Seeing a Ghost - a Medieval Romance (The Sword of Glastonbury Series Book 13)

by Lisa Shea

  He glanced at Dylan. “Alicia, when you left us, he tried to deny it, but it was no use. At last he gave in. He swore me to secrecy, and I gladly agreed.”

  Alicia’s lips pursed. “Even if it meant your Lord Bloodworth was a traitor to the crown?”

  Roger’s eyes became serious. “Especially if that were true. But I could not imagine that ever to be the case. I wanted to help clear his name.”

  Dylan looked between them. “If Lady Bloodworth did indeed recognize me, it can only mean one thing.”

  Tension wound within Alicia as she realized what he meant. “Back at the docks, she must have been observing you at your meet.”

  He nodded. “All this time we suspected one of the three brothers. They were the ones present at the party. But how do we know for sure that Lady Bloodworth was back at the keep the entire time? She could easily have ridden to London to ensure her plans were going smoothly. Then she simply had to ride back ahead of us to be waiting when we all arrived.”

  Roger had gone grey. “If she was having an affair with Nathan, then she would need the two older brothers out of the way for him to inherit. Her marriage was primarily about the money and lands – but she also craved children. Her husband, apparently, was infertile and she has always been at odds with Richard. So that left the youngest brother, Nathan.”

  Alicia’s heart wound tight. “So she was planning to frame both older brothers for treason? Get them hauled off and executed? But if she started that process, she would have to prove her own innocence, to make sure she did not suffer her husband’s fate.”

  She thought back to her discussion with Lady Bloodworth. “The Lady wanted me to keep the pregnancy secret. Undoubtedly her original plan was to have the other two men safely killed off before she married Nathan. Then the two could start their new family without any challenge at all. But when we caught them in the act, and Nathan proclaimed the child for all to hear, she had to think quickly. The answer wasn’t perfect – but it would still achieve her goals.”

  Roger nodded, his face pale. “So Lord Bloodworth is innocent. And he will die on the chopping block as a result of his adulteress wife’s machinations.”

  Alicia’s resolution firmed. “Not if we can help it.”

  Dylan shook his head. “Oh, no. You’ve already been through too much already because of me.”

  “It’s not because of you,” she countered. “I was brought into this by Lady Bloodworth. She would have used me to help sentence two innocent men to death! I owe it to them to do whatever I can rescue them. I could never forgive myself if they died due to my inaction.”

  Roger’s eyes were shadowed. “The keep has seen proof of the traitorous activity. They will want to wait for the Sheriff to arrive. And I have a feeling, given the documents and Lady Bloodworth’s testimony, that the chances for the two men are slim.”

  Alicia nodded. “That is why we have to talk to them now.”

  Dylan held her gaze. “Lady Bloodworth has forbidden all contact with the two men. Probably for this very reason – to ensure they cannot build up support before the trial.”

  “But they need to be fed,” Alicia pointed out. “And I am considered one of the most innocent, non-partisan members of the keep. If they would trust anyone to bring them their food, it would probably be me. Certainly more so than the guards who have been loyal to him for years.”

  Roger nodded his head. “She has a point there.”

  Dylan’s fingers curled. “But look at the bandages on your hands and feet! You have already suffered so much for a cause which is not yours.”

  Alicia took his hand within her own. “We are together,” she reminded him. “It is true – I have suffered months and months of agony, thinking you were dead. These wounds on my hands and feet are minor in comparison. If I can help bring down the woman culpable for it all, I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”

  Dylan looked into her eyes … and at last he nodded. “You may bring them food, to learn what you can,” he agreed. “But you must stay with me or Roger at all other times. We cannot tell what Lady Bloodworth or Nathan might do, when they feel all they have fought for is within their grasp.”

  Alicia looked up into his eyes. “I promise.”

  Dylan helped her up to her feet. “I think the first step is for you to talk with Lady Bloodworth alone. She’ll be nervous about what I know. You can assure her that I had suspected Lord Bloodworth and Richard, which is true. She could see me as an ally in her upcoming trial. That will give us the time we need to find proof of the truth.”

