The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim #7)(71)
Where was Evangeline? If Shiveley saw her he would surely recognize her. Westley subtly scanned the faces of their group. Where was she?
There, to Westley’s left, not far from Lord Shiveley. Her hood covered her hair and most of her face. Two Glynval men stood close to her as if to hide her.
“Were you and your men out on a pleasure trip, Lord le Wyse?”
“We were on our way to Berkhamsted Castle, hoping to have an audience with the king over an attempted murder in Glynval.”
“Oh, I see. Then why did you bring so many men? Did you bring the prisoner with you?”
“No, we left him in Glynval. These men are for my protection.”
“For your protection? No, I think you were going to speak to the king about Evangeline, to convince Richard that she should not have to marry me.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. Who is Evangeline?”
“She is the king’s ward, and Richard has ordered her to marry me, but she has run away. Are you telling me you do not know where she is?”
“I am not accustomed to having my word questioned, Lord Shiveley.”
“I am sure you are not. But I finally persuaded Muriel, Evangeline’s nursemaid, to tell me what she knew. She revealed that Evangeline was living in Hertfordshire. Glynval, to be precise.”
Father did not reply, and Shiveley continued. “If the wench was lying, I shall have to return immediately to the castle and resume my tactics of persuasion.”
Frederick made a deep sound like a growl, and Evangeline clenched her fist by her side.
“What does King Richard think of you using these tactics of persuasion on the daughter of an archbishop?”
“Oh, he doesn’t know. And because I cannot risk you telling him, unless you have a better plan, I may have to ask my men to shoot you.”
“So it’s to be a massacre?” Father asked. “The king will hear of it.”
“I might be persuaded to change my mind, if you give me Evangeline.”
“And if I don’t know where she is?”
“Then I shall begin by killing that one.” Shiveley pointed to Westley. Two of Shiveley’s guards seized him from behind, dragged him to the middle of the circle of people, and forced him to his knees. They pushed his head forward and down until his forehead nearly touched the ground.
“No! Don’t hurt him!” Evangeline’s voice rang out, high and clear.
Westley’s heart slammed against his chest as Evangeline hurried forward and yanked off her hood. “I am here. Do not hurt this man.”
“Evangeline.” Lord Shiveley’s eyes lit as he smiled down at her.
“This is indeed a surprise,” Lord Shiveley said. “But what peasant did you rob for those clothes?”
Evangeline hastened toward Westley and shoved the shoulder of the first guard holding him down. “Let this man go. I will do what you want, just vow to me that you will not hurt this man.”
“Why would you be so concerned about him, Evangeline? Could it be that you have come to care for someone else in Glynval? Let him up,” he ordered his guards. “I want to see his face.”
They let go of Westley’s hair and shoulders, and he stood and stared defiantly back at Shiveley.
“He is rather young, and I suppose you think he is handsome.”
Evangeline said nothing, her breath shallow at the thought of Shiveley harming Westley.
“Lord le Wyse? Who is this young man? Could he be your son?”
“He is my son, and if you harm him, you will regret it.”
Evangeline’s heart seemed to tremble at the intensity of Lord le Wyse’s expression. But what could he do? They were outnumbered, and Lord Shiveley’s men all had weapons trained on them.
O God, do not allow them to harm Westley or Lord le Wyse. I could never bear to lose Westley or to be the cause of it.
“You are not in a position to threaten me, le Wyse.”
Evangeline’s vision tilted as she waited for what would happen next.
“I have no wish to incite the king’s wrath by killing you and your men. But neither can I have you attacking me on the way.” Lord Shiveley flashed his serpentine smile. “I shall simply have to take you and your son with me as my prisoners. I shall inform Richard that you have been deliberately keeping his cousin from me all this time, in defiance of the king’s will.”
At least he wouldn’t kill them.
“And that man.” Shiveley pointed at Frederick. “I recognize you as one of Berkhamsted’s stable servants. Did you truly ride all the way to Glynval to warn le Wyse? You shall come with us as well.”
Shiveley’s men forced Westley to hand over his sword while other soldiers rounded up the rest of the Glynval men and escorted them down the road toward their home village.
The men helped Evangeline mount her horse. She was surprised they let Lord le Wyse and Westley mount their own horses and did not tie their hands. But they were so outnumbered and without weapons, they had no chance to escape.
Evangeline’s heart sank as they started down the road toward Berkhamsted Castle. Westley kept glancing at her, but Shiveley made sure they were separated by several guards. Somehow she had to speak to King Richard and tell him what Shiveley had been doing.
But what had he been doing? Trying to find her? Capturing the men who had essentially been hiding her? Richard wouldn’t care. But he might care that Shiveley had tortured Muriel.