Page 63 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

‘Braedan is possible, especially if it was you who were to persuade him, but not Katherine. It has been her particular ambition throughout our childhood that I marry well and bring honour to our family.’

Ellena’s frown deepened. ‘Katherine would not be so cruel as to expect you to marry someone you didn’t love. She only wants your happiness.’

Linota ran her fingers over her braid—once more it felt too tight against her scalp. ‘Katherine hates Erik. She would never believe that Erik could make me happy. Even if she accepted his low birth she couldn’t accept Erik himself.’

Ellena nodded. ‘That certainly is an obstacle. Braedan isn’t keen on him either.’ She dropped her sheet on to her lap, abandoning all pretence of sewing. ‘You must find out the truth.’

‘What truth?’

‘You told us that Erik had a sister. You need to find out if that is true.’

‘Mistress Sutton—’ Linota began.

‘—doesn’t know everything,’ Ellena finished for her.

The room stilled. Linota’s pulse pounded wildly in her throat. She allowed herself, for a moment, to believe that everything Erik told her had been true. The pain in her heart lessened briefly only to return with a hard punch to the chest. There was no way for her to ever find out. ‘How can I discover the truth?’ she whispered.

‘I believe things are about to be made easier on that front,’ said Ellena, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Heavy boots strode across the Great Hall and came to a stop beside their seats. Linota froze; surely it couldn’t be. Linota looked up and for a moment her heart tumbled wildly in her chest. The man who stood before her had Erik’s wide shoulders and curling blond hair. For the first time in months her body breathed easily.

She blinked and her heart fell to her feet when she realised the man before her was not Erik, but his brother, Jarin Ashdown, the Earl of Borwyn. Ellena got to her feet to welcome him; Linota stayed rooted to her chair. She couldn’t have moved even if she’d wanted to, so heavy was her disappointment.

‘My good ladies,’ Borwyn said formally, his shoulders stiff and unyielding. ‘I hope that you are both keeping well.’

‘Thank you, kind sir,’ answered Ellena. ‘We are both well. I trust you are, too?’

Linota’s heart began to race while Ellena and Borwyn exchanged polite remarks with one another. There was only one reason the Earl could be here—at least there was only one she could think of that made sense.

Borwyn had come for Katherine.

She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and began to pray fervently.

She wanted her sister to be happy, of course she did. But she couldn’t lie to herself that she wanted this match so very badly, not just for her sister but for herself. Because if Katherine came to her senses and accepted Jarin as her husband then there was a link, no matter how tenuous, with Erik.

Chapter Fifteen

Borwyn’s fortress—spring 1332

‘Are you sure you won’t come down and eat?’ asked Katherine, swirling round their guest chamber, her permanent smile dazzling.

‘Yes, I’m feeling rather tired after our journey,’ said Linota, flopping back on to her bed and doing her best to look as if the two-day journey from Castle Swein to Borwyn’s fortress had completely exhausted her when the exact opposite was true.

Luckily Katherine was too preoccupied with her impending marriage to Borwyn to pay too much attention to her.

‘I’ll bring some food up for you,’ Katherine said as she floated towards the door.

It really was very...warming to see how happy Katherine was now that she had agreed to marry Borwyn. On the few instances that Linota had seen Borwyn he had been equally delirious with happiness.

‘Mmm,’ Linota mumbled, pretending that she was almost dropping off.

The door opened, but instead of stepping through it Katherine came back into the room.

‘You’re not hiding from Erik Ward, are you?’

‘No, of course not. I’m tired, that’s all.’

Katherine wasn’t convinced by Linota’s pretended innocence. ‘Borwyn has reassured me that Erik Ward is not in the fortress at the moment, so there is no need for you to stay up here if that’s what you’re doing.’

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