Page 33 of One Knight
“Master Alger? He just came and left this morning.”
Henry looked at the king. “Something seems off.”
“I’d say so.”
“There are fresh tracks leading away from the manor. Heavy horses. Mounted knights. They’re not a week old,” one of the king’s men said as he brought his horse to a halt in the courtyard.
“Who else just left?” William demanded. “Your life depends on your honesty.”
“Baron Auldwyn. He and his men have beeneating us out of house and home. Arseholes, all of them. They came in and made this place their own. Told us they’d kill us all if we told anyone they were here.”
“Elisande’s brother,” Henry clarified for the king.
“When did they leave?” William continued.
“This morning, with Alger. He brought Baron Auldwyn a message, and they all upped and left. Didn’t tell us nothing.”
Henry looked at William. “Elisande is at the manor.”
“We go now.”
William wheeled his horse around, and Henry was right on his heels in a gallop.
CHAPTER 17
Elisande knew exactly where they were going. The river mouth. That was where she assumed her brother had gone before—to sail for Ireland to escape the Normans. Except, for some reason, he hadn’t.
From her seat in front of Alger on a borrowed steed, she struggled, but couldn’t break the bonds he had tied her in.
“Stop fighting, Eli. You’re fine. I told you I’d find a way.”
“You have to take me back. You’re going to bring all the king’s men down on your heads. He’ll never let me go.”
“He won’t have a choice. I’m sorry you had to go through all that, but you’re safe now. Two more boats are waiting for the rest of us. We sail with the tide.”
The idea of going anywhere with her brother, let aloneboth of them, made Elisande consider tossing herself off the horse. She glanced at therocky ground beneath its hooves and knew she’d never land well enough or run fast enough to escape them … at least notyet.
“What happened?” Sir Rolf said as Henry leaped from his horse as William and the others rode into the courtyard.
Henry looked around, and there was no sign of any kind of attack. His heart began to calm. He must have mistaken the situation.
“Where is she?”
“Who?”
“Lady de Vere.”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in a few hours since she was chatting with Baldwin.”
“Find her.”
Rolf nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
Henry rushed to the solarium, praying he would find her there, but it was empty. He checked the room they had used the night before. Empty.
“Baldwin!” Henry roared the steward’s name.
“He’s here, my lord.” Rolf brought him forward. “He hasn’t seen her either.”
