She moved on to a far more important matter. 'When we go upstairs tonight, I need to have a serious talk with you. I have something extremely important to tell you,' she whispered. 'You aren't going to like it.'
'Tell me now.'
'I would rather wait until tonight. I just wanted to prepare you in advance,' she added. 'My news will surely break your heart.'
His laughter wasn't quite the reaction she anticipated. 'It's a serious matter,' she insisted.
'I assure you, no matter how serious the news is, my heart's going to stay intact. Why don't you tell me now and be done with it? You sound as though you're dreading it.'
'I am dreading it. I'm still going to wait until tonight to tell you, however. You're about to see your surprise, and I don't want to ruin your happiness with bad news.'
She suddenly wished she hadn't tried to prepare him, because now her stomach felt as though it were tied in knots. How could she not be upset? She was going to start a war between two brothers, God forgive her, but she didn't really have any other choice, did she?
She had asked Father Sinclair that very question during confession, and while he had firmly agreed she must tell her husband when he came home, he also felt she should tell his soldiers right away. It had taken her a long time to convince the priest how important it was that Connor hear before anyone else. Father finally gave in after she promised him she would remain cautious and avoid ever being alone with Raen.
The priest assured her he was going to come back tomorrow to find out how Connor had reacted. She suspected his real motive was to make certain she was all right, and by then, she fully expected to be able to inform him that Raen had already been banished.
Connor pulled her back to the present by telling her to pay attention to where she was walking.
'Brocca's husband is waiting to find out if you want one of his hound's pups or not,' he repeated.
'Why would he want to give me a pup?'
'It's all he has to give.'
'But why…'
'It's a gift, Brenna. You've shown his wife kindness and he wishes to repay you.'
'How thoughtful of him,' she replied. 'Would you mind having a hound inside?'
He shook his head. 'I'll tell him you'll be happy to have the pup then. Try not to lose him, all right?'
'For heaven's sake,' she muttered. 'You're really doing your best to put me in a bad mood, aren't you?'
He didn't bother to answer her. He surprised her when he pulled her close to his side and put his arms around her shoulders.
'You aren't disappointed it's a hound?'
She gave him a curious glance. 'No, of course not. Why would you think I would be?'
His voice was filled with laughter when he answered her. 'It isn't a piglet.'
'You do remember meeting me,' she cried out.
He opened the door for her before explaining. 'Of course, I remember. I also remember holding you in my arms. You weighed less than my plaid. I think you were about Grace's age.'
'No, I was much older.'
'You smelled like the piglet you had rolled up in your skirts.'
'I couldn't have. I had just had a bath. My sister told me so.'
'You were trying to tell me what to do even when you were a baby. I really should have known then.'
She was having difficulty paying attention to the conversation, for his eyes were filled with such warmth, she really couldn't think about anything else. Lord, he was handsome. 'Known what?' she asked him in a breathless whisper.
'That you were going to be trouble.'
She thought that was about the nicest thing he had ever said to her, and it wasn't until she had let out a loud sigh in appreciation and told him thank you that she realized he hadn't given her a compliment.
He didn't laugh at her. In fact, he pulled her into his arms, leaned down, and whispered, 'You're welcome.'
She didn't know he was going to kiss her until he was doing exactly that. She felt as though she was being crushed against his hard chest, so powerful and fierce was his grip, yet his mouth was surprisingly gentle against hers. His tongue thrust inside to deepen the kiss, arousing a response she didn't expect or understand until it had ended and he was pulling back away from her.
Everything was suddenly different. She wanted to hold on to him for the rest of her life, and while she wanted to believe it was only because she was so relieved to have him home again to deal with Raen, she knew there was another reason as well.
She was in love with him.
The realization didn't make her happy. It made her miserable. How had she managed to make such a foolish mistake? He didn't love her; he just put up with her, that was all, so that he could have heirs.
He watched her closely, frowning with concern over the tears he saw in her eyes. 'Mind telling me why you're crying?'
'It happened too soon,' she stammered out. 'I knew better, Connor, honestly I did.'
'Brenna, what are you talking about? What happened too soon?'
She finally came to her senses. She wasn't about to admit she loved him and thought she'd rather stand naked in front of a church full of strangers than admit her mistake. Being vulnerable was bad enough, boasting of it would be horrible.
He wouldn't understand if she tried to explain it to him anyway. She doubted he could ever love her. So caught up was he in the past, he simply didn't have room in his heart for anything else.
'Will you answer me?' he demanded.
'I missed you,' she blurted out. 'I didn't want to, but I did anyway. You were gone a long time.'
Her answer seemed to satisfy him. He kissed her once again, briefly yet with just as much passion, and then followed her inside and up the stairs to the main floor.
'While you were away, I gathered all the bits and pieces of information from the older men and women here and was finally able to put it all together.'
'What did you put together?'
'Your past,' she answered. 'I know what happened to your father. I just wanted to tell you I understand why the ruins are still standing. You intend to keep them there until you've gained justice in your father's name.'
'I would have explained if you'd asked.'
'Then I will ask you my questions in future. Don't frown, Connor. I want you to be in a good mood when you see my surprise.'
He braced himself for what he was about to see, gave her an abrupt nod to let her know he would try to be pleased, and then said, 'Quinlan assures me you haven't done anything. damaging.'
'Damaging? For heaven's sake, why would you think such a thing?' she asked before she remembered his reaction to the holes in his courtyard. 'I plan to cover the mess made outside,' she explained then. 'After the soldiers put the posts down inside to brace the structure I thought to have constructed, and I…'
'Brenna?'
The warning was there in his eyes and in his voice. 'Yes?'
'We aren't going to talk about it now.'
'No, of course not. Smile, Connor. This is your homecoming. Besides, Euphemia may be inside, and I won't have her thinking we aren't happily wed.'
His laughter surprised her. 'Why does it matter what she thinks?'
How could he be so dense? 'I must make her like me because she's your stepmother. You did tell me to honor her.'
'I did?'
'Yes, or maybe I told you I would. It doesn't matter. She deserves our respect.'
'Yes,' he agreed.
Connor pulled the door open and waited for her to go ahead of him. She didn't budge. 'I have one favor to ask you. Tonight, when we sit at the table together…'
'Yes?' he prodded.
