Elizabeth leaped for him, hands made into claws, and Pagnell caught her to him.
“I hear Miles is a great lover of women and has many bastards. Would you like to add yours to his stable, my virginal little princess?”
“I would die first,” she said with feeling.
“Perhaps. I’ll leave that up to Miles. I would take care of you myself, but first I have a debt owed me by that one.” He motioned his head toward Alyx, who stood quietly, John’s sword in her back.
“And how do you get me out of here?” Elizabeth asked, smiling. “Do you think there won’t be a protest if you carry me through the hall?”
Pagnell seemed to consider this for a moment as he looked about the dark cellar. With a smile, he looked back at her. “How do you think Miles will like playing Caesar?”
Puzzled, Elizabeth had no reply.
Pagnell grabbed her arm behind her. “John, watch that one carefully while I take care of Elizabeth. My head hurts too much to tussle with both of them again.”
“More than your head will hurt if you harm me,” Elizabeth warned.
“I’ll leave that worry to Miles. The Montgomerys are altogether too high above themselves. I’d like to see all of them brought down, their land dispersed.”
“Never!” Alyx shouted. “No slime-infested carrion such as you will ever destroy a Montgomery.”
The full power of Alyx’s voice made all of them stop and stare at her. Elizabeth stopped struggling against Pagnell and her gaze on Alyx turned speculative. Pagnell’s look was calculating.
John gave Alyx a nudg
e with his sword tip. “Raine Montgomery is said to be hiding in the forests somewhere, king of a band of criminals.”
“This bears investigation,” Pagnell said, giving Elizabeth’s arm a twist. “But first we must deal with this one.” Pulling her with him, he grabbed a length of hemp rope from atop a pile of wine barrels and began to tie Elizabeth’s hands behind her back.
“Think what you’re doing,” Elizabeth said. “I’m not some—”
“Shut up!” Pagnell commanded, clipping her on the shoulder with his fist. When her hands were bound, he pushed her onto grain sacks and bound her ankles. With his knife he cut a piece of red silk from her dress. “A kiss, Elizabeth?” he teased, holding the gag close to her lips. “Just one before Miles Montgomery takes them all?”
“I’ll see you in hell first.”
“I’m sure you’ll be there with me if some man doesn’t dull the edges of that tongue of yours.”
Before she could speak again, he tied the cloth tightly over her mouth. “Now you look almost appealing.”
“What do you do with her now?” John asked. “We can’t very well carry her out like that.”
From a far corner of the cellar Pagnell picked up a dirty, moth-eaten piece of canvas and, after a couple of shakes which sent dust flying, he spread it at Elizabeth’s feet. “We shall roll her in this and carry her out sight unseen.”
Alyx watched Elizabeth, her eyes widening with fear now, but all Alyx could think of was that Elizabeth would be much better off with Miles than anyone else. “You’ll be safe with Miles,” she said, trying to reassure Elizabeth.
Again, they all stared at Alyx, but she ignored them. Elizabeth needed her help now.
Not at all gently, Pagnell pushed Elizabeth onto the filthy canvas and rolled her in it, hiding her completely.
“Can she breathe?” Alyx asked.
“Who cares? If she dies she can tell no tales. As it is, after Miles finishes with her she won’t even remember me.”
“Miles won’t harm her,” Alyx said passionately. “He’s good and kind like his brother.”
Pagnell laughed at that. “No one has ever had a temper to match Miles’s. As soon as he finds she’s a Chatworth . . . oh, I almost envy him, but I’m not a fool like Miles. He won’t care about Roger Chatworth, and when Roger hears what Miles has done to his beloved baby sister—The King will have all the Montgomery lands to award to him who does favors for the King. And I shall be there to collect.”
“You are a vile pig of a creature.”