No matter where I went, trouble followed, nipping at my heels like a starving dog. It beggared the mind that I had almost died twice since arriving in London, once by murder and the other by accident. Yet, even these two occurrences had only added to the ever-expanding net of danger and deceit being drawn around me. Unwitting cohorts, the Tuatha Dé and the English peerage seemed determined to make my life a living hell. Or end it altogether, depending on who or what happened to get to me first. It certainly didn’t help that I had managed to gain about ten enemies for every friend thus far. And with every passing day, these two groups were becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between.
A sudden swell of homesickness drenched my already dampened spirits. Why did I ever leave Brighmor? I hated London, and wanted nothing more than to get married and go home. Not that anyone gave a flying fig what I wanted. With a heavy sigh, I wished them all to the devil, both human and god, along with their various descendants. Cate. Julian. The king. Amelia. Callieach. The little wretch. Henry. One-by-one, each face rose up for a split second, only to sink back into the graying numbness of fatigue.
Except for Henry. He remained at the forefront of my thoughts, and I yearned to see him despite his previous behavior. But did he wish to see me? That wicked thought cut close to my heart. To be sure, he had come looking for me in the palace courtyard, but did that mean he was ready to make peace from our argument at All Hallows? Or did he still think me unnatural? Is that why he had waited so long to defend me against Amelia?
He is not leath’dhia. You were never meant to be together. I winced involuntarily. Those were Julian’s words, not mine. So why had I heard them in my own voice? The knot pulled even tighter in my brain as the fire blurred through a veil of tears. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against the chair.
“Blast it, Henry!” I cried. “Why must you be such a twit?”
I sensed the presence a split second before a shadow fell across my face. My eyes flew open to reveal a pair of men’s breeches. “Oh!” I cried in alarm. Jerking my gaze up the powerfully built body, Henry’s striking features came into focus. “Oh!” I said again, this time jumping to my feet and bringing us within a foot of the other. “When did you get here?”
“An hour ago. I came directly from the palace.” He lifted his hand and cupped my chin. “Selah, you must know that I had no inclination of Amelia’s intentions tonight. If I had...” He shook his head, leaving the remaining words unspoken.
Conflicting emotions tugged at my heart. I wanted to kiss him and beat him to a bloody pulp all in the same minute. Silently, I studied his eyes, searching their green depths for the missing words. What would you have done differently? Intervened before I had been publicly humiliated? Stayed by my side instead of abandoning me to the wolves? Try as I might, I couldn’t consider these other possibilities without first recalling what had actually occurred. In a blink, the room grew overly warm, almost stifling, as a rush of angry blood flooded my cheeks.
I yanked my chin from his hand. “How dare you come in here and tell me what I must or mustn’t know. You’ve no right to presume any manner of my thoughts after acting like such a...a...” I stuttered to a halt, my mind a sudden blank.
A faint smile touched Henry’s mouth. “A twit?” he offered hopefully.
Hearing it from him, I realized just how inadequate my previous word choice had been. I glared at him, hoping the expression matched my mood. “A twit hardly describes your behavior these past two nights.”
“Selah, please—”
I jabbed a finger at him. “You stood by while that witch of a princess mocked me in front of everyone!” The memory of their laughter and leering faces stung like whiskey on my freshly lacerated pride. “I know exactly what you are, Henry Fitzalan. You’re nothing but a spineless popinjay!”
His jaw clenched to a scowl. “I challenged every man to a duel after you left. And then told Amelia that our friendship was at an end if she ever spoke against you again.”
Under normal circumstances, I would have given in right then and thrown my arms around his neck. But my anger ran deeper than I ever imagined, and once ignited, was not so easily extinguished. Instead, I met his scowl ounce for ounce. “Is that supposed to make up for my humiliation? Maybe next time you should stand up for me before I become the butt of every jest in the room. Believe it or not, Henry, there’s a difference between taking my side and defending your stupid honor.”
He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Some credit would be nice,” he said. “I’ll likely be banned from court once the king hears how I insulted his daughter and courtiers. But that’s the least—”
I gave a derisive snort. “Goodness me, to be cut off from an entire flock of simpering fools. Certainly, you’ll be able to bear it.” I paused for a moment. “Then again, considering your recent behavior, the separation might prove intolerable.”
His eyes narrowed, deepening his scowl. “I didn’t come here to be insulted.”
“Then why are you here? Did you think I would forget everything and come running back into your arms?” Gracious, I wanted to, but we had issues to settle first.
Henry let out a slow breath, and I watched as he struggled against his temper. “I’m here for two reasons. First, to beg forgiveness for what happened tonight.” Though somewhat strained, he sounded sincere.