Her Knight Protector

by Anne Herries

  He twisted her wrist, making her wince with pain. ‘I think you lie, but we shall see. Now that I have you as my hostage, we shall discover whether your betrothed truly cares for you or not.’

  ‘No!’ Katherine backed away from him. ‘You cannot take me from here. I have claimed sanctuary.’

  ‘In the nuns’ house I might have hesitated, but this is not consecrated ground. Besides, my warning stands good, lady—you will come with me now or see this place burned to the ground before your eyes.’

  How evil he was! Katherine knew that she had no choice but to go with him. It seemed to her that all was lost, for if he had found her here he must have captured Fernor and that meant that her friends could not come to her.

  ‘Very well, I shall go with you,’ she said, pride coming to her rescue. She would not show fear for it would give him an easy victory. ‘You leave me no choice—but I must warn you that it will do you no good to force me to give up the cup. It will bring you nothing but ill luck. It bears a curse and any who desire it for personal gain will perish if they dare to touch it.’

  ‘Your lies will gain you nothing, wench,’ Ravenshurst growled. ‘You will come with me and a message shall be sent to Banewulf. Your life for the cup—the bargain is simple: either I have it or you die…’

  Chapter Eleven

  Alain looked down at the sick man, his brow creased in a thoughtful frown. He had had Fernor carried to Banewulf after their dog had attacked him, where he had lain in his sickbed, too ill to speak this past week. Now at last he had woken from his fever and was gazing up at Alain fearfully.

  ‘You have nothing to fear,’ Alain told him. ‘You are at Banewulf and I am Sir Alain. I want to beg your pardon for the attack on you by my dog. I tried to call him off, but he could smell the fear on you and I was too late.’

  ‘Water…’ Fernor croaked. He put his hand to his throat and felt the bandage there. He was lucky that the dog had not torn out his throat. ‘I believed you were the Lady Katherine’s enemy come to find her.’

  ‘You should have stood still,’ Alain told him. ‘The dog was guarding you and would have waited if you had not approached it.’

  Fernor gulped some of the cool water. His throat eased and after a moment he was able to speak again.

  ‘I would rather have died than betray her.’

  ‘Then you know where she is?’ Alain moved closer to the bed, his pulses racing. This past week he had feared that Katherine must be dead, and the agony had raged ceaselessly inside him. ‘Tell me at once. Where is she?’

  ‘She was injured in a fall from the horse we rode,’ Fernor said. ‘I swear I could not prevent it, my lord. A hart dashed across our path and the horse reared up. I fought it, but she was thrown and when I was able to tend her she had lost her senses. I carried her to the Abbey and left her with the nuns. She is at the Abbey with the Sisters of Mercy.’

  ‘And had she recovered her senses?’

  ‘Not when I left her,’ Fernor said. ‘I waited some hours, but the sisters told me it might be a long while before she came to. I knew that she would be cared for and I came as swiftly as I could to find help for her. Then my horse went lame and—the rest you know, my lord.’

  ‘The horse was recovered and has been tended in my father’s stables,’ Alain told him. ‘I am told it is recovering—as you will, for you shall be cared for until you wish to return to Rotherham. And then you shall be rewarded for your services to my lady.’

  ‘I thank you, sir. I must return soon, for I would know how my cousin fared.’

  ‘Your cousin Jacob?’

  ‘Yes, my lord.’

  ‘I fear the news was ill, Fernor. Baron Ravenshurst murdered your cousin, and had Jacob’s body hung from the battlements. I had it taken down and given Christian burial—and your uncle was persuaded that he must return to his duty, for he had surrendered to his grief and was like to die of it, but I think you will find him recovering on your return.’

  ‘Jacob was his only son,’ Fernor said and his eyes were dark with grief. ‘I must go to him as soon as I am able, for he will need me now—though if my lady should have need of my services I would come to your call.’

  ‘I shall remember,’ Alain said and smiled at him. ‘But you have been very ill and my mother will be angry if I tire you further. I shall leave you to rest now—but you will hear from me again.’

