did nothing but use you.”
James had crossed the line. In the blink of an eye William’s heavy fist landed on his brother’s face.
Too angry to speak, William stormed out of the small room. He needed time to calm down and to take his rage under control. Alone.
William started crossing the great hall, when there was another crash of thunder. For a moment William thought that he heard a woman’s cry through it. He stopped, listening. Had he really heard it, or had it been his imagination? Expecting the earl’s attack at any time, William would not be surprised if there was an intrusion.
No more cries followed. Everything was quiet, only rain drummed on the windows.
Common sense told William that he mistook thunder for a cry. The castle was well guarded, and no one would get inside unnoticed.
Still, he wasn’t sure. He turned around and slowly walked back to the cabinet room. The door flew open and James, furious, charged out, but he stopped short when he saw William.
“Did you hear anything?” William whispered, still listening to the storm, straining to hear any other sound.
“What exactly?” James asked, instantly alarmed.
“I think I heard a cry.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” James shrugged, relaxing. “It must have been thunder.”
“Might be.” William agreed, but he was still unsettled.
The warrior inside did not allow him to relax even for a moment.
“I need to check on Elizabeth,” he said, and started towards the stairs.
“What a good excuse to get into her chamber at this time of night.” James replied to William’s back. William could bet there was a wide grin on James’s face.
A loud cry, full of fear and despair cut the silence.
“Elizabeth.” William whispered, fear squeezing his heart with a cold grip. William stormed to that part of the great hall from which the cry came, James right behind him.
A flash of lightning cut the darkness, showing three men, creeping toward the door. One of them held Elizabeth, unconscious, on his shoulder.
Panic flooded over William when he saw her motionless body, replaced by rage in an instant. William would tear the bastards into pieces with his bare hands.
“Stand where you are,” William roared, running towards them with the fury of an animal protecting his mate.
He almost reached the intruders, when another flash lighted everything, showing William one face. Humphrey.
William lifted his fist ready for a fatal strike, but Humphrey turned right in time and threw Elizabeth, unconscious, at William. Instinct took over and William caught Elizabeth, holding her tight in his arms.
“Careful!” James cried.
William lifted his eyes on the enemy exactly when Humphrey bared his sword.
Being an experienced warrior, William acted without thinking. He quickly put Elizabeth down near the wall. He simultaneously drew his sword and turned around to face the danger, shielding her behind him.
He saw almost nothing, but he heard well. It was enough to fight. The steel of his sword met his enemy’s, making sparks. William attacked Humphrey, while James fought to hold off the other two men. Step by step, William pushed Humphrey away from Elizabeth, until they fought quite far from her. It was too dangerous to fight near her in such darkness – anything could happen.
A short cry full of pain cut the air and one of the intruders fell down dead. Soon the second followed.
But William was not as lucky as James had been. Humphrey was a skilled warrior. William tried to defeat him, but the enemy had been well trained. Humphrey repelled blows with ease, but William continued to attack. Humphrey laughed. “You will not slaughter me, Baron Stafford. But you should. I will not let you have Elizabeth while I am alive.”
William roared and renewed the attack. Suddenly, another flash lit the room. William saw Humphrey clearly. That was the moment he had been waiting for. William lifted his sword, ready to give Humphrey a fatal strike, when he heard Elizabeth’s weak moan. He turned his head to look at her, and saw James rushing to help Elizabeth.
That one glance away from Humphrey was enough to lose control of the fight. Suddenly, William felt a burning pain in his left shoulder. He cursed and turned to face the enemy. With a satisfying laugh Humphrey looked at his blood-stained sword, turned around, and disappeared into the yard.
“I’ll get the bastard,” James cried and rushed past William.
William was standing as if in a fog, hardly understanding what was happening around him. A sob from the corner attracted his attention. Elizabeth was sitting against the wall, crying, her face buried in her hands.
William rushed to her; his wound instantly forgotten.
***
Elizabeth was shaking badly. Her recent fear was gone, and tears of relief were running down her cheeks. Her terrible headache was tearing her head apart. The feel of the cold stone wall at her back slightly eased the ache. Still, she could hardly understand what had happened.
