“Of course I am right.” Lady Margaretha stood tall. “Take him to the dungeon. But by all that’s holy, stop dragging him. I’m sure he can walk.”
The guards obeyed her and allowed him to walk out between them. But he could tell by the suspicion on Claybrook’s face that Lady Margaretha, as well as her plan to get her family to safety, was in danger.
God, no, not Margaretha. Please don’t let her get killed.
Chapter
13
Margaretha lifted her chin and looked down her nose at Claybrook, mimicking Anne’s imperious expression. She followed the guards and Colin out into the corridor. God, please have them take him to the dungeon and not into the woods to kill him. She held her breath, watching to see which way they went. Just as they disappeared through the doorway that led down to the bleak, cold dungeon, another of Claybrook’s guards came from the other direction. When Claybrook saw him, he excused himself and stood in the corridor, then stared at Margaretha, as if waiting for her to go back inside the Great Hall to join Anne.
Margaretha stopped in the doorway and tried to listen to what his guard was saying, but he spoke in such hushed tones that she didn’t catch a word.
Someone grabbed Margaretha’s arm. She jerked away.
It was only Anne. Her cousin didn’t seem to notice her reaction, but whispered, “Lord Claybrook is quite handsome. I think he fancies me. Did you see the way he smiled at me?”
“Anne . . .” What could Margaretha say? She couldn’t tell her the truth about Claybrook, not here with Claybrook so close. However, as annoyingly self-centered as her cousin was, she was still her cousin and Margaretha wouldn’t want to see her come to harm. So she warned, “He isn’t everything he seems, Anne. Be careful of this one.”
“I should be careful, eh?” Anne’s sly half smile set Margaretha’s teeth on edge. “I think you only want him for yourself.”
She didn’t have time for this. “Do as you please. I hardly care.” She had to allay Lord Claybrook’s suspicions and still save poor Colin from Claybrook’s men and the dungeon. One false move, one wrong word, and Claybrook would kill Colin, and maybe even Margaretha and her family.
Lord Claybrook walked over to her, a challenge in his upraised brow. “You haven’t forgotten our chess game, have you, Lady Margaretha?” But his eyes were flinty, and she was certain he had more on his mind than a chess game.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten. Shall we play?”
They sat facing each other, the game board between them, with Anne hovering over Margaretha’s shoulder first, then Claybrook’s. Margaretha had always been a good player, but in her distraction she made a blunder, allowing Claybrook to capture her knight.
“You aren’t letting me win, are you?” Claybrook waggled his eyebrows at her.
It rankled that he would accuse her of doing what Anne had done earlier. “Of course not. You simply must be the better player.” Better to let him think she was unskilled rather than that she was purposely losing.
The footsteps of several people sounded from the corridor, drawing closer. Margaretha heard her mother say, “This is outrageous. You may tell Lord Claybrook that I am angry and disappointed . . .”
Oh no! Mother and the others! They should have been halfway to the manse in the forest by now.
Claybrook’s foxlike eyes were trained on her. She had to choose her words carefully. “What is my mother saying? She sounds vexed.”
“Does she?” Claybrook’s artificially innocent tone grated on Margaretha like a poke in the ribs.
With as much indifference as she could muster, Margaretha said, “I’m sure there is nothing amiss. She is probably scolding my little brothers about something.” She fixed her eyes on her chess pieces, but her mind was racing. Lord Claybrook knew what her mother was vexed about. His guard was probably reporting only moments earlier that they stopped her mother and family members from their outing and brought them back to the castle to hold them hostage.
She moved her king forward to show she was not worried as her mother’s voice grew more distant and indistinct. But her face was burning and her stomach sinking. How would any of them escape now?
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Claybrook studied her.
“Of course.” How could she possibly care about the chess game?
Claybrook immediately captured her king with his knight.
“Chess is a silly game. I’ve never been very good.” Margaretha tried to smile but failed. Her lips felt frozen, her insides trembling.
“You know who that stable boy is, don’t you?” Claybrook’s voice was raspy and cold, sending a chill down her back. “He came here and warned you about me, didn’t he?”
“I don’t know what you are talking of.”