Page 46 of While Angels Slept
Geoff’s attention was diverted from Cantia and his licentious expression morphed into one of displeasure as he focused on his cousin. His emotions were easy to read. “He told me you were out on patrol.”
Val kept her steady expression. “I was.”
Geoff just stared at her, knowing that wasn’t the truth. But no matter, he’d found what he had sought and then some. After a moment, he snorted as if he found something humorous. His gaze moved from Val to Arabel, down to Hunt and finally back to Cantia. There it remained as if nailed into place.
“My lady,” he held out his hand to her. “I have so wanted a tour of this magnificent place. Who better to grant my wish but you?”
Cantia looked at the outstretched hand with something of dread. After everything she had heard about the earl, she did not want to go with him in the least. In fact, it was an effort not to refuse and run for her life. She glanced at Val, who gazed back at her with a mixture of fear and sympathy. There was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do. Geoff would not be refused.
“As you wish, my lord.”
Cantia moved towards the door but did not take the earl’s outstretched hand. She turned fully to Val as she progressed across the floor.
“You will accompany us, my lady,” she said firmly, hoping her tone would infer to the earl that she would accept nothing less. “Lady Arabel, would you please mind Hunt while we are away? He will be no trouble.”
Arabel’s dark eyes were wide. “Mind… mind him?”
Cantia forced a smile at the girl. “He is a good boy. I believe you will do a fine job.”
Arabel had never been trusted with any such task in her life. The situation in her life was always reversed. Everyone was charged with mindingher. Cantia could read her naked fear, but in the next moment, there was a good deal of pleasure that someone would trust her with such a task. It was a responsibility she had never been given and she was shocked, and also grateful, for the opportunity. It made her feel grown-up.
“Aye, Lady Penden,” she looked at Hunt. “I will mind him.”
Cantia nodded confidently, holding out her hand to Val in the meanwhile. “Come along, my lady,” she decided the best way to deal with Geoff was to show that she was not afraid of him. Truthfully, she hadn’t a better plan at the moment. “I will give you a great tour also. You have been caged up inside the keep for so long that perhaps you’ve not imagined what more there is to this place.”
Val took Cantia’s hand and the women quit the room in a protective huddle. Geoff stood there a moment, not at all happy that his private little tour with Lady Penden was growing into something of a group activity. He did not give the children in the room a second glance as he followed behind the ladies and slammed the door. Hunt raced to the door and bolted it, turning to look at Arabel, sitting on the larger of the two beds in the room. The young lady’s eyes were wide as the children stared at one another.
“Hunt,” she said. “You know every inch of this place, do you not?”
Hunt nodded. “Where isth that man taking my mother?”
Arabel didn’t know. She was too young to truly fathom what the man was capable of. All she knew was what her father had told her and that was only in the simplest of terms. But they were not good terms.
“You must go and find my father,” Arabel insisted quietly. “Tell him that Cousin Geoff has taken your mother and Val. He will want to know.”
“Why?”
“Because he will!” she snapped irritably, then cooled. “Please, Hunt. This is important.”
Hunt pursed his little lips in thought. After a moment, he unbolted the door and peered into the dark landing beyond as if to make sure no one stood between him and his mission. Quietly, he slipped from the door and the big blond dog rose from his place in the corner, stretched, and followed. The door shut softly, leaving Arabel alone in the strange room.
As young as she was, her apprehension was quite adult.
*
Under the pretenseof introducing Geoff to Rochester, Cantia was really on the hunt for Tevin.
Her plan was to take Geoff to the living levels, not the private chambers. She thought that any introduction to a bedchamber, even for show, would put wicked ideas in his head and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Furthermore, she wanted to stay in public areas where servants and soldiers were about. And, she hoped, Tevin.
Cantia and Val still held on to one another as they descended the steps into the entry hall. Cantia chatted non-stop about the history of Rochester Castle, how there had been a castle since ancient times on the site, and how the current stone fortress was built by the Bishop of Rochester almost sixty years prior. Then the castle was lost to the House of de Gael twenty years later in a change of political winds and had been established with a military steward to protect both the town and the river crossing. Brac Penden’s grandfather had been that steward those years ago, which had then passed on to Charles. It would have gone to Brac had the man survived the skirmish. Now, Hunt was the next in line.
Geoff listened with veiled patience to the history lesson. He knew all of it, better than Cantia did. He walked slightly behind the women, observing Cantia with glittering eyes. He noted the delicious sway of her backside, the way her lustrous hair caught the light. And he was particularly entranced by the lavender eyes and the soft, sensual way in which she spoke. He could have listened to her all day. In fact, hesuspected he wasn’t the only one interested in the woman’s charms and began to speculate that his cousin had the woman shut up simply to keep her to himself. Tevin didn’t keep mistresses, nor was he known to show particular interest in women, but Lady Penden’s aura would be enough to seduce any man.
“And you, my lady,” he broke into her prattle by gently grabbing her by the arm. “I would like to hear about you now. Tell me of your family.”
Cantia struggled not to recoil from his grip on her arm. She had been so involved in her conversation, and in Val’s presence, that his gesture startled her.
“But we were speaking of Rochester, my lord,” she said. “I am of no consequence. The Penden line is far more interesting.”
