A claim RogerGervaiswouldnot be able to ignore, no matter the fierce hatred between them.
That grim truth had been his final conscious thoughtbefore the drug enveloped him last night.
He turned back to Leila and gave voice to the question stilltroubling him. Could he dare to hope her hate was not so strong toward himafter all?
"When I blacked out, Leila, you stayed. Why?"
Her beautiful eyes flared angrily at him, giving him aheated answer before she even spoke. "You collapsed upon me, my lord. Icould barely breathe, let alone escape. If you had not done so" —shejutted her chin defiantly— "believe me, I would not be here this morningbut many, many miles away."
Oddly, her bitter words did not discourage him or dousehis hope. He knew there was great pain and anger behind them. If anything, theyonly heightened his resolve.
Once they were married, somehow he would make amends.He was determined that one day she would grow to love him as much as he lovedher. She already desired him. Her unbridled response to his lovemaking hadproved it once and for all. Surely such passion could lead to affection and thenlove. Yes, it was a start.
"Believe me, my lady," he replied with quietcertainty, "if you had fled, I would not have rested until I found you."
The air seemed to crackle with tense silence untilanother sharp rap came upon the door.
"My lord! How long will you leave us standing inthis drafty hall? From your delay, I can guess your lady must be very beautifulindeed."
"Your impatience is as strong as ever, Langton,"Guy called out, leaving Leila to glare after him while he strode around the bedand pulled another pair ofbraiesfrom his saddlebag.
As he yanked on the short trousers, he glanced at thetelltale bloodstains and quickly decided his knights should see them. It wasbest he had witnesses to counter any of Roger's expected and vehementobjections. He tied the drawstring at his waist as he walked to the door.
"Thebedsheet, my lord!"Leila hissed, jumping up from the bench. Her cheeks colored as Guy ignored herand flung open the door.
What could he possibly be thinking?sheraged silently as two mailed knights entered the room, neither man as tall oras broad as Guy but both forbidding in their glinting armor.
She clasped her hands together tightly, mortallyembarrassed. Guy hadn't even bothered to dress. It was almost as if he wasflaunting her disgrace before their very eyes!
"By God, deWarenne,this is certainly a grand surprise!" the knight with long, reddish-blondhair exclaimed as he embraced Guy heartily, clapping his bare back. "Wedidn't expect to see you until long after Lord Edward's coronation. AreReginald and the others inProvinsas well?"
"We'll talk of that later, Henry," Guy said,greeting the other knight, a robust, swarthy man, with a firm handclasp. "Robert.From a man who is usually so serious, your grin tells me that the wenches herehave been treating you well."
"Aye, my lord, well indeed. But a fighting man canstand only so much frivolity. Langton and I were planning to ride out tomorrow,but a day earlier suits me just fine."
"Lady deWarenne!"Henry said without waiting for Guy's introduction, his green eyes sparklingwith good humor as he strode toward her.
This freckled knight wasn't forbidding at all now thathe was up close, Leila decided, offering him a small smile because he seemed sogenuinely friendly. Yet her warmth faded quickly when Guy approached with theother man close behind him. She drew herself up proudly, saying to Langton, "Youhave been misinformed, my lord. I am not—"
"Sir Henry Langton, Sir RobertBurnell.Allow me to introduce Lady LeilaGervais," Guyinterrupted smoothly, his eyes fixed warmly on her face. "I am escortingher to her brother, Roger."
"RogerGervais?"Henry asked, glancing uncertainly from Guy to Leila.
"Yes. Lady Leila and I became acquainted" —heput an odd stress on the word— "in the Holy Land. We're not husband andwife, as thetavernerclaimed. I have been saying soas aguiseto protect the lady during our longjourney."
"Ah. I see," Henry said, clearly confounded.Nonetheless, he bowed gallantly. "Gervaisor deWarenne, my lady, it matters naught. I am most pleased tomeet you."
"As am I," Robert stated, staring at herappreciatively.
Apparently his knight's frank admiration was tooblatant for Guy's liking. He abruptly moved behind her and rested his hands onher shoulders, his fingers idly playing with her braid. "We have much todiscuss, my lords, but first Leila and I must finish packing. We can talkfurther on the road to Paris."
Bristling at his nearness, yet also crazily unsettledby it, Leila fought to restrain an urge to give Guy a sharp elbow in the ribs.It was clear from the subdued expressions of the knights that they had takenfull note of Guy's infuriatingly possessive stance.
"Yes. Yes, of course, my lord," Henry said ina much less effusive tone. "Lady Leila. We are honored to share yourcompany."
Leila watched in mute horror as Henry turned to go andstopped abruptly, his broad shoulders tensing as his gaze fell on the bed. Yethe said nothing and neither didBurnell, who was alsostaring at the bloodied sheet. As the two men glanced at the torn curtains andthe mess of food, wine, and broken pottery splattered beneath the overturnedtable, she lowered her eyes, wishing that the floor would simply open upbeneath her and swallow her whole.
"Find us some breakfast that we can eat on theroad, hire three swift horses, and meet us in front of the tavern in fifteenminutes," Guy commanded as the two knights left the room, Henry lookingtroubled as he shut the door behind them.
