She had rendered Richard speechless for the moment. Not so Hugh. “You actually wanted Richard?”
“Why does that surprise you, my lord? He has been a good neighbor to us, my father approved of him, and I thought we would deal well together.”
“Then why could you not wait?” Richard burst out. “Or give me an indication of why you were trying to reach me?”
One sable brow rose inquiringly. “I assumed my letters never reached you, Richard. Do you tell me now they did, but you simply ignored them?”
“Nay, nay, I did not mean to imply—I have been traveling a great deal—”
“Well, it does not matter now, does it?” she cut in silkily. “I am well satisfied with the husband I have. And he has already proved how capable he is at defending Clydon. ’Tis how we met, you know? He arrived here in time to rout a despicable band of miscreants who dared attack us. He has also sworn to run the villeins to ground as a warning to others who still might think Clydon without a new lord. I told him ’twas unnecessary, but he was a mercenary for many years, and you know how they love fighting and killing, and generally making war.”
“I am not so bloodthirsty as all that, lady,” Ranulf protested gruffly, though his eyes were laughing at her.
“Well, of course you are not,” Reina agreed, and then saw her chance for the crowning touch in the bit of fluff twining about his feet. She stooped down to pick up her nemesis. “No man can be all bad who would keep a scrawny, ugly thing like this for pet, and even give it the esteemed name of—”
“Reina!”
His warning came too late, though she would not have heeded it anyway. “—Lady Ella,” she finished with a sweetly innocent expression that earned her a fierce glower from her husband.
It was all Hugh could do to keep from laughing, but once again furious color rushed to Richard’s face. “Lady Ella? You named your cat after my mother?” he asked in disbelief, and then in outrage,“You named your cat after my—”
“Whatever are you shouting about, Richard?” Reina cut in sternly. “You cannot think your brother would be so currish as that.”
He did not answer her, but turned his fury on his father. “Will you let him insult her like that? She was your…”
“My what?” Hugh prompted when he did not finish, and then he shook his head in disgust. “Nay, we both know what she was, and she has not exactly endeared herself to me over the years, Richard, and well you know it. As it happens, I have several bitches in my kennel by the same name, so do not expect me to upbraid a man whose humor is so like my own.”
“My uncle will hear of this!” was all Richard could think to say after that.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Richard—” Hugh began in exasperation but ended with a sigh as the boy stalked off. He looked apologetically at Ranulf. “I had best go after him to calm him down. He always was a hothead, but what can you expect after he has been raised by those infuriating relatives of his?”
“Much more—” Reina started, then gasped as her bottom was pinched.
“Go ahead, my lord,” Ranulf said, even as Reina turned around to glare at him. The byplay was not lost on Hugh, so Ranulf added, “My lady does not know when to quit while she is ahead.”
Hugh nodded with a grin. Reina barely waited until he was out of hearing ere she hissed, “Why did you stop me, Ranulf?”
“What you would have said cannot be supported.”
“Then you have not sent a man to Warhurst yet?”
“Nay, and I will not.”
“Will—but why?” she cried. “Did you not see the look on Richard’s face when I mentioned you would hunt down the villeins who attacked Clydon? He is guilty!”
“So he is.”
“And your father must be told.”
“Not by me, lady.”
She stared at him incredulously. “Why? Because he is your brother?”
“Exactly. A brother I have resented most of my life, and now—now I do not know what I feel other than contempt, but I will not be the one to carry tales to my father of him.”
“Of all the lackwitted… Very well, I will send a man to Warhurst.Iat least will not be accused of spite, though you do your father a disservice to assume he would think that of you.”
“You will stay out of it, Reina, and I mean that,” Ranulf said coldly. “I will attend to the matter in my own way once my father is gone.”
