ROMANTIC VENTURE

CHAPTER THRITY-SIX

Lady Violet stood serenely at the bottom of the turret Stair, her delicate hands elegantly fingering the head of her cane. She waited silently in a small niche in a dim passageway and, on hearing the scrape of many footsteps on the stone steps, raised her eyes to the heavens. " 'Tis their intention," she murmured, "to arouse the entire household." She held her fingertip to her lips as the group approached.

"Kitty said that you wanted us all to attend you here," said Dominic.

"Please," she said in an exasperated whisper. "we need not flaunt our presence." She eyed them all. Following Dominic was Geoffrey and Ben and Jonathan and, of course, Lady Violet's trusted accomplice, Kitty. "They have assembled in a chamber down that passageway," said the old woman.

"Should I gather my men?" inquired Dominic.

"Nay, dear boy," said Lady Violet. "They are but two. Surely, we six can handle that."

"Can you be sure of that?" Geoffrey asked, a measure of desperation in his voice.

The countess nodded. "I saw the two of them enter. If there are more inside, we shall handle them," she said, raising her cane. "In any event, there is no time for you to gather a force of arms, Dominic."

Ben regarded her obliquely. "If I may be so bold, my Lady," he said in a rasping whisper; "how can you be sure this is where they are keeping Maurette?"

"I simply gave Lydia a reason to really kill my granddaughter, and then I followed her," she responded pertly.

"Poor old Lydia," laughed Geoffrey. Then at Lady Violet's admonishment, he whispered, "She never had a chance." They all laughed, and Lady Violet waved them to silence.

When they heard the clank of a postern and the scrape of a door; they backed into their concealment. Dominic was elected by a flick of Lady Violet's fingertips to look out into the dim passage. Peering into the dusky circle of light emanating from the chamber, Dominic saw two figures. With amazement, he realized that one was the billowing form of Maurette and that Lucius Hamilton followed her. His teeth bared at the sight, but seeing him stiffen, Lady Violet placed a hand on his shoulder to check his impulse.

"We cannot risk it yet, Dominic," she whispered earnestly. "we do not know what we must contend with in the chamber."

Reluctantly Dominic agreed. His wonder at seeing Maurette alive and beautifully ripe with his child tempered his rage at seeing her with his hated nephew. He held to the small concealment along with the others. At his command, after the two figures had disappeared down the passage, the group moved stealthily along the wall. The chamber door had been left ajar. Through its open slit, Dominic futilely peered inside.

"There are three of them," he whispered to the others. "You shall take the one by the fire," he said to Geoff. "Ben, you must handle the dwarf. Jonathan, you must aid Ben, and I will go where I am needed."

"Rod is there?" inquired Kitty piteously. "I believed that dear little man to be our friend."

Dominic's mouth was a grim line. "No one can be counted upon, Kit," he said not unkindly "Lady Violet, you and Kit must handle Lydia." Lady Violet nodded and lofted her cane. "Has everyone a weapon?"

Geoffrey and Ben held up their swords. Jonathan raised an enormous bread trencher that he had purloined from the kitchen, and Kitty held two tall silver candle sticks. Dominic smiled fondly at his brave little band.

"We are ready," he said. They all nodded solemnly, and at Dominic's command they burst into the room.

Lydia reacted first with a shrill scream. She ran toward the doorway, her fingers clawed like angry talons. Lady Violet was ready with a backhanded blow of her cane to Lydia's knees. The big woman toppled forward. Kitty ended the woman's progress with a swing of a candlestick, and Lydia lay there unconscious.

Ben and Jonathan girded for battle with the sinuous little dwarf, but were bewildered to find Rodrigo smiling broadly. He ran toward the two men and, throwing down his dirk, grabbed their knees in a rapturous embrace. Jonathan looked wildly at Ben who was nearly toppled by the exuberant show of affection. Geoffrey and Dominic were facing the huddled figure in the dark corner by the fireplace. That man was simply sitting there, smiling up at the two of them.

