“I was told messengers are on their way to both London and the king.”
“We must make haste to be ready when the king calls.”
William followed the man out. What he had to say to Catherine would have to wait.
The castle bustled with activity as the men prepared to leave for war. There would be a major battle when the two armies met, so William would take most of the men with him. Luckily, Ross Castle could be defended with a small number of men. The most serious threat was siege. William had worked hard, however, to ensure the castle’s stores were adequate.
As soon as the news reached the king, he would race his army south. He would send word to the Marcher lords, telling them where to join him for the confrontation.
The call would come soon. As soon as tomorrow.
At supper, he asked Catherine to wait up for him. He did not know if a full reconciliation was possible, but he wanted to come to some understanding with her before he left. He still had much to do, so it was late before he finally made his way up to their rooms.
He found her asleep on the window seat in the solar. The candle on the table was nearly gone. He pulled up a stool, glad for the opportunity to watch her unobserved.
Starting with her shining hair and the delicate features of her face, he let his gaze travel over her. His throat tightened as he took in the curves of her breasts, her waist, her hips, and then the long line of her legs. When he reached her feet, so small and graceful, he felt an unexpected sting at the back of his eyes.
What was he to do with her? He could not say, but he did not want to leave things as they were. He picked up her hand and rubbed his thumb over it. Its very smallness made him feel protective.
Her eyes fluttered open.
“You were smiling in your sleep,” he said. “What were you dreaming?”
Still only half awake, she said, “A dream I often have about something that happened long ago.”
“Tell me about it.”
She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. Awake now, she gave him a wary look and shook her head. “It will only make you angry.”
“Please, I want to hear.”
After more prodding and assurances, she gave in.
His heart turned in his chest as she began to tell of the ride they took the night before her wedding to Rayburn.
“A young man was sleeping in the stable, and he went with me.” She cast a nervous glance at William and added, “He was an honorable young man who wished to protect me.”
William nodded, which seemed to reassure her. He kept quiet and let her tell the tale.
At the end, she said in a wistful voice, “That night I felt safe and happy and free all at once.”
He swallowed hard, regretting that he’d never made her feel that way again.
“I’ve dreamed of that night often,” she said, looking off into the distance. “The dream seems to come to me when I am worried or unhappy.”
He felt worse, knowing he was the cause of her unhappiness tonight.
“Is your dream always the same?” he asked. “Do you dream it just as it happened that night?”
She looked down at her hands and took her time in answering. “It has always been so, until tonight. This time, the young man became you in the dream.”
William felt as if a fist gripped his heart. Taking both her hands, he asked, “Do you remember in whose service this young knight was?”
She jerked her hands away. “You are not going to chase him down and threaten his life, are you?”
“I swear, I will not.”
She seemed to take him at his word, for she put her hand to her chin and paused to think. “I am certain he did tell me.… He was on an errand for someone important.…”
