Her silence only made him suspect the worst. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “Not me, no.” The rush of color in her face made her pull her hand back, and she covered her cheeks.
Then John had hurt someone else. And from the look of it, Honora felt responsible.
She took another step backwards, and he realized he was inadvertently cornering her. He forced himself to let her go. “You asked me to keep him away from you. Do you still want that?”
Her shoulders lowered. “It isn’t fair of me, I know. You cannot stay with me at every moment. I suppose it’s time that I faced my fears.”
But she looked far from eager to do so. She left the battlements, and he didn’t follow, though he wanted to.
Honora deserved happiness after her first marriage. And if she decided to wed, Ewan wanted her to choose a man who would care for her. After being fostered together with the Earl of Longford, he knew Honora as well as a sister.
A shot of guilt pooled inside. His thoughts toward her had never been of the brotherly nature. Especially not after he’d felt her body pressed up close to his. The soft sounds she’d uttered in her throat when he’d kissed her, driving him beyond reason, made her dangerous.
It was lust; that was all. He could curb those feelings easily enough. It was best to put her from his mind, concentrating on the woman whose heart he truly wanted.
Twomoredayspassed,and Honora hadn’t seen John. She knew better than to believe he would leave her alone. No, he would wait for her to let down her guard, before making his move.
Her sister felt no such uneasiness. This morning, Katherine’s eyes were bright with excitement. “He’s taking me out riding,” she confessed, while she dressed, pulling her bliaud over her head.
“Who is?”
“Ewan, of course.” Katherine raised her arms so her maid could finish helping her dress. “You’re not to tell anyone,” her sister warned. “Especially Father. He’s far too protective of me.”
“And with reason.” Honora didn’t like this idea at all. Her sister was young, too naïve about the ways of men. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“Ewan wants to know me better, so he said. And I—I think I’m going to accept him for a husband, Honora. Don’t you think a bride should have time alone with her betrothed?”
You’re not betrothed yet,Honora thought. She closed her eyes, counting to three. Of course Katherine would want to be alone with Ewan. But what if MacEgan tried to seduce her sister? What if he touched her, in the manner of a lover?
The way he’d touched her.
Honora fisted the edges of her own gown, wishing she’d never allowed it. She didn’t want to know what Ewan’s mouth tasted like, what his body felt like.
And she didn’t want Katherine to know it either. Her sister was far too innocent to be alone with a man. If Ewan dared to lay a finger on Katherine, Honora would cut off his hands and feed them to the dogs.
“Where are you going?” Honora kept her tone casual, as if she didn’t care. The more she thought about them together, the more she worried about her sister.
“To the old abbey. The ruins are romantic, don’t you think?” Her sister’s expression turned dreamy, and Honor let out a sigh.
“I think they’ll crumble and bury you alive if you get too close.”
Her sister rolled her eyes. “I should have known better than to ask you.”
“Well, it’s true. Go there, if you want, but don’t let him kiss you.”
“And why not? He looks like a man who knows how to kiss.”
He certainly does,Honora thought, but it wasn’t a good idea to say so. “You’re so young, Katherine. Be careful.”
“I am nineteen years old. Many women wed at the age of thirteen.”
“And thank the Blessed Virgin, you weren’t one of them.”
Katherine sat down upon the bed, her hands folded across one knee. “I never asked you . . . what it was like between a man and a woman. But, Honora, I want to know. You were married. What’s it like when a man touches you?”
Oh, Jesu. Her cheeks flamed. How was she supposed to answer that? Katherine knew nothing of the way it was meant to be. Ranulf had been unspeakably cruel, and it had been her fault. If she’d kept her fighting skills hidden from him, he’d never have been the wiser. A good wife was not expected to fight off her husband on their wedding night. Nor was she supposed to wound and defeat him.
