But Rosamund slowed the pace of her horse. ‘I would rather not see him again. He was the one who forced me to marry Alan. I blame my father for what happened to us.’ She drew her horse to a stop and regarded him. ‘You plan to leave me behind, don’t you?’
He inclined his head. After last night, some distance would be good. It bothered him that she was afraid of bearing another child and did not believe him capable of taking care of them. She had already given up on the idea of Pevensham, and he possessed no lands and no estate.
He was exactly the sort of man her father despised. And he knew that Harold de Beaufort would grant sanctuary to his daughter...but not to him.
Warrick drew his horse to a stop and met her gaze. ‘I will leave you in your father’s care until I have settled the matter of Pevensham. I must go to the king.’ He motioned for his men to stay back, to give them privacy to speak freely.
‘Why would you leave me behind?’ she demanded. ‘Especially now?’
‘Your father will guard you.’
She gave him an incredulous look. ‘I have hated my father since the day he gave me to Alan. He tried to kill you, or have you forgotten?’
‘It was my own father who gave the order for me to be struck down. And no, I have not forgotten.’ The scars of the whip remained upon his back, and he would never forgive his father for them.
She paled and closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I thought it would be different this time, Warrick. I thought you would fight for us.’
‘That is precisely what I’m doing,’ he said coolly. He drew his horse alongside hers and said, ‘I have nowhere to give you shelter, don’t you understand? I cannot take you to my father’s lands, and if I travel to Scotland to my brother’s estate, Owen’s men will seize you.’
‘He cares nothing for me.’ Her green eyes swelled with tears, and it bothered him to see this.
‘He cares a great deal for any child you might bear. And I will not put you at risk.’ A darkness slid through his veins at the thought of the daughter he had never held.
‘Do you think so little of yourself that we cannot remain together?’ Rosamund demanded. ‘Why would you turn from me again?’
‘I have only two men!’ he shot back. ‘Owen has an army. And if you think I would dare to risk your life and the life of an unborn child, you are mistaken.’ He knew too well the dangers they faced. He wanted Rosamund safely guarded behind stone walls, with dozens of men to defend her.
She paled and closed her eyes for a moment. ‘This isn’t only about protecting me, is it? It’s about our daughter. You’re angry with me after what I told you.’
It did fester inside him, and he would not deny it. ‘You should never have kept such a secret from me.’ He could not hide the cold anger from his tone and made no effort to do so.
She brought the mare closer to him, forcing him to stop riding. ‘Warrick, I cannot change the mistakes I made. All I can do is try to make amends for the past.’
He saw the pain in her expression and the sadness. There was no question that she regretted what she had done, but he needed time.
‘Stay with your father until I return for you,’ he said softly.
Rosamund reached out to his hand, tracing the edge of his thumb. Her touch seared him, and then she threaded her fingers with his. ‘I am your wife, Warrick. And whatever happens, we will make a life together—one we should have had three years ago.’
He was weary from a night of no sleep, but he gave a nod of acknowledgement. ‘We should reach your father’s holdings by nightfall.’
* * *
Rosamund didn’t know how to lift her husband’s mood. The closer they rode towards her father’s lands, the more tension rose between them. He ordered her to remain with his men while he rode ahead. She obeyed but didn’t like the idea.
‘For a man newly wedded, he seems on edge,’ Bennett remarked. The soldier eyed her and added, ‘I suppose he’s been too long without a woman. Last night wasn’t nearly enough.’ His teasing smile made her blush.
‘He is concerned about Pevensham,’ she admitted. ‘I think he intends to leave me here.’ And despite his insistence that it would keep her safe, she didn’t want to be abandoned.
‘You could sweeten his mood,’ Godfrey added. ‘A man is easily led by his pr—’
‘Quiet,’ Bennett interrupted. ‘She’s a lady, not a serving wench.’
Godfrey shrugged in mock innocence. ‘Be that as it may, there’s no doubting that the man could use a good romp or two.’
Rosamund clamped her hands over her ears. ‘Enough of this.’ Though she supposed the men were trying to be helpful, it was not a subject she wanted to discuss.
But she understood their meaning. Warrick was angry with her, and his mood was still simmering, despite his shielded expression. This was not finished yet, and she needed to confront him.
