Claimed By A Charmer (The Pith Trilogy) (5 page)

Raven’s Hill Castle

Nottinghamshire, England

May 1221

The corridor’s flickering torches
barely provided enough light to see by, but Isabel knew the way. She could hear
Nigel’s footsteps on the cobbles behind her. He laughed harshly and called to
her.

“Isabel, Isabel.”

If she could only make it to her
chamber and lock the door before he caught her.

“Isabel, come, can you not tell how
much you excite me?”

She gasped, hearing him close in on
her. Her heart pounded hard in her chest and she couldn’t breathe from running
so fast. Almost there, she thought, just a few more steps.

“I feel your fear, Isabel, aye it
makes me want ye. Cease running.”

She ran faster, but he was on her
heels. Her door was only a step away, but she tripped on a cobble, landing on
her knees. The pain of her scraped knees was forgotten when she glanced behind
her, and saw his form outlined in darkness. Nigel laughed snidely when he
reached her. Isabel kicked out at him, striking his thigh. He pulled her by her
neck with both hands fastened around her throat.

She grabbed his arms, trying to remove
his hands from her neck, but she wasn’t strong enough to gain her release.
Nigel lifted her and her feet dangled. A prayer crossed her mind, knowing she
would die.

“Hold still, I won’t choke ye. If you
don’t cease resisting me, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

She cried out when he released her,
letting her fall to the stones. Isabel sucked in air, barely able to draw
breath.

He grasped her hair, pulling her to
stand. “I just want a little entertainment, Isabel. I won’t hurt ye.”

 “Pray, Nigel, please release me.” She
kicked him again, her knee striking his abdomen, causing him to fall against
the wall. He dropped her to the floor. Isabel tried to crawl away, but he
clutched her foot, dragging her back.

“You dare strike me? I’ll be lord
one day, and you will learn to do my will,” Nigel shouted.

She lay on the floor tucked into a
defensive position, hoping to ward off his attack. He threw himself on top of
her body—nothing would stop him now. Nigel struck her jaw, knocking her
senseless. Isabel lay unmoving, barely conscious. Her ears rang and her eyes
couldn’t focus. Pain shot through her jaw and she couldn’t move her mouth.
Darkness came and Isabel escaped the terror.

“Come now, I didn’t kill ye with
that light tap.”

He picked her body off the floor,
and carried her to his chamber door. “I planned this for so long, and finally,
I will have ye.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, laughing while
running his hands over her arm.

She lay unmoving.

“What are you doing, Nigel? What
the hell! You cur.”

Isabel could hear voices, but she
daren’t open her eyes. She was fearful of what she would see. Her eyes began
tearing, so much so everything became blurry when she peeked. She knew her
younger brother was inside the room now. All she could think of was warning
Nathaniel to leave lest he be hurt too. Her chest racked with shutters from
crying, and she couldn’t for the life of her speak.

“Get out, Nate, leave us.”

“You’ll not use her like that.” Nathaniel
turned and yelled into the corridor. “Father, come quickly. Father!”

Nate walked to Nigel and grabbed
his arm. He flung him off the bed, onto the floor.

Her father entered the room a
minute later, she heard his voice.

“What’s the matter, Nathaniel? Why
are ye shouting? I could hear you from the rampart.”

“Father, look at what he’s done.” Nate
pointed to Isabel’s precarious position.

His father’s eyes moved from her
lying on the bed, to Nigel standing beside her.

“What is betwixt you two?” Her
father’s tone implied he’d feigned concern.

Nigel smirked then sighed at the
situation. “She wanted me, and I decided to give into her pleas. When I took my
clothes off, she fainted.”

“Nigel, you cannot have her. She’s
your sister for God’s sakes. Get away from her.” Nathaniel’s voice turned to
outrage. He shoved Nigel and frowned at their father.

“Father, let me have her. She’s
nothing but a simple girl. You shouldn’t be concerned.”

