Page 76 of Her Dark Seduction
Chapter 23
The next morning a maidservant entered with a tray of food and wine, with instructions from de Tourrard that I eat and drink everything or Geoffrey would suffer. I had to be strong for my son so I complied, sipping the wine even though I knew it was drugged, while she looked on. I sat passively while she treated my wounds until the drug took effect, and I sank into a stupor.
That evening Celia entered the chamber holding a pile of clothes. Her face bore a fresh bruise and dark finger marks circled the base of her neck. She limped across the room, her expression showing nothing but pain and shame.
“Where’s my son?”
“With the wet-nurse, lady. He is safe.”
“He’s not safe!” I cried. “You think any of us are safe here?”
A tear slid down her cheek, and I felt nothing but compassion for her. I remembered my encounter with de Tourrard at Mortlock, the relish in his eyes as he held my throat. Like his cousin he took an unnatural pleasure in inflicting pain.
“Did he hurt you?” I whispered.
She nodded and I took her hand. “Can’t you leave? Is there nowhere you can go?”
She shook her head.
“Celia—you cannot let him treat you like this! Now he has me I might be able to persuade him to release you.”
She fell to her knees and began to cry, her shoulders shaking as she covered her face.
“Shhh—someone will hear.”
“Forgive me!” she sobbed, “I cannot bear your kindness after how I treated you. I hated you so much I let de Tourrard pay me to spy on you at Mortlock. He promised I would be his mistress, and he would treat me as a lady; but he has beaten me almost every day since I came here. I am nothing but his whore now.”
“Then you must get away.”
“What of you, lady; what of Geoffrey?” she wept, “I cannot leave you—I must atone for what I did to you.”
I took her in my arms while she cried, before she pulled away in panic.
“We must hurry! He sent me to bring you to the dining hall. He’ll come looking if you don’t join him soon.”
“Then I must dress—quickly!”
She helped me into the clothes, a pale gold surcoat over a white gown.
“Lady,” she hesitated, “did you always love Monsieur Sawford?”
I stiffened on hearing his name, and she sighed.
“That’s why I hated you. I wanted Sawford for myself. But he only wanted you. From the day you arrived at Mortlock he had eyes for none other.”
“Celia, he did not want—”
“Aye, he did. I knew of Lord Mortlock’s plan to whore you out. De Tourrard paid me to listen to everything. With Mortlock’s previous wives Sawford always found others to do the deed, but you were different.”
She placed a hand on my shoulder. “I was jealous. I thought you were yet another noblewoman to look down on us and care only for yourself. But last night, de Tourrard tortured you, yet you refused to betray Sawford. I have never loved anyone enough to be ready to die for them.”
“I did betray him,” I said.
“For the sake of your son,” she replied. “You made a wise choice. Sawford can protect himself—and as he’s not here to protect you, I will do the best I can.”
Before we approached the dining hall, I took Celia’s arm and whispered urgently in her ear. Celia had to treat me with the same dislike she had always shown. De Tourrard must not suspect we had become allies.
The dining hall was larger than those at Mortlock. Long tables filled the room at which over forty men sat. De Tourrard overlooked the company from a high table at the far end of the hall, beyond a huge stone fireplace. He beckoned to me. To reach him I had to pass the fireplace. Several dogs lay at the hearth and some lifted their heads to watch me. They were vicious looking brutes, and I took care to make no sudden movements. Every nerve in my body screamed to run, but de Tourrard would take pleasure in setting the dogs on me if I did.
