Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

"I did not mean to cause him such trouble," Gisele said sadly. "I only meant to help Lisi."

Gathered in Athdara's cottage because it had a view of Exmoor Castle where the trainers, including Sinclair, had been since morning, Gisele and Athdara stood in the front bedroom on the second floor because it afforded a better view. Marina, a woman who minded Athdara's children and sometimes Gisele's as well, had all of the children down on the ground floor, feeding them soup and bread and cheese for supper as their mothers worried overhead.

It was a day of great worry.

Not only had Elisiana been kidnapped by her brother, but Sinclair was in a good deal of trouble. Gisele knew that because when she'd gone to rouse the rest of the trainers so they could go into Exebridge and help Sinclair, St. Denis and St. Sebastian saw the commotion and came to find out what it was. That had forced Gisele to tell him, and when everyone returned, including the twenty Blackchurch soldiers, St. Denis had been waiting at the gatehouse for them.

Now, all of the men who had gone to Sinclair and Elisiana's aid were at Exmoor Castle, where they were undoubtedly being reprimanded. Gisele and Athdara paced the floor and watched the distant castle, wondering if they were going to have to clear the children out and move when their husbands lost their position.

A day of worry turned into a night of worry.

*

"Sin, I have listened to every man who went with you to the Black Cock defend you and your actions," St. Denis said. "What I have yet to hear is you defend your own actions. You have been at Blackchurch for nine years and you know our code. You know our rules. What can you tell me about this situation that the others have not?"

The solar of Exmoor was rife with tension. It was true that every trainer who had gone to Sinclair and Elisiana's aid had spoken on Sinclair's behalf, and that included Anteaus, who hadn't even known the man a full two days yet. But everyone had made it clear that Elisiana, a Castilian count's daughter, had been in danger from her brother and the soldiers he'd brought with him. The woman didn't want to go with him and was fighting back, so Sinclair and the others went to help her. Even Payne had made a rather passionate argument about it. St. Denis understood all of it, but what he didn't understand was anything from Sinclair's perspective because he wouldn't speak. He wouldn't even defend himself.

No one quite knew what to do.

When sunset descended, St. Denis had had enough of the stalemate. Everyone in the chamber was sympathetic to Sinclair and he knew that, so how he handled the situation would tell whether or not he even had any trainers in the morning except for Amir and Kristian, who hadn't been involved. Seated behind the table of his forefathers, the elaborate piece with lions for legs and inlaid gold on the surface, he finally stood up.

"Sinclair, I do not think a trainer has been dismissed from Blackchurch in over fifty years, but you are giving me little choice," he said. "If you do not speak on a matter that you were directly involved in, then there is nothing more I can do."

"Father, wait," St. Sebastian said, quickly holding out a hand. "Do not say it. Don't even think it. You cannot dismiss him."

"And why not?" St. Denis said angrily. "He is giving me no choice. He will not even answer my questions."

Tay, who was standing near Sinclair, turned to the man as he sat in a chair, his gaze muddled, his mind a thousand miles away.

"Sin," he hissed. "You must speak. Please. "

"Sin," Fox whispered, seated behind him. "Please say something. I know you are distraught, but for God's sake, save yourself, man. We cannot do it for you."

Sinclair had been seated in the chair for hours without moving. He was like a statue. As his friends passed concerned glances, fearful that he was going to continue the act of silence and end up being shamefully dismissed from Blackchurch, Sinclair finally shifted in his chair. He'd been sitting with his chin in his hand, staring off into space, but his head came up and his hand came away from his chin.

When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

"I have broken no rules," he said. "I went to the aid of the woman I am to marry because she was being attacked by her brother. I was defending her, the very ethics and morals we teach at Blackchurch. Because the trainers are loyal to one another, they came to my aid. We fought to defend a woman who could hardly defend herself against dozens of armed men. We would have been poor excuses for knights, indeed, had we not gone to her aid, because before we ever took the Blackchurch oath, we took an oath much older and much more powerful. We took the oath before God to fight enemies, to be loyal, to be just, and to protect the weak. And you are telling me that I broke the rules because I protected a weaker woman?"

He lifted his eyes to St. Denis as he finished speaking. Their gazes locked and St. Denis faltered somewhat upon hearing Sinclair's reasoning. He wasn't wrong and St. Denis knew it. In fact, everyone in the room knew it. That brief sentence had just destroyed St. Denis' righteous position. Frustrated, he shook his head.

