He sat down on the bed next to her and Elizabeth moved further away. “Don’t leave me,” he grabbed her hand, making her wince with pain, and pulled her closer to him. A strong smell of wine hit her nose. “I have been waiting for this moment so long, you cannot even imagine.”
“Leave me alone,” she said through clenched teeth, unwilling to show her fear.
“No,” he said with a smile and threw the blanket away, leaving Elizabeth exposed in her chemise. “How can I leave such beauty alone? You are mine and have always belonged to me.”
“I will never belong to you,” she hissed. “The only man I belong to is William Stafford, Baron de Broke,” she said proudly. “He is my husband and he is the only one who can bed me.”
“Shut up!” He smacked her face.
The blow was so strong, that it brought tears to her eyes. Humphrey climbed on top of her. Only now did Elizabeth realize that he was obsessed. He would bed her whether she wanted it or not.
She punched his chest, tried to push him from her, but nothing worked. He was too strong and did not seem to notice her objections. The smile did not leave his face. Suddenly, he pulled the neckline of her chemise and tore it apart, baring her breasts. Elizabeth screamed in horror and tried to cover them with her hands.
Humphrey froze, his eyes wide with desire, his stare fixed on her breasts. He pulled her hands off her chest, held them together with one of his large hands, and using the other, grabbed one of her breasts and started kissing it. He sucked one nipple, while his fingers were toying with the other.
“Leave me alone,” she almost begged him now, sobbing. “William will kill you.”
Humphrey lifted his head, looked into her face, and laughed. “I am not afraid of your husband, lass. I will kill him when he comes here, do not worry.”
“If you are not afraid of him, then what will you say about the king?” Humphrey stared at her, the smile leaving his face. Inspired by his silence, she continued. “He approved my marriage. Do you think he will like that you took William’s wife by force?”
Humphrey stopped. Her words had finally reached his drunken mind. He took her chin into his palm. “You will belong to me once I kill William, whether you want it or not.”
Humphrey swore under his breath, got up and walked to the door. “The time will come when you will belong to me,” he said before he left, slamming the door behind him.
When his steps faded away behind the door, Elizabeth was finally able to relax. She pulled her legs to her chest, one hand covering her belly, and burst into tears.
“William,” she whispered between sobs, “Please, find us. I will not be able to fight him much longer.”
***
The next morning the strain and fatigue of the last few days caught up with her, and despite all her plans to wake up earlier, Jane stayed in the bed till the bright beams of sunrise shone in her eyes.
As she rose from the bed the maid entered, followed by men with a tub and several buckets of hot steaming water. Jane instantly forgot about her tiredness. When the men filled in the tub and left, she got out of the bed, threw her chemise off and submerged her exhausted body into the blessed warmth.
The maid helped her with her bath and dressing for the day, then left. Jane took a last look into the mirror and went to the door. She had to find Elizabeth as soon as possible, before Humphrey started to suspect anything.
Jane opened the door, but to her surprise, there was a tall broad man standing there. She wanted to pass him, but he blocked her way.
“Let me out,” she commanded.
“I am sorry, my lady,” he said. “But sir Humphrey forbade me to let you out of the chamber.”
Jane frowned, unable to believe such insolence. How dared he?
“I want to talk to sir Humphrey,” she said. “Tell him to come here.”
“No,” the man cut her off. “I cannot leave. But I will pass your words to sir Humphrey.”
Burning with anger, Jane slammed the door. How dared Humphrey treat her like a prisoner? She had given him a chance to get Elizabeth. He had to thank Jane for that, the ungrateful bastard, not hold her captive.
She had been seething with rage, while waiting for Humphrey. Time dragged and all Jane could do was pace the chamber. Every minute added to her anger. Finally, when he entered, she unleashed her fury at him.
“How dare you treat me this way?” she almost screamed when he stepped into the chamber. “I am lady de Vere and you have to treat me accordingly.”
“I am so sorry, lady de Vere, that I have disappointed you,” he said, bowing mockingly.
She frowned; her anger eased at once. “What do you mean?”
Humphrey locked the door and walked to Jane. His face darkened.
“Did you really think I was such a fool as to believe your good intentions?” he laughed, getting closer to Jane. “You have promised Elizabeth to me, and you would have William. But how could I have Elizabeth if William was alive? Or how could you have him, if his wife was alive?” he grinned at her.
Jane didn’t like the realization of how treacherous Humphrey was. She had never expected him to figure out her plan, much less design his own intrigue.
“Why did you come here?” he demanded.
“You asked me to do so.”
“No,” he shook his head. “Your man said that you would be coming soon for a meeting in a secret location, and that I had to wait for you in the castle. Why did you come all the way here? Why didn’t you stay with William to enjoy your lover?” he demanded again. “Do you want to hear the answer?” His eyes were cold. “You came to kill Elizabeth.”
Jane gasped. For a moment her mask fell, but she dug deep inside to gather her willpower and continue the game.
“No,” she cried. Humphrey had to remain a weapon in her hands. He was too dangerous now, when he was thinking on his own. “I didn’t plan to kill her.”
