The Dark Lady (48 page)

He had to find a way of putting his doubts to rest one way or the other. He considered his choices as he made his way to his chambers and his big empty bed.

The only one of the men that he was sure was not lying was Devon. Not because he trusted him more, but simply because going to her as if she was the liege lord was as much a betrayal to Peter as if he had lain with her. He knew the boy well enough to know if he was going to lie, he would have chosen a safer one.

Options for discovering the truth flew threw his mind and were immediately dismissed as useless. The only one that kept resurfacing was to find someone that Vanessa had showed particular interest in and see if she would betray him.

It had to be someone he could trust to tell him the truth. His first thought had been Hestlay, but he did not think Vanessa showed any signs of being interested in him. She showed him respect, but that was all.

He went through the list of those she appeared close to. Some of which, like Gary and Richard were dismissed for obvious reasons. One name crossed his mind and stuck—Telpher Constaire—and he was a man Peter trusted. He had been with Peter for many years and was loyal without fault.

Telpher had also spent much time with Vanessa. Peter had seen them on several occasions. Vanessa acted like she knew the young man, asking him questions of his family, his life and the changes in it over the last few years.

Peter had been jealous of the time they spent together, but Telpher was happily married and had turned down many women because he would not betray his wife. So Peter had pushed the unwanted emotion away easily.

Peter tossed and turned that night, pain and confusion, stealing sleep from his grasp. An empty side to his bed was not the only thing on his mind as sleep eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the men and his wife.

Long before morning, he gave up the pretense and left his bed.

Sitting with the brandy in his library, he tried to keep his mind blank and as the sun was beginning to come through the trees he searched out Telpher.

Once found, Peter led him to the servants’ entrance at the rear of the castle. The candle in Peter’s hands threw trembling light across the wooden beams that ran through the stonework of the thick walls. The cobwebs he had seen so many times before had been washed clean, probably from his nice little, well, big wife. She could not be construed in any way as little. Not in stature or in attitude, he thought with a snort.

He turned his attention to the man who followed silently behind him. “I need to ask you something. Can I trust you?”

“
Of course, my lord,” Telpher said, an arched brow marring his high forehead with wrinkles.

Peter sat the candle in a crook in the wall and turned back to him.

“
You can still say nay.” He began but Telpher shook his head. “Don’t shake your head until you hear it. I have heard several people tell me Vanessa is not faithful—”

Telpher’s questioning look turned angry. “My lord, Lady Vanessa would not—”

“
I know. I have heard that also. What I need is peace of mind. I want you to seduce my wife.” Peter ignored the shocked look that rippled through Telpher’s chocolate brown eyes and pushed onward before he could talk himself out of it. “I know she likes you and if anyone can get her you can.”

Telpher arched his brows and smirked. “I don’t think that is—”

Peter continued without waiting for him to finish. “I also trust you to tell me the truth and not take her all the way. Just far enough to know that she will.”

“
I do not think this is a good idea, my lord. I know she will not be happy...” His features took on a worried almost frightened look.

Peter felt anger spread through his features, heating his face.

Telpher looked at him and then sighed. “I will do whatever it is you need of me, my lord. I pledged to give my life for you.” He shuddered. “Even if it is to the lady of the castle when I anger her.”

“
You will be fine. She is not violent.”

Telpher gave a snort of laughter at this and a quick vision of the bloody mess she had made of the guards posted outside her door flashed before Peter. He pushed it away. If she hit Telpher, Peter would make it up to him.

“
She should be home any day now. Just find her alone. See her in the garden. That seems to be where she likes to take the men.” Painful anger tightened his throat, leaving a lump behind. He cleared his throat and tried to speak around it. “Tell her whatever you need to, to get her to betray me. Then let me know how it goes. I want to know, no matter what.” Peter really did not really want to know, but he needed to. “Do you understand me?”

“
Aye. I understand.” Telpher looked as though he wished to say more, but held his tongue.

“
Good,” Peter said. It would be settled one way or the other soon and he would know the truth.

They turned away from the door and toward the dining hall where breakfast would soon be served. They had just rounded the corner into the shadows when the servants’ door burst open.

Peter glanced back to see Vanessa pushing it closed. He stepped into the shadows and pushed Telpher toward her. Only after he had done so did he wonder what she was doing home so soon and why had he not heard a carriage. He pushed away the worry that things had not gone well with her father. One problem to solve at a time, he thought as Telpher approached her.

CHAPTER 22

Startled at the noise of scraping feet behind her, Van’s breath caught. She turned, putting her back against the wall. “Telpher, what are you doing here?” As she relaxed her breath became even but shallow. Dust from the road wafted off of her and tickled at her nose.

He stepped close to her. “I saw you coming. I want to speak with you.”

“
What is it that you want?” Her voice trembled. She only wanted to go to bed, maybe stay there till next spring.

“
I want you. I know you have been with some of the other men.” He ran his hands up her sweat moistened arms.

She looked down at his trailing hand and then stared up at him. Her weary mind was unable to understand what he meant. “What are you talking about? Get away from me.” She pushed him, only to have him grab her arms tightly and pull her close to him.

“
I know you are with the others. I only want to get in on the fun. Give me what you give them.”

He pressed into her trying to kiss her. She jerked her head to the side.

Anger began to peak through the confines of exhaustion. “I have never betrayed my husband and I am not about to start now. How can you say these things? Let me go.” She tried to push past him, tried to remove his tight grip, but she could find no will to fight. “I thought you were my friend,” she said weakly as she pushed at his arms and hands.