Her father rubbed his chin, and
looked to be considering his request for a moment.

“I don’t see why I should, Nigel,
but let me hear from her own mouth that she wants ye.”

Nathaniel took a pitcher from the
table, and poured water on Isabel’s face. She sputtered and opened her eyes. A gasp
escaped her when she was finally able to make a sound. Thankfully, Nathaniel
threw a covering at her and she quickly wrapped it around herself.

“Help,” she could barely get the
word out, her jaw throbbed.

“Nigel says ye wants him. I’ll give
you to him if that be your wish.”

She prayed her voice would find its
way out, but it wouldn’t.

Nigel spoke up, “Father, I’ve had
her. She’s now mine, and doesn’t know her own mind.”

“You didn’t take her without her
permission, did ye?”

“No, father, I wouldn’t do that. I
swear.”

Nigel’s falsehood was accepted by her
father, who nodded. She wanted to shout her outrage, but was only able to
muffle a cry.

“Isabel, return to your chamber at
once. Nigel, leave her be for now. Obviously she’s afeard of what you’ve done. Give
her time to get over her fear.”

Nigel gave her a contemptuous look
when she ran past him.

Isabel wrapped the fur cover
tightly around her as she entered her chamber, then quickly locking the door
behind her. Her hands shook so much that she could barely pull the latch to
secure the door. She fled to her bed and curled into a ball.

Oh, God, I must leave at once.
A knock startled her from her prayer.

“Nathaniel. Open the door, Issy.”

Isabel ran to it and unlatched the
lock. Her brother came inside and crossed the room, looking as bleak as she
felt.

“Lock the door. He might be right
behind me.”

She slid the latch into place and
sat on the bed. Nathaniel sucked a breath when he got a good look at her face. He
went to her nightstand and retrieved a cloth. When he returned, he sat on the
bed and held her in his arms. He applied the cool cloth to her face, and it
felt much better.

“Did he …?”

Isabel wasn’t knowledgeable in such
matters and wasn’t sure. During the minutes after he’d struck her jaw, she
hadn’t been aware of anything. Maybe he had done the deed. Her eyes began
watering at the thought. “I—”

“Nay, don’t speak. By the look of
it, he must have. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect ye, Issy. Father will
concede and let him do whatever he wishes. I know you’re scared, and I am too,
for you. I wish you would let me kill him. I know, I know I promised I
wouldn’t. I could kill him easily, Issy, it’s what that bastard deserves.”

Nate hugged her and lessened her
fear somewhat. She knew Nigel was definitely of an insane mind. Her father was
too, but Nate, he was her protector. Nate had safeguarded her day in and day
out since her return from the Gordon’s holding.

“Ye must leave here, but where
could you flee?”

Isabel pulled away from him and
went to her table, where she kept her correspondence. She took the note she’d
written to Candace and gave it to him.

“Ye want me to deliver this so
Candace will send her brother?”

She nodded. Taking his hand, she
led him to the window, and pointed to the bailey, where her friend Russ stood. He
always stood guard this time of night. She hoped her brother would understand.

“Father won’t let me leave.”

She shook her head and pointed
through the window casement. He looked through and understood. Her throat
burned and no sound would come, so she mouthed Russ’ name.

“Ah, you want me to have Russ take
your note to Candace? I’ll see if I can get him to do so. Stay inside your
chamber, and I’ll make sure the chambermaids bring food.”

Isabel swallowed and spoke. “Why is
Nigel so …?” She sounded hoarse.

“Demented? Issy, they both are. I
must keep ye safe until I can figure out something. Don’t worry so. We’ll get
you somewhere safe. Just don’t open that door to anyone.”

Isabel walked him to the door. Nathaniel
was one good lad, against two evil souls. At five and ten, he was rather young
to go against them, and she felt disheartened depending on him. It was a matter
of the good versus the wicked.

