her side. Bruin’s arm had roped around her like an iron clasp, winching her continually against his chest. His cloak warmed her; the felted woollen folds lay snug about her shoulders, the fur edging tickling her chin.
Wheeling his horse around to the steps, Bruin reined the animal in, jumping down in one easy movement to land on the snow-slicked cobbles. He handed the torch to a stable lad who came running up. Rolling her shoulders forward, Eva stretched out the tense muscles in her neck, pert nose wrinkling slightly. How on earth was she going to climb down from this enormous horse without landing in a heap at Katherine’s feet?
Katherine turned to Bruin. The hanging pearls in her silver circlet bobbed with the movement, gleaming faintly. ‘Thank you, my lord, for bringing Eva back. Your men are all inside.’ Her breath hazed the air. She tilted her head to indicate the lighted doorway behind her. ‘Please, give your horse to the stable lad. Go and help yourself to some food.’
Bruin inclined his head graciously. ‘I thank you, my lady. But—’ his eyes flicked up to Eva ‘—your nursemaid has hurt her leg. Is there somewhere I could carry her?’
Lord, no! ‘I can walk now, thank you,’ Eva interrupted briskly. She had no wish to be beholden to this man any longer than was possible. His powerful presence made her feel vulnerable, weak, traits that she had striven long and hard to erase from her character. She had already said too much to him. Gripping the horse’s mane, she slithered down haphazardly, Bruin’s cloak clutched to her middle, unwieldy folds gathering heavily around her, the hem falling to the cobbles. She landed with a thump, gasping, eyes watering at the pain radiating up her leg. She willed herself to remain upright, steady, beneath Bruin’s glittering gaze. Tipped her chin in the air, proud, resolute.
‘What did you do?’ Katherine was at her side, holding her arm. Eva flicked her gaze towards Bruin, annoyed by his continued presence, not wanting to talk in front of him.
Interpreting her hostile expression, Bruin smiled, lifting his eyebrows in faint mockery at Eva’s obvious rebuff. He passed his reins to the stable boy. ‘I see I am dismissed.’ He nodded brusquely towards Lady Katherine, ignoring Eva. ‘Call me if you need any help.’ Climbing the wooden steps two at a time, he disappeared beneath the ornately tiled archway.
‘Oh, God!’ Eva pressed her palm to her forehead. As the stable lad led Bruin’s horse away, she was forced to release her hold on the horse’s mane; wobbling slightly, she hopped over to the handrail of the steps, clutching at the polished wood. ‘What a nightmare! That man is hell on earth!’
‘But handsome, if truth be told,’ Katherine said, following Bruin’s commanding figure as he vanished into the great hall. ‘Why did you run away? What on earth possessed you?’ Her breath billowed out like a cloud into the snow-filled air.
Eva swept the loose end of her linen wimple back over her shoulder. ‘That man—’ she jabbed a pointing finger towards the doorway ‘—that man looks exactly like that thug who abducted me. Lord Steffen. I wasn’t thinking straight; I saw that hair, those eyes, and I thought, my God, he’s come back to fetch me, to finish what he started.’ Her voice dropped to a fierce whisper. ‘Remember, Katherine, I escaped before Lord Steffen discovered the full extent of my inheritance; I suspect by now he’s worked out what I hid from him. The man’s so greedy; he’ll want the rest.’
‘He wouldn’t come back for you; it’s been too long.’ Katherine’s mouth turned down at the corners. ‘He’s too busy stealing the riches of other unfortunate heiresses.’
‘But I was the only one to escape from him,’ Eva replied. ‘He’s the sort of man who would never forget a slight. He will claim revenge for something like that.’ Shivering, she shifted her feet from side to side, wincing at her throbbing leg.
‘I think you need to stop worrying,’ Katherine said. ‘Let’s go inside. Martha can look at your injury.’
‘Have you found out why those knights are here?’
‘No, I was so concerned about you, I hadn’t the wit to ask. The old knight has asked for bed and board, for one night. I assume they plan to travel further into Wales.’
Eva’s eyes narrowed to a sapphire glint. ‘I don’t like it; they wear the King’s colours and yet they are bothering with the likes of us. Why?’
Katherine shivered. ‘Do you think my uncle has plans for me?’ She glanced up at the front of the castle, at the warm glow of light spilling out from the open door, and chewed worriedly on her bottom lip. ‘I should hate it—’ her breath caught ‘—if we were taken away from this place.’
‘Just be careful what you say in front of them. At least until we know why they are here. Despite our lack of menfolk, they will regard us as rebels to the Crown.’
A sift of vulnerability crossed Katherine’s face. ‘I hope you are wrong, Eva.’ She shook her head decisively, as if dismissing the unwelcome thoughts. ‘Now, can you manage, or shall I fetch someone?’
Eva pursed her lips together, staggering awkwardly to the steps. Snow whirled around her, driven into the sheltered bailey on a sharp little breeze. Bruin’s cloak dragged on the cobbles, hampering her movement. She swung the wool from her shoulders, dumping the cloak into Katherine’s arms. ‘Here, have this; I can’t move at all!’ Placing her uninjured leg on the bottom step, gripping the rail, Eva pulled herself up with grim determination, slowly, one step at a time.
‘Eva, this is impossible! This will take all night. Let me fetch someone to carry you.’
‘No! You go ahead, Katherine. It won’t take long,’ she replied stubbornly. She could not allow herself to be carried into the great hall, in full view of everyone, in full view of Lord Bruin’s mocking gaze! Sweat gathered along her hairline with the effort of hauling herself up. Katherine remained alongside her, matching Eva’s pace until they finally climbed the one shallow step into the great hall.
The raftered chamber was full of people, eating, talking and laughing. Fresh straw covered the flagstone floor; dogs trotted up and down between the trestle tables, scavenging for scraps of food, the occasional bone flung in their direction. A huge fire roared beneath the thick limestone lintel of the fireplace, situated halfway along one white-plastered wall. Giant, ornate tapestries decorated the plain plaster, each one a riot of coloured thread, depicting scenes of hunting, or great battles. Katherine’s family crest, the golden falcon of the Montagues, was everywhere: in the ornate bosses set into the curving ends of the rafters, above the windows, embroidered extravagantly across the door curtains, gold thread against blue velvet.
Katherine’s hand on her elbow, Eva slumped on to the nearest bench, the peasants alongside nodding briefly at her without ceasing to shove food into their mouths. Their eyes paused momentarily on her wan face, gazes shifting away immediately. A nursemaid was of no interest; she was one of them, a servant of the Montagu family. Peering across the rows of bobbing heads, the faces flushed with mead, Eva checked the knights seated at the top table at the other end of the hall, making sure that he, Bruin, was as far away as possible. Sitting next to the older knight, his gold-red hair shone out like a beacon. He was laughing at something, tipping his head back. The sinews in his neck wrapped powerfully around the shadowed hollow of his throat, up into his bristly beard. An extraordinary sensation unfurled in her belly, a flickering pang of longing. She couldn’t explain it.
‘You’d better go up there, Katherine. Leave me now, otherwise it will look strange that you fuss over me so much.’
‘If you’re sure...?’ Katherine hesitated, bundling Bruin’s cloak against her middle. ‘I’ll send someone to fetch Martha; she can help you to your chamber.’
‘I’ll eat first,’ Eva said. ‘Please, don’t fuss. Just go. And try to find out why those men are here.’
Gilbert watched Katherine’s stately figure move through the great hall.