  Alain went from the room, his boots clattering on the stairs as he ran down them. His mind was working swiftly and there was a look of grim determination on his face. He knew where Katherine was now and could only pray that she had recovered her senses—but what if Ravenshurst had already found her?

  Stefan came to greet him as he reached the hall. Their eyes met and Stefan nodded understanding without need for speech.

  ‘Good, you know where she is. When do we leave?’

  ‘As soon as the men can be ready,’ Alain said. ‘She is with the Sisters of Mercy. She was hurt in a fall and Fernor left her there while he came on for help.’

  ‘And the dog almost killed him for his trouble,’ Stefan said. ‘If he had died, we might never have found her.’

  ‘I pray that no one else has,’ Alain said grimly. ‘Ravenshurst is out there searching for her, Stefan. The cup her father discovered has become an obsession for him and he will stop at nothing to possess it.’

  ‘Then give it to him,’ Stefan said as Alain frowned. ‘Why not? We do not even know if it is genuine. The notes you have prove nothing except that a cup was found in the Holy Land—a cup that may be the one men have sought since the crucifixion, but could just as easily be a false relic.’

  ‘It has brought Katherine nothing but grief,’ Alain said, looking thoughtful. ‘I know she wanted it to be given to someone worthy, someone who would keep it safe—but it is not worth her life. Yes, my brother, what you say is right. I shall take it with us and, if need be, the cup shall be given in exchange for Katherine.’

  ‘It is what he wants. If you are ever to be free of this evil man, you must either kill him or give into his demands—the choice is yours, brother.’

  ‘I would kill him if he has harmed her…’ Alain looked rueful. ‘Yet if the cup is a holy thing, it would be a sin to give it into the keeping of a man like that, Stefan.’

  ‘As I said, the choice is yours.’

  ‘I shall have it brought up from the strongroom,’ Alain said. ‘But I hope that we shall find Katherine before Ravenshurst does.’

  Stefan was right. Alain knew in his heart that, as long as the cup was in their possession, Ravenshurst would seek to take it from them—and others might follow him. The greed of men was such that they would never be free until the cup was given into safekeeping.

  Something must be done about it—but first he had to find Katherine and make sure that she had come to no harm.

  Katherine had been given no chance to say goodbye to the nuns who had been so kind to her. She feared that they would think her ill mannered, but there was nothing she could do. If she resisted, the nuns might suffer a fate that she dared not contemplate. She knew that the Baron was a ruthless man and she did not doubt that he would carry out his threat to kill any who tried to stop him taking her—and innocent bystanders as well if it pleased him.

  Far better to go with him, Katherine thought. She might seize her chance to escape, though she expected she would be well guarded. Ravenshurst would not allow his prize to slip easily through his fingers. He would keep her captive until the cup was in his hands.

  She knew that she must give her consent to the cup being given up to him, though it grieved her that such a man should even touch it. She knew that her father had believed that he had found something so important that it was of incalculable value to the whole of Christendom, and she knew him well enough to believe that he would not make such a claim without good reason.

  It would be sacrilege to let a man like Ravenshurst possess the cup that had touched our Lord’s lips on that last night—but unless she could
find some way to escape him it might be the only way to end this terrible affair. Too many had already died: her father, her uncle of Grunwald, Celestine—and Alain had narrowly escaped from the arrow that was meant to rob him of life. Surely it was enough? It must end before there was more bloodshed.

  She rode in silence behind the guard Ravenshurst had set over her. Where was he taking her? She did not dare to ask, for she was afraid of arousing his anger. Yet as their journey progressed, she began to suspect that they were returning to her own house at Rotherham. She had thought that he would take her to his own stronghold, but perhaps that was too far from Banewulf, being in the north of England. She had not been told, but she imagined that a ransom note might already be on its way to Banewulf.

  How long would it before Alain came? She could only pray that he was still alive and had not been another of the Baron’s victims. Her heart was heavy as she thought of the man she loved. Would she ever see him again? Would the Baron let her go even if the cup was given up to him?

