Patrick pulled her against his chest, stroking her hair and holding her close.
"Do not worry,” Keran said. “We will find Alma and find a way to bring Syndra out into the open without endangering her."
Patrick stood, then gently kissed Tillie. “Go back to my bed and wait for me. Speak with no one."
She nodded and fled the room quickly.
When she was gone, Patrick turned to Keran. “Well, is it not nice to know that scheming happens outside court, too?"
"I would like to kill the woman with my bare hands, but I cannot. Nor can I let her know that I know, for if I do, then she will kill the girl and then deny the girl ever existed."
"Then how do we find her?"
"She has to have the girl hidden somewhere nearby. See whom Elizabeth is closest to. Then, watch them closely and see if they go outside the keep somewhere. When they do, have them followed. In pairs."
Patrick nodded. “And what of your real intended?"
Keran turned back to the fire, studying the flames. “First, we need to make sure the message to the priest does not get there, to buy us time. See to it. After that, I need to catch Syndra out of the tower. Then, I need to let her know not to be frightened by me. That will be the first step in helping her claim her rightful place as mistress of this castle."
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Chapter Three
Syndra stood in her tower room, looking down to where Elizabeth talked with her current paramour. Elizabeth went through men so very quickly, letting one after the other fill her bed. She was sure she attracted them by promising marriage, and the promise of being the Lord of Mardoon. That never happened, though, and when she tired of one man, she sent him on his way and took another. This one was named Nathaniel.
Seconds after the woman stalked toward the castle, the man mounted his horse and headed toward the gate. She was sure his first stop would be wherever Elizabeth had hidden Alma.
She turned away from the window, tears filling her eyes. As much as she did not want Leora to take her place with the new lord, she knew it had to happen. Only with that act would Alma be freed. And he had announced last night that he wanted to wait until the priest would get her, probably another two weeks at least.
Syndra knew her first priority was to let her friend know things would be fine. Maybe tomorrow she would wait outside the gate and watch in which way Nathaniel went. Then she could try to follow, try to get an idea of where they were keeping Alma. It could not be that far away.
A noise at the door caught her attention, and she grinned as Tillie slipped inside. Syndra frowned. “You brought me no food?"
"I could not sneak any away. Leora was at the door, watching everyone. I am sure she would report me to her mother if she knew I was ‘stealing’ from her."
Syndra laughed. “You have a short memory, my friend. Remember our new lord took over last night. And you warmed his friend's bed, did you not?"
Tillie blushed, then giggled. “He is magnificent, but I still fear the witch, as do we all.” She took a few steps closer as if to impart a secret. “Come downstairs to eat."
Syndra backed away from her. “Are you mad? She was already up here earlier berating me for being in the kitchens last night. I thought that was why you were trying to sneak me food, knowing she would ban me from eating today."
"Come down, please."
"No. If you cannot bring food up, I understand and will be fine. But, I will not risk her seeing me down there. Perhaps later tonight, when there is more chance she will be in her room, but not now."
"But she is outside now, so you need not worry about her. The new lord is kind, and he will help you."
"Have you warmed his bed, too? You have been busy.” Syndra laughed, her smile turning into a frown when Tillie came closer.
"Please come with me."
"You will not bring me food because you fear the beast, yet you want me to come down and make myself vulnerable to her? No, I will stay up here and worry about Alma, and how I might help her. I will come down later this evening, after she has retired, and there is no chance of her seeing me."
"But—"
"No!” Syndra glared at her friend. “What are you playing at?"
"Nothing. I just ... hate to see you up here, alone."
"Then sit with me, but I will not go downstairs."
Tillie sighed. “Very well. I will try to bring food up later, I promise."
"Thank you. And see whether you cannot get one of Nathaniel's friends to talk about where Alma might be."
Tillie nodded and hurried out the door and down the stairs. Syndra heard the door at the bottom of the circular staircase open and close softly.
Syndra waited with baited breath for Elizabeth or her wretched daughter to rush up to see why Tillie had been up in her room. When nothing happened, she exhaled loudly. There might be a new lord in residence at Mardoon, but things had not changed, not for her, and not for the rest of the servants. They were still as frightened by Elizabeth and Leora as they had been a few days before.
If only Leora were like Leticia, who was sweet natured and loved everyone, including Syndra. But Leticia was as frightened by her mother as everyone else. She had been known to try to help Syndra when she was in trouble, but she did not think the younger girl could help her now.
A new thought occurred to her. Maybe Leticia knew where Alma was being held. Perhaps during the afternoon, when the castle was quiet and Elizabeth was be napping, Syndra could risk going downstairs to find her half-sister and see whether she knew anything.
But then again, it would be dangerous. If Elizabeth found her, or if by some chance the new lord stopped to inquire about whom she was, then things would go badly. No, better to wait until late tonight, get food, and then sneak into Leticia's room and talk with her then. That was the best plan, although waiting would be one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life.
