Immortal Love by Victoria Craven Page B

evening,” she
sobbed.
    “I don’t know, my love.”
    “Today I saw Dominick in a way I had never
expected. It contradicted everything I thought about the man.” She
wiped a tear from her cheek. “I found him playing in the stream
with Ruth’s children.”
    Martha’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really?”
    “Yes,“ she said with a
sad smile. “He played as though he were one of them. They had no
fear of him and hung on his every word. He showed real affection
for the children. And later, when I came down for the evening meal,
he was so gallant and full of compliments, my head was spinning.”
The tears started anew. “When he slapped the cup from my hand I
thought—“
    Martha rubbed her mistress’ hands. “That it
was your father all over again.”
    “Yes.”
    “You do realize if he hadn’t done so, you
would be dead.”
    Eleanor shivered. “I know, but how did he
know what was in that cup?”
    “I cannot say, my dear, but it was a good
thing he did.”
    “It doesn’t make sense.”
    The older woman pushed Eleanor’s hair off her
face. “Try not to think on it so. You will have the answers in good
time.”
    “I hope you’re right.”
    Martha stood. “You’re alive, and I’m grateful
to his lordship for that.”
    Suddenly, loud noises came from the corridor.
Eleanor bolted out of the chamber door despite Dominick’s order to
stay inside. At the top of the stairs she looked down into a
chaotic scene where people shouted and dogs barked. All of the
kitchen servants were lined up in the hall. Dominick stood like a
statue amidst all the activity.
    “Silence!” he shouted, and instantly the hall
fell quiet.
    Two guards restrained one servant. He tried
to struggle free, but when Dominick approached, the man
stilled.
    Towering over him, Dominick looked down, his
expression cold as death. “Did McPhearson pay you to poison the
wine?”
    The steward was clearly frightened. “No, my
lord.” He shook his head vigorously.
    “You poured the wine?”
    “Yes, my lord, but I did not poison it.” The
man dropped to his knees, pleading. “Please, my lord, you must
believe me. I would not do such an unthinkable deed.”
    As Dominick paced before the servants,
another movement in the hall caught Eleanor’s eye. Erik walked
toward a cat that meandered in and, scooping it up, held it close
while he stroked its fur. It was an odd behavior considering the
amount of activity that surrounded him. Putting the cat down, he
gave it a final pet, then walked over to Dominick pulling him away
from the line of servants.
    After a moment of conversation, Dominick
turned back to the wine steward. “The question seems to be, at any
time did you leave the wine unattended?”
    The steward seemed confused by the question.
“I’m not sure, my lord. Maybe for a moment when the cook required
my help with taking the roasted boar off the spit, but it was only
for a moment, sire,” said the old man.
    Erik stood behind a man that was larger than
the rest. He didn’t fit in with the others. The man look more like
a soldier than kitchen help. Erik stood straighter, as though
expecting something to happen.
    The tension in the air was palpable as
Dominick slowly walked down the line of servants eyeing each one
individually until he stood before the stranger. Without looking
back, he asked, “Steward, tell me, have you ever seen this man
before?”
    “N—no, my lord.”
    Dominick turned to the other servants. “Has
anyone ever seen this man before?”
    There was a murmur among them as they shook
their heads. Like a trapped hare the stranger tried to run, but
Erik quickly grabbed him from behind in a great bear hug. When
Dominick plowed his fist into the captive’s stomach, he stopped
struggling.
    Stifling a gasp, Eleanor’s hand flew to her
mouth.
    Two guards pulled the man off the floor as he
gasped for air and glared at Dominick. Before anyone knew what
Dominick was about, he’d torn away the captive’s sleeve.
    Eleanor