“Yes, that is where I grew up.”
“Go on,” he said taking another sip of the wine.
“It—it was shortly after that, that a man—I don’t know who he was—kidnapped me off the street and took me to a—a room somewhere. I don’t know where it was, for he put a hood over my head and only removed it once we were in the room. It was ill-lit. He was dressed all in black, and he had a mask on his face. He—he threatened me.”
Emrys started at this and opened his mouth to say something, but she went on, oblivious to his reaction, and he kept silent.
“He seemed to think I knew who my father was. When I protested that I didn’t, he refused to believe me. He—he said that if I breathed a word to a soul, he would kill me.” She swallowed visibly. “He said they would find my body in a ditch, and I would be so badly mutilated that no one would recognize me.”
“Oh, God!” Emrys got up and came round the table and pulled her up into his arms and held her tight. “No wonder you were frightened. And you think this man is still after you?” He buried his face in her hair, his heart thudding hard.
She nodded, her face pressed into his chest. She turned it slightly and said, “My room was ransacked two nights ago. He was looking for the ring. When he couldn’t find it, because I had it on me, he left a note and told me to meet him by the ruins last night at midnight.”
“My God, you didn’t go?”
“I did.” She swallowed.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Tell someone? The duke if you didn’t trust me?” He almost shook her with frustration at the danger she had put herself in.
“Did—did they find a—a body?” she asked shakily.
“What, at the ruins?”
“Yes. This morning, did—”
“No, why?”
“I—think I might have killed him, you see. I stabbed him under the ribs. After the first attack I learned how to defend myself so if he ever came after me again, I’d be prepared.” She babbled, her eyes wide, the pupils blown.
“There was no body reported.”
“They may not have found it yet. Who would go there to find out?” she said chewing her lip.
He cupped her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. “I cannot believe that you have killed anyone.”
She smiled, but it was awry, and her eyes for the first time showed a glimmer of tears. “Does it matter whether I did or not? I intended to, and that is just as bad. I decided I’d had enough of constantly living in fear. I wanted it to end. Especially after—” She stopped, closing her eyes, but the tears seeped out and rolled down her cheeks.
“Annis,” he whispered. “Don’t, sweetheart. I can’t bear it.” And he kissed her.
She pulled back. “Stop—Emrys, you can’t still want me after this.”
“Let me show you how much I want you,” he said soft and low.
“Emrys, no! I’m a murderess confessed!”
“You are no such thing. If you did kill him, which I highly doubt, it was in self-defense. In any case, as my wife you would not be prosecuted.”
“I’m not your wife.”
“You will be.” He lifted her chin up to look at him. “We are alone in a bedchamber for the night. You are entirely ruined even if I don’t lay a hand on you. I have to marry you.”
“No one here knows who we are. And I’m only the governess, Emrys. You most emphatically do not have to marry me. I’m not a lady.”
“You are to me.”
“I don’t even know who my father is!” she said helplessly.
“I don’t care.” He cleared his clogged throat. “My children love you; they need you. You make them happy. Damn it, you makemehappy!”
