Chapter Five #4
She even threw a little sniffle in, as if she was verging on tears.
Cortez, however, was focused entirely on her warm hand against his flesh.
It was by far the most marvelous sensation he had ever experienced in his life.
He could feel himself folding like an idiot, without a fight, and he struggled not to.
“You do not understand,” he said, his tone considerably more gentle than it had been moments before.
“It is not that I do not wish to take her. She is a sweet and beautiful girl, and I would like nothing better. But if something happened to her on our journey, I would never forgive myself. I have already lost one daughter. I could not bear to lose another.”
He was beating Diamantha at her own manipulative game. The last several words were like a dagger to her heart and suddenly, she was the one in danger of folding. She could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke and it touched her. But she held her ground.
“You would not lose her,” she whispered. “But I cannot be without her. She must come with me or I cannot go.”
“Good,” he said with great relief. “Remain here and I will return as soon as I can. That is the way I prefer it.”
Diamantha could see that he had called her bluff, turning her own scheme of manipulation around on her until he was now the one verging on his wants. She removed her hand from his arm.
“Nay,” she said, now sounding hard where only moments before she had been soft. “If you do not allow us both to go, I will commit both myself and my daughter to a convent and you will never see us again. If we cannot go together, then I will not wait for you to return. You will lose us.”
The game of gentle persuasion had suddenly turned cold and serious.
Fact was, Cortez believed her; she was a determined and head-strong woman, and he believed her implicitly.
Uncertain, he knew he couldn’t leave with that threat hanging over his head.
He couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t return to find both his wife and daughter barricaded in a cloister.
Nay, he couldn’t stomach that at all. Now he was backed into a corner and he couldn’t see any way out. He had no choice.
She had him.
“Very well,” he muttered, sighing with great regret. “If that is the way you feel, then Sophie may come. But know I will be against it every step of the way. If you wanted to start this marriage off with resentment and bitterness, then you are well on your way, lady.”
Diamantha’s brief flash of victory was quickly doused. She could see he was genuinely resentful. “That is not my intention,” she said. “But I cannot leave my daughter behind and I must go on this quest with you. Therefore, she must go with me. If you had a child of your own, you would understand.”
He took it as a low blow. With a lingering gaze on the woman, he moved away from her and headed out of the stable. She could hear him giving orders to the grooms to have the pony saddled as he went. There was hazard and discouragement in his tone.
Diamantha didn’t follow him. She had won the battle and that was all she cared about at the moment.
So what if the man was bitter and resentful?
She hadn’t wanted to marry him, anyway. What did she care what he thought?
If he wanted her, then he was going to have to take everything about her – the good and the bad.
The man deserved everything coming to him for being so unfeeling and forcing her into a marriage she did not want.
Without another thought to de Bretagne, Diamantha remained with her daughter in the stable, waiting as the grooms prepared the pony before lifting her daughter onto the animal’s back.
The tiny saddle had a strap that went around Sophie’s waist to keep her from falling out, and she secured the little strap and led the pony from the stable.
Outside, the fog had lifted and patches of blue sky could be seen overhead.
Cortez had his army gathered down by the main gatehouse, waiting for her, and as her own palfrey was brought around, Merlin broke off from the army and made his way towards her.
She glanced up at the red-haired sergeant as he came alongside, reaching down to take the pony’s reins.
“My lady,” he greeted. “Sir Cortez has asked me to ride with you from Corfe Castle. I am to be your shadow, my lady, and your daughter’s. I hope this is acceptable.”
Diamantha’s stance against Cortez began to waver.
So he was to assign a soldier to escort her, was he?
It was indicative of his anger, and perhaps even his regret that he had married her in the first place.
Cortez was furious with her and, if she was honest with herself, perhaps it was rightfully so.
She was willing to admit that she had been aggressive and cruel.
She was also willing to admit that she had been punishing him for forcing her into the marriage, but the fact remained that she had what she wanted out of the situation.
In fact, she had everything she wanted and Cortez, other than marrying her, had virtually nothing.
He had made all of the concessions and she had done nothing but bully the man.
With a sigh, coming to think that she had behaved badly, she gathered her reins and nodded at Merlin.
“It is acceptable,” she said. “Have my satchels been secured somewhere?”
Merlin nodded. “Your maids brought them down to the provisions wagon.”
“Good,” Diamantha said. “In that case, we are ready to depart.”
Merlin simply nodded as he spurred his horse back towards the cluster of troops, pulling Sophie and General along with him.
Diamantha followed, her gaze moving over Corfe for the last time.
Her beloved Corfe. There was a lump in her throat at the thought of leaving, but she comforted herself with the fact that she was heading out on a mission of great importance.
It was utterly vital to locate Robert’s body and bring the man home.
It was all she was concerned with. Now, the great questing had begun.
Her life was about to change forever.