  Alicia turned to Roger. “And I can let her know that you reluctantly agree with the verdict. That way she does not put restrictions on your movements, either.”

  Roger somberly nodded.

  Dylan drew her in to a warm embrace. His voice was a murmur in her ear. “You are the bravest woman I know.”

  At last they parted, and Alicia shook the stray bits of straw out of her dress. “Then we’d better get started.”

  The rainstorm had eased for the moment, and stars twinkled through gaps in the clouds high above, but the mood in the lower keep was somber and dark. Huddles of villagers could be seen at every corner, muttering and glancing in shock in the direction of the main keep. The main doors were shut, and the guards held torches up to carefully verify Alicia’s, Dylan’s, and Roger’s identities before allowing them to pass through.

  A maid hurried up to Alicia as she came into the foyer. “Lady Bloodworth has been asking for you. She’s in the study.”

  Alicia paled, but set her jaw with determination. “I will be right there.” She turned to Dylan and Roger. “It is best if I do this part alone.”

  The two men nodded, their hands on the hilts of their swords. Dylan’s voice was low and steady. “If you need us, we’ll be right outside.”

  Alicia nodded.

  She walked with them across the barren hall to the sturdy oak door. She took in a long, deep breath, then she knocked on the door.

  Lady Bloodworth’s voice came through the thick wood. “Who is it?”

  “It is Alicia, Lady Bloodworth. You called for me?”

  A pause, a shuffling, and then the door drew open.

  Alicia stepped in, and the door was shut sturdily behind her.

  Lady Bloodworth was lounging in the massive leather chair, dressed in a ruby-red tunic, sipping from a chalice of red wine. Nathan had apparently opened the door for her, for he now crossed the room to sprawl in the chair by the Lady’s side.

  Lady Bloodworth looked over to Nathan. “All these years my husband lorded over his tasks here. He never allowed me in to his Lucky Study, did you know? This was his domain.” Her mouth rose in a smile. “Now the Lucky Study is mine. Mine to hold my meetings in. Mine to plan my successes.”

  She turned forward to eye Alicia appraisingly across the thick desk. Then she waved a hand, motioning Alicia to come forward.

  Her gaze sharpened. “So, what are your thoughts, sweet one? Shall you plead for clemency for your Lord, like all the others?”

  Alicia shook her head. “Oh, no, my Lady. Treason is the most serious of crimes. If Lord Bloodworth is indeed guilty, then he should face whatever penalties King John chooses as fit.”

  Lady Bloodworth raised her brow, then glanced at Nathan. “Oh? I might have thought, with your injuries –”

  Alicia held up her bandaged hands. “I thought you were in danger, M’Lady,” she explained. “My only thoughts were of you and your safety. I thought Nathan was going to harm you.” She delicately blushed. “Now I see that my fears were misplaced. It was Lord Bloodworth who was going to harm you. You and your child, through his heinous actions.”

  Lady Bloodworth’s gaze shone. “You are so right, my child. Lord Bloodworth is to blame for everything. And soon – oh, so soon – he will pay for it.”

  Alicia took a step forward. “I am here for you, M’Lady. You were right that I was naïve. I do not understand much about politics. But I worry for your
safety. I hear grumblings from many in the keep that they still believe in their Lord. I worry that justice might not be done properly.” She drew in a breath. “I wish to volunteer myself. To take food down to the prisoners. Whatever else you need me to do.”

  Lady Bloodworth nodded in approval. “You are a good lass. I knew, from the moment I saw you, that you would be a valuable addition to our household.”

  Nathan leant forward, his eyes sharp. “But what of Dylan?”

  Alicia held in the flinch. She would have to be as careful as a mouse, especially with Nathan’s hot temper. If he were to rise the keep up against Dylan and Roger, the two could not hold out for long against those odds.

  She flushed and looked down. “I was a foolish girl and did not realize what Dylan was tasked with. Even when he returned to me in disguise, and asked me to keep quiet, I did not understand. But now I do. He suspected Lord Bloodworth all along and had been trying to prove his suspicions. He was as shocked as the rest of us to learn that Richard was involved in the treason as well. He will gladly stand before the Sheriff and vouch for those documents that have been discovered.”

