He didn’t listen but continued walking until he stood before her. Without asking permission, he reached for the laces of her bodice. Though he said nothing, he loosened them, until the gown hung against her shoulders, exposing her shift. His touch made her grow cold inside, and she longed to cover herself.
‘Lie down on the bed,’ he commanded.
She didn’t move. Her mind was spiralling with fear, and all she knew was that she did not want Alan to share her bed. Instead, she reached for her gown and pulled it upright again. ‘Please go.’
His response was to seize her and pull her close. He reached for the edge of her gown, pulling it lower. Rosamund let out a cry of shock. ‘What are you doing, Alan?’
He turned her body so her back was to his chest. Against her backside, she felt the ridge of his erection. ‘You are still my wife, Rosamund. If I want to lie with you, I will.’
She fought to free herself from him, but he had regained some of his strength. Though he was not as tall as Warrick, and had been bedridden until a few days ago, he was not a weak man. Against her ear, he gritted out, ‘Perhaps you were not here because you went tohisbed. You wanted to be with your lover.’
Fury raged through her, and she finally found the strength to break free of him. ‘It was you who brought this upon us. I sat by your side, day after day, praying for your recovery.Youwere the one who sent for Warrick.Youwere the one who demanded that I lie with him, and you cared nothing at all about my feelings.’
Rosamund straightened her bodice and glared at him. ‘How dare you demand that I give myself to you now, after all that you did? Why would I want you to touch me?’ She was beyond fury, and when he tried to seize her again, she picked up her eating knife from a nearby table. ‘Go back to your chamber and leave me alone, Alan.’
His eyes glittered as he stared back at her. ‘I am sending him away. You will not see him again.’
She met his anger with rage of her own. For all her life, she had been obedient and demure. She had accepted the orders of men, she had done first her father’s bidding and then her husband’s. But she was finished with all of it.
‘Go,’ she repeated softly.
His glare held hatred, but there must have been a shred of honour remaining, for he did leave at last. When the passageway closed behind him, she shoved a heavy table in front of the entrance so he would not return.
Then she sat down on her bed and wept. She cried for three years of marriage to a man she had never loved, a man who had wanted her desperately. And now she was trapped with him, unless she abandoned all honour and fled with Warrick. Owen would surely murder his brother, and with no heir for Alan, Owen would inherit everything.
The heaviness of her pain weighed down upon her, and she did not know if she dared to reach for a different life. It defied the vows of marriage she had spoken, and she hardly knew what to do any more.
A knock sounded upon her door, but she didn’t move from her bed. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation with her husband. But the knocking was louder this time, and she heard Warrick call out, ‘Rosamund! Are you unharmed?’
She dried her tears and rose from the bed, not knowing how to answer him. At last, she crossed the room and murmured. ‘I am all right.’
‘Open the door,’ he commanded.
She did, and the moment he saw her, his face transformed. ‘What happened? Tell me.’
Her hands were shaking, but he closed the door behind him. He was still wearing his armour, but his blue eyes turned grim.
‘Alan came to my chamber,’ she managed to answer. Her voice held a tremor, and Warrick’s hands clenched.
‘I am going to kill him.’
‘Don’t.’ She touched her palm to his chest. ‘I—I made him leave me alone.’
But his gaze settled upon her shaking hands, and his jaw tightened. ‘What did he do, Rosamund?’
‘Nothing,’ she said dully. Her stomach twisted, and she admitted, ‘He tried to touch me, but I sent him away.’
Warrick pulled her into his arms, resting his chin upon her hair. She took comfort from his strong presence, trying not to think about what would happen now. Instead, she simply breathed in his masculine scent, closing her eyes.
He stroked her hair back and held her. ‘You were right about the wall. It was Fitzwarren who broke through, and he brought men with him who are loyal to Owen. They imprisoned Bennett and Godfrey.’
She tensed within his arms. ‘What will you do now?’
He pulled back and regarded her. ‘I will do what is necessary to protect Pevensham. And you.’
She held on to his hands, suddenly afraid. There was no way to know how many men would fight alongside Warrick or how many would try to betray him. ‘Be careful.’
From nearby, there was a sudden noise, like a table falling over. She tightened her hands upon his, and Warrick assured her, ‘I will go and see what it is.’
