His laughter echoed around the chamber. 'I doubt that, but now I find I really don't want to anyway.'
'Why don't you want to?'
'Because I like the cause. Don't ask me to explain. Show me your surprise instead. I've made you wait long enough.'
'I can't.'
'You can't wait?'
'Show you your surprise.'
'Why can't you? Have you changed your mind?'
'Yes, that's it,' she said. 'I've changed my mind.'
'Why?'
'Why?' Her mind raced for an excuse so he wouldn't know all her efforts had been found lacking. He was bound to think she was incompetent then, and she wasn't incompetent at all. She'd just been in too much of a hurry.
Fortunately, she remembered the medallion she'd had made for him. She'd meant to leave it for last anyway to give it importance.
'It's up in the bedroom. Would you like to see it now? I could go…'
'What would you like to do?'
'Wait,' she decided.
'Then I'll wait.'
'Thank you,' she answered before asking him if he'd seen his stepmother yet.
'No.'
'She should be coming downstairs any minute now. Have you spoken to Raen yet?'
'No, but he should be back in another hour or two according to Quinlan, and then he'll stay only one more night before he leaves for good,' Connor said.
'He's leaving?'
She didn't mean to sound so blissfully happy about Raen's departure, but she couldn't help it.
He raised an eyebrow to her reaction. 'He returns to his laird tomorrow.'
'And where might that be?' she casually asked, hoping the man lived on the other side of England.
'A long way from here. I doubt we'll see him again for another five or ten years, Brenna, is something wrong?'
'No, no, of course not.'
'Then why are you holding on to me?'
She seemed surprised, which made him shake his head in confusion. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, but she quickly moved away from him. The mere mention of his stepbrother had made her instinctively move closer to her husband. She didn't explain, of course, and ended up reminding him how much she'd missed him.
'You mentioned you did.'
'Yes, but I wanted to mention it again. Will you excuse me now while I run to the kitchens and speak to the cook?'
After he granted her permission, she kissed him good-bye.
'What happened here, Connor?' Quinlan called out his question from the entrance and came striding into the hall.
Crispin followed him. 'What happened where?' he asked.
'The chamber… it's back the way it was. What happened to all the changes mi'lady made?'
Connor didn't know what he was talking about. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back while he listened to his explanation.
'Did mi'lady tell you why it was changed back?'
Connor shook his head. 'She said the surprise was upstairs.'
'Why would she take the cushions and the cloth and the chair upstairs?' Quinlan asked.
'Perhaps she changed her mind,' Crispin suggested.
'I told you she was acting strange. Did she take the rushes upstairs too?'
'It would seem so,' Crispin replied.
'If that isn't peculiar…' Quinlan began
'I would appreciate it if you would stop saying that,' Connor snapped. 'There isn't anything wrong with my wife. She simply changed her mind, and if she didn't, there was another reason. When she's ready, she'll tell me.'
The discussion ended then and there. Quinlan wanted to hear all about Dawson's capture, and while Crispin explained, Connor thought about his wife. He decided he should start paying more attention to her and to the goings-on in his home.
Euphemia joined them a few minutes later. Connor bowed to his stepmother and waited at the head of the table until she was seated before he pulled out his chair. He sat by her side for over an hour, listening to her talk about his father and the past, while Crispin and Quinlan continued their discussion over by the hearth.
Raen came in just as the trenchers were being placed on the table. Brenna and Netta entered through the back door at the very same time.
'Connor,' Raen shouted. 'It's about time I saw you. It's been a long time.'
'It has been a long time,' Connor agreed.
Raen embraced him. 'You're looking fit these days. Marriage must agree with you.'
After kissing his mother, Raen sat down on the opposite seat to face her. Connor was now flanked on both sides by his relatives, and though he was going to ask his stepbrother to move so that his wife could sit closer to him, he didn't make an issue out of it when Brenna hurried to the opposite end of the table, pulled up a stool, and sat down.
'I've been waiting a long time for this reunion and now feel as though my life is complete again,' Euphemia announced. So overcome was the woman to have her two sons together, tears came into her eyes.
Brenna was also overcome with emotion. She wasn't overcome with joy, however, but with sadness. The affection shown by the two brothers made her want to weep. It was apparent Connor was happy to have his relatives with him, and how was she ever going to tell him what his stepbrother had done to her? Just thinking about the heartache she was going to cause made her stomach upset.
Connor spoke very little throughout the meal. He was pleased with his commanders because they chose to flank their mistress and sought to include her at every turn in the conversation.
Brenna caught her husband staring at her and quickly smiled at him, willing him with her gaze to reciprocate.
For Connor, the evening was full of revelations. Netta, he noticed, showed her affection for Brenna at every opportunity and beamed every time she received a compliment from her mistress. On the other hand, she didn't appear happy to serve Euphemia, and it was apparent she didn't like the woman.
He thought he had it all figured out and almost laughed because it had been so easy. Quinlan had mentioned that Brenna seemed to be having difficulty with Euphemia. The two women were obviously involved in some sort of tug of war as to who would give the orders. The right belonged to Brenna, of course, and while he couldn't understand why she didn't realize it, he wasn't going to interfere. He would let her solve the problem in her own way, and in her own time, because he knew, no matter how he explained it, she would end up thinking he didn't have faith in her ability.
Quinlan had been right about her lack of appetite. As soon as Crispin handed her the dagger she'd dropped in the courtyard, she thanked him because he'd thoughtfully cleaned it for her, and then moved the food around on her trencher, but didn't take one bite.
Raen was relating an amusing story that made everyone but Brenna laugh. Before he could tell another, Connor asked his wife if she was feeling well tonight.
'Yes, thank you. I am tired though. It's been a long day.'
Connor suggested she go on upstairs. 'I'll join you in a few minutes,' he promised.
Raen also stood. 'I'll be happy to escort your wife up the steps,' he offered. 'I understand she fell going up Kincaid's staircase,' he added in the event Connor wondered why he would offer.
Brenna didn't shout her denial, but she came close. 'Thank you for offering, but I wanted to have a word with
