The Dark Lady (47 page)

Peter told himself firmly that she would not betray him. He reminded himself it was fear left behind by his mother, but the doubt lingered persistently.

“
I do not think it your place to tell me of my wife and her goings and comings. I think you should concern yourself with what you do from now on.” With that Peter turned and walked away.

He took his place in the tall grass as the last of the daylight faded from the sky and watched the growing shadows closely for movement, but his mind wandered.

Vanessa was forced into a marriage with him and she was unhappy. These things he knew without a doubt.
What loyalty did she owe him?

Images of Vanessa in the arms of other men danced before him in the darkness. He closed his eyes tightly, but her writhing body taunted him behind his closed lids.

How could she do that? “That would explain why the men were so close to her.” His frustrated whisper disappeared into the darkness. And why they seemed so loyal, he thought.

He opened his eyes and tried to concentrate on the task at hand but doubts and jealousy tore at him. Pain stabbed his heart and a tight lump clogged his throat.

How many other men had she gone to? How many others knew her intimately? He could not bear to think of it. What was he to do? There had to be something he could do that would tell him if his suspicions were accurate.

Suddenly he saw several dark shadows moving among the sheep and thoughts of his betraying wife were lost.

The plan of attack was already set forth and no signal was needed. All the men knew what was expected of them and they moved quickly but silently. Peter’s heart began to race with adrenaline as they closed in on the intruders.

Peter was close enough to reach out and grab one of the dark figures when the peaceful night broke into chaos.

A deep grunt of pain and surprise was heard. Then a shout, then screams, and men began running. Peter heard the sounds of fighting and the thuds of blows connecting.

Eolian’s men broke away and began a steady retreat. Peter took chase. He barely registered the sounds of pounding feet behind him.

He felt a hand on his arm and slid to a stop as he was jerked around. He drew his fist back, but took an unsteady breath as his eyes focused on Grant’s face.

“
Peter, stop. What are you doing? We do not know how many men they have out there.” Grant gave Peter a gentle shake and gestured around the darkened trees. “Look how far we have already followed them.”

Grant dropped his hand from Peter’s arm and Richard stopped behind him as he looked around. He focused his gaze on the accusing face on the moon and realized his mind had not been on the chase. He did not know where he was.

Turning, he almost told that Grant he was right, almost, until he saw Richard standing alongside him. Then he felt his face redden and a scowl pulled at his lips.

His wife may have betrayed him, and he would find a way to discover the truth, but for his friend to have done it was something else. Anger shook his voice as he spoke. “What did you do?”

The men, breathing hard from the fast chase through the trees, had begun to gather around.

“
My lord?” Richard’s act at confusion enraged Peter.

He attacked the man he had thought of as a friend. Both men slammed to the ground. Peter got in several hits before he felt hands tugging at him.

Grant’s voice was almost panicked in the confusion. “Whatever it is, my lord, I would suggest we take it back to the castle.”

Peter was pulled to his feet and yanked back. Grant refused to release his arm when Peter twisted at it.

“
This is not the safest place to be distracted.” Grant pulled Peter along with him, taking the lead. The men followed.

Peter kept looking back at the men, each glancing at one another for some clue as to what had happened. Like they don’t know, Peter thought.

Back at the castle the men were led to the dining hall. Peter grumbled and said he was not going, but Grant tightened his grip on his arm and dragged him along.

Peter was confused by his thoughts. He could not pull himself from the past, from the pain of his mother’s abandonment.

Richard turned toward him with his fists clenched. “Now, shall we talk about why the men took off, or about what happened between us?” he stood facing his friend, his face red with anger or embarrassment.

Perhaps both, Peter thought as he took a deep breath to try and control the violent shaking that overtook his limbs. “They were somehow tipped off. Someone was seen, that is all. As to the other, I will talk to you in private.”

His voice rose as he bellowed across the room, “Horacio, Puelo, come.” His voice lowered. “Grant, you and Devenroe will stay as well.”

Again his voice boomed as he addressed the entire hall. “The rest of you may retire.”

He waited until the room was empty, save for the five of them, before turning on Richard again. “I trusted you, all of you and this is how you repay me. This is how you repay me for taking you in after the Dark Knight abandoned you.”

He ignored the look of sudden and dangerous outrage on Richard’s face and turned to Gary. “And you, this is your thanks for me taking in you and your sister.”

“
My lord—Peter, what is this about?” Grant asked.

“
They know. How many times have you taken my wife, Richard?”

Peter did not give him time for an answer. Ignoring the shocked and confused look on Richard’s face, he threw himself at his traitorous friend. They both hit the floor with a deep grunt of pain and Peter drove his fist into Richard’s face.

The men standing around tried to break it up, Peter just shrugged them off. What stopped him, when it finally registered, was Richard’s refusal to defend himself. He just lay there trying his best to protect his face from Peter’s blows. He did not throw a single punch.

Dark and poisonous jealousy rampaged through Peter’s system as he pulled himself off Richard. With his head hanging low, he sucked in deep and painful gasps of air. “Why do you not even fight back? You could at least have the decency to do that.”

Richard, blood spiraling down his thick whiskers from cracked and broken lips, just shook his head. “You are my friend. I will not hit you. When you are through and we can talk about this, then I will talk to you.”

Peter snorted loudly. “My friend, indeed.” He fought the urge to once more attack him. He had exhausted enough of his anger that he would not attack a man who would not even defend himself.

Richard shook his head sadly. “I do not know why you think I would betray you, but if I have done something that was offensive to you.” He took a deep breath and bowed his head in what looked like shame. “And I know I have.”

Peter’s heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach and rolled around, making him want to throw up. He did not want to hear more. It was his mother all over again.

