Branford led me to the changing area and handed me the nightdress I had worn to bed with him the night before. I changed quickly, leaving the humiliating garment on the floor, not wanting to touch it ever again, not even to hang it up. When I came back from around the screen, Branford was there, looking at me with his brow furrowed. He reached out and took my hand in his before leading me back to the bed and sitting me in the center, under the sheets. He tentatively climbed onto the bed but stayed atop the blankets and sat far enough away to not touch me. I wondered if he did it for my sake or his own.
“Please tell me the rest,” he said.
“Lady Kimberly said…she said I could help them dress, and then they would help me.”
Branford hissed through his teeth.
“Are you telling me they came to my rooms and asked my wife to DRESS THEM?”
Branford’s sudden outburst caused my shoulders to squeeze tightly together, and I had to fight against the urge to cover my head once again. Instead, my fingers gripped the blankets tighter, and I crossed my arms in front of myself as Branford fumed with his tight fists pushed hard into his thighs.
“What else?” He snarled through his teeth.
“I didn’t think it looked right,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. I was sure Branford leaned closer just to be able to hear me, but his eyes were wild, and it was too difficult to look at him. He was truly frightening in his anger even though I was fairly certain it was not directed at me. I had no idea how quickly that could change though. “But they said…she said…she said everyone else had a dress like that…and that she knew you would like it.”
“I don’t understand why Kimberly would do such a thing,” Branford said. I wasn’t sure if he spoke to me or himself. “She’s vindictive, but you’ve not done anything to harm her.”
“She is not angry because you did not marry her?” I asked, thankfully recalling in this moment Sunniva’s words.
“I suppose that may be true, though honestly, I never considered marrying her nor did I ever intend to give her the impression that I would. I grew up with Kimberly and Nelle. We were…close cousins. When we were first adults, but still quite young, we…spent time with each other. It was nothing more.”
“So now she is convenient for you?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Well, you did spend the evening and well into the night with her,” I finally blurted out. “Perhaps going to her bed might have given her such an impression!”
“Alexandra!” Branford’s eyes went wide.
“Are you telling me you were not with her last night? That you haven’t taken her to bed?”
Branford’s eyes darkened, and he looked away.
“I have bedded her,” he finally said softly, sounding contrite. “And I was with her briefly yesterday evening. She expressed some interest in continuing our previous relationship despite my marriage, and I made it quite clear that I had no interest in a relationship with her.”
My mouth dropped open, and I quickly closed it again.
“Where were you?” I finally stammered. “You were gone most of the night.”
“With Camden,” Branford answered immediately. “When I return from a journey, we usually spend the night speaking with each other. He wanted to know more of you. I spent the entire evening telling him about the tournament and how I chose you. We talked of the wedding as well.”
I covered my mouth with my hands. My wide eyes stared at a spot down at the end of the bed without seeing it. He had not been with her but was only speaking with Camden. He had not been unfaithful to me.
“You thought I was with her instead of being here with you.”
I could only nod, ashamed to have made such conjecture about my husband.
“You should have asked me.”
“I feared your answer.”
“You had already made your assumption.” Branford’s voice was harsh but only for a moment. He took a long, deep breath. “I think I understand now. It’s what you said earlier when you told me you heard us talking about replacing Lily. You thought we had been talking of replacing you, and you thought Kimberly was to be your replacement.”
Again, I nodded.
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the marketplace, and I’ll show you exactly what we were talking about.”
“The marketplace?” I repeated. He nodded and raised an eyebrow.