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She looked up into those narrowed eyes and saw a flicker of amusement. “They don’t know, do they? You’ve never told them that you banished me from this home. Oh, how could they not know? Unless...” As a thought struck, she cried, “What have you done? Are they unwell? Dear heaven, are my father and little sister ill?”
Celestine stared at the offending fingers wrinkling her sleeve. “You will unhand me at once, or I’ll see that you are physically removed from this house and never permitted to return.”
When Emma released her, Celestine stiffened her spine and with a haughty gesture crossed to a side table. Pouring herself a goblet of wine she sipped, regarding her stepdaughter in silence.
She was pleased to see that all the anger had drained from the girl. In its place was fear. A terrible, palpable fear that her beloved father and sister had fallen under some horrible spell.
That must be the reason for this silence, Emma thought. Her strong, handsome father had been duped into marriage and was now being betrayed by this woman. And her sweet little sister, who had already suffered the loss of their mother, was now being denied the only comfort she had ever known.
Just how far would this new bride go to insure that all the Vaughn wealth, all the power, all the titles, would be in her hands? Would she poison not only their minds but their bodies as well? At the very thought, Emma felt the terror begin to grow. A woman as ruthless as Celestine would be capable of anything.
“Just how much do you desire to see your father and sister, I wonder?”
“I wish it desperately.” Emma felt a tiny flicker of hope. “Just to assure myself that they are not ill. And if, after seeing me, they should order me to leave, I will do so and never darken their door again. But please, I beg of you, I must hear it from their own lips. Let me speak with Sarah and my father.”
“Sarah is no longer here.”
“Not here? Where has she gone?”
“I had her sent to the country. To stay with friends.”
“But why would you send her away? She’s only six years old. Far too young to leave her father.”
“Aye, young. Young enough to forget.”
“Forget?”
“I wanted Sarah far away from you, Emma. You’ve had too much influence in her young life. Like you, she refused to accept my authority. But she will learn.” A hint of a smile touched the corner of Celestine’s lips. “I intend to keep Sarah away from you. But I might be persuaded to let you see your father.”
“Oh, thank...”
She held up a hand. “Save your gratitude. Before I grant this favor, you must do something for me, to prove that you deserve such kindness.”
“Anything. Anything,” the girl said with a sob of relief.
“As you know, I am cousin to the queen. As such, I can arrange for you to live in the palace, and act as lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth.”
“But I...have had no training in such things. I wouldn’t know what to do. And I would be all alone, for I know nobody at court.”
“All the better. You will get to know them. And one in particular.” Celestine lowered her voice, to avoid being overheard by any of the servants who might be passing by. “It is rumored that the queen is enamored of a certain Irishman, whose advice she values. I need to know what advice he gives the queen, and precisely how she intends to act upon that advice.”
The girl’s hand flew to her mouth. “You wish me to spy?”
“Don’t be so melodramatic. There are no secrets at court. I merely wish to know what everyone else shall eventually learn. Only I wish to know it sooner.”
The girl was already shaking her head. “I cannot do this. What you ask is wrong.”
“So be it, Emma. The choice is yours.” Celestine turned to stare out the window. “I have heard of so many... accidents in the country. A frail child falling from a hay wagon or from the back of a runaway steed.”
Emma sucked in a breath at the bold threat to her little sister.
Celestine turned to fix her with a steely look. “Know this, my ,girl. You will never see your father or sister again. Until,” she added with a sneer, “they are laid in the ground.”
“Oh. How can you be so heartless?” The girl turned away to hide her tears.
“Very well, you sniveling little coward.” Her stepmother waved a hand. “Go. Leave me now. Put your own comfort and your lofty scruples above the safety of those you profess to love.” She turned toward the door. “One of the servants will see you out And the entire household staff will be instructed that you are forbidden to enter your father’s house again.”
“Wait.” Emma began to pace.
Her stepmother counted to ten before saying aloud, “I grow weary of your foolish indecision.”
“All right.” Emma’s shoulders sagged. “I’ll do as you ask.”
Celestine carefully composed herself to hide the glint of triumph in her eyes. It had all been so simple. She had correctly guessed Emma’s one weakness. “I will send word to the palace at once.” She looked the girl up and down and said sarcastically, “I would hope you can find something more fetching than those horrible rags you are wearing. And try to do something with that unfashionable hair. After all, your only purpose in serving my cousin is to snag the interest of the Irishman. See to it as quickly as possible. His name is Conor O’Neil.”
Chapter Two
The Court of Elizabeth I of England
“Your Majesty must, I beseech you, bring the power of your Throne upon these obstinate peasants.” Lord Dunstan, trusted advisor to the queen, was charged with the “Irish problem.” That was how everyone in England referred to the constant upheaval between their land and the tiny island across the sea. At the moment Dunstan was holding forth at a gathering of the queen and her council in a lavish suite of rooms at Greenwich Palace in London.
