by Ashley York
“My men and I have searched the area and examined Cathair’s body.”
“D'ye have the weapon?” Tadhg’s words sent a chill down her back. “It must have be—”
“It was with the body.”
“Can we see it?” Sean asked.
Brighit squeezed her fingers so tightly together they ached. Her mind searched frantically for what she would say when the man revealed her dagger to all.
Seigine shifted, reaching beneath his brait. She didn’t miss the glance he shot at her, or the flash of his white teeth. He was enjoying this!
“Forgiveness, please,” he said, lifting his empty hands for all to see. “My wife is not well, and I did not wish to leave her. In my haste to get here, I must have left it at her side.”
Sean and Tadhg exchanged glances. Her lungs refused to work.
“Was there anything distinctive about the weapon? Something ye may have noticed?”
“Ye have seen the body? The mutilation my brother suffered?”
Her heart sped up. The man she’d murdered was beyond those doors? Was his body cloaked in a burial cloth even now? Or had he been thrown onto a cart just as he was, his side bloodied from her blade?
“We have.” Sean tipped his head in a show of respect. “A most vicious attack.”
No! It was done in defense.
“I do not remember anything about the weapon, only the destruction it caused.”
“The sharpest of blades, to slice so clean—”
“An angry strike. I will bring it with me for yer examination when next I return.” Seigine paused before continuing. “Unless we can find the murderer and can bring him to ye, we will wait until ye send us word that the council has assembled.”
The need to confess what she had done—to put an end to this terrible mess—shifted in Brighit’s chest. She set her feet to the floor, preparing to stand and yet…it was a real possibility that she would be killed if she could not convince them of her innocence.
She remained seated.
Seigine turned to the others listening, their eyes intent on him.
“I do not wish to take away from this celebration,” he said. He extended a hand and Darragh clasped his wrist. “May yer time in seclusion be fertile and produce a son as great as the father.”
A child. Brighit searched her memory. Was there any mention in the treaty of a woman being given leniency because she was with child?
“My thanks.”
Seigine’s threats did not demonstrate any willingness to cast her as an innocent. He had her weapon in his possession. If he wanted her punished, he needed only to reveal it to them now, or even describe the distinctive hilt to them. He did not.
“We have taken enough of their time. Come.” Seigine motioned to his men, who gathered around him, and they headed toward the door as one.
Stopping at the entryway, Seigine turned back to Tadhg and Sean with a twinkle in his eyes. “There is one more thing I must ask ye before I leave.”
Brighit’s relief was short lived and she slumped in her seat, no longer able to even consider standing.
“I wish to know that both of yer clans will support me as king if there is an outcry from Clan Dubhshláine.”
“Why would there be an outcry?” Sean asked.
“My grandmother was of their clan and they would prefer that our clan, small as it is, should join with theirs.”
Tadhg nodded. “I know of the dispute, Seigine.” His tone indicated both his understanding of the matter and a lack of patience for it. “Yer land is the better land. It is located along the river. Did yer brother not recently consider joining with them?”
“My brother is dead.” The words spoken with such finality raised a few eyebrows, but no one said anything. “I will speak with my council. I will follow their advice.”
“As ye should.” Sean’s reassurances were not repeated by Tadhg. “We will gather the other rig túaithe. Capturing the murderer before that time—”
“I will bring the murderer before ye.” Seigine bowed his head then led the men through the outer doors.
To Brighit’s ear, it was both promise and threat.
Chapter 10
Tadhg signaled for the celebrations to continue and all seemed happy to comply. He had feigned interest in the festivities for all of ten minutes before huddling with Sean and Darragh at the table opposite Brighit to discuss their visitors. Though she felt compelled to remain in the great hall, her seeming abandonment suited her fine. She preferred not to be part of any conversation about Seigine. Instead, her mind kept reviewing everything he’d said to her.
He had her weapon, the proof she had murdered his brother, and an eyewitness—himself. That was all that was needed for justice to be seen to. The punishment would fit the crime. So why had the man approached her with the information instead of revealing it to all and pointing the finger at her?
He’d said he wanted the council to support him as his brother’s replacement. Could that be why he was waiting?
The men continued to discuss how they should proceed. This was the first true test of the treaty so many had been opposed to signing. The tradition was for important agreements to be memorized, often recited by the bards and fili. The idea of putting the terms down in a document had set many against the agreement.
“And this is acceptable to ye, Darragh?” Sean asked.
Something about her father’s tone—and mayhap the mention of her husband’s name—caught Brighit’s attention. Several of Darragh’s closest friends stood beside them now, intently listening.
“There is no choice in the matter,” Terrence said. “Their leader was murdered. They demand satisfaction.”
“And they watch and wait to see what we will do about it. How quickly we will move on it,” Tadhg added before emptying his horn of mead.
Brighit felt the hair on her neck rise.
“Was it some random act? Did he travel alone like a fool?” Darragh asked.
“Seigine told me they were set upon by a group of men they did not recognize,” Tadhg said.