  Lady Bloodworth beamed in satisfaction. “Perfect. Perfect. It is the final piece in the puzzle.”

  Alicia looked up. “Shall I lend assistance, then, in bringing the prisoners their food?”

  She waved a hand. “Absolutely. Nathan, bring her down and make sure it’s understood that only she shall have contact with them until the Sheriff arrives. This will be the keystone which seals their fate.”

  Nathan rolled to her feet. “It would be my pleasure.”

  He stepped forward to open the door for Alicia and guided her through. Dylan and Roger stood waiting a short distance away, and she could see both men relax as she came toward them.

  Nathan’s eyes went to Roger. “You. Roger. You were Lord Bloodworth’s right-hand man.”

  Roger gave a short nod. “He deceived me, just as he deceived the others. I thought he had something honorable in him – but I was wrong.”

  Nathan stared at him for a long minute, then nodded. “He fooled all of us. But his deceptions are about to come to an end.”

  Their footsteps echoed hollowly as they crossed the hall. And then the four headed down yet again.

  There were rows of cots for the guards, then a storage area for a variety of supplies for the keep. At the far back a pair of guards was stationed by a sturdy door.

  Nathan looked between the guards as the group drew to a halt. “Have any passed these doors since the prisoners have been deposited within?”

  Both guards shook their heads. The right one said, “A number have tried, My Lord. But we let none through, as per your orders.”

  Nathan waved a hand toward Alicia. “From this point forward, only Alicia is to be let through these doors, until the Sheriff arrives. No one else. Is that clear?”

  Both men said, “Yes, M’Lord.”

  Alicia looked to Dylan and Roger. “I will be out soon.”

  The two men rested their hands on their hilts. Dylan’s gaze was serious. “We will be here.”

  Nathan waved a hand. “I leave you to it.” He headed back up the stairs.

  The guards pulled open the door. Alicia took one last look at Dylan, took up the two bowls of gruel from the table, and then she headed in.

  The space within was dark, lit only by one guttering torch. The far side of the room was blocked off by a row of metal bars. On the near side were stacked casks of mead and ale. She had a feeling that, until recently, those had been the items kept under lock and key. But right now the secure area held a different kind of valuable.

  Lord Bloodworth and Richard stood side by side at the bars, their hands clenched around the metal. Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw who had come through to talk with them. Lord Bloodworth found his voice first.

  “Whatever they’re saying, it’s not true. We have no knowledge at all of any documents involving King John. We swear it.”

  Alicia glanced behind her to ensure the door was fully closed. Through it she could barely hear the mumble of conversation as Dylan and Roger distracted the two guards. Even so, she stepped right up to the bars and dropped her voice low.

  “We know. We know that Lady Bloodworth was working with Tibault and Simon and set you two up to take the fall. She wished to eliminate both of you as inheritors for the family fortune, so that she and Nathan could have it all.”

  Lord Bloodworth’s mouth fell open and he staggered back onto a bench. “It was not just one night of passion?”

  Alicia shook her head. “I am afraid not, My Lord. She must have been the one overseeing the hand-off that Dylan and the other two made to the contact from your household. The servant had your signet ring. At the time Dylan thought that must mean the traitor was one of you three brothers. He hadn’t considered that your wife could be involved.”

  Lord Bloodworth looked up. “I saw Dylan in the bedroom. So he survived the fire at the barn. Is he also in the conspiracy with my wife?”

  “No,” replied Alicia. “He was a spy tasked by King John to find out who was behind the betrayals. He was following Tibault and Simon back to their source.”

  Lord Bloodworth was pale. “My wife was conspiring against King John?”

  “She had been getting regular messages from Tibault and Simon. It seems her first reaction when realizing Dylan was in the mix was to kill off all three. To eliminate the risk to herself. But when the trio neared London, she realized she could use them to even better benefit. She could tie them directly to you and Richard. Once you two were eliminated, and she controlled the household resources, she could have a fleet of messengers coming and going without any concern.”