She immediately went to her basin
and scrubbed her skin until it hurt, just to get the vile touches of Nigel’s
hands from her body. Once cleaned, she sat on the bed thinking about her
circumstances. The night air blew the cover on her window casement as she sat
for hours staring at it. How long would she have to stay inside the room? Her
father wouldn’t arrange a marriage for her, she knew that now. Her hope of
marrying a man and living a normal life was completely dashed. She would have
to ponder a plan for her future and escape from hell.

Nathaniel Calvert observed his
father, Morton Calvert, lord of Raven Hill, watching him and his brother throughout
supper. Nathaniel’s stomach couldn’t handle food, not while sitting with his
crude father and brother. He knew his father’s thoughts about his children. How
many times had he said that Nigel was as dark and crude as Nathaniel was light
and forbearing? Nigel made him proud to be his father, while he took after
their mother.

She had too good a heart for the
likes of his father, but her beauty was what his father had coveted. He’d
always said that his strength was catechized in his children. After bearing
Nathaniel, his mother had succumbed to childbirth. At least she’d given his
father sons to carry on his name before she departed, but she’d given him a
daughter that his father longed to rid himself of. Those were his father’s
beliefs, which had been ingrained in his children since they’d all been young. Nate
didn’t hold the same sentiment.

If Nigel wanted Isabel, his father
wouldn’t deny his eldest’s request. His sister’s safety didn’t overly concern
their father. Nathaniel loved his sister, and always protected her. He knew his
father considered sending him to another keep for training, hoping it would
harden him, but Nathaniel had been able to stay at his father’s manor. His
father thought the matter inconsequential enough to be put off.

“Father, have you made a decision?”

“About what, Nathaniel?” His father
looked up from his trencher.

“About Isabel, you cannot mean to
let Nigel have her in that way. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like a serf.”

“She’s a girl, not much better than
a serf. I don’t see why Nigel cannot have her.”

“You cannot mean that, Father. If
that is so, why don’t you send her away? She doesn’t want him, she’s told me
so. Why, it goes against everything I believe, and what she believes. God
wouldn’t condone such a sin.”

His father’s eyes narrowed at his
harsh speech.

“She’s of little consequence and
has no say. I’ll give her time to get over her fear. As to God, He made men the
wiser—the stronger—and put women here for one purpose, Nathaniel, to bear man’s
children. Doesn’t matter which.”

Nathaniel shook his head at his
father’s fallacious sentiment. He could never get him to change his view. There
was only one way to save Isabel.

“Father, if he gets her with child,
do you realize what could happen?” Nate put in motion his backup plan. His
father was of a superstitious nature, and it would only aid his sister.

His father swiped his sleeve over
his mouth, sitting forward. “Nathaniel, do you speak of witchery?”

“If she gets with child, her
children will be insane. She will probably become maddened herself. Darkness
would befall us all.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I heard
stories of such happenings between relations. Do ye think that could happen?”

“Aye, I do. Ye should consider such
before you give her to him. He’ll drive her mad and she will wreak havoc on
your home. Do you really want that to happen?”

“If she’s with child, she could verily
be going mad.” His father’s head rose, looking toward the steps. His eyes
widened.

“Aye, what then?” Nate tried to
sway his father’s trepidation. “She will be wrath and cause ye much tragedy and
misfortune. Mayhap darkness has befallen?”

Nigel laughed at his conversation
with their father. “Father, you’ll have to send her to Fairview Asylum. You’ll
not want a deranged woman in our household.”

Nathaniel stood, knocking his chair
backward. How could he suggest such a thing? “Father, if ye send her there,
she’ll not return. No one has ever seen the girls sent there again. Nay, don’t
listen to Nigel. Ye should send her to our aunt’s. She will trouble ye no
further.”

“The girl cannot stay here. I’ll
not have someone with lunacy in my keep nor interfering with your brother’s
training. Aye, ‘tis time she was sent away.”

“Father, I implore ye, she won’t go
mad. He’s trying to get her for himself,” Nigel said.

