Chapter Sixteen
The evening left Jacqueline feeling even more confused as to what went on between Forwin and Nicholas. That there was something going on, she felt was a given. There were double meanings in most of the words that passed between them. A few sly looks sent her way by both men made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
It was not until after she had been dismissed did she finally begin to relax. Sitting on her bed dressed in a nightgown, she brushed out her hair. Even though it was only shoulder-length, the strokes of her brush helped to calm her nerves. Something was afoot, and it was only a matter of time before Forwin made his move. Jacqueline just hoped it would happen soon.
Having expected something had been planned, it was no great surprise when her chamber door was thrown open by Forwin. Once he stepped inside, Nicholas followed in his wake.
Forwin’s pallor was, if anything, worse. There now was a grayish tinge to his face. “The time has come for you to do your duty, my dear. I want an heir, and you are going to give me one.”
Instinctively, Jacqueline inched across the bed until her back came up against the headboard. “I will fight you. I will not allow you to lay one finger upon me.”
Her husband laughed. “Put your fears to rest. It will not be I who touches your lovely body, but Nicholas. Do you not find him appealing?”
Her gaze shot to Nicholas’ face. He smiled. “What…what do you mean?”
“If I do not produce an heir, my lands could revert to the crown. I will be damned if I let that happen. So Nicholas and I have reached an agreement. He will do what I am no longer able to. I will claim the child he gets from you as mine.”
“My father must not know of your plans. If he did, he would never have given me to you.”
“Of course he does not. I am no fool. I let your father believe what he wanted. He thinks I will give my lands to him.”
Shocked, Jacqueline quietly asked, “What did he ask you to do?”
“He had me sign a will bequeathing my lands to you. If I did not accept and do what he wanted, he would never have allowed our marriage to take place.”
So that was what the earl would gain by her marriage to Forwin. The man’s greed knew no bounds. “You have no intention of letting that happen, do you, my lord?
Forwin nodded. “Smart girl. Your father will never claim my lands as his. He thinks he has me under his boot, but he does not. I have drawn up another will. In this one, I leave all my lands to your child.”
Jacqueline put her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the laughter, which bubbled up inside her, but she could not control it. As she laughed uncontrollably, the two men in the chamber stared at her as if she had lost her sanity, which made her laugh all the harder.
Forwin took her by the shoulders and shook her until she ceased her outburst. “What is wrong with you, girl? This is no laughing matter.”
Jacqueline broke free from Forwin’s grasp. “Did my father promise you a maiden bride?”
Forwin narrowed his eyes. “Aye, he did.”
She chuckled, the laughter once again threatening to rise to the surface. “Well, he lied. I am no longer a maid. My father stole me from the man I love on the day we were to wed. So you see, my lord, I could very well already be with child.”
Forwin had not been expecting that bit of information. He appeared speechless. Nicholas looked equally shocked. Jacqueline bet he pictured all the wealth he was to gain turning to dust.
“I hate my father. Not only has he destroyed my only chance of happiness, he killed my brother. My twin. I feel nothing but revulsion for him. It makes me extremely happy to see he is finally going to be denied something he wants.”
Forwin finally seemed to come to his senses. “What should we do about this? What if you are not with child?”
“Then I will submit to Nicholas.”
Forwin reached out and grabbed her by the chin, forcing Jacqueline to look him in the eyes. “If you are not truthful, my girl, I promise it will not go easy for you. If you prove not to be with child and try to thwart me, I will personally hold you down as Nicholas has his way with you. For however long it takes.”
After delivering his final threat, Forwin motioned for Nicholas to follow him and then he quit the chamber. Once the door shut tightly behind them, Jacqueline breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
That had not been an enjoyable experience, but she had gained valuable information. All had been revealed to her. Her father’s well-laid plan was falling apart.
She crawled under the covers, thinking. She had been only trying to put Forwin off when she had told him she could be with child, but reflecting back to the last time she had been with Terric, she realized it could very well be a great possibility. She was late, something that had never happened to her before. So despondent about what her father had done to her, she had not been paying attention to the passing of weeks.
Jacqueline placed her hand on her belly and gave it a gentle caress. She prayed Terric’s child was indeed growing inside her. She would have a part of him to cherish. It would be her salvation. Forwin would not be able to touch her then.
* * * *
Terric cursed the earl for his ability to cover his tracks so well. Each time he left the isle in search of the man, he came up against a dead end. The earl was not at any of his residences, nor had he made an appearance at any of the tournaments in which Terric had participated.
Lady Elizabeth was not happy with Terric’s decision to still go to every tournament in the circuit. She had felt he wasted precious time that could be better used in searching for Jacqueline. He did not agree. Tournaments were the ideal place to hear the latest gossip, as they had agreed upon. Since the earl was a powerful man, he definitely garnered more attention from the gossip mongers. They had to find the earl first, and foremost, be absolutely sure he was the one who had indeed taken Jacqueline. Terric could not think of another way that would provide that information faster.
Though he was now convinced the earl was responsible, he still had some nagging doubts, but he kept them from Lady Elizabeth. She would be very disappointed in him if she ever found out.
He had yet again returned from a tournament with no leads whatsoever. Not relishing the idea of telling Lady Elizabeth of his failure once again, Terric slowly pushed open the hall doors. To his surprise, the hall was empty.
He walked to the stairs and detected the faint sound of voices coming from above. Figuring it was best to face the music now rather than later, he climbed the steps.
The voices came from the solar. Lady Elizabeth and Sir Guy seemed to be having a much-heated argument about something. As Terric entered the solar, they fell silent.
“I am sorry, my lady, but my luck has run out once more. I found nothing.”
Lady Elizabeth sadly shook her head. “Sit down, Terric. We have had some news during your absence.”
It was not good, Terric surmised. Hoping to allay some of his fears, he turned to look at Sir Guy. The older man jerkily shook his head.
Terric braced himself for the worst possible news and focused his attention upon Lady Elizabeth. “I think I will keep standing, if you do not mind. Tell me what you know.”
“The earl has sent us a missive, informing us where Jacqueline is.”
“And?”
“It seems my husband was not fooled by Jacqueline’s performance in London, after all. As such, he took her and married her to Forwin, the Earl of Somerset.”
An acute wave of pain washed over him. Terric should have expected this, but even if he had been, the pain he felt now, it would not be any less. “Then it is over.”
Lady Elizabeth rose to her feet and adamantly shook her head. “I refuse to let this go. I want you to go to Nunney Castle and find out if what my husband says is true.”
“Nay, send Sir Guy in my place.”
Her voice rose in anger as Lady Elizabeth shot back, “For a brave man such as yourself, Terric, you seem to run away when life is not to your liking. Are you going to leave Jacqueline alone again? I can only assume your feelings for my daughter were never true.”
“What would you have me do? Is it not enough that I am already suffering from the loss of Jacqueline? Must you increase my pain by making me see her as the wife of another?”
Sir Guy spoke when they fell silent. “I think my lady is thinking more of what the lass must be going through, lad. If it is at all possible, I know Jacqueline would rather have you go to her than my old self.”
Terric rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. “All right, I will go to Nunney, but I have a feeling I will not like what I find there.”
“You might not, lad, but at least you will know if it is the truth or not.”