She grew angry, a rage surfacing in her, and suddenly she had a sword in her hand and she turned and fought alongside her husband. She fought until there were no more barbarians left to fight, then turned to her husband just as a sword struck him in the back and he fell to the ground.
Sorrell let out a blood-curdling roar and swung her sword…
“Sorrell! Sorrell! Wake up! You are safe!”
Ruddock. Ruddock called to her. He wasn’t dead. She had to get to him. Save him before the man came after him again.
“Sorrell!” Ruddock said sharply and shook her, to free her from her nightmare.
Her eyes popped open and she labored for breath, but that didn’t matter. Her husband was alive.
He hugged her tight, kissed her about the face, and repeated. “You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re here with me.”
Sorrell snuggled tight against her husband’s warm, strong body, his arms locking around her. It had been nothing more than a nightmare. Or had it been a warning?
Sorrell was pleased that Ruddock asked her to join him, Hugh, and Lana, Hugh’s wife, in his solar.
Lana appeared much different than the last time Sorrell had seen her. She wore a pleasant smile and her dark, long hair was neatly braided whereas before it had been unkempt. There was no fear in her soft green eyes and the slump to her shoulders Sorrell recalled seeing was gone, making her appear much taller than Sorrell remembered. She stood a good head over Sorrell.
Hugh also looked far different. His beard was trimmed short and the sides of his hair were neatly braided. He stood tall and proud in his clean garments and wore the Northwick plaid well.
“We are so grateful for your generosity, my lord,” Lana said.
“It’s not generosity, Lana. I trust Hugh and I’m in need of that trust and his friendship,” Ruddock said and smiled. “And I’m glad to see you cleaned him up nicely.”
Lana chuckled. “It was a chore, but I managed.”
“You two better not start picking on me again,” Hugh said, smiling.
Sorrell beamed with her own smile. “You are all friends.”
“Aye,” Ruddock said, “longtime friends.”
“Since we were wee bairns,” Lana confirmed with a nod.
“Lana claimed at five years that she would wed me,” Hugh said with a laugh. “I did everything to avoid that—”
“Though I knew it was inevitable,” Ruddock boasted.
“Hugh was the only one who didn’t see we were fated to be together,” Lana said.
Ruddock laughed. “Until he came to his senses.”
“I was doomed from the start, Lady Sorrell, completely doomed,” Hugh said dramatically.
“Aye, that he was,” Lana agreed, her smile wide.
“We will visit and talk, Lana,” Sorrell said. “I must hear all about Ruddock when he was young.”
Ruddock was quick to say, “She’s sworn to secrecy.”
Sorrell turned a sweet smile on her husband.
“I know that kind of smile.” Hugh laughed. “Now you’re the one who’s doomed, Ruddock.”
Ruddock took his wife in his arms and kissed her. “I was doomed the first day I laid eyes on her when I watched her throwing mud balls at her foe.”
“Mud balls?” Hugh and Lana asked in unison.
“Oh, you must tell me about that,” Lana said.
“And I will tell you about the time Ruddock saved a man from me biting his cock off.”
Ruddock shook his head.
Hugh burst out laughing.
Lana said, “I definitely want to hear about that.”
“Enough,” Ruddock said, still shaking his head. “We have important things to discuss.”
They all gathered in the chairs Ruddock had the servants place near the hearth and conversation turned serious.
“Tell me what happened between my absence and my return here after the mission that had me gone for a month.”
“I believe it all began with the stranger that arrived here. Slatter was his name,” Lana said.
Sorrell saw a slight change in her husband. The name was familiar to him, but he said nothing.
Lana continued, “He was a handsome one and a charmer. Had plenty of women sniffing after him and a few believing his wily tongue. You can always count on a man with a smooth tongue to be a liar. He was here only a few days, yet he seemed to bend every one’s ear.”
“My father’s?” Ruddock asked.
“I don’t believe so, but he talked enough with Erland. It was just a day after he left, I should say disappeared, since no one saw him take his leave, that whispers began circulating. I finally found out what the gossipy tongues were saying and was shocked.” She shook her head. “There was no way—no way—your mum would have even looked at another man. Her heart belonged to your father. You could see the love in her eyes by the way she looked at him.” Lana smiled. “It’s the same way Lady Sorrell looks at you.”
Sorrell beamed. “I’m glad everyone can see that I love my husband with all my heart.”