Page 51 of A Husband for Esyllt
“If you will excuse me, I still haven’t broken my fast.” This was a lie but he was not to know it. Or perhaps he did, perhaps he was spying on her at all times. It was not impossible.
“Of course. Enjoy your feast, Lady Sheridan.”
After one last murderous glance in her direction, Matthew left the room. Heart beating hard, Esyllt fell on the fur-covered bench behind her. Her situation was odd to say the least, for the person she had to win over in her marriage and who could make her life hell was not her husband but her brother-in-law, a man as intractable as any she had ever seen. How was she to earn his trust? Earning his affection was most likely an impossible task, but at least she could make him see she did not have to be his enemy.
Though she had indeed already eaten, she helped herself to another piece of bread. After last night’s exertions, she was ravenous. A moment later, Jane ran into the room.
“Are you on your own? Where is everyone? Father, Uncle Matthew?”
“They had some important matters to attend to,” Esyllt told her, offering her a slice of bread smothered in honey.
The little girl accepted it absent-mindedly. “I, too, am on my own. But I want Siân,” she said before taking a bite. “Do you know where she is?”
“I don’t.” Esyllt frowned. “Didn’t you wake up together this morning?”
“Yes, of course, we did. But then I went to speak to the cook and when I came back she was nowhere to be seen.”
“I’m sure she cannot be that far. Finish your bread and we will go and look for her.”
“I’m not very hungry.” Jane placed the slice of bread back on the table.
“Very well. Let’s go now then.”
Esyllt stood up. She couldn’t wait to find her daughter. It was the first time in days Siân had left Jane’s side. The two little girls were constantly together and, without knowing quite why, the fact that Jane didn’t know where she was worried her.
Picking up her skirts, she rushed out of the great hall and almost collided with one of the watchmen who was opening the door at the same moment. He took a step back with an apologetic nod.
“My lady. This is for you.”
Matthew, who was cleaning his sword just a few feet away, let out a snort. “Another ‘friend’, Lady Sheridan?” he sneered, glancing at the missive in her hand. “My word, you are a very busy woman. If I were your husband I would?—”
“You are not my husband, so stop behaving as if you were. You remember your brother’s warning, I wager? He will not have you inconveniencing me in any way, and suggesting I have too many lovers to count certainly qualifies as such. I will notstand for it.” She had the satisfaction of seeing his jaw tighten. He knew she was right and Connor would not countenance him harassing her thus. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a letter to read. And yes, before you make any remarks, we Welsh savages do know how to read.”
She made a point of leaving the bailey before opening the missive, as if she truly had something to hide. Let Matthew think what he wanted of her morals, she knew she had nothing to blame herself for. Her satisfaction did not last long, however.
When she finally opened the letter and saw the short sentence scribbled inside, Esyllt’s heart ceased beating.
Clutching at her chest, she fell to her knees in a puddle of skirts.
Chapter Thirteen
Connor had never felt better in his life. Or at least, not since he’d been a carefree boy roaming the land with his partner in crime, Matthew. And after his night of passion with Esyllt, he had expected her to be radiant, too. But when he entered the great hall late in the afternoon, she looked nothing like the woman he had left in bed at dawn, exhausted by their energetic lovemaking but glowing. She was pale and drawn, and it seemed to him that her hands were trembling.
This was not what he wanted to see. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Is anything the matter?” he asked, speaking into her ear.
That was a stupid question. It was clear that something had upset her. What? Who? His guts seized as a thought crossed his mind. Not him, surely? Had his ardor last night frightened her? True, he had been quite relentless in his attentions, but she had welcomed every caress, and sometimes even initiated them. After all they had done, he didn’t think she would refuse to be held in his arms again, but she quickly disentangled herself from his embrace, as if she couldn’t bear to be held.
“No. I’m fine.” Her voice was strained, and there was an edge of panic in it.
“Don’t lie to me, I can tell something is wrong,” he said, stroking her cheek. “Let me help.”
In the corner of his eye he saw Matthew scowl at this unusual display of tenderness on his part. No surprises there. His brother would not have the patience or the inclination to listen to a woman’s complaints. But he would. He wanted to ease Esyllt’s burden. Something was bothering her and if Matthew could be excused for brushing it away, he could not. As her husband, it was his responsibility to be there for her. Even more pointedly, hewantedto be there for her.
“Well?” He peered into her eyes.
“’Tis nothing, I assure you,” she mumbled. “Mayhap I ate something that did not agree with me this morning.”
