A Knight and His Rose by Catherine Kean

Author:Catherine Kean [Kean, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Your Company Name
Published: 2019-02-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Violetta fought to keep her expression neutral. “Lady Molineaux was found? Where?”

“I do not know the details, but she is safe. My informants tell me Lord Molineaux has called off his search for her.”

Violetta’s mind reeled. If what Osric said was true, did her sire know she was at Coltingstow Keep? He might be gathering an army to besiege the fortress.

’Twas also entirely possible that as soon as her sire and his men ventured onto Seabrook lands, they’d be attacked, imprisoned, or even killed. ’Twould be entirely her fault.

Another unsettling possibility charged into her thoughts: Osric knew full well who she really was and was holding her hostage—while she believed him fooled by her deception and a guest in his household. She’d only be released once her father had paid an extortionate ransom.

The unpleasant thoughts made her stomach rebel. She set down the spoon and moved to put the bowl back on the tray, but Osric shook his head. “You must eat.”

“I have had a few bites; enough for now.”

Concern touched his gaze. “I regret if speaking of Lady Molineaux has upset you. I am curious, though, why speaking of her should cause you distress. Would you care to explain?”

She most certainly would not. Ending her ruse would increase the danger to not only herself, but her loved ones. Her predicament was her own doing; she must resolve it—and she must dispel Osric’s suspicions as swiftly as possible. “I am unsettled, milord, because while you said her ladyship is safe, you left a lot unsaid.”

“Such as?”

“You did not reveal whether she has been reunited with her family. While she may have been found, she could still be in peril. A prisoner, for example, of one of her father’s rivals, who is demanding a price for her safe return.”

“Indeed, such things do happen.”

His expression hadn’t changed. Was he holding her for ransom? Doing her best to keep her voice steady, Violetta asked, “Do you know if she is a hostage?”

Osric’s gaze didn’t waver. “Not that I have heard.”

Again, his answer left a great deal unsaid. When silence lagged, apart from the snap and hiss of the fire, she forced down another bite of pottage. She did need to keep up her strength for when she fled the fortress.

“—for the morrow,” he was saying.

“Pardon?”

He chuckled. “I thought your attention had wandered. As I said, you might prefer to talk about plans for the morrow.”

Oh, but she was looking forward to going belowground. That took priority over returning home, for she must gather as much firsthand information as she could to pass along to her father.

“We will go to the tunnel early tomorrow morning,” Osric said.

She nibbled on a piece of bread. “We will need torches.”

“I have ordered several, along with some spares, in case the tunnel air is damp and the torches do not stay lit.”

“What about bags, to hold any items we find?”

“I suppose.”

The reticence in his voice made her pause. “You do not wish to remove anything from the passageway?”

“That depends what we find.

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