“I’ve made my decision. Nigel, find
another girl to couple with. You’ll both stay away from her. I must have the
two lecherous sons in England,” his father muttered in disgust.

“Father, I’ve never wanted Issy
like that. She’s my sister and I care for her.” Nathaniel gave a repulsive look
at his brother.

“I’ll not have her affecting ye. My
decision is made.” His father banged the table, and strode from the hall.

“You played right into my hands. I
tell you, Nate, when father dies, you’ll be the first idiot I rid myself of.”

“You can certainly try, Nigel. You’re
a bastard for hurting our sister like that. At least I’ve been able to convince
father not to let you have her.”

“Yeah, but she’s going to the
asylum, the perfect place for her. I’m jealous of the keeper there,” he baited.
“He will have sporting fun. Mayhap I’ll visit once in a while and avail
myself—”

Nathaniel struck his mouth to cut
off his vile remark. “You’re a whoreson, Nigel. I should kill you. If you
weren’t my brother, I would.”

“Damn ye, Nathaniel.” Nigel licked
the blood on the side of his mouth. “You’ll pay for that.” He rubbed his chin
and left the hall.

Nathaniel watched him leave. He
hoped he had given him more than a bloody lip, like a loose tooth or a cut on
his loathsome tongue. Though Nigel was the sovereign son, Nate was bigger, and
more intelligent. His brother couldn’t best him in a fight. One day Nate would
make his brother pay for his wrongdoings, every single one of them. He had
planned his revenge, and sooner or later the day would come when he could
inflict it.

*****

Isabel closed the door behind
Nathaniel and was disheartened by what he’d told her. She couldn’t believe the
conversation he’d had with their father. She did laugh about Nate’s ploy on her
father’s superstitious nature, but she doubted it would help much.

A fortnight had passed since Isabel
locked herself in her chamber. As promised, Nathaniel had the maids bring her
food, but he wasn’t able to give Russell her note to deliver to Candace. Russ
had been sent to another keep with messages her father needed delivered. She
despaired, until she’d heard the maids talking about Russ’ return this very
day.

She became lonely waiting for Nate
to find someone to take her message to Candace. Somehow she would find a way to
send it herself. A noise from the lower bailey echoed from the wall, alerting
her that someone was outside. Isabel ran to the window. She hoped her father
wasn’t outside, and that she could yell to one of her friends. Luckily, she saw
Russell, carrying a large vat of water, strolling along.

“Russell.”

He glanced up at her window. “What
are ye up to, Isabel?”

“I need your help. Can you sneak up
here?”

“Your father and Nigel are in the
hall, but if I wait until later, I might be able to get past them.”

“Please, I need to speak to you,
Russell.”

“Are you well? I heard that you
locked yourself in your chamber.”

“Aye, I’m well enough. I’ll await ye.
Until tonight then?”

“Aye, I’ll come.” Russell continued
on his way, taking the water in the kitchen entrance.

Isabel moved away from the window. Her
plan for escape was made, all she needed was her message carried to the Kerr
clan. Nigel wouldn’t be put off much longer. He had banged on her chamber door
for the past five nights. Luckily, her door was well locked and he couldn’t
gain entrance.

She returned to her pallet, but
then heard the bang at her door.

“Isabel, open this damned door,”
her father demanded.

“Nay, go away. I don’t wish to see
ye.”

“Open the door, child. If you don’t
open it, it’ll be worse for you.”

Isabel unlatched the door. Her
father pushed the door open wider, and entered the room.

“I’ve come to find out if you’re
with child. Are ye?” He seemed to be searching her eyes for the maddened look
that he’d been told about. Nate filled her in on their conversation at supper
that night. She wasn’t deranged, but would keep her distance anyway. Truly, now
with her father in her presence, it wasn’t a laughing matter. His mean look
scared her a bit.

“I don’t deem so. How would I
know?” Why would he ask such a question?

“You know not of womanly matters? Have
you gotten your woman’s chore yet?”

