“Nay, Warrick, you do not understand at all. I cannot wed you now. I—I am already wed to Miles.”
A long silence followed. Rowena was shocked. She could not begin to imagine what Warrick must feel.
His voice, however, was amazingly mild when he finally asked, “Then what do you here, with your father, who seems to think he brought you here for a wedding?”
Rowena stepped to Warrick’s side, too curious now to miss a word of this. The lady was wringing her hands, but Rowena was surprised to see that Warrick did not seem to be as disturbed by this news as he should be.
“When my father found me in London, Miles was sent to York on the king’s business, so not with me. I—I could not tell Father the truth. He had forbade me to see Miles again after he had refused his suit. He wanted you for a son-by-marriage. No one else would do.”
“Lady, I cared not for your father’s approval to wed you. ’Twas your consent I asked for, and you gave it.”
“I was forced to give it. For the same reason, I could not tell my father I had wed with the king’s blessing. Miles is Stephen’s man. I have given up much to have him, but he is all I want. But my father, he would kill me if he knew what I had done.”
“Think you that you have less to fear of me?”
Rowena was sure the woman was going to faint, so horrified did she become at that question. Rowena could have kicked Warrick herself for deliberately frightening Isabella. And she did not doubt ’twas deliberate. She knew him well enough now, and was too familiar herself with his ways of quick retaliation. Isabella, obviously, was not.
Seeing someone else being the recipient of Warrick’s enmity was strange. Even stranger was her desire to defuse his anger for his own sake.
“You will like his dungeon, Lady Isabella,” she said into the tense silence. “’Tis really quite comfortable.”
Warrick looked at her as if she had gone mad. But Isabella just stared at her blankly, not understanding what Rowena was implying.
“Well, youaregoing to toss her in your dungeon, are you not, my lord?” she continued. “Is that not where you put all females while you wait to see if they are—”
“Rowena,” he began warningly.
She gave him a sweet smile. “Aye, my lord?”
Whatever he would have said would not come out while she was smiling at him like that. He made a sound of exasperation instead, but when he glanced at Isabella again, his expression was not as dark.
“So you hied yourself to London to wed your sweetheart?” he said to Isabella. “Tell me, my lady, was this your plan when you journeyed to me, or did it precipitate when I was delayed in meeting you?”
Rowena held her breath, praying the woman’s answer was not going to add another mark to her own list of transgressions. She was not that lucky.
“Miles had joined my escort that noontide. I had not seen him for months. I had been without hope. But when you were not there with your men, it did seem fortuitous—I mean—Miles and I, we saw it as our only—”
Isabella finally stopped, flushing furiously, but added after a moment, “I am sorry, Warrick, truly. I did not mean to deceive you, but my father was so desirous of a marriage to you.”
It was uncalled-for, outrageous, but Rowena simply could not resist interjecting, “’Tis too bad he could not wed Warrick himself.”
She regretted the impulsive remark immediately. Levity was misplaced with such a serious subject. Warrick could not appreciate it and would be enraged with her. Isabella must think her crazy. And then Warrick burst into laughter. His eyes caught Rowena’s surprised look and he laughed even harder. ’Twas Isabella who did not appreciate it.
“How dare you make light of this?” she demanded of Rowena. “My father is still like to kill me when he—”
“Not if Warrick breaks your betrothal contract,” Rowena pointed out.
Warrick stopped laughing at that suggestion. “God’s blood, ’twould start a war. Better she gets the beating she rightly deserves and I assure Lord Reinard I am not aggrieved over the loss of her.”
“That does not relieve her plight,” Rowena reminded him.
“Do you imagine, wench, that her difficulty is now a concern to me?”
Rowena ignored that. “The alliance was good enough for you, my lord. Are your daughters spoken for, that one of them could not form the alliance in your stead—if the family has unwed sons?”
Warrick shook his head at her in bemusement. “Get you gone about your duties, Rowena, ere you think to promise away my castle as well. This matter does not concern you—except for your own indirect part in it—which I am not like to forget.”
“Ah.” She sighed, unimpressed with the warning. “I see I am due for more of the dragon’s fire—”
