Chapter Six

‘W hat are we going to do?' Brian demanded. ‘He's taken her prisoner.'

A numbness settled in Robert's gut at those four words. He could hardly believe Morwenna had been taken. Brian had revealed Penrith's accusation about the pendant being stolen.

Robert's first instinct was to go after her and break her out of her imprisonment. For a moment, his mind constructed the image of every room in the castle. He could visualise all the rooms, sorting through them, until he decided where she might be held captive.

But then, helping her escape would be more dangerous and could result in his own captivity. It was better for Brian to infiltrate their defences by remaining with the soldiers.

‘We need more information,' he told the young man. ‘Find out where she's being held and tell Lady Gwendoline. She may be able to intervene until we can get her out. I'll speak with the others here and find out what I can about that pendant.'

Brian paused a moment. ‘Do you think that's why the king's men came for us two years ago? Were they searching for it?'

‘I don't know.' But he couldn't deny that it was possible. There had been no other reason to take Brian and Morwenna prisoner unless it was for questioning. Something larger was at stake here, though he couldn't guess what. ‘But try to send word to Morwenna that we're going to get her out.'

A dark resolution centred within him. He'd asked Morwenna not to make him choose between Penrith and her. He'd abandoned his people once before, and he'd sworn he would never do it again. And yet, how could he stand aside and let her become a prisoner? No, he would find a way to break her out and get them both to safety.

‘I'm going to speak with Henry and find out what I can.' He wasn't certain the man would have any information, especially since the miller had only arrived a few years ago, and his wife was already gone. But it was worth asking.

‘I'm going to return to the keep,' Brian said. ‘And I'll find a way to bring her food.' He reached for some dried apples and a loaf of bread.

‘Good. Let me know how she is.' He followed him outside but turned back towards the gates. The guards likely would not allow him to leave, so he would have to find another means of getting outside. ‘Brian, wait. I need you to distract the guards so I can get through the gates.'

The young man seemed to understand. ‘I'll go and ask them about Morwenna.' He paused and found a jug of ale. ‘This may help loosen their tongues.'

Robert kept a short distance behind Brian and moved towards the inner bailey wall. The young man approached the gates while Robert held back. Though he didn't hear what Brian said to the men, he waited until the guards drew closer to the young man. Then he slipped outside into the darkness.

As he hurried towards Henry's house, he couldn't take his mind off Morwenna's kiss. Though she had intended it as a farewell, it had shaken him to his bones. She had been there for him during the past two years as a friend, a woman he could talk to about anything. He'd taken her for granted without knowing her feelings.

But what shook him the most was the realisation that he did care about her, more than he'd ever known. Somehow, she had crept past his defences until he couldn't imagine the thought of never seeing her again.

He didn't know what the future would hold or if he would ever get Penrith back again. But he would do everything in his power to set Morwenna free.

Morwenna shivered in the darkness of the castle keep. It had been two days since they'd imprisoned her below ground, and she'd been forced to wear only her shift. Lord Penrith had sent Lena to take back Gwendoline's bliaud, and the pendant. They also had not returned her mother's gown to her, which meant she'd lost everything. The smirk upon Lena's face had only deepened her shame.

The walls were made of cold dirt, and Morwenna wore iron manacles upon her wrists and ankles. Despite it being summer, she felt only frigid air underground, and she couldn't seem to get warm. It conjured up the memory of being imprisoned in the wagon with the others only two years ago. She remembered the soldier tearing her gown, his hand reaching for her breast, and she shuddered at the vision.

But if she didn't get out of here, she would be at the mercy of the earl's soldiers. What would stop them from violating her? Nothing at all.

She couldn't understand why the earl had conjured up so many groundless accusations. Yes, she'd lied about her family, but he could have simply sent her away with the clothes on her back. There was no reason to imprison her for the deception.

A draught of cold air slid through the room, and she drew up her knees, huddling in vain as she sought warmth that wasn't there. But worse was the isolation.

Gwendoline had not come to see her even once. A small part of her had hoped that they had become close enough friends that the lady would at least come and speak with her. But perhaps her father had forbidden it.