Isabel’s eyes widened. She’d never
answer such a lewd question and remained silent.

He nodded. “Then we will await
until we know for sure.”

“Father, I’m certain I am not with child.
Surely you don’t mean to let Nigel have me.”

“Nay, I won’t let him have ye. You
will obey me, and not question me further. If you are with child, you could
become maddened. We cannot have that here.”

Her father looked to want to vacate
the chamber, not willing to be in the same room with a woman who was mad. His
gaze kept returning to the door.

Isabel felt relief hearing his
words. She took a determined step toward him. “Why do you hate me so, Father? I
have always been a good daughter, obeying ye. I don’t understand how you can
treat me this way.” She tried not to cry, but it became difficult to hold back the
tears. She finally asked the question that plagued her since childhood.

“Hate ye? I don’t hate ye, Isabel. You’re
female, and I don’t concern myself with mundane subjects such as women. I have
more important matters to see to. Now—”

“But you’re my father and I should
be important to you.”

“Am I? Mayhap mother played me
false. I’d only sire good strong sons, not fragile females. Your mother must have
…” He trailed off, seeing her tears.

“I am your daughter, don’t try to
pretend otherwise. I demand to know why you abhor me. What have I ever done to
make you despise me so?”

“Demand? You’ve no rights being
female. You should have been born a boy then you’d have rights. I will send you
to Fairview Asylum at the soonest. There you’ll stay, and I shall be rid of
you. I should have done this long ago.”

“Good, I’ll never return here, never.”

“I’m only concerned for Nigel. He’ll
take my place when the time comes and—”

Isabel threw her arms in the air. “Why
be concerned for him? He’s not of good character. He’ll not be a good lord to
our people, but you don’t care about that, do ye?”

Her father scowled. “Nay, his
manner is that of Lord, as it should be. My people will look to him as their
lord when my time comes. I do not answer to you in these matters.” He walked to
the door, turned, and looked over his shoulder. “Be ready to leave at first
light.” He slammed the door behind him.

Curse him. Why was she burdened
with such a wretched father? He didn’t love her, but to actually despise her… It
didn’t matter now. She would leave and never return. Pacing the room, she
waited for Russell. He took forever and she wondered if he would actually come.

“God, please, I need him to get my
message to Candace.”

Another hour passed, and she
continued to pace, expecting Russell’s arrival. Three taps came upon her door,
and she ran to it, whispering though the crack. “Who is it?”

“’Tis Russell, open up, Issy.”

Isabel opened the door slightly,
seeing her friend in the hallway. “Hurry, get inside.” She yanked his arm,
pulling him through the door.

“What’s going on?”

“I need you to deliver a message to
the Kerr clan, to my friend Candace. Do you remember her? She’s the girl I visited
when I went to Uncle Stan’s holding.”

“You want me to ride to the Highlands?”
He had a note of incredulity in his voice.

“You must find a way, Russ. It’s my
only hope.”

“My lady, ‘tis a good distance, and
the Scotsmen might kill me, but I’ll go for ye.”

Russell wouldn’t deny her request,
no matter what dangers he would encounter. She knew he had loved her since she
was young, but knew he could never pursue her. He’d sworn to protect her long
ago, and for that, she cared for him.

Isabel hugged him. “Thank you, Russ,
and whatever you do, do hurry. It’s my only hope to escape. Give the message to
Candace, no one else. I’m being sent to Fairview Asylum, and I need her help.” She
handed him the rolled scroll. Though she wanted to escape this night, she wouldn’t
endanger him further. He’d put his safety aside just delivering her message,
and she wouldn’t ask more.

“Asylum?” His eyebrows rose. “Ye
should come away with me now, my lady. I’ll get you to safety and then take
your message to Candace.” He took her arm, pulling her to the door.

Isabel yanked her arm free. “Nay, I
cannot risk your being caught. Just get my message to Candace, that’s all I shall
ask.”