She nearly growled in frustration. “Of course it is. I consider murder a serious charge, indeed.”
“I assume you have sound proof else you wouldn’t be accusing the regent of such conduct.”
She studied him for a long moment. Truly, she hadn’t wanted to confide in anyone in this Godforsaken country, but now it appeared she had little choice. Davide was gone, and with him, anyone in England she could trust.
Biting her lip, she struggled with just how much she should relate to this man. She had little hope he would believe her. He was rooted solidly in his loyalty to the crown. An admirable quality. Too bad more of her own subjects hadn’t the same loyalty.
She turned away from him and stared out the window once more. Footsteps sounded on the floor when he rose from the bed and moved closer to her. His hand grasped her arm and spun her around to face him. “What do you mean when you say the regent betrayed you?”
It wasn’t a request, it was a command, and she was unused to taking commands. Her mouth opened at his daring, but he didn’t back down. “If you want me to help you, Princess, I suggest you start talking.”
“Take your hand from me at once,” she said icily.
His lips compressed, and he released her arm, but he didn’t move an inch back. “Your time is running out. You can either tell me or tell the regent.”
She rubbed her arm absently, though he hadn’t harmed her in any way. But his touch lingered, and she didn’t like it. It would not matter if she confided in him. Regardless of his reaction, she would not allow him to take her to the palace. And maybe, just maybe, he would help her.
“When I arrived in England, I sent word to the palace seeking the regent’s aid and protection. I didn’t know who I could trust. Father had always thought highly of England, which is why I decided to take a chance and come here.”
A sob knotted in her throat and she swallowed it down, determined not to allow her grief to overcome her. “I received a missive bearing the regent’s seal. In it were instructions for where to meet his personal envoy. When I arrived at the meeting place, I was nearly killed. I managed to escape, but clearly, the regent, or someone very close to him, didn’t wish for me to live.”
Indecision mixed with utter disbelief clouded the earl’s face. “I have several problems with that account. I cannot believe the regent would plot to kill you. He is far too interested in finding out why your family was killed. England has much at stake.
“And,” he said drawing out the last word, “if the regent knew of your presence in England, I would have been one of the first to know. I have personally overseen the effort to locate you.”
“Your statements reek of naiveté,” she said with a scoff. “Do you honestly think your regent shares every piece of information with you?”
“I have no doubt there is much the prince doesn’t deem fit to share with me, however, he is most concerned with the situation in Leaudor, and I cannot countenance him being part of the plot to murder your family.”
Angrily she yanked her shirt from her breeches. She bunched the material in her fist and raised the shirt to bare her stomach. “Does this look like something I imagined?”
He didn’t look overly impressed by her dramatic display. “What happened?”
Her fingers automatically traced the still tender gash on her abdomen, then remembering she had bared her flesh in front of a strange man, she yanked the shirt back down. “The regent’s henchmen wielded knives.”
He looked at her skeptically. “And how did you manage to escape?”
“I told you I am quite capable of taking care of myself,” she said through gritted teeth.
He stepped back, widening the space between them. But his gaze still bore into her. “Tell me everything that happened.”
“I believe I’ve already told you what happened.” Her patience was wearing thin, and her desire to get away from this man was becoming stronger by the moment.
She turned away from him and stared out the window like one longing for freedom from behind the bars of prison. She hadn’t much time. The people who had killed her family would seek to install a new ruler unless she could return in time to stop them. They would steal her people’s legacy.
Her fingers itched to fold around the parchment secured between her breasts. She curled them at her side to staunch the urge. Without the map, no one could find the ancient caves. She held tight to that thought and prayed she could return in time.
His breath blew hot on her neck and she tensed. Once again, she felt herself twisted around to face him. “Tell me word for word what happened when you went to meet this envoy.”
She searched his blazing eyes for sinister intent, but all she saw was determination. She glanced pointedly down at his hands, and he slowly uncurled his fingers from her forearms.
“I went to an inn off the north posting road. I collected a message from the innkeeper that directed me to a room upstairs. I did not feel very comfortable walking into a room unaware.”
Lord Merrick nodded approvingly.
“So, I knocked then slipped down the hall a ways to see who answered. But someone grabbed me from behind and propelled me into the room. There were three men, and one held a knife to my neck. I knew they were going to kill me so I fought them. I was stabbed before I jumped from the window.”
He gaped incredulously at her. “You expect me to believe you fought off three men and jumped from a window? Well, the window part I believe,” he muttered.
