An Uncertain Choice

“It’s my word against theirs,” the abbot said.

Although my hope had been rising with each new piece of evidence against the abbot, it quickly came crashing down. The abbot would only need to perpetuate lies. All he had to do was tell my people that the duke wanted control over me and was making up the charges to keep me from fulfilling my sacred duty to the Ancient Vow. Who would dare oppose the abbot, at least without fearing for their lives?

Fresh hopelessness seeped into my chest.

The duke exchanged a pointed glance with Derrick.

“If you don’t turn around, ride out of here,” the abbot said, his voice ringing with the victory that was surely his, “and leave Ashby for good, I’ll begin cutting her up.”

Derrick shifted, and his jaw clenched with barely restrained anger.

“If you hand her over willingly,” the duke replied, “we may spare your life.”

The abbot’s thin fingers dug into me. Who was this man? Had he ever cared for me at all? Or had he guided me out of the selfishness of his heart for the control he’d hoped to gain over my lands when I was finally locked away in the convent?

“I haven’t gone to all the trouble to counsel her ladyship only to have you come in here at the last minute and steal all that’s rightly mine and to take away my dreams of building a holy empire.”

Now that the whole truth was out, my shoulders sagged with his betrayal. “I thought you loved me.” My voice quavered but I didn’t care. “I thought you truly wanted what was best for me, but this has only been about what you can gain, hasn’t it?”

“And I do want what’s best for your soul, my child.” His voice gentled near my ear. “But at this point you’re too enamored with the knights. You’ve become a simpering fool of a girl. And you’ve forced me to resort to this violence.”

“Hand her over.” The duke’s voice boomed through the church. “This is your last chance.”

A spurt of defiance rose within me. I didn’t want to be known as a simpering fool of a girl. Without giving myself time to rationalize my next move, I slapped the knife away from my throat, surprising the abbot, and ducked low as I’d seen Derrick do during his fighting.

“Now!” the duke shouted. Upon the command, Derrick flung his dagger so that it flew end over end directly toward the abbot.

I sank lower and covered my head with my bound hands.

Before the abbot could move, the sharp blade punctured his chest with a thud. He gave a pained scream, fell backward, and hit his head against the altar. For a long moment, his breath gurgled in his chest. Then he wheezed a final gasp and slumped lifelessly to the floor.

It was over. The nightmare was finally over. Even so, my body trembled uncontrollably.

“Rosemarie,” Derrick called, running toward me. Within seconds, he was at my side and reaching for me. I found myself being pulled against him, his arms surrounding me, his hands pressing my head against his chest.

“You were brave, my lady,” he whispered against my ear. “I don’t know that I would have had the daring to throw the dagger with you standing so closely to him.”

I had no doubt he would have thrown it regardless and would have made his mark. Nevertheless, I’d done something courageous. Perhaps it was an omen that I would be able to face my future the same way.

Derrick pulled me away from his chest, and his fingers found the cut on my neck.

I winced at the gentle contact. His eyes darkened into storm clouds.

I lifted my bound hands then and bravely touched the scar that ran below his eye and then his cheek. At my contact, he grasped me and swept me tight into his arms again, burying his face in my hair, which had come loose and now fell in tangled waves. He sucked in a deep breath and whispered near my ear. “I thought I’d lose you before I had the chance to tell you that I love you.”

A shimmer of wonder raced through me. “Derrick,” I whispered back in a thick voice.

Before I could tell him I loved him too, he burrowed his face deeper in my hair so that his lips grazed my ear. “I love you, Rosemarie. I’m just sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

I melted against him, relishing the heavy rise and fall of his chest. How was it possible to be dying inside one moment and wrapped in the arms of the man I loved the next? “Derrick,” I started again, but then stopped as I realized I was using his Christian name although he’d not given me leave to do so.

He pulled back and watched me expectantly, his brow quirking with the confidence that told me he knew exactly what I was trying to tell him.

I inwardly flushed, especially when I realized the other three knights had seen our display of affection and were near enough now to hear our conversation.

“My lady?” he said, tilting his head and waiting.