"You took sides in a fight," St. Denis pointed out. "That is against our rules."

"I sided with me ," Sinclair said. "I did not side with another warlord, or a king, or the church. There was no ‘side' to take. It was my own side and nothing more."

St. Denis looked at St. Sebastian for support, but St. Sebastian lifted his eyebrows at his father, silently telling the man that he agreed with Sinclair. That was literally the case. But St. Denis wasn't ready to surrender.

"Mayhap you did only side with yourself, but you sided against a Castilian earl," he said. "It is a fine line you are walking, Sin. You chose a side in a battle and we simply are not allowed to do that."

Sinclair eyed the man, his jaw twitching with displeasure. "Then you are telling me that when I volunteered to go fight for Toxandria, that wasn't taking a side?" he said, his voice stronger now. "I went to fight for the son of your old friend. You let me go. You let me take sides in the battle against an enemy. And now you are telling me that it was wrong of me to take a side in a fight to save a lady because she was not the daughter of your old friend and, therefore, it means nothing? If you truly have such double standards, my lord, then you do not need to relieve me of my post. I will resign this very moment. Tell me if fighting for your old friend in Toxandria was different than trying to protect the woman I intend to marry. Well?"

He'd backed St. Denis into a corner. All eyes turned to the leader of Blackchurch and St. Denis knew, as he lived and breathed, that there would be no more Blackchurch if he answered this question incorrectly. It was a question of ethics and, indeed, standards and rules. The problem was that St. Denis knew he couldn't give a good enough explanation as to why the two were different. He had let Sinclair go to fight for the son of an old friend. He had changed the rules for his benefit. Sinclair knew it and every man in the chamber knew it. Therefore, he couldn't justify what he'd done versus what Sinclair had done.

There was no justification.

With a heavy sigh, St. Denis reclaimed his seat.

"Mayhap there is no difference," he said after a moment. "Mayhap defending her was not a slight against our rules. I am willing to concede the point. But her brother came to return her home, to an arranged marriage, and you tried to interfere. The implications could be severe—from the church, from the law. We are above trouble with the church and the law and I want to keep it that way. Do you not understand that?"

Sinclair nodded, relieved more than he would admit that St. Denis had backed down. In fact, everyone was. Sinclair's argument had been sound. But that didn't mean the situation was resolved.

Not in the least.

"I do understand that," Sinclair said. "Truly, I do, and I have been sitting here all day trying to figure out how to go about reclaiming her."

St. Denis shrugged. "I do not think you can," he said. "A marital contract is binding, Sin."

"I know," Sinclair said. "But I think I know a way to reclaim her without involving anyone at Blackchurch."

St. Denis frowned. "How?"

"Pirates."

"What pirates?"

Now that he was talking, someone handed Sinclair a cup of wine, and he took it, draining the entire thing, before speaking.

"Lady Elisiana's cousin is Santiago de Fernandez," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm sure you know the name, my lord. He is the commander of the Demons of the Sea."

St. Denis nodded. "I know who they are," he said. "But how can they help?"

Sinclair sat forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, hands hanging. "Because Lisi told me that Santiago is very fond of her," he said. "He knows about the arranged marriage and he did not approve of it. I wonder if Santiago would be willing to intervene and stop the marriage if he knew how much she did not want to marry the man her father chose for her? I cannot think of any army that could accomplish more than Santiago de Fernandez could if he was properly persuaded."

St. Denis sat back in his chair, torn between the outrage of the suggestion and the possibility that it might actually work. "Do you not think that is a bit far-fetched?" he said. "You actually think this man would help you?"

Sinclair shrugged. "What other choice do I have?" he said. "I have no army. I do not serve a lord who can summon an army and I cannot, nor would I, use Blackchurch's soldiers or trainers. To do that would be to violate Blackchurch's rules. Therefore, what alternatives do I have? Do you think Abelard would help me?"

St. Denis waved him off. "He might, but it would be at a high price," he said. "You do not want to be in his debt, Sin. That is a very bad idea."

"Then mayhap he could simply help me find Santiago," Sinclair said. "Lisi said that Santiago docks his vessels at Fremington. That is where she lives, where her family lives. If I can make it to Fremington, then I can arrange a meeting with Santiago and ask for his help."

"And if he won't?" St. Denis said. "What then?"

"Then I will have to think of something else."

"I-Is she worth so much to you, Sin?" St. Sebastian asked quietly. "Y-You have only known the woman a couple of days and already you are willing to risk everything for her?"