William sat down next to her and pulled her close with his
uninjured arm. Grateful, she found comfort in his embrace and burst into tears, giving vent to all the fear of the last hour.
William’s embrace was both firm and reassuring. He gently stroked her hair, making the pain of the headache disappear.
Rapid steps approached and a candle lit the darkness.
“What is going on here?” Hugh, William’s steward asked, entering the great hall, moving his candle from one side to the other and looking around.
“Light the torches,” William commanded.
The steward obeyed and rushed to the wall, lighting one torch after another.
“My lord,” he said, fully concentrated on the torches, “Can you tell me what happened here? I heard some noise.”
“Just a small fight.” William said and, in the emerging light, Elizabeth saw a sad smile on his face.
“Was it?” the steward turned, and his eyes fell on two dead bodies.
He gasped in horror and stepped back. “Who are they?”
“’Tis what I want to know, too.” William said.
Suddenly, the door from the yard flew open and James entered.
“The bastard is gone,” he said, stopping to catch his breath. “He disappeared, as if he were a ghost.”
“But he was not,” William said under his breath. “Send people to search the castle.”
“I’ve done it already,” he replied. “If he is still inside the walls, they will find him. If he escaped,” he paused for a moment, “I will find out how he managed to do it. I don’t want to believe that one of our men let him in and helped him escape.” He looked up at William. “How’s your wound?”
Wound? Slowly, Elizabeth looked at William. He looked careless, as usual, but his face was pale.
“’Tis nothing to worry about,” William answered.
The answer did not satisfy her. What if the wound was serious? Elizabeth pulled away from him and started studying his body carefully. Her own pain was instantly gone. A blood stain on his shoulder caught her attention.
“We need to go upstairs. Now.” She commanded, trying to get up, her head still too heavy. Wincing with pain and moving slowly, she got to her feet.
William was already standing and helped her. “You need some help, too.” he said, a hint of care in his voice.
“I am fine,” she lied.
Elizabeth looked William over from head to toe. He was weak, although she could tell he tried to act stronger than he actually was. She would need help getting him to his chamber.
As if reading her mind, James stepped in, offering help.
“I can take care of myself,” the older brother snapped in answer, stepping aside. “You better take care of those two,” he pointed to the dead men. “They are the ones who need to be cared after.”
Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile. Wounded and weak, William still refused to accept any help.
Gently, she wrapped her arms around his torso, his hand resting on her shoulders, and they walked to his chamber. “James,” she called again when they almost reached the stairs, “Send someone to bring us hot water and a clean cloth. I will tend to William’s wound.”
James nodded and rushed away.
When they finally entered William’s chamber, Elizabeth walked him to the hearth.
“Sit down,” she commanded, and William obeyed with a grin.
“’Tis not as bad as you think,” he said and leaned against the back of the chair.
She studied his face for a moment. “I won’t be sure until I see the wound,” and switched her attention back to his shoulder.
William’s tunic was covered with blood. Do not panic, Elizabeth told herself as she started taking it off.
She had tended to many wounds in the past but seeing this man’s blood made her weak. She had not realised how much he meant to her.
Elizabeth brought some herbs from her chamber. She stopped short when she saw who was entering the room with clean cloths and water. It was the man with the red beard she had seen talking to her father on more than one occasion. She looked at William and asked, “William, who is this man?”
The man quickly put down the items he brought and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Why do you ask, and what is all that?” William asked, cautiously looking at the cloth bags in her hand.
Elizabeth smiled at his worry. “You have a good herb garden. I hope I am not forbidden to collect herbs there.”
“Nay,” he smiled. “Do you know how to use them?”
Elizabeth dipped a cloth into warm water, distracted from her own question by his interest in her experience as a healer.
“When I was a child,” she started her story, as she carefully cleaned the wound, “my father decided that I needed to learn the healing arts. There is an old woman in my father’s castle who knows how to use herbs and can heal people. She taught me. So yes,” she looked into William’s eyes. “I know what I am doing.”
William winced with pain, but no sound escaped him.
“Why would she pass her knowledge to you?”
Elizabeth grinned. William was ready to talk about anything, just to take his mind from the pain in his shoulder.
