Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11 Isobel couldn't concentrate; all she could think about was Alex which was both pleasing and disturbing. She'd never thought of herself as a foolish woman but Alex was certainly making her act that way. In addition to the daily flowers, he had given her a silver pendant shaped like a rose in bloom and a small silver ring set with a rose quartz crystal carved like a rose. Alex had told her he had wanted to give her more but he knew that they would have to keep their betrothal secret for now so as not to get Isobel in trouble with the school. While many of the girls in the school were betrothed Isobel being betrothed to a common street merchant might cause a problem so for the time being Isobel and Alex had agreed to keep their courtship secret. Isobel had told Alex that she didn't care that he was poor, that she had an inheritance coming to her when she turned twenty-two that would more than provide for them both. Alex had laughed and told her not to worry that while he didn't look it he too was well off and that he planned to sign a release saying he didn't want her inheritance and that she could do with it as she wished. He had again told her that he had a home and a garden and that she would be well taken care of and did not need to worry, that he would explain everything in time. Isobel thought about everything she knew or had observed about Alex and again the notion that he was of noble birth came to her. He was well-spoken and obviously well-educated as were his friends, his clothes the other day while worn had been of superior quality hinting that he either had wealth or was well acquainted with the nobility. Then there was his ability to fight and to handle a crisis situation, both times they had been attacked he had dispatched their attackers easily and with no distress as if he was used to fighting. There was a rapid knock on her open office door and she looked up to see both Bridgett and Sasha. "Are you busy?" Sasha demanded. "No not at all I should be making up more of my pain tonic but I can't seem to concentrate, a pleasant distraction would be welcome," Isobel replied rising. "Was there something you wished to speak to me about or were you just lonely?" "Well I promised the doorman I would bring you this, he said it was delivered just a little while ago." Bridgette pulled a small wooden box out of her apron pocket and handed it to Isobel. "Do you have a secret admirer? Did one of those fool lords become smitten with you?" "No two of the lords were interested in me, well parts of me." Isobel looked down at her bosom. "I have something to tell you but you must keep it a secret." "Of course," Bridgett replied. “You need not even ask." "Master Alex has asked me to wed him, he is my admirer. And before you say how could I marry a common flower vendor I think he is more than that. He says he has a home and money to care for me. He also said he has a secret that he will share with me later. I think that he is actually a nobleman in hiding for some reason." Isobel replied. "You are betrothed, how wonderful." Sasha threw her arms about Isobel hugging her hard. "And of course. we shall keep it a secret." Bridgett gave Isobel a less forceful hug and then closed Isobel's workroom door. "I too am happy for you now open your gift and I shall tell you my secret." Isobel opened the six-inch long wooden box, resting on a bed of dark green felt was another silver necklace with a flower pendant. Isobel set the box on her desk and held up the necklace earning a sigh from Sasha. “Did Alex send it?” Sasha demanded. “Yes he did, he knows how I adore flowers,” Isobel replied. "It is expensive and well-made, therefore hinting that Alex is wealthier than he looks. He would have to sell many flowers to afford such a gift. Now I also have a secret to share, Master Bowden has asked me to marry him. He said that he too has a home and land and that he does not need my inheritance, that he has a secret to share with me but for now I must trust him." Bridgette settled in one of Isobel's chairs. "I think that Alex, Bowden, and their friends are hiding something from us. I think that they are all of noble birth yet pretending to be simple street merchants for some reason." "Aye, Alex has hinted at something like that. I know that they are all good men, and Alex has been nothing but a gentleman." Isobel said. “I agree I think Bowden is of noble birth but even if he isn't I do not care for he likes me as I am and loves horses as much as I do." Bridgette sighed. "I hope that my father will approve of him, if he does not I think I shall wed him anyway, he is the only man that appeals to me and does not think me too big. He says I am beautiful and that I have captured his heart, he says he will renounce my inheritance to prove that he only wants me. I can ask for nothing more." "You are both lucky while I like Giles I do not have feelings for him. I shall keep your secrets though and wish you both well. Perhaps one of the visiting scholars will appeal to me and like me and not think me odd because I like machines." Sasha replied with a sigh. "Perhaps you will change your mind; Master Giles is very handsome and does seem to like you." Bridgette gave her friend a smile. "Perhaps I shall try to be more open-minded," Sasha