Sinclair looked at the man. "I am not sure what to tell you," he said. "All I know is that I am not a man of whims. I do not act rashly. But I can tell you, with God as my witness, that Elisiana is worth risking everything for. It does not matter if I know her for two days or two months or two years. She will always be worth risking everything for, and I hope that I am always able to stand up for her and risk everything to keep her safe. Because I will—time and time again."

St. Sebastian wasn't going to dispute him. He looked at his father, his expression suggesting that he was completely on Sinclair's side. But St. Denis was unhappy with the turn the conversation was taking.

Pirates , he thought. Ridiculous!

"Nothing will be settled tonight," he said after a moment. "I think we have all had a long day, so I suggest we find our beds. Tomorrow, we may find a new perspective on this, but until we do, I expect that training will continue as usual. That means you, too, Sinclair."

Sinclair stood up from the chair. "As much as I would like to think we have time on this matter, the fact is that we do not," he said. "I am serious about locating Santiago, my lord. I would like to speak with Abelard first, to find out what he knows about the man, but if I cannot speak to him, I will go alone and seek him myself."

St. Dennis shook his head. "Sin…"

"Need I remind you again that I went to fight in Toxandria for your old friend?" Sinclair said, unwilling to be put off. "More than that, Fox once went to Canonsleigh Abbey to protect his future wife from danger against William Marshal, of all people, and, still, you permitted it, so why is my request so different? I will not be put off, so you may as well tell me what I want to know now. Help me or I will resign my post this very moment and find help on my own."

He'd said it as an ultimatum. Tay caught Fox's attention, and the two of them knew they had to support Sinclair in this. St. Denis had indeed made exceptions for them and the man had to know that if Sinclair left, so would they. It was true that they had wives and children, but there wasn't one warlord in England, including the king, that wouldn't readily accept their fealty. Therefore, there was no hesitation when they went to stand by Sinclair, but not before Tay cleared out the room. Silently, he waved to Payne and Amir, and the two of them herded everyone out quickly. The conversation about to happen didn't need an audience.

This was the moment.

St. Denis had seen the others leaving the chamber even as Tay and Fox remained. He knew that a confrontation was coming whether or not he wanted it. Standing before him in Tay, Fox, and Sinclair were his most powerful and longest-standing trainers. He didn't want to lose any of them, least of all his Swordsman.

"I did not say that I would not help you, Sin," he said quietly. "I appreciate that you have something personal to attend to and, believe it or not, I do support your right to do it. I appreciate that you are careful about not involving the other trainers, who are also your friends and would do anything for you. But do you truly wish to work with the pirates? That is like traveling to hell and demanding assistance from the devil."

Sinclair nodded. "I know," he said. "But something tells me that if Santiago knows a worthy man wants to marry Elisiana rather than the fool she is betrothed to, he will intervene. It is worth a chance because it is the only chance I have. There is nothing else."

St. Denis could see how sincere he was. Sinclair was usually a man who kept his emotions hidden, but in this case, he couldn't. That told St. Denis of the strong feelings he must have for Elisiana.

Strong enough to risk the life he knew.

That being the case, St. Denis knew what he had to do.

"Very well," he said reluctantly. "I will send word to Abelard. At least let the man tell us what he knows of Santiago. And then you can make a more solid plan."

Tay put his hand on Sinclair's arm. "That is reasonable," he said quietly. "You must know what you are facing, and if Abelard can tell you something about Santiago, you are forearmed."

Sinclair nodded, though he hadn't much choice. "You will send word right away?" he asked.

St. Denis nodded. "I will send a messenger up to the coast first thing tomorrow," he said. "If Abelard is there, he will receive the message tomorrow. But if he is out roving, it may be a few days. Or even weeks."

Sinclair knew he wasn't going to wait weeks. They all knew he wasn't going to wait weeks. "Then please send it on the morrow," he said. "I would be grateful. If we do not hear from him in a day or two, then I will have to make other plans."

St. Denis didn't argue with him, but something did come to mind that he needed to be clear about. "Pirates do not work for free, Sin," he said. "I can talk Abelard out of extracting anything from you, but Santiago may want something for helping you. Are you prepared for that?"

Sinclair shrugged. "I will give him what he wants."

"What if he wants money?"

"I have money."

"But what if he wants you?" St. Denis persisted. "Your skills are very valuable, and conscription with the pirates is a very real thing."

