Before Ash could say one word, she continued: “What matters is that I recognized Ash and ran out of the trees to him. He was surprised to see me, but then the rider emerged from the forest. To protect me, Ash drew his sword and challenged the lout, who fought Ash but quickly realized Ash was a far superior opponent. The horseman fled, and Ash helped me onto his destrier and brought me to Damsley Keep. I have been a guest here ever since.” She beamed at Ash. “I cannot thank him enough for tending to my wounds and for his kindness.”
“She stayed in Uncle’s solar,” Justin said. “She got to sleep in the best bed in the keep.”
“The solar?” Edric choked out.
“So I did,” Rosetta said. “Ash was very gracious to give up his chamber for me.”
Anger and suspicion shadowed Edric’s expression. “What you just told us, Rosetta… ’Tis what really happened?”
“Aye.”
“Are you certain you do not know who kidnapped you?”
She shuddered and hugged herself, and Ash’s admiration for her deepened, for she was so convincing, he might believe her himself if he didn’t know better. “I did not see his face. He never took off his helm. By now, he has probably destroyed it. We may never know his identity.”
“I am very glad you are all right, Daughter, thanks to Lord Blakeley’s timely intervention. Yet, who would have reason to abduct you?” Lord Montgomery frowned. “Did the rider say what he wanted? Was he planning to hold you for ransom? Or was he intending to make some other kind of demand from me or Edric?”
“I am sorry, Father. He did not reveal to me what he wanted.”
I wanted you, Briar Rose. As I still want you. I will yearn for you until at last, we are together again, this time forever.
“Well.” Edric sighed and set his hand on his sword’s grip. “’Tis most disappointing that after days of searching and investigating, we are no closer to knowing who the knave is or why he went after Rosetta.”
She touched his shoulder. “At least no one was badly hurt or killed. Truth be told, I am eager to return to Millenstowe Keep and set a new date for our wedding.”
Edric’s gaze warmed with affection. “I want that too, my love.”
She is not yours, Edric. She never will be! Bile seared the back of Ash’s mouth. How he wanted to smash his fist into Edric’s face—
“Are you all right, Ash?” From Lord Montgomery’s puzzled expression, he had noticed but didn’t understand the animosity between Ash and Edric. Of course, the last time he had seen them, the day they’d left for Crusade, they had been the closest of friends.
“I am fine, milord.” Ash did his best to seem disgruntled. “I am as disappointed as Edric, though, that the man responsible has not been captured. I wish there was some way I could help.”
“You have been a great help already,” Rosetta said, gazing up at him. Love for her overtook Ash’s anger and he couldn’t hold back a smile.
“We owe you our deepest gratitude, Ash,” Lord Montgomery said. “I am sure that if we persevere in our efforts to track down the kidnapper, we will find him.” He crossed to Rosetta and embraced her in a fatherly hug. “Meanwhile, we will get you home to Millenstowe Keep. Your mother is anxious to see you and know that you are all right. Edric and his men will escort you, for I have an errand to run before returning home.” As he drew back, holding Rosetta at arm’s length, he said, “Try to get some rest. You have been through quite an ordeal over the past few days.”
“Indeed you have, my love,” Edric said.
Rosetta nodded. “I will, Father.”
“Ash, if you hear any news that might be relevant to our search, you will notify me or Edric right away?” Lord Montgomery asked, taking the reins of his destrier from one of his men-at-arms.
“I will be sure to notify you, milord.”
“Rosetta,” Edric said, “you will ride with me.”
“All right. I will be there in a moment.”
Edric appeared hesitant to let Rosetta leave his side, but he strode to his mount. She turned to Justin, crouched, and hugged him. “I cannot wait to hear how you are coming along with your archery.”
Justin pouted as he tightly hugged her back. “Do you have to go?”
“I am afraid I do.”
“I will miss you, Lady Montgomery.”