  Sometimes it seemed so long since she had seen Alain, been held in his arms so lovingly that she was near to swooning for love. Tears gathered in her eyes when she wondered whether she would ever be held that way again.

  ‘But…the other one claimed to be Sir Alain…’ Sister Sarah stared at the man standing before her. She had wondered when the first knight claimed Katherine, for he had seemed a harsh, cold man, but it had not occurred to her that someone would lie so basely. ‘She went with him…and never said goodbye…’

  ‘She would not have gone willingly,’ Alain said, his voice harsh with emotion. ‘He used some threat to bend her to his will. Surely you thought it strange that she did not thank you before she left?’

  ‘Mother Abbess thought it strange,’ Sarah admitted, her eyes clouded with distress. ‘She was very worried, but I thought Lady Katherine was overjoyed to see her lover…forgive me, sir. I led her into a trap. I did not know that he was the man she had been trying to escape.’

  ‘You are not to blame,’ Alain said. ‘Tell me, how long have they been gone?’

  ‘It was yesterday morning when he came for her…’ Sarah was truly dismayed at what had happened. ‘Had I known…forgive me, my lord. I did not know that he was not you.’

  ‘How should you?’ Alain smiled briefly to reassure her. ‘Forgive us, we must go—but we owe you thanks for your care of her. I was not sure that she even lived until now. At least I have hope…’

  He went out into the heat of a brilliant summer day and met his brother who had waited outside the gatehouse.

  ‘She has gone?’ Stefan read the news in his eyes. ‘How long?’

  ‘Yesterday morning.’

  ‘Then we are not too far behind. We may catch up with them before they get there if we lose no time.’

  ‘You think they go to Rotherham?’

  ‘Ravenshurst has no keep or lands of his own within two weeks’ riding. If he wants to bargain for the cup, he will take her somewhere nearby. For all we know he has already sent to ransom her.’

  ‘Yes, mayhap, for we left before it could arrive,’ Alain said. His eyes were dark with anxiety. ‘She has been twice abducted from beneath our noses, Stefan. I fear that she may have given up all hope of rescue. She will believe we have abandoned her.’

  ‘Nay, you wrong her,’ his brother told him. ‘She and Elona have become fast friends, brother, and I know that my wife thinks her a brave, clever woman. If she hath her wits about her, she will even now be looking for a way to escape her captors.’

  Alain smiled. ‘Yes, perhaps you are right,’ he said. ‘I have always tended to underestimate her, thinking her young and innocent, and must do so no more. If Katherine saw a way to escape him, I know that she would try—but that makes me fear for her even more. I believe him capable of anything. Who knows what he might do to subdue her?’

  ‘You must not give way to despair,’ Stefan told him. ‘Elona was taken from me once and I learned too late how much I loved her. She did not know whether I would come for her, for she did not know that I loved her. Katherine knows you love her, Alain. That thought will keep her strong when all else fails.’

  Alain’s face was ravaged with his fear for Katherine. ‘I pray that you are right, brother, for I do not know how I could bear her loss.’

  ‘Understand this…’ Ravenshurst’s eyes were as cold as ice as they moved over Katherine, taking in the proud line of her body and the defiant tilt of her head ‘…defy me and I shall take a swift revenge, but I want nothing of you personally. Once I have the cup, you are free to return to your friends or stay at Rotherham. I shall not seek to force you into an unwanted marriage as that fool Achrington did. Nor do I want your inheritance. Had your father taken my offer, none of this need have happened.’

  Katherine was filled with hatred as she looked at him. He was a big bull of a man with a thick neck and bulging eyes and she wished that she had the strength of a man so that she might punish him or die in the attempt.

  ‘You admit that you had my father murdered?’

  His eyes held the hard glitter of anger. ‘Be careful, lady, for I shall tolerate only so much. Remember that you are my prisoner and that I am not to be deceived.’

  ‘I have no desire or reason to deceive you. You may have the cup if it means so much to you. I would have no more bloodshed. If you give me your word that you will honour your own promises, the cup is yours.’

  His eyes gleamed with sudden greed, but then his expression changed, his gaze narrowing in suspicion.

