Daring Damsels

by Domning, Denise

  Kenric’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

  Terran stepped over to the bed, away from his cousin, and watched the herbalist administer to Bria. He felt useless standing there, but he couldn’t leave her, as if his presence alone would give her the strength to live. Terran stared at her face, wondering if he’d ever see her smile again, wondering if he would hear her laughter. Her skin was so pale, her lips so red against the ghostly white of her complexion. He wanted to turn away. He wanted to kill Randolph Kenric.

  In that moment, Terran knew the truth, as if it had always been there and he’d known it deep down inside. He believed her. He believed everything she’d told him. With that revelation came an overwhelming sadness. What if he lost her?

  “Will she be all right?” he found himself asking.

  The herbalist straightened and a sigh escaped his lips. “I don’t know. It appears to be some mandrake she took, or something similar, but I can’t be sure. I can’t tell if she swallowed enough of the antidote, or if I’ve even given her the right one.”

  “When will we know?” Terran asked.

  “If she lives through the day, she’ll be all right.”

  Terran heard the door close softly behind them. Kenric. His jaw clenched tight.

  Terran rubbed his tired eyes, reaching for the ale a servant had brought for him earlier. His meal of mutton and bread sat untouched on the table near the mug. The room was dark, the shutters closed over the window. He had thought to keep the bright sunshine from disturbing Bria. Perhaps that was wrong. Should he open them? Maybe then she’d open her eyes.

  Unable to decide, he returned the mug to the table, keeping his eyes to the floor. Every time he looked at Bria, his vision blurred and he had to look away. Somehow she’d worked her way through the wall he’d built around his heart, through it and over it like a vine of roses wrapping itself around a trellis.

  If she lives through the day, she'll be all right. His hands trembled with fear as he gazed at them.

  Terran shot out of his chair and paced the floor. If only he could do something to help her. But neither his sword nor his coin nor his power could help her. Bria had to fight this battle herself.

  Terran raked a hand through his hair. I can’t lose her. Not now. His heart ached, and he closed his eyes against the utter agony consuming him.

  Terran dropped into the chair again. I’m going to lose Bria. The thought came unbidden, his fears finally taking shape in his mind. His throat squeezed tight, and his chest constricted painfully. He fell to his knees at her side, grasping her limp hand in his own. “Please, Bria,” he whispered. “Don’t leave me.” He pressed his forehead to her knuckles. “Please.”

  Hours passed and night slunk over the land. Terran never left Bria’s side, but his mind was reeling. It wasn’t just coincidence that Odella and Bria had identical symptoms. Even if both had poisoned themselves, how likely was it they would have used the same poison? There was a traitor living in his midst.

  Terran clenched his teeth, forcing his thoughts to the cause of her situation. And what of Kenric? he asked himself. He should be thrown in the dungeon or burned at the stake.

  But it didn’t make sense. Why in heaven’s name would Randolph hurt Bria? It had been his idea for Terran to marry her. Why poison her? What would it gain him? No, he couldn’t lock his cousin away -- not until he found out why.

  A groan.

  Terran froze. Was he imagining it?

  Her fingers in his hand jerked and moved slightly.

  Terran’s head came up to look into her face, but the room was so dark he couldn’t see her. Holding her hand to his chest, he leaned close to her lips. “Bria?”

  He waited with bated breath. But there was no response, no reaction to his voice. After a long moment of hopefulness, Terran bowed his head in disappointment.

  The door behind him opened slowly and the light of a lone candle approached, engulfing him and Bria in its luminescence.

  “Lord Knowles,” a gentle voice from behind him called.

  Terran didn’t move. He wouldn’t release Bria’s hand. He’d never relinquish her to the care of someone else, even the herbalist -- especially the herbalist. The last time he’d abandoned his woman, she had died.

  He felt the herbalist moving about beside him, checking Bria. Finally, the herbalist said, “Lord Knowles.”

  Dread filled Terran. He didn’t want to hear the next words, for he was certain what they’d be. He didn’t want to hear Bria was dead. He rose to his feet, towering over the small man. “Don’t say it,” he commanded.

