Vengeance 03 - Believe In Me (23 page)

“You can’t be serious,” she protested. “That will only endanger Lady Elizabeth.”

William drew back the reins, pulling his horse to a stop. He placed his hands on her waist and turned her sideways in the saddle. “What are you thinking? Did you believe that we would exchange you for Elizabeth? That somehow you are less worthy than her?”

“It is me
who Bishop Duval wants. We both know that. There is no other option.” Cristiana fought to hold William’s gaze, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her.

“He can’t have you.
You are mine.” He spoke the words fiercely then sealed them with a kiss.

The tenderness of his lips on hers brought tears to her eyes, but she had to stay strong. She eased back and put her hand on William’s cheek. “Lady Elizabeth
is with child. I will do anything I can to free her, including offering myself in her place.”

“Cristiana, the bishop cannot have you. Place that in your mind and hold it tight. He will only continue to put others in jeopardy to further his own ends. That is not acceptable. Not when you are the first of those he endangers.
We must stop him now while we have the opportunity.”

Her
sorrow eased as she absorbed his words. Hope sprung deep inside her as she realized his logic.

“We are not returning to Bishop Duval’s so that you can take Lady Elizabeth’s place. We are going to confront him with all we know. With luck, Henry will bring Abbot Clarke
soon so he can hear what the bishop has done. He’ll take matters into his own hands and decide what should happen with Bishop Duval. If not, we will speak to Father Daniel of our concerns. We will not rest until you and Elizabeth are safe and the bishop is stopped.”

Despite the odds against them, she held on to that tiny spark of hope. K
nowing that William would do all in his power to keep her safe was enough. She intended to follow his plan unless she was left with no other option. She prayed it would not come to that. But if she had to, she would—
“Put any notion of sacrifice out of your mind,” William warned.

“I believe you are the one with special powers,” she said as she shook her head, amazed that he had read her mind.

“
I know you put everyone else before yourself.” His smile started in his eyes, lighting the brown depths until his lips curved. “You might say I have a special connection with you.”

“Oh?”
Her entire being filled with warmth at his words.

“Love does that to a person. It unites them in ways that cannot be explained.” He kissed her again until her heart soared.

“William?” she said on a whisper. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For believing in me. For understanding my healing ability. For loving me.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as the fear of what lay before them returned. “We have so little proof. I’m not certain if we can convince Abbot Clarke of the bishop’s foul deeds.”

He began to interrupt her but with one finger on his lips, she silenced him.

“I am hopeful your plan will succeed,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to make it so. But I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. If things go badly—”

“We have too much to live for. Things cannot go badly.”

“But your brother—”

The light in his eyes dimmed, telling her how worried he was about Nicholas. “We don’t know if anything happened. We can only act on what we do know and keep any harm from befalling Elizabeth.”

He kissed her again, his tongue dancing with hers. Then his warm gaze held hers. “You must believe in me as well, Cristiana. Know that I hold you in my heart and I will not let you go. Now let us see how we can put an end to all this so we can begin a new life together.”

***

As William had anticipated, a group of men-at-arms awaited them at the entrance to Longsbury. He was torn between wanting to hurry to see if Elizabeth was all right and delaying their arrival until Henry had a chance to join him.

“Where is your companion?” one of
the men-at-arms asked.

“He’ll be arriving soon,” William advised.
He decided they didn’t need to know who would accompany him.

“The lady will ride with me,” another said.

“Nay, she will not.” William had no intention of letting them have the upper hand if possible. “She remains with me.”

The man drew his sword and William felt Cristiana stiffen in his arms.

Rather than respond, William kneed his horse and rode through the narrow city gate. The man rode alongside him after they entered the city and glared. William was glad to see he’d lowered his sword. He knew there would be a confrontation ahead; he merely wanted to delay it as long as possible since the odds were not in his favor.

The men-at-arms surrounded them and they rode toward the manor house.
The streets of Longsbury were crowded and their progress slowed. People stared at the procession as they passed.

At last they
neared the cathedral. William was surprised to see that construction had stopped. No workers climbed the scaffolds. No masons laid block. He wasn’t certain what that meant. Had the bishop run out of money or had the chapter decided his plan was too elaborate?

