Gem of Gravane (The Northern Knights) (16 page)

She swallowed her scream and backed
up a step as he flew at her, his face coloring with his rage.  Danielle
let out a breath and would have turned but she had backed herself into the corner
near the table and he already had his bony fingers wrapped around her
throat.  Spittle hit her face as he spat over her. 

“Did you not think I would find out
that you cast away my things, dear cousin? There were things of great
import in here, Danielle. Things that your feeble little brain could not
comprehend.”

She reached up to pry his fingers
away, but that only caused him to press them deeper into her flesh. She
coughed and said on a strangled breath. “The room was needed,
Thomas.” 

“Where did you send my things,
Danielle?”
Danielle gagged from his foul breath and his grip on her throat.  She
pushed at him with one hand while she used her other to try to dislodge his
grip.  Anger flared in her. “To your home, Thomas. Why, where
else would I send them?” 

He shook her and slammed her back
hard into the wall.  Pain shot through her head and neck from his
roughness.  Her struggles for air finally caused him to loosen his hold
somewhat but he did not release her. 

His face was red, mottled with his
temper as he continued to shout in her face.  “Think you I am a
fool? They are not there! Now I will ask you but once more and you
cannot hide behind your husband this time. He is too busy off sniffing
after that whore of his. Aye, he tired sooner of you than even I
imagined.”  He laughed at the pained look in her eyes she could not hide
over his hurtful words that struck too close to home.  “Now, where are my
things,
Danielle
?” 

His rage was so great and Danielle
knew what was coming next.

She watched him draw back his arm
with his open palm hovering over her face. 

Thomas’s words had cut too close to
the truth about Aric and his mistress.  Danielle’s feelings gave her the
strength she needed to jerk out of his grasp, but not unscathed. His nails
raked across her throat.  

She shouted
back.  “That’s where they were sent and should have been kept in the
first place. If they are not there, then I suggest you check with the rest
of your thieves, cousin!” 

He moved so quickly, she barely had
time to duck as his hand connected with her cheek.   The sound of the
crack filled the room and he scrambled after her as she jumped away from
him. 

Danielle never took her gaze from
him as she shoved at the heavy oak desk to free herself.  It didn’t
budge.  Only the wall stood at her back.  She would have to crawl
over the desk.  With her cheek and throat still stinging, she managed to
get halfway across it before he yanked her back by her braid. 

Danielle let out a yelp as he
wrestled with her before throwing her to the stone floor. 

He was so enraged; his body shook
as though he suffered an apoplexy.  His hand was still fisted in her hair
and he used it to his advantage and pulled her neck even further back with a
painful twist.  Danielle cried out.  He had his arm raised to strike
her yet again. 

Thomas was near crazy as he stood
over his cousin.

He was losing everything.  The
bitch’s husband was onto him and it would only be a matter of time before the
bastard Norman came hunting for him.  After tonight he’d be far gone from
this place that had consumed any sanity he had left and never would regain with
that Norman as his overlord.  But, yea, he would get one thing done before
he’d see the inside of this place no more.   He’d leave his mark on
this fat cow! 

Rearing back, he balled his hand
into a fist, the large ring on his middle finger turned facing her.  He’d
wipe that smug look off her face.  She would fear him yet again. 

He’d see to it.

“Move an inch and I will think
naught of severing your head from your body, Balfour.” 

Death had come and Thomas’s pale
face told Danielle he’d heard it quite well. 

Aric’s voice sounded like she’d
never heard it sound before.  Thomas’s hand dropped from her hair but he
was unable to straighten for the tip of Aric’s long sword, pressed into his
throat, inches from his jugular.  A trickle of blood slid down her
cousin’s pale throat.   

Danielle spotted Balwain over her
husband’s broad shoulder.  She rose with the aid of Aric’s free
hand.  His handsome face was like stone, his dark eyes trained on Thomas
as he helped her rise. 

He did not look at her but asked.
 “Are you alright, Danielle?”

“Aye…Yea, I am.”

“Leave us. Now.”

