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“You have a betrothed,” Reginald said, backing up and finding himself with no choice but to sit down in his chair. “Aliénore of Solonge.”

Ali felt herself begin to sway. She understood completely Sybil’s fondness for the practice. Fortunately, she had Jason’s arm to keep her on her feet. She leaned against him, gasping for breath.

Her betrothal to Colin still stood?

What, by the saints, was she supposed to do now?

“I don’t want her,” Colin snarled. “Too great a coward to face her fate.”

Ali swallowed with difficulty. Well, he certainly had her there. Perhaps he would solve her problem for her all on his own.

“I’ll have that one there,” Colin continued, gesturing down the table with his sword and causing everyone sitting on the other side to fall back with a gasp.

“You can’t. She’s sworn to Peter,” Reginald insisted. “ ’Tis in the agreement both I and her parents signed. If you want a bride, go find yours.”

Colin put up his sword with such a great thrust, it came close to severing its sheath. “And then?” he demanded.

“Find the lady Aliénore,” Reginald said, “and then we’ll discuss the other.”

Colin looked ready to tear out his hair with fury. He slapped both his hands on the table before him. “Does she,” he said through gritted teeth, “have to be alive?”

Ali’s knees buckled. Jason hauled her up with his hands under her arms.

“Steady,” he whispered quickly into her ear. “Call attention to yourself now and the tale is finished.”

Ali drove herself back against the wall with her knees straight and stiff, praying she could keep herself from pitching forward into senselessness in Sybil’s accustomed fashion.

Had she ever considered taking others’ advice to reveal herself to Colin, then bravely face the consequences?

She’d been daft to listen to them! Telling him who she was was the very last thing she could ever do!

He’d vowed to slay her two years earlier, and apparently, given what she’d just heard, he hadn’t changed his mind about it.

Reginald cleared his throat and tugged on the neck of his tunic. “I would prefer you bring her back alive, of course—”

“But?” Colin asked.

Only a fool would have dared push him, Ali decided.

Only a fool would have dared deceive him.

And, lastly, only a fool would have wed with him.

His sire gulped. “Bring her as you find her. If you can find her.”

“I intend to,” Colin said curtly. “And when I bring her back, this foolishness will be over. Wed the lady Sybil to Peter and ruin both their lives. But you’ll not take my birthright from me.”

“Bring Aliénore back and we’ll see,” Reginald said.

Colin leaned over the table. “You’ll not take my birthright from me,” he repeated coldly. “You’ll regret it if you do.”

Reginald made blustering noises, but Ali didn’t have the luxury of staying to hear them. Colin whirled around and looked about him. Ali wanted nothing more than to disappear behind Jason. Unfortunately, Colin’s gaze fell upon her first.

“Henri,” he barked, “you’ll come with me. I’ll need the diversion of training. And I daren’t leave you in this nest of asps here.”

Ali couldn’t even manage a weak nod. Come with him? To look for herself?

Could things worsen for her?

“Jason, you’ll come to guard my back.”

Jason nodded, no trace of a smile on his face.

“Lest my sire think to send someone to slay me,” Colin added. “That would be foolishly done.”

Reginald huffed even more loudly at that, but Colin had seemingly finished speaking to his sire. Ali was ready to march out the door with him—if nothing more than to be more at liberty to flee—when she realized he wasn’t finished choosing his companions.

“I’ll need a guide,” he said, looking about the hall. “That I might concentrate on other things—”

Sir Etienne threw himself forward. “My lord, I offer my aid.”

Ali gasped. Nay, not him. He was the very last person she wanted to see any more of.

“You?” Colin asked doubtfully. “What know you of anything useful?”

“I know much of many things,” Sir Etienne responded without hesitation. “And I can lead you quickly and safely to wherever you want to go in France.”

Colin muttered something under his breath, then sighed heavily.

“Very well,” he said. “You’ll come along too.” He swept his new company with a look. “To France, then.”

“France?” Ali squeaked. “In truth?”

“We’ll begin at the beginning,” Colin said heavily.

“The beginning?” she wheezed.

“Solonge,” he replied.

The saints preserve her, he was going to take her home.

