Before she blinked, Eoin enveloped her in a sheltering embrace.
Chapter Eleven
Eoin shouldn’t have run to Lady Helen and gathered her in his arms, but she looked so vulnerable standing there trembling, her face stricken. However, now that his arms surrounded her, he couldn’t bring himself to let go.
She huddled into him, still shaking like a frightened kitten. “I do not know what came over me, b-but he slapped my face, and I fell into the table. And then he-he-he wrapped his fingers around my neck. And-and I don’t know how I ended up with the candlestick, but I swung it at him to make him stop cho-k-ing meeeee.”
Sobs racked her body, and he held her tighter, wishing to God Glenda had fetched him sooner. If Aleck wanted a fight, Eoin would have been a more apt opponent.
“There, there,” he soothed, pressing his lips to the top of her head and closing his eyes. Who in their right mind would raise a finger against lovely Lady Helen? Beautiful, gentle, unpretentious Helen. Her fragrance alone was sweeter than an entire meadow abloom with heather. A willowy woman, she seemed so frail in his embrace. If he squeezed too taut, she might snap. This precious jewel of a noblewoman needed to be put on a pedestal, protected and admired.
She coughed. “My throat still hurts.”
Forcing himself to release his embrace, he cupped her face. Helen winced. Knitting his brows, Eoin examined her. She had a red mark along her cheek bone, with purple spreading beneath. The monster. “It looks like you’ll have another bruise.”
“Not again,” she groaned.
Eoin’s gaze trailed downward and he hissed. “Sir Aleck’s fingerprints have left bruises on your neck as well.”
She covered her throat with her hand. “Is it bad?”
“’Tis a bloody outrage if you ask me. A knight takes an oath to protect women—to honor them. This is a disgrace against you and against the code of chivalry. I ought to—”
“But Aleck will severely punish anyone who tries to stand up to him.” Her voice warbled with fear. “He’s lord of these lands.”
“Aye, but he’s not lord over Scotland, nor is he God’s emissary on earth.”
She pressed her fingertips to her lips. “Whatever do you mean?”
“The Pope, m’lady. No woman should be forced to suffer the brutish hand of her husband and only the Pope can free you from this unbearable marriage.”
She swayed in place, covering her mouth with her hand. “An annulment?” she uttered the abomination in a whisper.
He reached out and brushed away the lock of hair covering her eye. “Aye.”
“Aleck would kill me first—he said so himself.”
“Not if you had my protection.”
She stepped away from him and paced, clutching her arms around her stomach. “But I have Maggie to think of. I can never leave Mingary without my daughter. I am the only person who will look out for her.”
“No one would expect you to give up your child to a tyrant.” Eoin grasped her hand. “Please. Allow me to help you.”
Uncertainty and fear shadowed her eyes as she cast her gaze to the brute still flat on his back.
Aleck moaned and snorted.
Eoin hastened to MacIain’s side. Good, he hadn’t roused from his drunken stupor.
Helen stepped beside him. “Are you sure he’ll be all right?”
“With a bull’s head like his? The only thing that will be ailing him come morn is a nasty ache in his skull caused by guzzling too much whisky.”
“Oh dear, that’ll make him angrier than a badger.” Helen grimaced. “And I’ll wager he’ll blame me.”
Eoin, kicked the bottom of Aleck’s foot with no result. “Perhaps not if we spirit him to his bed. When he wakes, he’ll have no idea how he arrived there.”
“But he’ll suspect I had something to do with it.”
“He mightn’t even remember what happened.”
“I hope you are right.” She didn’t appear to be convinced, but Eoin needed to move Aleck out of her chamber. If the bastard awoke on her floor, she’d be punished for certain.
“Is there a door between your chambers?”
She pointed. “Nay—his chamber is the next one along the passageway.”
Eoin scratched his chin. “Unfortunate.”
Helen tapped her fingers to her lips. “He mustn’t stay here. You are right about that. If we can slip out quietly, no one will be the wiser. Aleck only posts a guard at the stairwell.”
“The one I walked past on my way up here?”
“Aye, most likely.”
“A great deal of protection he’ll provide. He was slumped over and sound asleep.”