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He waited.

“I promise.” She didn’t look pleased, but he had her promise and her love.

It had to be enough for now.

* * *

“Tell me.”

Her brother’s voice, not Garrick’s.

Emma had found shelter in a peculiar room on the ground floor of the castle, just next to Clave’s great hall. She’d discovered the empty space just after breaking her fast. She’d spent the morning trying not to look at Garrick and not to be cornered by the overeager Lord Davenhill. Eager to escape it all, she’d wandered away and found this remarkable space. Housed inside a postern tower, the circular room had more windows than most, and none of them were arrow slits. Granted, the oriel windows were not in much danger of being attacked from the sea, but they were extremely rare on the ground floor. She rather liked them.

“There’s nothing to tell.” Of course, it was a lie. And her brother knew it.

“If Davenhill insulted you before I arrived—”

“It is not that pompous old goat.”

“Old? The man is nearly the same age as I am. Ahh, is that a smile?”

She straightened her lips lest she allow her brother to be right about anything.

“Just as I said.”

“Emma Waryn, you are bold.”

She ignored that since he made it sound like a compliment. “Look at that view.”

Her brother watched the gentle ebb and flow of the waves with her in silence.

“You’ll catch a chill.” Geoffrey moved to close the tall wooden shutters, but Emma stopped him.

“Just a moment longer.”

Geoffrey shook his head. “Your blood must be warmer than most, sister.”

Emma couldn’t resist.

“Are you cold? Perhaps I could fetch you a cloak?” she teased.

He didn’t appear amused.

“Emma, what is it?” he said, looking into her eyes.

She met his gaze without flinching. Emma trusted her brother with her life. Loved him fiercely.

But she could not tell him the truth. This was also the man who’d prevented her from seeing any of the horse races. Who chided her for wandering too far from the castle. Who thought she was still very much a child. Perhaps to him she always would be that little girl who wore ribbons in her hair. Emma couldn’t dream of allowing little Hayden to be placed in harm’s way, so maybe part of her understood.

“’Tis nothing, Geoffrey.”

He frowned.

Emma didn’t want to upset him, so she tried her best to smile. “I’m grateful to have come with you. Clave is beautiful.”

When Geoffrey moved to close the shutters this time, she did not stop him.

“It is an impressive holding,” he agreed. “And I believe the earl will prove a worthy ally.”