Page 93 of Bold Angel
“I cannot believe you have once more deceived me,” Ral said to Caryn, staring at her as if she had somehow failed him. The thought stirred an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“’Tis not a matter of deceit, but of trying to help someone.”
“Were you so certain that I wouldnot?”
“Well, I…”
“Were you?” They were standing in their chamber, Ral pacing the floor at the foot of their bed, his tunic making jerking movements with each of his powerful strides.
Caryn’s chin came up. “When it was your wish to wed me, you did so, whether I desired it or not. ’Tis Beltar’s wish to wed Lady Ambra. I cannot believe you would gainsay him in this.”
He eyed her for a long, cool moment. “Why have you come to me now, when you did not do so before?”
Caryn stared down at her feet, her soft leather shoes still muddy from her morning trek out to the stables. “Lord Beltar arrives on the morrow.”
Ral’s hand slammed hard against the bedpost. “Sweet Christ, I cannot believe it! Beltar at Braxston. That is all we need.” He raked a hand through his wavy black hair, frustration and anger carving deep lines in his face. “How is it you know?”
“Richard told me. A messenger arrived just this morning.”
“Richard? You’ve involved Richard in this deceit?”
“’Twas Richard who received the news. He came to me because he cares for Lady Ambra. Have you not seen the way he looks at her?”
“Aye, I have seen it. You are telling me that Richard has also been aware of the jester’s ruse?”
“’Twas only recently that he discovered, though I think his body was certain from the start.”
Ral grunted. “’Twill do neither of them any good. The girl goes back to Beltar on the morrow.”
Caryn caught her husband’s arm and felt the heavy muscles bunch. “Please, my lord, you cannot mean it. The man is an ogre. Even before the marriage, he tried to ravish her. You cannot mean to let him have her.”
“Beltar is her betrothed. There is naught I can do.”
“Beltar believesyou are to blame. He thinks the girl is your leman. Mayhap if you told him it was so—”
“For God’s sake, woman! Beltar is one of the most powerful men in England. He can mount a thousand men, should he desire to. Do you wish me to fight a war to keep one small woman from taking the vows as his wife?”
Caryn took a steadying breath. Put that way, Ral was right. He could hardly endanger his people, mayhap get many of them killed.
“Is there naught that we can do? She is such a lovely girl.” But even as she said the words, a thought began to form in her head.
“Nay. I must give her over to Beltar. Let us hope I can convince him I had naught to do with her abduction.”
Caryn turned away, the idea growing, taking solid shape in her mind. “As you wish, my lord.” She started for the door, but Ral stepped in front of her.
“You give in too readily, my love.” He eyed her with shrewd assessment. “What goes on in that wily mind of yours?”
“Very little, unfortunately, my lord.”
“Good. In the meantime, just to be safe, the girl will be locked in a room in the keep. I would be certain she is here when her bridegroom arrives on the morrow.”
Caryn said nothing more. What she meant to see done had nothing to do with Ambra’s running away. She smiled to herself as she walked out the door.
***
“I would speak with you, Richard.” Caryn stuck her head through the door to the room in which he worked. Instead of finding him bent over his desk, as she had expected, he paced back and forth, much as Ral had done upstairs.
“Of course, my lady.” He approached her with a brooding expression, searching her face for a sign that her husband’s decision might have changed. “They havetaken her to a chamber upstairs. Lord Ral sent men-at-arms to be certain she did not run away.”
