“Shut up!” Roger roared.
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” Alice taunted.
Roger clenched his jaw. “My brother will not marry a Montgomery.”
Brian pulled himself up to his full height. He was half the size of Roger. “Iwillmarry Mary,” he said firmly.
Alice laughed again. “You should have put him in charge of the other one. He might have spent his lust on her but at least he wouldn’t be talking of marriage.”
“What are you talking about, you hag?” Brian demanded. “What other one?”
Alice glared at him through her veil. “How dare you?” she gasped. “How dare you call me a hag? My beauty was so great that once I wouldn’t have looked at a crippled weakling like you.”
Roger took a step forward. “Get out of here before I scar your other cheek.”
Alice snarled at him before she turned to leave. “Ask him about Bronwyn upstairs,” she laughed before she hurried from the room.
Roger turned to meet Brian’s cold eyes. He didn’t like the way Brian was looking at him. It was almost as if Brian no longer worshipped his big brother.
“You said you released her,” Brian said flatly. “How many other lies have you told me?”
“Now, Brian,” Roger began in that special tone he always used for his little brother and sister.
Brian moved away from him. “I am not a child and I will not be treated as one! What a fool I’ve been! No wonder the Montgomerys don’t attack us. You hold two of their women, don’t you? How could I have listened to you? I never even questioned that whatever you did was right. I was too happy with Mary to even think for myself. But then I’ve always been too busy to think for myself, haven’t I?”
“Brian, please…”
“No!” Brian shouted. “For once you’re going to listen to me. Tomorrow morning I’m going to take Mary and Bronwyn back to their family.”
Roger could feel the hair rising on the back of his neck. “They are my prisoners and you will do no such thing.”
“Why are they your prisoners?” Brian asked. “Because you attacked Stephen Montgomery’s back? Because you were beaten by him?”
Roger staggered backward. “Brian, how can you talk to me like this? After all I’ve done for you?”
“I’m sick of hearing how you saved my life and Elizabeth’s! I’m sick of being grateful to you every moment of my life. I’ve served my time of being your little brother. I’m a grown man now, and I can make my own decisions.”
“Brian,” Roger whispered. “I never meant to ask gratitude from you. You and Elizabeth have been my whole life. I have no one else. I never wanted anyone else.”
Brian sighed and his anger left him. “I know you didn’t. You’ve always been good to us, but it’s time now to leave you and get out on my own. I want to marry Mary, and I mean to do it.” He turned away. “Tomorrow I will take the women home.”
Roger began shaking as soon as Brian left the room. No battle or tournament had ever left him as weak as this confrontation with Brian had. Moment by moment he’d seen his dear, sweet little brother change. He’d seen Brian’s blind adoration of his big brother leave him.
Roger collapsed in a chair and stared at the tiled floor. Brian and Elizabeth were all he had. The three of them had stayed together, a strong force against Edmund’s evilness. Elizabeth had always been independent. Her angelic face hid a strong nature, and she’d often stood up to Edmund. But Brian had always looked to Roger for love and protection. Brian was content to allow Roger to make all his decisions for him. And Roger loved the role. He loved Brian’s worship of him.
But tonight he’d seen that adoration drain away. Brian had changed from a sweet, loving young boy into a hostile, demanding, arrogant man.
And all because of the Montgomerys!
Roger didn’t know when he started drinking. The wine seemed available, and he took it without a thought for what he did. All he could remember were Brian’s cold eyes and that the Montgomerys had even cost him his brother’s love.
The more he drank, the more he thought of all the troubles the Montgomerys had caused him. Alice’s lost beauty seemed to be a direct insult to him. After all, she was his relative. Judith and Gavin had toyed with Alice; worst of all, they’d laughed at her—just as they laughed at Roger. He could hear the taunts of the men at court, where he’d gone after his battle with Stephen. “I hear you made a play for that little chieftess of Montgomery’s. Not that I blame you from what I heard, but were you so hot for her you sought her at the cost of Stephen’s back?”
Over and over the words came back to him. King Henry’s son had just married a Spanish princess, and the king did not want his good mood spoiled by Roger’s unchivalrous activities.
Roger slammed down his pewter tankard on the chair arm, and a piece of the carving fell away. “Damn them all!” he cursed. Brian was ready to throw away years of love and loyalty for a woman he hardly knew. He thought of Bronwyn’s trick of laughing at him when he’d tried to make love to her. A whore’s trick! Just like Mary’s trick of telling Brian she wasn’t of the church. Brian seemed to think Mary was pure, worthy of marriage, but she was clever enough to be able to seduce an innocent boy ten years her junior. Did she hope to use him to gain her freedom, or was she trying for the Chatworth wealth? The Montgomerys were making a habit of marrying great fortunes.
Roger rose unsteadily to his feet. It was his duty, as Brian’s guardian, to show his little brother what lying bitches all women were. They were like Alice or Bronwyn. None of them were sweet and gentle, and certainly none were worthy of his brother Brian.
