Page 67 of A Knight for Gwenllian

“When you entered the room this morning, I thought it was his squire coming back, which is why I pressed myself against him. I needed a witness in case Hugh started to doubt he had really bedded me.” She closed her eyes. “I wish I had spared you the sight. I really thought you would come back to find him gone and me in possession of the signed deeds to Audley. I expected you might be unhappy, but I did not expect…this.”

Silence followed her declaration. Then Alexander stood up, not looking at her.

“I will go talk to Hugh.”

Was he a fool for listening to Gwenllian and giving her a chance after what he had seen this morning? Maybe not. Alexander had always prided himself on being a fair man, and there had been such earnestness in her voice that he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d not been mistaken. Her plan, ludicrous and risky as it had been, had the ring of truth. Besides, he knew her well enough not to doubt that she would have attempted anything to help.

One way or the other, he needed to get to the bottom of this, because too much was at stake.

He found his brother in the bailey, standing by his horse. The animal had been saddled, and Hugh was wearing spurs on his boots, indicating that he was ready to leave. This only stirred Alexander’s anger anew. Was the bastard really intent on leaving like this, without talking to him first? Without letting him know what he had decided with regards to Audley?

“Alexander. It’s a lovely day, is it n⁠—?”

“Fuck the weather. Are you leaving, then?”

“What does it look like? I’ve got everything I need to win Lady Elizabeth’s father’s approval.” He patted his chest. Presumably, he had retrieved the deeds to Throckmorton Castle from the table where he had thrown them the evening before. “And I’ve done all I wanted to do.”

With those words, he grabbed his crotch and gave a little squeeze. Alexander almost slammed his fist down his brother’s throat, but he forced himself to remain calm. If he were to find out what had happened last night, he needed Hugh to be able to talk.

“You might have to wait to see your little Welsh guest. I’m afraid I rather wore her out. She went back to bed after you left.”

It was clear that he, at least, was convinced that Gwenllian had spent the night under him, and that she had enjoyed herself. One of them was lying, but which one?

Alexander gritted his teeth and steeled himself to ask the question.

“You are satisfied your condition has been fulfilled, then, and are ready to sign the deeds to Audley?”

“Absolutely. The lady made it worth my while. She likes nothing more than to be tamed, doesn’t she?”

Despite Hugh’s satisfied smirk, hope surged within Alexander, tempering his anger. She likes nothing more than to be tamed. This certainly didn’t sound like what a man who’d just bedded Gwenllian would think. She was not the passive kind of lover. Rather the opposite, and he should know.

“Mm,” he said noncommittally. He would not discuss what she and his despised brother had done—or not done, as the case may be—in bed. All he was interested in was establishing what exactly had happened, because he was starting to suspect that Gwenllian might be telling the truth, after all.

“She’s perfect,” his brother added. “A rare find. I might try to find myself another Welsh woman. Does she have sisters, by any chance?” Not satisfied with Alexander’s lack of reaction, he was trying to provoke him.

But the declaration gave Alexander an idea. Could he trick his brother into admitting that Gwenllian had not slept with him?

“Yes, she’s perfect.” This, at least, was no lie. “Pity about the purple stain marring her inner thigh. But I suppose it could have been worse. At least it’s not visible when she’s clothed.”

Something like panic flashed through Hugh’s eyes. Evidently, he did not remember this. With good reason. There were no stains anywhere on Gwenllian’s body. Not that Alexander would have minded; it would not have made her less perfect in any way. But he needed to force his brother to say something that proved he had indeed spent the night senseless, that he had not, in fact, possessed the woman he was boasting about bedding.

“Aye,” Hugh finally agreed with a wave of the hand. “Pity about the stain. But there are ways to avoid looking at it. Once she’s on her hands and knees, you can’t even⁠—”

“Yes,” Alexander barked.

Dear God, one more word out of the man’s mouth and he would not be responsible for his actions. Now that he was certain Gwenllian had told him nothing but the truth, he was eager to get rid of his brother and go back to her, to thank her for what she had done, and order her to never, ever again attempt such folly on his behalf—or anyone else’s.

“Anyway,” Hugh said, turning back to his horse. “You held your part of the bargain, so now that I have signed your piece of paper, I will leave.”

“Not so fast. Where is the paper in question?”

“In the great hall, on the table.”

And Alexander was supposed to take his word for it? Well, he did not. He took the gelding by the bridle to stop his brother from going anywhere until he was satisfied and called out to his squire, Edward, who was talking to the groom by the stables.

“Go get the piece of parchment on the table in the hall,” he instructed. “Bring it to me immediately.”

“Of course, my lord.”