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“But you are his betrothed, and you’re lying to him, too,” Anne said, her expression confused.

“But I didn’t kiss him! Well, all right, I kissed him back, and I felt terribly guilty. But he admitted he’s been using me to get to you.”

“You mean using you to get to yourself.”

“Anne, stop! You know what I’m saying. He deliberately targeted me because I am your maid.”

“He has been trying to rescue me—you?”

“So he says.”

“You are the only one with access to the tower. Doesn’t his reasoning make sense?”

“All he had to do was befriend me, Anne,” Elizabeth whispered. “Teach me to trust him and then tell me the truth. Instead he flirted and he teased and he…”

“He kissed you.”

She nodded. “He said he hadn’t meant to go so far, that he couldn’t help himself.”

“Again, I insist that you see this in a good light. Surely he must be happy now that he knows who you are.”

“I didn’t tell him.”

Anne groaned and sank back in her chair.

“How could I, after what he revealed? He used me, Anne! If I were a mere maid, I would have thought he had feelings for me, and my own feelings would have been crushed. And don’t say he was desperate. I care not. He is nothing like William, who treated me with reverence, with love; John uses women. He even admitted that the women he’s usually with are paid to be with him!”

“Well, I’ve heard that men⁠—”

“And he has no money, no army!” Elizabeth interrupted. “He tried to claim that his own brother neglected Rame Castle, and that all the soldiers are gone, and the people poor!”

“Do you think he lies?” she asked cautiously.

“I know not if he’s lying or someone lied to him, but that cannot possibly be true. William would never harm his own people.”

“But Lord Russell has no army.”

“Only three men-at-arms, one of whom is Philip Sutterly—or whatever his real name is. I didn’t ask where the other men are. So he has no show of force to win my release.”

“I thought you didn’t want him to bring an army. You were worried our people would be hurt or killed.”

“I know!” Elizabeth jumped to her feet, unable to sit still a moment longer. “I wanted my husband to be respectable. But John…needs me for my money,” she whispered brokenly, hugging herself. “It makes me feel…worthless as a woman.”

“Any man you married would receive your dowry,” Anne insisted. “It is the way of things. For you to take that personally is foolish. So his estate has become poor, however it happened. Would you feel the same way were it William coming to you, needing your money?”

“Aye, nay—I don’t know! William is dead. The life I had hoped to lead has died along with him. And the worst thing is…though I’d felt guilty, for once I had felt desired as a woman. But that wasn’t true; John was using me to get to you. To me. Oh!” She dropped back into her chair.

“And did he feel guilty for kissing you?”

“He said he did, but what does that prove? I have no idea what is a lie, or what is the truth. Perhaps he stole the ring!” she said shrilly.

“You said he looks like his brothers.”

In a sullen voice, Elizabeth said, “Only a bit.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Elizabeth glanced at her desperately. “What do you think I should do?”