wcEND.rtf (29 page)

"Before the eyes of God and king."

"All right. With that in mind, what would be the consequences of my abandoning my husband to be with another man?"

Maude's scandalized gaze should be answer enough for Isabel, but she wanted to hear the words, and so she waited.

"Excommunication by the Church, for certai
n
—"

Maybe Détra could
l
ive with that, since, in a way, she'd already committed adultery.

"King's persecution, since you would go against his wishe
s
—"

Could Détra afford to ignore a king's ire?

"And Lord Hunter would most probably give you pursuit and blood would be spilled. My lady, I beg you not to do that."

Now, that could be a deterrent to
Détra
. Whichever way
Détra
's heart lay she would know Hunter or Rupert, or even both, could be killed in a confrontation of that kind. Would
Détra
risk that?

"
Thank you, Maude. I think I know what to do now. Can you call Rupert here? And while I am talking with him, please, can you keep an eye on Hunter? I do not want him to surprise us together."

"My lady, meeting with Lord Rupert is folly."

"Not if it will help end this situation once and for all."

Still looking unconvinced, Maude nonetheless left to do what Isabel had asked.

Isabel wasn't sure at all what she was about to do was right, but it seemed Détra's fate had been sealed the moment Isabel and Hunter had made love. In the twenty-first century
Détra
would have every right to divorce Hunter and marry Rupert, but in these medieval times she'd be putting herself and everyone else through a lot of grief and danger and still not be able to live the life she wanted.

Besides, from where Isabel stood,
Détra
didn't even love Rupert. If she'd just give Hunter a chance . . . Not that that made Isabel feel any better, but if she must return
Détra
to her own body, at least she could try to guarantee Hunter's happiness.

RUPERT saw Maude as she was leaving
Détra's
guest chamber. "My lady wishes to speak with you," she said and then disappeared down the steps. -

"As
I
wish to speak with her," he spoke to the empty corridor behind him. So, Détra had finally decided to grant him the pleasure of her presence. He was beginning to suspect she was avoiding him.

He opened the door and walked straight to where Détra stood by the bed. He took her in his arms and kissed her hungrily, though only briefly for she immediately squirmed out of his embrace.

"What manner of greeting is this?" Vexed by her cold welcome, Rupert's foul mood returned. "Why have you avoided me?"

"Do you want to raise Hunter's suspicions?"

"And yet you summon me to your bedchamber while your husband is nearby."

She hesitated, then moved away from him. "I could not leave before expressing my deepest sympathy for your loss."

His mood ameliorated somewhat, though not entirely. He followed her. They stood behind the closed door. "It was a great loss indeed," he said. "It is the thought that we shall be together soon that makes it bearable."

A shadow crossed her eyes. Rupert stiffened. In the past Détra had been pleased when he spoke of their future together. What had changed?

"Rupert," she began, and the way she said his name did not bode we
l
l in his mind. "I hate to tell you this, especially in this difficult time you are facing, but there can be no future for us."

Reining in his temper, Rupert asked, "And why ever not? What has changed, Détra?"

'The marriage has been consummated." She spoke with more fatalism than he would have accorded a woman whose amorous plans had been thwarted.

Fury rose in Rupert
'
s heart
.
He whacked the door with his fist in sheer frustration. The mud echoed in the bedchamber and from the corner of his eye he saw Détra jump. Oh, he had known that sooner or later Hunter would demand his marital right
s
—
i
n fact, were Rupert in his place, he would have forced her on their wedding night. And yet to learn Hunter had taken his pleasure upon Détra was more than he could bear.

Rupert took a deep breath, controlling his anger. He had to find a way to extricate Détra from Hunter's talons. "When did it happen?"

She stepped back. "What does it matte
r
—"

"Were there witnesses?" He advanced toward her. "Are you with child?" There was no way Hunter would take Détra away from him. She belonged to him. The man had taken enough. His fortune was about to run out.

"I am not sur
e
—"

Had she not even considered she might be carrying the bastard's child? Détra was no pure maiden; playing the innocent did not suit her at all. "Did he force himself upon you or did you welcome him gladly to your bed?" What Rupert really wanted to know was whether Détra's feelings about her husband had changed. Before Hunter had arrived to claim her in marriage, she had been adamant about wanting to wed Rupert. A few days ago when they spoke while Hunter was away from Windermere, she was still sure that was what she wanted, and yet now she relented?

"He is my legal husband," she said.

"Now you offer excuses for him." Rupert grabbed her shoulders and kissed her again, a brief but possessive kiss. "Has Hunter pleased you so well in bed you have forgotten about us?" His hand cupped her breast, and he rubbed himself against her.

She pushed against him. "Our fate is out of our hands, Rupert."

