was me, not this fine husband of yours who came in search of you, does that not tell you all you need to know about his motivation?”
“It tells me you still believe me some cosseted princess in need of coddling,” she answered dryly. “Despite the fact I have not been so since I was fourteen and forced out of the palace. As for Armand,” she shrugged. “We have total frankness between us, which I find refreshing.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means, broth—” She corrected herself. “Otho … that we have vowed to be ideal traveling companions together on our adventure. I am fulfilling my end of the bargain,” she said, gesturing to the sack of food. “If our marriage continues on these lines, I will be vastly satisfied with it.” Seeing her brother’s troubled expression, she added lightly, “He did not expect to win that tournament, Otho, or take a wife that evening.”
He snorted. “From what I saw, he could win precious little glory in the field.” He sighed. “He is not a fit husband for you, but at least he bested those two last night. After seeing his woeful performance on May Day, I would not have thought him capable.”
Una winced. “He was beset by robbers the day after we were married and fought them off with aplomb. I think perhaps he is better in a brawl than in a formal match.”
Otho shrugged. “Curious for a knight, but if you say ’tis so, then I will accept it.”
She regarded her brother thoughtfully. “Otho, what were you planning to do, after you had won that competition? You took such a risk. If your imposture had been found out, I do not like to contemplate what your fate would have been.”
He flushed and would not answer for a moment. “There is a convent near Woodcote, with a monastery at the foot of the hill. I thought I could take you to the abbey and I would enroll with the holy brethren nearby. You would be safe, and though we would not be together, we would be close by always.”
Una felt oddly touched. She reached out and touched his sleeve. “That was sweet of you, but I have never aspired to be a holy sister, Otho,” she said gently. “I want children and a home of my own.”
“You think De Bussell can give you that?”
“Yes,” she answered simply. “He has a pleasant personality, open and genial. I think with time he will grow accustomed to the fact he has a wife not of his choosing. He bears no grudges that he was forced into marriage with me.”
“No grudges!” spluttered Otho. “It is an honor he does not deserve!”
“There we must agree to disagree,” she said with a wry smile. “But I think all will work itself out. For the first time in my life, I feel optimistic about my future, Otho. You have no idea how freeing that feels.”
Her brother looked hard at her for a moment and then turned away. “I’d better go back and help him,” he growled. “We only have an hour at most before dawn.”
Una nodded. “I will be perfectly fine down here by myself,” she assured him. “Unless you think I should come up and help?”
He looked appalled at the notion. “Take your ease while you can,” he recommended sternly. “You’ve not had a full night’s sleep and you’ll be flagging by noon.” He hesitated. “Do you think you could get your head down for an hour’s sleep?”
She shook her head. “Absolutely not. I will just sit here quietly and await you.”
He left her with a nod, and she heard his quick step on the stair. It was only then that she caught sight of a pair of shiny eyes under the table, peering up at her. Una started and then realized it was a tiny little dog, shivering in the shadows.
“Hello there,” she said in a kindly voice. “Where did you come from?”
The animal cringed away from her, looking frankly terrified. He was a malnourished little thing, his every rib sticking out, his gray fur matted and tangled in tufts.
“Come here, I won’t hurt you,” she promised him softly, but he could not be persuaded. Thoughtfully, Una stood up from the bench and walked through to the kitchen where the remains of the pork joint were on the side. It had not been cooked with any spices or seasoning, so she fancied it would be bland enough for the dog’s palate. Cutting some non-fatty pieces, she placed