Claiming the Forbidden Bride (10 page)

Her half-brother's lips flattened, but he didn't deny the unspoken accusation. His eyes fell instead to Angel, who'd finally fallen asleep on the nest of blankets Nadya had spread for her. ‘Was she hurt?'

At the concern in his voice, Nadya's anger dissolved, leaving nothing behind but the despair she'd fought all day. ‘She was terrified. For all I know, she still is. She's shut out everything—and everyone—again.'

‘Bastards.' Before the sibilance of Stephano's expletive had faded, he stooped, balancing on the balls of his feet in front of the little girl's pallet. With his thumb, he traced along the upturned nose and then down to the Cupid's bow mouth.

Angel's lids fluttered open. The blankness that had been in her eyes since last night vanished in an instant. A flash of joy replaced it, as she launched herself into Stephano's arms.

They closed around her as he straightened, lifting her high into the air. Laughing, he swung her around and around. As he did, the little girl raised her face to the sky, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

Tears stung Nadya's eyes, but she denied them. She revelled, instead, as her daughter seemed to, in her half-brother's laughter. For Angel, apparently all was right in any world her beloved uncle occupied.

‘I believe she's glad to see me.' Stephano smiled at Nadya.

‘We're all glad to see you.' Although her words had been softly spoken, she knew he'd heard them by the upward tick of his lips. ‘Your place is here.'

‘When it's done,
jel'enedra
. When it's all done, I promise you.'

‘And what if the pull their world exerts is still stronger than your love of this?' With her hand, she gestured toward the camp that had literally sprung up around her as she'd worked.

‘It isn't. It could never be.'

She wished she could believe him. Not only for the sake of his people, but also for the sake of her child, who so clearly adored him.

Whatever enticement she might have come up with to keep him here was interrupted by another commotion. Her hand shading her eyes against the glare of the sinking sun, Nadya watched as Rhys drove her
vardo
along the cart path that led from the main road. His brother's bay and a piebald mare, which she recognized as belonging to Andrash, had been fastened between its traces.

At first glance, the caravan seemed undamaged. She could only hope its contents had fared so well.

Even if they hadn't, she knew she was lucky to recover anything at all. Far luckier than so many of the others.

Andrash was seated on the high seat beside the English
man, who now directed his team toward the place where she and Stephano stood. And with that realization, Nadya knew the confrontation she'd hoped to avoid for so long was finally at hand.

N
adya glanced at her half-brother. Stephano's eyes were narrowed as they followed the approach of her
vardo
.

‘If you desire so ardently to have me stay,
jel'enedra
, why do you continue to defy me?'

‘If it hadn't been for the raid—'

‘Your
gaujo
would be gone?' Stephano mocked.

‘You should be grateful he was there last night. He's the one who awakened us.' Her eyes touched on the child Stephano held. ‘He rescued Andrash from the
gadje
who were beating him. He fought off the men—' She hesitated, trying to decide if she wanted Stephano to have that information.

‘What men?' Her half-brother's gaze left the approaching caravan to search her face.

If she told him that some of the attackers had apparently been looking for her, it might tip the scales in Rhys's favour. She wasn't sure why she felt it was so important to have Stephano approve of the ex-soldier. After all, Rhys would be gone soon enough. If it would make the next few minutes any easier, however…

‘Some of them seemed to be looking for me.'

‘Some of the English?' It was strange to hear the word on Stephano's tongue, since he had for so long been one of them.

She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes, keeping hers focused on the approaching caravan instead.

Andrash had leaned over to whisper something to Rhys. Warning him about what he should expect from Stephano? If so, that was not without justification.

‘Why would the
gadje
be looking for you?' her half-brother prodded.

She shook her head. ‘I don't know. All I know is if Rhys hadn't been there, neither Angel nor I would have escaped.'

‘Then it seems we owe him another debt of gratitude. Unless, of course, those were his people who came last night.'

‘Why would you possibly think—'

‘As good as when you left it,
drabarni
.' Andrash interrupted her question. Despite the bruises and abrasions that marred his face, the blacksmith was smiling broadly.

Nadya forced an answering smile. ‘Thank you for bringing it to me, Andrash. I didn't expect to have it back so soon.'

‘Everything inside seems undamaged as well,' Rhys added, his eyes considering the man at her side. ‘Of course, no one but you can be certain of that.'

