Page 68 of Wolfehound
She was wiping at her eyes furiously as he tried to comfort her. “I know it is overwhelming,” he said. “But you have been so brave, sweetheart. You only have to be brave a little longer.”
She was crying softly. “I’ll have to be brave for the rest of my life,” she said. “The king is going to know you married me. He is going to know and he is going to punish you and your father for this. This will never end!”
She was starting to ramble, and he left his chair, going down on his knees in front of her with the intention of taking her in his arms, but the moment he did so, the dog suddenly appeared and licked his face, licked Cambria’s face, and tried to insert himselfbetween them. Cambria had to cover her face with her hands because of the dog’s tongue as Liam pushed the animal away.
“He loves you,” he said gently. “As do I. We do not like to see you so sad.”
Cambria pulled her hands away from her face, though she was wiping tears from her cheeks. “Mayhap you should simply take me to the priory,” she said. “The king cannot get to me there and you would not be in trouble with him.”
“I am not in trouble with him,” Liam said. “Nor is my father. And if there is a woman at Sempringham Priory who bears your name, youarethere. There will be no trouble at all.”
“Then why must we flee north, to Questing?”
This was the second part of the news he had to break to her. She was already frightened and he was loath to exacerbate that fear, but it couldn’t be helped. She had to know, and if he didn’t tell her now, she would find out sooner or later.
“Because Canterbury has sent a man north to check on the rumors,” he said. “This man is a spy, so he is used to investigating things. The fear is that he might not be satisfied with the woman at the priory and come to Folkingham because he will know of the rumor that your father raised the true Welsh princess. When he comes, you must not be here.”
“Then why not simply hide me?” she said. “Why must we run?”
“Because it would be better if you were not here at all,” he said. “If there is a man hunting for you, I do not want him anywhere near you. More than that, you and I are to start our life together, and we may as well start it now.”
“But we are not married yet.”
“We will be before the day is out.”
Her tears were fading as she realized the very thing she’d been waiting for her entire life was here. It was finally going to happen, even if it was under duress.
She smiled timidly.
“And I shall be Lady Herringthorpe,” she said. “Do you know that I have practiced writing that name?”
He smiled in return, glad to see that she was no longer weeping and frightened. “I have been calling you that in my mind for a few years now,” he said. “Whenever I speak of you to my friends, I always refer to you as Lady Herringthorpe. And that reminds me that I brought something for you.”
“You did?” she said, excited. “What? Where is it?”
Bran came around again, with more licking and tail wagging, and Liam stood up so he’d be out of the line of doggy fire. “In my bags,” he said. “Those are in the wagons.”
“Where are the wagons?”
He shook his head. “I am not certain,” he said. “But I can find them and retrieve the gift forthwith.”
She stood up. “Let me come with you.”
Liam shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “You remain here. I do not want you out of this keep until we can be married and depart for the north.”
She frowned. “You would keep me like a prisoner?”
“I would keep you safe,” he said, pinching her chin gently and depositing a kiss on her forehead. “Remain here and I will return shortly.”
He turned away, but her soft voice stopped him. “Is that all you intend to do when you leave me?”
He looked at her. “What do you mean?”
She pointed to her forehead. “You only intend to kiss me here?”
A wolfish grin creased his lips. “Where do you want me to kiss you, lass?”
He said it seductively and she flushed a bright pink, but she was grinning. “There are better places to kiss the woman you love.”