“Our control over these barbarians remains precarious, Majesty. They defy our laws. They betray our trust. Why, they even revile our religion. A religion, I might add, over which you are charged with supreme governorship. Why, I remember when your father...”
“Leave that.” Elizabeth’s voice had the sting of a scorpion. “I tire of this subject. Besides, I would greet my fine Irish orator.”
Dunstan went deathly pale. Then he glowered at the handsome young man who bowed before the queen. At once she ordered her aged counselor Lord Humphrey to vacate his chair so that the newest arrival could be seated directly beside her.
“Here you are, Conor. You are late again.”
“Aye, Majesty.” More than a little out of breath, Conor bowed before the queen and brushed his lips over her outstretched hand. “I beg your forgiveness. I have no sense of time.”
“You are forgiven, my rogue. Come. Sit beside your queen, Conor O‘NeiL”
Conor O’Neil. The very name curdled Dunstan’s blood.
He turned to several advisors, who were watching in stony silence. “Ever since the Irishman has arrived at court, our young queen has been acting besotted.”
“Aye.” The florid-faced Lord Humphrey nodded. “Every day this past fortnight O’Neil has been invited to take the place of honor beside her at court. At dinner parties, she has insisted that he be her companion. Why, the Irishman has been included in every hunting party, every picnic, every dazzling ball, since his arrival.”
Dunstan glowered. “Women are charmed by him. Men seem to find him both bright and witty. And to add insult to injury., Conor O‘Neil makes no apologies for the behavior of his countrymen. Everyone knows his own brother, Rory, the infamous Blackhearted O’Neil, murdered dozens of the queen’s own soldiers. Was he punished for such atrocities? Nay. Instead, he has been pardoned by the queen and allowed to return to his family estate, Ballinarin, where he lives this day like a free man.”
Lord Humphrey gave a sly look. “I understand Rory O’Neil wed your woman.” .
Dunstan shrugged, denying the bitter taste of defeat. “I had no use for AnnaClaire Thompson. But I did covet her Irish estate, Clay Court.”
“And now you have it.”
“Aye.” The boast rang hollow. The Irish servants who had staffed Clay Court for generations had fled rather than serve their new English master. He’d been forced to send over his own loyal English servants, at considerable cost. And still the estates were falling into disrepair.
But he would show her. He would show all of them. He had already persuaded the queen to banish AnnaClaire’s father, Lord Thompson, to Spain. He would soon persuade the queen to take similar action against the Irishman. Banishment back to his own miserable country would be the sweetest revenge.
“Rory O‘Neil lives like royalty while he incites other Irish warriors to take up arms against England. And all the while his brother, Conor, plays fast and loose with our virgin queen. Why, she has even bestowed on him the title of Lord Wyclow, and presented him with a manor house and hunting lodge in Ireland.”
That knowledge, more than any other, stuck like a stone in Dunstan’s throat. He hated any man who acquired what he himself coveted. And he had long coveted Wyclow. What was worse, the Irishman steadfastly refused to acknowledge the title, and it was rumored he’d turned over the land around Wyclow to the villagers, along with a purse of gold to maintain it.
There had been a time when Elizabeth would have bestowed the title and land on Dunstan, as she had bestowed her friendship. Dunstan was a man who relished being part of the queen’s inner circle of advisors. He loved being the center of attention, just as he loved the power which came with it. But that had been before the arrival of the Irishman.
“I weary of this place.” Elizabeth stood, and at once every man in the room got to his feet and bowed, while the women curtsied. “We will retire to a withdrawing room.”
They followed her from the suite and down the hall until they reached a large formal parlor, where they were joined by Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting. Within minutes servants were passing among the assembled with trays of wine and ale.
“Come, Conor. Sit and amuse me.” Elizabeth settled herself on a chaise and patted the place beside her.
“How do you wish to be amused today, Majesty?”
“Tell me more about your irreverent, misspent youth in Paris.”
“Very well. There was the night...” Conor went into a lengthy description of a prank he and his fellow students had played on their very proper French tutor. The evening had involved a great deal of wine and a young woman of questionable morals, who agreed to hide herself in the tutor’s bed after he’d fallen asleep.
Conor knew he was a gifted storyteller. It was an art he’d perfected. He accepted a goblet of ale and sat back, enjoying the amused laughter from the others. As he glanced around, he caught sight of a new face in the crowd.
She was young, no more than eighteen, and moved with coltish grace. In a sea of bright colors, her gown was conspicuous by its pale lemon hue and modest neckline, and by the fact that it was much too big for her. The bodice drooped. The waistline sagged. The skirts were so long, she was nearly tripping over them. While the others surrounding the queen flaunted their charms, this young woman apparently chose to keep hers hidden. Her hair, a nondescript shade of brown, was pulled back from her face in a simple knot. Several strands had slipped free to curve along one cheek. While Conor watched, she lifted a hand to brush at them. It was an awkward gesture that was both sweet and endearing. For a moment he was reminded of his little sister, Briana, who was much more comfortable in the stables than in the company of their parents’ titled guests.