“How long do you think it will be before Henry joins us?” Cristiana whispered.

“I have no idea. We don’t know if the abbot returned from his trip or not.”

“
Can we review our plan one more time?”

William smiled.
“
Our
plan? I love it when you speak like that.”

Cristiana shook her head, obviously not finding the situation humorous. “If we are separated
—”

“If we are, it will only be temporary.
As I told you before, you will do nothing to put yourself in danger. No matter what the bishop says, no matter whom he threatens.”

“But
—”

“I will turn this horse around if you do not agree.”
He hoped she realized he meant every word. She always put everyone before herself, but not this day and not for the bishop.

“Fine.
Aye. I agree,” she said begrudgingly. A few moments of silence followed and he could almost hear her thoughts rumbling inside her head. “But if Lady Elizabeth is ill, I am going to do everything in my power to aid her.”

“Let us pray it will not come to that.”

He could not imagine how Elizabeth had come to be with the bishop nor why Nicholas would allow such a thing. But he refused to think the worst. There had to be a reasonable explanation. He hoped Elizabeth was not truly ill. Surely that had been a lie to lure both Cristiana and him to the bishop. The message Elizabeth had written left him no doubt that she was with the bishop. That left him no choice but to go to her.

As they
reached the manor with their unwelcome escort, William saw more men-at-arms awaited them.

“Oh dear,” Cristiana whispered.

“I’m flattered he thinks he needs this many men to manage me.”

Despite his jest,
fear coiled deep inside him. Somehow he had to protect Cristiana but knew he was about to be separated from her. It would be foolhardy to attempt to fight this many men. He had to pick his battles wisely and engage in only those he had a chance to win.

“William? What are we going to do?” She turned to look at him, her brown eyes wide with worry.

“Remember what you promised. Know that I will come for you.”

Her gaze held his for a long moment and her
concerned expression eased. “I believe in you.”

He smiled, the tightness in his chest loosening at her faith in him.
“Then let us see how Elizabeth fares.”

The prick of a sword in his ribs made him turn cautiously.

“You’re coming with us.” The man-at-arms said. “Dismount and hand over your weapon.”

Cristiana’s heart flew to her throat as she caught sight of the sword pressed in William’s side. Although William acted confident, the odds of them succeeding in unmasking the bishop seemed too great.

“We would speak with Bishop Duval,” William said
, ignoring the blade.

“
You won’t be speaking to anyone,” the man-at-arms said. “I tell you again, dismount and hand over your sword.”

“Don’t tell the bishop anything
,” William whispered to her as he prepared to alight. “Not until Henry arrives. I
will
come for you.”

After reaching the ground, h
e put his hand on the hilt of his sword then paused as the men-at-arms raised their weapons. He held up his hands, his brow lifted in question. “I thought you wanted my sword.”

The leader watched him warily. “I’ll take
it.”

William
allowed him to pull it from his scabbard then reached for Cristiana.

“Leave her be,
” the man demanded and motioned with his weapon for William to back away.

Once William complied,
the man-at-arms moved forward to aid Cristiana.

“Step back,” Cristiana
snapped. If William couldn’t help her, she didn’t want anyone else to do so. She slid to the ground by herself. “Where is Bishop Duval?”

“
You’ll be escorted to where he awaits you inside, my lady.” He glared at William. “You are coming with us.”

William smiled at her.
“Until we meet again.”

But t
he smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Two sol
diers grabbed his arms and hauled him around the side of the manor. A lump formed in her throat at the sight of his retreating back. It hadn’t been that long ago since the very same sight had caused her angst, but this time was so much worse. The love of her life was being taken away.

She had to do everything in her power to make certain he returned to her.
Ignoring the men-at-arms, she hurried up the stairs of the manor house. The sooner she found Elizabeth and determined what was happening, the better. As she reached the landing, the guards opened the door to reveal the bishop. Immediately she noted the paleness of his face, the gauntness of his cheeks. He leaned heavily on a staff.

“I’m so pleased you’ve
come back, my dear.” He smiled triumphantly.

