Chapter 18
“Eduard.” Catherine tried to swallow her terror. “How did you find me?”
“I told you what to expect from my spies, sweeting. ’Twas stupid of you to have ignored me.”
“Where is Gray? What have you done with him?” she couldn’t help asking, even knowing in her heart that something must have gone terribly wrong with their plan.
“Oh, I haven’t done anything to him. Not yet,” Eduard answered with a malicious smile.
“I expect he’ll be coming along in a few hours, which is why time is short.
There’s much you and I need to…settle, shall we say, before your loving husband enters my trap and finds his just reward.
Now drop your sword like a good little warrior so we can get on with it. ”
“You bastard,” Alban growled. “If you touch her, you’ll pay.”
Eduard answered his threat with a brutal cuff to the head, jamming the knife harder against Alban’s throat as he commanded him to silence.
Catherine shifted her stance, trying to keep her children behind her as she strained to come up with a plan of action. Her heart thudded painfully, her breath coming shallow as her gaze darted to the open door that led to the twins’ chamber.
Eduard saw her glance and his smile deepened.
“If ’tis Camville’s two other lackeys you seek, don’t bother.
They’re already taken care of, as Warton here will be as well, unless you do exactly as I say.
” Alban grunted and flinched as Eduard dragged his blade along the exposed skin of his neck, making a thin line of blood well and trickle down to his shirt.
Catherine bit her lips to keep from calling out for Eduard to stop, knowing that was what he wanted from her in this perverse game of power he loved to play.
Four more of Eduard’s knights filed into the room behind him, fully outfitted in armor like the rest; one of them held a bloodied sword, and Catherine cringed to think whose life’s flow stained the blade.
She looked quickly behind her to murmur soothing words to Ian and Isabel; they’d begun to cry, clutching the back of her tunic as they hid from their uncle’s gaze.
“Aye, hush now, little lambs,” Eduard said softly, never taking his cold stare from Catherine’s face.
“Mummy has an important choice to make. ’Twill ensure whether this nice man lives or dies in the next few moments.
” To punctuate his comment, he rammed his knee into Alban’s wounded thigh, and Alban roared with agony.
“Don’t do what he wants, Catherine,” Alban gasped, his face ashen as he looked up at her. “Don’t give up your weapon.”
Without another sound, Eduard pulled back his arm and smashed Alban in the temple with the heavy hilt of his sword, and Alban crumpled to the floor. Kicking him aside, Eduard stepped closer to Catherine.
“I’ll deal with Warton later. But you should keep in mind that he isn’t the only one who will suffer my wrath if you don’t begin to cooperate, Catherine, very soon.” He flicked his gaze with unmistakable meaning to the twins.
Nausea shot through her, and she swallowed hard against it, forcing herself to concentrate. She licked her lips. “What do you want me to do?”
“Do?” Eduard cocked his brow and grinned his evil, mocking smile again. “Oh, there’s much that you will do, Catherine. Much you must atone for, I’m afraid. You’ve put me through quite an ordeal, with your little escapade.”
She felt herself blanch. Old fears and agonizing memories of Eduard’s favorite methods of punishment sprang to mind, but she tried to stand firm as she faced him. “If I agree to your terms, you must promise not to hurt the children. Swear that you’ll leave them alone.”
“You’re in no position to bargain, woman. Concede now or suffer the consequences, both for yourself and for my darling niece and nephew.”
She gazed at him helplessly, at his men clustered in the doorway.
Beyond them she saw more knights carrying in the limp forms of Sir Payton and Sir Newell.
Finally her gaze fell on Alban’s prostrate body, and defeat gouged her with claws of steel.
Hands trembling, she unclasped her sword belt, letting it fall heavily to the floor.
In an instant, Eduard’s men surged forward, responding to his command to take the twins and lock them in the solar for safekeeping.
Catherine bit her lips to keep from screaming as her children were picked up and carried from the room, shrieking her name and reaching out to her over the shoulders of the knights who held them.
When they’d gone, the last of Eduard’s men lifted Alban, still senseless, and dragged him from the chamber between them like a butchered animal.
The door closed to resounding silence, leaving her alone with Eduard.