Richard cleared his throat. He took a step closer to Peter and looked him in the eye, catching his gaze and holding it. “I have spent time with your wife. I have been with her alone and done things that I should not, with the Lady of the castle.” He lifted his hand when Peter moved to speak. “I do not know how to explain it. I am drawn to her, and although she is attractive, my attraction is not sexual.”

Peter’s breath began to slow and he clenched his fist tightly at his sides.

“
I look at her and think I know her, think I have seen her somewhere and then she talks to me.” Richard smiled in wonder and Peter wanted to punch him once again. “She treats me like I am her second-in-command and the men that came with me, hers.”

“
I have seen,” Peter growled, but his anger was calming and in its wake was more confusion. He did not want to believe his friends or his wife would betray him, but he could not stop the doubts.

Richard reached for his arm and Peter pulled away. “I should have put a stop to it. I just did not know how.” Richard said quietly and shrugged. “Honestly, I did not want to. I feel like she is my friend.”

Peter began to really listen and more, he could understand. He looked at the men who shuffled uneasily. He could see on their faces that they too felt the same. He felt the same recognition, the same familiar tugs at his conscious when he looked at her as they all did. This was not the first time it had been spoken of.

Richard looked back at the other men and then focused on Peter again. “I felt out of place here until she came along. It feels right that I stand at her side, and that I give her my loyalty, but above all else I am your friend.”

This time when Richard reached for his arm, he stood his ground and allowed Richard to grasp his elbow firmly. “I am loyal to you as I have only been to one other, the Dark Knight.” He shook his head. “I do not know why he felt he had to go, but I am grateful you took me in. I would not risk our friendship for even a woman as amazing as your wife.”

“
How am I to believe that?” Peter could hear the pathetic whine in his own voice and he cringed.

The doubts were deep seeded by his insecurities and jealousy. The confirmations by his loyal men had made those seeds sprout and take firm hold, reaching through his soul like weeds and strangling out the flowers of love that had begun to bloom there.

He wanted to believe that his friend of so many years would not betray him, but the evidence seemed overwhelming.

Turning to Gary, he asked him. “What of you, have you been alone with my wife as well?” He was sure he would get a denial.

“
Aye, my lord,” he said softly, keeping his gaze firmly on Peter’s face.

Peter clenched his teeth and hissed softly with a sharp intake of breath. Before he could speak Gary continued.

“
I went to see her in the garden to speak to her of Anna. She is close to my sister. Anna has been seen with Douglas Sheire.”

Peter relaxed his jaw and waited.

“
Since our mother is gone and Anna seems to look up to Lady Vanessa, calling her what has seemed to have stuck from the day she saved Joseph, the Dark Lady, I went to speak to her.” Gary smiled softly. “I did not want anyone to overhear my conversation so I spoke to her in the garden one day before supper.”

Peter watched him shrug and forced himself to relax. Peter was an only child, but he understood the love of family and the concern for those you are responsible for.

“
She promised to look after Anna, to protect my sister and to talk to her about things a mother should tell her. Things a brother cannot.” His face tinged in pink and he cleared his throat. “Things I would not even know where to start with.”

Having nothing to say to argue with that, Peter just looked to Devon, what would be his innocent excuse. “And you?”

Devon took a deep breath and cringed. His face darkened and he looked at his boots as he ran them back and forth across the floor. Peter saw the guilt wash over him but waited, anger blossoming behind his eyes, making him see spots of red. “Well?” He finally asked when Devon remained silent.

Devon looked up, his eyes twitched from side to side and he would not meet Peter’s gaze. “I am sorry, my lord.”

The blood pounded in Peter’s ears. His teeth bit into his bottom lip so hard he tasted blood. He was right, she had betrayed him. He stepped forward with clenched fists. “Tell me now.”

Devon’s face turned white, but he did not drop his eyes. “I went to see Lady Vanessa about Amy.” His words came fast and low. “It was Amy who told me to and—” He shook his head. “—nay, I will not involve her, I could have told her no, I just...” He took a deep breath. “I went to her to ask for permission to marry Amy.”

Peter’s mouth dropped open, and he slammed it shut so fast he hurt his teeth. “Why would you ask her? I am the one you should have come to?” Peter’s brow furrowed with surprise and distrust. He was sure he had caught the young man in a lie.

“
I told Amy that. That it was my duty to come to you since you were my liege lord.” He grunted and shook his head. “She told me you shouldn’t be.”

Peter sucked in a deep breath. Anger blossomed and his voice echoed through the large and mostly empty room. “She said what?”

Grant laid his hand on his shoulder and Peter shrugged it off. The men beside him shifted nervously.

Devon went on. His words now came out in a rush, growing faster and faster until he didn’t seem to breathe. “She said I had to ask her. Lady Vanessa is responsible for Amy, and I would have asked you, but Amy said she would not marry me if I did not ask Lady Vanessa.” His breathing had gotten ragged and his face was almost purple. “She said Lady Vanessa would think it her place as the one in charge of Amy and—”

It was concern for him that caused Peter to touch his arm. “Calm down. Breathe.”

Taking a long breath, he held it until Peter thought he may pass out, his face going from almost purple to a deep red.

He let it out in a whoosh. “I cry your pardon. I should have come to you.” Devon grasped his hand tightly and bowed over it. “Please my lord, I love Amy and would do nothing to hurt her.” He straightened this time, holding Peter’s gaze without guilt. “You have my loyalty.”

Peter pulled his hand away. “All of you leave me be.”

He turned his back on them as they shuffled from the room, but he could hear their soft mumblings. They were probably discussing his insanity, he thought bitterly.