Danielle hesitated at his words
when she saw the black rage that held his large body so rigid.  Yea, she
hated Thomas and had wished him dead several times over the years for his
torment and cruelty towards  her and her people.  But she did not
want his death at Aric’s hand or because of her.  She just wanted him gone
from Gravane.

She looked at Thomas and was
shocked to see his eyes were wet.  So, the weakling did know how to
cry.  She knew Aric would not like it, but she could not allow him to kill
her tormenter, no matter how despicable his crimes. 

“Milord, I said I was well. You can
lower your sword now.” 

Aric didn’t respond.  Danielle
knew that he heard for more blood soaked Thomas’s vivid tunic. 

She swallowed and sweat broke on
her already damp brow. “M-Milord?”
 “Leave, milady.”

Danielle winced at the sound of his deadly tone. Still she
asked, “Will you promise not to kill Thomas if I do?” 

Balwain moved closer to them to warn her, but her gaze
remained fixed on Aric. 

He was not happy and she did
not miss the tick jump in his cheek.  He would throw a fit later, probably
yell, she thought, especially when he saw her face.  Pulling her hair
around to cover the side of her face, Danielle hoped he would not look at her
now, for if he did, Thomas’s head would be at her feet.  She waited a
breath and after what seemed like an eternity, he answered.

“I promise not to kill your
cousin today, milady.”  Aric spoke in a controlled manner and continued
over Thomas’s gasp of terror.  “Now, leave.” Danielle
skirted around him but turned back at the door. “Banishment is all I seek.
So just that then?”

Aric’s bellow of rage had her
fleeing the room headed for the stairs.  Just then, a loud commotion broke
loose from within the room and the sound of something akin to a pig squealing
reached her ears as she ascended the stairs quickly.

Chapter 17

Danielle muttered a curse, wincing from the pain as she lowered the cloth yet
again from her stinging cheek.  She pressed her fingers lightly to the
tender spot. “Oh! Is it truly ugly, Edie?” 

Danielle moved over to the basin on
the chest, dipping the cloth yet again in the cool water.  Her maid walked
across the chamber and stood back looking her over, her eyes inspecting
the swollen and purple bruise.

“Nay, milady. Just looks
painful. Your cousin will be heard begging for mercy all the way to London when
milord sees this. And rightly so.”  Edie’s words were angry. 
Danielle groaned.  She wished she could wear something to cover it.

“Leave us.”

She had her back to the chamber
door and Aric’s words chilled her.  Oh, how was she going to hide the mark
now? 

Edie left them quickly and Aric
closed the chamber door.  He started yelling and screaming as he walked
across to the window.

Danielle kept her head down, her
eyes downcast and trained on his feet. She watched them as he walked over and
stopped in front of her.   Although his tirade had softened a bit,
she still heard some of the mumbled curses he said under his breath as he
vented over her behavior.   She braced herself when silence
finally filled the chamber.

He smelled of sweat and she could
feel the anger radiating from his towering form. 

His fingers touched her chin. 
She resisted, but he tightened his hold. Danielle stopped breathing as he
tilted her face up to his.  The loud oath she was sure could be heard by
all down in the courtyard below, erupted from his mouth.  

Then after a moment, he demanded
quietly. “Open your eyes, Danielle.” 

She hadn’t realized that she had
squeezed them shut.  She opened one eye slowly, that move caused Aric to
calm slightly. 

When both her eyes met his, he let
the back of his fingers brush softly across the skin around the bruise on
her cheek before sliding them down her throat to touch the raw scratches from
Thomas’s fingers there.

“Danielle, I’m so sorry
for this. I am sorry I was not there sooner. I would not see any
harm come to you.”

To her surprise, he pulled her into
his arms and hugged her tightly for a few moments.  Then he set her away
with his large hands on her shoulders.  “I would see your cousin dead for
this and his heinous crimes against you. Never again question or ask a
boon of me when I am dispensing justice and in such a mood. ‘Tis dangerous.”

Danielle knew she had erred, but in
that moment she’d known that she would not have been able to live with herself
had he run her cousin through.  Tears sprang to her eyes.  The week
had been quite stressful and today made it all that much worse. Her tears
choked her and she managed a nod.

