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With one arm around her waist, her husband eased her off the horse once they stopped in front of the keep. She felt it then, a sudden shift, and knew what had caused it when she saw people greeting the returning warriors. They had learned that Lord Varrick had wed the witch and were not pleased with the news.
Varrick grabbed hold of her arm as if he feared she would somehow escape him and turned her to enter the keep.
“The wounded,” Fia reminded, forced to keep her steps quick as he hurried her to the door.
“Argus will see them settled, then I will take you to see them.”
Fia knew it was the best she could hope to get from him, so she did not argue. Again, there was a double entrance to the keep as there was beyond the stone wall. Doors upon doors, keeping people out or were they keeping someone in?
The room beyond the first door was of a good size with benches running along the walls, making Fia wonder if people were made to sit there before they were granted permission to enter.
She was swept quickly through the next door and was surprised by the vastness of the Great Hall that greeted them. Beautifully crafted tapestries hung from the walls and banners hung from the high ceiling. Trestle tables and benches ran down the sides of the room leaving a direct path to the dais that was draped in a clean white cloth and lit candles were everywhere.
Varrick rushed her to a table near the hearth that blazed with a fire and Fia sighed softly when the heat kissed her cheeks.
“Sit. Food and drink will be brought to you,” Varrick ordered and eased her down on a bench, then walked away.
Fia removed her cloak, eager to let the hearth’s heat soak into her.
Her husband spoke with an older woman, slim in size and stature, her gray hair piled haphazardly on her head and a lovely smile on her pretty face that faded as he spoke with her.
Once again, the news that she was his wife was met with distaste.
Fia thought he might introduce the woman when they approached the table where she sat, but the woman drifted off before reaching her.
“Merry will see you are fed. She runs the keep. Do not give her any trouble,” Varrick ordered.
It struck Fia then that something had changed in Varrick since arriving here. He seemed agitated and annoyed. Something was troubling him, and she wondered if it had to do with why he had brought her here.
Food and drink were placed in front of her, though none of the servers would meet her eyes. She ate while Varrick met with different men at the dais, sharing food and drink with them.
She thoroughly enjoyed the food and drink, and the heat from the hearth lulled her enough to have her eyes closing and sleepiness taking hold.
Willard Needs You!
Fia’s eyes popped open, and she jumped up off the bench. “I need to see Willard now!”
All eyes turned on her and some mouths fell agape. She did not care. She hurried her cloak around her shoulders and rushed to the dais, seeing Argus there. Had she slept some, not having noticed him before now?
“Where is Willard? He needs my help,” she demanded anxiously.
Argus looked at Varrick, not sure what to do.
“I will take you to him,” Varrick said, having left his chair to walk around the dais.
“We must hurry,” she said, rushing ahead of him, though not knowing where to go once outside.
Varrick grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her along through the falling snow.
She had been a constant on his mind since arriving home. He had not known what to make of it or the difficulty he had in ignoring her. The last few days with her had been enough to leave him wondering about his wife. Who was she? A witch or nothing more than a healer?
His hawk’s cry had him turning his eyes to the sky and seeing her perched on the edge of one of the wall defenses. He sent her a nod, letting her know he would visit with her soon. Sinead had a mind of her own. She would let him know when she felt ignored or preferred to be left alone. But she never failed to alert him to danger or protect him against it.
Raised voices had him turning his head to the cottage a short distance ahead. It was Willard’s home which he only recently shared with his new wife. People lingered nearby listening to the angry voices.
“See to your tasks!” Varrick ordered and they hurried off, but not before casting a nasty glare at Fia.
She did not care. Her only concern was for Willard, and she was glad when her husband shoved open the door and demanded, “What goes on here?”
