Destined for Love

by Aston, Alexa

  Worry crossed her face. “I’m afraid to do so.”

  “Have no fear, Lady Faylinn. I will be by your side as you rest.” He patted the sword hanging from his waist. “No one will get to you because no one can get by me. I am Mallowbourne’s champion and will protect you with my life.”

  Chapter Seven

  After two days in bed, Faylinn was restless. She insisted upon summoning Resa to help her dress, and tell Sir Drake that she was ready to assume her usual activities. The sickness that had come the past two mornings had come and gone, assuring her that the babe still grew inside her.

  “I’m sure you are ready to return to the training yard,” she told him, realizing he must be as anxious as she was to resume his normal routine.

  “I am—but not for the reasons you think.” He paused and then said, “We know Lady Sabelina plots against you. While I doubt Sir Stephen would pass along what she told him about your desire to fling yourself from a parapet, we don’t know if she’s spoken her lies to others. Being back in the training yard, I will have access to gossip.”

  She chuckled. “Are you telling me that soldiers gossip more than women?”

  He grinned. “Absolutely. And then some. I do think it wise for you to make an appearance at the midday meal. Let others see you are in good health. Mingle afterward. Do the same this evening. The more people who see you are in good spirits and physically fine, the less likely your stepdaughter’s lies will be believed.”

  Sir Drake escorted Faylinn downstairs, where Resa waited anxiously.

  “I leave Lady Faylinn in your capable hands, Resa,” the knight said and exited the keep.

  As he left, she felt an odd sense of loss. Sir Drake had constantly remained by her side, entertaining her with stories of his childhood and asking her a multitude of questions about her own, as well as them discussing Mallowbourne and its inhabitants. She felt she’d made a good friend in him.

  And chastised herself because she wanted more. Much more.

  Faylinn had never been attracted to another man. The thought hadn’t entered her mind while she was wed to Amaury. When she looked at a soldier in the training yard, she saw a fighter. When she passed the blacksmith, she saw a skilled craftsman. But now that she’d spent a good deal of time with Sir Drake Harcourt, she saw him as a man. A very desirable man. One that had broad shoulders and narrow hips. A muscular chest and arms as hard as a rock. A man with twinkling blue eyes and a quick sense of humor. One who possessed dark, thick hair that she longed to push her fingers through.

  Most of all, she wanted to kiss him in the worst way.

  Amaury hadn’t been fond of kissing and Faylinn was grateful for that. When they wed and her husband kissed her to seal their vows, his fetid breath gave her pause. Her husband was also missing several teeth and never smiled because of it. He’d only kissed her a handful of times in their years together and never on the lips after their wedding, instead brushing her brow or cheek with his lips.

  With Drake Harcourt, though, Faylinn fantasized about pressing her mouth to his. Just the thought brought a giddy feeling to her belly. She knew it was foolish to think of such things, especially since there could never be anything between them. Either she’d birth a son and remain Baroness of Gaynesford, with the king sending a new husband to her to help rule Mallowbourne until her boy came of age, or she’d have a girl and leave to live with Ashby and Marielle, never seeing the kind, handsome knight again.

  Pushing aside her absurd thoughts, she talked some minutes with Resa about household tasks—and Sabelina’s lack of direction and help in them during the past few days. Faylinn then went to the steward’s study. As she sat behind the desk, a shiver ran through her, thinking of the last time she sat here. She’d written to Ashby and discovered her missive to the king missing. Though they hadn’t been able to stop Sabelina from sending her false missive to King Edward, at least Faylinn’s letter to her brother had been sent. Sir Drake had given it to Markham with instructions as to the new location to find Ashby at Newbury Manor.

  When it came time for the midday meal, she made her way to the great hall, nodding to Sir Drake when she saw him take a place at a table full of his fellow soldiers. Faylinn went to the dais, where her stepdaughter sat.

  In Faylinn’s chair.

