“You are leaving tomorrow,” Ilar said as he set aside the book, turned on his side, and studied his mother.
“I must, love,” she said. “I gave Brant’s sister a promise. Her mother is planning to marry her off to an evil man who is old enough to be her grandfather. She came looking for help and I said I would do it. I cannot leave her at the mercy of that woman and we are too far away from the city here for me to rush to her side if she is in peril.”
“Then take her away from the woman.”
“We are working on doing just that. Brant has hired Cousin Andras to bring the girl under his guardianship.”
“Oh. That is very good for Andras is very smart.” He yawned.
Olympia got off the bed and kissed him on the cheek. “Rest, love. You used your gift a lot lately and that steals a lot of strength from ones like us.”
“I will. I am glad you came home for a little while.”
“So am I, Ilar. So am I.”
She slipped out of the room and headed for her own bedchamber. The need to get up and start the journey to Myrtledowns at such an early hour and then rushing around trying to sort out what had happened and what needed to be done had exhausted her. She stepped into her bedchamber and smiled faintly at the sleeping cats. Then she saw that she had company for Brant was sprawled on top of her bed. Since he was fully dressed she suspected he was not there to try and seduce her into making love, something she could not do when they were in the home she shared with her son.
“How did you get into my room with no one seeing or hearing you?” she asked as she walked to the bed and settled herself beside him.
“I can be very stealthy if I wish.” He tugged her into his arms and kissed her.
“Brant, I cannot,” she began.
“I know but I wished for a good-night kiss.”
She laughed and gave him one. It quickly turned into a deep, passionate kiss and she was breathing very unsteadily when she finally pulled away. “This is very unwise.”
“Probably but I will not misbehave. Is your son as calm as he appeared?”
“I believe so. He was more startled than frightened or hurt. He also discovered that his gift gave him the strength needed, the weapon he needed to use, to free himself and that is a heady thing I believe. He could have made a more tempered strike at his attackers, but this was good.”
“I can see why you are cautious about bringing him to the city.” He kissed her again, then got off the bed before he gave in to the strong urge to help himself to far more than kisses. “I am more sorry than I can say about how my mother threatened your son.”
She sat up and took his hand in hers, placing a kiss upon his palm. “No more apologizing for what is none of your doing. This wrong belongs to your mother. Never you.”
He was not sure he believed that but he smiled, brushed a kiss over her mouth, and left her room as stealthily as he had entered it. It was hard to leave her side. Brant surprised himself with the realization that he liked curling up with her in bed for the night. He had never spent a full night with a woman except for the few times he had been so drunk he had taken his pleasure and fallen into a stupor almost immediately.
“Are you dishonoring my mother?”
Looking into the eyes of the angry boy who had the voice of a man and promised to be tall, Brant inwardly cursed but kept his voice calm. “Never. I but came to say good night to her, and apologize for what my mother tried to do to you, and to her.” He bowed to the boy. “I apologize to you as well.”
“There is no need,” said Ilar. “I was not harmed.” He grinned. “And I discovered that I am far from helpless as well. That is a good thing.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Is my mother in danger because she is helping your sister?”
“Yes, she is but she will not stop until this is done no matter how much I tell her she should. She says she has given my sister a promise and will see that it is fulfilled.”
“Ah, of course. My mother would never break a promise. I understand now. Good night, m’lord.”
Brant murmured a good night and watched the boy return to his bedchamber. He had known almost from the start of their adventure that Lady Wherlocke was an honorable woman. The confidence her son had in her keeping of a promise revealed that her honor was a deep part of who she was. He found that a little too alluring.
Just as he was starting to remind himself for what he thought had to be the hundredth time that he was no good for her, something brushed up against his leg. Brant looked down at the tabby that had been brought in to feed the kitten. A quick glance around revealed no small shadow and he looked back at the cat.