Vengeance 03 - Believe In Me Read Online Free

silently as she’d entered.
    Henry heaved a sigh. “Just what we need. Another person to travel with. A sister no less, not to mention the ‘special’ lady.”
    “What do you suppose the abbess was trying to tell us?”
    “I have no idea. I prefer people to say what they mean. My first wife often made subtle comments, and I told her it didn’t do a bit of good.”
    “And your second wife?”
    Henry grinned. “She made things much simpler. Clubbed me over the head if I didn’t understand her meaning the first time. God rest her soul.”
    “Let’s hope our surprises are over and we can return to Longsbury without incident.” Somehow, William doubted things would go as smoothly as he wished.
    ***
    That night, Cristiana lay on the hard pallet of her narrow cell in the convent. Exhaustion tugged at her, an aftereffect of healing which wouldn’t leave until she’d slept, but her mind continued its tumult, making sleep impossible.
    Tears welled in he r eyes. She’d sworn that morn when she’d risen that she’d never sleep within these walls again, yet here she was. Frustrated, she wiped away her tears and cursed her poor luck for the tenth time. To have been so close to freedom only to lose it was upsetting, irritating, and disheartening all rolled into one.
    Despite the events of the day, she still had to find a way to escape. She didn’t know how her mother had known Bishop Duval nor had she pried from her the reason she’d been so adamant that Cristiana keep away from him. Her warnings made Cristiana wary of the man, yet she had no choice but to pursue the only clues she had.
    The best place —the only place—to start was with the very man whom her mother had warned her. When she added that with the location of her mother’s murder—on the road to Longsbury—Cristiana knew where she needed to go. Never mind that her mother had lied to her about her whereabouts. Cristiana pushed aside that hurt for now. She had to follow her journey to see what she could discover. That would be nearly impossible if she was in the bishop’s care.
    Memories of her mother paraded through her mind and her tears turned to sobs. She missed her so much. She missed the quiet life they’d had —the servants, the villagers—she missed it all. One day she hoped to return but knew her life would never be the same.
    Lonely days and nights stretched before her, and fear clawed its way into her belly. While she had long ago accepted her gift, it isolated her from others, and she worried she was destined to spend her life alone now that her mother had died.
    None of that mattered now. Not yet.
    First, she had a vow to fulfill. S he owed it to her mother to find out who had stolen their lives from them. And when she did, she would make them pay.
    The knight who had come to fetch her would find her gone come first light.
    ***
    Cristiana slept longer than she’d intended, but the quiet around her reassured her that she had time to slip away while everyone else was still abed.
    As she stepped out of the convent, the coolness of the pre-dawn air reminded her that autumn had come in full. The thought of finding places to spend the night where she wouldn’t become chilled to the bone gave her pause as she thought over her hastily formed plan. While seeking out a distant cousin who lived near Longsbury had seemed a sound idea, executing it now was another matter. Longsbury was some distance from here.
    But her determination was strong.
    A few cold nights on the road was nothing compared to what her mother had endured the night she’d been murdered.
    As quietly as possible, she eased open the door of the stable. The darkness that greeted her was so complete she wait ed a moment inside until her eyes adjusted. She set the bag that held her things at the entrance so she’d have her hands free to saddle her horse. Once again, she’d donned most of her clothes and put only a few items in the small bag in case she had to slip away without