  “But Lord Knowles!” the man objected.

  Terran grabbed his tunic front and pulled him close until he could see the fear in the man’s eyes. “I said I don’t want to hear it.”

  Silently, the man nodded his head.

  Terran released him and the herbalist quickly stepped away, moving toward the door. Terran watched him leave. He was afraid to look at Bria for fear her vibrant skin would be gray with death, afraid to touch her for fear her warm skin would be cold. He wanted desperately to escape this room of death, but he’d promised not to abandon Bria. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave her.

  Terran turned back to his wife, knowing the vision greeting him would erase all the glorious memories he had of Bria and plunge his image of her into a deathlike slumber.

  But she looked no different. Relief swept through him. She hadn’t given up her battle yet. She hadn’t succumbed.

  Terran stood over Bria for a long moment, simply looking at her peaceful face. She was beautiful, even in this desperate battle for her life. Her glorious hair was spread out over the pillow like a blanket of silk. Her face was serene, showing none of the torment her body must be enduring.

  He sat in the chair beside the bed, watching and waiting for any signs of what was to come.

  What came next was something he hadn’t expected.

  Bria’s eyes fluttered and then opened. She felt tired, so tired, and groggy, as if she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. She looked around her, disoriented for a moment. A candle, almost burned down to the base, flickered over the room, casting it in long eerie shadows. Her gaze continued to sweep the room, finally coming to settle on the one face that calmed her.

  Terran was resting on the bed, turned toward her, his black hair spread out beneath his head. A smile touched her dry lips. She reached out a hand to his cheek, but before she could touch it, his eyes opened and he sat bolt upright, his hand moving to the hilt of his scabbard.

  Bria stared at him, wide-eyed, breathless.

  His eyes were wild for a moment, but then settled back into the calm darkness Bria knew well.

  “Bria,” he gasped, unmoving. He was frozen, his hand resting on the handle of his sword as if he were going to cut down some ghost in his memory.

  Bria reached for him. “Yes,” she said. “It’s me.”

  “Bria!” His ragged exclamation was choked with emotion and worry. He clasped her in a warm, tight embrace, an embrace that bound her to him. She lifted her hands, encircling his back. Even though her arms felt heavy, she managed to hold him close.

  “Oh, Bria,” he whispered, pressing kisses against her hair. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  Bria sighed, relaxing in his hold. His strong arms engulfed her, pressing their bodies so tightly against each other nothing could come between them. Relief filled every one of his kisses. Warmth flooded her.

  Everything would be all right.

  Terran pulled back and looked into her eyes. “How do you feel? Is there something I can get you?”

  Bria smiled at him. “I feel like I slept for days.” She sat up, looking around. “Is it morning?”

  Terran glanced at the shutters, giving Bria a chance to study his rugged profile. He was a vision she didn’t mind waking to -- his strong Roman nose, his perfect, chiseled jaw, the soft strands of dark hair curling around the tops of his strong shoulders. She reached up to touch his hair.

  “It’s dawn
,” Terran answered, returning his gaze to hers. He captured her outstretched hand in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’ve been asleep for an entire day.”

  “A day!” Bria exclaimed. “No wonder I feel tired!” As she sat up, the room spun and she reached out for Terran. He steadied her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

  “Shall I get the herbalist?”

  “Herbalist?” Bria’s mind reeled as a torrent of memories flooded back to her. Running from Kenric. A slap. Kenric forcing the poison into her mouth. She gasped, grabbing Terran’s strong arm. “Terran, Kenric poisoned me.”

  Terran nodded. “Just rest right now.”

  “He had your herbalist make a poison and killed Odella. I saw him kill the old woman, your herbalist. That was when Mary was taken. I ran away. He tried to kill me because I saw him!”

  “Shh,” Terran soothed. “Don’t worry. You have to rest.”

  “Terran, you have to believe me. He said Odella knew too much and that was why he poisoned her,” Bria said.

  A scowl crossed his brow. “Too much about what?”