Why had the earl implied that the pendant had been stolen from the queen? She couldn't imagine such a thing. More likely it had been a gift to her mother, but how could she prove it? There had to be far more to this story than she knew.

Until her mother's death a few years ago she hadn't even known of the pendant's existence, much less the gown's. And somehow the pieces didn't seem to fit. Though her father had claimed that her mother had been from a noble family, Eldreth's behaviour was nothing like Gwendoline's. She had obeyed her husband without question, seeming almost afraid of him. It was not the behaviour of a woman accustomed to leading others.

Was it possible that her father had lied to her about the pendant and the gown? Had he been a thief? She dismissed the thought for if that were true, he would have sold them years ago.

Morwenna heard footsteps approaching, and she flinched, moving against the wall. The fears multiplied within her, for in the darkness, she could not see who it was. The flare of a torch momentarily blinded her before she saw the earl accompanied by another woman and two soldiers.

It took a little while for her eyes to adjust. Finally, she recognised the midwife Nelda. The older woman's expression held sympathy, but Morwenna had no idea why she was here.

‘I spoke with the villagers to learn more about your mother,' the earl began.

Morwenna couldn't understand why he had gone to such trouble. Why would he care about her mother? He had already taken back the gown and the pendant.

‘No one remembered her except Nelda,' he continued.

‘But we came here after my mother died,' Morwenna protested. Nelda couldn't have known her, unless...

‘I knew Eldreth from my travels, years ago,' Nelda said. ‘I've been a midwife for a long time, and I helped her after she lost her first babe.'

Morwenna sobered at that. ‘I didn't know.'

The midwife risked a glance at the earl. ‘Eldreth nearly died in the birth. I told Geoffrey she shouldn't try to have more children.'

Morwenna didn't understand why Nelda was speaking about the past or why the earl had gone to such lengths to bring the woman here. What was the purpose?

She was about to ask, when Nelda added, ‘You can imagine my surprise when I saw her the following year with a three-year-old and an infant.'

‘That's not possible,' Morwenna breathed. She knew what the woman was implying, but she couldn't imagine that it was true. It could only mean one thing.

The midwife answered her unspoken thoughts. ‘I don't know where Eldreth and Geoffrey found you and your brother, but you were not her children. After the stillborn death, she wasn't capable of it.'

Morwenna stilled, clutching her hand to her stomach. Denial rushed through her. She simply couldn't grasp what Nelda was saying. ‘Then if she wasn't my mother...who was?'

The midwife glanced at the earl. ‘My lord, I would swear it upon my life. And while I don't know where that pendant came from, it never belonged to Eldreth. She was a milk maid, nothing more.'

The earl smiled. ‘Thank you for telling me of this,' he said to the midwife. ‘You may go.'

The woman hurried away, leaving behind the weight of her words.

You were not her children.

Morwenna wanted to deny it, to insist that the woman was lying or that she was wrong. And yet... Eldreth had never been particularly close to her. Aye, she'd taken care of them, but had she ever loved them?

Confusion darkened Morwenna's thoughts for she didn't understand what the earl was implying. Did he believe that she and Brian had been stolen from their parents? Why would he care?

She waited for him to speak. When Lord Penrith simply stared at her, she felt the uncertainty slide beneath her skin. She didn't know if truth would help her cause, but she saw no other choice. ‘I do not know what any of this means, my lord. But I am deeply sorry for pretending to be someone I am not. If you let me go, I will never come back to Penrith. You won't see me again, I swear it.'

‘Why did you pretend?' He took a step closer, studying her as if trying to memorise her features. It made her uncomfortable, so she looked away. She couldn't tell him about Robert, so she thought of the only reason she could.

‘I...wanted to know what it would be like to be a lady,' she lied. ‘Just for a little while.'

‘You were born a serf, and you will die a serf,' he announced. ‘You must know your place and know who your betters are.'

Did he plan to execute her for the deception? She hadn't imagined her crime to be that bad, but would he try to make an example of her? Fear roared through her, and a wave of nausea caught her stomach.

‘I beg you for mercy, my lord.' She had no choice but to plead for her life. No one could save her now.

‘Your life is in the king's hands,' he said. ‘It will be his decision what to do about the theft.'

