I’d pricked my finger with a needle and had asked Lady Glynnis if I might return to my chamber to bandage it. She’d eyed me coldly but also with a glimmer of animosity that had been growing since the dance two nights ago.
The other ladies had been more standoffish as well, regarding me with antagonism that I guessed had something to do with my dance with Sir Aldric. Izzy had commented that the ladies were merely jealous because he’d spent three dances with me and only one with them.
I wanted to tell the other ladies they had nothing to worry about, that since the dance, Aldric had gone out of his way to avoid any encounters with me. He had no designs upon me any more than he did them.
Not that I wanted him to have any designs for me. Yes, I could admit I found him attractive. And yes, I understood why young maidens vied for his attention, especially if the mere sight of him made their pulses quicken as it did mine.
However, he’d been clear he had no intention of marrying again. I could only surmise he’d loved his wife deeply and couldn’t fathom loving anyone the same way.
Even if he wasn’t in love with his late wife and even if there was something growing between us, I was leaving Tolleymuth soon and would likely never see him again, not after Father finalized my betrothal to Lionel.
The last two nights as I’d lain in bed, I’d tried to picture Lionel and conjure feelings for him. But nothing about him moved me, nothing in his appearance, his speech, or his conduct. I wanted to remember conversations we’d had or smiles we’d shared, but nothing came back to me, except the conversations and smiles I’d shared with Aldric.
“I’ll make memories with Lionel,” I’d assured myself. “And eventually over time, love will grow between us.”
Not all marriages were love matches. Even if my marriage to Lionel never developed into one of love, we would still work together for the greater good of our families. That’s what mattered the most—loyalty to family. Feelings would come and go, but family would remain steadfast.
I glanced around the closet, scanning the rest of the shelves, searching for anything that might be worthwhile. So far, the room was turning out to be a storage area for junk rather than treasure.
Stifling a sigh, I dropped in front of one of the chests. I placed the candlestick on the top of another chest before I pulled a pin out of my hair and inserted it into the keyhole. With a few jiggles and jabs, the lock clicked open. Cecil had taught me well.
The chest in Aldric’s chamber had been just as easy to open. I still needed to find a way to return to his room so I could finish my search there. And I needed to do it soon. Time was slipping away. Father would be expecting word of my accomplishment any day. He’d placed his faith in me, and I couldn’t let him down.
After all, he’d approved of my combat training with Cecil, especially in the days before Charles had been born. In those days, I’d been like a son to him. He’d also allowed, even fostered, my education in languages, mathematics, and the sciences. He’d checked on my progress regularly. And I’d always looked forward to the opportunities to impress him with my knowledge as well as my physical prowess with the sword.
His visits, while infrequent, had been a highlight for me. The rare approval in his eyes had kept me training and learning diligently so I would one day make him truly proud of me.
After Charles’s birth, it had taken time for me to notice my father didn’t visit me as often at Ludlow, and that when he did, he was no longer interested in my training and education. He took me on fewer hunts and excursions, until eventually he’d stopped altogether.
I’d tried to discover ways to draw his attention back to me. But I’d finally resigned myself to the reality that Charles had replaced me. Father had finally gotten the son he’d longed for, and I’d been relegated to my proper place as a daughter.
When Father began negotiating for my position as the future Marchioness of Clearwater, I’d understood my new role, that I would please Father best and earn his favor again if I made an advantageous match. Such was the place of a daughter. I might not be the center of his attention anymore, but I could still make him proud by the efforts I made in securing a match that would elevate his status and prestige.
Of course, I didn’t begrudge Charles Father’s affection since he suffered so often from the seizures that left him weak and tired. During the times I’d visited my brother at Wigmore, I witnessed his attacks, his eyes rolling back in his head, his frail frame wracking with uncontrollable movements, and his gasping struggles to breathe. I feared for his life every time I watched him go through that. And I lamented his weakness and inability to truly enjoy life.
I understood Father’s driving need to find the Holy Chalice. He was seeking a remedy to not only save Charles and lessen his suffering but to improve the quality of his life. Father had been on a mission to find the Holy Chalice for the past year. He’d even gone to the continent in his search.
If he believed Lord Pitt now had the ancient relic, I couldn’t fail to find it. Not only did it have the potential to help Charles, but finding it would be one more way I could make my father take notice of me and appreciate my skills. Perhaps he’d love me again, the way he had before Charles had been born.
After another glance over my shoulder to make certain I was still alone, I lifted the lid of the first treasure chest. Silver and gold coins glimmered in the amber candlelight. I wasn’t interested in the coins. Instead, I dug my hand through the pile and searched beneath for anything else buried there. The clinking of the metal seemed to echo off the walls, and I was sure the women in the corner of the great hall could hear my searching.
“Check in Lord Pitt’s solar,” came a woman’s voice.
I jerked back, removing my hand from the chest. At my hasty movement, some of the coins slid from the pile and spilled onto the floor with a decisive jangle.
“In there!” The woman’s voice was louder, and I recognized it as belonging to Lady Glynnis. “In the treasury closet!”
I lowered the lid of the chest and scrambled away from it while frantically searching for a hiding place. None of the chests were big enough and none wide enough to fit inside.
The rapid footsteps approaching the half-open door told me that not only would I find no place to hide, but I also wouldn’t be able to make an escape. My sights returned to the bottom shelf with the dusty armor. Were there any old weapons I could use to fight my way free?
I saw nothing that would be helpful and resigned myself to the only option I had left: stay and make an excuse for why I was in Lord Pitt’s treasury room, then pray everyone believed me.
The door swung wide, and the light from the arched windows poured inside revealing me standing in the middle of the treasury room.
A tall knight I recognized from among Aldric’s men filled the doorway. Behind him two other knights approached. And a woman wearing an elaborate headdress.
The heavily padded roll with dangling jewels belonged to none other than Lady Glynnis. As she pushed her way forward, the knights stepped aside, allowing her access to the treasury room.
Her hefty chest rose and fell in labored breathing, and her fleshy cheeks were red from exertion.
Had she followed me after I left the sewing circle? If she’d hurried after me, perhaps she’d noticed that I’d veered off into her husband’s chambers instead of ascending to the next floor where the women’s rooms were located.
“Arrest this woman.” Lady Glynnis pointed her bejeweled hand at me, her fingers laden with rings and her wrists with bracelets and ribbons.
“My lady, I was only searching for a vial of medicine to ease the sting of my cut.” I swiped up one of the glass bottles from the shelf.
“You’re a thief.” Her words were sharp and her small dark eyes full of accusation. “Just as I suspected.”