Page 78 of Anice’s Bargain

“What would have happened to him if I left him behind?” Anice put her hands to her hips. “He’d be strung up on the gallows at best. I would never leave my father’s man behind to face such a fate.”

“I wouldna have done that. Ye should know that.”

“I thought I did.” Anice’s brow tightened in concentration. “But not now. Not when you’ve betrayed my family. Me.”

James glanced toward the door to ensure the guard had not returned. Still, he lowered his voice. “I’m no’ working with my da. I’m only making him think I am.”

Anice folded her arms over her chest, appearing to not believe him any more than he believed her.

“It was the only way, Anice.” A door closed somewhere in the distance and echoed down the dank dungeon passage. James froze and listened, straining for the heavy fall of a guard’s steps. Hearing nothing, he continued on, almost in a whisper now.

“If I tried to oppose my father, he would go around me, enlist the reivers who dinna join us to raze the new fields,” he said. “I worried he would hurt ye to spite me. This way, I kept ye safe. It was the only solution I could manage.”

“And why didn’t you tell me?” Anice demanded. “I would have helped.”

“Nay,” James replied sadly. “Ye would have tried to warn yer family.”

She glanced down, not bothering to counter the claim.

“If ye were caught, we would be found out,” he continued. “I had to do this on my own, aye? Ye know I’ve wanted peace for my people, that I want them to lead honest lives.”

“I only know what you’ve said.” Her gaze shot back up to him, hard with wariness.

“Aye, and I only know what ye’ve said.” He drew in a breath around the painful ache in his chest. “Ye and Drake have been close since I’ve known ye. It’s obvious he’s in love with ye, Anice. If ye dinna see it, ye’re blind.”

Her mouth fell open. “That’s preposterous. He treats all my sisters with the same level of respect.”

“Respect, aye, but no’ the same affection.” The anger was returning, pumping heat through his body and filling his mind with images of Anice and Drake, entwined and naked. “Do ye deny lusting after him as well?”

“Aye, I deny it.” She glared up at him.

“Do ye deny leaving me to be with him?”

Her glare turned incredulous. “To be with him?”

“Ye knew leaving would betray me,” he said. “Ye knew ye’d never see me again if ye succeeded.”

To his surprise, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded. She pressed her lips together and swallowed. “It was a risk I had to take. But I…I hated that I had to leave you. You lied to me, James. You put my family in danger.”

Before he could stop himself—before he let himself want to stop himself—he reached out for her and drew her to his chest. Anice put her face against him and her back shuddered with a sob.

“This month has been one of so much joy, and I’ve been so happy.” She looked up at him, her lashes spiked from her tears. “I trusted you completely.”

“And now?” He brushed his thumb over her cheek to wipe away a tear. “Will ye trust me now?”

She continued to stare up at him, not speaking for long enough that he doubted that she ever could truly trust him again.