“Welcome,” Honora said with a nod.
Carissa noticed that Honora’s arm rested on the table and her husband’s on top of it. She wondered if he had prevented her from standing and greeting her.
“And this is Addie,” Zia said.
Carissa heard the caution in her voice and needed only to see the older woman’s eyes, so familiar to her, to know who she was. “You’re the mother.”
Addie looked at her oddly. “Yes, and a proud one.”
Carissa wasn’t sure what she saw in the woman’s eye—contempt, uncertainty, hatred, and she had no time to digest it. A large dog suddenly charged into the room, and when he caught sight of Carissa, he hurried over to her and began licking her hand. She froze and made no move to respond to his friendly gesture.
“He won’t hurt you,” Addie assured her. “As you can see, he licks rather than bites.”
Carissa said nothing, and Addie ordered the dog to her side. He obeyed instantly, plopping his butt beside her.
Ronan finally walked over to her and held out his hand. “Join us.”
She looked around at the Sinclares. Zia sat leaning into the crook of Artair’s arm. Lachlan had his arm wrapped around his wife Alyce’s waist, and even Addie had a loving dog beside her. She would never be accepted into this devoted family, and she’d be a fool to join them and pretend otherwise.
“I’m not hungry,” she snapped. “I’d like to know if you have my clothes.”
“Your clothes?” Ronan asked.
“I left them at the cottage,” she said.
Ronan shook his head. “I didn’t realize—”
“Obviously, there is little you realize,” she snapped, and turned to leave.
Cavan’s commanding voice stopped her. “I’d prefer that you join us.”
She’d had enough and was about to turn and snap at him when Hagen entered the hall. “Hagen,” she cried, and hurried over to him, throwing her arms around the large man, not that they fit.
As soon as he wrapped his arms around her, she whispered in his ear, “I need to get out of here now.”
Before the large man could do a thing, Cavan spoke.
“It is good you’re here, Hagen. You can join Carissa at the table with us.”
Carissa saw the torn look in Hagen’s eyes, and she turned and saw that Addie had stood to make room for him and that she wore a radiant smile.
“She loves you,” Carissa whispered.
“I hope so,” Hagen murmured, “for I love her like no other.” He sighed. “What should I do?”
“Go to her,” Carissa said.
“But—”
Carissa didn’t let him finish. “I can defend myself.”
He was about to protest, when Carissa gave him a slight shove, then turned and walked to the door.
“Carissa,” Cavan called out.
She didn’t look back. She simply shouted. “I am not hungry.”
The room remained silent after the door shut behind her. Then Ronan turned to his brother Cavan, glared at him, turned around, and stormed out the same door.
Honora pulled her arm away from her husband. “That was no way to treat a guest.”
“She’s a prisoner,” Cavan argued.
“I don’t see her confined to the dungeons,” she said.
“She’s not that kind of prisoner, and this is not the place to discuss it,” Cavan said, the others at the table wisely remaining silent.
“How do you ever expect to find out anything about her if you don’t give her a chance?” Honora demanded, and before her husband could answer, she turned to Hagen. “What say you of Carissa?”
“Honora,” Cavan warned in a clipped tone, which she proceeded to ignore.
“Tell us, Hagen, what say you of Carissa,” Honora repeated.
Addie took his hand. “Yes, tell us, for strangely she seems familiar to me.”
Hagen shook his head. “I mean no disrespect to Cavan, but I owe allegiance to Carissa and am not at liberty to speak about her.”
“But it may help,” Honora said.
“Then I suggest you watch her, for it is in her actions you will find who Carissa truly is,” Hagen advised.
“Why does she fear dogs?” Addie asked.
“She doesn’t,” Hagen said, giving Champion a pat. “She loves them.”
Zia looked to Cavan. “If we do as Hagen suggests and watch her actions, then we would have to assume that if she asked Ronan about the clothes she had left behind, it would mean that she had every intention—”
Honora finished with a glare at her husband. “—of returning.”
Chapter 27
“Carissa, wait,” Ronan said, hurrying after her.