“Alain,” she began carefully, “you—misunderstood—”
“Quiet!” he hissed, his body tensing. She followed his gaze toward Crewel, horrified to see her husband break through the woods, alone.
“Keep your men out of this, Leonie,” Alain said excitedly. “My own men will take him easily.”
“What?”
She could see no other men in or near the clearing. But when Alain let out a shrill whistle, she knew Rolfe was in danger.
“Alain! You must not attack Rolfe!”
“Hush, Leonie,” Alain said confidently. “This will be easy.” He called across the clearing, “Stay where you are, d’Ambert. You have lost what is yours.”
Rolfe had already seen the lovers standing close together, embracing. This was the truth he had dreaded. He had returned to Crewel to tell Leonie the truth about her father, only to find that she had gone to Pershwick. Then he found a message from Alain Montigny left carelessly on the writing table. A search produced another note from Montigny. Two notes were enough to declare her guilt, and what was before him was the damning confirmation.
“Let her go, Montigny!”
“She is leaving with me,” Alain taunted.
Leonie gasped, outraged. But then everything began happening so fast that she had no time to deny Alain’s claim.
Her own men had mounted and were riding toward them. Much closer, Alain’s men came bursting through the trees. All seven of Alain’s men charged Rolfe, who drew his sword like lightning. His battle cry resounded in the clearing, bringing some of the attackers up short so that only four of them actually met Rolfe head-on.
Leonie screamed for her men to hurry, but no one realized she meant for them to help Rolfe. Alain, confident of his plan, believed she meant for her men to attack Rolfe.
“Never fear,” Alain assured her, relishing his triumph, “he is strong, but he is outnumbered.”
“Fool!” Leonie cried, and Alain’s smile vanished. “I would kill you before I would let you kill him!”
“You will thank me…”
He went silent as his men turned and fled back into the woods—five of them, while two lay dead in themeadow. When he saw why, Alain gripped Leonie’s wrist and pulled her toward their horses. Rolfe had not come alone after all, but had only raced ahead of his men in his haste to reach Leonie. Two knights and a half dozen men-at-arms were with Rolfe now. And Leonie’s own men had joined their lady.
Rolfe did not move, but faced Alain from yards away. “If you go with him, Leonie, I will hunt him down and kill him.”
Alain let go of her instantly. “He wants you so badly, he can have you,” he told her fearfully. He mounted his horse, glancing at Rolfe to see if the larger man would stop him.
“He believes the worst,” she told Alain. “You must tell him…Alain! Come back!” He rode into the forest in the direction his men had taken. Leonie called his name once more, but Alain did not even look back.
She swung around to face her husband. His eyes were black with fury, his expression cruel as he slowly walked his horse toward her.
“My lady, do we fight your husband?”
She had barely noticed her men gathering around her. What could she tell them? What must this look like to them? She did not want to be left alone with Rolfe, but of course there was no question of a battle.
“Answer them, madame,” Rolfe ordered.
“My lord, you must let me explain,” she began.
“Answer them!”
She took a deep breath. “My lord, you must tell them you mean me no harm.”
“I will tell them only that no one keeps me from my wife. I will kill anyone who tries. If they wish to die, then they may fight me.”
She faced her guard. “Return to Pershwick. I go with my husband willingly.”
“But, my lady,” the youngest man said uneasily, casting a glance toward Rolfe. “Sir Guibert will kill us if—if anything happens to you.”