  Her gaze shadowed. “But when Dylan arrived safely within the household walls, she was desperate to know what he had found out. And the kidnapping plot was launched. Undoubtedly Nathan played some part in that.”

  Richard shook his head. “I never trusted my younger brother. He was always too greedy.”

  Alicia put a hand to the bars. “I’m not sure he had any idea the full extent of what was going on. He didn’t know she was pregnant until this afternoon, for example. I think she may have lured him into the affair to ensure, once you two were taken care of, that she still retained her hold over the family fortune.”

  Lord Bloodworth ran a hand through his hair. “I should have known she was pregnant,” he murmured. “She insisted on separate rooms. On staying home from London. I should have seen that something was wrong.”

  Richard rounded on his brother. “None of that helps us now. The Sheriff will come, we will have no defense, and we will have our heads separated from our necks.”

  Alicia looked between them. “Surely there is something that can help bolster our cause. You are sure you never saw those documents before?”

  Both men shook their heads; Lord Bloodworth’s face was pale. “That won’t make a difference. She will simply say we are lying. The documents were found in our private chambers, after all. You say Dylan didn’t see anyone but the servant at the exchange?”

  “Sadly, no. Whoever else was watching remained in the shadows. And I would have to guess that servant is long gone by now.”

  Richard looked up. “What of Simon and Tibault? The two conspirators who smuggled the information out of France?”

  “Dylan says they headed back home to southern France as soon as the transaction was complete. It would take months to track them down again. If they were even left alive. Our fear is that they were killed once their usefulness was through.”

  Lord Bloodworth looked up. “Zachariah, then. He had been prepared to torture and kill Dylan. And he was seen at the party in London. So he must be known to some of my household. It could be he survived the fire as well.”

  Richard turned to him. “Men like that are rarely content to end a lucrative business relationship. If she is now preparing to take the reins of the household, he will undoubtedly be back. Either to seek more work fo
r her, or, if she tries to sever that tie, to extort her for what he feels is his fair share.”

  Color returned to Lord Bloodworth’s cheeks. “I think you’re right. But surely he will stay clear of the keep until after you and I are safely dead?”

  Richard blanched, but nodded. “I would have to agree. He would not want to take any risks, not when his involvement in the treason would subject him to death.”

  Alicia pursed her lips. “Then we need to do something which will force Zachariah to show himself.”

  Lord Bloodworth waved his hands in the air. “Such as?”

  She stepped back. “Let me get you some food. Then Dylan, Roger, and I will figure it out. There must be a way.”

  Lord Bloodworth nodded. “However this turns out, thank you for your efforts.”

  “We will get you out of this,” she vowed. “Keep the faith. We will find a path out of the darkness.”

  Chapter 32

  Alicia followed Dylan and Roger as the two men stepped through the large stable doors. Dylan did a sweep of the area to ensure they were wholly alone, and then they tumbled to sit in a hay-strewn corner.

  Alicia leaned against Dylan, beyond exhausted. “We can’t give up,” she told the men. “The Sheriff will be here soon. Once he arrives, the trial will move swiftly. Lady Bloodworth has seen to that. All will be lost.”

  Dylan’s brow furrowed. “Zachariah will know how sensitive this process is. He will not want to risk being drawn into the trial. He will want to know what is going on, certainly, but not in a way which could risk his own neck.”

  Roger nodded. “His safest option is to stay far away. To trust in Lady Bloodworth to handle her husband and brother-in-law.”

  Alicia pursed her lips. “You’re right – Zachariah feels safe. Somehow we have to make it dangerous for him to stay away. So dangerous that he has to come in.”

  Roger raised an eyebrow. “How?”

  She leaned forward. “You said it’s likely that Tibault and Simon have been killed, so they could not reveal any connection to Lady Bloodworth. Undoubtedly the poor servant used in the document exchange met the same sad fate. Wouldn’t it seem in line with her actions for her to also plan the death of Zachariah?”