“Because you were the key,” he said. “I’d been trying to find a way to seek vengeance on the pirates who attacked Sidmouth for quite some time when I remembered we had a distant relation through your grandmother who served at Blackchurch. At least, I thought I’d heard that, so I wrote to Royston de Royans to inquire about his brother’s marital status, and when I was told he was unmarried, the path became clear.Youwere to marry into Blackchurch and be the beginning of their end. And if you are wondering about Royston’s role in all of this, he knew about my plan.”
Ophelia wasn’t particularly surprised to hear about Royston, since he and Creston were never close, but more than that, shewas starting to see what Oscar meant about the implementation of his scheme.
That dark, twisted scheme.
“But Blackchurch was not the group who burned your town,” she said. “Why would you punish them?”
“Because they are related to those responsible,” Oscar said. “You were simply a tool, my dear. A tool to link me to Blackchurch, so that is how you are part of the blame. The royal dispatch was a tool, also. Now that I know Blackchurch is in possession of it, that makes it perfect. I will tell Henry that St. Denis received the missive from Louis and demanded the king investigate. When he finds the dispatch at Blackchurch, my claims will be proven. Truly, this is a great stroke of luck.”
Ophelia could see his point, but she wasn’t going to concede it. “All St. Denis has to do is burn the dispatch,” she said. “Without evidence, it is your word against his.”
Oscar smiled faintly, but there was no humor to it. “He will not burn it,” he said. “He will keep it as evidence of my so-called wrongdoing. He will try to use it against me as I will try to use it against him. That dispatch is key, Ophelia. If you are trying to play a man’s game, then you should understand how they think.”
Ophelia sighed heavily. “I do not want to know how they think,” she said. “I do not want to know howyouthink. I am here to tell you that this plan, whatever plan you produced those months ago when you married me to Creston, is in ruins. They know and they are going to punish you for it.”
“How?”
She shook her head. “I do not know.”
“You are lying.”
“Not everyone is a liar like you, Oscar.”
He cocked his head. “I would be very careful of what you accuse me of,” he said. “Mayhap I will tell Henry that your husband sent you to Axen to plead for my cooperation inforgetting I ever saw the dispatch. Your being here will help my case immensely.”
“You are becoming desperate,” she said. “Do you truly think I would support your claim?”
“You will have no choice when your husband is dead, Blackchurch is destroyed, and you have nowhere else to go.”
“I will go to a bloody convent before I ever come to live with you again.”
He shrugged. “All the better for me,” he said. “I will be too busy with my new wife and sons to bother with you.”
Ophelia actually cracked a smile. “And you think it hurts me to hear you say that?” she said. “Itthrillsme. Understand that in the six months I have been married to Creston, I have learned something. I have learned the meaning of love. I have learned the meaning of kindness and friendship and belonging. If you take down Blackchurch, then you take me down as well, but I know that does not concern you. I am glad it does not concern you because, surely, I hate you as much as you hate me. I cannot wait for the day when Blackchurch comes bursting through your gatehouse and destroys you. I cannot wait for your humiliation when you realize that, in the end, you did not win. I will make sure your Septem Port Alliance associates know what a coward you were in the end. I’ll make sure your memory is spat upon for the rest of eternity, a legacy any man would be ashamed of. That is the only legacy you are worthy of.”
After that speech, Oscar remained silent. He simply stood there, staring at her. Ophelia was hoping that he would at least realize his efforts were futile. She was hoping her words had made some impact. Just a small acknowledgment and she would have been satisfied, but deep down, she knew that Oscar didn’t have the capability of admitting guilt or showing any measure of humility. That simply wasn’t the way he was made. As she watched him carefully for any reaction, she was caught off guardwhen he suddenly charged her and ripped the poker from her grip.
After that, the fight was on.
Even if she was pregnant, Ophelia was faster than Oscar, who had one leg with the gout. She dashed away, looking for another weapon, but all she could see was an empty pitcher at the end of the table. She made a run for it, hurling it at Oscar, who easily dodged it. The poker fell away from his hand also, but he didn’t stop to pick it up. He continued his pursuit of Ophelia as she tried to evade him.
“Come here,” he demanded. “Come and face your punishment, you foolish chit.”
“If you harm me, you’ll have my husband to answer to,” she shouted at him. “The best thing you can do now is go back to your chamber and remain there. Face your enemies like a man because, surely, they will be upon you soon enough.”
Oscar picked up a three-legged stool against the wall of the hall and hurled it at her. Ophelia had her back turned to him at the time and she yelped when it clipped her in the hip, but she kept running. She was trying to head for the entry door, but Oscar blocked her path and she ended up over by the servants’ alcove.
“Comehere,” he barked. “If you do not and I am forced to catch you, I can promise you that you will regret your disobedience.”
Ophelia had no doubt of that. She knew the man beat his servants, his soldiers. He’d never beaten her mother that she knew of, but it was equally possible that Randa had simply never told her. Whatever the case, she knew for certain that if Oscar caught her, he would kill her. Strangely, she only felt braver in the face of certain death. She wasn’t going to let the man get his hands on her. She was going to fight and fight some more, fightuntil the end of all things because, for once in her life, she waswillingto fight him.
She couldn’t let him win.
But that was until he lunged at her and she dashed into the alcove, completely forgetting that, beyond the tables that held food, there was a narrow staircase that led down to a door, and then the door led to the kitchen yard. It was a fairly steep stairwell and, in the darkness of the hall, Ophelia simply didn’t see it. She slipped on the first step and tried to catch herself, but she wasn’t able to. With a scream, she plunged down the entire stairwell, straight to the bottom, in a heap.
And then… silence.
Oscar was at the top of the stairs, realizing what had happened. He could hardly see anything because of the darkness, but a window above the doorway below let in some light. He could see a motionless figure at the base of the stairs and his strained face suddenly bloomed with surprise and…
