but she pulled and dragged him along.
“Are ye certain those men are here for ye?” Holton asked, still resisting but moving along with her.
“Aye, yes, of course! ‘Tis James, and there is Blaise right there!” She never thought she would be so happy so see him.
Holton, satisfied, ran with her as Marianne clasped his hand in her own.
Chapter Fifteen
William took great pleasure storming into the bedchambers Ferdinand had gained through his questionable means, and searching under every bed, tossing chairs and ordering servants out of his way.
‘Twas not a difficult task as there was very little in any of the chambers. Indeed, it seemed most of the furnishings had been sold. As there was hardly any place to hide a woman, William abandoned those chambers and moved on.
He marched into the solar and opened the large trunk there, his blood cold with the fear that she could be stuffed inside. She was not.
He felt Ferdinand’s eyes on him, shrewdly watching with great dislike as William searched through the compartments in the writing table.
His hands abruptly ceased their search. William pulled out a smooth wooden sculpture with a sharp point at the tip, at the sight of it, disgust shivered through him. Despite the pointed tip, he knew it was meant to resemble a man’s cock.
He’d never seen anything like it in his life.
The two men with him eyed the thing with horrified fascination.
“I doubt very much that she is in there, milord.” William lifted his eyes at Ferdinand’s seething.
“Aye,” William took the wooden object and threw it into the fire as he left the solar. It would not stop Ferdinand from making another one, but William was satisfied with the knowledge that the horrible thing would never be used to harm another woman again.
While he drew pleasure by going through Ferdinand’s things, ‘twas soon lost on him when it became obvious that Marianne indeed was not there.
Fear wrapped around him like a snake.
Bryce and Nicholas returned from searching the kitchens and servants quarters while Hugh and the knight with him came from the stables. All found nothing.
“Shall we search the woods surrounding the house?” Hugh asked.
William nodded, banishing the snake. He would not give up. “Aye.”
Ferdinand followed them to the door. “My apologies that your lady is missing, milord, I can only wish there was something I might do to assist your search.”
William heard the false sympathy in his voice. It enraged him.
Without thinking he spun around and grabbed the man’s neck, shoving him to the wall.
Swords were drawn by William’s and Ferdinand’s men. They touched the flesh of his neck but William paid them no mind.
“I know you have her, and when I find her, for your sake, she’d best be unharmed.” William said, ignoring Hugh and Nicholas’s hands on his shoulders. They might be fooled into believing Ferdinand’s performance of frailty but he was not.
Ferdinand looked him in the eye and wheezed. “I swear on my honor, I have not had her brought here.”
Bryce’s gruff voice snapped him from his murderous thoughts. “Milord, we will search the forest then return here a second time. There is naught we can do now.”
Reluctantly, William released the aging man. Ferdinand coughed, a wasted hand clasping his chest for breath.
With no word of apology, William turned to the doors.
Marianne ran down the hill in the distance, her hand clasped in her father’s.
His eyes met hers. She dropped Holton’s hand and ran faster than a doe. She called his name. Her voice held only terror.
“William!”
Old, nearly forgotten instinct gripped him. William ducked and rolled, narrowly escaping Ferdinand’s slashing blade. William jumped to his feet and drew his sword, but Bryce had already grabbed Ferdinand’s arms. The older man shrieked and dropped the dagger under Bryce’s falcon grip.
Another man came at him and William was ready. He blocked the sword coming down on him with a clang from his own blade and kicked the man’s knee, listening to his screech as it shattered backwards. He too fell, clutching his twisted leg while rolling, weeping, and sobbing.
James jumped from his horse. He rushed and stole the man’s sword while one of William’s knights held him down with no struggle.
‘Twas all the incentive William’s men needed before charging into the house with their weapons drawn.
Vastly outnumbered, Ferdinand’s men dropped their weapons and surrendered on their knees.
“Filthy cowards!” Ferdinand screamed. “Pick up your weapons! Defend me!”
“You are the coward here!” William seethed. “Bringing pain to helpless women while hiding behind your lies and men.”
“The way you hid