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“Damn that rogue,” Kenric continued.

Bria had known Kathryn had been in his room.

“I just don’t understand how he entered the castle undetected.”

Yes. And how had Bria gotten into the castle without anyone’s knowing?

“Cousin, are you listening to me?” Kenric asked.

And there was that sword. What in heaven’s name was she doing with a sword? Even if Kenric tried to hurt her again, did she believe she could wield a sword like a man?

“He must have used some sort of disguise,” Kenric went on, pacing back and forth before the table.

But something else was bothering Terran. It was the Midnight Shadow’s eyes. So damned blue. The bluest eyes he’d ever seen, except for... he straightened slightly. Good Lord! Had he missed the signs?

“If we want to capture the Midnight Shadow,” Kenric said, facing Terran once again, “we’ll have to put your plan into action.”

Terran lifted his gaze to Kenric, but he wasn’t listening. It couldn’t be! Had he been blind to the truth when it stared him in the face? It can’t be! his mind repeated. She is a woman! She is my wife!

“My lord?”

Bria couldn’t be the Midnight Shadow. God’s blood! He had to know. He had to know that his wife was not the one stealing from him. “Yes,” Terran murmured. “Announce the execution for tomorrow.”

Chapter forty

Bria arrived at Castle Delaney that evening. Her grandfather raced out of the keep to greet her in the inner courtyard, as did numerous servants and concerned peasants. Bria hugged her grandfather, but was surprised her father was nowhere to be seen.

“He is searching the countryside for you,” Harry explained. “Are you all right?”

Bria nodded. “I couldn’t find Mary, Grandfather. Kenric moved her.”

Harry stared at her in sympathy. “At least you tried.”

“And I will try again and again until she is free.”

Her father returned hours later and summoned her to his solar. When she was younger, a trip to his solar had spelled fierce discipline. She knew she was in trouble. And what father in his right mind wouldn’t discipline his daughter when she’d been missing an entire night?

She entered her father’s solar and closed the door behind her. A colorful tapestry depicting a coronation hung on one of the walls. To her right a warm fire flickered in the hearth, and a large bed stood near the far wall. Just before her, four chairs surrounded a wooden table engraved with knights and horses.

Bria stood at the door, urgently wanting to leave as soon as possible so she could plan her rescue of Mary.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I didn’t mean to stay out all night,” she admitted, “but I couldn’t get home.”

“What do you mean?” her father demanded.

Bria looked down at her entwined hands. “I missed Terran, and I wanted so much to see him,” she said quietly. At least that much was true.

“I told him,” a voice said.

Bria whirled to find her grandfather standing just inside the door of the solar.

“Forgive me, child,” he said. “But when you were missing this morning, I had no choice.”

“I do not appreciate being lied to and deceived, Bria,” her father said, drawing her gaze once again.

“It wasn’t like that, Father,” she pleaded. “I never meant to lie to you. But the less you knew, the better off you were. This was something I had to do.”