“How would you marry William then?” he crossed his arms on his chest and gave Jane a questioning look.
It frustrated her. He did not seem to believe a single word she said. She had to come up with a reasonable lie to keep him under control. “William would ask the king’s permission for divorce.”
“Oh, aye?” his brows rose up in fake surprise, but he could not hide a wide smile. “The king approved this marriage between William and Elizabeth. He would never give permission for a divorce.”
Humphrey turned away and moved to the door. When he reached for the handle, he turned around. “You will stay in this room until William comes. Until then I would not recommend your leaving this chamber.”
“What if he does not come?”
“He will.”
“Why are you so sure?”
An evil smile curved his lips. “I possess both of his women. If he doesn’t come after Elizabeth, then he will come after you. You see, I left him no choice but to come here.”
“Does this mean that I am a prisoner here?”
“You figure it out.”
Chapter Seventeen
Elizabeth had lost count of the days she had spent in Torpin castle. Every new day was the same as the one before. She had been locked in the chamber and the only people she was allowed to see were either Humphrey or Edith, her maid.
She fell back on the pillows, staring indifferently at the shutters.
Humphrey had been waiting for William to come and every time, when he visited Elizabeth, he described in great detail how he would kill William. Fool. William would never come after her. He had finally gotten Jane, and they enjoyed their freedom. Elizabeth doubted William even knew where she was.
William would not help her. But she couldn’t stay here forever. Once Humphrey found out about her pregnancy, he would get rid of the child. Elizabeth could not allow that to happen.
A soft knock at the door stopped her thoughts. Edith entered. She was an innocent appearing young girl. She was barely fourteen years old, with large, blue eyes, pale skin, and brown hair. She closed the do
or and went to the windows. Once she opened the shutters, bright daylight blinded Elizabeth, who closed her eyes until they got used to the light.
“What a bright morning my lady,” Edith said with a smile. “You should not be sitting in the darkness all the time.”
Elizabeth gave a sad smile. “What reason is there to even get up from bed if I am not allowed to go anywhere?”
Edith kept silent. Of course, she had nothing to answer. Elizabeth sighed heavily. “Where is sir Humphrey?” she asked, getting out of the warm bed. “I hope he will not enter when I am getting dressed.”
“Do not worry, my lady,” Edith said and brought Elizabeth’s only dress to the bed. As she Elizabeth got out of bed to dress, Edith continued, “He is with lady de Vere.”
“Lady Jane?” Elizabeth asked with surprise. “What is she doing here?”
“I don’t know, my lady,” Edith answered. “She came a couple of days after sir Humphrey brought you to the castle. He holds her in another tower.”
“Is she a prisoner like me?”
Edith was quiet for some time. “I should not be talking to you about such things,” she said in a quiet voice.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” Elizabeth smiled, trying to win the girl’s trust. “I am a prisoner here and I have no one else to talk to. Just you. I will tell no one what you’ve told me. How could I?”
“You promise, my lady?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“When the Earl of Harmton was alive,” Edith started the story, “he and lady Jane often visited sir Humphrey. I thought they were friends. But now sir Humphrey treats lady Jane as if she is a prisoner. He doesn’t allow her out of her chamber. The men who came with her are in the donjon.”
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and a sense of helplessness flushed over her. Humphrey had made a clever move. He had both William’s wife and mistress as prisoners. William would have no choice but to come. And to die.
***
William walked out of the tent and looked at the camp. Several white tents had been placed along the meadow. Two guards were on watch, walking around the camp’s perimeter, ready to raise an alarm.
“William,” Edward called him, approaching. “Any news from Hugh?”
William shook his head. “No. He left yesterday with two more men to check the weak spots of the castle. But none of them have returned.”
“We stay too far from the castle. It takes them some time to get there from here.”
“’Tis true. At least, no one in the castle can see that we are outside their walls. If they are prepared for the attack, then Edward was right about Hugh.”
“Or if they attack us,” Edward muttered under his breath.
William nodded. That was what he had been expecting. Deep inside he did not believe that Hugh could be the traitor, but he preferred to be ready for anything.
“My men are ready for the attack,” he stated boldly. “I have trained them well.”
Several moments later three riders appeared from the forest and rode towards the camp. Hugh.
“My lord,” he said, dismounting, when he reached William. “I have inspected the castle. It is well guarded. I did not find any weak spots. If you ask my suggestion, I would attack the main gates.”
William threw a quick glance at James and then looked back at Hugh. “Why? The main gate will always be well-guarded.”
Hugh shook his head. “They are expecting the attack. They have extra guards on all places where you might have mounted a surprise attack. They don’t think you would be so bold as to go to the main gate.”
William nodded. “Did you manage to find out about lady Elizabeth?”
“Yes. She is in the castle. Besides, lady Jane is there as well.”
William grinned. He had no doubts about it. Jane had forced Elizabeth to leave and William could bet that she had told Humphrey where to wait for Elizabeth. And now she was here, enjoying her victory together with Humphrey.