Lady Violet moved into the room and indicated Rodrigo. "'Twould appear this gentleman is a lover, not a fighter," she said musically. "And this gentleman," she said, moving to Terrence Warbrooke, "has little inclination for either, methinks, after his long confinement." She offered her hand, and the old man stood and took it, brushing it with a courtly kiss. "He is gaining back one of those inclinations, however," she said piquantly. Dominic, meet your father."

Dominic moved to the man in awed reverence. "'Tis you, father?" he asked softly "'Tis rely you?"

The man nodded his silver bead. His gray eyes were a shimmer with unshed tears. "'Tis me, Dominic," he returned gently. Without further words, the two men embraced. The older man drew from the embrace first. "There is more to be done, Dominic. Your nephew has taken Maurette."

"Where?" said Dominic, his teeth bared in rage.

"We cannot be sure. It was our intention, before you burst in, to overpower Lydia and find them."

Rodrigo loosed his hold on Ben and Jonathan's knees. "I believe that he has taken her to the north tower. He is not sane, my lord. I fear ... 'twas their intention to throw her body down onto the shoals from the north tower. Somehow, they got the impression that the queen was about to, send ministers to investigate 'this matter."

Lady Violet smiled knowingly, but Rodrigo continued darkly. "I have the feeling that Lucius has other plans for our gentle Maurette."

Lady Violet shut her eyes and swayed. She was caught in the arms of Terrence Warbrooke.

"You men go find them," he commanded. This lady and I will stay here and guard Lydia. Jonathan and the young lady, Katherine, will stay here with us." He led Lady Violet to a low stool.

"You know me, sir," said Kit in awe.

The old man smiled at her and then winked in the direction of Rodrigo, who was just now picking up his dirk and about to follow the other men out the door. Rodrigo gave the girl a longing gaze, and then he moved, with the others, out into the passage.

"I know you, little Kit," said Terrence Warbrooke. "You are in for a very pleasant surprise before this day is over. Now," he stated commandingly, "see the tying of my daughter, both of you."

Kitty and Jonathan did so, and Kitty tore at a part of her petticoat to use as a gag.

"Are you all right?' Terrence said, patting at Lady Violet's wrist. She gazed up at him, and a small smile crossed her lovely lips, "I have never been better," she said in a musical voice.

The four men moved stealthily into the small chapel. There, they found a sight that sickened each man to the core of his soul. Maurette had been strung, arms outstretched, between two pillars at the altar end of the chamber. Her delicate wrists were tied with thick ropes. Her lavender eyes shot icy purple sparks. Even in the dim light of the candlelit chamber, Dominic could see her defiance, and he allowed himself a small smile. Above her billowing form and even in the face of this terrible menace, her little chin had lifted in defiance. Dominic shook his head in wonder at her courage. Lucius was standing over her. His green eyes were silvered with lust. He was unarmed.

"Now, Maurette," he was saying silkily, "we shall see to these lacings. I shall uncover what my uncle has so jealously guarded all these months. He is a most ungenerous uncle. He is also a very stupid one. I should not have left you to serve a skinny queen. You are not skinny," he laughed, placing a hand on Maurette's bulbous abdomen. "To bad I did not take you before this so that I might have enjoyed the fullest measure of your ,beauty, but this shall be better than nothing."

"You shall end with nothing in any event!" spat the brave little woman before him. "Dominic will kill you for this, Lucius Hamilton."

His laugh became deep and full. "I told you before of the insecurity of lovers, sweet Maurette. He shall be made to believe that the babe you carry is mine and that we have been lovers all this time."

"He will not believe it," said Maurette with certainty.

"She is right, you know." came a silken voice from the other end of the room. "I will not believe it."

Lucius's head came around. His eyes widened and then narrowed. "I am unarmed, Uncle," he said insolently. "Will you kill me thus?"

"You deserve it," shrieked Rod.

"Or will you have your lackeys do the deed?" Lucius continued, unperturbed.