  Knowing the girl tried to usurp her authority, she said sweetly, “Oh, Sabelina, you are so thoughtful, leaving me your father’s seat. I will feel closer to Amaury sitting where he used to dine.”

  Her words—and presence—startled Sabelina. Faylinn chatted about the food as servants brought them their meal, asking Sabelina to split the trencher so that they could share.

  “My head is clear but I’m still having a bit of trouble with everyday tasks, thanks to my arm being in a sling,” she said lightly. “But tell me, how do household affairs stand? Did the washing get completed? And what of my herb garden? Were you able to collect any herbs?”

  Sabelina hemmed and hawed, talking around every subject Faylinn brought up. It was obvious that the young woman had done nothing of consequence during her time in charge of the keep.

  When the meal concluded, Faylinn said, “I think I will go and watch the men in the yard for a while.”

  “Do you feel up to it?” Sabelina asked doubtfully.

  “Oh, I have fully recovered from my little mishap. Have no worries. I am ready to assume all of my former duties.” She smiled sweetly and then left the great hall, heading outside.

  When she reached the training yard, she went directly to the raised platform where Sir Stephen stood as the men assembled and broke off into sparring partners. Her captain did a poor job of hiding his surprise at seeing her.

  “Are you sure you should be here, my lady?” he asked as he helped her to stand beside him.

  “You must be referring to my small setback. I’ve learned to check the hem of my gown before I put it on,” she said with a chuckle.

  His brow furrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Oh, I thought Sabelina might have shared with you that I tripped on a loose hem. That’s what caused me to stumble and fall and caused the bump on my head.” Faylinn touched the lump, which was barely raised now.

  “No, Lady Sabelina said nothing of the kind,” Sir Stephen said thoughtfully, mulling over this new information.

  “I will not be so careless in the future,” she promised.

  “And you are feeling well, despite your fall, my lady?”

  “I am. Sir Drake said my wrist is healing nicely. I will have to wear this sling several more days but, other than that, I am in excellent spirits.”

  The old knight frowned. “Even with Lord Amaury gone?”

  “I miss him,” Faylinn admitted. “I learned much from my husband during our marriage but his health had been failing for some time. In fact, I prepared myself for the day I would lose him. Because of that, it was easier to accept that he was gone.”

  Sir Stephen nodded. “I see. Well, I am glad you are back in fighting shape, so to speak, my lady.”

  Faylinn almost told the knight about the babe and changed her mind. If he knew, it would definitely let him know she would never harm herself. She doubted he would tell others, especially if she asked him not to do so, but she couldn’t risk word getting back to Sabelina at this point. She was still undecided on how to handle her volatile stepdaughter.

  She watched the soldiers go through several exercises, her eyes straying back to Sir Drake time and time again. As the afternoon progressed and the sun’s heat grew stronger, he’d stripped to the waist as had several of the men. Seeing the powerful muscles ripple as he swung his sword left her mouth dry and her heart pounding. It was hard to make sense of this sudden change. Faylinn had watched him train many times before. Now, though, he wasn’t merely a knight to her. He was a man. Full of interesting conversation and a quick wit. Again, she regretted her father forcing her to wed a man decades older, wishing she could have had a husband such as Sir Drake.

  “I have other ta
sks I must see to,” she finally told Sir Stephen and he helped her from the platform.

  Faylinn returned to the solar, wishing to be away from others. She pondered on how to confront Sabelina and what the outcome of that conversation might be. She’d shown Sir Stephen and others that she was in her right mind and only hoped her people would believe her. A new missive would need to be sent to the king, as well, though Faylinn struggled on how to word it. Should she be blunt and tell the monarch that she thought her stepdaughter half-mad? Or should she say there’d been a terrible mistake—and ask Edward to find Sabelina a husband with due haste?

  The time for the evening meal arrived and again she trekked to the great hall. Sabelina was absent from the meal, which brought Faylinn relief, not having to make conversation with the girl. She stayed for an hour after the meal’s conclusion, circulating through the hall, asking about people’s children and discussing plans for the upcoming harvest. Deciding to retire, she passed Sir Drake and asked that he come to the solar when he had a chance.

