Once a Bride by Shari Anton

glance, acknowledging his presence but giving no sign of how she felt about his joining her.
    “Taking the air?” he asked.
    “Seeking a moment of solitude, which I now have lost.”
    Whether she wanted his company or no, now that he’d dismissed her guard, she had no choice but to suffer him. Besides, his curiosity pleaded for satisfaction.
    “I beg pardon for the intrusion, but since I have already broken your peace, you might tell me why you are really out here.”
    “You find it difficult to believe I wish to sort my thoughts and stretch my legs at the same time?”
    A reasonable pursuit for any other woman but this one. From what he’d observed, Eloise did nothing without a reason. Still, he didn’t want to exchange harsh words, or have her deem him beneath her regal notice and ignore him totally.
    “How goes the sorting of your thoughts?”
    Eloise knew she dare not tell Roland St. Marten about any of her thoughts. Some, those of him, were too personal and annoying. Others, of her father and Lelleford, could lead to trouble. Those concerning the disloyal monk and the man’s treachery left her speechless.
    Nay, confiding her worries to Roland wasn’t smart.
    Nor could she tell him she was inspecting the outer wall as closely as she dared without being too obvious. There must be a way out of Lelleford besides the main or postern gates, either through a secret door along the wall or through a passage running beneath the keep.
    She wouldn’t use the secret way herself. Her absence would be noticed too quickly, and the knights held hostage to her cooperation would be punished. However, someone else might be trusted to sneak out of the keep. Who, and when, depended upon how urgent the need became—and whether or not the passage could be located.
    She’d begun her search for it out here because the day was bright and warm for the weeks after harvest, and she needed space to breathe deeply to stave off panic. If Roland was bent on walking with her, then it was best to change the direction of this conversation.
    “I saw you over by the stables, speaking with the squires. A problem there?”
    His smile said he recognized her ploy, and was gallant enough to accept it. “Everyone feels the tension, and some are prone to make use of it to their own ends.”
    Eloise risked another glance at Roland, and caught a hint of Hugh in his profile. Sweet, gentle Hugh, who’d died at her feet. She barely withheld a shudder.
    He returned her gaze, and the soft resemblance to his half brother disappeared. “Kenworth’s squires taunt Lelleford’s over your father’s guilt, and the possible penalty Edgar might suffer for aiding his lord. The longer the squires are within each other’s company, well …’twould be best for all concerned if the situation were resolved soon.”
    Except the situation wouldn’t ease until after Kenworth left, wouldn’t resolve until her father was found innocent of treason and Roland St. Marten left Lelleford.
    “How much longer do you expect Kenworth to stay at Lelleford?”
    “Until he decides your father has left the area, or is captured.”
    Eloise bit her bottom lip. She and Roland both knew Sir John Hamelin might not budge from his hiding place anytime soon, especially when it proved so effective.
    She came to a halt, hating that she was beholden to Roland for his silence about her father’s message. But she knew she must thank him for withholding the contents from Kenworth.
    Eloise clasped her hands tightly to keep them still.
    “You did not tell Kenworth you know my father hides nearby. Why?”
    He crossed his arms, disturbed by indecision. She kept silent, hoping his hesitation would fade, though she knew he trusted her nearly as much as she trusted him, which wasn’t much at all.
    “Many reasons, among them my wish for the earl’s absence. On that, I believe, you and I are in accord.”
    He had the right of it. Except the earl leaving solved only a portion of the problem. The