Page 74 of Gambling with the Earl
She gripped the smooth sides of the boat as they scraped through the shallows. The boatman jumped out and hauled it further up the beach. Kitty rose to her feet, knees trembling, and allowed him to help her down.
“Would you like me to wait, my lady?”
She bit her lip, flooded with indecision. “Yes please.”
He nodded sharply and set about securing the boat. Kitty took a deep breath, lifted her skirts and walked as gracefully asshe could towards the gatehouse. Despite her fears, it felt like coming home. The jutting outline of the castle, once formidable, now seemed familiar and welcoming. A slight breeze ran over her skin like a caress. Confidence flowered inside her. She had come this far, maybe success was within her reach.
The marshal must have spied their arrival, for he was waiting for her outside the gatehouse. She lowered her skirts as she reached the stony path and reminded herself to stay calm.
He nodded a greeting. “How can I help you, my lady?”
The beautiful dress was as effective a disguise as her servant’s attire. If the marshal recognised her, he didn’t show it.
Kitty raised her chin. “Miss Katherine Alden, to see the Earl of Rossfarne.”
The marshal pursed his lips. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, not today.”
She folded her hands together to stop them shaking. “How so?”
“The earl has returned to the service of the king. He left this morning. I’m sorry to say, you’ve had a wasted journey.”
His words sank through her like a stone. She was too late. Hot tears formed at the corners of her eyes and this time, she made no attempt to blink them away. It mattered not if she appeared like a composed lady or a dishevelled serving maid. The man she loved was not here.
He’d left, thinking her a thief. And now she would never get a chance to put things right.
Chapter Twenty
The sun washigh in the sky when Guy left Rossfarne, but the skies began to darken as he travelled further up the coast. His horse was high-stepping and co-operative, carrying Guy back to the life he had once loved with long, unfaltering strides. Guy sat deep in the saddle and forced himself to focus on the future. He had grown accustomed to holding himself still, so as to protect his injured arm, but now there was no need for caution. He was whole and healthy, ready to serve the king to the best of his abilities.
Just weeks ago, this was all he’d wanted. To return to his band of brothers on the battlefield. To fight for king and country. To feel the adrenaline rush of excitement while charging towards an enemy, knowing that his fate rested in his skills with a sword and the unity of his fellow knights.
The Knights’ Code was writ large in his memory. A motto he had learned in training, now as familiar to him as his own name.
“Without trust in one another, we are nothing.”
Sorrow darted through him. He trusted the men he rode towards, but all trust in the woman he’d left behind was eroded.
He frowned with annoyance and tightened his grip on the reins. Would his thoughts forever be cursed to return to Kitty? Might there come a day when the memory of her smile did not bring him pain?
His horse’s ears flickered backwards and forwards, as if listening to his internal debate. They were rounding a bend in the coastline when some sixth sense compelled him to twist in the saddle and look back in the direction he’d ridden from.
Shafts of slanting sunlight pierced the skies to illuminate the battlements of Rossfarne Castle, dark in the distance. If Guy shaded his eyes, he could make out the huddle of the village where the sparkling sea met the jutting cliffs.
Home.
He reined in his horse, shocked by his instinctive pull towards a place he still scarcely knew.
Not a place, a person.
It was no good. His inner turmoil could not be quietened. Guy cursed and swung himself down from the saddle, allowing his horse to crop at the grass while he stood amidst abundant purple heather and breathed deeply to calm his racing thoughts.
She had deceived him.
No matter how often he circled the matter, he couldn’t get away from that one dreadful fact.
But could he not find it in his heart to forgive her?
Guy sighed deeply. His heart had been barricaded away for so long, he knew not what it was capable of. But as a trained knight, he realised that he would be no use on the battlefield until his mind was clear and focused.