“I will miss you, too. And please, call me Rosetta. We are close friends now, after all.” She tousled the lad’s hair as she straightened, and then looked up at Ash. His heart ached, as keenly as it had when he had left her years ago. She rose on tiptoes and swiftly embraced him. “I will see you soon,” she whispered against his ear.
“Be careful,” he whispered back. As she eased away from him, he said, “If by chance you have left any items in the solar—”
“My circlet and veil. Hairpins.” Rosetta’s lips quivered, as if she was determined to smile despite her welling tears. “Who knows what trouble I might get into with those hairpins?”
I do. He smiled back. “I will send the items on to Millenstowe Keep.”
“Thank you.”
He stood by as Edric helped Rosetta onto the gray horse and then rose into the saddle behind her. Bitterness and jealousy ripped through Ash at the sight of her sitting between Edric’s thighs. Every moment of the ride, Edric would be aware of her luscious body jostling against his.
Damn him!
“Good day, Ash,” Edric called. Grabbing hold of his mount’s reins, he wheeled the animal around and headed back through the gatehouse to the drawbridge that led out onto the open road. Four men-at-arms fell in behind him.
“Until we meet again, Ash,” Lord Montgomery said. As their gazes met, his lordship nodded, the slightest dip of his head. Ash discreetly nodded back.
The private meeting he’d requested with Lord Montgomery for later that morning was on.
***
Rosetta kept her gaze on the weed-strewn dirt road ahead. She didn’t dare glance back across the drawbridge to see Ash one last time, or the tears she was trying her hardest to hold back would spill forth. How she hoped that she could return to Ash soon. And Justin. She’d grown very fond of the boy.
With each gritty clop of the horse’s hooves, she swayed against Edric. He held his mount’s reins in his right hand, while his left arm curled around her waist, holding her against him. His broad legs were alongside hers, trapping her cloak and gown beneath them and further confining her.
No doubt he wasn’t trying to confine her at all; he was simply supporting her while she rode the big, headstrong, unfamiliar horse. And yet, his hold left her ice cold inside. She hadn’t known about Edric’s terrible attack on Ash before; now, she didn’t want to be close to Edric or alone with him.
You must endure, though. Just a little while longer, until you have the proof you need.
Edric leaned in, the rough stubble of his jaw grazing her cheek. “What are you thinking, my love?”
Do not make him suspicious. Convince him you are still willing to be his bride. “I am relieved to be going home. I am also enjoying the pleasant ride and being close to you.”
He chuckled, clearly delighted by her words. “Are you comfortable enough?”
“I am. Thank you.”
Edric pulled his arm in a little tighter so it rested under her breasts.
Frowning, she reached up and pushed his arm down.
Edric chuckled.
“You were rather brazen just then, Lord Sherborne,” she said, forcing lightness into her tone.
“Forgive me if I offended you, but I cannot help my boldness. We were to be husband and wife by now.” He kissed her cheek. “I have missed you so much. I have not been able to eat, sleep, or rest, and was nigh frantic when I thought that we might not find you—”
“But in the end, you did.”
Edric’s rough exhalation stirred her hair. “I will find the man who abducted you. When I do, I will exact a written confession from him. Then I will run him through with my sword.”
&n
bsp; She shivered at his menacing words. “There is no need for such violence, Edric.”
“He kidnapped you—my innocent betrothed—on my lands. As lord, I have a right to demand justice. Such villainy must not go unpunished, my love.”
This merciless man didn’t sound like the Edric she knew. Rosetta swiveled to glance at him, ignoring the binding tightness of silk that was close to tearing. “I do not want any man to die for what happened in Clipston.”
Edric’s gaze sharpened. “You sound as if you wish to protect the bastard.”
“I do not like bloodshed. I especially do not want a man to lose his life because of me.”
“You always were a kind, forgiving soul.” As she faced forward again, Edric nuzzled the back of her hair. “’Tis one of the reasons why I love you.”