replied. “But no more of me I want to hear about both of your betrothed." "Gladly how shall I begin?" Bridgette said with a smile. * * * * Alex leaned back against the stone wall of his aunt's wine cellar watching as his man Oscar checked the bonds of the man in black and then stood back with a nod. The man in black had been their prisoner for three days and had only divulged his name which was James. He would not tell them whom he worked for or why he had attacked Isobel or Alex, but Alex had his suspicions. Alex believed he worked for Lord Dagda and that the man in black had meant to kill him and kidnap Isobel, neither of which Alex would allow. "I could get out the thumb screws or the hot pokers my lord unless you wish me to get out the wheel of pain," Oscar asked. "You can't do this to me, who in the hell do you think you are?" James snarled tugging at his bonds. "I can do anything I wish as I am a prince and you are a piece of vermin that tried to attack a noble lady. I could turn you over to the city guard and after your trial you will be sent to the mines for ten years of hard labor." Alex stepped away from the wall. "While I have limited the amount of force I have let my man use to question you that is about to change. I have lost my patience, now tell me who do you work for?" "You'll get nothing from me; you're nothing but a flower peddler and your friends are common as dirt." James spit on the floor before Alex. "You are a fool and a weakling, not even a real man, once I am free I shall take that pretty wench of yours and teach her what a real man is, what a real man can do." Alex saw red and his fist connected with James' nose with enough force that the chair toppled over and James' head slammed on the floor with a thud. Oscar shrugged and motioned to Marcus who was hiding in the shadows to help him and together they lifted both James and the chair setting him upright. Alex stepped back trying to calm himself, it had been foolish to let James get the better of him. "As you seem to enjoy pain I have another plan." Alex pulled a small brown glass vial out of his tunic and held it up for James to see. "This is a little potion my mother invented it is guaranteed to make a man tell the truth, I am told it is very painful though. It burns one’s insides as it makes one go slightly mad just before the hallucinations start.” Alex was lying, the potion had been invented by his mother but it was a purgative and a strong one designed to help a person with constipation, it did have a few side effects such as causing a headache but was far from fatal. Alex turned so James could not see his face and gave Bowden a wink before turning back to James. “Your jesting you’d not dare do such a thing let me go now and I’ll make your deaths quick and painless.” James snarled. “He thinks he is in charge, how interesting,” Bowden said strolling into the chamber a leather whip in his hand. “Might I have a try at him it’s been weeks since I got a good workout.” “No, thank you though, I promised not to get blood on the floor and walls. But you can help hold him while I pour this down his throat.” Alex said. "Of course and by the way. you know those three men that attacked you and Lady Isobel in the garden, well according to my sources they were attacked in their cells. One is dead the other two are gravely ill and fighting for their lives." Bowden stepped up to James and gave him a steady smoldering look that had been known to make lesser men soil themselves. "Were they not under guard?" Alex asked. "Yes they were, but the guards were attacked too, one is dead the other also badly injured. The injured one said a man all in black attacked him from behind and stabbed him in the back before smashing his head into the wall." Bowden replied. "I would say the guard is lucky to be alive," Alex stated stepping up to Bowden. "Indeed apparently he had a heavy leather vest on under his tunic as he'd been attacked before, it helped turn the blade. He said he caught a brief glimpse of his attacker and that he had black hair and a close-cropped black beard." Bowden turned back to glare at James who had black hair and a short black beard. "The city guard is looking for the man now for murder and attempted murder, I'm told it will be the gallows for him, they don't take trying to murder a guard lightly." "How interesting," Alex held the potion up so that James could see it more clearly. "I'm sure the city guard would be interested to know that we have captured their suspect, perhaps we could let them beat a confession out of him, or we could simply give him this." "I don't think he'll tell you what you want unless you make him," Marcus said wrapping a length of heavy fabric around his right fist. "You are probably right, hold his mouth open," Alex said deliberately not using anyone's name. "With pleasure," Oscar said pulling a pair of leather gloves from his belt and putting them on as he stepped up to grab James' jaw. "You bastards I'll kill all of you," James said struggling against his bonds while Oscar grabbed his shoulders and Bowden grabbed his forehead and pulled his head back. Alex pulled the waxed cork from the vial and then poured the oily contents into James' mouth, then Oscar forced James' mouth shut and covered his mouth with his hand to prevent James from spitting