“My lady,” Martha made a step towards her mistress, but Elizabeth stopped her.
“Help me get dressed,” she commanded.
“What are you going to do, my lady?” Martha asked on the edge of tears.
“If it is true, I want to see it with my own eyes.”
With trembling hands Martha began to dress Elizabeth, tears rolling down her cheeks as well.
“Stop crying,” Elizabeth commanded, wiping her own tears, “If what Anne has told you is true, lord William does not deserve our tears.”
When Elizabeth was finally dressed, she grabbed a candle and stormed out of her chamber in the total darkness of a sleeping castle.
When she was at the door to Jane’s chamber, she hesitated for a moment. If William was there – she had to see it, however painful it was. She couldn’t live with lies anymore. If Jane was his mistress, Elizabeth had to know.
Slowly, she opened the door and walked into the chamber. It was dark in the room. Her own candle was the only source of light. Elizabeth walked deep into the chamber to see who was sleeping on the bed. To her horror she saw two silhouettes. Jane and William. She would recognize his face anywhere.
She could barely breathe. Her worst nightmare had come true. William had betrayed her.
Elizabeth wiped the tears that spilled down her cheeks, but they kept rolling down. She had had enough. If Jane was so important to William, then Elizabeth would leave him be.
Casting one last look at William, Elizabeth left the chamber.
Chapter Sixteen
William opened his eyes and couldn’t understand where he was. It wasn’t his chamber. Where was he then? He felt a movement next to him and turned his head. Jane. She was looking at him, a soft smile playing on her lips.
William tried to remember why he was there, and his memory slowly returned to him.
“Good morning, my love,” Jane said and kissed William. “It was a wonderful night.”
He frowned at her. “Nothing d happened between us last night,” he said. He remembered that he could not stay awake. Nothing could have happened after that.
“Yes,” she said and got out of the bed. To William’s horror Jane was completely naked. “I have already told you we had a good night’s sleep. I can pretend nothing has happened between us,” she said with a lustful smile. “I will miss it when you leave.”
She started dressing. William slightly lifted the duvet and inspected his body. He was completely naked, too. “Where are my clothes?”
Jane looked at him with innocent eyes. “I thought it was more comfortable to sleep without your clothes on.”
William got up and started dressing. His clothes were all over the floor. He dressed silently and left.
All he could think of was Elizabeth. She had to be mad with worry for him. William wanted to see her to calm her down.
When he reached their chamber, he hesitated by the door, and slowly opened it. He expected to see Elizabeth angry at him, telling him off, crying. He would deal with anything. But to his surprise there was nothing. The chamber was empty.
“Elizabeth,” he called for her, slowly entering. “Where is she?” he muttered under his breath.
The door behind him opened. Elizabeth. William turned around, ready to grab her into his arms, but it was Martha, the maid. Damn.
“Where is Elizabeth?” he demanded.
The girl looked at him with blank eyes. “She should be sleeping,” she answered. “I came to wake her up.”
William stepped away from Martha, letting her see the empty bed. “She isn’t there.”
“Where is she then?” Martha asked, her face pale with worry.
“’Tis what I want to know,” he said and stormed past her to the great hall. “I will be downstairs.”
When William reached the great hall, he sent for his brother. Together they would find Elizabeth faster. A thought that Humphrey might have sneaked into the castle and kidnap Elizabeth scared him.
“What’s going on?” James asked, entering the great hall. It looked like he just came from his bed. “What’s so urgent?”
“Elizabeth has disappeared,” William said with doom in his voice.
“Damn it,” James swore.
“My lord,” Martha returned, tears rolling down her cheeks. “No one has seen my lady since last night.”
William swore. “She couldn’t disappear from the castle,” he said.
“You think it’s Humphrey?” James asked and William nodded in agreement.
“My lady was upset last night,” Martha sobbed. “Maybe she left?”
The very thought of it was absurd. “Why would she be upset?” William asked.
Martha looked down at her hands, silent.
“Do you know something?” James asked, coming closer to them.
When Martha spoke, her voice was quiet, and the men had to strain to hear her. “My lady saw you, my lord, and lady Jane, sharing a bed last night, naked.”
William’s face paled. James looked at him, his eyes damning.
Slowly, he understood the horrifying truth behind what Jane had done last night. He realized why he had been naked and why Jane had asked him to come to the chamber.
What a fool he had been. Rage started boiling in his veins.
“Call lady Jane,” he ordered Martha, hardly keeping his rage under control.
“I cannot do it, my lord. She has left the castle.”
William froze, fear grasping his heart. Too late. He finally realized what kind of woman Jane was. She had used him to hurt Elizabeth and now her plan was complete. His brothers had been right about her all this time, and he had been a fool, blinded by his memories of passion.
***
Night fell over Harmton castle, but no one thought about going to sleep. The search for Elizabeth was at its peak.
William and James spent the entire day in surrounding villages, searching for Elizabeth’s trail. No one had seen her.
Desperate, they returned to the castle. William swore, entering the great hall and walking straight to the hearth. He felt guilt for his wife’s disappearance. He hoped that Elizabeth was safe and far away from Humphrey.