‘Whatever's left, I'm grateful for it. Thank you both.'

What they had done did involve some degree of danger. It was always possible the attackers might be lying in wait for anyone foolish enough to come back for possessions.

Rhys pulled his team up so expertly that the high seat of the caravan was now directly in front of them. To occupy her suddenly trembling hands, Nadya adjusted her shawl, which had slipped to her elbows as she'd worked.

‘Won't you introduce us, Andrash?' Stephano said smoothly.

The blacksmith didn't have as much experience as Nadya in reading her half-brother's tone. Still smiling, Andrash turned, putting his hand on the Englishman's shoulder.

‘This is my friend Rhys Morgan,
Rom Baro
. He saved me from a beating last night.'

‘And today he is as close to you as any brother. Despite the fact it was his kind who beat you,' Stephano added maliciously. ‘How easily duped you are, Andrash.'

The smile faded from the smith's abused face, replaced by a look of bewilderment. ‘You don't understand,
Rom Baro
. He fought on our side last night.'

‘The better to ingratiate himself into your good graces, no doubt. And those of my sister as well.'

‘Rhys has no need to ingratiate himself with me,' Nadya said evenly. ‘Although I am now doubly grateful to him for again safeguarding my daughter's life.'

Stephano ignored her, speaking directly to the Englishman. ‘Were they friends of yours last night? Or did your enemies follow you to our camp?'

‘No acquaintances of mine, I assure you. And if I have enemies, I'm unaware of them.'

Rhys's tone and demeanour suddenly reminded Nadya of the title she'd given him in the beginning.
My lord.
Despite his claim to be nothing more than a simple soldier, right now he seemed every inch the English aristocrat.

‘How could they have been either,' she challenged her brother, ‘when no one knew Rhys was with us?'

Stephano was quiet long enough she wondered what she'd said that had given him pause. She certainly didn't believe that convincing him Rhys wasn't a threat would be this easy.

‘It seems, then, we are all indebted to you for your heroic actions last night,' Stephano said finally.

‘There could hardly be indebtedness, considering the cir
cumstances of my being there. As for heroics, I've seen too much of the real kind to classify any action of mine that way.'

‘Nicely played.' Stephano's tone was openly sardonic.

‘The simple truth,' Rhys said quietly.

‘Truth is seldom simple, my friend. A lesson my people learned long ago.'

‘It's simple to soldiers. You fight for king and for country. And to protect those…deserving of your protection.' The hesitation, although slight, was unmistakable.

‘Then I thank you for fighting to protect my people. Now that I'm back, I hope you'll no longer feel an obligation to delay your journey. Nadya tells me we've kept you from an important appointment.'

Rhys's eyes briefly considered her face. She refused to allow anything of what she was feeling to be expressed there.

‘A meeting with my godfather,' Rhys agreed. ‘But its importance is merely personal.'

‘Then Godspeed,' Stephano said pleasantly. ‘Andrash, would you see to the gentleman's horse.'

‘Of course,
Rom Baro
.'

The smith hopped down from the seat of the caravan and began to remove the bay from the traces. He still seemed troubled by what Stephano had suggested about the Englishman, his eyes darting uneasily between his leader and his saviour.

‘Now if you'll be so kind as to excuse my sister…' Stephano once more addressed Rhys. ‘Her patients take priority over everything else. As you have reason to know, I believe.'

It appeared that Stephano was determined to get Rhys away as soon as possible. Nadya knew that any objection on her part, no matter how reasoned, would only strengthen his resolve. That didn't prevent her from making one.

‘If Rhys leaves now, he won't be able to reach an inn before nightfall.'

‘What a shame he didn't think of that sooner.' Her half-brother's tone was perfectly amiable. ‘No matter. Our stalwart hero was a soldier, Nadya. I'm sure he's undertaken more dangerous enterprises than a solitary ride in the moonlight.'

It wasn't simply that Stephano wanted Rhys gone, she realized. He wanted that to happen without their having an opportunity to say goodbye.

‘It's all right,' Rhys assured her as he climbed down from the caravan. He seemed almost amused by her half-brother's machinations.

Of course, he hadn't been subjected to them for as many years as she. ‘No, it isn't.' And then to her brother, ‘This is against every tenet of hospitality. Even Andrash is troubled by what you're doing.'

‘If he is, he knows better than to say so. As should you.'

