Page 13 of A Knight for Gwenllian

“Of course. Let us go into the main hall. As it happens, Lady Gwenllian and I were just eating. There should be enough food and drink left to satisfy you.”

Gwenllian, who, only a moment ago, had been wondering how to prolong her stay at Audley, was now wishing herself back at Sheridan Manor. Lady Isabeau was glaring at her from her side of the table, as if she held her responsible for the lack of interest the men were taking in her, and the tension between the two brothers was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

“You must be wondering what I am doing here,” Colin said once he’d finished his enormous slice of pigeon pie.

“You know me too well.” Alexander’s tone was as dry as she’d ever heard it.

“Lady Isabeau and I are on our way to Blue Rock Castle. Hugh has asked me to go assess the situation there. He is considering selling property, as he needs the money for repairs to Hotwell. I am to visit all his domains over the next few months and help him decide which might bring in more money.”

Alexander’s face betrayed no surprise at this news. Either he knew that already, or he didn’t care. Somehow, she suspected it was the latter.

“Blue Rock,” was all he said.

“Yes, and it so happens that Audley provides a convenient midway point. Isabeau is rather delicate, as you can see, she needed rest.”

“Mm. And this begs the question. Why did you bring her along if she is so unsuited to traveling?”

Gwenllian was amazed at the daring of the question, but perhaps she should not be. Though their acquaintance was short, she had already seen that Alexander was not one to hide what he thought. He had claimed earlier not to get on with his brothers, and she could see it was nothing but the truth. The two men were barely maintaining the illusion of civility. The animosity was threatening to explode at any moment.

Colin, who apparently shared his brother’s bluntness, didn’t shy away from the answer. “I brought her along for company.”

Company. That was one way of putting it. Lady Isabeau licked her lips when her lover looked at her, and Gwenllian averted her gaze, feeling out of her depth in this game the three of them were playing.

“And how is Lady Adela?”

Judging from the way Colin clenched his jaw, Gwenllian assumed that the lady was none other than his wife.

“She’s with child again, and barely able to move, so she’s at home. She couldn’t have followed me to Blue Rock if her life depended on it.”

What a despicable individual. He was criticizing his wife for doing the one thing he no doubt demanded of her while flaunting his mistress. Gwenllian’s blood was boiling. She had not forgotten how he had called her a “barbarian” earlier. It was time to make him pay for it.

“I assume the child is yours, my lord?” she asked before she could think.

A stupefied silence fell into the room.

“Of course it is! Why would you even think it wasn’t?” Colin said between clenched teeth.

Gwenllian felt her insides go liquid. What on earth had she started? She should have known she would never be able to stand her ground against an irate stranger. Unlike Alexander, she was unused to such verbal sparring. She threw him a panicked glance. Would he watch her flounder or come to her help?

“You made it sound as if your wife being with child was an inconvenience you could have done without,” he answered, earning her gratitude. “So I think that Lady Gwenllian can be forgiven for assuming you had doubts about the paternity. Or perhaps she assumed, as anyone would, that since you are busy bedding other women, you neglected your marital duty?”

This was going much further than she would have dared, but she did not correct him.

“The child is mine!” Colin snapped, glaring at them both. “I will not have a bastard as my heir.”

“Naturally.”

Another silence stretched in the hall, only interrupted by the cracking of the fire. After a while, Alexander stood up, mercifully putting an end to the awful moment.

“Well, I guess you will both be tired after your long ride. Don’t let me keep you.”

Chapter Five

“Colin, harder, you wimp! Is that all you can do? Plus fort!”

Alexander sat bold upright in bed. Dear fucking Christ. He had been woken up by the sound of his brother and his mistress rutting in the room next door. But why was he even surprised? Hadn’t he suspected that was all the two of them did together?

He rushed down the stairs to the main hall, desperate to escape the awful noise, furious at the interrupted sleep. This stay promised to be even more taxing than Colin’s usual visits. The only thing that had made last night bearable had been Gwenllian’s presence. How she had put his insufferable brother in his place, not just once but twice! He would cherish that memory for a long time.