The Velvet Promise (Montgomery/Taggert 2)

Ela placed her large, soft form in a chair close to the one Judith was tied to and took out some knitting.

“Whose house is this?” Judith asked.

Ela didn’t look up. “The Chatworth estate, one of them that my Lady Alice owns,” she responded proudly.

“Why am I here?”

Ela paused briefly in her knitting, then resumed. “My lady wishes to see Lord Gavin again.”

“Do you believe that?” Judith demanded, her composure leaving her. “Do you believe that crazy woman wants only to see my husband?”

Ela threw down the knitting to her lap. “Don’t you call my lady crazy! You don’t know her as I do. She’s not led an easy life. There are reasons…” She stomped across the room toward the window.

“You know, don’t you?” Judith asked quietly. “She’s insane. Gavin’s rejection of her has driven her to madness.”

“No!” Ela began, then calmed. “Lord Gavin wouldn’t reject my Alice. How could any man deny her? She is beautiful, has always been beautiful. Even as a baby, she was the loveliest anyone had ever seen.”

“And you have been with her since she was a child?”

“Yes. I’ve been with her always. I was past the age for children of my own when she was born. She was given into my care, and she has been a gift of heaven to me.”

“Is there nothing you wouldn’t do for her?”

“No,” Ela said firmly. “I would do anything for her.”

“Even killing me so she can take my husband.”

Ela looked back at Judith, her old eyes worried. “You won’t be killed. It’s just that my Lady Alice needs time again with Lord Gavin and you won’t allow her that. You are a selfish woman. You have taken what was hers, yet you have no pity or sympathy for my lady’s pain.”

Judith could feel her tempter rising. “She has lied to me, tricked me, done everything she could to take my husband. One of her pieces of treachery cost me the life of my child.”

“A child!” Ela hissed. “My lovely lady can have no children. Don’t you know how much she has wanted one? Lord Gavin’s child! The one you stole from her. It’s only fitting that you should lose what should have been my Lady Alice’s.”

Judith started to speak, then stopped. The maid was as mad as her mistress. No matter what anyone said, Ela would defend Alice. “What are your plans for me?”

Ela realized Judith was calmer and she resumed knitting. “You will be our…guest for a few days. Lord Gavin will come, and he will be allowed to spend some time with Lady Alice. Once they are together again, he’ll see how much he loves her. It will only take a few days—perhaps only hours—for him to forget you. For in truth he loved her long before he even met you. Theirs is a true love match—not one of estates, as is your marriage. Now my Lady Alice is a wealthy widow. She too can bring vast lands to the Montgomery family.”

Judith sat quietly and watched Ela knitting. The old woman had a contented look on her face. There were many questions Judith would like to have asked—such as how Alice planned to free Gavin so they could marry. But Judith wisely didn’t put any more questions to the maid. It would have been useless.

All through the hard and fast ride to the Chatworth manor, Gavin was silent. He couldn’t believe he would find Judith held prisoner by Alice. He knew of Alice’s deception at court and what others said of her, but he truthfully could find little wrong with her. He still considered her a sweet-natured woman driven to great lengths through her adoration of him.

The front gate was standing open. Gavin gave Alan a glance of triumph. This was no place that held an heiress captive.

“Gavin,” Alice said as she rushed into the inner bailey to meet him. “I hoped you would come to see me.” She was exceptionally pale in a blue silk gown that matched her eyes.

Gavin dismounted and held himself stiffly away from her. “Is my wife here?” he asked coldly.

Alice’s eyes widened. “Your wife?” she asked innocently.

Alan’s hand swept out and grabbed the woman’s upper arm. “Where is she, you bitch? I haven’t time to play your games!”

Gavin gave Alan a vicious shove and knocked the young man against his horse. “Don’t you touch her again!” he warned. He turned back to Alice. “I want an answer to my question.”

“Come inside,” Alice began, then stopped when she saw Gavin’s face. “She is not given to visiting me.”

“Then we must leave. She is taken captive and we must find her.” He turned to mount his horse again.

“No! Gavin, don’t leave me,” she cried as she flung herself at him. “Please don’t leave me!”