Page 57 of Promises Made at Midnight
“You are to have his child,” she snapped with a furrowed brow. Helena swiftly continued through the courtyard.
“How did you know?”
A short laugh escaped her lips. “The servants are loyal to me. Did you really think I would not know what is going on in my own castle?”
Bridgette halted her progress, now leery of the woman’s motives. “This is also now my home, or did you forget that I am now Ulrick’s wife?”
“I have forgotten nothing.” Her eyes narrowed, giving Bridgette a brief glimpse of this woman’s true character. The disdain the woman showed her was a grim reminder this lady had run the estate for far too long since Ulrick’s absence. She wanted to be in charge and nothing was going to stand in her way.
“Where’s Eva?” Bridgette demanded, concerned for the girl’s safety.
“This way. She’s in the stable,” Helena answered before rushing forward once more.
“What the devil is she doing in the stable?”
Helena didn’t give her an answer and Bridgette had no choice but to keep up with the woman, who may hold the child’s life in her hands.
They entered the dimly lit barn. Dust motes danced through the cracks in the ceiling. Several horses munched on their hay or neighed at the intrusion of the women. Helena stopped in the middle of the room and motioned to the last stall near a rear entrance.
“She is there,” she said, pointing in the direction she now wished Bridgette to go.
“Eva,” Bridgette called out, rushing forward only to see for herself what her gut had been trying to tell her. Her daughter wasn’t there. She was just about to turn around when she was struck in the back of the head. Her cry rang out as she fell forward into the soft straw in the stall.
Through blurry vision, she saw Helena stand over her with a wicked grin. “You will not take Dunster from me. Not now, not ever. This place inmine!” she hissed, before looking over her shoulder.
Bridgette raised her hand to the man who came into view. “Help me. Please,” she whispered, until his laugh made her realize that help wasn’t coming from Dunster’s steward.
Hadrian kneeled down and a rag was shoved inside Bridgette’s mouth, preventing her from calling for aid. Her head spun and she tried to fight him off, but her strength was lessening while she attempted to remain conscious. Rope was tied around her wrists and ankles and a feeling of helplessness consumed her. He then threw a coarse woolen blanket over her before lifting her up into his arms. Bridgette groaned when she was all but tossed into what she assumed was a cart.
The two laughed. Helena’s voice held nothing but malice. “Have your man get her as far away from here as possible. I never want her to set foot on my land again.”
The cart began to move. Bridgette struggled against the ropes binding her before her eyes rolled back and she knew no more.
CHAPTER41
Ulrick frowned, staring at the ledger before him, praying that he had been mistaken, but ’twas no use after a second accounting. The figures did not add up and he now knew for certain that Dunster’s steward had been stealing from the coffers. There was no other way around what was before Ulrick’s very eyes. And he had help… he was certain his own damn mother was behind the man’s every move. He had known she was ambitious in her determination to remain in charge, but this was going too far! A growl of outrage left his lips, and he raised his head to stare at the brothers who had remained at Dunster, delaying their return home to Berwyck until they were certain all was well with Ulrick.
“I suppose you have your answer,” Turquine stated, “and ’tis apparent you do not care for the results.”
Ulrick swiped his hand across the back of his neck, rubbing away the pain from being bent over the ledger for what seemed like hours. “Aye. ’Tis my steward and my mother.”
Taegan scowled. “Bad luck that. For your own mother to dishonor you so…” his words trailed off before Ulrick slammed his fist on the table.
“I should have known she would be up to no good but I never thought she would go so far as to steal from the estate,” he growled out, before rubbing his eyes as if this would clear the mess before him.
Turquine came over and patted him on the back. “If she has gone this far,mon ami, how much further would she go to gain all she feels she is entitled to?”
Ulrick raised his head to stare at his longtime friend. “What do you mean?”
The brother’s shared a silent look before Turquine continued pointing to the ledger. “She and your steward have been taking monies from the coffers, it appears for years. Your own father, brother, and step-father all died from accidents that could be coincidental, but what if their deaths were planned?”
Taegan nodded. “And this is only the beginning of what should now worry you.”
“Aye,” Turquine agreed before continuing. “You now return not only with a wife but—”
“—two children you have taken in as your own,” Taegan finished with a shrug. “You have a brother and sister who would inherit upon your demise as long as they live. How safe are any of them with a woman who cares nothing about family and is looking out for her own self-interest?”
“She would not dare harm my family!” Ulrick bellowed.
