Liam sat in a chair in front of the fire, as did Barry. They both sipped Irish whiskey. “Katherine does not know about my involvement with FitzMaurice, and I prefer that she remain in ignorance.”
Barry started. “Has she not asked how I came to be upon your ship, and wounded at that?”
Liam stared unsmiling into his glass. “Aye, she has. I lied. I told her I broughtyouwinter supplies, and that we were attacked by bandits.”
“And she believed you?”
“Yes, she believed me,” Liam said harshly. “’Tis better that I lie to her. She would not understand the truth.”
“Considering that FitzMaurice wishes to usurp what once belonged to her father, why, I would not blame her for feeling betrayed,” Barry agreed.
Katherine stood frozen upon the threshold of the hall. She had heard their every damning word. In her hands was a trencher containing fresh meat pies. The trencher dropped from her hands. The pies splattered upon the floor; the trencher clattered and rolled away.
Liam was involved with FitzMaurice? No—it could not be!
Both men jumped; Liam turned and paled when he saw her standing there.
Katherine stared at his beautiful face, in absolute shock, absolute disbelief. “Tell me it is not true,” she whispered hoarsely. “Liam?”
“I do not think you have heard me correctly, Kate,” he said softly, and then he reached and touched her face.
She shrugged him off. “I heard you tell Hugh that you are lying to me. That you are involved with my father’s worst enemy! How are you involved with FitzMaurice?”
Liam swallowed. “Dearheart, this is not as it seems.”
She batted his hands away again, in disbelief, with rising fury—and with real panic. “No! Tell me now, tell me the truth, tell me I have misunderstood what I have heard—before I go down to the village and ask every single sailor who has sailed with you about your long, secret voyages!”
“You have misunderstood,” he insisted.
Katherine saw the anguish in his eyes, and the fear, and her own heart was torn in two. She faced Barry. “Hugh?”
Barry’s eyes widened.
“What is he doing, Hugh?” When he did not answer,paler now himself, she shouted, “You owe me your life, answer me, Hugh!”
Barry got to his feet slowly. “I also owe Liam my life, Katie.”
Katherine faced her husband, her fists clenched. Her heart hurt her now. Disbelief was giving way to pure, cloying fear. “How have I misunderstood you, Liam? How?”
“’Tis but a ploy,” he said, “my support of FitzMaurice.”
Katherine stared at him. Her breast heaved. In that instant her entire world collapsed. His words were a crucifying admission of guilt. “So you do not deny it. You do not deny you are aiding my father’s worst enemy?”
Liam flinched. “Katherine—I am aiding him, but ’tis hardly what you think. I have your father’s interests at heart.”
He was aiding FitzMaurice. “My father’s interests?” she whispered, tears forming now in her eyes.Oh, God, how could this be? How could Liam betray her like this? He was her husband!
Liam began to speak now, in a low, soothing tone, but Katherine turned her back to him, covering her face with her hands, shaking. She did not hear a word he said. Liam, whom she loved, was aiding FitzMaurice. When only a few months ago she had asked him to aid her father. He had lied, telling her that he did help Gerald—he had told her to trust him. And she had.
Liam could not possibly love her.
Oh, God.
Barry moved past her and out of the room, leaving them alone, but Katherine was not even aware of him.
“Katherine,” Liam whispered, gripping her shoulders from behind. “I am trying to explain this game to you. You must listen to me very carefully.”
Violently Katherine shook him off, whirling to face him, her face contorted in rage—and hatred. “No! There is nothing to explain—bastard! Liar! Cheat!” And she began to beat him with her fists.