  Bria’s troubled gaze met Terran’s. She didn’t know. She didn’t have the answer to the puzzle. The more she thought about it, the more exhausted she became. “Please be careful, Terran,” Bria finally said. “Kenric might try to kill you.” She lay back on the bed, weak from fatigue.

  Terran bent over her to lightly kiss her lips. “I will, my dearest,” he promised. “You rest.”

  Bria’s eyes closed and her worries faded away beneath a blanket of blissful sleep.

  Terran entered the Great Hall to find Kenric lounging near the hearth, laughing with Sir William, Terran’s captain of the guard. A dark scowl crossed Terran’s features; his fists clenched tight at his sides. He moved toward his cousin.

  Kenric turned to him, his smile fading. “M’lord, how is Lady Bria?”

  Terran ignored him. “I would have a word with you, cousin.”

  Kenric nodded stiffly, if a bit apprehensively, and Sir William moved away.

  “She said you poisoned her,” Terran said through clenched teeth.

  “What?” Kenric gasped. “Me? I would never... you can’t believe that!”

  “Did you poison her, Randolph?” Terran demanded.

  “Why would I poison her? She is my lady!”

  “Did you poison her?”

  “No!” Kenric shouted, drawing stares from the others in the room. He lowered his voice. “Don’t you see what she’s doing? She is trying to turn us against each other.”

  “There’s no reason for her to do that.”

  “No reason? The Midnight Shadow is her reason! They’re working together against us. I’m trying to stop him, and all she does is defend him. She’s trying to distract us. We must stay focused on getting rid of that thief.”

  Doubt settled in Terran’s mind. The Midnight Shadow. He wasn’t Bria’s lover. What was he to her, then?

  “Has she told you who he is?” Kenric persisted.

  Terran looked away.

  “How can you believe anything she says if she won’t give you the name of your enemy?” Kenric asked. “Women are dangerous creatures, m’lord. Never to be trusted.”

  Terran glanced at Kenric. His cousin was right. While the Midnight Shadow still lived and breathed, he could never truly trust Bria. She still keeps secrets. How can she expect me to believe her? Randolph wouldn’t have poisoned her. She poses no threat to him. But who had? And why?

  “Lord Knowles!” a voice boomed from behind them.

  Terran turned to see two men marching toward him -- two familiar men. Terran faced them.

  Lord Delaney glared at him. Harry Delaney stepped forward and announced, “We’ve come to take Bria home.”

  A fierce protectiveness flared inside Terran. “She is my wife, sir,” he replied stiffly.

  “You tried to kill her!” Harry spat.

  Terran’s jaw clenched. They thought he had poisoned Bria!

  “Father,” Lord Delaney commanded in a stern voice, quieting the old man. He turned to Terran. “We see what a mistake this marriage has been. You don’t want her any more than I want her to be your wife.”

  Terran fought back the urge to challenge Lord Delaney, to call him out for his slanderous words. “Regardless, the act is done,” Terran replied.

  Lord Delaney straightened slightly. “Be reasonable, Knowles.”

  “We will not tolerate your abuse of Bria,” Harry said. “She means more to us than that. You can keep the wretched dowry if it means that much to you, but let Bria go.”

  Terran stared hard at Harry. He would never let Bria go! She was his wife, and she meant more to him than anything -- more than the infernal dowry that would save his castle and lands. Why, he’d give it all back to keep her, every damned bit of it. Angry at the thought the Delaneys put in his mind, he strode from the room, ignoring their calls.

  “Do what you must,” Harry cried, “but she is returning with us.”

  Terran tried to calm himself. They were just trying to protect her. But the very idea that he, her husband, her lord, would poison her was preposterous. He’d do everything in his power to keep her safe. To keep her from harm.

  And how are you going to do that? an inner voice challenged. He’d have to watch her every moment of every day, watch what she ate, to whom she spoke, what she touched. Even then, he couldn’t guarantee her safety.

  The thought that he couldn’t protect his own wife pierced his heart and his pride.

  “M’lord!”

  Terran turned at Kenric’s voice.

  “Shall I escort the Delaneys from our lands?”

