“Allan and David will come with me,” I told him. “You have to stay here and make excuses.”
His throat bobbed, and he looked at me, still holding me close. “Scar . . . you have to be careful, all right?” he murmured to me.
My eyebrows pulled together, but I nodded.
“I’ve only just married you,” he said. “I can’t lose you now.” His eyes shut, and his forehead pressed to mine. “You know there’s a chance you’re already with child, don’t you? So just . . . just think about that before you run into danger, yes?”
I shut my eyes too. “All the more reason to do this now,” I told him.
He nodded against me. “All right. Go. Be back as soon as you can.”
I let go of him, digging through his things and finding a black tunic and pants, tugging on my leather boots and a heavy cloak. When I opened my door, Allan were smiling and David were slapping his hand away.
“My lady,” David said, bowing to me.
“My lady,” Allan said, mocking a curtsy.
“Let’s go see Kate,” I told them.
“No,” Kate said, striding down the dock and away from us. “Absolutely not.”
“Kate!” Allan protested.
She stopped, spinning on her heel to push her finger at his chest. “Are you mad?” she demanded. “Steal from the royal treasury? Steal from the king’s ransom?”
“Not steal it as such,” I said, peering round Allan on the narrow dock. “More like hold it until he shows his true colors.”
“Until Prince John, the man who cut off the fingers of his own niece shortly before trying to murder her, figures it out, you mean?” She shook her head and stomped up the gangplank of the ship. There were children on board her boat, some older, most younger.
I started up the plank, but Allan put his arm out across my chest to stop me.
David pushed him off. “Don’t touch her, Allan,” he snapped.
“It’s very bad form to board a ship without permission, lady thief,” Allan told me.
Kate stood on the deck of her ship, her arms crossed. “Permission not granted,” she told me. “You want all of us to risk our lives? You’d kill us all.”
“You’re awful cavalier with their lives already, doing what you do,” I told her. “Don’t pretend you lot shrink from danger.”
She scowled. “I don’t make decisions for them. We’ll discuss it, and I’ll let you know.”
“We don’t have long.”
“There is always enough time to let people make their own choice,” she said. “Or we’re not doing it.”
I sucked in a breath. “Fine. Let me know as soon as you can.” I looked to Allan, and he nodded once. “Allan will come back for your decision.”
She nodded, and didn’t move from her ship as we left, darkness falling on our heels.
CHAPTER
The next morning, Rob and I were bare dressed when Margaret sent us word that her father were meant to arrive within the hour. We went to her chambers together, and found Winchester stalking the halls before her room like a lion.
“Quincy,” Rob said.
Winchester stopped. He looked like he hadn’t slept.
“What are you doing?” Rob asked.
“Her father will arrive soon,” Winchester said. “I’m just . . . thinking. What to say. How to convince him. What Prince John could have possibly offered him.”
“Winchester,” I said. “You must offer him a show of strength. He won’t respond to your feelings for her—you know that. Or he would never have agreed to such a match in the first place.”
Winchester drew a breath, his whole chest heaving up.
Rob glanced at me and stepped closer to Winchester, talking to him quiet with his hand on his shoulder, and I knocked at Margaret’s door. A servant answered, but Margaret emerged a moment later.
She saw Winchester, and Rob stepped aside as she walked toward him. He bent to her, kissing her.
I heard the servant make a noise of surprise, but I glared at her and she ducked back into the room.
Rob took my hand as Margaret let go of Winchester, and he wiped a tear off her cheek, staring at her. “I won’t let this happen,” he murmured to her.
She nodded, kissing him quick once more. “You shouldn’t be here when he arrives.”
“I don’t care. I will be anyway,” he told her.
She smiled at him.
“As will we,” Rob told her.
She looked at us like she hadn’t noticed us before, and she nodded. “He’ll be here any moment,” she said.
I nodded, and Winchester offered her his arm.
We were all quiet as we walked through the palace to the courtyard where we had been received. To my surprise, Isabel were there, standing tall with her flock behind her as the gates opened and riders came through.
The Earl of Leicester rode up to us, taking a moment to look over the assembled people before dismounting. He weren’t caked with dust from the road, so I rather thought he cleaned himself—or changed his clothes—before entering the palace.
He gave his horse to one of the servants that ran up to help him, and turned his eyes to Isabel. He gave her a deep bow.
“My lady Princess,” he greeted.