Page 5 of May Queen: May Day

Chapter 2

Lady Flora Debenham looked down from atop her horse at the handsome man who was to be her husband and released a deep sigh. He would do just fine. Then again, it didn’t really matter what he looked like because she wasn’t really going to marry him anyway. She had convinced her uncle to let her switch places with her cousin, and it had naught to do with Gretta being pregnant because that was all a lie she’d made up at the spur of the moment. This whole betrothal was just a ploy to get into Black Creek Castle and it had worked beautifully.

If her uncle hadn’t been such a coward, he wouldn’t have left here in the middle of the night like a fox being chased by a hound. She wasn’t happy that he said the wedding had to take place in a week because she wasn’t sure that was enough time to find her father. Her uncle was probably angry with her for saying Gretta was pregnant. If he hadn’t been stumbling, telling Ricard a reason why Gretta couldn’t marry him, she wouldn’t have had to jump in and say anything at all.

She held no love for her uncle. After all, he had deceived her for the past twenty years of her life. He’d also convinced her poor mother to keep secrets from her about her father and who she truly was. If he had been honest with her from the beginning, she never would have had to blackmail him in the first place.

Her cousin, Gretta, to be sure, was as pure as new fallen snow. She was also so sickening sweet and loyally obedient that it made Flora want to retch. The girl hadn’t questioned her father’s change of heart, although she had cried her eyes out because Flora was getting the man who was supposed to be her husband.

Flora didn’t care what Gretta or her uncle thought anymore. She had lived in ignorance her entire life and would never be so naïve again. They would abide by her wishes now because she had the upper hand. This was her only chance to find her father, and she wasn’t going to back down.

“Sir Ricard Wellington,” she said, sliding off the horse without help. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m sure,” she mumbled, although she didn’t mean a word of it. It meant naught to her that she was betrothed to one of the most handsome, eligible, sought after knights in the land. Still, she realized that she needed to pretend like it did, keeping up appearances for now. If he at all became suspicious of why she was really there or started doubting her uncle’s word, she would have no choice but to abort her mission. That was something she could not let happen.

Hopefully, things would go as planned, and she’d get what she came for and be long gone from here before the date of the wedding. “I suppose it could be worse,” she said, looking around the courtyard.

“My lady?” asked the knight, his dark brows dipping down in aggravation. “Is there something not to your liking?”

“On the contrary,” she told him, forcing herself to smile, trying to seem pleased by the arrangements. “I find you and your castle adequate, and think I’ll be happy here in Somerset.”

“Lord Ricard is new in this position and hasn’t been Lord of Black Creek for even a year yet,” said his squire. “He’s on somewhat of a trial basis until he can carry out his promise to the king and rid the forest of pagans.”

“Pagans?” she questioned. “Are you speaking of killing off people for no real reason other than their beliefs?”

“If he has to,” said Nash.

“That’s enough, Squire,” growled the knight.

“So, this castle and the surrounding lands aren’t really yours unless you give the king what he wants?” she asked curiously, not having known this part.

“I wouldn’t put it that way,” said the man. “What the king and I both want is the same thing.”

“The same thing?” she asked, knowing what he meant but having to hear him say it.

“Aye. There are pagans in the surrounding woods and once I find their hiding places, I will kill every last one of them.”

Flora felt tightness in her chest and she could barely breathe. This was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. With her mother’s dying breath, she revealed to Flora that Flora’s father was not dead, but in hiding. He was a Druid.

“I’d like to go to my chamber now,” she said, removing her riding gloves as she spoke. The April night air was cool, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. After what she’d been through these past few days, she was surprised she could even think at all.

Her world had come crashing down around her. With her mother gone and all her family secrets revealed to her by the dying woman on her deathbed, Flora hated everyone right now, especially the king and his men. This fool knight and his squire were no exception.

Still, she had to be careful or she could lose what little she had left in life. Mayhap a good meal, a glass of wine, and a decent night’s rest would put things back in perspective in the morning. Hopefully, she’d be able to think clearly then and find her father in the morning.