Chapter 17
A couple of hours later, Isabel sat brushing her hair, with a lone candle burning, that barely lit the room. Everyone else in the Castle, was likely fast asleep, by that hour. Suddenly, the door opened, and Niles slipped in. His eyes quickly darted around the dimly lit room, settling on the cradle.
“Get out,” Isabel ordered. “Or I will scream, and wake the Castle.”
Niles quickly moved to stand beside the cradle, in a darkened corner, of the chamber.
"You will not scream, if you value your son's well being," Niles said, displaying a dagger. “You will keep your voice down. Where is the book?”
“What book?” Isabel replied.
Niles replied, “You were in my Castle. All the diagrams, showing the passages were in the book. I know you have seen it. Where is it?”
Isabel answered, “Oh, that book. The one with the birth records, for you, and Brant’s sires. That book?”
Niles smiled. “Now, we are getting somewhere. You have obviously seen the book. Where is it?”
Isabel said, “Aye, I have seen it. It was with my father's papers at his stronghold. Though, I do not understand some things. One of Avery's men said you met Eric as he was leaving Lady Peggy’s, and helped Avery ambush him. You had his title, why kill him?”
Niles stated, “I had the title, he had most of the property. Even worse, most of my properties are in Normandy. Tis pure folly, to try to protect, and manage lands, with the channel between them. The property should go with the title. So what if Eric was legitimate, and my sire was not. My sire was the eldest, he should get the title, and the fiefs. I should have both.”
“Oh, so it is just greed,” Isabel interjected.
“It is what is right,” Niles insisted. “Avery’s plan with Lord Eric, went perfectly. The idea worked well with your sire, too. Only, Avery met up with him, to ask him to reconsider helping him. My men met them a short while later. That was a little dicey, as our side, was only two men stronger."
"So you were involved in my father's murder, as well?" Isabel asked in surprise.
"Avery was desperate, and I could not openly side with him," Avery lamented. "His plan to kidnap the girl, should have gone equally well. Then, I would have the property that should go with my title, through the girl. At least, until a sufficient time had passed, to allay suspicion. I know Avery had the girl. I do not know why it did not work. Brant should be dead, not Avery.”
Isabel replied, “Aye, it was a good plan. Not very honorable. The only big mistake you made, was discussing it in front of me. That, and showing me what a despicable person you are. My only question is, since you discussed the plan, two weeks before Esme was taken, why did your warning arrive, four days after it happened? Was your message delayed? Or, was it merely sent to allay suspicion?”
Niles chuckled, and said, “That gullible husband of yours, thought I was helping him. If Avery failed to kill him, I knew the warning, sent after the fact, would allow me to stay close to him until another opportunity arose."
"Aye, you certainly had Brant fooled, into thinking he could trust you. And before, I was too young to be considered a reliable witness against you," Isabel said. "However, I am not anymore."
"It does not matter what you know," Niles said. "I did not count on you, or the boy. However, that might actually help me. Brant was quite off his game, when he returned here alone, after you two wed. When you vanished with the lad, he was struggling again, not to get despondent. He could easily have overindulged in spirits, and met with an accident. Then, I could control his holding for many years, as the lad’s guardian. Until I acquire an heir, your son is in line to inherit my fiefs, too. Since I also have a copy of the book, I know the secret passage is off this chamber. You are going to be leaving with me tonight, or you son dies.”
He reached down, to lift the babe out of the cradle, and realized it was just a doll, under the blanket.
Alarmed, Niles asked Isabel, “Where is the boy?”
The knights, William and Byron, stepped out from behind a dressing screen. Isabel started to light more candles, to brighten the chamber.
She answered, “He is in his father’s chamber. Did he say enough to arrest him, and search his castles for the girls?”
William nodded to her, and then told Niles, “You Sir, are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, knowingly impersonating a high official...”
Realizing he had been set up, Niles said, “You deceitful witch. We should have just killed you.”
He jumped on to the bed, lunging toward Isabel. She pulled her feet back, and rolled away from him, coming to her feet on the floor, beside William. The knight quickly stepped between her, and the despot.
With the two knights now between him, and Isabel, but the door right behind him, Niles decided to attempt an escape. He moved into the dark passage, which was suddenly flooded with light, when Angus lit a torch near the next room. With the path to the rear stairs blocked by Angus, Niles ran toward the main stairs, and began to descend. He knew if he could get to the cellar, he might still gain access to the secret passage, and escape to fight another day. Torches were lit in the hall, bathing it in light. William, Byron, and Angus, ran after Niles, with Isabel following. From the top of the stairs, Isabel saw Hyram, one of Brant's top knights, in the hall with his sword drawn, blocking Niles path of escape. Niles had traveled there with three of his knights. Two of them, who had bedded down on the floor in the hall, rose and drew their swords, confused about what was going on. She watched, as Hyram ordered Niles to surrender, but he choose instead to draw his sword. Several of Brant’s Knights, who were sleeping in the hall, followed Hyram’s lead, and surrounded Niles men, who quickly surrendered. Isabel stood transfixed, watching Niles and Hyram circle, amidst the clash of swords. Clearly, the Duke was not going to be taken into custody, easily.
Then, Isabel was picked up from behind, carried into the Solar, and dropped on the bed. She missed the sword fight, that ended with the death, of the most despicable titled Lord, Isabel had ever met. Twas likely a good thing, Brant thought to get her away from the events in the hall, she realized later. The wounds from sword fights she had seen after the fact, were nearly enough to make her wretch. Though, after depositing her safely in his bedchamber, Brant went right back out to watch.
After a while, things quieted down. Byron, who had been in the antechamber, to keep her out of the way, came in to tell her Niles was dead. That was good news to Isabel, who realized the last couple of days, had been long and difficult. She decided to wrap a blanket around her shoulders, and lie down to rest, for a little while. When Ann came in a short time later, her daughter was fast asleep.
When Isabel awoke the next day, she could tell by the sunlight streaming into the room, it was very late. She stretched, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Ann rose from a chair near the hearth, and came to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Well, I see you are not quite going to sleep till the noontide. I came in, when they were cleaning up downstairs to sit with you, but you were sleeping like a babe," Ann said.
"Trapping murderers is tiring work," Isabel told her mother, flippantly. Then, more seriously, she said, "William, Byron, and I, got no sleep the night before last, tipping my hand, as it were, to Niles."
"How could you get yourself involved, in something like this? My God, you could have been killed," Ann chided.
"It is not like I set out, to get involved with murderous thieves, Mother. Avery started all of this. Most of what I have done, was to protect myself, and survive the situation I was forced into," Isabel stated, defensively. "After Nathaniel was born, then he was in danger, too. Do you expect me not, to try to protect my child?"