“You’re not feeling well?” Raynor asked upon entering.
“I am fine,” she repeated more firmly.
“Good, for I wish to visit with my sister.”
Anna was quick to take her leave, giving them time alone.
“I have enjoyed my visit with you thus far. I needed to see for myself if you were happy.”
“Am I?” She asked the question of her brother but it was a query she needed to answer herself.
Raynor pulled out a chair from the table and straddled it. “In all honesty, I needed to get past my own misconceptions before I could see the truth.”
“How so?”
He gave a brief laugh. “I believed I came to rescue you as you once did me. I thought you were a prisoner here.”
“Had Fiona helped plant the thought in your head?”
“She might have, but my own thoughts served me well enough. The Wolf had attacked Hellewyk land, injured Tarr, and of course, the worst of his offenses, he had abducted my sister. There was reason enough to hate him.”
“Have you now changed your mind?”
“Thanks to Rogan.” He nodded and laughed. “The perplexed look on your face tells me I should explain.”
“Please do.”
“When I learned of the bargain between you two, I, like Fiona, thought it a ruse, a way to keep his precious land by convincing you that he actually loved you. My own plan was to observe Rogan’s lies for myself and help you see them as well. Then I would take you home with me.”
“It hasn’t worked that way?”
“After a couple of days here, I knew the situation wasn’t what I had thought. By week’s end, having watched Rogan with you, I knew the man was besotted.” His laughter filled the room. “Actually, it did my heart good to know that my sister has tamed the mighty Wolf.”
“I have not,” she protested, not believing him.
“Oh, come now, Aliss, you must see for yourself how much he loves you. Everyone else sees it; even my men do and find it quite humorous. He picks flowers for you, for goodness’ sake.”
She looked away from her brother. Had she been so lost in the hurt and pain of Rogan’s betrayal that she refused to see that he had truly loved her all along? That love had caught him off guard as it had done to her?
“Aliss,” Raynor said gently.
She turned back to him. “You have rescued me, brother.”
“You do not realize how much he loves you, do you?”
“No. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself.”
“That does not sound like you.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know myself anymore.”
Raynor grinned. “Love has a way of doing that to people. Besides, you have time left to work through your feelings; after all, a bargain is a bargain. And Rogan does need punishment for betraying you, though I daresay he’s probably suffering miserably right now. Let him suffer a bit more. It will do him good, and when you’re ready, release the man from his self-inflicted prison.”
Raynor stood. “And don’t forget, little sister, to forgive yourself. Foolishness didn’t get you in this position, love did, and love will get you out of it.”
Aliss sprang off her chair and flung her arms around him. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
He hugged her back. “You’re most welcome, though don’t expect me to leave anytime soon. I do not want to see cranky Fiona unless you’re standing beside me.”
They both laughed and Raynor left, leaving her to think on her newfound knowledge.
Raynor voiced what she had known but was only beginning to acknowledge. Hearing that her husband loved her from her brother somehow validated what she was slowly coming to realize. Rogan had worked hard to demonstrate his love and in a shorter time than she had expected. To know that he had always loved her filled her with a sense of joy and relief. But what of his betrayal?
She wasn’t quite ready to forgive Rogan for that. A few things still needed to be made right in her mind, the ransom demand for one and this isle, the other. She had a feeling that the history of this place could reveal much, especially about Rogan.
Her musings were interrupted throughout the afternoon by people needing tending. She then spent the remainder of her time replenishing her stock of salves and potions.
Her neck began to ache from stooping over the table and she rubbed at her tense muscles as she raised her head.
She jumped and gasped at the shadow with glowing green eyes that filled the open doorway. She blinked, and when she looked again her husband stood there.
She reached out to him and he rushed to her side.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.
“What is wrong?”