* * * *
"Are you sure she is coming?” Keran focused a gaze on Tillie, who stood next to Patrick, looking up at him with pure lust on her face.
"What? Oh yes, milord. I took her food around one, and she said she asked me to have Leticia meet her here in the kitchen at midnight."
"And you did not deliver the message?"
"I was going to, milord, but I saw Leticia talking with one of Nathaniel's friends. I was afraid she would report the information to her mother. It would not be like her, but then again, you can never be too cautious."
"True,” Keran said, shaking his head at Patrick who was stroking the girl's backside. “You two go on and play, as I know you are dying to do. I will wait."
"But Syndra will run when she sees you. I should wait and assure her."
"You let me handle her,” Keran said with a wink at Tillie, who looked horrified. “Rest assured, I will not harm her. She is to be my wife, remember?"
Tillie looked uncertainly at Patrick, who gathered her close, then walked with her toward the door. Before he left, he and Keran exchanged nods, and then the room grew quiet.
Keran wondered what time it was, and if the girl would really show, or if she had fallen asleep. That thought had no real merit, though. If she had not eaten since one she should be well to starved, and would come down seeking to fill her belly.
Anger at Elizabeth passed through him again. The woman needed to be whipped. But, he had to remember a young girl's life was still at stake. This morning, he had charged Brody, one of his best scouts, to watch the woman and see who she talked with the most, and if that person left immediately afterwards, and for him to find some way to follow that person.
Brody reported that Elizabeth had spent some time in the bailey with her lover, Nathaniel. The man had left soon afterward, but Brody could not follow him, since he had mounted and ridden off as if the devil were at his heels.
"Do not worry, milord, I will have him tomorrow,” Brody had said with a grin. “I watched the direction he went and will be waiting in the trees. He was gone
almost three hours, though, so he could not have gone far. He went directly to the Lady Elizabeth when he returned."
Three hours. That meant he made it to his destination quickly, checked on things, and then hurried back to make his report to the woman who obviously kept his bullocks in check.
Keran turned his attention to a mouse, who scuttled across the floor. Within seconds, a cat was after it, the sounds of their claws echoing in the otherwise silent kitchen.
Keran froze at the sound of the soft voice. “Get him, Barrett, that's a good boy."
Syndra. She giggled, amused at the cat and mouse chase. Her charming laughter was infectious, and he found himself chuckling quietly. Though she had obviously had a hard day, she was still joyful. That made her attractive to him and he had not even met her yet.
He turned his body slowly so as not to make any noise and located her standing in the doorway. She held a candle high, and her gaze followed the cat that chased the mouse.
She laughed softly again as the mouse scurried into the back room, the cat hot on its heels. Then she turned to the turned to the kitchen and set her candle on the table.
"I am as hungry as you are, Barrett. I hope I can find something to eat, just like you."
"The beef was delicious,” Keran said, stepping into the light. “May I join you for some?"
She bolted for the door, but he captured her arm before she could flee and pulled her tight to his chest. “Don't be frightened of me, Syndra. I know of you, and why you are hiding."
"Let me go,” she hissed, fighting against his hold.
Lowering his head, he placed lips right next to her ear. “I won't hurt you. I want to help you, I promise. The king sent me to marry you, not Leora. And I know of Alma. I can help her, and you."
Her body stiffened, and then a small cry escaped her mouth. “Please let me go."
Her words were so soft; he barely heard them. His heart broke at her plea. But her body was still tense, and he knew if he let her go, she would bolt. Then he would have to chase her down, which would increase their chances of being heard or seen.
"I have food in my chamber. Meat and vegetables, cheese and bread, and some ale. I had Tillie prepare it for us."
She inhaled sharply at the sound of her friend's name, and her postures relaxed just a little.
"Do not be frightened of me."
"She will kill her."
"I will not allow that to happen. Come upstairs with me where we can talk privately."
The silence grew as she considered his words. Finally, she nodded and he let her go, praying she would not run.
She did not. Instead, she turned to him and looked up. Tears filled her green eyes. Her full lips set perfectly between her rounded cheeks, and tumbles of dark hair fell across her shoulders.
A tear fell, and then she spoke. “Promise me you will help Alma."
"You have my word as your future husband.” Another tear fell, then she turned and walked away from him. He followed her quickly, and when he thought she would take the stairs to her tower prison, she instead turned toward the hallway that led to his own rooms.
A small part of the battle won. But the war, he knew, was still ahead of him.
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Chapter Four
Syndra reached for a piece of bread, torn off a bite, and ate it as she studied Keran. His dark hair hung around his shoulders, and his brown eyes held just a tinge of green. He was, without a doubt, the largest man she had ever seen in her life. When he had held her against his hard chest, her heart had beaten so fast she thought she would die.
Only his gentle words had soothed her. She prayed he could help Alma, as he said he could. True, he was the new lord, but Elizabeth always managed to find a way to get what she wanted.
She had been frightened as she climbed the small steps to what used to be her father's chambers. The sound of her stomach, growling its displeasure at being ignored, seemed to bounce off the walls as they entered. She had immediately approached the table and started to eat.