  ‘You sing sweetly now, my bird, but what goes on in that devious mind of yours? I would swear you plan something to thwart me. Let me warn you that should you try to escape or trick me, you will wish that you had not.’

  ‘In truth I would give you the cup now if I had it,’ Katherine replied. ‘I am sick of the pain and hurt it hath caused and wish that my father had never discovered it.’

  ‘Mayhap you speak the truth,’ Ravenshurst said, but he was wary. The cup was beyond price, no one would give it up so easily. ‘Yet I cannot see your betrothed giving up such a valuable thing so easily.’

  ‘If you think to find it a thing of value, wrought of gold or silver and studded with precious jewels, you will be disappointed, sir. It is but a simple plain thing.’

  Ravenshurst glared at her. Clearly he did not believe her for one moment. Katherine felt a quiver of fear, for she was afraid that even when he had the cup he would believe himself cheated. He had created an image in his mind and would find reality very different. Yet she could only give him what she had and trust in Alain to save her from this man’s wrath.

  ‘You should send to Banewulf,’ she said, looking at him eagerly. Until Alain came to claim her, she was this man’s prisoner. ‘If you wish, I shall sign my name. The cup is yours. I ask only that there is no more bloodshed.’

  ‘I have already sent word,’ Ravenshurst said, a sneer on his mouth. ‘Unless the cup is delivered to me, you will never see Alain de Banewulf again.’

  ‘Please, I beg you, do not harm him.’

  ‘So, you love the man.’ Ravenshurst nodded, a pleased smile on his lips as he realised that his bargaining power was greater than he had hoped. ‘But does he love you, I wonder—or does he wed you for what he believes you will bring him? You are already a wealthy woman. Mayhap Achrington was not such a fool after all. Your looks have improved since I last saw you, lady—and besides, all cats look alike in the dark.’

  He threw back his head and laughed as he saw her look of horror. ‘Nay, you are not to my taste, Katherine of Grunwald. I like a woman of Celestine’s mould. ’Tis a pity that fool killed her, for she amused me with her frowns and her smiling lips that told so many lies. He hath met his Maker and we must hope he burns in hell for his sins.’

  Katherine crossed herself, a shiver running down her spine.

  ‘Did you kill him?’

  ‘I but gave him a helping hand. He drowned in the moat—and good riddance to him. Howev
er, I was obliged to punish the serf who tried to put us off the scent. I wasted days because of him—but he will waste no more of my time.’

  Katherine saw the malicious humour in his eyes and shuddered. He had killed Jacob— Sigmund’s only son—and she felt a burst of hatred for him. She had promised him the cup if he kept his word and she must not renege on her promise—but she hoped that one day he would be punished for the evil he had done.

  ‘I wonder that you dare show your face at Rotherham again,’ she said, raising her head in dignified pride. ‘It was a cruel and useless revenge you took, sir. I pray that God will remember it and that you will reap your own reward.’

  Ravenshurst laughed mockingly. ‘You are not the first to have wished me to hell, lady. Your uncle of Grunwald begged for mercy on his knees, but I gave him none.’ The leer faded to be replaced by glittering menace. ‘I let none stand in my way. My standard bears the words, Take what you want now, and this is the measure by which I live. My soul may burn for it one day, but I doubt it. If God had been on our side in the land which we call Holy, then Richard would have had more wit than to fall out with Philip of France and we should have taken Jerusalem from the infidel Saladin.’

  Katherine stared at him in horror. Was this the man destined to possess the cup, which her father believed our Lord had drunk from on that last night? He was an unbeliever, a cynical man who had no faith but in the power of gold. And such a man was to possess the cup!

  Something within her cried out that it must not happen. And yet she had given her word, but she had not known then how evil he really was. Now that she did, she was horrified at what she had done.

  She prayed silently, fighting her fear for herself and for the man she loved. Somehow she must escape and foil this wicked man’s plans.

  ‘Oh, God, forgive me if I have betrayed the trust that was placed in me and help me to see what I must do…’