Chapter Fifteen

The next person who touched Mira’s arm received a scream of terror.

Douglas had to grab on to her to keep her from bolting.

“What?” he asked, alarmed. “What did I do?”

When Mira realized who it was, she tried not to weep with relief. “Nothing,” she assured him. “I am so sorry. Nothing at all. You… you simply startled me.”

They were standing back behind the dais, behind an enormous wooden screen painted with woodlands scenes. Some famous Savoyard artist had been commissioned to paint it and it was an object of pride for Isabel, but right now, it blocked Douglas and Mira from a roomful of nosy eyes.

He peered at her closely.

“Does this have something to do with Raymond?” he asked.

She was trying to pretend that nothing was amiss. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because I saw you talking to him,” Douglas said, lifting a blond eyebrow. “I saw him with his hand on your arm, and had it lasted a moment longer, I would have intervened and cut his hand off. You should be proud of the fact that I did not bolt over the table and charge the man the very moment I saw it. I thought I was giving you the opportunity to handle the situation but now I see that I was more than likely wrong. He rattled you.”

Mira was trying very hard to pretend that absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary, but that simply wasn’t the case. Raymond had rattled her no matter how hard she tried not to let him affect her.

He had.

The tears began to come.

“He said that someone told him I wished to dance with him,” she said, breaking down. “He told me that he had not forgotten about me and he knew that I had not forgotten about him. He wanted to dance and talk and I told him to go away and leave me alone, for whoever told him such things about me was wrong.”

Douglas had both hands on her arms, trying to be of some comfort. He’d never really seen Mira as vulnerable because she always came across so confident and strong, but at this moment, he could see that vulnerability that she tried so hard to hide.

It had his protective instincts surging.

“He told you that someone told him you wished to dance with him?” he asked. “Is it possible he mistook you for someone else? Who else did he know when he was at Axminster those years ago?”

Mira sniffled, trying not to openly weep. “He knew Astoria and Helen and Davina,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “It is possible he mistook me for one of them, but who would tell him I wished to dance with him? That anyone wished to dance with him?”

Douglas shook his head, rubbing her arms gently. “I do not know, love.”

Without an answer, she gestured in the direction of the hall. “And some of the soldiers are waving at me,” she said, growing agitated. “Why are they waving at me? I feel as if everyone is looking at me and waving at me and I do not know why.”

Douglas was trying to calm her down because her voice was rising. “Has anyone said anything to you?”

“Other than Raymond, they have not.”

“No one has tried to engage you?”

“Just waving. And smiling.”

“And smiling,” he repeated, muttering as if it might help him understand what was going on. He’d been so swept up with Isabel and Eric that he hadn’t even noticed, and he felt bad about that. But as he listened to her sniffle, a thought occurred to him.

A thought that might explain the odd behavior of the evening.

“I hesitate to bring this up, but you mentioned that Astoria knew Raymond those years ago,” he said. “And, as we know, she has been working in the hall tonight.”

Wiping at her nose, Mira looked up at him. “She has,” she said. “Why?”

“Well… I was simply thinking aloud,” he continued softly. “Thanks to me, we know she has a vendetta against you. Is it possible she told him that you wanted to dance with him to cause you trauma? Surely she knows how he tormented you when he lived here.”

Mira sighed heavily. “She knows,” she said. “If she wanted to truly punish me, using Raymond would be quite an opportunity to do it.”

“Possibly.”

“But what about the soldiers? Why are they all waving at me?”

Douglas shook his head. “I do not know,” he said, his hands still on her arms, though now he was gently caressing her. “Mayhap Astoria told them to, knowing you would be confused by it. I do not know, but I can certainly find out.”

Mira nodded, feeling more in confident in Douglas’ arms. In fact, without even realizing he’d done it, he had managed to pull her into his arms and she was snuggled against his chest as he embraced her tightly. For a brief moment, Mira closed her eyes, inhaling his scent, feeling his warmth, and thinking that there was no better feeling on earth than this. She could hear his heart beating steadily in her left ear.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

She pressed herself against him, feeling his big arms tighten around her. It was an embrace that made her feel giddy and faint, but she didn’t care. She’d be very happy to feel this way for the rest of her life.

“Douglas?” Jonathan appeared behind the screen, his hulking presence filling up the space. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I have need of you.”

Startled, Mira pulled herself out of Douglas’ arms, putting distance between them, as Douglas tried not to look disappointed.

He turned to Jonathan.

“What is it?” he asked.

Jonathan, who had volunteered for night duty on the wall, cocked an eyebrow. “A fight,” he muttered. “A few de Lohr men against de Honiton men. You’d better come. A man was stabbed.”

Douglas grunted. “Christ,” he muttered. “Badly?”

“Bad enough.”

“Does de Honiton know?”

