She held her breath, waiting to hear what more he would say, half afraid, half hopeful.
A guard on the wall walk outside called a greeting and another answered it.
Nicholas let go of her. “It’s getting late,” he said brusquely. “Good night.”
Then he hurried away and down the stairs as if he was being chased.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
NOT SURE WHETHERher uncle was awake or not, Riona gingerly pushed open the door to his chamber early the next morning.
Uncle Fergus was sitting on his bed, holding his head in his hands. For the first time since she could remember, he looked old and weary, as well as forlorn and unwell, and she immediately rushed to his side. Her own troubles, particularly her tumultuous feelings for the lord of Dunkeathe, paled beside the notion that Uncle Fergus might be sick.
“Oh, Uncle,” she cried softly, sitting beside him and putting her arm around him. “Are you ill?”
He wearily raised his head. “If I’m sick, it’s not from theuisge beatha,although that Roban must have a hollow leg, the way he drinks. Not that I’m blaming him, mind, for I could have stopped any time.”
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, then rose shakily and went to the table bearing a basin and ewer. He splashed cold water over his face before he spoke again. Riona tried to be patient and control her worry, but she was going to have to ask questions if he didn’t—
“Fredella’s already been to see me,” he said grimly as he dried his face with a square of linen. He returned to the bed and sat heavily. “I guess I made quite a spectacle of myself.” Heslid Riona a questioning glance. “Did I make a rare spectacle of myself?”
“You and Roban were both rather loud,” she admitted. “But you don’t usually drink so much.”
He covered his face with his hands and moaned softly. “Yet I did yesterday—to my shame. Fredella told me she’s that ashamed of me. Expected better. Thought I was a finer man. Her dead husband was a sot, you see, and she won’t have anything to do with a drunkard.”
“But you’re not a drunkard!” Riona protested. “I could count on the fingers of one hand the times I’ve seen you in your cups, and I’ll gladly tell her so.”
“Thank you, my beauty, but this is my trouble, Riona, not yours, and so mine to mend. Leave it to me to talk to her and try to convince her I made a rare mistake.”
He gave Riona a weak smile as he patted her hand. “It’s like you to want to help. You’re always helping. Now tell me how it’s going with Sir Nicholas. He’s got to be pleased about the meal last night.”
“Excuse me. I’m so sorry, but may I…?”
They both turned, to see an obviously distraught Eleanor standing on the threshold, wringing her hands, her eyes red-rimmed. “Riona, please, may I speak with you a moment?”
“If it’s about Fredella—” Uncle Fergus began as he got to his feet.
“No, no,” Eleanor answered. “Well, she’s upset, I’m sorry to say, but there’s something…that is…something else has happened….”
Riona hurried to her friend. “We can speak in my chamber.”
Before they left, she turned back to her uncle. “Will you be at mass?”
“Aye, I can manage that. I think I’d better manage that. It could be I’ll need divine intervention. And yours, too, Eleanor.”
The young woman nodded absently, and Riona realized that whatever had happened, her uncle’s woes and anyone else’s weren’t uppermost in her mind.
Once inside Riona’s chamber, and before Riona could ask her what was wrong, Eleanor started to cry—great, wrenching sobs, as if she’d been holding them inside and now they simply had to burst free.
Worried and wondering what this meant, Riona gently hugged Eleanor and stroked her hair until the girl quieted.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly as Eleanor drew back, wiping her eyes with the cuff of her fine gown.
“Oh, Riona, I don’t know what else to do or who to turn to. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
The dark circles under her eyes and her pale cheeks were evidence of that. “Please, tell me what’s happened,” Riona gently prompted.
Eleanor began to weep again. “It’s so shameful. So…so disgusting. I couldn’t even bring myself to tell Fredella. If only I’d been stronger. I should have stopped him somehow.”