Sinclair didn't have a ready answer for that. "I suppose I shall have to be prepared for anything," he said. "I do not know if I would make a good pirate, but if it frees Lisi from marrying her father's choice, then I will do it."

"That means you cannot continue here at Blackchurch."

"I would not expect you to hold my position for me, my lord."

St. Denis thought the idea of serving with pirates might cause Sinclair to reconsider, but he could see that it didn't. His bluff hadn't worked. After a moment, he shook his head.

"Do not fear," he muttered. "It will be here when you return. Even if you are one hundred years old and St. Sebastian's grandson is in command. You are our one and only Swordsman, Sinclair. Blackchurch would not be Blackchurch without you."

Smiling weakly, Sinclair thanked the man. It had indeed been a long and exhausting day and, truthfully, he respected St. Denis. He'd always gotten on with him.

He hoped this situation hadn't changed things.

With a nod to St. Sebastian, Sinclair quit the chamber with Tay and Fox on his heels. They made it down to the entry level, emerging into the cold night outside. A million stars blanketed the heavens above, but Sinclair didn't notice. He was focused on the village ahead.

"May I speak with Athdara, Tay?" he asked. "She may know more about Elisiana's conversation with her brother. Mayhap she can enlighten me on a few things."

Tay nodded. "Of course you can," he said. "Gisele, too. They both spoke with Lisi this morning before the fight. Mayhap they can give you some guidance."

"Thank you," Sinclair said sincerely. Then he looked between Tay and Fox. "And for the trouble I have caused you both with Denis… I am truly sorry. I never meant for my fight to become yours."

Tay smiled weakly in the darkness. "My fight became yours the moment you went to Toxandria," he said. "Your fight became mine the moment Lisi's brother appeared, and if I can support you in your fight to claim Lisi, I will humbly do so. And if the pirates want you serve on their ships in exchange for their help, I will do that, too. Mind you, I will have to negotiate being able to see my wife and children, and I have been known to get sick from the rolling of the vessel, but I would do it anyway. Long have I owed you a debt, my friend. I'll pay it however I can."

Sinclair looked at him. "I did not fight in Toxandria so you would owe me a debt," he said. "I did it because I was best suited for it. And if you had done it, you really would have been taking sides because the duke is your brother-in-law. What I did, I did because it was the right thing to do. It spared you from having to make the choice."

Tay put a hand on his shoulder, a gesture of thanks and of brotherhood, as they headed toward the arch on the edge of the village. As they reached the arch, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Sin?" Payne came into the weak light. "I must speak with ye. Alone."

He was looking at Tay and Fox, who took the hint and continued on. When they were out of earshot, Payne spoke quietly.

"This is an awkward conversation," he said, scratching his ear. "I suppose what I want tae say is that if I'd lain claim tae Lisi, and her brother had come, I know ye would have come tae my aid tae protect her. No matter how ye felt about her, or how ye felt about me, I know ye would have done it."

Sinclair nodded. "I would have," he said. "And you did the same. Thank you for your assistance. I will not forget it."

Payne smiled weakly. "It was a good time," he said. "We dunna have the chance tae fight like that too often. I miss it!"

Sinclair broke down into soft laughter. "I spent the past three years fighting like that," he said. "But I will admit that I do enjoy it."

"Of course ye do," Payne said. "It's in yer blood."

"That is true."

Payne scratched the other ear, and Sinclair was starting to think it was a nervous gesture from a man who had probably never had a genuine nervous moment in his life.

Until now.

Something was afoot.

"I wanted tae tell ye something else," Payne said. "Lisi has a special place with me and I'm sorry if that offends ye, but 'tis true. I only wish the best for her and her brother taking her back tae an arranged marriage is not what she deserves. If ye go to the pirates for help, I want tae go with ye."

Sinclair regarded him carefully. "Why?"

"Tae help ye get her back, of course."

Sinclair's eyebrows lifted. "You do realize we are speaking of some of the most dangerous pirates of all, don't you?" he said. "Santiago de Fernandez is notorious for cutting the feet off his prisoners so they cannot run away and chaining them below decks to row his ships. I didn't mention that to Elisiana when she told me who her cousin was because I'm not entirely sure she knows, but I do. And so do you."

Payne scowled. "And Abelard cuts the noses off men who lie tae him," he said. "He's not exactly a choirboy, Sin."

"Quite true."

"But I still want tae go with ye."

Sinclair looked at the man whom he genuinely liked. He knew Payne had a good heart because he'd seen it, many times. But he also needed the man to be sure.