It was a battle of wills she would lose. If she continued to protest, Stephano was perfectly capable of ordering the men to throw Rhys out of camp—possibly without the gelding. And in spite of the Englishman's hard work among them today, she had no doubt they would obey.

In order to prevent such petty vindictiveness, Nadya held out her hand to him. ‘Thank you again for all you've done for us. I apologize for my brother's behaviour. The only excuse for his lack of hospitality is that he was raised by the English.'

Rhys's eyes considered the well-dressed man at her side before they came back to smile down into hers. ‘I've found no lack of that among your people. Or from you. I owe you more for that kindness than I can ever express.' Then, in spite of Stephano's watchful gaze, he took her hand, carrying it to his lips. ‘Thank you for my life,
drabarni
.'

Her throat thick with all the things she could not say to him, even if her half-brother had not been listening, Nadya nodded.

Rhys held her fingers a heartbeat longer than politeness decreed before he smiled at her again and released them. As he began to turn away, Angel leaned forward in her uncle's arms, clearly reaching for him.

‘May I?' Rhys said to Stephano.

‘You believe your blood calls to hers?'

‘I
believe
we've become friends.'

‘Angel has all the friends she needs among the
kumpania
. And none of them will disappear from her life forever.'

The child continued to try and touch him, but short of attempting to wrest the little girl from Stephano's arms, there was little Rhys could do. He took her outstretched hand and, exactly as he had done with Nadya's, brought it to his lips.

When he released her, Angel ran her thumb down his cheek, Nadya's sign for reassurance. Sensing tension among the adults, the little girl offered him comfort.

‘Goodbye, little one,' Rhys said softly. ‘Take good care of your mother.'

In response, Angel put her hands beside her ears, fingers pointing upward. Confused by the gesture, Rhys shook his head.

Angel's brow furrowed and then cleared. She brought one of her hands down, licking it delicately before she rubbed it against the side of her face.

‘Cat?' Rhys guessed. ‘Did you lose your cat?'

‘It's here,' Nadya told him. ‘She's held it all day. I think she may be thanking you for making it for her.'

Smiling, Rhys again touched the tiny hand, still slightly damp from Angel's demonstration. Only as he turned to mount the bay Andrash had quickly saddled, did Nadya realize this might be the last time she'd ever see him.

The horse danced a little under his weight, but Rhys easily controlled him. He nodded to Stephano before his eyes found her face. They held on it a long moment before he touched his heels to the gelding, sending him down the same trail along which he had so expertly driven her caravan.

The three of them watched until even the dust from his passage had faded into the twilight gloom. Nadya turned, holding out her arms for her daughter.

As Stephano gave Angel into them, he said, ‘I think I may have returned just in time.'

‘Don't make assumptions about things you can't possibly understand,' Nadya warned.

‘What can't I understand?'

‘Friendship. Respect. Honour.'

‘Honour? From a
gaujo
?' he mocked.

‘A
gaujo
like your father.'

‘You think that one honours you,
jel'enedra
? Whatever he feels for you, believe me, has nothing to do with honour. You are no more to him than a serving wench at the next tavern he comes to. He may enjoy her tonight because of a lust you engendered, but that's all he'll ever feel for you. An itch he's far too fastidious to act upon.'

She had raised her hand to strike him, but Stephano caught her wrist with fingers that enclosed it like a vice.

‘Another of his simple truths. In his eyes you are nothing more than trash blown about by the wind. Remember what I have told you,
jel'enedra
, but forget him.'

He held her until the fury in her eyes had been replaced by a sheen of moisture. Then, with the thumb of the hand that had bruised her arm, he wiped away the single escaping tear, bringing it to his lips, which slowly curved into a smile.

‘His kind aren't for us. And we aren't for them. Our mother should have taught you that.'

‘At least she didn't teach me to hate.'

‘Hate is a shield to stop you from being hurt.'

‘Or being loved.'

‘There are worse things.'

Nadya glanced down at the child she held before she shook her head. ‘No. No, there aren't. Maybe one day you'll understand.'

Stephano laughed. ‘Don't try to reform me,
chavi
. You'll only break your heart.'

That it was already broken was something she would never confess. Not to him. Because, whether protective or simply vindictive, Stephano would use any excuse she gave him to take revenge on another member of the class he blamed for ruining his life.