The smug tone of his voice, his obvious delight in the plan for how to explain the deaths of Michel and Adelar, chilled Arianna. Amiel did not care about blood at all. All he was concerned with was gaining riches and power, and if he had to start gaining that wealth by stepping over the bodies of two murdered children, he would do so without hesitation.
And, after the murder of the two boys, the rest of the Lucettes who had something Amiel wanted would begin to suffer. Arianna was certain that Amiel intended to reduce the number of landed, titled Lucettes until he was weighted down with their honors. The heirs would be the first to go for he would need to clear the path for himself. He apparently had the intention of being the last Lucette standing. It was a mad plan and one she doubted would work for a rapid decline in heirs to the various Lucette properties would soon draw a lot of attention. Unfortunately, a great many innocent Lucettes could die first.
“And do ye truly believe that the DeVeaux will sit back and allow ye to slowly grow more powerful than they are, to watch ye reap titles and lands until ye are a threat to them?”
“I but seek what Claud would have gained in time, and retrieve those riches which he would have foolishly handed over to ones not worthy of them.”
“Nay, I think ye want more. Much more. After all, ye just said ye were but one of far too many titled Lucettes and ye ally yourself with the deadliest of your kinmen’s enemies. Nay, ye have some mad plan to try and get it all.” She shook her head, forgetting how badly it would hurt to do so, and had to stiffen her stance to remain upright. “It is a plan that can only fail, Amiel. E’en if the king or your own kin dinnae guess the deadly game ye mean to play and stop you, the DeVeaux will.”
“As they all guessed how dear old Claud died?”
“Claud was but one mon. Now ye think to add two wee lads and follow their deaths with many others.”
“At this moment my only concern is for those boys. Where are they?”
“Somewhere where ye will ne’er get your filthy hands on them.”
The blow he struck against her face snapped her head sideways with such force pain shot through her neck. Arianna again steadied herself, holding her legs so taut and straight that they ached, too. She knew Amiel could not allow her to live no matter what the DeVeaux wanted. He had let her see the truth of all his plans. She knew too much now.
“You will tell me where Claud’s whelps are, bitch, or you will suffer.”
Arianna touched her mouth and then looked at the blood on her fingers. She could already feel the swelling in her face, her skin tightening with it. There were very few places on her body that did not already throb with pain from Amiel’s fists and booted feet. She knew it would only get worse because she had no intention of telling him anything. What she wished she could do was fight back, to knock him down and kick him a few times.
Still staring at the blood on her fingers, she suddenly wondered where that spine had been when Claud had battered her with his cruel words. If he had backhanded her even once, she would not have hesitated to leave, undoubtedly making sure that Claud tasted a little pain himself before she walked away. Yet she had allowed him to cut her with words. Claud had found a weakness in her that she had not seen and used it to turn her into a quiet little shadow, one who never fought back, never questioned. She looked at Amiel and saw that same cruelty in him, only Amiel preferred to be more direct in his abuse. I should have seen it, Arianna thought.
“And ’tis a strange time to have an epiphany,” she muttered, knowing there was a very good chance she would not be alive long enough to shake free of the chains Claud had bound her with.
“What did you say?” demanded Amiel.
“Naught that concerns you,” she replied, idly wondering if she had the strength to kick him right in his precious manparts.
“Where are the boys?”
“Why are ye even troubling yourself to ask? Ye ken where they are already, or think ye do. The DeVeaux have sent ye word several times, have they nay?” She almost smiled at the surprise on his face, something he tried to quickly hide from her.
“They have only surmised where they might be. I think you know exactly where they are.”
“And I think ye just wish to pretend that ye have a good reason to beat a lass half your size.”
Even as he moved to strike her, she kicked out, slamming the toe of her booted foot right between his legs. She stumbled back a few steps as she struggled to right herself. Amiel gave a strangled scream, clutched himself, and fell to his knees. Arianna knew she was going to pay dearly for that. All that troubled her was that it had not even given her a chance to try and get to her horse because two of Amiel’s men immediately moved to guard her.