A Knight of Honor (47 page)

When they didn’t stop at the second floor, but continued to the third floor, he knew where they were taking her.
 
His mother’s old room.
 
Panic struck him.
 
Was she hurt?
 
What were they doing to her?

He reached the door just as a soldier was shutting it.
 
He pushed the other guards aside and slammed his fist on the door, halting the soldier’s movement.
 
He shoved the door open.
 
And then stood motionless in the doorway for a moment, horrified at what he found.

Taylor sat on the edge of the bed, hunched forward, her hands clasped in her lap, her long black hair hanging over her face, obscuring it from his vision.
 
His little wildcat was trembling.

“Taylor?” he murmured, approaching her.

“Stay away from me.”

The snarl froze him in his tracks.
 
Slane didn’t know whether to take her in his arms or to leave her alone for the moment.
 
“What happened?” he asked.

There was a long moment of silence before Taylor answered, “You got what you wanted.
 
You manipulated me perfectly.”
 
Her voice was so quiet that he wasn’t even sure if those were her words.
 
A sob shook her body.
 
“How perfectly you played me the fool.”

“Taylor,” Slane protested, her words ripping a hole through his heart.
 
He lowered himself to his knees before her.
 
“I never lied to you.”

“You didn’t have to,” she whimpered in a cry that spilled from her soul.

Slane glimpsed the agony on her face, the tears that sparkled like gems on her cheeks.
 
He wanted desperately to touch her and promise her that everything would be all right.
 
He lifted his hand toward hers, but she shifted her body, moving away from his touch.
 
The trust she had put in him had somehow been taken away and he felt devastated.
 
“Taylor,” he whispered desperately, “I don’t understand.
 
What did I do?
 
I’ve done – ”

She lifted her eyes to lock with his.
 
Disbelief and anguish glimmered in those deep green orbs.
 
“You brought me here, knowing I was to be his wife.
 
And you didn’t even tell me.”

He knew she was right as soon as the words left her lips.
 
He had known all along that he should have told her.
 
But somehow, it hadn’t seemed important.
 
At first, he had merely wanted the mission over.
 
But then, as he traveled with her, he was afraid that she would not accompany him to Castle Donovan and some mercenary would find her...

The thought of her death, because he had no doubt she would fight to the end, was more agonizing than telling her the truth.
 
So he had let her believe that her father wanted her returned, let her believe that she could join forces with Richard to avenge Jared’s death.
 
But still, he should have told her.
 
He should have allowed her to make her own decision.
 
Now she would never trust him again.
 
All his life he had lived by a code of truth, of honor.
 
And now the one person he wanted to have faith in him would never believe him again.
 
Not even if he told her that the sun would rise every morning.
 
The thought staggered him and he rose unsteadily to his feet.
 
“Taylor,” he said, “I will do everything in my power to make this right.”

“Don’t bother,” she retorted.
 
“You’ve done quite enough already.”

Slane stared hard at Taylor for a long moment, words refusing to come.
 
Not knowing what else to say to her, and unprepared for the torment her rejection caused, he turned to the door and opened it, departing from the room in silence.

Three guards stood outside the door, all raising their eyes to Slane when he emerged.
 
They quickly looked away from his scowl, finding interest in the lint on their tunics, a crack on the wall, the dirt on their boots.

Slane forced himself to walk down the hall, concentrating on each step as he felt his insides crumbling.
 
He had not considered the disastrous consequences of his deception.
 
Deception?
 
Yes, he admitted to himself.
 
Deception.
 
That was exactly what it was.
 
He had deceived Taylor, led her to believe something that wasn’t altogether the truth.
 
And now he felt as though his world were breaking apart.
 
He had not lied to her!

No.
 
He had not lied.
 
Her father had, indeed, wanted to speak to her and make amends.
 
Her father had gone to great lengths to get her back, to redeem himself, even promising her in marriage to Richard.

Slane entered the spiral staircase and stopped.
 
He leaned his forehead against the cold stone wall.
 
God’s blood, what have I done?
 
He had twisted the truth until it fit his mission, not telling Taylor the most important part.
 
The part that would change her life forever.
 
He felt his heart aching until he thought it would explode in his chest.

He lifted his hands to either side of his head.
 
Taylor, a woman who gave her trust very frugally, if at all, had given it to him.
 
And he had betrayed her.

He pounded the wall with his fists and groaned.
 
He had betrayed the one woman who meant more to him than anything in the world.
 
