She wanted to run toward him, to embrace Raine and thank him for all that he’d done. But if she dared to leave this seat, she would drop to the floor in a faint. A slight smile played at her lips at the thought of collapsing before him. It wasn’t exactly the way she wanted to welcome the man.
Two of the MacEgan men shadowed Raine as he strode toward the dais. Queen Isabel had joined her husband, and her expression held wariness. Carice didn’t understand the tension between Isabel and the king. Why would Raine’s presence bother the queen? He had not come with an army, intending an attack—he’d come forher.
She stood, and a tunneling rush of air made her dizzy.Don’t faint,she warned herself.
Slowly, she pushed her way through the crowd of people who had gathered. Trahern had joined his brother at the dais, and at the sight of him, she breathed a little easier. He could attest that Raine had saved their lives.
“Who are you and why have you come to Laochre?” the king asked. He spoke in the Irish tongue, and when Raine didn’tanswer at first, the queen translated for him in the Norman language.
“I am Raine de Garenne.” He sent a direct look toward Trahern. “And your brother knows why I am here.”
The Irish warrior took a step forward, but there was wariness in his expression. “I found him with the Lady Carice. We were attacked by the High King’s men, and he stayed behind so that I could bring the lady to Laochre. I invited him to join us, and I presume he wanted to see if the lady was safe. Unless he came for another reason?” He raised an eyebrow in silent question.
A rushing sound filled Carice’s ears, and she took a shaky breath, moving closer to Raine. Then he saw her, and his green eyes turned possessive. He looked upon her as if she belonged to no one but him. “I have come at the Lady Carice’s request.” His eyes held warmth, reminding her of the days they’d spent together.
She wanted to speak to Raine, to tell him how glad she was to see him once more. But his voice seemed to come from far away, the words echoing within her ringing ears. Her knees were weak, hardly supporting her steps at all. And suddenly, her sight grew fuzzy and the room tipped. Though she fought to remain conscious, darkness closed over her.
And then, there was nothing.
Chapter Seven
Raine rushed toward Carice, but two men held him back. Dieu, she’d been so pale. He didn’t know why she’d fainted, but it was clear her illness hadn’t abated. Instead, she seemed to be getting worse.
“Let go of me,” he demanded. The primal need to protect her overrode all else. He elbowed his way free of one guard, and then smashed the face of another. He heard the crunch of bone and raised his arm to ward off a blow. Two of the MacEgan brothers seized him, but he wrenched his way free. Before he could reach Carice, Trahern hauled him back.
“Leave her be.” The Irishman spoke in the Norman tongue and tightened his grip on Raine’s forearm. “Our healer will look after her.”
Though he knew they were right, fury roared through him with the possessive need to guard Carice. He knew it was irrational, but he didn’t like seeing her in such a state.
The king intervened, stepping forward as he spoke the Norman tongue. “Lady Carice will be well enough in the care of our healer. But I have questions for you about your involvementwith King Rory.” The sharp tone within the man’s voice held suspicion and an unspoken threat.
Raine fell silent, his attention fixed upon Carice as the healer took her away. He wasn’t surprised that the MacEgans didn’t trust him. They had good reasons not to.
A moment later, they switched into Irish, speaking quietly in front of him. He understood most of what they were saying but decided to keep that knowledge to himself. Though he could speak a few Irish words, his listening skills were far stronger.
Patrick turned to his brother Trahern and asked, “Why do you think the Normans are gathering at Tara? Henry is not visiting, and there is no reason for an army.”
Raine was careful to keep his expression fixed, making it seem as if he didn’t understand a single word. But their suspicions were raised by his very presence.
“He knows something,” Trahern remarked. Raine could feel the man’s searching gaze upon him. “But he’ll never tell us.” To the younger blond warrior, he asked, “What do you want to do, Connor?”
The young man’s face grew serious. “Question him further.”
The king seemed to agree. “We cannot allow the Normans to attack Tara. We’ve fought too hard for this peace.” He exchanged a look with his wife, who came forward and took his hand.
Raine continued to behave as if he understood none of their words. But he knew that more questioning could lead to imprisonment or worse, torture. The MacEgans had allies among both the Irish and the Normans, and they would do whatever was necessary to keep the High King alive.
Which put them at cross purposes. Rory Ó Connor could not remain alive if Raine intended to gain his sisters’ freedom.
“Come,” Trahern spoke in the Norman language once more, leading him toward the back of the Hall. “My brothers and I want to speak with you in private.”
Raine said nothing, knowing that if he dared protest, it might reveal that he understood their language. “I came to see Lady Carice.”
“And so you will, when she is feeling better.”
All of his instincts flared up, for he knew not where they would bring him. If he broke free now, they would never let him near her. But if he agreed to go with them in private, the “questioning” might take a darker turn.
They had already taken her upstairs, and it was killing him not to follow her. Not only because he needed to take her with him to Tara, but also because she was unwell. He vowed to himself that after he had answered their questions, nothing would stop him from finding Carice.
