Vengeance 03 - Believe In Me

by Lana Williams

  William had warned her to avoid drawing any attention to them, especially if it involved her ability. He seemed to understand the rumors that would start once she healed someone. She supposed it was because he was used to such occurrences with his brother, Nicholas.

  Henry had ventured into the small village nearby to purchase a few items for their next meal. The knight had befriended as many of the townspeople as he could, hoping they’d keep their temporary presence a secret. Cristiana knew he enjoyed visiting and didn’t expect him to return for awhile.

  The autumn weather was mild and she opened the shutters to let in fresh air, peeking out to catch a glimpse of William. At last she found him, walking along the edge of the trees. His broad shoulders filled out his dark blue tunic nicely. His sword was strapped to his narrow hips. Sunlight caught the lighter strands of his hair as he walked.

  Her heartbeat quickened as she watched. To think this tall, powerful, handsome knight loved her was still a wonder. She’d never believed someone would love her as William did. Each time in the past when she’d gotten close to another person, they’d learn of her gift and their feelings toward her would change. She’d never had friends or a suitor. The idea of marrying had seemed impossible. Not when people viewed her with such mistrust.

  William had changed all that. Dare she hope his plan would be successful and they’d have a chance to grow old together?

  Now that her dream seemed within reach, she was even more frightened of losing it. She tried to hide her fear from William, but when she was alone, her doubt grew ten-fold. The bishop wanted her alive to heal for him, but William was a thorn in his side. Surely the bishop would prefer William dead. The thought made her shudder.

  William moved deeper into the woods out of her view. With a deep sigh and a reminder not to fret, she turned away, determined to try her hand at mending a tunic of William’s. She gathered the needle and thread Henry had supplied and sat at the table.

  The simple task brought her such pleasure. Perhaps it was because she might be doing this very thing if she were William’s wife in truth. Longing coursed through her, so deep, so huge that it brought a lump to her throat. Though she was enjoying their time together, the looming threat of the bishop made this time bittersweet.

  A noise from outside brought her out of her thoughts. With determination, she smiled, not wanting William to see her concern. The door opened and her heart leapt, anticipating his greeting which would surely be accompanied by a kiss.

  “Well, look who we have here.”

  Cristiana gasped at the stranger. “Who are you?”

  In truth, she didn’t need to ask. He wore the bishop’s colors.

  “I am here on behalf of Bishop Thomas Duval.” He smiled, revealing rotten teeth. “I’ll be escorting you back to him.”

  She rose slowly from the table, the mended tunic in her hands, well aware the needle she held was not the weapon she needed. Heart pounding, she clutched the fabric as she backed away, wondering if William would hear her if she screamed.

  “You have led us on a merry chase, my lady.” He advanced slowly, that awful smile on his face. He was big both in height and girth. How could she possibly get away from him and reach William?

  “The bishop has been very worried. He will be pleased to have you returned safe and sound.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, trying to make certain she didn’t back into a corner. “I have no wish to return to the bishop.”

  “Oh?” He continued to approach her.

  “I want you to leave now. Tell Bishop Duval that I appreciate him asking after me, but as you can see, I am well.”

  The large man laughed. “He said you might say that.”

  She took another step, easing closer to the door but the small space left little room to maneuver.

  “He said what you want no longer matters.”

  She swallowed hard for she knew that to be true. “I ask you again, please leave. My companions will be back any moment.”

  His eyes narrowed as he glanced around the room. “I saw no sign of them. Besides, we will soon be gone.”

  His gaze returned to her and he lurched forward, grabbing her arm.

  She cried out and tried to wrench free as she threw the tunic in the man’s face.

  The door to the cottage flew open, bouncing on its hinges. “Release her!”

  She’d never been so glad to see William.

  The man-at-arms stumbled back, shocked at William’s appearance. He quickly recovered and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I have orders to return the lady to Bishop Duval.”

  “That is not an option,” William said, taking Cristiana by the hand and pulling her behind him.

  The man studied William as though determining how difficult it would be to defeat him.

  William put his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Be gone while you still have your life.”

  After a long moment, the man nodded. “You are Sir William?”

  “What business is that of yours?”

  “I have a message for you from the bishop.”

  “Speak quickly then be gone if you wish to see another day,” William warned.

  “He says Lady Elizabeth of Staverton came to pay you a visit.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “See for yourself.” The man-at-arms pulled a rolled missive from his belt and handed it to William. “Unfortunately, she isn’t feeling well.”

  William stilled for a long moment as he read the note, making Cristiana realize it confirmed what the man had told them. Obviously this was terrible news. “When did she arrive?”

  “Only yesterday.”

  “Leave. Now.”

  “Don’t you have a response?”

  “He’ll have my reply soon enough.”

  “Very well then. I’ll take my leave.” He shut the door behind him.

  William felt as though he’d been struck. To think of Elizabeth in the bishop’s hands made him ill. He’d saved Cristiana only to have his brother’s wife in danger. How could this have come to pass?

  Where in hell was Nicholas?

