“I shall be sure to tell him, if I see him.”
He rose to his feet and looked directly at her. “If I have need of this chamber, I shall send you word. I suppose you may stay, for now.”
Avelina kept her face unreadable, she hoped. She watched him walk to the door.
He looked a bit annoyed when she stayed silent. “Good day, Avelina.” He walked out into the corridor without even closing the door behind him.
She closed it and locked it, leaving the large heavy key in the keyhole. She leaned back against the door and closed her eyes. O God, please don’t allow that man to hurt Lord Thornbeck.
When she opened her eyes, Lord Thornbeck was limping toward her.
Reinhart ground his teeth together. “That arrogant . . .” He did not want to assault Avelina’s ears with the words he was thinking. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“I will take him up on his challenge.” He could defeat Geitbart in a sword fight even with his lame foot.
“It is only a trick to get you out in the open so he can kill you or throw you in the dungeon. You must not do it. Promise me you will not show yourself to him.”
He longed to slam his fist into Geitbart’s face.
“I shall help you find your men,” Avelina said stoutly. “Your people need you to stay alive. You cannot help them if you are dead, and the duke knows he will need to kill you to take Thornbeck Castle. You cannot trust him. I can tell from his eyes that he is cruel and deceitful.”
“You can see that from his eyes?” She was so lovely, it hurt his chest to gaze at her, especially knowing she was courageous and clever too.
“I am a good judge of character. You can see a lot in a person’s eyes. There’s a certain hardness and coldness in the eyes of a person like Geitbart and his daughter. And even though you had a severe look in your eyes when I first met you, a gentleness was also there, especially when you—” She abruptly stopped and turned away, walking to the water pitcher and pouring herself some.
“Especially when I what?”
She shrugged. “When you look at . . . certain people and say certain . . . things.” Her face was turning red. She tapped her fingers on the pitcher and did not meet his eyes.
“I see,” he said, even though he was not sure he did. A sudden urge came over him to stride over to her, put his arms around her, and make her tell him exactly what she meant, and then kiss her like it was his last day on earth.
But he could not do that. She was wise not to elaborate on what she meant. She seemed to remember—more often than he did—that they could not be together.
“You need sleep,” he told her. “But I shall go and find out what has happened to my guards and enlist Jorgen’s help in rounding up a force of men.”
“You don’t know me if you think I will stay here sleeping while you court danger in the corridors of the castle.”
He did know her, and he was not surprised. “Come, then.”
Reinhart used the hood attached to his tunic to shield his face. He took Avelina’s hand and led her down the servants’ stairs to the kitchen to find his guards and supporters.
“This is insane,” Avelina scolded in a whisper. “Anyone could recognize you, even from behind.”
“How?”
“Your back is not like anyone else’s.”
“Is it crooked?”
“Of course not. It’s . . . broad and you’re taller than most.” She pursed her lips. “You have a limp as well. Everyone will know it’s you.”
“I shall risk it.” He brushed past her into the open walkway to the kitchen.
Avelina cried out just behind him.
He spun around. A woman was holding on to Avelina’s arm and holding her finger to her lips. It was Odette.
“Come with me,” she said quietly.
Reinhart and Avelina followed Odette to a small storage room, which was normally locked, next to the kitchen.
As soon as they were inside, Odette did not waste a moment but began to speak.
“Geitbart has a force of men—we are not sure exactly how many—surrounding the castle and even surrounding the town. We have heard that Geitbart sent a missive to Prague, to the king, accusing you of murdering your brother and of weakening the realm by choosing to marry a maidservant instead of a noble lady.” She gave a sad frown to Avelina. “Forgive me, Avelina. It is what is being said by Geitbart’s guards.”
“I understand.”