“It was no trouble.” Honora forced herself to walk calmly to the door, bidding him good night. When what she’d really wanted to do was flee back to her room, hiding her burning cheeks beneath the coverlet.
Friends, he’d said. She didn’t know how that would ever be possible.
Ewanwaitednearthestables, the midmorning sun casting beams amid the clouds. His brother Bevan had left at dawn to visit with his father-in-law, the Earl of Longford. No doubt the earl would pressure Bevan to return to Éireann, to be at Genevieve’s side for the new birth. Ewan hoped he could convince Katherine to wed him sooner and thereby grant Bevan his wish.
In the meantime, he’d been granted the chance to spend more time with Katherine. None of the other suitors had done so, to his knowledge, and it boded well for his chances of winning her hand.
Katherine had done her best to tend his wounds last night, though she couldn’t have endured sewing up the gash the way her sister had. Honora didn’t cringe at the sight of blood or injuries, having sewn up a fair number of them over the years. He could easily see her doing the same for half a dozen sons, if she bore children of her own one day.
The thought pricked him. Honora didn’t want to wed, and though he suspected part of it was her reluctance to let a man hold dominion over her, he sensed a shadow from her former marriage. Something had happened, something she would never admit. It bothered him to think of Honora falling victim to a man, even her husband.
At that moment, Katherine arrived, her smile welcoming. Her emerald bliaud contrasted against her fair skin and white veil, making her blue eyes appear more vivid.
“Ewan,” she greeted him with a smile. Behind her stood Honora, holding a basket. He recalled that Katherine had asked her to accompany them. Once again, Honora appeared desperately uncomfortable, and Ewan hardly blamed her.
“I hope you are feeling better after yesterday,” Katherine continued. She drew closer, studying the cut upon his lip.
In truth, his arm still ached, but Ewan said nothing about it. “I am, yes.”
“Good. Then let us ride out. I am weary of these walls.”
Within a few minutes, they were mounted and traveling outside the castle gates. Katherine led the way, while Ewan followed. Honora remained behind them at first, but a few moments later, she brought her horse alongside his. She wore a serviceable gray bliaud, her hair hidden by a veil. Only a slim golden girdle around her waist gave any color. She seemed ill at ease but offered, “I tried to convince her to go alone.”
Her comment was an apology, but he appreciated the effort nonetheless. He shrugged. “There are worse places to be than in the company of two beautiful women.”
“I am not beautiful, and both of us know it. Don’t mock me.” The words were spoken calmly, not in anger, but by a woman who believed them. Urging her horse forward, Honora joined her sister.
Not beautiful? Did she truly think that? No, she didn’t have the soft beauty of her sister. But the wildness of her and the shorn hair gave Honora an exotic appearance, one that most men did not perceive from the veil she wore.
She had changed, more than he’d realized. Though Honora had always had an intensity to her demeanor, fighting hard and arguing harder, never had he said anything against her looks. Who had convinced her that she was unattractive? Her husband? If that were true, then it was a good thing the bastard was dead.
Katherine drew her mare to a stop near an open clearing. Honora joined her and took the two horses to let them graze. In the distance, shadowed mountains stretched up, covered with green trees. Gray skies dotted with heavy clouds foretold an afternoon rain.
Ewan dismounted, and Honora took the animal from him without asking. By tending the horses, she avoided both of them, giving him and Katherine time to speak alone.
Katherine chose a large rock to sit upon, and green grass speared up around her ankles from amid the dead growth of last winter. Honora remained closer to the hillside, and she rubbed one of the horses down while studying their surroundings. The wind blew against her veil, revealing a hint of dark hair against her slender neck.
She looked pensive, worry creasing her face. Ewan didn’t know what troubled her, but he suspected it was more than the thief. Her reluctance to confide in him made it seem far worse.
She lifted her eyes to his, and he tried to reassure her without words. Shaking her head, Honora turned away in silent rebuke.
She was right. He had no business interfering in her life, and it wasn’t any of his concern.
“Ewan, could you help me with this?” Katherine struggled to lift down a basket of food. His stomach was raging, though it was not nearly time for a meal.
Ewan offered a friendly smile and asked, “What did you bring with you?”
“I thought we could enjoy our noon meal out of doors.”
Praise be to the saints. Ewan sent her a hopeful look. “Must we truly wait that long?”
“Not if you are hungry now.” A laugh escaped her, and she opened the basket. While he helped himself to a cold leg of chicken, Honora was still lagging behind.
“Are you going to join us?” he asked.
“What?” Honora glanced up and saw the food. “No, I’m not hungry.”
He sat with Katherine, wondering what to say to her. This was his first opportunity to demonstrate that he would be an excellent husband for her. And yet, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say, beyond a simple thanks for the food.