“Aye,” Sir Etienne boasted, “I can definitely lead you there. I’ve been there several times myself.”

Ali stared at him in surprise. Had he ever been at her home? She searched frantically back through her memories, but emerged with nothing for her trouble. If she’d seen him before arriving at Maignelay-sur-mer, she didn’t remember it.

But did that matter? Colin was going to her home and dragging her along with him.

And bringing Sir Etienne to be their guide.

It was a disaster.

“But, Sir Etienne,” she began.

“Knows much of France, no doubt,” Colin said briskly, “and often manages to hoist his blade in an almost intimidating fashion. Surely my lord of Maignelay-sur-mer won’t mind loaning him to me for a pair of fortnights.”

His lord of Maignelay-sur-mer was hiding behind his cup and didn’t offer an opinion on it.

Ali didn’t dare look at anyone who knew her secret to judge their reactions. She found herself with no choice but to pack her gear and follow Colin from the hall.

They were mounted and on their way sooner than she would have supposed possible.

Either Colin was anxious to find her—which she doubted was the case—or he was in a fiery temper—which she decided was more likely—and had to do something to give vent to it.

And flinging them forward on an adventure certainly seemed reasonable enough.

She looked back at the hall just before they turned for the gates. The witches were there, and Berengaria was smiling encouragingly at her. Sybil was there, clinging to Peter, damn her anyway. The lady Isabeau was there as well. She looked at Ali with tears in her eyes.

I’ll pray for you, she mouthed.

Ali suspected it would take more than a single woman’s prayers to aid her in this.

Then they were out the gates and on their way before she could count up in her head just how many prayers it might take for her to survive the journey without Colin killing her, Sir Etienne killing Colin, or her killing herself to avoid having to watch either of the other murders.

“Do you think,” Sir Etienne asked suddenly, as if he truly were concerned, “that the lady Aliénore might still be alive?”

Colin only shrugged.

“And if you find her,” Sir Etienne pressed on doggedly, “will you kill her in truth?”

Colin paused and looked at him. “Absolutely.”

“I’m not opposed to bringing back a corpse,” Sir Etienne offered cheerfully.

“Good, for you likely will be,” Colin said shortly.

Ali closed her eyes and wished there were some clear path across the country, for she would have taken it and thrown herself on the mercy of the first band of ruffians she’d come across. The possibilities for her future were limited to just one.

Flight.

But how? When? With Colin watching her every move, with Sir Etienne dogging her steps, with Jason motherhenning her until she couldn’t move that he didn’t know it?

Her chance of finding a convent was gone. Her chance of being free of Sir Etienne was gone. Her chance of seeing Colin safely wed to someone else and thereby fully and finally releasing her from her contract was gone as well.

And if those weren’t foul enough tidings for the day, she had another sea voyage to look forward to!

“Henri? Are you unwell?”

Ali looked at Colin and wasn’t sure even how to form words that wouldn’t immediately and fully alert him to her distress. Fortunately for her, there were souls about her who knew her secret and didn’t mind offering her aid.

“Mayhap the lad has been to Solonge and offended the lord there,” Sir Etienne offered. “He doesn’t seem overanxious to return, does he?”

Ali swallowed with difficulty and looked at Colin. “The boat, my lord. I fear the boat.”

“Don’t think on it, lad,” Colin said with a grimace.

“I know I won’t until I have to. It won’t last long, then we’ll be about our business and back home before we have time to truly wallow in our misery.

Of course, my misery will be a far sight less than yours, given my manly constitution, but there’s nothing to be done about that.

” He reached over and patted her companionably on the back.

“You’ll survive the journey, Henri. I’ll see to it myself. ”

Sir Etienne coughed quite suddenly and with sounds that greatly resembled chuckles.

Ali didn’t dare look at him. She didn’t dare look at Jason to see his reaction.

And she didn’t dare look at Colin.

Or her betrothed, as he might be more commonly known.

The saints pity her, she was in just as dire straits as she had been before!

Perhaps if she returned to Solonge and threw herself at her father’s feet, he might be so relieved he would rescue her.

“Stay by me, Henri,” Colin said quietly. “Always in my sight. I will keep you safe.”

Ah, but who would keep her safe from him?