"What will your mother say?" he said. "I do not think she will be happy with a son who wants to join with pirates to fight a fight that is not his own."

Payne waved him off. "She would understand."

"Would she?"

"My mother was a pirate for years," he said. "I was in her belly when she was fighting the French and the Irish, so dunna bring her up. She would praise me."

Sinclair was trying not to laugh. "She probably would," he said. "But I want to be clear—you want to go for Elisiana, not me. I will not be upset if you admit it. But you are going to save her . You are not going to support me ."

Payne thrust his chin up. "A man can have two reasons for doing something he feels strongly about."

Sinclair fought off a grin. "Have it your way," he said. "I do not mind if you come along. But I do the talking and you do what I tell you to do."

"I will."

"And you must clear this with Denis. He will not be happy about it."

Payne shrugged. "Mayhap not," he said. "But ye did nothing wrong today, Sin. Denis was wrong for berating you the way he did. We all feel that way. And he'll keep Tay and Fox here, so someone should go with ye. It should be me."

Sinclair gave in without any further discussion. He simply nodded and patted Payne on the side of the head, leaving the man to take his offer up with St. Denis. As Payne headed toward the castle, Sinclair continued across the village toward Tay's cottage. His thoughts shifted from the big Scotsman to Athdara because she was the last one who had spoken to Elisiana. He wanted to know anything that had been said that could help him in recovering her. Or perhaps he simply wanted to know if Elisiana had said anything about him. Now that the rush of the day was over, Sinclair realized that grief was beginning to settle. He could feel distress filling his veins and didn't want to feel any of those things at the moment.

He needed to focus.

He would get her back.

As he approached Tay's cottage, the door flew open and Tay was standing there, waiting for him. Behind him, children were running around, screaming and playing, and Sinclair could hear Fox trying to settle the boys down. Tay had four little boys and an infant daughter while Fox had three boys, the middle child of which was called the Beast by the Blackchurch trainers. Canon de Merest, at almost six years of age, was almost as big as Tay's older boys, who were several years older. When Canon spoke, everyone listened, and as Sinclair came to the door, he could see Canon shoving some of the other boys around and Fox intervening.

The Beast started howling when his father dragged him away.

"That is not a happy beastie," Sinclair commented with a grin.

Athdara, who had been on a chair with her small daughter, was already walking over to the door.

"Canon is a terror," she said. "The only one he'll listen to is Milo because he's bigger than Canon is, but even Milo has to fight to hold his own against him. He says Canon has taken to biting these days."

"Christ," Sinclair grunted, shaking his head. "He'll bite off fingers with that mouth."

Athdara chuckled. "Hopefully not," she said, but quickly sobered. "Tay told me what happened with Denis, Sin. I'm so very sorry he was cross with you. You truly had no other choice than to do what you did."

Sinclair waved him off. "It is not the end of the world," he said. "But I did want to speak with you about Elisiana. You were the last one to speak with her and… Well, I was hoping you would tell me what was said… what she was feeling…"

He trailed off as if unable to even mention that it could have been a last conversation with her, ever, and Athdara nodded, motioning him inside. Tay's cottage had two big chambers on the ground floor, one with a big hearth and a table that seated about ten people, and then a second, smaller chamber where food was prepared. There was a smaller table there, and Athdara led them into the room to get them away from the playing boys as Tay joined them. Gisele, who had been with Fox as he disciplined Canon, emerged from the small yard behind the cottage and returned to the larger room to tame the frolicking boys.

But Sinclair didn't notice her. He was currently having to take Tay's youngest child from her mother's arms because she was trying to climb over her mother to get to him. Sinclair set little Lisabette on his knee and pinched her nose, and the little girl laughed as Tay and Athdara watched. They knew he was upset, and weary, an unusual state for Sinclair. But they also felt a strong affinity toward him because of what he'd done for them and for Toxandria, so they both wanted to help him as much as they could. No detail was too small or too great.

"Lisi was receptive to coming to Blackchurch to manage our kitchens," Athdara said, watching her daughter stick her hand into Sinclair's mouth. "We told her that we'd come on your behalf with the offer because you were busy with your class and she seemed receptive, but not at first."

Sinclair had little fingers between his teeth. "Why not?"

"Because she felt that she did not want to be dependent on you and on Blackchurch so soon, I suppose," Athdara said. "I admire that, Sin. She did not want to be a burden on anyone, or take advantage of anyone. That speaks well of her."