Aric knew her reasoning without her
speaking it, but he did not agree. It took everything in him not to leave her
side now and go cut that bastard’s head off.  Especially now after seeing
her face and the painful marks Thomas had left behind. 

Swearing an oath again, this time
because of the tears in her eyes, he pulled her back into his arms and pressed
a light kiss upon the bruise.  This caused tears to soak his tunic. 
He held her as she cried.  His hands smoothed over her back.  After a
moment she quieted and lifted her head to look at him.

“Thomas?’

He released her, his anger rising
anew.

He went to the basin, wet the cloth
again and came back to wash the stains free of her throat. When she winced, he
cursed. Her cousin was very lucky.

“His bruises are far worse, but he
still lives.  Thomas and his sister will bother you no more.  they
have returned rather hastily to their holdings as we speak.”  A half smile
came to his lips.  His chance would come again to meet with her cousin
very soon.

Danielle slid her hands around his
neck.  He had sent them packing.  She kissed his lips and was
surprised when he kissed her back, gently.  When he did not deepen the
kiss, she felt a moment of disappointment. The ache within her chest grew as he
pulled away and returned the cloth to the table.

He went to the chamber door. “Rest
now. I will send Edie back in.”

Danielle almost cried again at his
abruptness.  He was gentle one moment and now he was cold yet again. 
Would she ever understand that man?

Chapter 18

Danielle did not
see Aric again for the rest of the day and she stayed in the chamber sulking
over it. She also did not want anyone to see Thomas’s marks upon her
skin.  Her eyes were still swollen from the tears she had shed after Aric
had left their chamber.  His weak response to her affection stung and made
her think he no longer needed nor desired her now with Lady Ella here.

Now night had fallen and she went
out into the gardens for a breath of the night air.  No one would be
about to see her.  She was halfway down the path when a rustling sounded
in the bushes to her left.  A groan followed.  

Moving closer, Danielle
listened.  She pulled back after a moment as she recognized what she was
hearing.  A man and a woman.  Blushing, she backed away and moved
on. 

The moaners came out after she
passed and looking back over her shoulder, Danielle saw that it was one of the
cross bowmen and a maid.  The couple didn’t see her as they giggled back
up the path toward the manor.  Yearning stirred in Danielle as she turned
away.   

 Further down as she walked,
she heard more of the same.  She didn’t pay any attention believing it to
be another soldier and some maid until the man groaned.  She froze. 

Nay! 

Danielle’s heart sunk.  She
moved near the tall hedges that led to a clearing patch on the other
side.   She stepped through and stopped in her tracks. 

There stood Aric fully clothed, yet
not so the woman that had her lips pressed to his throat.  The top of her
gown was down around her waist and she was moving against Aric in a
seductive   fashion.  Danielle’s stomach jumped and she felt
sick.

Hurt and anger slammed into
her. Her suspicions were confirmed. She now had her explanation for why he
was not exercising his husbandly rights.  He no longer had need.

“Oh, Aric. Please stop teasing
me so.” 

Danielle cringed at the sound of
her husband’s name coming out of Lady Ella’s mouth as she purred up against
him.   Aric’s hands were holding the upper arms of his mistress in
what looked like a caressing manner to Danielle.

She must have made a sound for they
both looked in her direction. Lady Ella’s breasts jiggled with the
movement.  She was smaller all over more so than she was and Danielle
trembled with jealousy and betrayal. 

Her eyes burned with tears and her
chest ached as she glared at the two of them.  She wanted to scratch out
Lady Ella’s smiling triumphant eyes of victory.  And Aric, she could kill
him.   His fierce gaze met and held hers and Danielle cursed for she
knew he saw her tears of humiliation.  He was looking at her as if she
were intruding. She could stand no more. She turned and bolted before she lost her
stomach in front of them.

“
Danielle
!” 

Aric’s call to her sounded so far
away as she ran, blinded by her tears and stumbling in her haste to leave the
sight of them behind.  All the while she swore she heard him call out her
name over and over again.  But that could not be for he’d be shouting
milady, not her name outside their chamber.  Her emotions were in an
uproar and her thoughts jumbled.  Her blood was pounding so hard in her
ears that she was dulled to anything other than the sound of her rapidly beating
and broken heart.