Page 22 of To Love

“Forgive me. I do not know what came over me to take such liberties.”

“And yet, I am glad you did.”

For a moment, Alden thought she would be receptive to his advance, as there could be no other interpretation of his words. Instead, she moved toward the door.

“I must apologize once again. It is late. Perhaps—”

Alden did not wait for her to finish before stepping past her, through the doorway into the antechamber. He had no wish to give the lady discomfort.

“I will listen and observe,” he said. “And will return here at the same time tomorrow.”

Without looking back, Alden pushed aside the tapestry and made to leave Elara’s chamber.

“Alden,” she said, stopping him.

He turned, his hand itching for Elara’s touch once again.

“I trust you,” she said simply.

He smiled, closed the door and made the long trek back to his own chambers.

Chapter

Ten

As the men filed inside, Elara looked at each of them more closely. Could one of them truly be their traitor? They’d been carefully selected based on their known support for Matilda’s cause. But if not one of the recruits, that left one of the servants, who had also been meticulously selected.

Or one of the instructors or nobles who funded them.

That last group Elara all but eliminated. None would pour this kind of coin into their operation only to implode it from within. As she’d told Alden last eve, Elara trusted Eamon with her life. But Stirling? Not nearly as much, if at all. Though his dislike of her had more to do with Stirling’s feelings toward court politics and maneuvering, and less with her personally. Even so, they’d not gotten on from the start, and she could not shake a sense of unease around him.

Unlike the man who just walked into the chamber.

All morn she’d chastised herself for the breach of conduct last eve. Staring at his forearms and hands throughout their discussion had finally worn on her. The desire to touch him, to feel the strength of those hands . . . it had consumed her. Even now, knowing what she’d done was wrong, she wished to touch him again.

And yet, I am glad you did.

That he desired her made restraint more difficult. That she’d not so much as looked at another since coming to Blackwood was of no consequence. She could not be distracted from her task, nor could she risk her position here for a man.

But what a man he was. As Alden sat, smiling at something Sir Darien said beside him, Elara had to force herself to look away. His mere presence, even from across the chamber, made her feel things she had not before. Not surrounded by capable, skilled knights. Not before she’d come here, not at court.

Never.

“Know thy enemy,” she said, to begin instruction. “What does this phrase mean to you?”

“Pardon me, my lady.”

Elara startled. Father Percival, a priest from the neighboring town of Kindridge Moor, stood at the entranceway. She’d met him only once before but recognized the man who had married Gareth and Evelina in secret as a favor to Sir Eamon. Just this morn Elara had broken her fast with Evelina and Amalia, though she rarely saw either woman. The two spent much of their time in the village at Amalia’s herb shop, which she would keep while here at Blackwood. It had been a dream of hers, such a shop, and with the current stalemate between King Stephen and Matilda, it did not appear any of them would be leaving soon. Amalia planned to transport its contents to Greyridge Castle, Roland’s home, when their mission was complete and Blackwood was no longer needed.

“A moment?” he asked with all heads turned upon him.

Elara stood from the stool and hurried toward the older gentleman.

“Father?” she asked, as he ushered them into the corridor.

“I’ve taken up residence in the chapel,” he said. “Father Ekheart took a position at Cambridge.”

Elara remembered hearing as much, that their resident priest at Blackwood would be unable to remain with them. There had been talk of bringing in Father Percival, as Eamon had known him for many years and he was sympathetic to Matilda, but she had not heard anything since he needed permission from the church to change positions.