Page 150 of Feathers in the Wind
“How long have you and Farrington been... been...”
The girl gave her a cool, appraising look. “Lovers?” Lovedie shut the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms. “That day you and Collyer came to Byton, I could see how things would be if I stayed, so as soon as Charles and his father were on the horizon, I offered my services to Charles.”
“And did you play agent in Byton as you did in Kinton Lacey?”
Lovedie gave a snort of derision. “Curtis was fool enough to be his own destruction, but I might have helped a little.”
“But your own brother was in Byton. You must have known what would befall it?”
She had hit a nerve. Lovedie straightened and sniffed. “Toby's old enough to look after himself. I’ve had enough of running after him.”
“Does he know about you?”
“Toby? Don't be a fool, of course he doesn't.” Lovedie took a step forward. “I want you to know, Mistress Felton, that Toby had no knowledge of…”
“Your ‘business’?” Deliverance drew herself up to her full height, failing to overtop Lovedie. “It was you who destroyed the food?”
Lovedie shrugged. “Of course. It was a simple matter to copy the key that fool Blakelocke loaned me.”
“And did my sister or Jack Farrington, have any part of this?”
Lovedie laughed. “Jack Farrington hasn't got the stomach for war. He's a quarter of the man his brother is, but once the plan changed, I had to get him out of the castle. Couldn’t leave him there for Collyer to bargain with.”
Deliverance shivered. “The plan changed? What did you intend?”
She shrugged. “I was to seduce Collyer and then see to him one night.” She drew a finger across her throat and Deliverance shivered. “Without Collyer you’d have had to surrender.” She frowned. “But he wouldn’t have any part of that so him being wounded was a godsend. I knew all I had to do was finish him off, take the key and release Jack and you’d have nothing to bargain with.”
Deliverance blinked trying to digest everything Lovedie had just said. Traitorously the only thing that came to mind was the revelation that Lovedie had tried to seduce Luke and failed. That thought made her feel oddly happy.
“Lovedie, my dear, you talk too much.”
Both women turned to the door where Charles Farrington stood, his legs apart and his hands on his hips. Over his shoulder, Deliverance could see Jack. The younger man looked grey with fatigue.
“My dear Deliverance, the solution to your current difficulty must be clear to you. If Collyer wants you kept in one piece he will hand over Kinton Lacey to me this morning.”
Deliverance raised her chin, trying to muster her last ounce of defiance and courage.
“And what would you do with me if he doesn't agree?”
Farrington appeared to consider that point. “That's a good question. Probably hang you in sight of the castle. That would be amusing.”
Deliverance flew at Charles, her fingers clawed and reaching for his face. She managed to drag her nails down one side before Lovedie and Jack pulled her off.
Charles mopped the blood from his face, his eyes blazing. “You'll pay for that, you little cat.” He advanced on her with an upraised hand.
Jack twisted her out of his reach. “Leave her, Charles. You wouldn’t dare hang her and you know it.”
To her surprise Farrington lowered his hand and reached out and clasped her chin, twisting her face up to look at him. “No, that would be too easy. There are other ways of dealing with you, Deliverance. You need to learn a little humility and that you are only a woman who should stop playing a man's game.” His eyes narrowed. “There is only one good use for a woman, and trust me, that would give me great pleasure. I might be generous enough to share you with some of my men in plain sight of the castle walls.”
The obscene tilt of his hips as he spoke the last words made his meaning clear. Jack gave a sharp intake of breath but said nothing.
A wave of nausea enveloped Deliverance. There were worse things than death for a woman caught in the middle of a war. Although she hoped that even Charles Farrington would not resort to public rape and humiliation, she would not put it past him.
Charles flung her back at Lovedie. “Shut her up again. We'll give Collyer time to realise his precious Deliverance is missing and then surprise him.”
* * *
Luke wokeat first light with a thudding headache. He lay still for a long time trying to recall the events of the previous day. Deliverance. That damned woman. There'd been some argument and then... nothing. He frowned and put a hand to his head, feeling his way around the bandage until he reached a lump of padding. He gingerly pressed it, producing lightning bolts of pain.
