Harlequin Historical February 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Virginia Heath

  She watched him before eventually nodding slowly. She then frowned as though she had just recalled something. ‘And what do you mean by having me do nothing, while you investigate all of this?’

  ‘Precisely that, my lady. You cannot be involved. As I said, this may be too perilous. I need to know that you’re out of harm’s way.’

  ‘Do not dare to keep me out of this, William Geraint. Besides, this, as you call it, has been dangerous from the moment you stepped into my life.’

  ‘That’s hardly the point.’

  ‘I’m telling you that I mean to assist in whatever it is you’re doing.’

  ‘No, Isabel.’

  ‘Wait a moment,’ she said, her eyes widening. ‘You know where this relic is?’

  ‘I had no notion of where it might be hidden. And to be honest, I hadn’t thought about any of this since that night in La Rochelle. That is, until we came here.’

  ‘Yet, you know now?’

  ‘I’m not certain, but whatever this sacred treasure is, I now believe it may be here. Right here in Castle de Clancey.’

  ‘What?’

  Damn, but he had already revealed too much as it was.

  ‘There something you’re not telling me, Will.’

  He dragged his fingers through his hair irritably. ‘I said I don’t want you involved.’

  ‘And I said it’s too late for that.’

  ‘I want it noted, Isabel de Clancey, that I have warned you. God’s breath, this may be more dangerous than anything we’ve yet encountered.’

  ‘Even so, we’re in this together, or have you forgotten?’

  No, Will hadn’t forgotten anything about their journey or his time spent together with Isabel. It would be imprinted on his memory until he drew his last breath.

  ‘Very well.’ He nodded, finally acceding. Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her around to face the tapestries. ‘Look. Do you see? There is a similar pattern on every one of the tapestries in this hall.’

  ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at.’

  He took the torch from her and shed light over them. ‘Look again. What do you see? Look at the man in the furthest corner and see what he holds in his hand. It is small, but you can’t mistake it.’

  He watched Isabel before realisation suddenly dawned. ‘Oh, my goodness, Will.’ She snapped her head around. ‘The pendants!’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Isabel rushed from one magnificent tapestry to the next, trying to find the same symbolic motifs and clues. Each one depicted a different scene from the Stations of the Cross—the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ. In each intricately detailed narrative, it was there, included as though it had always been woven into the fabric of the story—the silver and ruby pendant.

  Isabel spun around to face Will, utterly bewildered and astonished at what was and had always been here in Castle de Clancey.

  He crossed his arms. ‘Do you now understand why I believe this sacred relic is possibly here?’

  ‘It all seems so incredible,’ she shook her head. ‘Yet the Templar Knight believed it had been stolen.’

  ‘He did.’

  ‘That the theft was committed by one of my ancestors?’

  ‘Yes, I believe because of what was scribed on that vellum and the fact that the pendants have always been—’

  ‘A family heirloom,’ she muttered as she exhaled through her teeth. ‘But why would anyone do that?’

  ‘Power, greed—the same things that tempt all men.’ He shrugged. ‘I doubt we shall ever find out for certain.’

  ‘In the process they put a curse on the house of de Clancey.’ She flicked her gaze at him. ‘We must lift it.’

  ‘Which would mean we have to find whatever it is and take it back to Templars. The Lord Protector, William Marshal, is a Knight of the Order and could possibly help.’

  ‘We would have to find this treasure in the first place, Will. How are we to do that?’

  ‘I’ve been up all night staring at these tapestries, trying to gain some understanding.’

  That made her frown. ‘You haven’t slept again?’

  ‘There’s much to consider.’ He threw her a sideways glance. ‘Besides, I’ve also been thinking about you and everything…afterwards.’

  ‘As have I, but we shouldn’t.’ She shook her head, unable to say more.

  ‘No.’

