“Ha!” Gloucester said. “You care for none of what has been taken from you more than you care for the throne of Scotland being taken from your family, but I’ll not quibble or dig further. I fear I would uncover much I would be compelled to hide. It’s better I simply don’t know.”
“Verra astute of ye.”
Gloucester chuckled, but then he cocked his head. “I have long thought I was the most astute person I knew.”
“Ye always were smug,” Robert said, laughing in earnest.
Gloucester grinned. “Yes, and you always were honorable. Hopefully, it will not be your downfall.” He opened his mouth as if he would say more, but instead he pressed his lips together, studied Robert, and finally added, “I’ll depart then to see your message sent on its way, and I’ll look for you tomorrow.”
“Aye. I’ll want to ensure my message was sent. When I ask how yer travels were—”
“If I am with others, I’ll say they were successful,” Gloucester said with a smug air.
“And if the message does nae go out?” Robert prodded, needing a code response for disappointment, as well. He would need to know one way or the other.
Gloucester looked at Robert as if he had spoken a foreign tongue. “I do not fail. Ever.”
“Indulge me,” Robert pressed, barely keeping his patience.
“Fine, fine.” Gloucester had a faraway look in his eyes as if deep in thought, then he snapped his fingers suddenly. “I’ll say my travels were quite difficult. Will this suffice?”
Robert gripped the man’s arm. Gloucester was taking a risk to aid him. “Aye. Thank ye, Gloucester.”
The man eyed Robert for a long moment, doubt clear on his face. “I hope she’s worth it.”
Elizabeth’s face flashed in his mind. “She is,” he said, realizing how truly he believed it. She had come to mean much to him in a very short time, and even if she was not in peril, he did not think he would ever wish to part with her.
When Elizabeth entered the great hall the next morning, it was abuzz with excited chatter, which seemed to stutter to halt when she passed the full tables. She touched her lip self-consciously and arranged the loose braid she had fashioned in a side sweep to cover her bruise near her left ear, more fully over the hurt spot. The cracked lip, she could not hide, but she had a ready lie for anyone bold enough to ask.
The dais was empty, so she scanned the tables for Robert but did not see him. Gwendolyn waved her over to sit with the other ladies-in-waiting. As the queen’s ladies were always privy to the gossip of the court, Elizabeth decided to sit with them, though she normally avoided them, if she could, for exactly that reason. She wanted to learn what the courtiers were saying of Lillianna disappearing.
As she sat, Gwendolyn shifted over for her, but Grace gave her a hostile look. The woman had not been friendly to Elizabeth since she had returned to court, and Elizabeth suspected it was because Grace had designs to marry de Beauchamp. Honestly, she did not understand what women saw in him, though upon further thought she knew well it was his wealth, or at least in her sister’s case it had been. Elizabeth would try to make it clear she was not interested in him, except the word would surely reach her father and the king, and there would be the devil to pay. A better thought was to dissuade Grace from the man, who was a horrid person.
“Did I see you speaking with the Earl of Gloucester after chapel?” she asked Grace.
Grace’s green eyes narrowed. “Do not think to sink your claws into him, too.”
Elizabeth inhaled a long breath. So she had been correct. Grace was needlessly jealous. “I would not be so bold,” she assured the woman. “He seemed rapt with you. When did he return to court?”
“Last night,” Grace commented, her rosy blush hinting that she might have possibly seen the earl then. “Why do you care? Are your hands not full with de Beauchamp and Bruce fighting over you like two wolves, not to mention your cousin’s disappearance? Do you think she fled the court? Why would she do that? Heavens!” Grace exclaimed. “If she did flee, she could be dead, and they simply have not found her body yet.”
“What are you talking about?” Elizabeth demanded, as calmly as she could, though her heart raced. “Who was found dead?”
“The guard Stephen was discovered dead in the woods this morning,” Gwendolyn replied. “And we heard”—Gwendolyn exchanged a glance with Grace—“that he had been ordered to search for Lillianna in the woods because she was missing?” Gwendolyn raised her eyebrows in question.