Dread coiled deep inside her at his familiar countenance
. She hadn’t realized how much his presence bothered her until she’d been away from it. Now an oppressive feeling laid over her like a heavy blanket, all but smothering her will. But she had to stay strong, to hang on until Henry arrived with Abbot Clarke. Then they could free William.

She prayed they
’d be here soon.

“Are you feeling poorly?” she asked
, wondering if he’d tell her the truth when he was so obviously ill. She thought back over her time with him and realized she should’ve recognized the signs. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed heat emanating from him. His illness explained why he’d touched her so frequently. He’d hoped to be healed without revealing his weakness. Yet still she felt no sympathy for him.

He smiled. The very smile she hated so.
“How kind of you to ask. Perhaps we’ll discuss that later.” His voice held the sharp edge of fury. “First, I have someone for you to meet.”

Anger coursed through her
at his words. “I’m disappointed you brought Lady Elizabeth into this.”

“An
d I am disappointed that Sir William decided to take you away. He overstepped his bounds.”

Cristiana wanted nothing more than to
rage at him, to tell him they knew all about his treachery, but she had to wait until the abbot arrived. Her first priority was to see Lady Elizabeth and make certain she was well. “Where is she?”

The bishop
stepped farther inside the manor where Father Daniel stood waiting.

“I’m so glad to see yo
u have returned safely, my lady,” the priest said.

Cristiana didn’t bother to answer.
In her eyes, he was as guilty as the bishop in all of the foul deeds committed.

With Father Daniel at her side, she followed the bishop. When
they entered the bishop’s chambers, Cristiana saw an attractive woman sitting on the bench. She appeared to be near Cristiana’s age, with golden brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her worried gaze caught on Cristiana but quickly moved past her.

Cristiana wondered if she
’d expected to see William. “Lady Elizabeth?” she asked, hoping she could somehow reassure her.

“Aye,” she said as she rose.
“Where is William?”

“He was unavoidably detained,” the bishop answered before Cristiana could
explain.

Despite her loose fitting
, wine-colored kirtle, her pregnancy was obvious. Cristiana hated to tell her the truth as she appeared distressed enough already.

“
I’m Lady Cristiana, a...friend of William’s.” She drew nearer to see if she could note any sign of illness. “Are you well?”

“I am fine. However, I am
not pleased to be here.” She glared at the bishop. “A messenger arrived telling me William needed my immediate assistance here, yet when I arrived, he was nowhere to be found.”

Relief filled Cristiana. If
Elizabeth was angry, she must be well. “I’m certain the bishop will arrange for William to greet you soon. Is that not true?” She turned toward the bishop, wondering how he’d respond.

“You will see him soon enough.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if you lured me here under false pretenses, my lord bishop,” Elizabeth accused. “If so, I do not appreciate it.”

“Perhaps you misunderstood my message.” Anger tightened the old man’s lips, but then
a painful grimace passed over his expression, making Cristiana certain he was ill.

“I would see William
,” Elizabeth demanded. “Now.”

The bishop made his way to sit behind his desk,
easing into his chair with obvious relief. “You will see him when I allow it. Not before.”

“
You might hold the position of bishop but that does not give you leave to act like a tyrant.” Elizabeth moved to stand before his desk. “My husband—”

“Your husband is not here, nor is he aware of your whereabouts.”

“How do you know?” Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed.

“My plan required your presence but not your husband’s. It is my understanding that he is visiting his liege lord and will not return for some time.”

She lifted her chin. “That might be true, but have no doubt—he will arrive soon. Now I insist on seeing William. If you refuse to bring him to me, I will find him myself.”

“You will
not go anywhere without my permission.” At the bishop’s words, two men-at-arms filled the doorway.

“Bishop Duval,” Cristiana interjected, “
allow Lady Elizabeth to leave. Her presence is no longer necessary. You have what you want.”

“Do I? Do I have your
full cooperation or only your presence?” He rubbed his finger across his upper lip as though trying to determine her sincerity.

“
Is there a difference?”

“
Apparently so.”

“Will someone please
explain what is going on?” Lady Elizabeth asked.