Her attention fixed on the wound; Elizabeth continued talking. “She nursed me when my mother died and treats me like her own daughter.”
“Her children must be good healers, too.”
“She does not have children,” Elizabeth replied. “I guess I am the only person to whom she could pass her knowledge.”
When the wound was clean, Elizabeth examined it. It was not as bad as she first thought.
“You have lost some blood,” she whispered, covering the wound with a clean cloth. “Hold this.” He covered the cloth with his good hand and Elizabeth started mixing herbs. “The wound is not that bad. I will stop the bleeding, but it might hurt a bit.”
Her words made William grimace. It amused Elizabeth, although she tried to hide her joy at his reaction. He behaved like a youth.
When the herbs were finally done, she gently took his hand with the cloth away from the wound and put herbs onto the flesh. William winced in pain. His jaw tightened, but he made no sound. What willpower, Elizabeth thought with admiration.
Then she tied a dry cloth around the wound.
“You will live,” she smiled and walked to the bucket of water.
She dipped her hands, stained with blood and herbs, into it and washed them carefully. Only now, when William was safe, her fear started to fade away and she was able to relax.
“Stay here, please,” he said, looking into her eyes. There was so much warmth in his stare that Elizabeth could not resist.
She sat on the bench by the hearth.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice full of gratitude.
“You saved my life,” she whispered, looking at the fire. “This was the least I could do to thank you. You never answered my question about the man with the red beard. I have seen him at my father’s castle many times,” she said, standing and walking toward the door, but William caught her arm and pulled her back.
William’s voice hardened in an instant, “You must be mistaken, I’ve known Hugh my whole life He is my steward. Many men have red beards. Now tell me, where did they find you?”
Elizabeth bit her lip, fighting tears at the way he completely dismissed her question about the steward.
“They were in my chamber when I woke up.”
William swore. “The bastards knew where you would be.” He stopped, as if giving himself time to think. The way he said it meant nothing good for the man when William found her attackers.
“Humphrey will be back,” Elizabeth said and looked at him. The very thought of it scared her to death. “Nothing will stop him until he gets what he wants. Me.”
William got up from his chair and walked to Elizabeth. Gently, he took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. “I will not let him take you away or harm you. You have my word.”
Suddenly, the worst idea she had e
ver had, crossed her mind, making her frown.
“William,” she said softly, as if tasting his name. Slowly she got up, her long thin fingers reaching for his cheek. She caressed it gently, enjoying the sensation of his skin under her touch. “He will not stop.”
William started to object, but Elizabeth put her finger to his lips, silencing him.
“I know Humphrey too well. He desires me and nothing can stop him, except…” she paused for a moment. The thought that had crossed her mind seemed both rebellious and enjoyable. “He will stop only if he,” she stopped, too shy to continue.
“If he what?” a question froze in William’s eyes.
Elizabeth bit her lips, fighting embarrassment. “If he learns that I am your woman.”
William’s eyes widened in surprise. “What are you trying to say, lass?”
Instead of saying anything, she got up on tiptoes and gently kissed him. “I want to belong to you.” Her body was trembling, her heart beat so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest. “This is the only way to stop Humphrey.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth smiled and kissed him again.
William pulled her into his embrace with his good arm. His lips met hers and Elizabeth froze in anticipation. Her eyes closed as she lost herself in the sensation of the kiss.
William broke the kiss, got up and pulled her to follow him to bed. Only now did Elizabeth understand what was about to happen and it scared her to death. She wanted to run away, but she had no choice. She had to do this if she wanted to be free.
When they reached the bed, William stopped and looked into her eyes. “You look scared, lass,” he said, his voice a husky whisper. “You have been hurt, too. We can wait if you want.”
“No,” she shook her head. “I am ready.”
William smiled and kissed her palm, still looking into her eyes. “’Tis going to be all right.”
William pulled her close to him and untied the belt on her robe. Elizabeth froze, too scared to move.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” William smiled gently and eased the robe off her shoulders. The next moment it fell to her feet and she remained in just a chemise. She wanted to cover herself with her arms, but he caught them in time. “You are an exceptionally beautiful woman. Do not cover yourself from me. Besides, I have seen you before, you know.”
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 13