“Nay,” Jonathan said. “I want you to evaluate it first before we summon him.”

Douglas nodded before quickly turning to Mira. “I want you to do something for me,” he said. “Will you, please?”

She was still a little flushed from their embrace, but she nodded. “What is it?”

“Go to your chamber and lock yourself in,” he said quietly, firmly. “I have something I need to tell you, but it will have to wait. And I do not want you in this hall without me if Raymond is grabbing for you or if soldiers are waving at you. Get up to your chamber and lock the door until I come for you.”

Mira was torn. “But Lady Isabel will expect me to—”

He cut her off gently. “Lady Isabel will understand when I have explained it to her,” he said. “I want you to go right away. This very moment. Go back through the kitchens and into the keep. Do not walk through the hall, but move along the edges, away from everyone. Will you do this?”

Mira was reluctant to grant his request but, after a moment, nodded in resignation. Douglas grasped one of her hands, kissed it, and headed off with Jonathan to where a man had evidently been stabbed. Mira followed him out from behind the screen, leaning against it as she watched him depart from the hall. All of that beautiful, long blond hair made him look like a god above men. She remembered the texture of it well, how it was both soft but strong.

Kind of like Douglas.

Soft but strong.

And oh so wonderful.

With a smile on her lips, she turned away, moving back behind the screen again and preparing to leave the hall as she’d promised him. She came around the other side of the screen where Isabel and Eric and Lord de Honiton were sitting. They were deep into the wine and Isabel was drunk. Mira could tell simply from the way the woman was moving. She knew her well enough to know how animated she became when she’d had too much drink. Raymond, however, had not rejoined his father, and Mira had no idea where he was. Perhaps it was better to leave the hall now while he was gone, as Douglas had requested, and remain there until Raymond and his father departed Axminster. She certainly didn’t want to chance being grabbed by Raymond again.

With that in mind, she came away from the dais and moved to the wall on the northern side of the hall. The servants’ alcove was at the far end with a small door in it, and beyond that, the kitchens. She was so lost in thoughts of Douglas and counting the minutes until Raymond departed on the morrow that she failed to realize that, once again, she was being hunted.

This time, by a most foolish and wicked hunter.

*

It was only by pure luck that she was alone.

Ever since her conversation with Raymond, Astoria had been watching Mira on the far side of the hall. Mostly, Mira was behind the screen that stood behind the dais, but every so often she would emerge to make sure there was enough bread on the table or that the wine pitchers were filled. She was doing her duty as Lady Isabel expected her to and therefore wasn’t paying attention to anything else in the room.

That meant Astoria had been able to watch Mira freely from her vantage point near the entry door. The problem was not only in getting Mira alone, but in convincing her to go to the storage vault where Raymond was waiting. Considering Astoria and Mira had been fighting for a couple of days, she wasn’t entirely sure that Mira would even talk to her, much less believe her when Astoria said she needed to go to the storage vault. The only way around that was to apologize profusely for her behavior and, in particular, for breaking the necklace. Astoria had to make her believe that she was genuinely remorseful. Mira wasn’t the hard sort, so a heartfelt apology might get Astoria exactly what she needed.

Mira’s compliance.

As Astoria cooked up a plot that would send Mira to the storage vault where Raymond was waiting, she was disheartened to see Douglas join Mira behind the painted screen. She could only imagine what was happening that she couldn’t see, like tender kisses and sweet words, things that Douglas should be saying and doing to her. The more the seconds ticked away and the more Astoria was positive that Douglas was ravaging Mira with his mouth, the more jealous and hurt she became. But she comforted herself with the knowledge that Raymond would soon be doing the same thing to Mira because, once she entered the vault, Astoria intended to send word to Douglas to tell him where she was. Once the man happened upon her in Raymond’s arms, he would see for himself what an unworthy woman Mira was.

She would be ruined.

And Douglas would be looking for comfort.

So Astoria hoped, anyway.

As she tried to figure out how to get Mira alone, Jonathan suddenly appeared in the entry. He startled Astoria because, quite frankly, she was afraid of the man. He was big and hairy and powerful and absolutely terrifying. But they made eye contact as soon as he came in through the door, and he headed straight in her direction.

She struggled not to cower.

“Lady Astoria,” he greeted her in a rushed manner. “Where is Douglas?”

Astoria pointed to the dais. “There,” she said. “Behind the screen.”

Jonathan thanked her with a nod of his head and was gone, leaving Astoria a bit rattled. Jonathan always had that effect on her. She watched him disappear behind the screen and, not a minute later, reappear with Douglas on his heels. They both seemed to be in quite a hurry, heading for the hall entry. Astoria watched them disappear out into the torch-lit night, but it took several moments before she realized that with Douglas out in the bailey, Mira was now alone.

Alone!