“Yes, she’s missing,” Elizabeth replied, reaching a trembling hand toward her wine goblet as she thought upon Stephen.
“Elizabeth!” Gwendolyn said, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand. “You’re shaking.”
Elizabeth pulled her hand from Gwendolyn’s and set it in her lap. “Do you know how he died?” she managed to choke out.
“Wolves,” Gwendolyn said, staring at her with wide eyes. “The wolves in the woods.”
“I heard the wolves were found dead, as well,” Grace commented, picking at her food. “That seems odd, does it not? That the wolves were found dead as well?”
Elizabeth though immediately of Robert. He could have killed the wolves. She wanted to flee, yet she forced herself to comment. “Mayhap Stephen killed some of the wolves but others in the pact fled. I pray my cousin did not venture into the woods with the wolves about.” Elizabeth’s mind raced. Had Robert gone after Stephen for retribution? Robert had heard her father order Stephen to the woods. Had he killed the guard? She swallowed the large lump in her throat, but she could feel control slipping quickly from her, and then suddenly, he was there, in the door to the great hall.
She exhaled in a relieved whoosh as she stared across the distance at him. He had stopped to talk to the Earl of Gloucester. The two, matched in height, stood face-to-face, very close, as if they discussed something private.
“Whatever did you do to your lip?” Gwendolyn asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Elizabeth busied herself putting food on her platter so she would not have to look directly at Gwendolyn as she lied. “It was so careless, really. I ran into a column.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robert break off from his conversation with Gloucester and sweep his gaze around the room—she hoped looking for her. When their gazes met, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, and he strode across the room, his powerful, well-muscled body moving with easy grace. Within a few breaths, he was standing in front of her, and when he looked down at her, as if she were the only woman at the table, a sense of calm came to her.
He cocked his head. “Ladies,” he said to all the ladies-in-waiting who sat there. Giggles erupted down the line of the table, which Elizabeth wanted to frown at but managed not to. “Lady Elizabeth, might I speak with ye for a moment?”
Elizabeth nodded, quickly rose, and took the hand that Robert held out to her. The touch of his hand was almost unbearable in its tenderness. What she felt for him was deep and powerful already. He led her out of the great hall, not speaking, but she was certain it was because what he had to say was private. When the entered the hall, he pulled her closer to his side and interlocked their arms. She felt herself melt into him, into his strength.
As they strolled down the corridor, past servants and other courtiers, he glanced sideways at her. His burning gaze managed to hold hers. “I have news,” he said, his voice very low.
“Wait,” she returned.
He nodded, and they continued on until they strolled into the sunny courtyard. Servants flittered about, busy at their chores, and a small circle of knights gathered at the north side. They appeared as if about to ride out, dressed as they were in battle armor. Robert drew Elizabeth to the south end, where no one really was.
“Stephen is dead,” he said low, facing her. Obvious dislike hardened his gaze.
She inhaled a shaky breath. “Yes, I know, Gwendolyn made mention in the great hall as well as mention of Lillianna’s disappearance. Did you…did you kill him?”
she asked.
Robert frowned. “Would ye turn from me if I had?”
She sucked in a sharp breath, not at his question, but at the realization that she would not. “No. I might have killed him myself, given the opportunity.”
Robert’s eyes widened. “I did nae kill the man, though I did nae move overly fast to aid him when the wolves attacked him.”
“Oh,” she whispered, wondering what he now thought of her for what she had said.
He raised his hand and brushed a gentle finger near her cracked lip. “I want to kill yer father.”
She pressed her hand over his, against her cheek. “The king would have you killed instantly if you did.”
“Aye, but I can nae say it would nae be worth it.”
Her heart squeezed at his words. “It would not. Your country needs you, and—” she swallowed hard “—so do I.”
“I need ye, too, I think,” he said with a frown.