The one woman he was willing to give his life for.
 
He had hurt her.
 
Deceived her.

He lifted his head and resolve filled his thoughts.
 
It was time to undo the wrong he had done.

***

Slane rapped hard on the door.
 
When no one answered, he knocked again, more insistent.

“Damn!” a voice hollered from the other side of the door.
 
Then the door was flung open and Richard stood before him, naked and furious.

Slane pushed past him.

“Come in, brother,” Richard said sarcastically.

Slane heard the door close behind him.
 
The moment he entered the room, he saw Anna bent over the side of the bed, her naked bottom sticking out toward him.

“Care to take a turn?” Richard asked.

“Get rid of her,” Slane said.

A smile lit Richard’s face.
 
“Debtless you are a force to be reckoned with.”
 
Richard snapped his fingers.
 
Anna was at his side instantly.
 
“However, I think I’ll keep the wench here for when we’re done.”

Slane clenched his teeth tightly; his eyes narrowed.

“What troubles you, brother?” Richard wondered, moving back to sit on the side of the bed, pulling Anna next to him.
 
When she slid her hand down his stomach toward his manhood, he pushed her away from him, commanding, “Be good.
 
You’re in the company of a man who is betrothed, after all.”

“I am no longer betrothed,” Slane said.

“What?” Richard gasped.
 
“But it was father’s last wish!”

Slane turned his back on Richard and moved toward the window.

“What happened?
 
Did she find some flaw in your honorable nature?” Richard probed.

Slane threw open the shutters, letting the bright sunlight into the dark room.

Richard groaned and shielded his eyes.

“I don’t love her,” Slane said.

Richard guffawed.
 
“Love has nothing to do with marriage!
 
Or I would be marrying a lusty girl like Anna here and not that man-woman.”
 
He dipped his fingers between Anna’s thighs and she squealed in delight.
 
“Imagine!
 
A woman with a sword!
 
It’s obscene.”

Slane clenched his fists and slowly turned to Richard.
 
“Just why are you marrying Taylor?
 
Her father is dead.
 
There is no more dowry!”
 
Slane heard the desperation in his own voice.
 
He silently cursed himself.
 
He had to be stronger.
 
He had to stay in control.

Richard’s gaze rose from Anna to Slane.
 
“No, there is no more dowry.
 
A shame.
 
Now instead of a mere dowry, all of Sullivan’s lands and all that the treasury holds will be mine.
 
Curse my rotten luck, eh, brother?”
 
Richard grinned coldly at Slane.
 
“I would be a fool to let her slip through my fingers.
 
And I’m not a fool.”

“Castle Donovan is wealthy.
 
Its lands are rich and fertile.
 
Surely by next spring –”

“The treasury is depleted.
 
I need her gold.
 
And I need it now.”

“There is plenty of food for the winter.
 
What could you possibly need her gold for?”

“I need it to pay my knights,” Richard said simply.

“I’ll lend you the gold for that,” Slane insisted.

Richard scowled and slowly rose before his brother.
 
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want me to marry her.”

Slane couldn’t meet his brother’s gaze.
 
He returned to staring out the window, looking over the lands, studying the distant village.

Richard shrugged.
 
“Besides there are other things that I’ve grown accustomed to.
 
Do you know how expensive silk is?
 
And my women like little baubles from France occasionally.
 
And there is the dolphin that I so love.”
 
Richard smacked his lips.

And then Slane understood.
 
Richard was going to ruin Taylor’s life because he liked to eat dolphin at feast time and to give his wenches trinkets and new dresses.
 
Slane clenched his teeth.
 
“What will it take?”

“For what?” Richard wondered.

Slane turned to him, his jaw tight.
 
“To free her.”

“To free her?” Richard echoed in confusion, standing before his brother.
 
“She isn’t a prisoner.
 
She’s to be my wife.
 
There is nothing to free her from.”

“I’ll give you the gold you need for your knights’ pay,” Slane continued as if Richard hadn’t spoken.
 
“What else will it take?”

“That will deplete your years of savings.
 
Surely you can’t be serious.”

“What else will it take?” Slane demanded.

Richard studied Slane’s face.
 
Slane tried desperately to keep it blank, but he had never been good at hiding his emotions.
 
That was the trap he had fallen into with his father.
 
His father had known Slane didn’t want to marry and so had betrothed him to Elizabeth.
 
Now Richard would read his feelings and use them against him.