  “I can come now, my lady,” he said and excused himself from his companions.

  They waited to speak until they were behind closed doors.

  “Did you learn anything by speaking to other soldiers today?” she asked.

  “A few had heard rumors of something odd going on regarding you,” he admitted. “It helped a great deal for you to come to the yard this afternoon. By the time you left, I believe no one doubted you are perfectly fine and capable as ever of running Mallowbourne.”

  “That’s good to know.” Wanting to discuss how to approach the king in her missive, Faylinn added, “I seek your advice on a matter of great importance. Would you care for some wine as we discuss it?”

  “Yes. Let me get it for you. I know it’s still difficult for you to do everything with only one hand.”

  Sir Drake poured wine for them both and handed her a cup. She took a sip and found the wine not to her taste, as if it had somehow gone bad in the cask. The knight raised the cup to his lips and frowned. He sniffed and then thrust his nose into the cup and inhaled deeply.

  “Put the wine down, my lady,” he commanded. “Now.”

  His tone frightened her. She did as he asked and watched as he dipped a finger into the wine and brought it to his tongue.

  “As I suspected. Pennyroyal.” Sir Drake set his cup aside. “Someone has doctored your wine, my lady.”

  A chill ran through her. “Sabelina,” she whispered. “I’m not familiar with this herb. Would it make me ill?”

  His jaw tightened. “Worse. It could cause you to lose your babe.”

  Faylinn’s hands went to her belly. Her gaze met his. “I’m not safe at Mallowbourne, am I?”

  “No,” he said bluntly. “You told me of your brother, Sir Ashby, and how fond you are of him. I must take you to him. You must stay at his estate until your babe is born. You can write to King Edward from there.” He rose. “We leave tonight.”

  She stood. “But how? The gates will be closed. It would be easy for Sabelina to discover we’ve left together.”

  “I will seek her out now. I did not see her at the evening meal. That’s probably when she came to the solar and added the pennyroyal to your wine.” He thought a moment. “I will tell her you were too active today and your head and wrist ache. You begged me to give you a sleeping draught and I’ve done so. I’ll tell her you should sleep through the night and far into tomorrow because it is so strong. That way, she won’t expect to see you for some hours.”

  Faylinn wrapped her arms about her. “I still don’t see how we can leave unnoticed.”

  “Do you know where Mallowbourne’s sally port is?” the knight asked.

  “I do. I have used it several times as a faster route to reach my herb garden since it’s only a stone’s throw from the door.”

  “I will see Lady Sabelina now and then saddle a horse. I’ll tell the gatekeeper, if he asks, that Sir Stephen wishes me to ride the perimeter of the estate. I’ve done this on many occasions so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. I will meet you in half an hour outside the sally port.”

  She understood the urgency and the need to protect her babe above all else.

  “Wait,” she told him and went into the bedchamber, retrieving the satchel with her jewels and coin she’d readied before when she thought to flee on her own.

  Returning, she handed the pouch to him. “Take this with you. I will see you soon.”

  He slung the satchel onto his shoulder and went to the door.

  “Sir Drake?” she called.

  He turned. “Yes, my lady?”

  “Words seem so meaningless at this point but I must say thank you. For aiding me—and my unborn child. You go far beyond what is expected of you.”

  The knight nodded grimly. “I am tasked to defend you from any threats, Lady Faylinn. I will see you safely to your brother—and then take whatever missive you write to the king. He must know of Lady Sabelina’s treachery.”

  With that, Sir Drake left the solar.

  Chapter Eight

  Drake grimly stormed down the corridor, trying to rein in his anger. He stopped and took a few calming breaths. It would be unwise to appear agitated in Sabelina d’Albert’s presence.