  “William?” Cristiana stepped in front of him and put her hand on his chest. “Who is Elizabeth?”

  “My brother’s wife.”

  “Oh no!”

  “She is with child.”

  “Why would she have gone to Longsbury?”

  “I cannot imagine.”

  Henry appeared in the doorway. “Who was that?”

  “One of the bishop’s men,” William answered.

  “You’re letting him leave? Now the bishop will know where we are.” Henry looked at him as though he were crazed. “We need to find another place to hide as quickly as possible.”

  “I’ll be returning to the bishop’s.”

  “Have you gone mad?” Henry asked.

  “He has Elizabeth. Somehow he’s taken Elizabeth.” William watched as a horrified expression came over Henry’s face.

  “How can that be?” His mouth opened and closed in shock. “What happened to Nicholas?”

  Hearing Henry ask the question aloud only made William worry more. Had the bishop killed his brother? That was the only explanation that made sense yet he could not bring himself to believe it.

  “Nicholas would never allow Elizabeth to leave Staverton without him. Not when she’s expecting a babe,” Henry said.

  “Nay. He wouldn’t.” William had nothing more to say. Believing the worst would not aid them. Nor could they take the time to ride to Staverton to see if anyone there had news. “I must return to the bishop’s manor and see if my presence is enough to get him to release Elizabeth.”

  “I’m going with you.” Cristiana said the words with quiet determination.

  “You’ll go with Henry to await the abbot’s return. When—”

  “Nay, William. The man-at-arms said Elizabeth is ill. If that’s true, she’ll need me.”

  “’Tis far too dangerous,” William argued.

&
nbsp; “I’m going.” She began to gather their things. “Your chances are better with me along.”

  “I’ll prepare the horses,” Henry said, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

  “Cristiana,” William said as he moved to take her hand but she pulled away. His heart clenched at her rejection.

  “We should hurry, William. Before something terrible befalls her.” At last she looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her face pale. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I never meant anything like this to occur.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. The fault for this lies with the bishop.” He gathered her stiff form into his arms, holding her tight. For the briefest moment, she relaxed, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, her body trembling against his.

  “Let us go,” she whispered as she released him and stepped away. “We must make certain Lady Elizabeth is safe.”

  He stared at her, wishing he knew her thoughts. But she was right. They had to hurry. He didn’t trust Bishop Duval in the least.

  ***

  Cristiana rode before William, sick at what had happened.

  If William’s brother or Elizabeth was hurt because of her— She simply couldn’t bear the notion of either of those thoughts being true. All this because Bishop Duval wanted her and her healing ability.

  Tears filled her eyes again. Why couldn’t she be normal? She had sacrificed so much over the years, always guarding her tongue, hiding her ability in an effort to protect herself and her mother. She’d had to be careful to whom she spoke and what she said for as long as she could remember. It was never ending. Doing so was always difficult, preventing her from making friends, from having a true life.

  But this...this was too much.

  William and his family didn’t deserve to be harmed because of her. She should never have let William take her from Bishop Duval. She should’ve insisted on staying there and done as he asked. It seemed so petty now to have wanted a life of her own, free from the demands of the bishop.

  A tiny part of her heart ached at the idea of William being willing to trade her for his brother’s wife. Nay, that wasn’t true. Her entire being ached at the idea, but there was no other way. She would be the first to suggest that she offer herself in exchange for Lady Elizabeth. Never would she allow someone to suffer because of her.

  She should’ve known the past three days had been too good to be anything more than a dream. At least now she’d have a memory to cherish in the years ahead. If she lived that long. The way the bishop was determined to use her, she’d be lucky to survive the winter.

  She swallowed her tears, determined not to make this any harder on William than it was already. She knew he cared for her, of that she had no doubt. But their love was too new, too fresh, to have the bond needed to overcome something like this. With a deep breath, she gathered her courage. She would do anything necessary to save Lady Elizabeth. She only hoped she could save William as well.

  Henry slowed his horse. “I’ll bid you farewell here.”

  Cristiana stared at him, unable to believe he’d abandon William in his time of need.

  “I hope to see you very soon, my friend,” William said.

  “You’ll be seeing Abbot Clarke and me as quickly as I can manage.” Henry nodded at her. “Lady Cristiana, stay safe until I get there.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at William, confused as to what the men were speaking of.

  Henry turned his steed and rode hard, mud flying up behind the horse’s pounding hooves.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, frowning as she watched Henry ride away.

  “We are sticking with our plan. Henry will get Abbot Clarke and we will all have a nice visit with Bishop Duval. Together.”

  “You can’t be serious,” she protested. “That will only endanger Lady Elizabeth.”

  William drew back the reins, pulling his horse to a stop. He placed his hands on her waist and turned her sideways in the saddle. “What are you thinking? Did you believe that we would exchange you for Elizabeth? That somehow you are less worthy than her?”

  “It is me who Bishop Duval wants. We both know that. There is no other option.” Cristiana fought to hold William’s gaze, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her.