Cristiana’s heart sa
nk as she looked at Elizabeth. What choice did she have but to agree to fully cooperate with the bishop? The idea of him harming this woman in any way made her ill. Who else would he threaten if she didn’t agree? The dream of having a life and family of her own had seemed so close when she’d been with William. Now it was slipping away.

Hadn’t she always known that would never be possible for one such as her?

A glance at Elizabeth’s rounded figure had her putting a hand on her own belly. Feeling William’s babe move inside her would be a blessing beyond her wildest dreams, but at this moment, she didn’t see how they could have their own happily ever after.

***

William came to a halt when the men-at-arms brought him to a door in the undercroft of the manor. They shoved but he did not budge, especially not once they opened the door to reveal the small narrow room where they wanted to put him.

His throat grew dry and his palms began to sweat as he stared at the cramped dark space. Memories of his time at Amberley when Elizabeth’s father had thrown him in their dungeon flooded through him. He’d been injured and
, as the days had passed, he’d become convinced that he’d never leave that tiny cell alive.

He had no desire to relive that experience. He was certain he wouldn’t survive it.

“Go on with ye,” one of the man-at-arms said as he shoved at William.

“I’ll not be
going in there,” William said.

“Oh
, but you will.”

“I
insist on speaking with the bishop.”

“The bishop doesn’t want to speak with you. Not yet anyway. Now get inside.”

William did the only thing he could. He plowed his fist into the man’s face then spun to strike another. Just as he thought his freedom was in reach, five more came running. Swearing, he did his best but could not overcome them.

Within moments,
he found himself bruised and battered and locked in the dark, narrow room.

“Damn it all to hell,” he muttered
as he sat up. He almost wished they’d knocked him unconscious, for that was the only thing that would make this bearable.

The floor was dirt, the walls stone, and the only redeeming quality of the space was the tiny window that let in daylight. He was thankful for that at least.

Already he could feel sweat beading on his forehead. He held out his hand to see the tremors had started. It was the same each time he found himself in a small place. His breathing grew shallow as panic set in.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. The situation was only temporary. He had to keep his thoughts focused on what he needed to do once he
escaped. An image of Cristiana formed in his mind. How was she faring? Had she seen Elizabeth? Were they both well?

How he wished they
’d been able to confront the bishop on their terms but the blasted man had changed everything by taking Elizabeth. William would do anything to protect his brother’s wife. He’d grown to care for her even before she’d married Nicholas. The love she and Nicholas shared was much like the love his father and mother had.

The strength of their marriages was something he’d never thought he’d have. Love was a rare and elusive thing, and he’d never been certain he wanted that. Love was complicated, painful
at times. But now he realized it wasn’t a choice.

Love was something that grabbed hold and didn’t let go. It consumed you until you were no longer whole unless the other person was by your side.

Now that it was within reach, he wanted the chance at such a love all the more. Yet how could he accomplish anything from the confines of this cell?

Frustration built, but it felt so much better than the feeling of panic. He stood to see if he could reach the tiny w
indow but it was too high. He felt along the edge of the door but there was nothing on which to grab hold.

It seemed the only thing he could do here was determine a
plan for when he was released.

Damn.
He hated waiting.

***

“William? Are you in there?”

William stood and stepped closer to the
door. Darkness had fallen and it felt as though he’d spent an eternity in the small room. “Aye?”

The whispered voice did not sound like Henry’s, yet who else could it be?

The door slowly opened and torch light blinded him.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” a familiar voice asked.

“Nicholas?” Relief poured through him to see his brother alive and well.

The light moved
to reveal two men-at-arms unconscious at his feet. “How did you manage that so quietly? I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Stealth seemed to be
a wise path to tread.” Nicholas put his hand on William’s shoulder. “I thought we agreed you were going to avoid dungeons and the like.”

“One more for old time’s sake.”

“The trouble you get i
nto the moment I turn my back,” Nicholas said with a shake of his head.

William shrugged. “I wouldn’t want you to think I don’t need you.”

Hope burned brightly inside him. Surely together they could find a way to save both Cristiana and Elizabeth and defeat the bishop.

“
Is Henry with you?” William asked, peering through the darkness that surrounded them.

“
Nay, I haven’t seen him.”

“How did you know where I was?”