Dominic took the sword that Ben was holding arid tossed it across the room. Lucius caught it by the handle.

"'Tis still three against one."

"Lay down your weapons," Dominic said through clenched teeth. Geoffrey allowed his blade to clatter to the stone floor, and Rodrigo reluctantly laid his dirk over it. "Now," said Dominic levelly, "The contest has become even." Lucius threw back his head and laughed. He plucked at Maurette's chin with a forefinger. "I shall be back momentarily, sweet Maurette," Lucius said.

Maurette barely noted the gesture for her own eyes were on Dominic. His countenance softened briefly as he looked upon her, and they shared the knowledge that Lucius would never be back. Then he turned to face his nephew. His teeth were bared, and his whole body became a rigid weapon.

Lucius chuckled low in his throat. "'Tis an odd thing about rage, Uncle," he said conversationally, 'it warps the judgment, and like spirits, as you once pointed out to me, it makes one lose control. You cannot win this day, for I shall take advantage of your loss."

Unnoted, Ben ran down the aisle behind the two adversaries and untied Maurette. They all watched in horrified fascination as the two big men faced each other.

There was no longer any hint of insolence in Lucius's green eyes, for he knew that this battle was to the death. Dominic knew it too. The bitter enemies would give each no quarter. Their sword arms flexed sinuously. The ends of their blades scraped menacingly and slid fluidly apart as they separated. In the dusky candlelight their faces gleamed with the horrible animosity that seethed between them. Hatred snapped and snarled in the heavy air.

Lucius was the first to thrust. He lunged with malevolence, and Dominic repelled his blade powerfully. The contest had begun. Dominic's riposte was vehemently parried. The retaliatory attack was aggressively repulsed. The naked steel of their blades froze above their heads for one glacial moment before Dominic allowed his body to be flanked by Lucius's powerful thigh. The older man stepped back, and the other's own weight propelled him down the aisle and out into the passage.

Dominic pursued him venomously, but Lucius was prepared for the charge. Scrambling to retrieve his footing, he met the onslaught with a repelling lunge. Dominic parried the thrust with savage strength, and Lucius was sent sprawling onto the turret stair. The younger man again regained his balance.

They exchanged escalades on the narrow stairway. Their swords clashed with the jagged stone of the turret well as the titanic contest blazed to the roof of the north tower. The echoes of battle rang off the stone battlements. Dominic's steel blade swung in a wide backhanded arc and rapaciously wrenched the other man's weapon from his hand. It clattered to the stones beneath his feet.

Instantly Lucius bent low, and from the top of his boot, produced a long-bladed dagger. The wicked blade glistened evilly in the white sun. Its keen-edge carne up once and whistled past Dominic's jaw. He eluded the upward thrust, but felt, as it lunged downward, its razor sharpness slice into his shoulder. He felt no pain though his flesh angrily spurted out his blood.

"To the end you mock the truth, Lucius Hamilton," Dominic snarled. "To the end you remain a treasonous liar." He wielded one mighty hate-filled blow, and the dagger clattered to the ground. To the astonishment of both men, it was accompanied by the lean, bronzed hand of Lucius Hamilton.' Gore pumped from the end of his arm, and he looked down upon it with bewilderment. He glanced up at his adversary. Green eyes held gray ones.

" 'Tis the punishment for traitors," Lucius said in disbelief. Then he began to laugh. His maniacal mirth echoed from the towers of the Castle Ravenshead. He threw back his head, and with a jubilant bellow, vaulted up onto the parapet. "Martyrdom," he shouted. "Death to the tyrant queen!" With arms outstretched, his right disgorging his lifeblood, he leaped, his wild laughter fading and vanishing as he fell to the shoals below.

Dominic had seen much horror in his life. He had seen men die, but what he had just witnessed sickened him. Gazing down at Lucius's oozing hand, he bent and picked it up. With malevolent force, he hurled it over the edge of the parapet.

There was no sound, only the soughing of the wind through the high towers. Dominic's big shoulders slumped, and silver tears filled his eyes.