The feast set before them let her know he had told the truth about Tillie. There was definitely enough food here for two, and Tillie had told her earlier she would see to it she had something to eat when she came down to the kitchens. She had failed to tell her, though, the food would be in the lord's chambers.
"Sit down,” he said. “Eat all you like."
She sat, thankful when he sat across the table from her, and not right next to her. Four lit candles provided a great deal of light, something else she was grateful for. Surely, he did not mean to harm her, or take advantage of her, in so much light.
She snatched a piece of cheese, and then some carrots, waiting for him to speak. When he did not, she kept eating. After her second slice of the meat, she looked at him quizzically.
"Are you not eating?"
"I ate earlier.” He cocked his head at her. “When you are done, we will talk."
She sat down the meat in her hand and pushed the plate away.
"Do not stop. I did not mean it harshly."
She shook her head, wondering why she had made such a pig of herself in front of him. It probably made him very happy he was marrying Leora and not her.
"You are Lord Richard's oldest daughter, Syndra?"
"That depends upon whom you ask. If you ask the Lady Elizabeth that question, she will tell you that I am nothing more than a scullery maid, and Leora is the oldest daughter. The oldest daughter that matters, anyway."
"I am sorry."
Her spirits lifted at his tone. He was not pitying her, just letting her know that he understood her words. She could not stand it if he offered her nothing more than pity.
"I am sure Leora will make you very happy."
"I am here to marry you, not Leora. The king sent me here after receiving a letter from your father."
"My father is dead, milord. How could he send messages?"
For an answer, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a sheet of parchment, which he pushed across the table to her.
"You think Elizabeth allowed me to learn to read? I tried, several times. Each time I was punished, so I stopped trying."
"Then I will teach you."
His words made her gasp. When he nodded and picked up the sheet, she stared at him, dumbfounded, watching his large hands as they unfolded the sheet.
"The king received this message a little more than a month ago. He dispatched me the next day, but it took me some time to get things in order and get here. If I had known the conditions the household was in, I would have come sooner, I promise you that."
She stared at the paper. “Are you going to read it to me?"
He looked down and she clasped her shaking hands together.
When he spoke, his voice was deep. “Majesty, I have not met you, but I knew your father. He was a good man, and I think the same of you. Mardoon Keep is loyal to you and supported you during your ascension.
"I write you this missive with a heavy heart. My time is near, and as I look back, I realize the mistakes I have made, not where you are concerned, but where my life, and particularly my daughter, are concerned. I have ignored her most of her life because she reminded me of her mother, the wife I lost.
"Now, though, I know that my second wife will not treat her kindly after my death. I ask you, as the King of England, to send a new Lord to Mardoon who will take my daughter to wife and care for her. I should have taken care of this long ago and know I will suffer greatly for my reticence in dealing with my daughter. I know what happens to my lands after my death is up to you, but knowing you will provide for her will help me leave this world in peace.
I remain, Richard, Lord of Mardoon."
The few tears Syndra had managed to hold back in the kitchen fell now, wetting her cheeks.
He refolded the paper and pushed it toward her. “You keep it."
She shook her head and buried her face in her hands, stiffening when she heard him stand and cross to her. He put his h
and on her shoulder as she cried. The contact was just enough to offer her comfort. When she finally took several deep breaths, he stood and crossed to a chest. He was back seconds later, handing her a square of linen, which she used to wipe her tears.
"You were close?"
"No. What he said was true. He never really wanted anything to do with me. Of course, I can say the same for Leora and Leticia. I think we disappointed him by being female. But my sisters had their mother, who hates me.” She sniffed, then looked away. “Two days before my father died, he promised me he had left me something to take care of me. I thought he meant money, or jewels, or some other way I could travel to court and away from Elizabeth."
"He meant this letter."
"Yes. I have no idea how he sent it on its way, for Elizabeth never left his side during the illness. The staff said it was because she loved him, but I think it was because she had to know everything that was happening. I wonder when he wrote it."
"His Majesty said it arrived with a traveling troupe."
Syndra gasped. “They were here just two weeks before my father's death. They performed a play, and several of my father's men carried him downstairs."
Keran nodded, then cleared his throat. “We need to discuss a few things. Are you up to it, or would you rather wait until tomorrow evening?"
His hand was on hers now, warm and comforting as if enveloped her smaller one. His thumb caressed her skin and she pulled away.
"I don't want you frightened by me. I want us to discuss things so we know exactly what is going on here, to find the best way to fight it."
"Alma is—"
"I will know by tomorrow where your friend is. I have a man set up for that task already."
A real smile broke over her face for the first time in days. “What did Tillie tell you?"
"Everything about Elizabeth and her treatment of you, and the people of the keep. Now I want to discuss other things, like the men who serve her. Are they the same men your father had?"
"Some of them. A week after my father's death, she dismissed the—"
A Dusting of Syn Page 3