  Isabel had been anticipating his departure ever since they had arrived. Her stomach lurched and knotted into a coil every time she considered the time when Will would finally leave Castle de Clancy, so much so that she couldn’t really appreciate her reunion with her mother as well as she should. But if this was all the time she was going to have with him, then she would take it with both hands. Even this quest of finding the Templar’s treasure was a welcome way for her to keep him by her side for a little while longer.

  She swallowed and tried to direct her attention back to the task at hand.

  ‘Tell me, have you discovered anything else? We seem to have nothing more than a pair of pendants and few tapestries as our guides.’

  ‘We have more than that, Isabel. You see, that is not all they are.’

  ‘I don’t comprehend.’

  ‘Pay attention, my lady. There were three elements in all of this—the pendants, the vellum within…’

  ‘And the tapestries.’

  ‘Exactly. Each one linked to the other.’ He pushed a loose tendril behind her ear, his fingers brushing against her skin briefly, sending a frisson of awareness down her spine. ‘Your ancestor had an opportunity to steal an important relic either from the Templars, or from someone else. They brought it back here to Castle de Clancey and hid it so no one could ever find it or trace it back to them. They would have thought differently to you, Isabel, and believed that it was something that would protect future generations. And as a way to keep it within the family in perpetuity…’

  Her head reeled. ‘They had two pendants commissioned and scribed certain clues on a vellum within?’

  ‘Precisely, then left clues as a way to find it—if there was ever need—on the tapestries.’

  Something suddenly occurred to her. ‘That is why Rolleston followed us, in pursuit of the pendants and the vellum. He knew about this.’

  ‘Yes, and he may not be the only one. I would wager that this secret of the de Clancey family was only ever passed down from father to son, but then…somehow, someone found out about it.’

  ‘Dear God…’

  ‘Indeed.’

  ‘But we need all three elements in finding this and we no longer have the vellum.’

  ‘No…but I have been thinking, Isabel, that we had already uncovered all the inscriptions on the vellum. We must try to remember what was said. The rest we have found out since.’

  ‘Would that be enough?’

  He lifted his head and gave her a wry smile. ‘There is only one way to find out.’

  ‘Yes, we haven’t a moment to lose.’

  ‘Wait, Isabel.’ He stilled her by the elbow. ‘Dawn is about to break and the castle will be teeming with people soon.’

  ‘When should we begin?’

  ‘We’ll meet again before sunrise, on the morrow.’

  ‘Very well.’ She nodded. ‘Until later, Will.’

  ‘My lady,’ he said with a ghost of a smile. ‘Remember not to talk to anyone about this.’

  She gave him a speaking look before leaving.

  * * *

  Isabel had been impatient all day for the moment of her assignation with Will. It was astounding how much of a whirl her head had been in. She could barely eat or think about anything other than everything that they had discussed before dawn, so much so that her poor mother must have believed Isabel was hard of hearing with the amount of times she
lost focus and had to ask for something to be repeated. Isabel couldn’t help it, though. Much as she wanted to spend time with her mother, to renew their relationship, this issue had to be resolved before she could gain peace of mind.

  Carrying a torch, she scurried down the spiral staircase from the solar with Perdu at her heel. They stepped out into the cool night’s breeze, her warm cloak flapping around her legs as they rushed to the great hall.

  ‘Isabel, is that you?’

  ‘Yes, and I’ve got some exciting discoveries to share.’ She hadn’t seen Will all day but, strangely, had felt his presence wherever she went. He was either keeping a close watch on her, or possibly finding every opportunity to pass the tapestries as she had. She had surreptitiously studied each of them when no one was around and put them to memory.

  The room was lit by her torch and the last remains of the ones left in the sconces and by the embers of the fire in the hearth. It wouldn’t be long before the new day whispered through.

  ‘Good evening…or rather, good morning, Isabel. I see you’ve brought our four-legged friend.’ He scratched Perdu behind the ear before lifting his head. ‘I have much to say to you, too.’

