“Lord Pitt discovered the Holy Chalice on a recent raid and has it in his possession. You must find it for me. I will wait to rescue you until you have accomplished the deed.”
Upon reading the instructions, I rolled up the parchment and returned it to my pocket. I would find a way later to burn the paper so no one would know of my mission.
But for now, a mixture of emotions swirled inside me—disbelief, frustration, and even hurt that my father had placed me into this dangerous predicament. It was suddenly clear why he hadn’t come to Ludlow’s aid after receiving my missive regarding the attack. He’d wanted Lord Pitt to take me as prisoner so I would be in a position to steal the Holy Chalice.
Over the past few years, Father had been searching for the ancient relic since it was rumored to have curative powers. He’d heard the stories of healing from those who’d sipped wine from the cup just as the Lord did with His disciples during the Last Supper. Now he wanted the cup for Charles.
I couldn’t begrudge Father’s desire for Charles to be healed of his ailments. Poor Charles suffered debilitating seizures that left him weak and gasping for breath. None of the physicians Father brought in could find a way to help him, not through bloodletting, special vapors, or even expensive decoctions. Although the physicians never spoke too negatively of my brother’s condition, we all realized eventually one of the seizures would kill him.
I wanted to save Charles every bit as much as my father did. I loved the young boy. And I didn’t like to see him suffer.
However, was my father so partial that he was willing to sacrifice his daughters so his son could live? No wonder Cecil’s eyes had been filled with an apology. If he’d had a choice, he would have rescued us rather than passing along a message.
Aldric’s words from earlier pricked my conscience—the words that painted my father as a selfish man, one who thought only about himself and how he might profit.
“No,” I whispered harshly. Father only wanted to save Charles. He wasn’t planning to use the Holy Chalice for his own profit. And he was only calling upon me to do my duty to the family and to help save Charles.
Surely Father wouldn’t ask me to search for the chalice if doing so would put me into grave danger. Likely I’d be able to locate the holy relic quickly and get word to him easily enough. Then he’d come and figure out a way to free Izzy and me.
In the meantime, I would remain Lord Pitt’s unwilling prisoner.
Chapter
7
I bowed my head to Lord Pitt. In his center position at the head table, he was chewing upon a leg of mutton, the juice running down into his graying beard. Around him sat several of the king’s advisors. The rest of the great hall was empty except for a separate table with Pitt’s wife, Lady Glynnis, and her ladies.
With the retinue of knights and attendants having just returned, we would have to eat later after we unloaded the goods, took care of our mounts, and washed away the past two weeks of dust and grime.
“Windsor,” Pitt said between bites. “I hear you have succeeded once again.”
“Yes, my lord.” I rose to my full height and met Pitt’s gaze head-on. He was the only one who called me by my family name. Although he’d conceded to my desire not to reveal my identity as Baron of Hampton, he refused to address me by a simple knight’s title as everyone else did.
He was a stern man, his countenance granite. The long scar that ran from his left eye to his chin gave him a dangerous aura. But I’d learned in working for him that while he was hard and rough, he was also fair and just. He dared to do things none other in the realm would try, and because of that had won the favor of the king.
“Do you know who attacked you earlier?” Pitt asked before ripping another hunk of meat from the bone.
“No, my lord. Although I suspect it was the earl’s men.” I had no proof, except that our attackers had been no ordinary bandits. They’d been too skilled with their weapons and too prepared to fight. Strangely, they hadn’t attempted to steal anything and only engaged us in hand-to-hand combat for a short time before retreating.
If the earl had sent them, perhaps they’d discovered they were too outnumbered to manage to free the earl’s daughters. Or perhaps their surprise attack hadn’t worked the way they’d hoped.
Whatever the case, we pursued them in the woods a few dozen yards before I called my men to halt. We had no reason to seek them out further since they’d taken nothing. I hadn’t wanted to waste any more time in a futile chase when we were so close to Tolleymuth, Pitt’s primary residence.
Besides, I’d been concerned I would have to chase down Lady Olivia. I expected that once she realized she was no longer being monitored, she’d use the opportunity to ride off with her sister. I even wondered if that was the purpose of the attack in the first place, to draw us away and give Olivia a chance to escape.
When I returned a short while later, I was surprised to discover Olivia and Isabelle were still with Sir Darien. After sparring with her in combat, I knew she was a skilled fighter who would have no trouble overcoming an injured man. But the ladies had assisted him to one of the wagon beds, and Olivia had been in the process of cleaning his head wound.
She only lifted her chin higher when I told her I hadn’t expected her to be there and said, “You would have recaptured us, would you not?”
I was an excellent tracker, and indeed, I would have found her again. But the possibility of recapture hadn’t stopped her from attempting to escape before. There was more to her staying than she was disclosing, but I figured I’d learn the true reason soon enough.
“Bring me the earl’s daughters,” Pitt said between bites. “I want to see for myself what kind of prisoners I have.”
I nodded. I’d known Pitt would want to see the women. He’d likely heard rumors regarding Olivia’s beauty and desired to see for himself what kind of woman she really was.
As I exited the great hall, I was relieved to find Olivia and Isabelle sitting on the bench where I’d left them. Sir Darien stood guard on one side and Sir Perceval on the other. The presence of two guards wouldn’t have stopped Olivia from fighting her way free if she’d really wanted to. Why was she behaving now after she’d given me so much trouble earlier?
“My ladies,” I said with a bow. “Lord Pitt desires an audience with you.”
Olivia stood and smoothed a loose strand of her hair back under the veil that she’d donned upon our arrival. I could see that she’d done her best to dislodge the dust and grime of travel. Even so, a twinge of guilt needled me that I hadn’t allowed her and Isabelle to change their garments before meeting Pitt and his wife.
Of course, Olivia was as stunning as usual, with her red hair in stark contrast to her creamy skin and her beautiful green eyes, which never seemed to miss a single detail of her surroundings.
As she approached me, I couldn’t stop from thinking of earlier today when she’d ridden with me, how she’d relaxed against me and we’d been able to talk freely. I’d never spoken to any woman with such ease, not even Giselle.
At times during the journey, I’d even forgotten Olivia was supposed to be my prisoner, especially when I brushed against her. The lushness of her hair and the smooth curves of her shoulders and arms and waist had beckoned to me, awakening me to a woman’s presence in a way I hadn’t noticed since Giselle’s death.
Part of me was beset with guilt even though Giselle had been gone for two years. Such attention to another woman felt like betrayal to the woman I’d once loved. But another part of me welcomed the rebirth of feelings toward the fairer sex. Perhaps it meant I was finally putting my past behind me.
“What does Lord Pitt plan to do with us?” Olivia asked.
I didn’t exactly know, but I suspected he would be decent so long as Olivia didn’t threaten him. “Lord Pitt is a hard man,” I warned. “But if you do all that he asks, he will treat you fairly.”