Married to Her Enemy by Jenni Fletcher

Author:Jenni Fletcher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Svend stormed into the gatehouse, pounding his fist into the wall so hard that fragments of stone dust erupted in a small cloud.

‘It went well, then?’ Hugh had followed him inside, closing the door carefully behind them.

Svend scowled and flung himself into a chair. It was over. She was gone. He’d left her on the steps of the hall—had handed her over to the Earl’s steward as if she were any other prisoner, as if his heart hadn’t been ripped from his chest, acutely aware of Hugh’s eyes following them both.

‘You’re a terrible actor, my friend. I saw the way you were looking at her.’ Hugh picked up a flagon and poured two cupfuls of ale. ‘The way she was looking at you too, for that matter. But you ought to be careful. De Quincey’s a dangerous man to have as an enemy.’

‘So am I.’ And if de Quincey harmed so much as a hair on her head he’d find out exactly how dangerous...

‘True, but he’s been like a bear with a sore head for the past week.’

‘He’s back from Normandy?’

‘A week ago, and so impatient he almost went after you.’

Svend took the cup and drained the contents in one draught, relieved that he’d chosen not to escort her inside the tower after all. The last thing he wanted was to watch her reunion with de Quincey. Hugh was right—he was no actor. If he saw them together he’d want to smash the other man’s head into a wall. He might still do it, too, given half the chance...

‘I suppose the rumours weren’t true, then?’ said Hugh.

He ran a hand over his face wearily. ‘What rumours?’

‘That she was p—’

Hugh stopped mid-sentence as the door burst open suddenly and Renard dived headlong into the room.

Svend leapt up at once, grabbing his squire’s arm before he fell. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I’ve been looking...everywhere...’ Renard was bent over, gasping for breath. ‘I went...to the kitchens...’

‘And they refused to feed you?’ Hugh guffawed loudly. ‘Or have they poisoned you with Saxon food, lad?’

Renard shook his head, straightening himself up with an effort. ‘I spoke to Hawisa—one of the maids. I didn’t see her last time, but she said something about Lady Cille...’

‘What?’ Svend tried to suppress a feeling of dread.

‘She said the reason Lady Cille left was...she was with child.’

‘What?’

For a few seconds he couldn’t move. She’d been pregnant? He felt a visceral blow as shock coursed through his veins like poison. Of course she’d been pregnant! Every nagging suspicion, every question he’d been asking himself for the past week, all the pieces of the puzzle fitted together suddenly like stones in a wall. Lady Cille had been pregnant. Which meant...

‘It’s not her husband’s child either!’ Renard’s voice followed him outside. ‘It’s de Quincey’s!’

Svend charged through the bailey, blood roaring in his ears as he shoved and fought his way through the throng of soldiers. The wrong sister! He’d brought the wrong sister! How could he have been so blind?

His mind raced back to that first day in Etton.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.