The Knight and the Dove (44 page)

“Oh, Marigold, that’s a wonderful idea. I know they would love to have you.”

Marigold nodded serenely before the conversation went to general topics. Annora’s heart was filled with well-being over Marigold’s benevolent attitude. Marigold’s heart was filled with hatred, first for Henry, the man who had increased Bracken’s title, and then for her sister, that redheaded cow who had been lucky enough to land on her feet.

Thirty-One

B
RACKEN DID NOT LEAVE
W
YNDMERE
as early as he had expected, so he and his men did not gain Hawkings Crest until sometime after midnight. Bracken bathed and called for Megan in the night, but they did little more than greet each other. Megan wished they could have visited, talked of his trip, and discussed whether he was home for a time, but Bracken fell asleep very swiftly and she returned to her bed.

The hour was late before Megan rose the next morning, but even when she moved silently through Bracken’s chamber she found him fast asleep. Indeed, the day was long spent before he rose, and by that time Megan was out in the keep, going about her chores for the day.

Bracken, a little embarrassed to have to hunt for his wife on his first day back, attempted to find her by casually searching on his own. In truth, this was no difficult task. He loved Hawkings Crest, and a stroll through first the castle and then the keep was a pleasure.

Bracken had not been out ten minutes when he saw that Megan had been busy in his absence. There was a freshness in nearly every room of the castle. The rooms were not only clean, but Bracken spotted new wall hangings and rugs everywhere. He smiled when he thought about what she might have spent, but it did not concern him.

From what he could tell, Megan was nowhere in the castle, so Bracken took himself outside. Here, too, things looked changed for the better. Always neat, there was a new cleanliness to every corner of the inner bailey. But something wasn’t right. Bracken was walking around in an attempt to put his finger on what was different when he saw that the byre was missing.

He shook his head slightly, but his eyes were not playing tricks on
him. Bracken was walking slowly toward the location of the old byre when he spotted the new one. Duke and duchess had talked of the need for a new byre, but he never dreamed Megan would have one built on her own. It was a fine structure, both in design and function, but anger was swiftly filling Bracken and dampening his appreciation for the improvements.

Without caring what people thought, Bracken began asking everyone within sight where Lady Megan had gone. Even at that, it took some time, but he eventually found the way.

“Here, Noleen,” Megan instructed from her place outside the castle walls. “Return to the castle with this basket.”

“Yes, my lady,” the servant girl replied. “Do you need more?”

“No, I think this will do.”

Megan smiled at her, and Noleen moved away. The duchess went back to gathering herbs, leaves, and bark, but a moment later she heard Bracken speak to Arik and turned with a smile. The smile swiftly died as her husband neared; she saw that he was coldly furious.

“I could not find you,” he began. Megan stared at him a moment. He was livid. Megan frowned. She thought they were far beyond this point in their relationship. Nevertheless, her voice was very repentant.

“I’m sorry, Bracken. I told several people where I was, but I see now that I should have stayed until you were awake.”

“It seems that you have been very busy.”

Normally Megan would have smiled at this, but it seemed he was not pleased by her efforts.

“It was a long winter, and I took advantage of your absence to see to some things.”

“Took advantage.’” His anger seemed to be growing. “You have stated that accurately. You wait until I am gone and then order the building of a new byre.”

Thinking he was still tired from his trip, Megan blinked at him and said slowly, “We discussed all of this, Bracken, and made plans to build it just after the new year.”

“I did not want the byre where you placed it.” He was not even trying to be reasonable.

Megan was becoming angry herself. “It’s in the very place we discussed.”

“While I was away I decided it was best to build the new one in the original location.”

“While you were away? Why did you not send word?” Megan demanded.

“Because I didn’t think my
wife
would go behind my back.”

Megan had never been so hurt in all of her life. He had said the word “wife” in a way that made Megan feel as if she were repulsive to him. And what in the world was this really all about? It was inconceivable to her that he would really be so angry about the byre, but she could think of nothing else.

Husband and wife were still glaring at each other when Clive appeared in the clearing. Bracken, not knowing if an emergency was afoot, diverted his attention.

“What is it?” Bracken demanded.