She sucked in her lip. “You do not want to need me?” She found herself holding her breath.
“I do nae because I fear I will draw ye from the danger here only to bring ye into a different sort of danger,” he said.
His words set her pulse pounding. He wanted her, and not simply out of desire. Robert was not the sort of man to be led by his baser needs. She licked her lips. “I would rather be in danger with you there than in danger here by myself.”
He smiled then, and it set little crinkles by his eyes, so that she knew the genuineness of it. “Lass, I had that exact same thought. I sent a messenger last night, getting word to those who need to know, that I will bend the knee, but all is not as it seems.”
“Oh, Robert!” she gasped. “Will they not name you traitor, even so?”
Robert drew her into his embrace, and she let him. He pressed his lips to her head. “They will understand. I will nae let harm come to ye.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “You cannot marry me to protect me, Robert.”
His dark gaze settled on her, the light in the depths of his eyes reflecting his desire and something else. “I would do what I must to protect ye, Elizabeth, but ye should know, I’m nae so noble. I want ye. I will nae stand by and watch ye married to another. I would have taken this slower, courted ye properly, but what I feel for ye is real, and strong, and true.”
Her lips parted at his words. Her own emotions mirrored his.
“I married once for my family, for political gain; this time, with ye, if ye will have me, I will marry for my heart. Will ye have me?”
She struggled to bring her emotions under control, yet they were wild within her, swirling like dirt off the road in a storm. She swallowed hard and grabbed his hand, holding tight, afraid he would decide she was too troublesome before she could order her thoughts. For several breaths, with his dark, expectant gaze boring into her, she struggled with how to tell him what was in her heart. None of the sentences in her mind seemed to do justice to the depth of what she felt. She trusted him, was awed by him, felt protected by him, and believed in him. Her heart told her she loved him, but her mind warned it was too soon. She had to speak.
“Yes,” she said simply. “I will.”
He cupped her face ever so gently. “As soon as I get word that the message was successfully delivered, I will bend the knee to the king. Until then, we can at least enjoy courting,” he said, grinning wickedly, but his smile faded fast. “Ye will need to take a care with de Beauchamp, but do nae fear, I will keep ye in my sights always.”
She nodded and pressed her cheek against his chest, listening for a moment to the thump of his heart. His arms tightened about her, and his chest expanded with a deep breath. Suddenly, he released her, his face darkening. “Yer father,” he said simply.
She turned, noting the sounds of footsteps on the gravel. Her father approached, his brow knitted. “Lillianna has not been found.” His gaze bore into her, and she was grateful when Robert’s fingers brushed hers. It gave her strength.
“I heard news of Stephen. Perhaps wolves got Lillianna as well,” Elizabeth choked out, fearful he would see through her lies.
He cocked his head and said slowly, “Perhaps. But it is strange that the wolves were also killed, don’t you think so?” he asked, his tone probing.
“Yes,” she managed, her heart hammering. “Maybe Stephen killed but a few of the wolves in a larger pack,” she said, offering the reason of earlier.
Her father’s lips pressed into a line. “Mayhap.” Skepticism clung to the word, and she knew deep within he did not believe it. Yet he passed his gaze between her and Robert and said, “It seems you two are getting along quite nicely.”
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment even as she felt relief that he would let go of the subject of Lillianna for now. Of course he would! He was only to keen to see if his and the king’s plan for her to seduce Robert was working.
Robert simply nodded. “Aye, yer daughter is beautiful and fascinating. An irresistible combination.”
“Yes,” her father agreed, his lips turning to a smirk for a moment but then pressing back into a thin line. “Interestingly enough, your man Angus seems to be missing as well, according to my guard.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught, but Robert merely shrugged. “Aye. I’m nae surprised.”
Her father arched his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”
“Angus is a prideful man, and the queen’s lady-in-waiting, Gwendolyn, struck a harsh blow to Angus’s dignity.”
