She averted her gaze, clasping her hands behind her back and turning away from him. “Of course. I have forgotten already.”
He continued to grin, watching her pace across the floor toward the hearth. “I promise you, kitten, the wait shall be worth it.”
She cast him a sheepish gaze, still smiling. He chuckled softly at her embarrassment as a sharp knock rattled the door. Gavan was in the doorway, Arissa’s trunk slung across his massive shoulders. He moved into the chamber, dumping the wet case onto the floor.
“God’s Blood, Richmond, what in the world did we pack that would make that thing so heavy?”
“Nothing but the necessities, as I recall,” Richmond said, shoving the trunk against the wall. Suddenly, he paused, passing the trunk a curious gaze. After a moment, he kicked it into the wall again. This time, they all heard the muffled grunt.
Gavan unsheathed his broadsword before Arissa could draw another breath, moving to take a protective stance in front of her. As Richmond unlatched the case, she strained to peeraround Gavan’s massive body; she did not see anything at first, but Richmond’s stern gaze told her that he was not pleased in the least. He continued to stare into the trunk, his expression severe.
“How, may I ask, did you get in there?” he finally asked, struggling to maintain his calm.
Emma’s blond head appeared, her pale blue eyes wide at Richmond. “I…. I slipped in when you put Arissa’s trunk out in the corridor before transporting it to the wagon.”
Richmond pursed his lips, scratching his head with a great deal of irritation. “Where are her clothes?”
Emma, flushing red about the ears, shifted in the trunk as if to look underneath her. “A few items are still here, but I took the majority out and put them in the servant’s alcove.”
Richmond’s stern gaze lingered on her a moment before turning to Gavan. “I thought you secured this trunk yourself before putting it into the hall.”
“I did,” Gavan lifted a disapproving eyebrow at Emma. “She must have slipped in the very moment we left it unattended.”
“And then the soldiers who were ordered to store the trunk on the wagon re-secured the latches, thinking we had failed to do so,” he shook his head with wonder, moving away from Emma. “Thank God she’s not a Welsh assassin. We should have never left the trunk unattended.”
“Welsh assassin?” Emma repeated, confused. “I…. I simply want to go with Riss.”
Richmond returned his grim attention to her. “You have put me in a very awkward position, Lady Emma. Did you actually believe I would allow you to accompany Arissa to the abbey?”
Emma nodded unsteadily, moving to unseat herself from the trunk. Her joints were stiff and her head hurt from all of the movement, but she was not nearly as concerned for her owndiscomfort as she was apprehensive of the look on Richmond’s face. “What are you going to do with me?”
He put his hands on his hips. “Send you back to Lambourn. What did you expect I would do with you?”
Emma’s cheeks flushed bright red and she lowered her gaze, moving away from the massive knight. But somewhere within the fear and respect for the man came a seed of defiance. She did not want to return to Lambourn; Arissa was her very best friend and she was terrified to be without her. Penelope had Daniel, her mother was busy with Lady Maude, while she herself had no one. When Arissa left, she would be all alone and she hated the very idea.
Which was why she had stolen away in Arissa’s trunk. After Richmond had chased her and Regine off and slammed the door, it had not been difficult to slip into Arissa’s baggage unnoticed. A quickly-formulated plan that had been just as quickly executed. She was going, too.
“I am…. I am going with her, no matter what you say,” she stood her ground against Richmond, albeit weakly. “I am sixteen years old and if I want to pledge my life to Whitby, I can do so without my mother’s approval.”
Richmond cocked an eyebrow at her insolent tone. “Very well. Take your vows if it pleases you. But do not expect me to escort you; you must find your own way. Until then, you will return to Lambourn.”
Emma’s flush grew brilliant. Her breathing was coming in heavy gasps, indicative of her emotion and rising anger. She licked her lips, swallowed hard, struggling with the words she was attempting to bring forth. “If you take me back to Lambourn, I shall…. I shall tell the earl about you and Arissa, I swear it.”
Arissa gasped, standing next to Gavan. “You…. who told you, Emma? I demand to know!”
Emma turned to Arissa, regret suddenly visible in her blue eyes. “Regine. She told Penelope, too. She said she watched as Richmond took your maidenhood.”
All of the color drained from Arissa’s face, not merely from the not-too-surprising revelation that Regine had betrayed her word, but from the mere fact that Richmond would not allow Regine’s breach to go unpunished. She looked to Richmond, her eyes wide with apprehension and horror.
“I told you I did not trust her, Richmond,” she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.
Richmond met her gaze evenly. “And what would you have me do, Riss? Kill her to keep her silent?”
Arissa lowered her gaze and turned away, shaken and nauseous. Richmond returned his attention to Emma, who was visibly losing her courage under his piercing stare. Brave not a moment before, it was becoming obvious that her attempt at blackmail had been a mistake.
“Do as you must,” Richmond said quietly. “Tomorrow, Gavan will return you to Lambourn.”
Emma went from bright red to a sickly gray. “Oh, Richmond, I am sorry. I should not have said that. It’s just…. I cannot bear to be away from Riss. She was the only bit of life at Lambourn and with her gone, it will be a colorless place.”