He sat in a chair by the hearth and stretched freezing hands to the fire. “Where do you think she is?” he asked James, who stood closer to the hearth.
His brother kept silent, but his look told William that he suspected the worst. William hoped James was wrong, but he suspected it too.
A sound in the yard broke the tense silence and a group of men, lead by Edward flooded the great hall. Edward met William’s stare and answered his silent question by shaking his head. “We couldn’t find her.”
William grabbed his head in despair. Where had she gone?
“We need to send someone to Backleigh castle,” James suggested. “If she left of her free will, she could have gone there. I don’t believe that she would endanger herself and the child.”
“Child?” William abruptly raised his head, his gaze on James, intense. “What child?”
“Your child, fool!” James said without a hint of a smile. “Elizabeth is expecting your child.”
Cold fear chained William when he understood how much he could lose if they didn’t find her. “Why did she say nothing to me?” he frowned.
“Because you were too busy sniffing after Jane, like a dog after a bitch in heat, to notice that your wife was feeling unwell.”
They stopped talking when a third group of men headed by Hugh Flemyng entered.
“I have bad news, sirs,” he said entering the great hall and stroking his distinctive red beard. A maid brought him a goblet of ale and he emptied it at once. “The inn keeper said that there were strangers in the inn. They spent several days there. They left last night. Exactly when lady Elizabeth disappeared. He described the leader of these men to me. I think it was sir Humphrey, although I hope I am wrong.”
William swore. His worst expectations were coming true. He couldn’t lose more time. Every minute counted.
/> “I am going after Elizabeth,” he stated, getting up.
“I am going with you,” Edward, who had been quiet all this time, said.
“Are you going, just like that?” Edward asked, snapping his fingers in front of his face, his brows rising in surprise. “You cannot just turn up at Torpin castle and ask Humphrey to give you Elizabeth back. The castle is impregnable. We need to make a plan before we go there.”
“Let’s do it now and leave on the morrow.” William stated.
“No,” James shook his head. “We are all too tired. We shall come up with the plan on the morrow, when we are well rested. Now it is time to go to bed.”
To William’s dismay James headed to his chamber. Edward shrugged and followed.
“He is right,” Edward turned and said. “We are too tired now to come up with a good plan. We need to rest, William.”
“She is my wife. We have to act now,” William roared.
“She is my sister,” Edward answered in an equal manner, his eyes peering at William. “We have to act when our heads are clear. Humphrey is unlikely to harm her as long as you are alive,” he said and walked away.
William stared at their backs in disbelief. They could be right, but it was damn hard to do nothing, when the woman he loved was in danger.
William sighed heavily and headed to his chamber. When he entered, he was stunned to find both Edward and James there.
“What are you doing here?” he asked with suspicion. “I thought you were gone to your beds.”
“Yes, we wanted to give that impression,” James said. “We just wanted to talk to you in privacy.”
“About what? You could say anything in front of Hugh, he is one of the few men I trust completely.” he said, undressing. He threw a look at the empty bed and stopped. He did not want to go to bed without Elizabeth.
“About Hugh,” James brought William back to reality.
“What do you mean?” William frowned.
“I cannot believe I am the only one who thinks his behaviour suspicious.”
Edward was stroking his chin, and William could see that he, too, didn’t understand what James was trying to say.
“All of us left searching for Elizabeth, but no one we asked had seen or heard anything about her. Hugh knew straight away where to go and whom to ask. He was the only one of us who brought any news. Don’t you think it’s suspicious?”
William shook his head in denial. He could not agree.
“I trust Hugh. Besides, it could be just good luck that Hugh talked to the inn keeper and found some information.”
James bit his lip in disagreement and leaned against the wall. “I think Hugh is the traitor we were looking for,” he said in a low voice.
“Be careful what you say,” William warned. “We’ve known Hugh for our entire lives. ‘Tis a serious charge you make against him.”
“I never say anything if I haven’t thought about it for a while,” James answered. “Every time when we were planning anything – Humphrey knew about it. Remember the time, when you blamed Elizabeth about the treason? Hugh knew about our plan as well. He could have easily told Humphrey about it. Besides, Humphrey always knew which village we patrolled. Elizabeth didn’t know it. She was the one who saw that Humphrey was setting you a trap and warned us. If it wasn’t for her, you would be dead.”
William frowned. He remembered everything that had happened. What if His brother was right? For the first time William doubted Hugh’s loyalty. If he was the traitor, then everything seemed clear.
“If Hugh told us that the inn keeper saw Humphrey,” James continued, “then Humphrey wants you to know that he holds Elizabeth.”
“’Tis ridiculous. Why would he want that?” William asked.
“Because he wants you to come after her. I bet he has a trap set up for you. You will die if you approach the castle.”
“Let’s assume you are right. What should we do then?”
“You and Edward take all the men we have here and leave for Torpin castle. But wait a couple of days.”
William started to object, but James cut him off. “He will not hurt Elizabeth. He wants to marry her, don’t forget. Meanwhile, I will go home to Backleigh castle and gather a larger force. I need several days, though.”