  He moved toward her bedchamber door and paused before knocking upon it. Fury still coursed through him. What he’d like to do is choke the life out of the deceitful noblewoman. He’d heard tales from the moment he’d arrived at Mallowbourne of Lord Amaury’s daughter. How spoiled she was and how petty she could be. That she was lazy and irritable and no one seemed to tolerate her presence other than her father. It was said the baron was blind to his daughter’s flaws.

  But being petulant and shiftless weren’t crimes. Merely because a person was born into nobility did not make them noble. What bothered Drake was the malice that ran through Lady Sabelina. The pampered girl had become tainted in some way. Twisted to the point where she wanted to cause another’s death for personal gain. He feared if he didn’t spirit Lady Faylinn away tonight, the baroness would meet with another accident, this time one which proved fatal for both her and her unborn child.

  Drake stood tall, in control of his emotions now, and briskly rapped on the door. After a long pause, he started to knock again just as the door opened.

  Sabelina d’Albert scowled and grunted, “What?” Then her eyes widened and her features softened. “Sir Drake,” she purred. “I’m sorry. You woke me. What might I do for you?”

  She placed a hand on his forearm and it took self-control not to throw it off.

  “You were not in the great hall for the evening meal, my lady,” he began.

  A knowing smile played about her lips. “Did you miss me?”

  “It’s not my place to miss you,” he said abruptly and then winced inwardly, knowing he couldn’t afford to alienate this woman. Correcting himself, he added, “I wanted to speak to you regarding Lady Faylinn.”

  “Oh.” She dropped her hand and looked put out, her bottom lip thrust out in a pout.

  “I’m sure you know the baroness resumed her usual duties today.”

  “Yes, I am aware that, once again, Faylinn is in charge of all that occurs at Mallowbourne.” Bitterness tinged her words.

  “I know you were worried about her behavior, as any good family member would be, but I am here to assure you that Lady Faylinn proved to be in excellent spirits all day.”

  Lady Sabelina’s lips pursed in disapproval. “Thank you for letting me know, Sir Drake,” she said and stepped back to shut the door.

  “I believe she overdid things today, however,” he quickly added. “She was very tired after the evening meal concluded.” He patted the satchel in case she had noticed it and wondered what he carried. “I went to retrieve my herbs and visited the baroness in the solar. I gave her something to help her sleep deeply and had her wash it down with plenty of wine.”

  The young woman’s eyes lit with interest hearing that information. “You did? How is she?”


  “She complained that the wine tasted a bit off. I told her the herbs she had ingested sometimes leave an aftertaste and that was why the wine might seem bitter to her.”

  “She drank a full cup?” Lady Sabelina asked a bit too eagerly and Drake knew she’d been the one to place the pennyroyal into the pitcher.

  “She drank not one cup but two,” he said, letting that sink in. “I thought it best. The wine, coupled with the herbs, will allow her to get the rest she needs.”

  “So . . . you don’t think she’ll awaken tonight?”

  “No, my lady. She will sleep through the night and well into tomorrow. I saw that some fruit and wine were placed by her bedside so she may choose to remain in bed instead of coming down for the midday meal tomorrow. I didn’t want you to worry about her.”

  The noblewoman smiled. “No, I won’t, thanks to you and your good care of her.”

  Drake knew that she was thinking if Lady Faylinn drank enough of the spiked wine and remained fast asleep, she might lose the babe before she could arise and summon help. It sickened him to know how diabolical this woman was and how the baroness’ kindness toward her stepdaughter over the years was being returned in such a vicious way.

  She licked her lips as if he were a morsel she wished to sample so Drake said, “I bid you a good evening, my lady.”

  He hurried away before she could invite him inside her bedchamber and made his way downstairs. By now, those inside the keep were ending their day. The trestle tables had been returned against the walls in the great hall and people were bedding down for the night. Slipping into the kitchen, he took a small round of cheese and a loaf of bread and placed them inside the satchel before going to the front doors and racing down the steps and across the bailey. He wouldn’t chance going to the soldiers’ quarters and retrieving any coin or a spare set of clothing. From the weight of the satchel he carried, he suspected it contained enough coin to see them through their journey.