The big man removed his hand, and she gasped several times.
“Scream again and I’ll have to do something about it,” he warned her.
“Let me go.”
“Can’t. And there’s still the matter of the boy. You don’t want him to suffer.”
“Where is he?”
“Close.” Ulmar took her by the elbow once more, this time making it clear that she’d be stupid to try to get free. Angelet stumbled along beside him, furious with herself for getting into this mess. She should have known something was wrong! She should have told someone, or insisted on more people joining them. But she had been so worried about Goswin.
A moment later, they entered a clearing, where several horses were tethered at one side, and people gathered on the other.
One of them turned at their arrival. “Oh, there she is. The elusive Angelet!”
Angelet took in the sight of Ernald, who appeared incredibly satisfied with himself. Next to him stood none other than Bethany, who clearly survived the attack to the cortège—and was probably never even in danger. The way she hovered possessively close to Ernald suggested that she was his lover. So that was the reason Bethany volunteered to join Angelet on the journey. Ernald must have told her to.
She noticed another man dressed as a soldier, who held a bound and gagged Goswin. Angelet saw the fear in the boy’s eyes, and understood exactly how he felt.
Ernald circled Angelet like a wolf around a sheep.
“You’re looking well, sister,” he said. “Despite all that’s befallen you since your departure from Dryton. And I know about everything you’ve done because I’ve been tracking you for weeks now.”
Considering Bethany had obviously been passing on information to him during the first part of the journey, that news was not surprising. Still, she knew Ernald wanted to be dramatic, so she indulged him. He’d tell her more that way, since Ernald adored the sound of his own voice.
“How did you find me here?” she asked.
“Silly girl, it was simple. One of my hired men saw you flee from the site of the original attack. Your champion, dressed in black armor, riding a black horse. You in your fine gown and jewels, with your lovely blonde tresses, riding a white horse. That’s a remarkable looking pair. It was not hard to follow the trail once we found someone who had seen you.” Ernald’s grin widened. “Where the hell did you plan to go, though? I never could tell.”
“We were riding for Wareham,” she said, deliberately avoiding mention of Henry.
“Ah, yes. You’d get aboard a ship and sail back to your family!” He laughed.
“Why does that sound so funny to you?” she asked. “It’s not as if I ever could call the Yarboroughs family. After Hubert died, I was forgotten.”
“Hardly forgotten, Angelet.” Ernald put a finger on her throat. “I thought about you quite often.”
“All the more reason for me to return to my own family,” she said, jerking away.
He chuckled again. “Ah, yes. One small hurdle for that course, Angelet. You have no family in Anjou.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the d’Hivers are no more. Both your parents are dead now, your brother is who the hell knows where. A rival has taken your lands by force… You have no allies, and no home to go back to.”
Her heart quailed, but she kept a brave face. “I don’t believe you. These are lies to hurt me.”
He shrugged. “You may think that if you like. But did you never wonder why no one came to claim you? Why Otto could keep you in his grip as he did? Why your mother or father never wrote to you? Never asked after you?”
“Otto kept letters from me,” she guessed, uncertainly. “Or stopped messengers from speaking with me.”
“A few, early on. But then there were no more letters. Because there were no more d’Hivers to write them.”
“I don’t believe you,” she repeated, except this time her voice shook.
“Oh, it’s true. Otto was just waiting for the right opportunity to unload you, since you long outserved your purpose as the vessel for the heir. Hence the nunnery.”
“That was a compromise,” she said. “I would be allowed visits from my son, and that abbey is known for healing. My affliction could be cured there.”
