Lord of Fire,Lady of Ice(143)

When her husband was out of sight, the hall burst into an uproar. Gunther waved the knights back and harshly ordered the servants to bed.

“You all saw how he is changed. Lord Blackwell has been ensorcelled by the witch, Serilda,” Gunther explained before promising to give a much better account of all that had happened later. He turned to the countess. Della nodded at him. With a rueful smile and a solemn shake of his head, he held out his hand. “M’lady.”

Della took his hand and smiled sadly. She brushed the skirt of her stained, damp gown the best she could and then rubbed the back of her neck. “I should have known he would fight me.”

“I have kept my end of the bargain, now it is yer turn.” Gunther slipped her hand onto his elbow. He guided her to where the men disappeared with the still-yelling Brant. “And may all the gods be with you.”

“Mine or yours?” Della asked with a wry grin.

“Methinks you will have need of them all,” Gunther answered as he led her abovestairs to face their outraged captive.





* * * * *


Della pushed open the door to the bedchamber she shared with her husband. Pausing, she stepped back to let some of the men out of the room before she entered. Brant was tied to the bed, his arms and legs each strapped to a corner. Though he glared ferociously at her, he was still ravishing to behold and her heart did little flips in her chest. Della bit the inside of her lip, so happy to be home, to see him alive, yet nervous about what she was going to say to him now they were alone.

She had quickly changed into a simple, dry gown before coming to join them in the room. The blue wool was thick and warm. Her hair still hung damp around her shoulders, but at least now she wasn’t freezing. Unable to hold it back, she smiled at him, unfazed by his irritated expression. As all the men finally left, she shut the door behind her.

Going to his side, she laid her hand soothingly on his forehead, trying to smooth away the crease of his frown. There was a cut on his head from the effort it took to get him abovestairs and she wiped the blood with the edge of her tunic sleeve. Her tone gentle and tender, she said, “You are bleeding.”

“It is your blood that will spill in the end, treacherous woman!” Brant snapped his head away from her light touch.

“Quiet.” Della refused to be baited into another fight, but would also not back down. She stood from the bed and placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t make me call the men back to have you gagged. You will hear what I have to say to you, even if it takes me all night to say it. So, the sooner you stop being mean, the sooner I will have the nerve to speak.”

Brant glared at her, but kept his mouth shut. He worked his arms against the constraints of the rope, but they held tight.

“Where to begin?” Della thought aloud. She’d rehearsed the words endlessly in her head on the way home, but now they would not come to her like she’d planned. “Foremost, I’m sorry to have to bind you like this. But, in many ways, it’s your own fault. I asked nicely to speak with you belowstairs, but you would have none of it.”

“You had best keep me bound here, for the second I’m untied, I’m going to kill all of you.” Brant’s whisper was deadly. His muscles tightened into hard bulges. “I shall see you hanged.”

“I said to keep quiet! We both know you will do no such thing. Must you always have your say first?” Della shivered, forced to concentrate past the sudden arousal she felt from watching his body. Sighing in frustration, she began to pace. “You are a fiery tempered oaf. You do realize that, don’t you?”

Brant narrowed his gaze at the insult, but kept his mouth shut.

“All right. I am sorry for blaming you and your people for my mother’s death. I was wrong. But, before Stuart abducted me, I came to realize I did not blame you for the crime. That, in fact, I could not blame you.” Della took a deep breath as she paused. Her heart pounded at the distant memory and she blinked back tears. “The man you have in custody, William, is responsible. He admitted as much to me. Then I heard him arguing with Stuart. He said that my uncle, Lord Grayson, paid to have my mother, his sister, killed. He worried she carried a male heir. My uncle wanted Strathfeld. He’d squandered his fortune and was close to losing his land.

“I know I was harsh to you, but you must understand. My brother was alive when they cut him out of her. They gave the child to my uncle to dispose of. He put on a mask so I would not know it was he who slit,” Della paused, taking a deep breath, “who killed him. But he was there watching the whole time. They tied me to the bed so I would not see him behind me.