Brighit averted her eyes, the sound of her heart beat loud in her ears.
“On their own land?” Sean asked.
Tadhg nodded. “They took chase and somehow the leader was murdered. There was no sign of the attackers.”
Sean glanced at Brighit, but he did not seem to notice the petrified look on her face.
“The closest neighbors, and even many from far away, have been here. Among us.” Terrence stated the obvious. “How could a group that large go unnoticed?”
“And more confusing is why Cathair and his men were out in the dark of night. I am wary of their truthfulness.”
Tadhg merely shrugged. “But if the men who attacked them are the same ones who have been killing our deer and leaving them to rot in our woods, I would like to receive just compensation as well.”
“I worried that this clan might become a problem. They were so reluctant to sign the treaty and tried to get others to reject it as well,” Sean said.
“I feared the same, which is why this union between Darragh and Brighit is so important. Their land stands between our two túath, and they could make life difficult for us.”
“Was it not Seigine’s brother who approached us about their joining Clan Dubhshláine?” Darragh asked.
Tadhg nodded. His face a grim mask. “He was looking into the joining of the clans to ensure continued peace, but he assured me it could wait until after the wedding.”
Cold horror filled Brighit. After prolonging their betrothal for her own selfish purposes, had she managed to kill the one man who might have sought a truce in the area?
Tadhg turned to Darragh. “Are ye prepared for any trouble ye might encounter?”
His ominous words had her searching Darragh’s face for any clue, but he merely smiled. A quiet smile intended to calm any concerns. “I will be traveling with my new bride. Why would I be a threat to anyone? Besides, I believe I will find more trouble
bedding my wife.”
Darragh winked at her and she gasped, her eyes widening at the unexpected jest.
As one, the younger men turned to her with a mix of expressions from avid curiosity to complete shock. Tadhg and Sean pretended not to be listening.
“Is this so?” Terrence asked, looking ready to explode with laughter. “This wee bit of a lass gave ye trouble? Did ye leave her disappointed?”
Brighit’s face tightened when he looked at her as if to discern the truth.
Darragh said, “I would never leave her disappointed, as well ye know.”
“Oh, ho ho!” Terrence stood as if he’d learned something of great importance. “How ye speak of yer own prowess—and in her presence, ready to set ye aright.”
The three turned to her as if ready for some reaction; she had none. Her face heated considerably, but she wanted to scream at them.
Stop! Ye have no idea what I am capable of.
“Is something amiss?” Darragh had moved closer without her noticing. He took her hand. “Yer skin is like ice.”
The others were once again paying them no attention. “I’m…I’m fine. Thank ye. Mayhap a little tired.”
“It has been a long few days.”
He didn’t know the half of it.
Sean inched forward on the bench and Brighit recognized her father’s speculative gaze. She wasn’t certain he could hear them, but she became overwhelmed with the idea of going to him, crying in his arms and confessing all that she had done. Surely he could protect her.
Her father finished off his mead and came to stand beside her.
“How fare ye, daughter?” His fingers smoothed down her hair. Tears pricked her eyes.
“I am fine,” she forced herself to say. “Thank ye for yer concern.”
When he dropped to his knees in front of her, taking her hands in his, his intent gaze startled her. “I will always be here for ye if ye need me, ye know that?”
Brighit nodded, afraid to speak.
“But ye must go with yer husband. He will care for ye now.” Sean glanced at Darragh. “He is a good man and he will be a good provider and protector.”
“I do not…”
Her father’s eyes widened when she did not finish her familiar complaint. She couldn’t say the words. They were no longer true. She did need his protection.
“Ye are correct,” she said instead.
Pressing his lips against her forehead, she swiped at the tear slipping down her cheek before he would see it.
“I am most proud of ye, Brighit. Ye are the light in my life and I will miss ye more than I can say.”
When tears filled his eyes, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. “I am sorry I have been such a disappointment to ye.”
“Never! Never were ye a disappointment to me.”
Brighit couldn’t voice the feelings ripping out her heart. When he found out what she had done, he would be glad to be rid of her.
“I will love ye always,” Sean’s words were muffled against her hair.
“And ye are the best of fathers.”
He kissed her cheek and rose to include Darragh. “Ye will see to her needs?”
Darragh moved closer, accepting Sean’s hand. “She will be well taken care of.”
When her father’s gaze shifted to the crowds of merry makers around them, Brighit knew without asking that he was seeking out her mother. They never slept apart. The moment Thomasina sensed his gaze, her eyes went directly to him. When she turned her nose up in the air and turned away, Brighit’s couldn’t help but mumble, “Oh dear.”
She immediately regretted saying it and hoped no one had heard.
Sean patted her on the head before dropping a kiss in the same spot. “Rest easy, ghráidh. I’ll win her back. She can only stay mad at me for a short time.”
Tadhg, Darragh, and the other men kept their eye on Sean’s swaggering retreat, their heads close together, as if they were watching a play being performed before their very eyes.