Relief poured through her that she would not die at the earl's hands. But she needed him to know the truth. ‘I never stole anything. I swear it.'

‘You wore the pendant,' he stated, ‘while pretending to be my daughter's equal.'

‘I didn't know where my mother got it,' she protested. ‘I thought it belonged to her family.'

‘You will be punished for your lies,' the earl continued, ‘and for the injury you caused to Gareth of Watcomb.'

She didn't argue that the man had attacked her first. Right now, one wrong word could make matters far worse. Instead, she closed her eyes, numbing herself to the fear. Though she wanted to believe that Robert and Brian could save her, it seemed impossible now. Soldiers patrolled here, day and night. She could not break free of the chains that bound her.

And she knew not what her punishment would be.

It had taken every ounce of control not to reveal himself to Morwenna. Robert had disguised himself as one of the guards, in order to get a closer look at her prison. As he'd hoped, she'd been so distracted by the earl, she'd not even realised he was there.

But now he knew where she was being held and how. He and Brian had begun to form a loose plan of how to get her out, but a thousand things might go wrong. He wanted to ask Lady Gwendoline for her assistance, but he suspected she could do nothing.

Piers could help them. His half-brother could provide a distraction while he and Brian worked to free Morwenna. Yet, he already knew the price Piers would demand—that he abandon his claim to Penrith. And Robert wasn't ready to do that yet.

Instead, he'd studied Morwenna's chains during the conversation she'd had with the earl. It had been startling to learn that she and Brian were not the miller's children, but his greater focus was on how to help her escape. He'd kept his concentration on the manacles and the number of guards and the location of each one. He knew the tools he would need to free her and where he could find them.

Tonight at midnight, he would try to get her out. He suspected the earl would punish her publicly at dawn tomorrow, so his best hope was to slip inside, dressed as one of the guards. If they could escape in secret, that would be the easiest way.

But first, he wanted to talk to Brian. He walked through the stone hallways beneath the castle. He had explored every inch of the keep, and he now knew that the fire had not destroyed the underground tunnels. There was another way out through the wine cellar. He continued walking until he found Brian waiting just outside the stone staircase. ‘Walk with me,' he said in a low voice. Both were disguised as soldiers, and he hoped no one would take a closer look.

‘She's in chains and the earl intends to punish her. I'm going to break her out before that happens.' He led Brian towards one end of the inner bailey wall. ‘I want you to get the keys to the wine cellar from Wilfred tonight. Unlock it and leave it open for us. I'll break Morwenna out.'

‘Do you need my help to free her?' Brian asked quietly.

‘No, I'll need you to find horses. Tether them just outside the wall. Then take one of them and ride towards the abbey. Tell my uncle we're coming to seek sanctuary.' It would buy them time until he could decide where to take Morwenna.

He knew that by rescuing her, he was hurting his chances of winning Gwendoline's hand in marriage. But he could never abandon Morwenna at a time like this. The thought of her suffering was like a blade in his gut. She didn't deserve to be a prisoner, and he would do anything to get her out.

And then after he helped her get to safety, he would return to Penrith alone. An ache clenched within him, even if he knew it was the right thing to do. He had to lock away whatever forbidden feelings he held and let her go. They had already said their farewells, and he would simply have to do it again.

‘I could wait with the horses,' Brian offered. ‘In case you need my help.'

‘No. It will draw too much attention. I can get her out if we share a horse, but if they see two horses, they may give chase.' It was too grave a risk, and he wasn't about to endanger Morwenna's life.

There was something greater at stake, something about that pendant. But he didn't want to tell Brian what he'd learned from the earl. At least, not yet. Let him believe his past was real, at least until Morwenna could tell him herself.

The young man paused a moment and asked, ‘What about Piers?'

Piers was a complication, but Robert wondered if his brother could somehow become an ally in this. ‘I don't know yet. If we can manage to get out without his involvement, that would probably be safest for your sister. And for him.'

Brian inclined his head. ‘I'll get the keys to the wine cellar now, but I'll wait until dark to get the horse.' He turned to meet Robert's gaze. ‘I won't let you down.'

He rested his hand on the young man's shoulder. ‘I know you won't.'

