The Unicorn Trap

By Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse

Tansy St. Clair enjoys a special place at the court of Radcliffe Manor because her father, the court alchemist, is thought to be close to discovering the formula for the elixir of life, as well as unlocking the secret of turning base metal into gold. Sir Preston, one of Radcliffe’s knights, is seeking a wife. Three jealous ladies have their sights on him, but he only has eyes for Tansy.

Preston plots an evil scheme. He convinces Tansy that his enemy, Sir Sterling Trevelyan of rival Maitland Manor, has murdered her brother, who has been missing for months. Tansy is shocked and grief stricken. She agrees to Preston’s plan for revenge. She has no idea that instead of avenging her brother’s death, she would fall madly in love with Sterling, and he with her, although neither will admit it to the other.

Can Tansy undo the harm she has done, or will she be forced to marry Preston? Will she and Sterling be able to overcome the unicorn trap and fulfill their dreams of life together? Tansy must navigate a treacherous path of her own creation to find her way back to the man she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663235756

Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse

Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse is an award-winning journalist and former editor of the Fire Island Tide. Elaine obtained her master’s in International Relations at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and has taught at all levels in public, private, and international schools. The Unicorn Trap is her third historical romance. She lives in Sayville, New York.

Book preview

Chapter One

S terling felt an unfamiliar weariness steal over him as he rode through the forest. The cold November air did nothing to lift his spirits as he headed east toward Maitland Manor. The campaign had been successful. He should be happy, but he was not. He sighed and shivered as the dampness seemed to penetrate to his very bones. A clearing was ahead, and his faithful horse, Darby, needed a rest. They had been traveling since the previous nightfall. As they entered the clearing, Sterling drew up the reins and dismounted, letting Darby have free rein to graze in the grassy knoll.

Sterling unhitched the metal scabbard from around his shoulder and let it fall to the ground along with his shield. He had lost his face mask during the battle. The others had left together, urging Sterling to join them, but he chose to ride alone. Perhaps they thought he was aloof because he would not join in their revels, but he had no desire to ride to the whorehouse. He had seen death too many times and he could not bear to celebrate this victory with them.

He leaned against an ancient oak, letting his gaze wander over the autumn scene before him. A slight rustling in the brush suggested a squirrel or a rabbit. The last of the golden leaves shimmered above his head as he stretched his long arms and legs. He had been on horseback for nearly two days, his water pouch was empty, and his stomach growled.

Sterling trudged through the little clearing, his worn boots leaving no marks on the sodden, spongy ground beneath his feet, before he stopped abruptly. He stared hard at what seemed to be an apparition. An angel, dressed all in white, sat alone on a fallen log. He walked closer. It was, indeed, a young woman. Perhaps nineteen or twenty years of age, he guessed. She had golden, almost coppery hair that fell loosely around her shoulders and breasts. She gathered her white riding cloak tightly around herself as he approached.

Sterling held up his hand as he moved towards her. Do not be afraid, he said. I approach only in curiosity. I wonder, what manner of wood nymph are you? Why do you sit alone on a log in the middle of the woods? Are you a figment of my imagination, a vision my addled brain has conjured up to ease my aching mind? Or can you truly be human? Are you in need of assistance?

The young woman regarded him closely, and then spoke. Nay, sir, I require no assistance. I am merely sitting here to attract a pale unicorn that is rumored to live in these parts. My master, Lord Radcliffe, has commanded that the unicorn be captured and the horn brought to him.

Sterling knew the legend—only a maiden could attract a unicorn—but he had wondered if it were true. He had spent years in and around these woods and had never seen one. Yet, he kept an open mind. If ever a maiden could lure a unicorn into her midst, it would be this one. He eyed her with interest. She had skin as pale as the moon and eyes as blue as opals. He could see the outline of her firm breasts under her thin bodice of silk as the velvet riding cloak slipped away from her grasp. She was dressed completely in white, except for brown deerskin boots on her small feet. She wore no jewelry, but a thin blue satin ribbon held her unruly hair in place. She wore it around her head like a crown. There was something about her expression that made Sterling’s knees go weak. She regarded him with an open innocence but seemed to hold something back. He wondered what it was. He almost sensed a warning in her eyes.

Bah! He was imagining things. It had been many fortnights since he had lain with a wench. He was sure this one was a virgin, because only a virgin could attract a unicorn. This creature was the most exquisite woman he had ever seen, and her master was Lord Radcliffe! She could not know that he had just defeated her master in battle. Lord Radcliffe’s favorite knight, Sir Robert Galwain, was said to have succumbed to his wounds, which he, Sterling Trevelyan, had inflicted.

What sort of master would send a young maiden into the forest to attract a unicorn? he asked as he continued to stare at the maiden. He wondered whether this conversation was really happening. Perhaps he had been bewitched by his enemies.

Only a maiden can attract a unicorn, she said in a clear, melodious voice. Have you seen it?

Nay, Sterling replied.

The girl sighed. I am growing cold. I have been waiting for Sir Jeremy. Methinks he has been sidetracked, and I am in need of a way back to the castle.

Sterling could not believe what he was hearing. This beautiful young woman had been abandoned! Nightfall was approaching, and she was unprotected in these woods where beasts roamed. Perhaps the unicorn story was just a ploy to abandon her for reasons Sterling could not fathom.

He bowed slightly. Please, miss, let me help you mount my horse. Darby and I will take you wherever you want to go.

The girl started to rise. As if on signal, three masked men appeared out of the shadows and set upon Sterling, dragging him to the ground. He fought them off, lashing out in all directions with his arms for he could not reach his sword. He managed to tear off the face mask of one of them. Sterling recognized him as Lord Radcliffe’s aide-de-camp, Sir Preston Coyle.

The mouth in his swarthy face twisted into a sneer. So, Sir Sterling, you thought the battle was over? Well, it is not. You play the fool, for you are the unicorn Miss Tansy hoped to lure into her trap, and she succeeded well.

Sir Preston and the two other masked men tied Sterling’s hands behind his back with sinew and threw him over the back of a horse. Sterling struggled mightily and made eye contact with Tansy. She had trapped him according to their plan. Oh, when would he learn never to trust a woman? He watched as she gathered up her skirts and hurried into the forest before a blow to his head left him unconscious.

Chapter Two

T ansy ran through the forest, her cloak billowing behind her, its hood flapping uselessly. Her hair flew wildly as its blue ribbon came undone and fell to the ground. Twigs and brush clawed at her clothing as she fled the shameful scene. It was as if the forest itself was reprimanding her for the cruelty she had inflicted on Sir Sterling. Tansy brushed away her tears and tried not to think of what she had done.

Nothing had prepared her for her encounter with Sir Sterling Trevelyan. When she agreed to this treachery she had not