Sheridan lifted the cloth off her eyes. “I will let Alys explain why her wrist is injured. As for me, it is nothing quite so spectacular. You have seen me like this time and time again.”
“If that is so, why did the physic say that de Lara sent him?”
Sheridan had hoped Neely had missed that part of it, but she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t. Neely was, if nothing else, extremely sharp. And he was voraciously protective of both her and Alys. Her fury in her sister’s actions returned, for a myriad of reasons.
“Because de Lara once again saved Alys’ foolish hide today,” she snapped. “When he saw that I was ill, he was thoughtful enough to send a physic.”
Neely glanced at Alys, his dark eyes full of doubt and resentment. “What did you do while you had me out running circles for you?”
Alys refused to look him in the eye. “You have no right to ask me such things. I am above your reproach.”
“But you are not above mine,” Sheridan said. “Tell him, Alys. Tell him or I will. Tell him how you went to the royal apartment to see the king because you think he is in love with you. Tell him how the king tried to ravage you and how de Lara saved your life. Tell him!”
Alys was red in the face by now. She stood up, stomping to the door. Neely reached out and grabbed her good arm.
“Not so fast, my lady,” he was as close to furious as either of the girls had ever seen him. “Is this true? Is that why you sent me away, so that I would not stop you?”
Alys yanked her arm away. “You are not my father, Neely de Moreville. You are a mere knight. You have no charge over me. We pay you well, we feed you, and therefore you do as we say. I’ll not have you questioning me.”
Sheridan sat up, shocked and incensed by her sister’s diatribe. “How dare you speak to him like that,” she hissed. “Neely is one of the family. He is part of us. You will apologize immediately or you will suffer the consequences.”
“Suffer what?” Alys was gaining in momentum. “The both of you have done nothing but spy on me and suppress me for as long as I can recall. But, of course, no one watches you, Sheridan. You are so pretty and perfect. But I know otherwise.” She thrust a finger in Neely’s face. “Do you know that Sheridan has been sneaking out and meeting Sean de Lara? It’s true!”
Neely’s head snapped to Sheridan, whose eyes bugged with the shock of hearing such secretive information come blasting forth from her sister’s big mouth. A storm was brewing, bigger than any of them could have guessed.
“Alys,” she snapped. “I will never forgive you for lying about that. I have never done anything of the sort.”
Neely was off of his tirade against Alys and focused on Sheridan now. “Is this true?” he asked. “Have you been meeting de Lara? My God, Dani, you know who he is and what he is. How can you risk yourself like that?”
He called her Dani. He hadn’t called her Dani in years. There was pain in his voice. Sheridan wasn’t so naïve that she didn’t know how Neely felt about her. She’d always known. But it was unfortunate that she could not, and would not, return his feelings. Still, she couldn’t look him in the eye and lie to him.It would have been disrespectful to all he’d ever meant to her family.
“I have met Sean on a few occasions,” she said quietly. “He had been kind and gracious and delightful.”
“De Lara?” Neely said incredulously. “The man is terror personified. Are you mad?”
“I’ll not have you speak of him so.”
“Why not? It’s true. I cannot fathom why you have allowed yourself to play games with the Devil.”
“He is not the Devil, Neely. I forbid you to speak ill of him.”
Neely was beside himself, eaten with jealousy and rage. “I have never known you to be stupid, but I suppose I was wrong. You have the weight and trust of the good allies of England upon your shoulders, yet you cavort with the enemy.”
She snapped. “Still your tongue, man. My father has worked harder than anyone to ensure that England sees a new age and my loyalties lie with my father’s work. Question my trustworthiness again and I will send you along your way.”
Neely froze, his dark eyes glittering with ferocity and distress. “I wasn’t questioning your faithfulness,” he said quietly. “I was questioning your sanity in keeping company with Sean de Lara.”
“I know exactly what you were doing. Take care that your jealousy does not consume you, Neely. What you desire can never be and I will not allow you to discourage others who may vie for what you want for yourself.”
That was enough for Neely; like a dog that had been beaten one too many times, he quit the bedchamber with his head down. His injured heart was evident. Alys still stood at the foot of the bed, shocked by the exchange, shocked that the focus had veered away from her so violently.
“Oh, Dani,” she murmured. “You have hurt him.”
Sheridan didn’t want to talk anymore, to anyone. “Get out,” she told her sister. “I do not want to see you again today.”
Alys left the room, but not before she began weeping. She was sniffling as she quit the chamber and softly closed the door. When she was gone, Sheridan lay back down upon her pillows and cried.
CHAPTER SEVEN
