should have gone to me—and Elizabeth. He cared nothing for it! He sought only the rents it would bring. He was here but a fortnight when he sold our dower lands!"
She blinked to hold back the unexpected sting of tears. "When Richard came here, I felt he was an invader, because he did not belong... as Elizabeth and I did. I felt as if I had lost everything..." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Now Ashbury belongs to your lord. 'Tis not so much for myself that I fear the future, but for my sister."
Hugh patted her shoulder awkwardly. "You need not fear, my lady. My lord is a just man, I swear."
Her eyes opened suddenly, clear and brilliant but shadowed with sadness. "Mayhap," she said quietly, "it would be best if Elizabeth and I packed our chests."
'To go where?" Hugh said, aghast.
'There is a nunnery not far from here—"
"Milady, you presume too much! Guy’s quarrel is with your uncle, not you! Nay, I'll not hear another word. Guy is not a heartless beast, no matter what you think."
He was so unlike his lord, Kathryn thought a few moments later. Sir Hugh was gentle and kind and generous. With a weary sigh she closed the heavy oak door, peering through the gloom toward Elizabeth's bed.
But Elizabeth was already scurrying across the floor. "Kathryn! You are safe! I—I was so frightened... I checked your chamber and you were still gone... I could not sleep. And then I heard strange sounds!"
Kathryn gripped her sister's hands. There was so much confusion, so much turmoil and pain inside her that for a moment she was unable to speak. Her lungs burned from trying to hold back tears.
She led Elizabeth over to the bedside and haltingly told her of all that had happened tonight. Oddly, Elizabeth looked almost relieved when she had finished.
"Why do you look like that?" Kathryn asked quietly.
"Do you not see?" Elizabeth said simply. "Uncle is a wicked, wicked man. No doubt the Earl of Sedgewick will mete out a punishment that is swift and severe." She tipped her head to the side and smiled. "We are free of him, Kathryn. We have what you wanted. We are free of him!"
"But we do not have what we wanted!" It was a cry of outrage, of anguish. "We do not have Ashbury—and I helped him wrest it from our grasp!" True, they were no longer at the mercy of Richard, but now they were at the mercy of the Earl of Sedgewick. Kathryn's heart twisted in despair. Her life was still not her own. . .
It would never be her own.
If only she could be as accepting as Elizabeth, the loss would be so much easier to bear. If only...
To her horror, a tear slid down her cheek. Then another and another.
For once it was Kathryn who sought refuge in the arms of her sister, sobbing out her bitter heartache. She cried in fury; she cried in pain. She cried for all she had lost.
And all that would never be hers.
Noonday saw a curling fog creeping round the towers. The sky was a depthless gray. A thick layer of clouds smothered the presence of the sun.
Guy turned away from the narrow window, cursing and rubbing his knee. The weather was a melancholy reflection of his mood. Damn, but he hated the chill and misty climate of Cornwall! The damp sea air did naught but make all his old wounds ache.
He was tired, he realized. Tired of war. Weary of war within war. He was suddenly anxious to be back at Sedgewick, to see his son Peter and hold him close...
Hugh threw open the door of the counting room. "What! Are you still brooding? Never has victory come easier. Richard's knights are in the dungeon, but I've no doubt they'll swear their allegiance to you when they realize Richard will never command here again. And we lost not a single man!" His voice faded as he beheld his friend's countenance.
Hugh sighed. "It’s Richard, isn't it?" He needed no response. He had only to watch Guy's features harden into an implacable mask.
He walked over and laid a hand on Guy's shoulder. "You have Ashbury, Guy. I know you already have lands aplenty, but didn't you
She blinked to hold back the unexpected sting of tears. "When Richard came here, I felt he was an invader, because he did not belong... as Elizabeth and I did. I felt as if I had lost everything..." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Now Ashbury belongs to your lord. 'Tis not so much for myself that I fear the future, but for my sister."
Hugh patted her shoulder awkwardly. "You need not fear, my lady. My lord is a just man, I swear."
Her eyes opened suddenly, clear and brilliant but shadowed with sadness. "Mayhap," she said quietly, "it would be best if Elizabeth and I packed our chests."
'To go where?" Hugh said, aghast.
'There is a nunnery not far from here—"
"Milady, you presume too much! Guy’s quarrel is with your uncle, not you! Nay, I'll not hear another word. Guy is not a heartless beast, no matter what you think."
He was so unlike his lord, Kathryn thought a few moments later. Sir Hugh was gentle and kind and generous. With a weary sigh she closed the heavy oak door, peering through the gloom toward Elizabeth's bed.
But Elizabeth was already scurrying across the floor. "Kathryn! You are safe! I—I was so frightened... I checked your chamber and you were still gone... I could not sleep. And then I heard strange sounds!"
Kathryn gripped her sister's hands. There was so much confusion, so much turmoil and pain inside her that for a moment she was unable to speak. Her lungs burned from trying to hold back tears.
She led Elizabeth over to the bedside and haltingly told her of all that had happened tonight. Oddly, Elizabeth looked almost relieved when she had finished.
"Why do you look like that?" Kathryn asked quietly.
"Do you not see?" Elizabeth said simply. "Uncle is a wicked, wicked man. No doubt the Earl of Sedgewick will mete out a punishment that is swift and severe." She tipped her head to the side and smiled. "We are free of him, Kathryn. We have what you wanted. We are free of him!"
"But we do not have what we wanted!" It was a cry of outrage, of anguish. "We do not have Ashbury—and I helped him wrest it from our grasp!" True, they were no longer at the mercy of Richard, but now they were at the mercy of the Earl of Sedgewick. Kathryn's heart twisted in despair. Her life was still not her own. . .
It would never be her own.
If only she could be as accepting as Elizabeth, the loss would be so much easier to bear. If only...
To her horror, a tear slid down her cheek. Then another and another.
For once it was Kathryn who sought refuge in the arms of her sister, sobbing out her bitter heartache. She cried in fury; she cried in pain. She cried for all she had lost.
And all that would never be hers.
Noonday saw a curling fog creeping round the towers. The sky was a depthless gray. A thick layer of clouds smothered the presence of the sun.
Guy turned away from the narrow window, cursing and rubbing his knee. The weather was a melancholy reflection of his mood. Damn, but he hated the chill and misty climate of Cornwall! The damp sea air did naught but make all his old wounds ache.
He was tired, he realized. Tired of war. Weary of war within war. He was suddenly anxious to be back at Sedgewick, to see his son Peter and hold him close...
Hugh threw open the door of the counting room. "What! Are you still brooding? Never has victory come easier. Richard's knights are in the dungeon, but I've no doubt they'll swear their allegiance to you when they realize Richard will never command here again. And we lost not a single man!" His voice faded as he beheld his friend's countenance.
Hugh sighed. "It’s Richard, isn't it?" He needed no response. He had only to watch Guy's features harden into an implacable mask.
He walked over and laid a hand on Guy's shoulder. "You have Ashbury, Guy. I know you already have lands aplenty, but didn't you
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