The Consolation Prize (Brides of Karadok #3) - Alice Coldbreath Page 0,119
front of me.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “The only time I wasn’t attracted to you was on that balcony.” He frowned. “But that was only the get-up you were rigged out in. You didn’t really look like a woman. More like a ship.” Una gave a smothered laugh. “But if those strange garments meant you were preserved for me, then I guess they served their purpose,” he concluded with a sigh.
Una opened her mouth to agree, but he interrupted her. “You would tell me if you really weren’t recovered from what just happened, wouldn’t you, Una?” Before she could speak, he continued swiftly. “If you wanted us to remove from here, or if you would feel safer at court—”
“What? No!” she interrupted him quickly. “I love Lynwode above all places in the world! It’s my home.”
“Even if you wanted us to repair to Anninghurst for a while,” he started tentatively. “We could—”
“Anninghurst?” she objected. “Why would we? When Lynwode is superior in every way!”
“Anninghurst is surrounded by a moat,” he pointed out. “You might feel more secure there.”
“Armand,” Una adjusted herself beside him to face him full on. “Waleran was not in his right mind,” she said simply. “He couldn’t even rouse any followers to join him. He wanted us to fall to our deaths together as martyrs to the Blechmarsh cause.” Armand’s arms tightened about her, but she continued calmly. “We were never close, and he was not the spoiled young noble I remember, but a complete stranger.” She sighed. “Otho was always the best of my brothers, and thanks to you, I am blessed to have him in my life still.”
“Thanks to me?”
“Few husbands would tolerate so antagonistic a brother-in-law, at such close quarters.”
A brief smile touched his lips. “He’s a good steward, and truth to tell, I have grown used to having him about the place. I’m even growing quite fond of him.”
“Truly?” It was more than she’d hoped for.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Besides, even if I couldn’t stand him, I’d bear his company for your sake.”
“You see,” she told him encouragingly. “How truly considerate you are.”
He shrugged. “It’s still self-interest, Una. I mean to keep you contented by my side. That is all.”
Una bit her lip, realizing Armand was going to take some convincing that he was not selfish through and through. “I wonder how Otho’s explanation went over,” she said, shifting further up the pillows and adjusting the sheet to cover her breasts. “Do you think many will have left our service before morning?”
Armand followed her up the bed, resettling against her, as though he could not bear to lose contact. “I don’t really care. We can always hire more servants from further afield. I can find more men if need be.”
She thought about this for a moment. “It might be as well to get word to your family before it reaches them via an alternate route, Armand.”
He gave no response, his hand shifted up and down her hip in a vaguely comforting gesture. She hoped it wasn’t because he was still assuring himself, she was there.
“This is like that attempt on our lives at the inn, isn’t it?” he said suddenly.
“I don’t remember you being quite so badly affected by that,” Una admitted cautiously.
“I was talking about your reaction, not mine,” he retorted.
Una raised up on one elbow to look into his face. “I suppose it is, rather. Unpleasant,” she shivered. “But soon consigned to the past.”
He shook his head. “Not for me,” he said grimly. “I’ll have that tower dragged down stone by stone. And I’ll still have nightmares about it.”
“Armand,” she said, twining her arms about his neck. “If Rose hadn’t … done what she did, I would have contrived to survive somehow, I assure you.”
A shade of his former grimness returned. “I should have kept you safe. Had you watched more securely.”
“You’ve assembled quite an army already,” she pointed out. “I have no idea what duties you will give all these men to keep them occupied about the place!”
He was quiet for a moment before admitting. “The more recent of them were sent to us by Lord Vawdrey.”
“What?” She drew back to stare at him in dismay.
“Apparently the King’s chief advisor did not consider me a safe pair of hands either.” His gaze fell from hers. “He sent me a warning this afternoon that your brother Waleran was still alive, so you see I am to blame.”
“Nonsense!” She shook his shoulder. “You could not have foreseen that Waleran would sneak into the house like that.