“Truly?” her father said, as if he was perfectly ready to believe it. Elizabeth knew her father better. He would never believe anything readily, and he was prone to rage when things did not go his way, yet he seemed calm and, for the most part, uncaring that Angus was gone. It made little sense, unless he simply considered Angus so insignificant that her father did not care.
“Aye,” Robert said. “He asked the lass to marry him, and she declined. He threatened to leave the castle, but I did nae take him seriously. He must have gone.”
Her father nodded. “I will have to punish the guard who was set to watch him for letting him slip away. Speaking of guards, I told yours not to follow you when you are with my daughter.”
“I noticed,” Robert said. “Verra considerate and unusual.” His words rang with sarcasm.
Elizabeth tensed, waiting for her father to come to anger, but again he surprised her. He flashed a smile, and it was this show of complacency, almost jovialness, that worried her more. “I do not fear that Elizabeth would ever be improper with you, and I know you to be a man of honor. And since you are courting her currently, I would not think you would do anything to try to harm the king. And the king, of course, is well guarded.”
“Of course,” Robert said smoothly.
“It’s a fine day for a ride,” her father said. “You should allow Elizabeth to take you in the woods, but take a care for wolves, of course.” He gave Elizabeth another probing look. “She knows the woods well. Do you not, Daughter?”
Her father’s gaze penetrated her, and fear tingled down her spine. He knew she had aided Lillianna and Angus. She could swear he knew, but if he did, why had he not said? Why was he not sending men after Angus? Why was he standing there playing this game? She forced herself to shrug, hoping she appeared nonchalant as Robert had. “I know them passably well.” She turned to Robert. “Would you care to go riding?”
“Verra much,” he replied.
“Come then,” she said, wishing to put distance between herself and her father. “We can go ask the stable master to ready the horses now.”
Not long later, she led Robert down the same path she had led Angus and Lillianna down. “I cannot say why exactly,” she said, continuing the thought that she felt her father knew something. “It’s a feeling in my gut.” She pulled her horse to a stop beside the stream, as did Robert. He dismounted and helped her to do the same. When his fingers curled firmly around her waist, and he lowered her to the ground so that their bodes brushed chest to chest, she
almost forgot her worries and her fears. Almost. “He’s not even angry that Angus is gone,” she said, biting her lip.
Robert frowned. “True, which does nae seem like yer father, but perhaps he just considers Angus insignificant and not worthy of his concern.”
“Yes, I had thought of that, as well,” she replied.
“Do you think he might give up searching for Lillianna if he believes the wolves got her?” Robert asked.
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said. “He seemed skeptical, yet if he cannot find her, he may become convinced. How long do you think until we hear word she made it to the MacLeod clan safely?
“Not long, I hope.”
Elizabeth nodded with relief as she leaned down and tugged off her slippers.
“What are ye doing?” Robert asked.
“Dipping my feet in the stream,” she replied, giving him a challenging smile. If they were granted time to be alone, she intended to use it to discover all she could about the man who would be her husband. “Will you join me?”
Robert grinned, looking suddenly so very young and carefree that her heart skipped a beat. “I’ll do better than that,” he said with a mischievous look. “I will teach ye a game my brothers and I used to play when we were lads called Catch the Fish.”
He was in the stream and splashing her before she had even grown accustomed to the water. “Robert!” she gasped as cool water hit her face and her chest. “Stop! The water is freezing!” She wiped her hands across her face to get the water out of her eyes and heard him splashing toward her. When she opened her eyes, he was there scooping her off her feet and into his arms. His left arm slipped under her legs and his right one slid around her shoulders to hold her tight against his muscled chest. His eyes burned with desire as he gazed at her. “I’ll warm ye, lass.”
Her heart jolted with the promise of what was to come. “You may try,” she teased him.
“Did yer father nae ever tell ye it’s verra dangerous to challenge a Scot?” Robert asked in a silky tone.
Outlaw King Page 17