The boy answered timidly. “I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but Lady Marigold is here.”

“My sister?” Megan’s mouth nearly dropped open.

“Yes, my lady.”

Megan was so surprised that for a moment she didn’t know what to say. In truth, her sister terrified her. Bracken had said a long time ago that he would never let her be hurt, but one look at his still furious face told her she would gain no support there.

Megan knew she would have to face Marigold alone. She squared her shoulders and turned to Clive.

“Please see that Lady Marigold is made comfortable and tell her I’ll be along shortly.”

Bracken had not said anything during any of this, and now Megan was too upset to even look at him. She gathered the piles she had been sorting into the basket and lifted it by the handle. Without a backward glance, she moved toward the castle, Arik falling in behind her.

“Megan!” Marigold exclaimed with every semblance of delight as soon as the young duchess joined her in the great hall.

“Hello, Marigold.”

“That is all? Hello, Marigold?” In a cloud of scent, the older girl then moved forward to give Megan a hug, and although Megan returned the embrace, she was not at all easy.

“My goodness, Megan,” Marigold exclaimed after she’d stepped back to inspect her. “Being a duchess must agree with you. You’re nowhere near as fat as you used to be.”

Megan barely managed a smile. It had always been this way. Marigold complimented her constantly, but in such a backhanded way that Megan always felt as if she’d been slapped.

“Mother wrote that you had not been home lately.” Megan was desperate to change the subject.

“No. I wintered in France. I wrote Mother, but you know how forgetful she is; she probably mislaid the letter.”

Megan didn’t know any such thing; her mother was very organized. But the women had now taken seats near one of the hearths and Megan remained quiet, her mind wandering to the long afternoon that certainly lay ahead.

“I’m sorry to have missed your wedding, Megan. Did Mother explain how ill I was?”

“No. She led me to believe that you simply chose not to come.” Megan’s voice was calm, but she always grew very tired of Marigold’s lying ways and was not going to allow them.

Marigold looked at Megan in surprise. “It would seem that the kitten has grown claws.”

“No, Marigold, I am not being catty,” Megan said gently. “I just wanted you to know that I know you’re lying.”

Marigold threw herself back against the seat.

“Oh, come on, Megan,” she said in disgust, all sweetness gone. “You sound like an old woman.”

“I do not enjoy lies, Marigold, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”

The older sister eyed her disdainfully. This wasn’t going to be any fun if Megan insisted on being so forthright. As usual, Marigold had another tactic up her sleeve.

“Well, enough talk about us. Where is that delicious duke of yours?”

“Bracken is in the keep. I imagine he will be along shortly but I fear he’s not in a good humor.”

“Lovers’ quarrel?” Marigold’s eyes were huge, her voice sweet as honey. Megan was not fooled.

“No,” she told her shortly, and then asked if Marigold would like a tour.

That took the next two hours. By the time they were finished, Megan felt like a limp rag. Marigold had been ready with a compliment for nearly everything she saw, but each one held an underlying criticism. By the time they parted in order to ready themselves for the evening meal, Megan was shaking all over.

Relaxing some while Helga was doing her hair, Megan tensed all over again when she heard Bracken enter his own room. She need not have worried. He was there for quite some time but did not seek her out. Megan could have wept. What a terrible homecoming. She had missed him so much and worked so hard to please him, and all it had gotten her was his wrath. Now Marigold had come to Hawkings Crest, and Megan felt utterly defeated.

She and Bracken hadn’t even talked! It could be that he would be leaving again soon. If Marigold tarried, they would have no time together at all. On the way downstairs, Megan determined to put her own hurt aside and do what she could to repair the damage. However, one look at Bracken’s stony features told Megan that Bracken was not ready to forgive.

This was proven when the evening meal followed the day’s pattern of being long and difficult. Bracken did not say five words, and Marigold chattered away until Megan had a headache, something Marigold was aware of and enjoyed immensely. Marigold had seen few keeps as grand as Hawkings Crest, and her fury over her sister’s good fortune knew no bounds. She could see that Bracken’s men were all captivated with her, and whenever that happened Marigold was in her element. The only problem was Bracken himself.