  For a long moment, Terran studied Kenric’s face. His trusted cousin, the sheriff of his lands, and more importantly his friend. How could he be capable of harming Bria? Yet Bria insisted he’d poisoned her. He wasn’t sure. Damn it, he just wasn’t sure. Could he risk her life?

  “No,” Terran replied. “Not just yet.”

  Bria felt jubilant and more alive than she ever had. Terran had remained at her side for two entire days, only now allowing her to accompany him to the Great Hall to eat. His power and presence radiated over her like a shield, protecting her with its invisible force. She felt safe and happy. Terran was a good, decent man. He wasn’t her enemy. He never had been.

  She held his arm, her hand resting on his forearm, proudly accompanying him through the hallways.

  The Great Hall was empty of servants and peasants. How strange, she thought. She scanned the large room and saw all the tables and benches had been removed except for the head table. Near the head table stood a group of men, two of whom she recognized instantly. A huge grin lit her face.

  Bria broke free of Terran’s arm and raced to embrace her father. Then she turned to hug her grandfather. She looked back at her husband. “Terran,” she began, but stopped when she saw his expression.

  His face was a mask of stone. He moved to stand beside Kenric. Dread and confusion filled her. She was standing but a few feet from her would-be murderer. Why wasn’t Kenric locked up somewhere? Didn’t Terran realize what a madman he was?

  Bria stepped forward. “Terran,” she whispered beseechingly, “what’s going on?”

  On Kenric’s lips was a victorious smile.

  Bria refused to acknowledge it, refused to let the shivers going up her spine alarm her. “Terran...”

  “You may take her now,” Terran said impassively.

  Her father put his hand on her arm. She lifted a baffled gaze to him, then broke away, stepping toward Terran. “I don’t understand,” she said.

  “There’s nothing to understand,” he said. “I don’t want you any longer.”

  She recoiled as if struck in the chest by a war mallet. “What?” she gasped.

  “Sheriff Kenric told me you rode out of the castle to rendezvous with your lover. You aren’t fit to be my wife.”

  Bria’s gaze shifted to Kenric. “But he tried to poison me!” she protested. “How can
you believe him?”

  “How can I believe you?!”

  Tears filled Bria’s eyes. “I wouldn’t lie about this,” she whispered. “You must believe me.”

  “How can I?” Terran asked firmly.

  “Terran,” Bria pleaded. “Please. How can you do this?”

  “Then tell us who the Midnight Shadow is,” Kenric said.

  Bria’s gaze did not move from Terran. It was as if Kenric hadn’t spoken. She saw the disdain in her husband’s eyes, saw the clenching of his jaw. It wouldn’t matter if she told him who the Midnight Shadow was. Terran would never love her.

  And that realization shattered her. Her world crumbled. The incredible happiness she’d felt mere moments before disappeared without a trace.

  Someone touched her arm. “It’s all right, Bria,” Harry whispered. “You can come home with us.”

  Bria swallowed hard and lifted her chin against Terran’s coldness. “I am home,” she proclaimed. “I am lady of Castle Knowles, and this is where I shall remain.”

  Fury flamed in Terran’s eyes. “Didn’t you hear what I said? You are not welcome here! I don’t want you. I never have. You are to leave Castle Knowles at once.” He turned his back on her and stormed from the hall.

  Bria stood aghast, horrified and embarrassed, but mostly devastated. She felt as though he was ripping apart her heart.

  “He’ll try to kill you again, Bria,” Harry whispered to her. “You’d best come home with us.” He gently took her arm.

  Bria savagely yanked her arm free of his hold. “Didn’t you hear me? It wasn’t Terran! It was Randolph Kenric! He tried to poison me!”

  Harry and Lord Delaney’s eyes turned to Kenric.

  Kenric bridled. “She is mad,” he said. “What reason would I have to kill her? I convinced Terran to marry her.”

  “You wanted me gone, out of the way. With my leaving Castle Knowles, you’ve accomplished that, haven’t you?” She stood toe to toe with the man, glaring up at him with all the hatred and agony swirling inside her. “This is your fault,” she snarled, “and I won’t let you get away with it.” She swept up her blue satin skirt and raced for the door, running after Terran.