distance between them and the other nobles.
“Did your brother do that to yer face?”
Helena squeezed her friend’s hand. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“Because ye are wed?” Raelin bit her lower lip. “I suppose ye are right about that. I do believe that Keir McQuade will not allow that brother of yers to lay his hand on ye now.”
Helena heard the question her friend didn’t voice. She offered her a genuine smile. The Scots girl relaxed.
“Och, I’m so happy for ye. I told him about ye nae coming to court. I hoped he’d be the man ye thought he was.”
They had wandered far from the courtyard while talking. A pounding of boot heels on the stone tile drew both their attention. Helena looked up to see her new husband bearing down on them.
Keir was furious.
It was such an unexpected thing, Helena stared at him.
“Dinnae ever leave my men, madam.”
His tone infuriated her. “Excuse me, Raelin. I do believe my husband and I need to have a conversation.”
The Scots girl wasn’t shocked; in fact she was slightly amused. “Aye, I can see he needs a thing or two pointed out to him.”
Keir crossed his arms over his chest. Raelin curtsied low and very slowly in a mockery of his stern pose.
“Mistress McKorey, I believe I’ve already interceded on your behalf and that should have taught ye to remain where it is safe. Nae encourage others to make the same mistakes.”
“’Tis the light of day now.” Raelin didn’t seem impressed with Keir McQuade. She stood up boldly to the man. But she shifted her attention to Helena.
“Come to the queen’s chambers later. Her Majesty would like to see you as well.”
She swept past Keir and his retainers with her chin high. Helena envied the girl her confidence in the face of such stern disapproval.
“Ye cannae venture off on yer own, Helena. I willnae have it.”
Keir wasn’t bending. He glared at her, disapproval clear on his face.
“I warned ye that ye would nae be allowed away from my men.”
She took a deep breath, searching for the face of her lover in the man standing in front of her now. “You said that the night before our wedding.”
“I dinnae see what has changed, madam.”
Hurt ran its claw across her heart. Where was the man she had just lain with? Try as she might, she could not see him. The pain stung.
“You are quite correct. Nothing has changed, husband.”
She lowered herself. His eyes snapped with temper. “Helena—”
“I must pay my respects to the queen.”
“Ye’ll stay with me.”
Helena straightened herself and stared at him. “Just as I had to obey the king and wed you, you shall obey the wishes of the queen to see me. It is my duty now that I have been told she wishes to see me.”
Keir frowned. “I shall accompany ye.”
Hard and unwavering, his eyes looked like obsidian.
She turned and began walking. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, tension knotting between her shoulder blades. She felt his distrust keenly.
It dropped her back into the swirling mists of loneliness that had assaulted her that morning. It slashed at the fragile happiness she’d felt around her since their afternoon tryst. She should have expected it. Their marriage might be ended if there was no child. Divorce was not uncommon. It was hushed up and muttered against by the church but it happened far more than anyone admitted. When inheritances and titles hung in the balance, even matrimony wasn’t unbreakable. Keir would be wise to breed her often in order to plant a child in her womb. One living child would make it much harder for a divorce to happen.
She wanted to resist thinking that way. His men might simply be doing their duty in a world that was often filled with dangers for the unprotected. But emotions were fickle things that didn’t listen to logic.
It was little wonder that affection of the heart was considered insanity. Her new emotions were playing havoc with her thinking and that was no mistake.
“You don’t have to leave, Helena.”
“There is no point in avoiding what is done.” Helena hugged her friend, embracing her tightly. “He is not unkind to me.”
Raelin nodded. “He has honor. And that is something that I nae ever thought I’d say of any McQuade, since his father tried to kill me only a year past. But I suppose neither of us should hope marriage to be anything except what it is.”
“I will miss you.”
Helena smiled at her friend in spite of