“What? Why would I come to the wedding of people I don’t know, and others I have no wish to spend time with?”
“James and I also wish for you to spend Christmas Day with us. The wedding will take place in the morning, then we will be together as a family. You have yet to meet Rose or Samantha, and it is unfair to them that you leave before doing so.”
“We are not family,” he gritted out. “I don’t take orders from you anymore. You lost that right long ago.”
“I understand that, but on this I will stand firm. You will stay, spend time with your family—”
“Maddie and hers are the only family I have or need.”
“And yet you will stay for this. If you do not, I will follow you when you leave.”
Rory would leave when his brother was sleeping. It would not be hard to do so. Today he had still been weak; tomorrow he would be stronger.
“I will have someone watching you, so if you try to leave, I shall know.”
“What? Why would you care now, when you never have!” The words exploded form him. “I want nothing to do with you or yours. I have no need of family, so you can cease this foolishness. I will leave, and you can go back to your life.”
“No.”
Just the one word, but Rory heard the force behind it. However, he was strong too, and equally determined.
He turned away from his brother.
“I wronged both you and Maddie, but I want to set that to rights now.”
“A few days will never right that,” Rory snarled, his voice raw with pain. “Nothing will change that.”
“Do you want to know why I left you?”
“No. I want you to leave me alone.” He made it to the bed. Suddenly he was ridiculously weary, and his arm burned.
There was silence behind him and then he heard the door closing softly, leaving him alone, as he had been for most of his life.
Chapter Nine
“Will you try apple bobbing, Kate?”
“I will not. What idiot would do such a thing in freezing conditions.” Kate looked at Wolf as she spoke. Her big brother walked beside her, and his wife Rose on the other side. She had a hand resting on her large belly.
“It’s my hope I don’t have this babe on Alice’s wedding day.”
“It will come when it comes, love,” Wolf said.
“Yes, I understand that, but it’s my wish Alice is spared that on her special day.” Rose, usually a placid woman for the most, had become testy lately, and the more she did the gentler Wolf was around her. Rose had told Kate yesterday that he made her want to gnash her teeth, as he wouldn’t argue with her.
Pregnant women, Kate had come to note, were not themselves during confinement.
“Are you warm enough, Rose?”
“I am carrying twice my normal weight, of course I’m warm enough,” she snapped.
“Excellent.” Wolf smiled.
Bran bounded up to him with Myrtle. Hep, Wolf’s dog, and Zeus, who belonged to Rose, were next, and last was Whiskey, Samantha’s little dog.
“Clearly he has taken over the leader of the pack role,” Kate said as the dogs all nudged Wolf for his attention. Her brother had a way with animals.
They were in the courtyard of the castle, where the locals had set up a fair. Delicious smells were everywhere. She saw trestles displaying toffee, butterscotch, and fruit marzipans. Another with fruit buns and cakes and biscuits. There was meat roasting and ale flowing, and everything looked festive, as befitted Christmas Eve.