Slowly she raised her face to him, meeting his icy stare.
He wore a look that she knew too well. The look that told her far more powerfully than words ever could how much she was going to suffer—how much he was going to enjoy making her hurt for her transgressions against him.
Tearing her gaze from his, she searched the room wildly for something, anything that she might use as a weapon. Anything to keep him at bay. But there was nothing. Her chamber was empty, as always. As he’d ensured it would be.
Her entire body began to quake with treacherous weakness, with tingling dread as he stepped closer. And closer…until he stood near enough that his breath misted warm on her temple.
His smile was dark as he reached up and stroked his finger across the delicate, fragile line of her cheekbone. He touched her gently. Softly. Profanely.
A moan of fear escaped her and her knees threatened to buckle when he leaned a little closer to murmur, “’Tis a fine contrast of sensation is it not, sweet Catherine? To experience such tenderness before such pain…”
He paused for a moment. Then, with a sudden, savage growl, he raised his arm and backhanded her, sending an explosion of agony rocking deep into her skull. When his fist sank into her belly, she dropped retching and gasping to the floor.
And then she was lost in a nightmare of violence and torment from which she knew there’d be no escape.
She hurt. Sweet Jesu, everything hurt so badly.
Struggling to open her eyes, Catherine tried to get her bearings.
She was on the floor of the chamber, her cheek pressed into the cool, hard wood.
Pushing herself to a sitting position, she gasped and cried out, sucking in her breath.
Tasting blood, she spit it out, swiping the back of her hand across her lips.
He’d beaten her badly this time. Worse than ever before. He’d wanted to kill her. And he’d have succeeded, too, she knew, if something hadn’t stopped him. If something hadn’t happened, forcing him to cease kicking her after she’d curled herself into a ball on the floor.
The messenger…
Wincing, she sat up a little more and closed her eyes, trying to remember what the man had said. Her mind felt enveloped in a fog, paralyzed by the throbbing ache in her skull. She had to think.
It had been one of Eduard’s knights. He’d come to the door, interrupting the beating.
She remembered the man’s brown eyes, thick with sympathy when he’d seen her lying on the floor.
But then he’d looked away, clearing his throat and announcing that Lord Camville’s forces had been spotted surging over the hill east of Faegerliegh.
He’d arrived several hours earlier than expected, and the men needed Eduard to lead them against him in the battle to come.
Lord Camville’s forces had been spotted…
Gray had come! The realization sent a joyful shock through her numbed brain.
He’d led his army to Faegerliegh Keep to help her and the twins.
She struggled to her feet, ignoring the pain as she stumbled to the door.
She had to find her children. Had to try to lead them outside the keep’s walls. Outside to Gray.
The solar. Eduard had ordered his men to bring Ian and Isabel to the solar for safekeeping.
She tried the door, her heart leaping when she realized that it was unlocked.
Eduard hadn’t even posted a guard in the corridor.
Most likely he’d thought her too weakened to stir from the floor.
’Twas his mistake, and she planned to use it to full advantage.
Murmuring a prayer of thanksgiving, Catherine limped down the corridor, willing better clarity to her muddled brain and bursts of strength into her weakened legs.
With each step, she focused on her purpose, gaining power and resolve.
And anger. She felt the welcome burn of it, recalling Gray’s advice to her during their training, to focus her passions and rage into something useful. To work them to her benefit.
She grimaced, which only made her lip bleed again. Dabbing it gently with her fingers, she stumbled on. Aye, she’d use her anger well. She’d wield every ounce of it against Eduard. She’d been given a second chance to save her children, and she’d get them away from here if it took her last breath.
Catherine ducked behind a thick curtain as one of the keep’s maidservants came running down the hall. The woman was pale and obviously frightened by the sounds of battle echoing outside the walls. After she passed, Catherine came out of hiding and continued toward the solar.
She concentrated on the hate she felt for Eduard, and it helped her to keep going, to push through her suffering.
Her loathsome brother by marriage had made a great tactical error this day, an error for which he’d pay dearly.
He’d underestimated the force of her will to survive and fight his brutality and evil…
And that, she vowed, jaw clenched as she trudged down the seemingly endless corridor, was going to prove his most deadly mistake of all.