Oh, mercy, but she didn’t love him. All of her love belonged to Ash.
“I was going to wait a little longer to tell you,” Edric murmured, “but I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” she echoed.
“We are not going straight to Millenstowe Keep.”
Shock jarred through her, and she covered her reaction by adjusting the ring on her finger. “Oh? Where are we going?”
“To the church in Clipston.”
“The church—?”
“Aye, my love. We are to be married as soon as possible.”
Chapter Thirteen
Panic sluiced through Rosetta, as numbing as if she’d fallen into a frozen river. “Married? Today?”
“I have booked the finest room at Clipston’s tavern,” Edric said. “Once we are wed, we will go there and…celebrate.”
Oh, God. Oh, God!
“Edric, we cannot wed today.”
He kissed her cheek again. “Why not? The banns have been announced on three consecutive Sundays, as is required by law. All we need is the priest to conduct the ceremony.”
Rosetta’s frantic mind raced. She had to stop this reckless plan. She was not going to marry Edric, not under any circumstances. “We were going to set a new date, remember? My parents will want to be at the ceremony, and so will all of the friends we invited before.”
“If it means so much to you to have them witness our marriage—”
“It does!”
“Then we will have a special celebration in a sennight or so. We will invite everyone to join us at Wallensford Keep for the feast, dancing, and merriment we had to postpone because you were abducted.”
“Edric,” Rosetta said firmly, swiveling again to meet his gaze.
“I have been very patient.” His lustful gaze dropped to her lips. “I see no reason for us to wait, when we are in love.”
Oh, dear God. How did she tell him that she didn’t love him after all, and that the wedding was off? She needed to be careful, but she also didn’t want to end up married to him. She was simply going to have to tell him the truth. “I cannot marry you, Edric. I am sorry.”
His expression hardened. Confusion now shadowed his gaze. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…that I have changed my mind.”
He drew the horse to an abrupt halt. The animal flailed its head, and its mane whipped into her face. As she pressed her palm to her stinging skin, Edric brought the horse under control. The men-at-arms, now riding two in front and two in behind, also halted their mounts. “You refuse to marry me?” Edric shouted, his words carrying across the nearby fields.
Fear shivered through her; it became even more excruciating when she saw the torment in his eyes. “I…I do not care for you…as I should.”
His face went ashen. Then, an ugly redness suffused his features. “’Tis because of Ash,” he snarled. “He rescued you, seduced you—”
“He did not seduce me!”
“Do not speak to me as if I am a fool!”
“I did not think I had.” She frowned. “I regret that you are so upset, but I cannot—”
“Cannot?” He laughed harshly. “I see I made a mistake in giving you a choice.” He signaled his men-at-arms to continue and spurred the horse to a brisk walk.
The chill inside her settled into her bones. “What are you doing? I just told you—”
“I do not care what you just told me.”
Anger melted some of her numbness and turned it into seething fury. “Stop this horse. Right now.”
“Rosetta,” he said. “Be reasonable.”
“I am. Stop this horse.”
“You do realize it does not matter whether you love me or not? The crown approved our union. That consent is binding.”
“I will not marry you. Not after what you did to Ash.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze. Oh, God. She shouldn’t have admitted she knew what Edric had done.
“What I did to Ash?” Edric chortled, a sound of disgust. “Did he tell you that false tale about how I cut him with a Saracen sword and left him to die?”
Rosetta shuddered. “Ash does not lie.”
“He would tell you whatever he thought you needed to hear, my love, in order to win you away from me.”
Unease sifted through her, but she mentally forced it aside. She loved Ash. Without question, she believed what he had told her about his scars and Edric’s treachery.
“Ash always resented that he had to part ways with you in order to go on Crusade. His discontent remained with him every day of our travels.”
He and I will marry, Rosetta’s heart cried. He loves me, as deeply as I love him.
