Prologue
Monmouth Castle
England, near the Welsh border
October 1400
The creak of the stable door woke him.
William’s hand went to the hilt of his blade as he lifted his head from the straw to listen. Soft footfalls crossed the floor. Soundlessly, he rose to his feet. No one entering the stable at this hour could have good intent.
A hooded figure carrying a candle moved along the row of horses, causing them to snort and lift their heads. William waited while the man reached up to light a lantern hanging on a post. No matter what the intruder’s purpose, fire was the greater danger. The moment the man blew out his candle, William closed the distance between them in three running strides.
As he launched himself, the intruder turned.
William saw the swirl of skirts and a girl’s face, her eyes wide with alarm. Reflexively, he threw his arms around her and turned in midair to cushion her fall just before they slammed to the ground.
“Please forgive me!” he said, untangling his limbs from hers and scrambling to his feet. “Have I hurt you?”
He would have offered his hand to help her up, but she sprang to her feet as fast as he, her hair falling free of the hood in a mass of bright waves. She stood with her weight forward on her feet, eyeing him warily.
William stared at her. How could he have mistaken this lovely and fragile-looking girl for a man? Judging by the fine silk gown showing at the gap in her cloak, this was a highborn lady he had assaulted. Her features were delicate, her full lips parted.
He squinted, trying to tell what color her eyes were in the dim light. Without thinking, he reached to pull a piece of straw from her hair. He drew back when he caught the gleam of the blade in her hand. He could take it from her easily enough, but it unsettled him to know he frightened her.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” she demanded. She was breathing hard and pointing the blade at his heart. “Answer me at once, or I will scream and bring the guard.”
“I am a knight in the service of the Earl of Northumberland,” he said in a calming voice. “I arrived late, and the hall was filled with guests, so I decided to bed here.”
He was not about to tell her he was hiding in the stable. When he had delivered Northumberland’s message in the hall tonight, he had glimpsed a certain widow he knew from court. Preferring to sleep alone, he had made a quick escape.
“Now that you know my purpose in being here, may I ask the same of you?” he said, cocking his head. “I believe it is you who should not be found out alone at this hour.”
She did not answer him, but even in this poor light, he could see her cheeks flush.
“Surely you know it is dangerous for a young lady to be wandering about alone at this time of night—especially with the castle crowded with men and the wine flowing freely.”
“I could not sleep,” she said, her voice sharp with defiance. “So I decided to go for a ride.”
“You cannot go out riding by yourself in the middle of the night!” Lowering his voice, he added, “Really, you cannot be that foolish.”
Her eyes flashed as she pressed her lips together—and a disturbing explanation occurred to him.
“If it is a man you are meeting, he does not value you as he should to ask you to come out alone like this.” He judged her to be about sixteen, half a dozen years younger than he was. Young enough, he supposed, to be that naive.
“Running to a man?” she said, rolling her eyes heavenward. “Now, that would be foolish.”
She slid her knife into the sheath at her belt, apparently deciding he was not a threat after all. Before he could feel much relief at that, she turned and reached for the bridle hanging on the post next to her.
“I am going now,” she announced, bridle in hand.
“I cannot let you,” he said, wondering how he would stop her. It would cause considerable trouble for them both if he carried her to her rooms, kicking and screaming, at this time of night.
“Surely this can wait for the morning,” he argued.
She stared at him with a grim intensity that made him wonder what trick she would try to get past him.
“If I tell you the reason I cannot wait,” she said finally, “will you agree to let me go?”