That was true. But it wasn’t an answer to his question. “Ellie.”
She dropped her hands into her lap, and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Julian. I am. I shouldn’t have come to you. I shouldn’t have asked about flaws or jousts. It was none of my concern.”
“But you did.”
“Yes,” she sighed. She looked up at him, desperation shining in her large, blue eyes. “Please don’t be angry. Please.”
“You spoke to him.”
“Osmont came to me after you left and told me to find a flaw. His flaw, your flaw, he didn’t care. He wanted to know how you were going to win.”
Julian sat back, and she continued, “He said if I didn’t help him, he would tell Edward we had a rendezvous.” She looked down at the white flower in her hands. “I wasn’t ready to give you up. I wanted to see you again. And so, I did what he asked.”
Julian frowned. The cheating bastard. To put Elora, his own cousin, in that position, was disgusting. Dishonorable. Yet, she had done it. She had asked him about Osmont’s flaw. She had done what Osmont wanted.
“I should have told you,” she admitted.
Yes, she should have. He stood and turned his back to her. He couldn’t think if he looked at her. It still didn’t make sense. If she had told Osmont it was his right shoulder, why did he protect his left? “What did you tell him?”
“I told him it was his left shoulder. That you would aim for his left shoulder.”
He turned to her, scowling. “But you knew—”
“I couldn’t betray you. I could never do that. I just couldn’t…”
Julian’s gaze brushed over her bowed head, the waves of gold falling forward over her shoulders, her slumped form, the fallen flower in her lap. “You lied to him.”
She nodded. “I don’t blame you if you never want to see me again. I lied. I aided a cheater. I’m not the woman you thought.”
Stunned, Julian dropped to his knees before her, startling her by claiming her in an embrace. He didn’t care who was watching. He didn’t care what they knew. He only cared that Elora knew he would never give her up. “Not the woman I thought? Nay. You are more. You lied to help me. You foiled a cheater’s plan. You are brave and beautiful and… So much more!” He took her face in his hands, his gaze traveling over every inch of her, devouring her with his eyes. “So much more.”
Elora’s stare swept his face as she framed it with her hands. Her eyes shimmered with longing for a moment before she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips.
It took every ounce of reserve to keep from deepening the kiss, to keep from running his hands over her sultry curves. Not in front of everyone. Not before the children. He repeated the refrain in his mind as his senses heightened and burned with desire. He pulled back and retook the seat beside her.
Elora glanced at the others in the room. Adam and the children were watching them from the corner. Heather and Sarah were preparing trenchers for them, grinning. She bowed her head and sighed softly.
Julian followed her stare to the others and then looked back at Elora. She lifted her head to gaze at him. There wasn’t a more seductive look in all the land. He steeled himself, mentally repeating his refrain, but the heat was inescapable. The longing intensified. Warmth flooded through his body, and his heart fluttered in his chest. He wanted to spend every moment with her. Every second. To be with her always. Lord, how had it gotten to this point?
“I wanted to give you this.” She looked to Sarah, who rushed forward, handing her an item wrapped in cloth. Elora nodded her thanks and presented it to Julian.
He took it from her hands, surprised, and eased the fabric aside. A black dagger glinted in the hearth’s firelight. It was the blade they had looked at together in the market on the first day they met, the dagger with the elaborate scrollwork on the handle. His skin prickled.
She grinned at him. “Do you like it?”
He traced the etched scrollwork slowly with his finger. “It reminds me of you.”
She beamed in happiness. “I’m glad.” She took a deep breath, placing a hand over his. “Julian, I’ve figured out a way we can be together.”
His gaze lifted from the dagger to her, and he tilted his head in curiosity.
“I spoke to your father.”
Cold chills of dread washed over him, dousing his heat and desire. It was as though someone poured a bucket of freezing water over him. He stiffened and looked away from her.
Her hand contracted around his. “He said if you take your place as his son, you will have land and title.”
Julian sat back, breaking the contact with her, and his lips thinned. He placed the dagger on the table.