  “He can’t have you. You are mine.” He spoke the words fiercely then sealed them with a kiss.

  The tenderness of his lips on hers brought tears to her eyes, but she had to stay strong. She eased back and put her hand on William’s cheek. “Lady Elizabeth is with child. I will do anything I can to free her, including offering myself in her place.”

  “Cristiana, the bishop cannot have you. Place that in your mind and hold it tight. He will only continue to put others in jeopardy to further his own ends. That is not acceptable. Not when you are the first of those he endangers. We must stop him now while we have the opportunity.”

  Her sorrow eased as she absorbed his words. Hope sprung deep inside her as she realized his logic.

  “We are not returning to Bishop Duval’s so that you can take Lady Elizabeth’s place. We are going to confront him with all we know. With luck, Henry will bring Abbot Clarke soon so he can hear what the bishop has done. He’ll take matters into his own hands and decide what should happen with Bishop Duval. If not, we will speak to Father Daniel of our concerns. We will not rest until you and Elizabeth are safe and the bishop is stopped.”

  Despite the odds against them, she held on to that tiny spark of hope. Knowing that William would do all in his power to keep her safe was enough. She intended to follow his plan unless she was left with no other option. She prayed it would not come to that. But if she had to, she would— “Put any notion of sacrifice out of your mind,” William warned.

  “I believe you are the one with special powers,” she said as she shook her head, amazed that he had read her mind.

  “I know you put everyone else before yourself.” His smile started in his eyes, lighting the brown depths until his lips curved. “You might say I have a special connection with you.”

  “Oh?” Her entire being filled with warmth at his words.

  “Love does that to a person. It unites them in ways that cannot be explained.” He kissed her again until her heart soared.

  “William?” she said on a whisper. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For believing in me. For understanding my healing ability. For loving me.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as the fear of what lay before them returned. “We have so little proof. I’m not certain if we can convince Abbot Clarke of the bishop’s foul deeds.”

  He began to interrupt her but with one finger on his lips, she silenced him.

  “I am hopeful your plan will succeed,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to make it so. But I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. If things go badly—”

  “We have too much to live for. Things cannot go badly.”

  “But your brother—”

  The light in his eyes dimmed, telling her how worried he was about Nicholas. “We don’t know if anything happened. We can only act on what we do know and keep any harm from befalling Elizabeth.”

  He kissed her again, his tongue dancing with hers. Then his warm gaze held hers. “You must believe in me as well, Cristiana. Know that I hold you in my heart and I will not let you go. Now let us see how we can put an end to all this so we can begin a new life together.”

  ***

  As William had anticipated, a group of men-at-arms awaited them at the entrance to Longsbury. He was torn between wanting to hurry to see if Elizabeth was all right and delaying their arrival until Henry had a chance to join him.

  “Where is your companion?” one of the men-at-arms asked.

  “He’ll be arriving soon,” William advised. He decided they didn’t need to know who would accompany him.

  “The lady will ride with me,” another said.

  “Nay, she w
ill not.” William had no intention of letting them have the upper hand if possible. “She remains with me.”

  The man drew his sword and William felt Cristiana stiffen in his arms.

  Rather than respond, William kneed his horse and rode through the narrow city gate. The man rode alongside him after they entered the city and glared. William was glad to see he’d lowered his sword. He knew there would be a confrontation ahead; he merely wanted to delay it as long as possible since the odds were not in his favor.

  The men-at-arms surrounded them and they rode toward the manor house. The streets of Longsbury were crowded and their progress slowed. People stared at the procession as they passed.

  At last they neared the cathedral. William was surprised to see that construction had stopped. No workers climbed the scaffolds. No masons laid block. He wasn’t certain what that meant. Had the bishop run out of money or had the chapter decided his plan was too elaborate?

  “How long do you think it will be before Henry joins us?” Cristiana whispered.

  “I have no idea. We don’t know if the abbot returned from his trip or not.”

  “Can we review our plan one more time?”

  William smiled. “Our plan? I love it when you speak like that.”

  Cristiana shook her head, obviously not finding the situation humorous. “If we are separated—”

  “If we are, it will only be temporary. As I told you before, you will do nothing to put yourself in danger. No matter what the bishop says, no matter whom he threatens.”

  “But—”

  “I will turn this horse around if you do not agree.” He hoped she realized he meant every word. She always put everyone before herself, but not this day and not for the bishop.

  “Fine. Aye. I agree,” she said begrudgingly. A few moments of silence followed and he could almost hear her thoughts rumbling inside her head. “But if Lady Elizabeth is ill, I am going to do everything in my power to aid her.”

  “Let us pray it will not come to that.”

  He could not imagine how Elizabeth had come to be with the bishop nor why Nicholas would allow such a thing. But he refused to think the worst. There had to be a reasonable explanation. He hoped Elizabeth was not truly ill. Surely that had been a lie to lure both Cristiana and him to the bishop. The message Elizabeth had written left him no doubt that she was with the bishop. That left him no choice but to go to her.