  Her heart did a little somersault at the sight of him, clad only in dark braes and a wool tunic with a leather gambeson over the top.

  ‘Well?’ He raised a brow when she said nothing. ‘What is it that you have uncovered?’

  ‘Oh, yes, it’s this tapestry here on the left. If you could kindly hold the torch?’

  ‘My apologies, my lady,’ he said with a smile, taking it from her.

  ‘If you could hold it high, I’d be much obliged…that’s it. Now do you see here…?’ She pointed to the long, thin, arched stained-glass window depicted in the right-hand corner of the tapestry. ‘Well, I have been pondering on this all day. It’s such a small, insignificant design and yet so out of place, don’t you think?’

  He tilted his head as he studied it. ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘Then I realised why it puzzled me so.’ She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, trying to contain her excitement. ‘You see, I recognise it.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The stained-glass window that you see here is a replica of the one found in the chapel here at Castle de Clancey.’

  ‘Why would the tapestry include that?’

  ‘Let me show you, Will, come. There’s more.’ She grabbed his hand as they rushed out of the hall. ‘Whatever this sacred relic, I believe it’s hidden somewhere in the chapel. Either that or we might possibly find more clues.’

  They walked into the inner bailey and across the stone-arched bridge that separated the inner bailey from the outer one and the land beyond.

  ‘By the way, I’ve been investigating what has happened to Rolleston. Despite being told that he’d suddenly left before we arrived, I’ve discovered that he was never actually seen leaving the castle. It’s my belief that he may still be somewhere here, within these walls.’ When she stopped abruptly, he held out his hand to her. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with him soon. Come, let’s get to this find of yours.’

  The chapel was in the furthest reach of the castle curtain, surrounded by its own garden and a rose arbour that led to the steps of the stone building. The arched wooden door creaked open as they let themselves in. It wouldn’t be long before the start of matins—they would have to gather their findings quickly.

  Isabel lit all the chapel candles to provide more light before leading Will to the furthest wall in the chancel, past the altar to a tiny sliver of an arched window directly opposite, on the right-hand side. She placed the torch she’d carried into a metal sconce as Will placed his on the opposite sconce. They turned to face it. Here the glass had been split into five colours, matching exactly the same as in the tapestry.

  ‘Do you see, Will? It’s the same window.’ She turned to face him. ‘More importantly, this was on the tapestry depicting the crucifixion.’

  ‘Importantly?’

  ‘Yes, because it begs the question—why? I have been asking myself this since I found the window.’

  ‘And have you come closer to understanding more?’

  ‘It’s just a silly notion, but do you recall what Father Gregor said when we visited him at St Savinien? That the symbols on the vellum mainly referred to the cross. Even the rose and its five petals symbolised the…’

  ‘The five wounds of Christ,’ Will muttered slowly before meeting her eyes.

  ‘Yes, and there were five tallies marked on the vellum, resembling a cross. Do you remember?’

  ‘I do, but what do you suppose this has to do with the sacred relic?’

  ‘That is what I’m trying to ascertain.’

  ‘Go on.’ Will’s brows met in the middle as he crossed his arms across his wide chest.

  ‘I’ve been scouring the chapel for clues ever since I made the finding.’

  He exhaled deeply. ‘Didn’t I specifically say not to do anything without me?’

  ‘I haven’t, except for only a little investigating on my own. I promise.’

  ‘I hope so.’ He exhaled deeply a second time, shaking his head. ‘But I can see from your face that you’ve found something.’

  She grabbed both of his hands and gave them a squeeze. ‘I have. Come and look on the ground here in the chancel. The mosaic is inlaid here in a pattern except this one square slab near the altar. Unlike the rest, it’s not inlaid. Instead, the tiles seem to be stuck on to the stone. Have a look at the centre mosaic, there is a faint marking.’

  Will crouched on his knees. ‘The old sign of the cross again that we found on the vellum,’ he said before whistling low. ‘And that oval hole beside it is a lock, if I’m not mistaken.’

