Page 59 of A Husband for Esyllt
The exaggerated politeness was chilling. She was treated with all the deference due to a female guest, but nothing more. There was nothing personal in his welcome, no warmth in his voice, no tenderness in his eyes. She could have been anyone. The only consolation was that Matthew had not witnessed her humiliation. She would not have been able to keep tears at bay if she’d seen him smirk at the cold welcome she’d gotten from her husband.
Esyllt followed the maid who had been called and instructed to lead her to the chamber at the top of the tower. The message was clear.
They would not be sleeping in each other’s arms tonight.
He would have to go and see her without delay, Connor realized as he watched Esyllt disappear though the door. He would not be able to wait long before wanting to hear what she had to say. Of course, it might be about her betrayal, but he sensed there was something else. If she had only meant to sway him, it would have been in her best interest to wait until he’d calmed down enough to go back to Esgyrn Castle. The mere fact that he’d gone to her would have indicated that he was ready tohear her out. Instead, she had risked reawakening his wrath by coming here unannounced.
That was another thing. Why had she decided to come without warning, or without requesting a proper escort? She’d brought half a dozen men at arms with her, which was hardly adequate protection for a woman and child traveling through rebel country. He would have to have a word with John to ask why he had heeded his wife’s instructions and not insisted on taking more men with them. He should have remonstrated with the man upon arrival, but he had been unable to think.
The shock of seeing Esyllt in the great hall had made it impossible for him to know how to act. Worse had been his reaction. His heart had leapt, his whole body had surged in recognition.
He still loved her, fool that he was.
It was the only explanation for it. If he did not, he would not have felt the urge to run to her and crush her in his arms as soon as he’d seen her. It had been safer to assume a cold demeanor and keep a safe distance between them. Matthew’s presence just behind the door had helped as well. Without him, Connor might well have started to blurt out unwise words, and behaved like he could not afford.
As soon as he was alone, that door opened, allowing his brother into the room.
“Are you going to listen to her explanations then?” Matthew crossed his arms over his chest in obvious disapproval.
“I don’t know.” He had not requested her presence, but she was here now, so what harm could it do to have the discussion they needed to have?
“You almost died a painful death because of her. You’d be a fool to allow her feminine wiles to sway you.”
Connor did not try to repress his irritation at this unfair comment. He had never allowed anyone to sway him, he was notabout to start now. And Esyllt’s beauty was not the only reason he was drawn to her. His brother should have guessed that.
“I will do no such thing. But if she were a man, I would want to hear what she has to say for herself and judge accordingly. I think the least I can do is extend the same courtesy. We are married. I cannot discard her on a whim.”
Over the last three months he’d had time to heal and think, and he could not shake the feeling that something was not quite right. It was time to get to the bottom of what had really happened. Suddenly, he was very glad Esyllt had come.
Matthew was not so easily impressed. “If she were a man, you wouldn’t be married to her, would you, and she wouldn’t be in a position to ensnare you with what is hidden under her skir?—”
“I will thank you for keeping your lewd comments to yourself,” Connor snarled, goaded beyond endurance. “Youare a man, so I won’t hesitate to send you to the ground if you show her any disrespect or speak of her in those terms again. Regardless of what happened, she is still my wife. Do not make the mistake of forgetting it ever again.”
With those words, he ran out of the room. He would give Esyllt time to rest, but then he would go find her.
The feeling between her legs was not normal.
Upon waking up from her well-deserved nap, Esyllt had started to feel odd. Attributing it to her nervousness at the idea of facing Connor after his unpromising welcome, she had done her best to push her discomfort from her mind. She had to focus on the mission ahead. This time, no matter what reception she got, she would not get defeated, she would speak to him.
And he would listen.
By the time she had reached the bottom of the spiral staircase on legs that felt unsteady, however, she could not ignore her instinct any longer. Something wasn’t right. Holding her breath, she slipped a hand underneath her skirts. When she brought her fingers up for inspection she found them stained with blood. It was not much but it was unmistakable. Esyllt stared at her hand in horror and then started to tremble. This was not her monthly courses, could not be. It could only be one other thing.
“No! No, no, no!” she whimpered.
What had she done? Surely a week of relentless riding was not the best thing she could have endured in her condition... And here was the result.
A noise made her lift her head and she found herself staring straight into Connor’s green eyes. He was standing by the door, a frown on his face. Lost to her despair, she had not heard his approach. For what felt like an eternity, they both looked at her hand, which was red with her blood.
“What the devil is—” he started.
“I don’t want to lose my baby,” Esyllt said, feeling as if she were about to faint. All thoughts of breaking the news gently to him vanished as she leaned on the table for support. There was only room for wild panic inside her. “I don’t... I can’t... Please. I don’t want to lose my baby.”
The floor opened under Connor’s feet. Baby? Esyllt was with child, and she was bleeding?
Oh, God.
He’d been champing at the bit all afternoon, desperate to go to her. Eventually, deciding she was rested enough for a discussion, he had elected to go and speak to her. At first, he had been relieved to see her already up and in the great hall. Relief had quickly morphed into horror when he’d seen the red stain on her hand.