Astoria turned to the dais only to see Mira standing next to the screen, her gaze on the hall entry. She appeared lost in thought, and it occurred to Astoria that she had been watching Douglas leave. The stab of jealousy to Astoria’s heart seemed to spur her forward, and she headed toward the dais just as Mira came away from the screen and moved to the perimeter of the hall. Astoria was on one side of the hall while Mira was on the other, and Astoria had to cross through the middle of the room to get to her. Mira was so focused on the door that led to the kitchen and the kitchen yard that she failed to see Astoria coming up behind her.

“Mira,” Astoria said, watching the woman flinch at the sound of her voice. “I must speak with you.”

Mira came to a halt, apprehension and even anger in her expression. “What do you want?” she said, then quickly raised her hand. “Forget I asked. I do not care. I have nothing to say to you.”

She turned to walk away, but Astoria followed. “I know,” she said, trying to sound repentant. “I do not blame you. But what happened today… When I grabbed your necklace… Truly, I did not mean to break it.”

That was actually the truth. She hadn’t meant to, so she wasn’t lying about it. But Mira cast her a long look.

“Save your breath,” she said. “You mean to destroy anything you cannot have, so I will not soothe any guilt you are feeling by forgiving you for your cruel actions.”

It was Astoria’s instinct to flare up when confronted, so it was a genuine struggle for her not to argue. “I am not asking for you to soothe any guilt,” she said. “I… I simply wanted to say that I am sorry I broke it. I am sorry I have behaved so poorly lately. I do not know why I do, only that I have had to fight and defend myself my entire life. I suppose it is in my nature to fight against, and for, everything that does not go my way. You happened to be caught up in it.”

Up until this point, Mira had simply been walking, trying to get away from Astoria, but now they were at the small servants’ door that led to the yard beyond and, subsequently, the kitchen. Mira shoved the door open but came to a pause, turning to look at Astoria.

“You are wasting your time on me,” she said. “Astoria, you have always been petty and small-minded, but the way you have treated me over the past two days is unforgiveable.”

“I know, Mira.”

“You turned against me for no reason at all other than the man you had your eye on happened to have his eye on me. That was not fair.”

Astoria kept her head down, properly contrite. “I know,” she said. “I am sorry. I only wanted to apologize to you for my behavior.”

Mira didn’t believe her for a moment. “How long have we known one another?” she said. “Ten years? More? A very long time, which means I know you well. I’ve seen your cruelty toward others and I know how vindictive you can be when you do not get your way. I also know that you do not suddenly change your mind and decide you’ve been behaving poorly, so whatever game you are playing with me, I urge you to stop. It will not work.”

Astoria sighed heavily. “I am not playing a game,” she said. “And we have known each other a long time. I have considered you my friend.”

“Not lately you haven’t.”

Astoria kept her head lowered. “Jealousy does terrible things to a person,” she said. “I cannot control it. I do not know why.”

Mira could hear a hint of the girl she’d known all these years in those self-centered comments. There had been a time when Astoria was fun and lively, but that was before her friends all became women before her, becoming pretty and refined, while she grew very tall and remained plain. Realizing she was not the prettiest girl in the room had been a blow, and ever since then, her pettiness came forth quite easily.

Sometimes, Mira missed that friend she used to know.

But not tonight.

“Just… leave me alone,” she finally said. “Mayhap with time I’ll consider your words, but for now… just leave me alone.”

“As you wish,” Astoria said. “But I actually came to you on another matter. I was afraid you would not speak to me if I did not apologize to you first.”

“What matter?”

Astoria gestured toward the keep, where there was a fortified exterior door that led to the sublevels where they kept the stores. It was the exterior entrance for ease in taking provisions down to storage, while there was a larger door, and stairwell, that was located in the kitchens.

“I was sent to find you and tell you that there is trouble in the storeroom,” she said. “I’ve been told to fetch you.”

Mira frowned. “What trouble?”

Astoria shook her head. “I do not know,” she said. “I think it is rot in the grain. It must be bad if you have been requested.”

Mira looked confused. “Rot in the grain?” she repeated. “I was just down there earlier and saw no evidence of such a thing.”

“Then you had better make sure.”

Mira shrugged and stepped through the door. She had no reason to disbelieve Astoria because Mira handled the inventory at Axminster along with the cook, both of them making sure there were always plentiful supplies. Therefore, it wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion or request from Astoria, who knew that very well. In fact, she watched Mira head over to the inner bailey, with the keep just a few feet away. Mira disappeared from view and Astoria gave her about a minute to get to the storage vault door.

After that, Astoria ran back into the hall. Spying Davyss de Winter seated near the dais, arm-wrestling a de Lohr soldier while men placed bets and cheered him on, she’d just found the vessel by which to deliver the devastating news to Douglas of Mira d’Avignon’s wanton ways.

The last part of her plan was about to take place.