She forced herself to watch as they dragged Warrick towards a wooden tower. There was a wall beside it with chains and manacles. He regained consciousness at last, and they hammered the pins into the manacles. He was powerless to move, but he straightened and met her gaze. In his eyes, she saw his quiet reassurance.
But she feared the worst.
She loved this man and it hurt so deeply to imagine being parted from him. For that reason, she touched her fingers to her lips and turned back to her father. His life depended upon her decisions, and she would do anything to protect him.
Harold led her inside towards a small chamber with a single chair and a pallet. There were no windows, and she rather thought it was her own prison.
‘Did you lie with him?’ he asked quietly.
‘Yes.’ She raised her chin and met his questions with her own stare. ‘We spoke vows within a church and consummated our marriage. He is of a noble family, and I love him.’
Her father’s expression remained cold. ‘You will tell no one what you have done. Or if you do, I will see to it that you are widowed.’
She was horrified that he would threaten Warrick’s life. ‘You cannot do such a thing.’
‘You made a grave mistake when you decided to defy my orders,’ her father said. ‘And whatever sins you committed with this man, you will not be his wife.’
I am already his wife,she wanted to argue. In the eyes of God she was. But she bit back her words, knowing they would only fuel his anger.
‘I have sent for Alan de Courcy. You will return home with me and await him there. You should pray that he will agree to wed you, in spite of what you have done.’
‘I cannot wed him.’ She met her father’s hard stare with one of her own. ‘I am already married, and I may be carrying Warrick’s child.’
Harold crossed his arms. ‘I will not sacrifice the alliances made for our family because of your foolish actions.’
‘I have married him, and it is done now. I care not about your alliances.’
Her father crossed the room and seized her wrist. His grip was rough, and she fought to keep from crying out. ‘Youshouldcare. For his life depends upon your agreement.’
‘You cannot kill him.’ Harold would never strike such a blow against a noble family. It would mean war.
‘Think you I would not kill the man who stole my daughter’s innocence?’ He spoke with such calmness, she knew he meant it. ‘You will say nothing of this so-called marriage. Or if you dare to defy my wishes, I will see him struck down.’
Ice ran through her veins at his threat. She had not at all considered her father to be so ruthless. They had been naïve to believe that Harold de Beaufort would allow them to marry without his consent. Without a word, she sank down to the floor, sitting upon the pallet. It felt as if she were breathing underwater, and a rushing sound filled her ears.
‘Youwillobey me, Rosamund. You will return home without question and wed Alan de Courcy, if he agrees. And if you speak one word about a so-called marriage to Warrick de Laurent, I will see to it that he breathes his last.’
Harold wanted her to lie to everyone, to pretend as if they had spoken no vows. The Church would have to recognise any marriage where vows were given and the union consummated. But there had been no witnesses that night, and her father knew this.
‘Edward de Laurent would not let you threaten his son,’ she argued weakly. But in her heart, she knew she was cornered. Her father was furious, and Warrick would suffer the consequences.
‘Edward sent his own men to help mine. He has given me full authority to punish his son as I see fit.’
She didn’t want to believe such a thing could be true, but she had seen for herself the lack of love between father and son. Something had caused the distance, and whatever the reason, it unnerved her.
Harold’s gaze narrowed upon her. ‘You will tell Warrick de Laurent that you are going to wed Alan de Courcy. Convince him that you do not want him.’
‘He will not believe it. Not after what we endured to travel this far.’ She drew her knees up to her chest, feeling numb inside. ‘Why does it matter to you who I marry? An alliance with Edward de Laurent has its own worth.’
‘You defied me in front of everyone. My daughter ran away with her lover, making a mockery of her family. I will not stand for it.’
She swallowed hard, not knowing how to save herself and Warrick. ‘We could both do penance for our disobedience, and then have a proper marriage.’
Her father backhanded her with his fist, and pain radiated through her jaw. She lay face down on the pallet, in shock. Never in her life had he beaten her.
‘There willbeno marriage between you and de Laurent,’ he shot back. ‘You dared to embarrass our family. If you were not my eldest daughter, I would put you in a nunnery and wash my hands of you.’
Hot tears bled against her cheeks, and she said nothing. Her stomach clenched with fear, and her jaw still ached from his blow.