  ‘That is exactly what I thought!’ She clapped her hands together.

  He tilted his head back in frustration. ‘That is all well and good, but we don’t have a key.’

  ‘Do we not?’ She dangled a long metal key with a thick stem and lozenge-shaped handle between her fingers.

  A slow smile spread on Will’s handsome face, his blue eyes twinkling with a bewildered excitement.

  ‘Where in heavens did you get that?’

  She shrugged. ‘Father Lambert, the chaplain here. He said as custodian of the key, he could only give it to my father’s heir—namely, me.’

  ‘You, Isabel de Clancey, are a marvel.’ He cradled her head and kissed her on the lips. ‘But then I’ve always known that.’

  She touched her mouth at the unexpectedly brief impulsive kiss, which had sent a tingling warmth through her body. No, this was not the time to even acknowledge such a moment. ‘Never mind that. Let’s open this stone and see what hides beneath. Here, take the key.’

  Will got to work and unlocked it. He grabbed the dagger attached to his sword belt and scraped the edges of the stone slab. Eventually it became loose enough for him to lift it out in one piece.

  They both peered into the darkness below. Isabel grabbed the torch from the sconce and flooded light into the hole. There was a large wooden plank with a metal ring set within the stone foundation beneath the flooring.

  ‘It looks like a metal door knocker. And the base of the metal has the same motif, the five-petal rose, as on the vellum.’

  ‘So it does.’ Will pulled this open, revealing a dropped layer beneath, made entirely of metal. This time there was a small lozenge shape sunk in the middle. ‘I have an idea what fits into this. Are you still wearing your pendant, Isabel?’

  ‘Yes.’ She took it off and passed it to Will, who removed his own pendant from around his neck and fitted them together. He then carefully inserted this into the sunken, melded shape in the centre.

  ‘What now?’

  ‘I have an idea.’ He turned and nodded at her. ‘It’s been staring us in the face from the moment we discovered the vellum.’


  ‘The cross…’ she hissed, her eyes wide with eagerness.

  ‘Exactly. It has always been about the cross and the sign in prayer.’

  Will pushed the pendants up, down, left, and right, hearing a click at each point.

  ‘In nomine Patris… Et Filii… Et Spiritus sancti.’

  Finally, back to the centre, hearing the last click.

  ‘Amen.’

  This made the hinged door open, revealing a large wooden box. They both stared at it before Will reached below and grabbed it, hauling it out and laying it on the stone floor.

  Isabel spread her hands on either side of Will’s face, pulling him towards her and planting a swift kiss on his lips, just as he had done only moments ago. ‘You, William Geraint, are also a marvel.’

  She had surprised him, but this was a night filled with surprises.

  He collected himself, nodding to Isabel to remove the lid. They both stared inside at the decorative casket.

  ‘I believe you should do the honours, my lady.’ He smiled as Perdu started barking. ‘Quiet, you.’

  Isabel bit her lip as she pulled the casket out, staring at it in wonder. ‘It’s a reliquary casket and, heavens, it’s astonishingly beautiful. Should I open it?’

  He placed his hand over hers and shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t if I were you. You can imagine what it might contain.’

  She nodded. ‘I believe that it would be pieces of the true cross.’ She leant back and frowned as she stared at the casket. ‘Do you believe it is real?’

  ‘That’s of no importance either way, Isabel. The immense power that can be wielded by whoever owns it is what matters. And of huge concern. That is why it’s imperative for the Templars to have it back.’

  ‘Which they shall,’ Isabel muttered.

  Perdu started to bark more incessantly. ‘What is the matter, boy?’

  Will got up from his haunches and looked around the alter to find Geoffrey Fitzwalter, Eustace Rolleston and the pock-faced man they had encountered in Aquitaine. The three stepped out from around the shadowy pillars and moved towards them. They had a handful of men behind pointing their swords, surrounding them.