it out. James thrashed about for several minutes but couldn't break free of his captures after a few minutes Alex nodded and they all stepped back. "How long does it take to work?" Bowden demanded. "Not long, first will be the stomach pain followed by vomiting, head pain, muscle spasms, hallucinations, and at the end loose bowls so perhaps we should send for some buckets of warm water," Alex replied earning a glare from Oscar. "You bastards I will kill." James snarled. “Yes, you said that but I don't think that likely though, now I have the antidote which I can give you if you tell me who sent you and why?" Alex demanded. James started to reply when his face contorted he began gagging and sucking in air. "Ah I see it is working already, perhaps I made it too strong. The head pain will start next; I'm told it feels like burning spears in your eyes." Alex said nonchalantly. "If you'd like to avoid it simply tell me who sent you and why and I will give you the antidote. The sooner it is given the better otherwise you shall reach a point where it will be ineffective." James glared at Alex as spittle ran down his chin and he began to wheeze. "Very well then I'm going to have some lunch, why don't you join me, men, with the door bolted from the other side he isn't likely to go anywhere." Alex nodded at Bowden and Marcus before waving Oscar towards the door. "I could use some food," Bowden said heading for the door. "Me too, I heard the cook made a large batch of honey-glazed buns," Marcus added following Boden to the door. "Stop you, bastards," James shouted as his face contorted in pain again. "I'm sorry did you say something?" Alex turned to give James a dismissive look. "Yes damn it, I'll talk just give me the antidote," James said as he began to writhe and pull against his bonds. "Tell me who sent you and why?" Alex demanded holding the small vial of antidote before James. "Lord Dagda sent me to capture the girl and to kill anyone who was with her," James replied as spittle ran down his chin. "Why does he want her?” Alex demanded. “And be quick you are running out of time soon it will be too late for the antidote to work." "He is the girl's guardian, he has demanded that she return several times to wed him but she has refused. She holds vast lands and is due to inherit a fortune in gold either when she weds or when she turns twenty-two. Lord Dagda as her guardian has had control of her gold and has spent it; her future husband will know what Dagda has done." James spasmed in pain for a moment then continued. "I was to bring her home and help force her to wed lord Dagda, that’s all I know; now giving me the damn antidote." "Not yet, what does he plan to do with her after the wedding." Alex waved the vial of antidote before James. “He plans to get a child on her as soon as possible, Lady Isobel is related to the king, the child would have royal blood in it, now that is all I know. Give me the damn medicine my insides are on fire." James growled. Alex tossed the vial to Oscar who stepped up to James and grabbing his jaw poured the contents into his mouth. "What do we do with him now?" Oscar asked. "Have three men escort him home and put him in the dungeon, we may have future need of him. And don't let him escape." Alex said. "Your dungeon, your dungeon who the hell are you?" James demanded. Oscar made a tight fist and abruptly punched James in the face with enough force to send him and the chair he was tied to flying backward to slam on the floor. Oscar gave James a kick to be sure he was unconscious. "He is my prince ugly fool." "I will see he doesn't escape your majesty," Oscar said as he bent to cut James free of the chair. "Thank you, Oscar I have complete faith in you," Alex replied then motioned for Marcus and Bowden to follow him out of the chamber. "What do you mean to do now, if you wait to tell Lady Isobel who you are you risk her being captured or worse?" Bowden asked following Alex down the wide basement corridor towards the stairs to the upper floor. "It is time to ask my aunt for help, we will have her throw a masked ball, and then at the ball, we shall tell are ladies who we are," Alex replied. "The ladies will likely be mad," Marcus mumbled as they reached the top of the steps and Alex unlocked the thick wooden door. "I suspect they will, but I'm hoping if we tell them who we are and why we hid our identities that if they truly care for us they will understand," Alex said. "I for one shall be glad, to tell the truth, my lady and her friend are already suspicious of me. Apparently, I talk too fine and know too much to be a country bumpkin" Bowden replied. "I agree with you I can't wait to tell Isobel the truth, but no matter what happens I plan to protect her she means too much to me to let her be forced into marriage against her will," Alex said. "From what I know of the lady she will forgive you, she is kind and has a tender heart, besides you are a prince," Bowden said slapping Alex on the back. “I am and she loves me as a flower seller, hopefully, she will still love me as a prince," Alex replied, he knew Isobel would be hurt and angry when she learned the truth but hopefully she would still love him, if not he planned to do anything it took to win her back. Isobel had captured his heart and he had no plans to ever let her go.