Velvet Song Read online

  The room was about six feet square with stone walls and a dirt floor, and the only furniture was the short bench. There was no window in the door and no light came in around the corners. The low ceiling allowed her to explore every inch of the room. There were no windows, no gratings, no weak places anywhere. When she finished, the upper half of her body was covered with spiderwebs, and there were tears on her face. Angrily, she tried to brush the sticky things from her face and clothes, all the while crying and cursing Pagnell and men of his kind.

  After several hours she sat down on the bench, knees drawn up, and put her head down. Absently, she pushed the baby’s foot down from where it was kicking her in the ribs, and as her child became more active, restless, she started to sing to him. Gradually, he quietened and so did Alyx.

  Overhead, she heard people walking and knew the ceiling was the castle floor. Somewhere up there Jocelin was trying to find her. She began to imagine ways to escape and wished she could start a fire, thinking that perhaps she could burn her way out. But, of course, the smoke would probably kill her before the fire burned the door.

  When the door opened, the sound, so loud in the quiet room, startled her so badly she nearly fell off the bench. Candlelight flooded the room and nearly blinded her.

  “There you are,” came a voice she knew was Elizabeth Chatworth’s.

  Alyx gave no thought to her class as she threw her arms about Elizabeth. “I am so very, very glad to see you. How did you find me?”

  Elizabeth gave Alyx a one-arm hug. “Jocelin came to me. It’s that idiot Pagnell, isn’t it? That man is as vicious as any man created. Now, come on before the dunce returns.”

  “Too late,” came a drawling, half-amused, half-angry voice from the doorway. “You haven’t changed much, Elizabeth, you’re still giving orders to everyone.”

  “And you, Pagnell, are still tearing wings off butterflies. What has this one done to you? Refused your advances as any woman with any sense would do?”

  “Your tongue is too sharp, Elizabeth. If I had time I’d teach you softer ways.”

  “You and how many other men?” Elizabeth spat. “You’re scared to death of me because what I say is true. Now get out of the way and let us pass. We’ve had enough of your nasty little games. Go find someone else to play with. This child is under my protection.”

  He planted himself in front of Elizabeth and Alyx, not letting them out of the little cell.

  “You go too far!” Elizabeth hissed. “You’re no longer threatening a helpless servant. My brother will have your head if you harm me.”

  “Roger is too busy plotting against the Montgomerys to give a thought to anyone else. I hear he stays drunk all the time now that dear, sweet, crippled Brian has gone off sulking somewhere.”

  Alyx didn’t see the little eating dagger Elizabeth pulled from the sheath at her side, but Pagnell did. With a sidestep he dodged her, caught her arm and, twisting it, pulled her to him. “I’d like to feel you under me, Elizabeth. Do you bring as much fire to your bed as you do to everything else?”

  Alyx saw that now was her chance. On the wall outside the cell, to her left, was a heavy ring of keys. In one swift motion she flung them at Pagnell’s head, catching him on the temple.

  He released Elizabeth, staggered back one step and put his hand to his head, stared at the blood on his hand. By the time he regained his senses, Elizabeth and Alyx were halfway up the stairs.

  Pagnell caught Elizabeth’s skirt and jerked so hard she came tumbling backward, slamming into his chest. “Ah, my dear Elizabeth,” he drawled into her ear, his arm about her waist, the other hand going to her ample breast. “I’ve dreamed of this moment for a long time.”

  Alyx knew Pagnell’s attention was on Elizabeth and she could have escaped, but she couldn’t leave Elizabeth alone because it was obvious what he planned for the young noblewoman. She could think of nothing else but to throw her body weight onto both of them.

  Pagnell stumbled backward, still clutching Elizabeth, while Alyx rolled away, her hands protecting her stomach. Elizabeth saw her opportunity and slammed her elbow into Pagnell’s ribs, making him grunt in pain. With one swift motion she grabbed a small oaken cask and brought it down with considerable force on Pagnell’s head.

  Oak staves broke away and dark red wine ran down his face, over his clothes as, after one startled look, he lapsed into unconsciousness.

  “Such a waste of good wine,” Elizabeth said, looking across the inert man to Alyx. “You haven’t harmed your baby, have you?”

  “No, he’s secure enough.”

  “Thank you,” Elizabeth said. “You could have run away, but you stayed to help me. How can I reward you?”

  “Excuse me,” came a voice from the doorway.

  They turned to see a tall dark man, sword drawn.

  “I hate to interrupt this little meeting, but unless you revive my friend and quickly, I shall take pleasure in killing the both of you.”

  Elizabeth made the first move, jumping away from Pagnell’s body to the dark man’s right side. “Go to his other side, Alyx,” she directed. “He cannot take both of us at once.”

  Immediately, Alyx obeyed, and the man moved his head back and forth like a baited bull, watching the two women. A groan from Pagnell made the man look at his friend. As he did, Alyx made a quick move toward him. He backed into the opening of the stairway, guarding the entrance.

  “God’s teeth!” Pagnell cursed, trying to clear his vision. “You’ll be sorry for this, Elizabeth,” he groaned. “Hold them there, John. Don’t let them get nearer. Neither of them is human. Pity to man the day woman was created.”

  “You wouldn’t know what a woman was,” Elizabeth hissed. “No female worth her salt would let you near her.”

  Shakily, Pagnell stood, looking in disgust at his wine-stained doublet. Suddenly, his head came up and he began to smile at Elizabeth in a nasty way. “Last night when I rode in I saw the camp of Miles Montgomery.” He grinned broader at the way Elizabeth stiffened at the name. “I wonder if Miles would like a guest? I heard he was so angry at the death of his sister that his brother sent him to the Isle of Wight to keep him from declaring open war on the Chatworth family.”

  “My brother would annihilate him,” Elizabeth said. “No Montgomery—”

  “Spare me, Elizabeth, especially since from the story I heard, Roger attacked Stephen Montgomery’s back.”

  Elizabeth leaped for him, hands made into claws, and Pagnell caught her to him.

  “I hear Miles is a great lover of women and has many bastards. Would you like to add yours to his stable, my virginal little princess?”

  “I would die first,” she said with feeling.

  “Perhaps. I’ll leave that up to Miles. I would take care of you myself, but first I have a debt owed me by that one.” He motioned his head toward Alyx, who stood quietly, John’s sword in her back.

  “And how do you get me out of here?” Elizabeth asked, smiling. “Do you think there won’t be a protest if you carry me through the hall?”

  Pagnell seemed to consider this for a moment as he looked about the dark cellar. With a smile, he looked back at her. “How do you think Miles will like playing Caesar?”

  Puzzled, Elizabeth had no reply.

  Pagnell grabbed her arm behind her. “John, watch that one carefully while I take care of Elizabeth. My head hurts too much to tussle with both of them again.”

  “More than your head will hurt if you harm me,” Elizabeth warned.

  “I’ll leave that worry to Miles. The Montgomerys are altogether too high above themselves. I’d like to see all of them brought down, their land dispersed.”

  “Never!” Alyx shouted. “No slime-infested carrion such as you will ever destroy a Montgomery.”

  The full power of Alyx’s voice made all of them stop and stare at her. Elizabeth stopped struggling against Pagnell and her gaze on Alyx turned speculative. Pagnell’s look was calculating.

  John gave Alyx a nudg