“D'ye suppose he’ll be looking for another place to sleep?” Tadhg spoke without turning away from the scene unfolding before him, as if afraid to miss any part of this—Sean’s overtures to his irritated wife.
Darragh was also intent on the scene. “I doubt it. The two seem inseparable.”
Brighit offered no information but would admit to being concerned about the outcome. Sean was saying something. It only received a curt nod. Not a good first move. But then he stroked her in the pretense of moving Thomasina’s long hair off her shoulder, he said something into her ear—a whisper. When her mother’s smiling face turned up for Sean’s amorous kiss, Brighit sighed in relief. They would be fine.
“Ah! Not this time.” Tadhg chuckled. “The man’s got the touch. Always has.” He turned back to the others and reddened when he realized Brighit was also listening. He cleared his throat before standing. “I’m for bed.”
Darragh nodded. “I thought we’d set out in the morning.”
“And how does Brighit feel about traveling south? I’m sure it will be an adventure.”
“An adventure to start off our married life? Would that please ye?” he asked her with a smile.
Excitement, unbidden, simmered inside her. They would be leaving for their honeyed moon in the morning. It would be an adventure and an escape from her troubles. Mayhap she need never return. Struggling to keep all emotion from her face, Brighit nodded. “I have never been south.”
Tadhg smiled and said, “Do take care. We don’t know who may have set about to murder this ri túaithe. I admit I would prefer ye be away from here with Brighit at least until the new moon.”
“I will take care of what is mine, Father.” Darragh glanced at her as if measuring her response when he answered.
“Go with God. Both of ye.” Tadhg offered, kissing Brighit on the cheek before leaving them. The others drifting away as well.
Brighit met Darragh’s eyes. He studied her before he spoke.
“This will not be the kind of honeyed moon I’d wish for us. I’ve agreed to bring the news of the treaty violation to the other rig túaithe.”
Guilt flooded her. It was her fault—all of it.
“We will travel with warriors for protection, but the trip will not be easy. The rains are nearly upon us, which can make the routes impassable. Without many places of protection along the trail, we must prepare for the worst.”
She simply nodded. A single short, quick movement.
“Still, we will have time to ourselves, as we should,” he said. “We should get ye to bed. Sunrise is not so very far off.”
Standing, he offered her his arm, his face again that stoic visage. Overcome with sadness, she placed her hand on his arm and they turned toward the stairs. The music stopped, and all eyes were on them as they ascended the steps. Applause broke out, but rather than pause to acknowledge the cheers of encouragement, Darragh seemed to quicken his step.
At the door to his chamber, he turned to her, the torch on the wall casting dark shadows on his face making it impossible to read his expression. “And here we are again.”
He leaned into her, easing her against the wall with a hand on either side of her, before capturing her lips. The gentleness of the kiss wiped away all other thoughts and when he grasped her chin to tip her head, his tongue slipped between her parted lips to spar with her own. The heat was there again. If he touched her there, he would find how easily he roused her.
He pulled away, sliding a single finger down her face. “My lovely wife. Have ye nothing to say to yer husband?”
A jumble of words flitted through her mind. Apologies. Explanations. A plea for forgiveness. She remained silent.
He turned away from her and opened the door, giving her room to precede him. The bed had been remade and a sheer chemise lay across the foot of it, the silky material no doubt meant to entice.
Darragh cleared his throat before speaking in a brusque tone. “We best get to sleep. I plan to leave before the sun is
up.”
He gave her his back, removing his tunic, calfskin shoes, and trews with little ceremony. She struggled with the ties but managed to disrobe, quickly donning the chemise. Darragh neither watched her nor offered his assistance. He seemed to be fulfilling her first impression of him just fine. When he crawled beneath the covers and turned away from her, she did the same, shivering despite the heavy fur covering. The wedding night was truly not everything a young lass might hope for.
Chapter 11
Brighit had been dreaming of her own bed, but it was her husband who roused her from sleep. She groaned, and her eyes flew open. He was leaning over her, a hand on either side of her head, and a knowing smile on his face.
“Were ye dreaming of me?” His voice barely a whisper.
When he leaned closer to kiss her, covering her with his body, Brighit couldn’t take a breath. She panicked, shoving at his chest. “No!”
He yanked back, quite a far distance, and she realized he’d moved more than a knee’s length away. His expression of confusion quickly shifted to irritation. “Get yerself ready. We need to be off.”
Darragh left the room, stopping barely short of slamming the heavy wooden door closed. The tears came fast and hard. Her dream had been so sweet—she’d been lying across his chest and kissing him back. Sweet, tender kisses that sent all kinds of delicious sensations throughout her body. She remembered wanting him to take her again. But just now, he had been too close to her. She’d felt trapped. Jumping up from the bed, she quickly bathed in the cold water from the pitcher then dressed. The last thing she wanted to do was to anger him more by making him wait for her.
When Brighit entered the inner bailey cloaked in her heavy mantle, she was surprised by the number of mounted men gathered there. Darragh approached, the reins of his horse held loosely in his hands.
“Ye’ll ride in the carriage, hidden and well guarded by my men.”