Not yet, it is not. Hunter will not take what is mine!

If the story Edmund had told him about the chalice was true, then there was still hope. "We shall be together," he insisted. "Make no mistake about that."

"Rupert," Détra said in a conciliatory manner, much more to his liking. "You are a handsome, powerful man." He puffed his chest. "There should be no shortage of beautiful ladies who would be more than happy to be your wife."

Her puny attempt to pacify him failed miserably. "I shall want no other."

"I am not free anymore," she cried. "Would you risk making an enemy of God and king?"

"I can handle the king and Hunter is not God. He is but a bastard who rose far too high above his station and
must be brought down. And I am the one to do it."

He was about to ask her about the chalice when Maude dashed into the room. "My
l
ady," she cried. "Lord Hunter is on his way up the stairs."

"You must go," Détra said, pushing him to the door.

For a moment Rupert considered staying and confronting Hunter, but decided against it.

When he had the source of Hunter's good fortune in his hand he would not only destroy the bastard and recover
Détra
and her property but he would also become a most powerful man. A man who could choose his friends among kings.

That would make Rupert most powerful, indeed.

******************

THE TRIP BACK TO WINDERMERE CASTLE WAS UNeventful for the most part. As Isabel had planned beforehand, she rode with Hunter, while poor Maude took the cart by herself. Secure in the safety of Hunter's arms, her back cushioned against his wide chest, inhaling his male scent and feeling his heat and his strength envelop her, Isabel almost forgot about the horrible bind she was in.

Her parting conversation with Rupert hadn't gone the way she'd hoped. Not that she had expected him to meekly accept his affair with Détra was over, kiss her good-bye, and wish her good luck, but she'd hoped for at least recognition of the inevitabl
e
—
t
hat their affair was doomed unless they alienated the whole world. And she had made it clear to Rupert she wasn't willing to do that.

Frankly, Isabel didn't think either Détra or Rupert were prepared for such drastic measures.'What bothered her was not knowing whether Rupert was the kind of man who would accept defeat graciously. It surely hadn't looked that way when she talked to him, but he had been angry and hurt then. Isa
bel hoped Rupert wouldn't go me
dieval and call Hunter on a duel or something worse like an ambush, or hire a mercenary murderer.

Uneasiness skittered down her spine. Should she warn Hunter? How could she do that without revealing his wife's betrayal? Isabel shook her head. She was letting her imagination get away with her. Besides, Hunter was a strong warrior. Surely he was capable of taking care of himself.

Isabel squeezed Hunter's arm, reassu
ri
ng herself with his presence. He pulled her even closer to him. "Are you tired?" he whispered in her ears, the husky sound vibrating deep within her.

"A little." She moved in the saddle, her buttocks grazing against his loins, as it
'
d happened several times during the trip, and Hunter groaned softly.

"Mayhap we should stop for a while," he said.

Isabel smiled, knowing exactly why he suggested that. Throughout their journey he had stopped several times, even suggesting she might be more comfortable in the cart with Maude or on her own mare for a while. Every time she had politely declined. She understood his discomfort for she wasn't immune to their close proximity either. Her body might respond in a less visible way but she felt just as aroused as he did. And yet, not knowing how long they'd remain together, she didn't want to miss a moment of being with him, close to him, touching him.

"How far are we from Windermere?" she asked instead of answering his question.

"A couple of miles, no more."

"Maybe we should hu
rry
home then, instead of stopping for a rest." She nestled her head against his shoulder and nibbled on his rough chin. "So I can ride you instead of this damn horse."

She heard and felt his deep intake of breath as his arm
tightened around her waist. He shouted to his men that he would be moving along ahead of them.

"Hold on, my lady," he whispered in her ears. "I fear this shall be a very rough ride."

Isabel smiled. She was counting on that!

Hours later, after a wild lovemaking, Isabel watched Hunter sleep, wondering how she would ever live without him. His confession of his birth circumstances had moved Isabel deeply and brought them closer. She knew in this time and age being a bastard was a stigma difficult to ignore, and yet Hunter had confided in her, trusted her enough to reveal such an intimate and painful part of himself. As she'd told him then, she was proud of him, yet she knew Détra might feel differently.

If on
l
y she could communicate with
Détra
. Find out whether she was trying to return home.

Of course she was trying to return home. Even if Détra didn't love Hunter she'd have many reasons to want to be back in her own body and life. She was probably going insane in a world she couldn't possibly comprehend or accept. And she had Rupert here. Détra still didn't know there was no hope for them.

The fact she hadn't succeeded yet meant little. Détra might have lost possession of the chalice in the future, as it had happened to Isabel in this time. She might not even understand the chalice's power or she might be incapacitated. Isabel had this horrible picture of Détra detained in a mental health facility.