For Morwenna's life and safety depended on it.

It was just after nightfall when two soldiers came for her. Morwenna's heart pounded within her chest as they bound her wrists together with leather straps and unfastened the manacles. She wanted to ask where they were taking her, but she already suspected it had to do with her punishment. Terror welled up inside her, and she struggled to keep her fears under control.

Where were Brian and Robert? Or even Piers? Did they even know where she was?

She'd wanted so badly to see any of them, but no one had come. The weight of her seclusion bore down on her, making her feel so alone.

‘Where are you taking me?' she asked the men. But they gave no answer. She feared it would be a public punishment in front of everyone, but to her surprise, they led her up the stairs to a smaller chamber at the back of the keep. Had she been wrong? Had Gwendoline intervened on her behalf somehow?

Her hope died when she saw Lord Penrith waiting. A set of manacles was chained to the back wall. Nausea rose up in her throat when she saw a small table with a whip. A flogging, then.

One other guard was waiting, and she felt the weight of his stare. The guards on each side of her pulled her forward, and Morwenna struggled against their grip. Though she knew it was likely in vain, she prayed for some way to escape.

But the soldiers unfastened the manacles and lifted her arms high, chaining her once again. Then they slit the back of her shift with a blade, revealing her back. The garment fell forward, exposing her breasts to their gaze. Her face burned with humiliation, for she could not cover herself.

‘Twenty lashes,' the earl proclaimed. ‘For her crime of pretending to be a lady. And for cutting Lord Watcomb's face.'

She trembled at the sentence, terrified of the whip. ‘Please, my lord,' she begged. ‘Grant me mercy. I swear to you, I will leave Penrith and never return.'

He was silent for a moment and then she heard him say, ‘You ask for mercy after you shared my daughter's chamber, wore her gowns, and ate at my table?'

‘It was a mistake,' she whispered. ‘I know I wronged you both.'

‘You did,' he agreed. ‘But I am a merciful man, and as such, I will grant you a choice. I will reduce your sentence to ten lashes.'

She didn't trust him, for there seemed to be a condition. Her prediction turned out to be right when he added, ‘After your flogging, I will give you to my men to enjoy.' He laughed quietly. ‘Or if you do not want their attentions, you can keep your original sentence of twenty lashes.'

She closed her eyes, unable to stop the tears that flowed. ‘Twenty,' she whispered. But as she heard the soldier pick up the whip, she suspected it would not matter. Ten or twenty, she would be at their mercy.

And when the lash struck her bare skin, she could not stop the scream that tore from her throat.

‘I thought you said her punishment was at dawn,' Brian snarled. ‘We have to stop them.'

Morwenna's scream had stopped Robert cold, ripping his carefully laid plans asunder. His instincts raged to go to her, to kill any man who dared to hurt her.

But while he wanted to run with her brother, his brain warned him to stop and think. If he made the wrong decision, it could cost them their lives. And if she died because he'd been too reckless, he would never forgive himself.

For a moment, his mind was frozen, working through the possibilities while Brian was ready to run down the narrow passageway and break down the door.

‘Let's go,' her brother urged.

But Robert gripped the young man's arm, blocking him. ‘Wait. We have to have a plan.'

‘We don't have time for a plan,' Brian shot back. ‘He's killing her while you're standing there trying to think of what to do.'

The accusation struck too close to his fears, but he held fast to Brian. ‘If you go in there right now, the soldiers will kill you, and it won't stop her flogging. We're outnumbered. We need more men to help us.'

Another scream pierced the air, and her brother glared at him. ‘There are two of us, and we can fight. We're strong enough.'

Robert didn't believe that. Brian had sparred against them, but he had never faced men who were trying to kill him. ‘Go and get Piers,' he ordered. ‘With his help, we can win this.'

‘He won't fight for Morwenna,' Brian retorted. ‘He cares nothing for her.' Another crack of the whip sounded, and Brian reached for the door.

Robert jerked him backwards and shoved him up against the wall. ‘But I do care about her.' It was all he could do not to force the door open and stop the flogging. ‘And if you open that door now, they'll kill us both.'

‘You're nothing but a coward,' Brian spat. ‘You already lost Penrith once. I'm not about to let you lose my sister.'