It seemed all her strength was gone, drained from her slowly ever since her mother had died and her life had been torn apart. All she wanted was to get to Peter, tell him the truth, and to go to bed wrapped in his arms with no secrets between them.

Telpher pushed her up against the wall. “You should not give Peter much thought. What loyalty do you owe him? He is not someone you chose to marry. Everyone knows you are unhappy.”

The anger burst through the clouds in her mind, shining brightness across her thoughts. Her mind cleared. Her long night was forgotten, her body no longer weary. She pushed against Telpher’s chest, but he leaned against her using his full weight to pin her to the wall.

Surprise and weariness had allowed him an advantage, but it was not one she planned to let him keep for long. She ran her hand across the slit in her skirt toward her dagger.

Telpher pulled at her skirt. It billowed around her legs and made the dagger slit bunch and become useless to her. He lifted it farther up her legs. She could feel the coolness of the castle across her bare knees.

Her eyes narrowed at the man who had claimed to be her friend. “You should be ashamed. How can you do this to me, to Peter, or to your wife?” He had claimed to love his wife fully and faithfully. How could she have misjudged him so bad?

Telpher cringed at the mention of his wife, but continued to rub at her arm and raise her skirt. She twisted trying to get loose, or at least get the skirt lowered to where she could use her dagger.

She felt disappointed in herself for trusting him. She used to be a better judge of people than that. She shook her head angrily. She used to be a lot of things she no longer was.

Mostly she felt anger for Peter as his friend and loyal man pushed her skirts up to her thighs. Peter was the one most betrayed and it was an affront to her husband she would not allow.

She slipped her hand toward the bottom of her skirt which was almost to the point that she could reach her weapon. Almost to the point where she would make him regret his decision to betray Peter.

Telpher then stopped raising her skirt. He looked up at her and opened his mouth as if to speak.

Van did not want to hear anything come out of his mouth. No more sweet talk or pleading for her to lie with him.

Van forced herself to relax and stop fighting. She ran her left hand up his arm and smiled. “You want me that bad?” she asked in what she hoped was a seductive voice.

Telpher looked bewildered for a moment as she wrapped her left foot intimately around his ankle. She ran her foot up and down his calf, caressed his neck, and threaded her fingers into his hair. She pulled his head close to hers. She spoke directly against his lips, feeling his tremble as she spoke. “Tell me what you want to do to me?”

He only groaned.

She pulled his face close to her shoulder and ran her nose along the length of his neck. She pulled the skirt higher with her right hand. He began to pull away from her as her hand closed around the jeweled hilt of the dagger.

Relief had washed over Peter as she had denied Telpher’s advances. Now he watched with mounting rage as her foot massaged the back of his leg and her hand pushed through his dark brown hair.

As she pressed her face closer to his, a knot started in the pit of Peter’s stomach and wormed its way to his throat. Angry that she had actually betrayed him, he stepped out of the shadows and opened his mouth, but the words froze.

Vanessa suddenly balled Telpher’s hair into her clenched fist and jerked his head back. At the same time she hooked her foot around his ankle, jerking his leg forward. Off balanced Telpher fell hard onto his back. Vanessa kept her hand firmly planted in his hair and landed with a thud on top of him, a dagger held firmly against his throat.

Peter’s heart lurched. His breath stopped short and he gasped soundlessly.

Vanessa pulled tightly on Telpher’s hair and pressed the tip of the dagger into the delicate skin beneath his chin.

“
Wait,” Telpher pleaded.

The sight of the small trickle of blood running down Telpher’s throat as the steel tip broke skin tore through Peter’s shock. He stepped closer to them, but neither seemed to notice.

“
You are wrong. I do have a reason to show him my loyalty. I may only have one, but it is a good reason.” Vanessa’s voice shook with outrage and Peter feared for Telpher’s safety. “I do it because I love him.”

Peter’s heart stopped, all doubts of her virtue dissipated.

“
You on the other hand, one who is supposed to be his friend? You have lots of reasons to give him yours. I should just kill you now for the betrayal that you have committed.”

Peter’s heart seemed to lurch back to life and he lunged forward. “Vanessa, stop.”

Van looked up into her husband’s wide eyes and wanted to collapse into his arms. It was not a feeling she had ever had before, but she did not dislike it.

She had spent the night walking through the cold darkness, thinking of all the things she was, more importantly, everything she wasn’t. She was more confused and angry by the time she had arrived home than she had ever been. Looking up into his blue eyes, she was sure of three things: her love for him, her trust in him, and his trust in her.

“
Stop, do not hurt him. He was following my orders.” Peter held his hands out to her. “Please.” His voice sounded strange, tight.

“
What do you mean? Why?” She stared at him in total confusion. She was sure she had heard him wrong.

“
Let him up and I will tell you,” he said softly. “Do not hurt him.”

She stared at him for a moment, feeling lost, and then looked down at Telpher.

“
I am sorry,” he whispered softly. His jaw moved slightly against the dagger and more blood oozed from beneath its tip.

Without a word to him, she pulled it away. She stood, ignoring him completely as Telpher pulled himself out of the way. “Now, tell me.”

“
I was told you were betraying me and...”

She sucked in a shocked breath that burned at her throat and seemed to shrivel her heart. “And you thought you would turn some of your men loose on me instead of just asking me?” So much for his trust, she thought. She took another shaky breath.

“
Vanessa, just give me the dagger before you hurt yourself with it. You could injure someone by not knowing how to use it.” His voice was patronizing, like he was speaking to a young child. A young stupid child.