She started and looked up and around, her eyes widening in shock.Lannister.
The Earl of Lannister stood several feet away, removing his hat and bowing to her. He was dressed for riding, and in fact she now saw his horse tethered a little way off beneath a tree.
Oh, gosh, if Robert got wind of him being here...“My lord, what are you doing here?”
“I confess, looking for you,” he said with a smile, stepping closer to her.
“You must leave at once!” she said stepping back. “If the duke knew you were here—”
“He won’t if you don’t tell him,” he said, stepping closer.
The tower was behind her and the ground uneven beneath her feet.
“My lord, you must leave now!” she insisted, looking around. There was no one in sight, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be at any moment.
“Please, Sarah, I just wanted to speak with you, nothing more. I’ve ridden all the way from London. Will you turn me away without a word?”
She swallowed her heart thumping in panic.He has come from London where Robert is. Did they speak, fight?
“Is Robert hurt?” she blurted her terror.
“No, I don’t believe so. Why?”
“You haven’t seen him?”
“No, I haven’t.” He looked down at his booted foot set on a rock, and then back up at her. “I had not expected to be so fortunate in running across you out here. I had thought I would be forced to some form of subterfuge to attempt to speak with you. I know I am not welcome in the house. The duke made that clear in our last conversation.”
“Indeed, it is not safe for you to be here. You should leave.”
“I will, but not because I am afraid. I came to speak with you on this matter of a falling out between the duke and Ashford.”
“You know about that?” she said, aghast.
“My dear woman, it’s all over London. And that you are the cause of it. It was that circumstance that prompted me to come.”
“Why?” she clutched her hands together in distress. This is dreadful!
“I wanted to know if you needed rescuing.”
“What?” she said faintly.
“I promised you I would come if you needed me, remember? It occurred to me that in the circumstances you might not be able to send me word.”
She blinked at him, bereft of speech.
“At the risk of appearing a lurker, I watched you for some time, Sarah, tromping about. It would be obvious to the meanest intelligence that you are unhappy. I need to tell you also that I met Madeleine on the way here. She told me she’d had speech with you.”
Sarah reeled. She put out a hand to steady herself as the earth seemed to move under her feet. He stepped forward hurriedly to clasp her arm. “My dear, are you all right? You’ve gone horribly pale!”
She clutched at his arm. She shook her head to clear it. “Yes, yes I am. Thank you.”
“Please come and sit down on this rock,” he said coaxingly. “I don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself.” His words of concern, the warmth in his eyes, threatened to undo her. She felt raw and wretched inside, beaten down by shock after shock. His care was a balm that she must not accept. For his sake as well as her own.
She shook her head, “None of this is your concern, my lord. Please leave.”
“How can I, when I know you must be in so much pain?” He caught her hand and held it tightly.
She looked away, sympathy at this point would make her cry, and she had to get him to leave for his own sake. But he was still speaking.
