BURY ME DEEP an utterly gripping crime thriller with an epic twist (Detective Rozlyn Priest Book 1) by JANE ADAMS (best romantic books to read TXT) 📕

one man only Cate would protect and that only out of a habit born of lifelong regard. The secret tore at her heart. She could tell no one.”

“And yet, she told you. A stranger?” Eldred’s fury broke him from the group and he stepped closer to Hugh.

“Who else, but a stranger,” Hugh told him seriously. “Could she tell a kinsman that the one she accused—”

“Was her father,” Treven said. He could see Hugh’s enjoyment in this and he hated him for it. This time, the shock of Treven’s words caused silence to fall.

“You accuse one not capable of his own defence,” Eldred spat at Hugh. “You disgust me more each time I come into your presence. If you are the measure of man the king chooses, then I for one do foreswear the King.”

“Such words are treason!” Treven exclaimed. He stepped forward, sword unsheathed from its scabbard.

Kendryk laid a hand upon his arm. “And we did not hear them spoken,” he said firmly. “Hugh, why say this now. If you knew before, why not tell your lord, or even me of this claim?”

“Cate made me swear to silence. Now she is gone, I no longer consider myself bound by that vow.”

“And Cate was dead when you took the trial. Why wait until now?”

“I waited because I stood accused of murder. I wished to clear my name before I condemned another. Who would have heard my words or chosen to believe?”

“What is this leading to, Hugh?” Treven demanded. Then the realisation. “You claim that this sick old man also took the life of his second child?”

Slowly, Hugh nodded.

“On what grounds?” Eldred demanded. “Abbot, this is madness. Take the man away, we do not want him here.”

“He has won his right to be heard,” Kendryk said mildly. “But tell us, Hugh, how is it you know of this. Did Cate’s father come and make confession to you?”

“He’s been nowhere near this man,” Edmund argued. “And should he have declared to all and sundry that he murdered his children, well, you have seen him, lord, would you believe his word?”

Treven was cautious in his reply. “I have seen him with the madness on him and his mind befuddled by too much drink,” he said. “But I know that such men can still have moments when their minds clear and they can speak truth.”

“So, you join this accusation? You are no better than . . .”

“I caution you, Eldred, watch your words.” Treven warned. “I do not accuse your kinsman. I wonder though, if he knew what his daughter did and followed her and there met with trouble. Perhaps the Waelas man she left with fought with the father. Perhaps Cate knew this and that is why she defended and protected him? Blood does not always speak of murder.”

“He killed them both,” Hugh said steadily. “I do so swear. I had this knowledge from Cate herself and then . . . from the evidence of my own eyes.”

Treven turned on him. “You saw him kill Cate?”

Hugh nodded, but would no longer meet Treven’s gaze

“You saw and you did nothing to defend her?”

“A failing I will live with lifelong! Treven, I swear, by the time I reached her side, the deed was done. He struck her twice and then ran. I thought her dead and I let her lie. In the darkness . . . truly, I thought her already dead and gone.”

Treven moved closer and thrust his fist beneath Hugh’s chin forcing him to raise his head. “You’ve seen death often enough, Hugh de Vries. You and I have stood knee deep in blood and killing. You know if a woman breathes or not even in the dark and that night, there was moon enough to see. You may not have struck the blow, but you left her there to die and in my heart I still see you as murderer for that act of cowardice.”

Hugh held his gaze then raised his mutilated hand. “You cannot accuse me now,” he said softly. “When God himself has acquitted me. I blamed myself when I knew she had lived until morning and because of that, I took this test. I wounded myself so deep I may never heal and yet, I am not dead. God looked into my heart and saw that the guilt was not mine. Now, I can declare what I know. Had I spoken of this before, who would have held the truth of it?”

Treven, lost for words, stepped away, releasing his hold on his one-time friend. He felt sick to the stomach, his body pained in every fibre. He could not believe that God would allow anyone to argue right and wrong on such a fine line and yet . . . and yet . . . here was Hugh. Hurting, but whole and so certain of his rights that Treven could find no argument.

“You presume to know the heart and mind of God?” Kendryk’s voice was soft but dangerous.

“No, Lord Abbott, only to be thankful for his mercies.”

Kendryk nodded slowly but said nothing more. Treven could see the hardness in his eyes and realised with shock that Kendryk looked for other solutions even as he did himself. That the Abbott, this man of God, no more accepted the simplicity of Hugh’s claim, than did Treven himself, Treven who spoke of the Christ with his lips but whose heart was still partly in thrall to his mother’s gods. What was the answer here?

“You saw the father strike that fateful blow?” Treven confirmed.

“I saw it, yes. I stood in the shadow of the birch trees and saw her run across the rough grass and onto the path. She turned and then he came from the withy-stand behind her. He must have called her name or made some sound because she wheeled to face him. He struck her once and then again as she