Seize The Dawn (29 page)

Once, she attempted to leave her room. One of the men, a goodly fellow over six feet and appearing to weigh near a ton, greeted her at the door.

Later, however, she heard a tap at the door. She answered it, and was surprised to find Corbin. He appeared ill, his handsome face ashen.

"Eleanor ..." He lifted his hand in a futile gesture, then shook his head miserably, and leaned forward. "My God, Eleanor, I'm so sorry for all of this! I know that you are not guilty, but they will not listen to me. And we can do nothing ... for these are the king's men. To stop them ... well, Clarin could not withstand the king's army."

"I know that, Corbin," she said. "But how have these men come here? Why?"

"We knew that the Duke of York had ordered Fitzgerald here ... but I had thought it was just to clarify the count's death."

"Our good doctor went to them. When he left here that night, I thought little of it. But he was angry with you, Eleanor. He said that he was curing the count, but that you kept getting infuriated with his medical methods, and threw him out"

"Alain had no blood left—and he kept taking more and more!"

"Eleanor, I'm just telling you what happened. Again, he complained as he left here, but we thought nothing of it we were all ... at a loss. I didn't know that he had left the village ... of course, he has not shown his face again."

"I kept the little bastard from killing Alain, and here I stand accused of poison!"

Corbin took in a deep breath, staring at her. "Eleanor, I have hovered about the best I could. They have taken the count's body and inspect it still and ..."

"Aye?"

"There are signs of poison. A blackness beneath the nails ... certain tinges to the flesh ... there's not much I know about such matters, but the experts can find traces that ... he might have been killed."

"Corbin, I didn't kill him! My God, if I'd wanted to remarry, I didn't have long to wait anyway! He was old and in poor health from the moment we said our vows."

"Eleanor, you didn't certainly ... but who else? Who else would benefit from his death? Not Alfred or I—his death only allowed your re-marriage while you were young—and very fertile."

Eleanor moistened her lips. "Isobel?"

Corbin shook his head, frowning—and dismissing the thought completely. "My wife is a shrew, mean as a rabid wolf, but she is always open in her contrivances. She wants a child—but she wanted you with Alain as long as possible. The longer he lived, the older you became, the less chance that you would bear a child."

Eleanor sat back.
Unless Isobel had heard her conversation with Bridie, and knew that she was already with child.
Then, she needed to die along with Alain. What better way to kill her than have her executed for Alain's murder?

Still, now, she was especially afraid to share the fact that she was with child with anyone. The fact might put her—and the child—even more at risk.

"I didn't kill Alain. And I don't trust your wife."

"Eleanor, I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to prove your innocence."

"Thank you." She hesitated, afraid for herself—and for others in her household. "Corbin, do you know where Bridie is?"

"She is safe enough—for the moment. Since she was with you when you were attacked at sea, then with the Scots, and in Paris with Alain, they believe that she must be extensively questioned. She is being held in solitude in her room, just above you."

A woman stood there; as tall and slender as Bridie, but as dour as Bridie was pleasant. She was austerely dressed in stiff linen; her lips were primly compressed, and her hands were folded before her.

She hadn't asked for a bath to be brought. She hadn't seen anyone to ask. Curiosity plagued her, and she didn't want to antagonize these strangers in her house any more than necessary.

"I thank you, and if I do need any assistance whatsoever, I will, of course, ask that you be called."

She closed the door quiedy.

A moment later, there was another tap. She opened the door. Two of the young villagers had arrived with a tub. One was Tyler, the son of old Timothy, a handsome lad of about sixteen with a thick thatch of dark hair. The other was Gregory, whose parents had died one after the other, just a few years ago. He had lived with his sister until called to train for service in the king's army. She hadn't seen him now for a very long time.

"Tyler, Gregory, my deepest thanks," she said, welcoming them as they brought the tub. She was about to ask Gregory what he was doing back, but a strange glance from him warned her to keep her silence.

"Ah, my lady, here, before the fire?"

''That goes to the kettle, to be warmed above the fire again,'' Gregory instructed the other man. "My lady would have the water very warm. Here, I'll take care of it."

He took the water bucket. She thanked the lads, and they left, along with Tyler; Gregory made a pretense of putting the water into a kettle to set over the fire. When the others had gone, the door remained ajar. She looked at it, then at Gregory, who shook his head and mouthed the words. "Don't close it, m'lady. They will think it suspicious."

"Aye, you'll stand trial. And there's no proof that you did not. The doctors have determined that Count de Lacville did die from poisoning, slowly administered, and when he did not die quickly enough, you fed him a lethal dose."

She stood, fury sweeping through her. "I didn't kill him— but if they are right, and he was poisoned, then someone is guilty. And I swear—"

"My lady, you are in grave and serious trouble. Tomorrow Fitzgerald will listen to the final diagnoses of the doctors .. and then you will face trial. They'll take you to London. And you may well face a death penalty. Edward may decide that you must lose your head—to appease Philip of France."

"How do you know all this?" she asked with dismay.

"I listen well—though these are not facts kept secret here in the castle. Due to the love borne you by the people here, Fitzgerald may send for more men before trying to escort you to London for the trial."

She touched his hand briefly. "Thank you, dearly, for this information. But you must follow your sister, quickly, and leave the north of England. If anyone knows that you have changed your allegiance, you will be executed, and quickly, with a rope from the nearest branch."

' 'By the time you find him, I pray that I will be long gone. Or that I will have discovered my own method of escape. Now, please, you must go, and quickly. I would not have any harm come to you."

He looked to the door, then kissed her hand quickly. "My lady—"

"If it were possible without costing the lives of everyone here, my cousins would have made a move by now. I won't have scores of men dying on my behalf."

"I am not without some talent for escape," she told him, smoothing back her hair and smiling. "And thank you—you have already taken a terrible risk."

Eleanor closed the door behind him. She stared at the water, and decided on a bath. Leaning back into it, she pondered his words, closing her eyes as the steam wound around her.

She might face a trial; but she had already been judged guilty. Someone had killed Alain. Mercilessly. Isobel. It could only be. There was no way to exonerate herself, and prove the truth. For all appearances, Isobel would have nothing to gain by Alain's death.

While she ...