“If that is what I believe, then I have fallen far short,” she said.
The words burned her throat and she hid her face again. Darragh shifted slightly and halted his soothing caresses, clearly discomfited by what she was saying. Soon enough he would be confronted with her misdeeds and then he would be encouraged to set her aside.
“A ghráidh,”he continued to soothe her, “ye have never fallen short in my eyes. Yer spirit is what intrigues me the most. I was not able to share that with my own family. They are more… traditional. But here? They knew quite well what I truly thought of ye. While I heard my father speak of the need to set away childish things, I found myself wanting to spar with ye, to test yer mettle.”
Brighit cringed inside. He thought so highly of her, and yet she had agreed to extol the virtues of a man who had none. She no longer believed she could speak in Seigine’s favor, even if Darragh had to pay the price for what she had done. To lie in such a way would only dishonor her husband.
“Here I can be myself and not the warrior son my father wants me to be,” Darragh said, smiling at her. “Here I studied the law, learning to become abrithemmyself. I may even be called upon for advice when the murderer is found.”
Aghast, she pulled back to stare at him and covered her mouth.
“Does that displease ye? I shared with ye that I may never be king.”
She shook her head. How terrible it would be for him to be the one to decide her fateandhis own.
“Then why would ye be upset?”
Closing her eyes, she swallowed down her fears. These were the words of a man who cared for her, and she didn’t want to destroy that with the truth. Not yet. Unless she was going to tell him here and now what had happened, something she was not yet ready to do, she needed to reassure him.
“I am overwrought by everything. Forgiveness please.”
“If ye are overwrought, then we will go to our room.” He nuzzled her hair. “I believe we have some unfinished things to see to.”
Hopeless, she merely nodded. No longer able to fight against the inevitable. She would be exposed as a murderer because the price for Seigine’s silence was too high.
“I would like that.”
Chapter 21
The decision was made that Francis would accompany Darragh and his men back to Drogheda following the shorter coastal route. A long enough ride, but there was a sense of urgency that Brighit could not quite understand. When she awoke to an empty bed, she assumed Darragh had gone to break his fast. Instead, she found him in the entry hall. Pacing. His broad smile and gentle kiss set aside any worries that his dark mood was her doing.
“What is amiss?” she asked.
“We are ready to depart as soon as ye have broken yer fast, my love.”
She dropped her gaze, not wanting any questions about the fear he might see there. “I will do so quickly.”
Darragh offered her his arm and accompanied her into the hall. Many of the Meachair clan were still partaking of the meal, but the warriors who’d come with them were missing.
“Francis is excited to be a part of the group of nobles. As am I.” He beamed at her, selecting food from what had been set out on the side table. “The treaty put to writing the practices carried out for generations by many of us. My father’s clan. Yer father’s clan.” He poured her some mead and refilled his own mug, taking a deep swallow before continuing. “The treaty is a way to bring the others in line, which will be less of a challenge with everything written down for all to see. A very exciting time.”
His smile couldn’t be contained. She nodded, shoveling a spoonful of the porridge into her mouth to avoid speaking.
“I will be back anon.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and was gone.
“Ye haven’t told him still?” Terrence spoke from just behind her, his voice only loud enough for her to hear.
She swallowed. “Of what d’ye speak?”
Turning to him, she feigned confusion at the question, but his expression never wavered.
“Ye know what I refer to. If it was not him, he needs to know who it was.”
Turning back to her porridge, she closed her eyes, struggling to steady her breathing and her fears. “Ye take on too much. See to yer own duty.”
Her clipped words carried enough irritation that anyone else would have taken the hint and left her alone. Not Terrence. He stood there. Unmoving.
Brighit felt the weight of his rift with Darragh. She knew she was the cause of it, but she wanted more time with her husband.