“True,” William said. “We will not be able to break through his castle’s defence with the few men that we have here.”
“Hugh should not know where I go, otherwise he will suspect something.”
“What should we do with him then?” Edward asked.
“Leave him for a while,” William said. “I will deal with him later. We need him for now. While he is with us Humphrey will suspect nothing. When are you leaving to Backleigh castle?” he asked James.
“Right now. I’ll sneak out under cover of darkness. We cannot lose precious time.”
***
Elizabeth was sitting by a window, wrapped in a wool blanket, and staring blankly outside onto forests surrounding Torpin castle.
Three days ago, when she was stupid enough to leave Harmton castle, Humphrey attacked her in the nearest wood, as if he had been waiting for her there. Now she was a prisoner in his castle. He had placed her in a top chamber of one of the towers, a large lock on the door preventing her from running away. She wanted to get free, but there was no way out. Jumping out of the window was not an option. She gently placed her hand on her belly.
“Do not worry, sweetheart. Mummy is here. I will not let anyone hurt you,” she whispered and wiped tears from her cheeks. She hoped she did not lie to her child.
A key turned in the lock and a guard opened the door, letting Humphrey in. He brought some food and put it on the table by the bed. Elizabeth did not make the slightest move to look at her kidnapper.
“Why am I here?” she asked when he started to leave.
Humphrey grinned and came closer to her. “Your father promised you to me,” he said, watching Elizabeth with a lustful smile. “And I am going to marry you, whether you like it or not.”
“I already have a husband,” she said and turned her head to look right into his eyes.
“’Tis not a problem for me,” Humphrey smiled baring his teeth. “I will slaughter William Stafford when he comes for you and will marry you when you become a widow.”
***
It was late evening when Jane and several of her loyal men entered Torpin castle. This castle was in even worse condition than Harmton castle. No wonder Humphrey could not find a wealthier wife than Elizabeth, Jane thought with disgust.
They rode to the inner yard. Jane was dying to sleep, but her plan kept her awake. The entire way from Harmton castle she envisioned the ways she would kill Elizabeth. Jane couldn’t believe Humphrey was such a trusting fool. He was a pawn in her game, who obeyed her commands. Didn’t he understand that Jane couldn’t leave Elizabeth alive? If the baroness was alive, William would never stop loving her.
Jane smiled. She would kill Elizabeth, but people would blame Humphrey. Jane would sooth William’s sorrow and, sooner or later, would agree to marry him. What a perfect plan.
She dismounted and entered the great hall. It was lit with candles, and servants were taking food away from the table. Apparently, a feast had just concluded. Humphrey was sitting at the head of the table, a goblet in his hands.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said with a grin, shifting in his large chair. “You should have come a few day ago.”
Jane came closer to Humphrey and a strong smell of wine assaulted her nose. It was good that he’d been drinking. Drunk men were unable to think.
“I had to go in a different direction,” she said. “No one in Harmton castle should suspect that I came here.”
Humphrey grinned. “What a clever wench you are.”
She ignored his words. Instead, she looked at her dress, covered with dust. “I am tired and need a warm bed and a hot bath.”
“Hey, you,” Humphrey cried, raising a hand and motioning to one of the serva
nts. “Show lady Jane to her chamber. She needs to have a rest.”
The woman made a quick curtsy and asked Jane to follow her. When Jane entered her new chamber, she was unhappily surprised. It was the smallest room she had ever seen with only one window. The hearth was also quite small. Jane wondered whether it was able to give any warmth at all. The walls had almost no tapestries. The ones that were there looked old and filthy. The only thing that improved Jane’s mood was a large bed that took up most of the chamber.
“I hope the sheets are not as dirty as everything else here,” she muttered under her breath.
The maid rushed to the hearth and started the fire while Jane was looking around. “The bedding is fresh, my lady.”
“Prepare a bath for me on the morrow, then,” Jane commanded and took off her cloak. “I am too tired for it now. Help me undress.”
The woman obeyed and, once Jane was in her chemise, left the chamber.
When the door shut behind the maid, Jane slipped into the bed, making plans for tomorrow. She needed to see Elizabeth when no one else was around, and before her bath would be ready. Not even Humphrey should suspect who’d killed her.
***
Elizabeth was lying in bed, tired, but sleepless, staring into the darkness above her. Night had fallen and life here took a pause. There were no sounds, not even from outside. Everyone must be asleep.
The hearth in her chamber had gone cold long ago and the only warm place was her bed. The only light that reached her chamber came from the moon. The darkness shifted, and she realized the door to her chamber had opened, and someone entered. Instantly alarmed, Elizabeth pulled the blanket closer, covering herself up to the neck.
“Who is there?” she asked with a shaking voice.
No answer followed. Heavy, uneven steps moved from the door toward where she cowered under the sheets. Elizabeth moved to the opposite side of the bed, shaking with growing fear.
When the man came closer and the moonlight shone on his face from the darkness, Elizabeth gasped. Humphrey. He was drunk and could hardly walk. His hungry eyes raked over her. “You are so beautiful,” he said happily. “And you will finally be mine.”
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 26