Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,57
search his stables?” William asked.
The knight before him nodded, an older man whom Marianne had not seen before with thick grey eyebrows and matching hair. Despite his outward strength, he shivered uncontrollably even as he was questioned near the grand fire’s heat.
“Aye, we did tha’, but found no trace of the horses. The old swine would not let us search the home, or even allow us to warm up and rest anywhere.”
William nodded, his expression grave.
Marianne clasped his arm. “What are ye thinking, milord?”
He spared her a glance but not much else. “Whether your father sought shelter with Ferdinand or not, his unwillingness to allow my men into his new home suggests that he has something to hide. Whether ‘tis your father or something else, I do not know.”
Bryce spoke into William’s ear, so quietly that Marianne could not hear what had been said. The warrior lord had returned to continue with his and William’s swordplay earlier that morn, and now appeared to be helping William handle his new dilemma.
William nodded to whatever Bryce said before addressing the men huddling around the fire. “Allow your men to sit here in the great hall to warm yourselves. Bread and ale will be brought to you for your fine work.”
Blaise muttered, his arms folded tightly to his chest. “They did no fine work.”
The old knight bowed, ignoring his younger master. “Thank you, milord.” He was the last to find a seat after the other men shuffled for a good spot by the fire, weary of their travel.
Only a handful of men were present, but the expressions on their faces suggested they had ridden into the night after her father. The exhaustion they suffered from their efforts was no doubt doubled when they did not find him.
When James left her to speak with the older knight, Marianne used the opportunity to follow her husband out of the great hall to have a word with him. Olma trailed along, casting glances back at James as they left.
“Ye need to be stricter with yer training,” She could hear Bryce before she caught up to them. “I’ve never seen men so lazy and unguarded before.”
William sighed. “Ye are correct. I have known it for some time, I have simply never had the heart to have anything done about it. But today ‘tis not entirely laziness, they rode hard in the cold searching for Holton.”
Blaise’s mocking voice in her ear caused her to jump. “Spying does not become you, milady.”
Marianne stiffened before resigning herself to turn and face him. She wished she had not when his sneering face met hers.
She cast a quick glance behind her, hoping that she would not have to face Blaise alone. The stone hallway stood bare, only the torches to provide light and very little warmth to give her comfort.
William must have been so caught up with his conversation with Bryce that he had not heard Blaise or Marianne behind them. Now they were out of sight, and unable to save Marianne.
She took a calming breath, willing herself to feel no blind emotion, no boiling anger, and looked Blaise in the eye.
When Olma made her presence known and stood behind her lady, glee filled her chest. A witness would surely prevent Marianne from losing her temper.
She straightened herself. ‘Twas one thing to be the lady of the castle for the servants, but now she would have to show Blaise that as well. “I am no spy.”
His gaze remained as calm as hers, though as spiteful as ever, as if he was trying to match her civility with a barely disguised distaste.
He rested one arm over the other and scratched his cheek. “An old maid like you may have fooled my father, but I do not believe for one moment that you did not aid your thieving bastard sire.”
Rage hissed wildly within her. Marianne forgot about Olma and holding her temper. “And I do not believe for one moment that you are of William’s blood.”
Marianne felt her face run cold when the words escaped her lips. Blaise stood in front of her, pale and open-mouthed before his cheeks turned redder than what she thought was normal, even for him. The freckles disappeared on his face as it twisted into unrecognizable fury.
When he raised his hand, she stood helpless, waiting for the blow to come. But his palm shook in the air and Marianne breathed deeply, counting the seconds while trying to decide whether he despised her enough to do it.
She exhaled shakily when