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"Aye, ht to ed body of Verna of Langu and sure as I stand, the wench is dead And n of her’n but for her cloak, ’round the bend frouards of last eve," Merle roared in French to the hovering seneschal

"My lord, what is it?" cried Allegra, standing with a horror-stricken look on her face Victor and Michael d’Arcy had stopped eating as well

"Know you where Maris is this morn?" asked Merle fiercely of his meal companions "Have ye seen her yet this ra’s eyes had groide and her face pale as the snow beyond

The guards froht before rushed into the hall, startled out of their sleep, half dressed and with ht watch "What is ahter leave in the co your watch?" Merle fired the question before the man rose from his bow

"Aye, my lord, she said on as she were called to the side of Ernest of the hillock," explained the captain "He was gravely injured" His eyes swiveled to Ernest and realization washed over his face He looked back at his lord, "She is gone ?"

"Aye," said Merle Then, his voice rising in supplication, he bellowed, "Has no one seen ue table in his haste "We must search while the trail of her abductors is fresh! Á ra’s voice wavered, barely heard above the roar ofto arms "My lord!"

"I shall return her to you safely, fear not," Merle told his wife, worry creasing his face even as he gave orders to his men

"But my lord, I--I believe I ra plucked at the sleeve of his tunic "’Tis my--my brother--my half brother, Bon de Savrille"

She was hardly able to choke out the words Merle froze and turned, giving her his full attention as she sta his threat to have Maris to wive

Maris regained consciousness as she was carried up a long staircase

Having never swooned before, she felt aof shame that she’d succuotten feeling iely, her blind fear had ebbed with her faint, and now she was able to think ently up the stairs ed a corner, and one of her hands--still ice cold--slammed into the heavy stone wall She could not hold back a moan of pain, but, mercifully, no one was behind to notice that her eyes had flown open at the shock She deters and make some sense of her situation Assess the situation, her father told his pages and squires during their long training in the art of war, before developing a strategy

It was, however, more difficult than she’d anticipated to fake an extended faint…especially when she was duh slitted eyes, she recognized that the clumsy oaf who’d carried her jerkily up the stairs was none other than her intended husband--at the least, it was his intention that he be her husband

"Agnes!" he bellowed suddenly, and Maris nearly ju sound, followed by a voice, squeaky with fear "Aye, h voice "She is weak after her long journey I would that she were bathed and dressed and prepared to sup withmeal" There was a short silence, then, "And see to it that she is cared for as befits her station Do you not forget she is to be my wife"

Maris held her breath as she felt his presence near her face A large hand took hers and raised it to dry lips and a brush of prickly moustache "Until later, my lady," he murmured She felt the air stir as he whirled and left the roo for hot tubs of water for her bath

She was to be his wife Maris held back a shudder at the thought Not bloody likely!

She listened carefully, eyes still closed, as Agnes bustled about the rooiven to the servants who brought sloshing buckets of water, along with linens and other rustling ite, her est shock of all was no longer her abduction--for Bon de Savrille’s purpose was clear--but that Dirick de Arlande was here In the home of her captor