Lord of Fire,Lady of Ice(73)

“Then you enjoyed the marriage bed that night.” Stuart’s face turned dark as he gritted the words. His hands tightened into fists.

“Nay,” Della allowed. Stuart had twisted the band on her finger so it faced the wrong direction. Unconscious of the action, she righted it. Not thinking to say anything but the truth, she explained, “We didn’t share the marriage bed that night. Lord Blackwell let me out of the duty for grieving.”

“Ah, so you have not yet gone through that misfortune.” Stuart brightened once more as he reached an arm to nudge her in childish play. “I was afraid it might have been too late for you. That barbarian no doubt will try to tell you lies about what must be done during that time.”

Della blushed and avoided looking at him directly. “Last night.”

Stuart stiffened and his eye began to twitch. “Last…?” He didn’t finish.

Della wondered at his reaction and then realized he probably felt sorry for her.

“It wasn’t so bad,” she said, needing to explain herself better. “Truly.”

“But he is a Viking.” Stuart swore under his breath. “Do you so easily forget what his kind did? How could your father have forced you to marry such a detestable man? How could he, after what you had been through at their hands, do that to you?”

Della had never seen Stuart angry. Until that moment, she would have guessed he didn’t know how to rage. And, unlike Brant’s, she felt unsafe around her cousin’s anger. He lacked the steely control of her husband. His eyes moved back and forth in his head, as if the mind behind them raced with thoughts.

“Mayhap the wedding was not completed? There was a lot happening that night. Mayhap the ceremony is not legal.” Stuart turned a knowing glance to her. “Think, Della! Is there aught that was not finished?”

“Yea, it’s legal,” Della assured him. “We have about two hundred witnesses, both Norse and Saxon, to attest to the fact. My father didn’t pass until after every detail was done.”

Stuart cursed again.

Della laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Stuart, please. Don’t carry on so for me. I know what happened to my mother and I also know that my father sought only to protect me. So don’t hate him in his death. He thought to please King Guthrum so I would have the protection of his armies behind me if there was to be another war.”

“But I could have provided you with protection. I, too, have the ear of King Guthrum.” Stuart lowered his tone to a more pleasing pitch. His expression was veiled. “I would’ve protected you with my life. And I would’ve been the kind of husband I have always promised to be. I wouldn’t have forced you into my bed.”

“It wasn’t force.” She didn’t want to tell her cousin about her father’s last comments about him. Stuart didn’t need to know that her father didn’t like him. “I went willingly to his bed, as was my duty.”

“Then he used his pagan magic,” he concluded. “Which is worse, Della? Taking a woman against her will or taking the will away from the woman?”

Della swallowed hard. She’d suspected Brant had put a pagan curse on her. Was that what happened? Had she become so blind by his magical spell that she had forgotten her own mind completely? Mayhap it was the curse of the ring. Mayhap Lynnea was a pagan goddess or a witch. Mayhap the engraving was not an endearment but a spell. Mayhap that was his power over her. But could she dare to take the ring off? Be seen without it? Could she dare to openly defy her husband? And how could she test her feelings without doing so?

“I’m so sorry, Della. I have failed you.” Stuart pulled his knees into his chest and rested his head on them. “I should’ve known to come to you sooner. I was busy campaigning for King Guthrum and now I’m too late. How you must despise me.”

In the past, Della had always been moved when Stuart showed such open feeling in front of her. It was not masculine for a man to cry, but somehow, when Stuart became close to tears, she felt herself experiencing the same emotion. He only showed this side of himself to her.

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Nay, don’t say such things. You cannot control the world. You cannot control the minds of other men. My father did what he thought he had to. Mayhap he didn’t know that you were so close to the king.”

“Nay, Della. I should’ve been here for you. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long. Methought that if I worked hard, as I have these past years, and got into good stead with King Guthrum, you would be proud of me. Methought I…” His shoulders shook. “I have failed you and I’m sorry. But I will find a way to make it up to you, even if it takes the rest of my life.”