His hand curled in a fist and he struck Robert hard. He hadn't expected the blow, and he stumbled a moment before Brian burst into the room.

God help them. There was no stopping him now.

Brian unsheathed his sword and went after the man wielding the whip. The soldier turned in surprise, but the other two men closed in on him, their weapons drawn. There was no time to reach him before they struck.

They were going to fail. And unless he acted now, all of them were dead.

While the men were distracted with Brian, Robert unsheathed his dagger and went after the earl. In one move, he took the earl hostage and put a blade to his throat. ‘Stop your men,' he said quietly.

When Lord Penrith ignored his command, Robert ordered the soldiers, ‘Let the boy go!' At first, it didn't seem that the men had heard him. The earl struggled, and Robert let the blade cut into the man's skin. ‘I wouldn't move if I were you.' He overpowered the man, holding the dagger steady.

‘Enough!' Lord Penrith called out. But the men already had Brian in custody. Two of the soldiers held him, each gripping an arm, while the third soldier held his sword to Brian's throat.

‘Tell your men to release the woman and her brother,' Robert said quietly.

The earl remained silent until he pressed the blade again. Then the older man shot back, ‘You're nothing but a common bastard, trying to court my daughter. I knew you weren't good enough for her.'

Robert repeated his order quietly. ‘I said, let them go.'

But the earl wasn't listening. ‘You won't hurt me,' he tried to argue. ‘I have fifty men who will gut you and put your head upon a spear as a warning.'

‘Why wouldn't I hurt you?' Robert asked smoothly. ‘I am the true heir to Penrith. The king's men may have murdered my father, but I am the rightful earl.'

At that, the man stilled. ‘You wouldn't dare.'

‘Are you willing to take that risk?' Robert glanced at the soldiers, knowing they had witnessed the people's dissatisfaction. ‘The serfs don't seem very pleased with your leadership. It wouldn't take much to cause a rebellion.'

‘What do you want?' Penrith gritted out.

‘I planned to wed your daughter Gwendoline for the sake of regaining my lands. Now, I'm demanding that you free Morwenna and her brother.'

‘And the moment I do, my men will slaughter you where you stand,' the earl responded. ‘I'll be rid of you. Are you willing to take that risk?'

Robert stared at Morwenna's broken body, the blood dripping from her bare back. Her shift hung at her waist, and it infuriated him to see what they'd done to her. Rage blinded him with the vicious desire for vengeance. She didn't deserve any of this. But he could not let emotions overcome him. If he made one wrong move, all of them could die.

‘I will take that risk,' he said. ‘Unchain Morwenna and give her to her brother.' Beneath his hands, the earl's blood welled up from the pressure of the blade.

At last, the man gritted out, ‘You heard him.'

One soldier unfastened the manacles that chained Morwenna's arms above her head. The moment he did, she crumpled to the ground. It was all Robert could do to keep from slicing the earl's throat, for her punishment had been brutal.

‘Now release her brother,' he said calmly. ‘Brian, take Morwenna out of here.'

‘What about you?' The young man stared back at Robert in horror. ‘W-we can't go and leave you.'

‘You don't have a choice,' Robert answered. ‘Take her to safety.' When Brian didn't move, he snapped, ‘Don't you dare make this sacrifice in vain. Get her out of here.'

Brian's expression held the weight of defeat, and he closed his eyes, bowing his head. The soldiers stepped back while Brian took off his cloak and covered his sister, lifting her into his arms. He went to the doorway and stopped to look back.

There was raw anguish in Brian's eyes, for he knew Robert could not move the blade from the earl's throat. And the moment he left it would all be over.

‘Close the door,' he told Brian, ‘and take her away.' He didn't want the soldiers knowing which direction they'd gone. He'd already shown Brian the passageway in the wine cellar that led outside, and he hoped they would reach it before the soldiers could find him.

Time seemed to freeze, and it was strange to be looking death in the face. He'd never imagined being caught in this trap, but now, he had to find a way out.

The chances of his survival were almost none. But he knew this castle keep better than anyone, and that was his only advantage.

The moment Brian shut the door the soldiers charged forward.