She said she was afraid, Fionn slurred.
There. Shes a coward. Though the words felt hollow as he said them.
Shes your mate. Tis your responsibility to find out what had her so feared. Barrs tone left no room for argument.
And that was one of the reasons Talorc valued him so as his second: the other warrior was not afraid to speak his mind when it was needed. Not that he always agreed.
Right now, he wasnt sure what he thought. Except that the table looked damn comfortable as he slumped forward to rest against it.
After a sleepless night in which Talorc did not return to their bedchamber and Guaire did not leave it, Abigail returned to the great hall just after sunrise. Shed left Guaire sleeping on the pallet shed insisted making with some of the furs from her and Talorcs bed.
She had a feeling her husband wasnt going to like that, but then he could have come back and told Guaire the man could go to his own chamber for the night. As it was, no matter how many times Abigail assured the seneschal she would be all right on her own, he refused to leave her.
His presence had stopped her from collapsing in sobs. As much as she might have wanted to do so, she was grateful to him for inadvertently helping her keep her strength up. Then again, considering how astute the man was, his help might have been entirely deliberate.
At least she still had one true friend among the Sinclairs.
The stench of stale whiskey assaulted her nose when she was halfway down the stairs, so she was not wholly unprepared for the sight that met her eyes as she looked up after reaching the bottom. The soldiers from the night before, every one of them members of the elite Chrechte, were passed out in various poses of drunken disarray.
Talorc slept slumped over the table, but at least he was not passed out on the floor like Osgard. And Niall.
The big, scarred warriors eyes opened as Abigail stood staring, contemplating her next move.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he turned away with clear intent to ignore her presence. He rolled to his feet and left the hall without once looking back or speaking to her. So, that was it then. His attitude had not softened with the passage of a night, or drinking a great deal of whiskey apparently.
His twin brother, Barr, woke next. His eyes looked clearer than Nialls had, his expression more open as well. Good morning.
Good morning, she whispered, not sure she wanted to wake the others.
I do not see Guaire.
I left him sleeping.
Barr nodded. Talorc is going to have kittens when he realizes you descended the steps without escort again.
I believe that is the least of my worries this morning.
You deceived him and he feels stupid because of it.
Hes not stupid.
Aye, I ken. And he knows it, too, but what he knows and what he feels are not always the same. Tis the same for all of us, dont you think?
I suppose. She wrapped her arms around herself and surveyed the sleeping warriors.
It looks to me as if they are all feeling drunk at the moment.
Or not feeling anything at all.
Sometimes I wish I could achieve that, she admitted, barely giving sound to her voice.
But Barr heard. These Chrechte had the hearing of a predator. Dinna try it with rotgut. The headache the next morning is not worth it.
Perhaps it would be best to speak to Talorc later, then.
Her husbands head came up from the table then, his blue gaze bloodshot but still piercing. What is there to talk about?
She could not believe he had asked such a foolish question. The revelations of yesterday.
You mean my discovery that you have been lying to me since the moment we met?
I never told you I could hear.
You never told me you couldnt.
No, I didnt.
Why?
I would prefer to discuss this in private. Once again, she let her eyes skim the passed-out warriors around them. Enough of this drama has been played out in the great hall for your soldiers to enjoy.
I see no need to discuss this at all.
She crossed her arms. I have a right to know what my future holds. Shed spent most of last night thinking and had come to several conclusions. The most important being, if she could convince Talorc to let her stay, she wanted to remain a Sinclair.
She knew it would not be easy, but nothing in her life had been since the fever that had nearly killed her as a child.
She had also decided she would not hide from the truth, whatever it might be. So, her husband would talk to her. And that was that.
Talorc did not reply, but he got up from the table, said something to Barr she could not see and headed up the stairs. Abigail followed, unaccountably disheartened by the fact that he had not insisted on her taking his arm for the ascent.
Shed taken two steps when he stopped and spun around, stomping back to her and grabbing her hand. Im probably less steady than you. But he did not let her hand go.
I do not know where you get this idea that I am clumsy, she said to his back.
If he replied, Talorc did not bother to turn his head so she could see it.