The queen sighed. “I envy you, Conor. If only my own childhood could have been spent in like fashion. Alas, I was never permitted such frivolous behavior.”
“Aye, Majesty. We all know yours has been a dreary existence, locked away in sumptuous palaces, your every whim catered to by devoted servants, adored by your people wherever you go.”
Conor was rewarded by another round of laughter. The queen was clearly enjoying his wry humor. There were few in her company who would dare to ridicule her, no matter how gently. That only added to this Irishman’s appeal.
“Majesty.” Lord Dunstan set aside his goblet, determined to pursue the topic that had been abandoned at court. “I know you are weary of discussing the Irish problem. But all of England is talking about the recent attacks upon our soldiers. Attacks, I might add, that once only occurred in Ireland, but are now happening here on our very soil. A messenger brought news of one such attack this very morning, in a nearby village.”
“They are merely rumors.” Elizabeth’s eyes flashed. “What would you have me do, Dunstan? Imprison every man who wears the robes of a cleric?”
Dunstan shrugged. “Since I have little use for men of the cloth, I would have no problem whatever with such an edict. And it would remove this outlaw’s disguise.”
“If this mysterious outlaw is as clever as everyone says, he will merely find another way to conceal his identity.” Elizabeth turned to Conor. “What think you, my rogue?”
He gave her his famous smile. “I think, Majesty, ’twould would be simpler to imprison every soldier who is found forcing himself on an unwilling maiden.”
Dunstan sneered. “With such a law England would soon find itself without an army.”
The queen arched a brow. “I had no idea such behavior was so widespread.”
“The behavior of soldiers would surely offend Your Majesty’s delicate sensibilities.” Dunstan shot a meaningful look at Conor. “As it would some of the less...stalwart gentlemen at court, it would seem. But such behavior is a fact of life. Our soldiers are trained to kill our enemies. They are accustomed to taking what they want, regardless of the cost to others.”
Conor’s voice was carefully controlled. “Are you suggesting that the virtue of innocents is the price Her Majesty must pay to maintain an army?”
Dunstan nodded. “It is the price every nation must pay. War changes men. They become akin to animals.”
“Some do.” Conor fought to keep the anger from his voice. “And some manage to retain the virtue of nobility while fighting for their rights as men.”
“Are you saying you approve of what this so called Heaven’s Avenger is doing to our soldiers, O’Neil?”
Conor’s tone was dangerously soft. “I suggest you ask the maidens who have been spared by his knife.”
The queen flashed a smile, thoroughly delighted by this skilled battle of words between these two.
A servant approached to whisper softly, “Your seamstresses are here for the fittings for your new gowns, Majesty.”
Elizabeth sighed. “You see how it is, Conor? A monarch’s work is never done. And I was so enjoying this little discussion. Will I see you tonight?”
He kept his smile in place. “If you wish, Majesty.”
“I do. We’ll sup in my private dining room with Humphrey and Dunstan and a few friends.”
“Aye, Majesty.”
Elizabeth set aside her goblet and stood. At once the others in the room got to their feet and bowed as she followed her servant out the door.
Once they were alone, the crowd visibly relaxed. Without the pressure of the royal presence, they could be themselves.
“Wine, O’Neil?”
Conor looked up to find Lord Dunstan standing behind him.
“Thank you.” Though he loathed the man, Conor was adept at playing the game. He kept a polite smile on his face as he lifted his goblet.
“I understand we’ll both be dining with the queen tonight.” Dunstan accepted a goblet from a passing servant.
“Aye.” Out of the corner of his eye Conor saw the young woman talking with Lord Humphrey. She had a way of looking down, and then peering upward through her lashes, that was most appealing.
Seeing the way Conor watched her, Dunstan caught her arm as she passed. “Have you two met?”
She seemed startled, like a creature from the wild about to break free and run. She took one look at Conor and stared down at her feet. Instead of replying, she merely shook her head.
“Conor O’Neil, may I present Emma Vaughn.”
“Vaughn?” Conor couldn’t hide his surprise. “Are you related to Daniel Vaughn, from Dublin?”
“Aye.” Her voice was low, breathy, with that lovely lyrical brogue that years of English tutoring couldn’t erase. At that moment she lifted her head. Up close, Conor realized, her eyes were green, with little flecks of gold. Most unusual eyes, for a most unusual female. “Daniel Vaughn is my father. He lives outside London now.”
“I’d heard. But he still keeps the estates in Ireland?”
She nodded while studying him with equal curiosity. So this was the man who had all of London talking. And no wonder. Thick black hair fell rakishly over a wide forehead. His lips, wide and full, were curved in an inviting smile. But it was his eyes that held her. Eyes as blue as the Irish Sea. They remained steady on hers, holding her gaze even when she tried to look away. “There are tenant fatmers to work the land and tend the flocks.”
Before she could say more she looked up to see one of the women beckoning to her. “Excuse me. I must take my leave.”
“So soon?” Dunstan kept his hand firmly on her arm.
