Her Irish Warrior (The MacEgan Brothers Book 3) by Michelle Willingham

Author:Michelle Willingham [Willingham Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Historical Romance, Irish, Warrior
ISBN: 9780263852103
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-05-01T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Thomas de Renalt, the Earl of Longford, observed the Irish warrior. Bevan MacEgan was intent upon returning to Genevieve, and he rode like a man possessed. There was urgency in his every move, and all of his energies were directed towards reaching Genevieve.

Not the behaviour of a man only interested in land.

MacEgan was a puzzle, Longford thought to himself. This new alliance offered an intriguing possibility. He had never liked the betrothal between Genevieve and Sir Hugh, but because the King had initiated the arrangement, it had been difficult to break. Now he had the means, and he intended to see it severed before nightfall.

Longford knew he was soft-hearted when it came to Genevieve. As his only daughter, she held a unique place in his heart. She asked for little and it pleased him to grant her desires. When she had begged to wed Sir Hugh, his instincts had warned him against the match. He would have refused, despite her pleas, had it not been for King Henry’s desire to reward the young knight with an ambitious marriage.

Though the Irishman had accused Sir Hugh of harming Genevieve, he already knew the truth. Genevieve’s own words had proclaimed the knight’s guilt, and the Earl would not allow Marstowe near his daughter again.

Yet he did not know whether he could trust MacEgan.

It was already the second day of their journey south, and the late afternoon sun had begun to descend. The two men rode hard, sweat glistening upon the flanks of their destriers. The wind slashed at their faces, bitterly cold, but neither MacEgan nor Sir Hugh showed any interest in breaking camp. The Earl remained behind them, and at one interval he caught a fragment of their conversation.

“Genevieve belongs to me. Your foolish idea of letting her choose means nothing. Her father will never allow her to wed an Irish barbarian over a Norman,” Sir Hugh said.

“You fear he will learn the truth,” MacEgan predicted. “And which of us is the true barbarian.”

At that, Longford urged his horse forward to ride between the men. “When do we arrive at Laochre?”

“By nightfall,” Bevan predicted.

“And how can you be sure she is well and unharmed?”

When the Irishman did not respond, Longford pressed further. “If what they say is true, you could not keep your own wife safe.”

“If what Genevieve says is true, you could not answer her pleas for help when she begged for it,” MacEgan retorted. “Or do all Normans find it necessary to beat their women into submission?” His posture grew rigid. “We value our women here.”

MacEgan’s rejoinder confirmed what Longford had already suspected. Though he recognised the Irishman’s intense prejudice against Normans, he felt certain MacEgan would never raise a hand against his daughter in rage.

Which was more than he could say for Sir Hugh.

“Sir Hugh, I would speak to you alone,” Longford said, moving his horse to the side. The knight followed, his expression wary. Longford waited until the others had passed far ahead of them. “What say

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