Sinclair let the little girl slide off his knee and down to the floor before he replied. "Behind the broadcloth and ale stains, I think we had a truly remarkable woman in our midst," he said, trying not to grow despondent. "Did you know that she is an artist?"

Athdara suddenly jumped up and ran off as Tay reached over and picked up his daughter. Sinclair looked at him curiously about his wife's behavior, but Tay couldn't explain it. He simply shrugged as he cradled the baby. Sinclair continued to sit there, pondering the day and what the future would bring, when Athdara abruptly reappeared with something in her hand.

"Here," she said, handing it over to Sinclair. "Lisi gave this to us before she was taken because she wanted us to give it to you. She said you were expecting it."

Quite interested, Sinclair untied the leather strap that was around the scroll of vellum, and when that fell away, he unrolled it.

For a moment, he simply stared at it.

Over his shoulder, Tay took a closer look even as his daughter fussed in his arms. He handed the child back to her mother before reaching over to take the vellum out of Sinclair's hands.

"Remarkable," Tay said. "Did Lisi do this?"

Sinclair nodded, his eyes never leaving the vellum. "She told me she was an artist so I challenged her to draw an image of me," he said. "It looks like me."

Tay smiled and handed it back to him so he could show Athdara. "It truly does," Tay said. "She has drawn you true to life, not the stylized nonsense we see in Bibles or in royal portraits. No one really looks like that."

"That is beautiful, Sin," Athdara said, admiring the drawing but now faced with a fussy daughter who was beginning to cry. "What a great talent she has."

That was as much as she could say before she was forced to leave and take her child to bed. That left Tay and Sinclair sitting there, alone, because now Gisele and Fox were separating their brood from the playing mass of boys. It was time for everyone to go to bed. Tay bade them a farewell as they took their children and departed, but Sinclair was still looking at the drawing. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off it. When Gisele and Fox left and Tay instructed his boys to go upstairs and prepare for bed, Sinclair spoke softly.

"Tell me that I am going to get her back, Tay," he muttered. "Tell me that this is not at an end."

Tay looked at him. "It is not at an end," he said. "And you will get her back. Sin… if I have to kill her husband and make it look like an accident, I will. She will be yours, one way or the other, so please do not do anything foolish. A well-thought-out plan with a reasonable chance for success is the best way to see both you and the lady come out of this unharmed. Agreed?"

Sinclair rolled up the vellum and held it against his heart as he lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"Me, Payne, and a gang of damnable pirates are the answer to this problem," he mumbled. "I never thought I'd see the day when I needed the help of pirates."

"Payne?"

"He asked to go."

Tay shrugged. "Stranger things have happened, I suppose," he said, clapping the man on the shoulder as he stood up. "But there's nothing you can do tonight, so go to bed. Try to sleep. I will see you on the morrow and I will personally make sure Denis sends the missive to Abelard. I do not want you to worry about this, Sin. We shall be victorious in the end."

Sinclair could only nod. He didn't have the energy to do anything else. Rising to his feet, he thanked Tay quietly and headed out of the cottage, back to his empty home, where the lady who tended it had stoked the fires, warmed the bed, and left food on the table. But it was quiet, dark, and as solemn as a tomb.

So empty…

Just like his soul at the moment. Sinclair wasn't sure how a woman could get under his skin in just a matter of days, but one had. Elisiana's weapons had been her warmth and charm and beauty, and any walls that Sinclair might have had around his heart had crumbled beneath her tender onslaught. Truth be told, she hadn't done much of anything. He'd been the one who had shown interest and she had simply responded in kind. What a glorious thing that had been. He'd never had a real courtship, so this was something quite special to him.

She was special to him.

But now… now, he was without her.

Was it madness to feel such a connection to a woman he'd known just two days? He'd known plenty of women, but he'd never felt this way for any of them. Sure, there had been a lady or two that had caught his fancy, but those had faded quickly. In this case, his attraction toward Elisiana was growing. But what if her abduction had simply muddled his feelings and he was only experiencing a natural surge of protection, the same as he would for any woman in peril? But in this case, he was confusing those natural surges with affection. Adoration.

… love?

God's Bones. Was it possible he actually loved the woman? Two days and he'd fallen in love with her like a silly squire? Anything was possible and anything was probable. He wasn't going to guess at it. For the first time in his life, he was simply going to give in to feelings so strong that he couldn't control them.

He was going to get her back.

And then he was going to marry her.

When Sinclair finally drifted off to sleep that night, it was with Elisiana's drawing clutched against his heart.