***
Humphrey was in the great hall, enjoying the food and wine. He smiled continuously. Truth be told, he had never been happier. His victory was mere hours away.
One of his knights entered and stopped at the door. Humphrey gestured for him to come closer.
“Any news?” he asked, sipping wine and looking at the man.
“Yes, my lord. Sir William is already in the forest south of the castle.”
“Good,” he muttered. “I expected him to come yesterday. When are they planning to attack?” he asked louder.
“On the morrow, sir. I passed your words to sir Hugh. He promised that they would attack at the main gate.”
“Good,” Humphrey smiled with satisfaction. “How many men did he bring?”
“Sit Hugh said not a lot. About one hundred.”
Humphrey grinned. How had William planned to take over Torpin castle with such a small number of men?
“Find sir Robert. Tell him that we are going to attack sir William in the middle of the night. He has to be ready.”
***
William was not able to sleep. He kept waking up and falling asleep, expecting an attack at any moment. Every time he opened his eyes, he listened to the silence of the camp, and then fell asleep again. He slept fully dressed, just like each of his men, his sword close at hand.
A noise, gradually rising in strength, woke William up. He opened his eyes, listening. There was total silence in the camp. The noise was distant, and William could not understand what it might be. He hoped this was the reinforcement that James had promised, but his inner voice said that this was the attack they had been waiting for.
“Edward,” he said, getting up. “We have guests coming. Get up.”
Edward was awake immediately. Apparently, William was not the only one who had problems sleeping that night.
William grabbed his sword and rushed out of the tent, Edward close behind him.
“Attack!” William cried out.
The camp started moving immediately. Knights were running out of their tents, drawing their swords as they ran.
Following William’s command, they gathered outside of the camp, facing the direction from which the noise came. William was standing out in front of his men, his sword drawn, listening.
Finally, the first riders appeared from behind the trees. In the darkness of the night William could see only their silhouettes, but he was sure that Humphrey was leading the attack.
“Wait,” William warned the men over his shoulder. “Let them come closer.”
When the last riders appeared on the meadow, William commanded as loud as he could. “Attack! he screamed once again and was the first to run into the mob.
Humphrey’s people outnumbered those in William’s camp, but William was not planning to give up. He did not need to kill every one of the enemy soldiers. He only needed to kill Humphrey.
A cruel fight began, the only light coming from the camp’s torches and abandoned campfires. William was skilfully wielding his sword, killing men one after another. His hands were sticky with the blood of his enemies. Something was running down his face, he was not sure whether it was sweat or blood. He wiped his forehead and continued his onslaught.
The air was full of the clash of metal and cries of wounded and dying knights. The smell of death reigned over the camp.
Humphrey’s men had greater numbers, but they obviously had not expected any opposition.
Now William’s doubts about Hugh were gone. The man whom William had trusted turned out to be a traitor. The betrayal broke William’s heart. But all traitors had to have the same end. William would make sure that Hugh received his punishment.
After another enemy fell dead at his feet, William lifted his eyes, searching for Hugh. It was damn hard to do. Everyone looked the same in the flickering light of the torches.
Suddenly, he saw a familiar silhouette at one of the tents. Hugh. The bastard was just standing there, watching the fight. Rage boiled through William’s veins, turning to blood lust. He l
ifted his sword and ran.
But before William reached the traitor; Humphrey came to Hugh and they exchanged words. William was sickened by what he heard. Not only had Hugh accepted payment from Humphrey to spy on William after Elizabeth evaded betrothal to Humphrey, but he had been in Harmton’s employ before that. William’s best friend, his trusted chief of the guard, was the one responsible for William losing his lands, wealth, earldom, and consequently, Jane to the earl. As William ran, filled with bloodlust, toward them, he saw Hugh turn away from Humphrey and meet his eyes. Instantly, Humphrey took out his sword and plunged it into Hugh.
William crossed the remaining distance in seconds and lifted his sword for a fatal blow. Humphrey spotted the danger in time and repelled the blow, stepping back to take a better position.
“William Stafford,” an animal grin curved Humphrey’s lips, “I’ve been waiting for this far too long.”
“’Tis rare to meet someone who is anticipating his own death,” William said and attacked again.
Humphrey repelled the blow with ease. “I am not the one who will die tonight. ‘Tis you who came for death.”
William pointed to Hugh, his eyebrows arching. “Why did you kill him? I thought he was your spy.”
Humphrey grinned. “I don’t like traitors. If he betrayed you, he would betray me, too. Traitors do not deserve to live.”
Suddenly, the surrounding forest filled with the hoofbeats of dozens of horses. They seemed to be everywhere. The reinforcements that William had been waiting for were here.
A victorious smile played on William’s face when Humphrey looked around, confused.
Riders appeared from the wood, torches lighting their way. The meadow immediately filled in with new knights on horseback. They attacked Humphrey’s men with fierce determination. The knights from Torpin castle were in a trap, surrounded by William’s men on all sides. Panic spread through Humphrey’s men.
“Back to the castle,” Humphrey commanded and ran to his horse.
His Rival's Daughter (Stafford Family Book 1) Page 27