“You have grown into a beautiful woman, Rosetta,” Edric continued, “a worthy prize for any lord. Moreover, Ash realizes that whoever marries you will be able to claim your father’s estate when your sire dies. Ash wants those fine lands of your father’s for himself.”
“Nay,” she whispered. “Ash would never—”
“Never?” Edric laughed. “How little you really know of him.”
Desperation and anger made her gasp in outrage. “I will not sit here and listen to any more of your wickedness. I will ask you one more time: Stop this horse.”
When he made no move to do so, she grabbed for the reins, but he yanked her back with the arm around her waist. “As I told you before, Rosetta, we are going to Clipston.”
“You might be. I am going back to Damsley Keep.”
Edric laughed as though she’d told him a hilarious jest. She dug her fingernails into his wrist, trying to loosen his hold on her, while she kicked back with her legs.
“Quit struggling. You are going to get hurt,” Edric warned.
“I will fight my way off this horse!”
“Do not be foolish. I know of men who have died after falling from their destriers.”
“Let me go, then—or I will do whatever it takes to get down from his beast.”
Edric snapped a command to his men-at-arms. They fell in alongside his mount, two on either side, effectively blocking her in. When she struggled again, Edric slid his hand up to crush her throat. “Protest all you like, my love. ’Twill not change what happens between us this day.”
“Bastard,” she choked out.
“I can be, if you refuse to do as I say. I can order these men to return to Damsley Keep and slay Ash and his young charge. Is that what you want?”
Her fear became a hard fist digging fingers into her ribcage. “Your men will never get through the gates,” she said, struggling to breathe.
“They will say they have a message from you, one that must be delivered to Ash and Justin in private.” Edric’s laughter, full of glee, made her tremble. “Do you think Ash will order his men to raise the portcullis?”
***
Ash squatted beside his linen chests that had been returned to the solar and shoved aside garments to retrieve the rolled parchments. He pulled out the one with the drawing of the gold ring Rosetta had found. The sketch by itself was not much proof of a lost treasure. Yet, Ash had decided to share with Lord Montgomery the news of the other two finds Niles had mentioned, as well as where R
osetta had discovered the ancient jewel. Together, the information might be enough to convince Lord Montgomery of the very real danger the hoard posed—a danger that affected every lord within several leagues of the gold finds as well as King Richard’s hold on the throne.
A troubled sigh came from behind Ash. He glanced over his shoulder to see Justin sitting on the end of the bed, which had not yet been stripped and remade with clean linens. The boy sat with one arm propped on his right knee, his chin in his palm. His bow and quiver lay on the planks by his feet. “I miss Rosetta,” Justin said.
“So do I,” Ash murmured. Memories of her lingered in the room. By the hearth, they’d shared their first meal after years apart. Against the wall to his right, after she’d thrown wine in his face, they’d kissed again. On the bed, just last night, they’d lain in each other’s arms and burned to consummate their love. Despite how much they cared for one another, he’d had to let her go—and he damned well hated it.
“I do not like Edric.”
“Nor do I,” Ash agreed, “but—”
“He seemed full of anger.” Justin frowned. “I hope he will not harm Rosetta.”
Such thoughts tormented Ash too, but in truth, Edric would be unwise to hurt her in any way and risk offending her sire, especially when the wedding had yet to be rescheduled. Also, Edric genuinely cared about Rosetta. He’d cherished her friendship growing up, and he had loved her enough to ask her to be his wife, when as a hero of the Crusades, he could have asked the crown for any noblewoman he wanted—such as a wealthy, young widow with her own lands. Edric must truly love Rosetta, to have waited for her as he had…
Unless he had another, far less noble reason for wanting to marry her.
Ash’s focus shifted to the parchment. A sickening chill tore through him as his hand closed around the drawing. If Edric knew about the treasure—
“Why did you let Rosetta go with him? We talked last night about the old stories and the duties of knights.”
A Knight's Desire--World of de Wolfe Pack Page 13
