Lucy Monroe - Moon Craving

“She has never been shy about speaking her mind.”

“I remember,” Barr said with a grin.

“The whole clan remembers her likening me to a goat.”

On the way to the lower bailey, Abigail made sure no one else was around before asking Guaire, “You love him, don’t you?”

Guaire did not ask who she meant or try to pretend he did not know what she was talking about. He simply gave a defeated sigh and said, “Yes.”

“I thought as much.”

“I have loved him all my life. I do not remember when I realized I wanted to kiss him, to touch him as a lover. I only know that I have never wanted another.”

“You’ve never found another man or woman attractive?”

Guaire blushed. “I find many warriors attractive, but the only one who makes me wish to act on those feelings is Niall. I want him so much, I tremble with it. One day, he is bound to notice. And then he will probably kill me.”

“Because you are a man?”

“Nay, matings within the Chrechte can be between two men or two women. It does not happen often, but enough that they recognize God’s blessing on such love. Niall would be furious to find out how much I love him because I am not Chrechte. He thinks I am weak because—” Abruptly, Guaire stopped talking.

“Because you do not have a wolf nature like he does,” she finished for him. “Emily told me the truth of the Chrechte when she was here.”

“Talorc believes you are still ignorant.”

“I know.” It was her turn to feel defeated.

“He is slow to trust, but it will come one day.”

“When I am old and gray, perhaps.” Abigail sighed. “Tell me more about Niall.”

“You do not find my love an abomination?” Guaire asked with a puzzled frown.

“Of course not.”

“But the Church teaches it is so. We are not so worried about Rome’s edicts here, but I have always been led to believe the English follow her religious edicts without question.”

“Some do, some don’t.” Abigail shrugged. “The Church also teaches that women are last in God’s love, even after animals of burden.”

Guaire’s eyes widened in surprise. “Our priest would never be foolish enough to say such a thing.”

“Your clanswomen are fierce.”

“Nay, ’tis our warriors that would chase him from our lands for such idiocy.”

Abigail smiled. “The Church also teaches a husband has not only the right, but the responsibility to beat his wife.”

“Now I know you are joshing me. Not even England’s Church would say such a terrible thing.”

Abigail wanted to cry at his innocence. “It is the truth. The abbess says that when the Church teaches abuse or hatred, we must consider it carefully in light of Christ’s claim that to love God is the greatest commandment and to love others the second greatest, all other laws and prophecies hang on these two.”

“Your abbess sounds like a wise woman.”

“She is. I do not believe love an abomination any more than I believe God loves me less than my father’s oxen.”

“Me either. But my love is hopeless.”

“Are you sure?” It seemed to her that Niall had strong feelings for Guaire, but she did not know if they were love. So, she did not speculate and raise Guaire’s hopes.

“Aye, especially since Una started focusing her attention on Niall.”

“He is not attracted to men as you are?”

“I do not know. The Chrechte of our clan are not sexually promiscuous, but Una is a beautiful woman. And ’tis rare enough for a Chrechte warrior to mate with a human, even more so with a male human.”

“Una may be beautiful, but she’s not nice.”

“She’s annoying to be sure,” Guaire agreed with more vehemence than he might have before the other woman had begun flirting with Niall.

As they came off the path from the motte to the bailey, a pair of soldiers approached them. One wore Sinclair colors, but Abigail did not recognize the colors on the other man’s clothing.

After they passed her and Guaire, she turned to the seneschal. “Who was that?”

“A messenger from the king.” Guaire had already turned, and tugging Abigail’s hand, he retraced their steps up the hill.

The two soldiers were only a few feet ahead of them, so Abigail refrained from asking Guaire to speculate why a messenger from Scotland’s king should be at the Sinclair holding.

When they reached the great hall, she grabbed Guaire’s arm. “Wait,” she whispered.

He gave her a questioning glance.

“Enter quietly.”

“We’d have to be quieter than a spider crawling across the floor for the Chrechte not to notice we are there.”

“We can go in the entrance Una uses from the kitchens.” She bit her lip, wondering if Guaire would think her awful for wanting to eavesdrop.

“The smell of food will mask our scents.”

“Just so.” She grinned.

Guaire winked.

They rushed around the tower to the kitchens, ignoring Una as they walked through her domain. Though Abigail spared a smile for the two women helping to knead bread for that evening’s meal.

Unable to hear if she made sound, Abigail stepped as lightly as she could. Guaire stuck close. They reached the entranceway when Guaire held her back.

“We dare not go any farther,” he mouthed.

“Can you hear them?” she asked in a barely there whisper.

“Nay, but you can see the messenger’s face.”

She nodded and turned her attention to the king’s soldier.

“The king was most concerned when he learned of the trick the English baron paid on his favored laird.”

The trick? Did that mean Scotland’s king had learned Sir Hamilton had sent his deaf stepdaughter to Scotland as bride to Talorc? How could he know?

The image of Jolenta’s envious countenance swam before Abigail. Her younger sister had been furious such a personage as a laird was wasted on Abigail. What would Talorc do now that the king knew?

She could not tell what her husband said to the messenger, but the man nodded. “Our king has heard your complaint. He will arrange to have your current marriage annulled on the grounds of deception. One way or another, the deaf woman will be taken care of. Sir Hamilton’s daughter Jolenta will be sent north to replace her sister. It has already been arranged.”

Talorc surged to his feet and shouted something at the messenger. Abigail could only hope he was refusing his king’s offer.

“King David was sure you would be pleased by this offer when he received your message demanding redress for the English baron and his daughter’s deception.”

Talorc had sent a message to the king telling him of Abigail’s secret? He had demanded redress? The nights of making love since then meant nothing. The fact that he had never repeated her words of love or indeed acknowledged the truth of hers made perfect sense now. Talorc had just been biding his time until his king annulled the marriage. Just like Sybil, Talorc had made plans to get rid of Abigail permanently.

Pain lanced through her and she doubled over. Guaire’s arms were there, stopping her from falling. She looked up at him, but she could not form the words to tell him what she had heard.

His eyes were filled with compassion, but determination was there, too. “Do not let them see your pain.”

She nodded, sucking in air and resolve. She forced herself to stand straight and step away from him.

“We either go back through the kitchen or walk through the great hall. Your choice.”

As annoying as she found Una, the other woman would be much easier to hide Abigail’s devastation from. She pointed toward the kitchen and Guaire nodded, then led the way. Their pace was much more sedate this time, though they did not dawdle in the kitchen. Thankfully, Una was not there at the moment.