“Keep it up, Rhodes and the next time you feel my fist, it will be the last time you feel anything,” Slatter warned in such a deadly tone that it had people turning wide eyes on him.
“That’s a threat I won’t take lightly,” Rhodes said and took a quick step forward.
“Enough,” James bellowed, looking to Rhodes. “I’ll talk with you and William in my solar.” He turned to Willow, but Slatter spoke before he could.
“I’ll join you as soon as my grandmother is settled in bed.” Willow went to protest, but he stopped her. “I will see to this and you will see to my grandmother. We will talk afterwards.”
In his own way, he was letting her know he would share what was said with her, but would he tell her everything?
There was no time to argue. Sara needed tending.
Eleanor had been placed in Sorrell’s bedchamber to be close to Snow if she needed help. Willow had no choice but to have Sara taken to her own bedchamber. She would find a place for Slatter and her to sleep later.
Slatter placed his grandmother on the bed and went to release her from the blankets that had kept her warm.
“Leave her to us,” Willow said, placing her hand on his forearm to stop him.
Slatter saw that Snow had entered the room along with the other woman. The pup had entered as well, though this time he sat quietly, leaning against Snow’s leg. He wasn’t very big, though the size of his paws was evidence enough that he would be a big dog and it looked like he’d be protective of Snow.
Slatter rested his hand to his wife’s cheek, thinking he was a lucky man to have her as his wife, though unlucky that he couldn’t keep her. “I trust you.”
“As I do you,” she whispered, “so please don’t do anything to make me think otherwise.”
He turned a teasing smile on her and grabbed at his chest. “You wound me, wife, to think I would do such a thing.”
She loved his playfulness, but sometimes she wondered if it was meant to do more… distract or perhaps hide something.
Snow joined her sister along with Eleanor at the bedside as soon as Slatter left the room.
“He is so handsome that he startles the eyes,” Eleanor said.
“How did you ever become wife to the man who set fire to the shed that in turn caused the fire in the keep?” Snow asked as she stepped next to her sister.
Willow was glad Snow didn’t accuse, but rather was in search of an explanation. But then she knew Willow well and she was surprised Snow hadn’t asked… where did my responsible, sensible, sister go?
“After I see to Sara,” Willow said and Snow’s response was just what she expected.
“What do you need me to do?
Eleanor was dispensed to gather the things Willow needed and Snow went and fetched one of her nightshifts since Sara was petite like Snow. Once Willow had everything she needed to tend the woman properly, she, with the help of Snow and Eleanor, got busy tending to Sara.
Slatter was shown to James’s solar and was there only a few moments when Rhodes started on him again.
“He charmed Willow into marrying him to use her so he could escape punishment and like most women his good looks mesmerized her and his deceitful tongue charmed her into believing his concocted tale that someone who looked like him was responsible for all the evil deeds done in his name. How convenient for him.”
“It does seem contrived,” James admitted and turned a question on Slatter. “How did you and Willow come upon each other?”
“I rescued her from the man who took her from the Northwick troop,” Slatter said, leaving out the part that he had been abducted as well.
James continued to probe. “How did you wind up wed so fast and who wed you?”
“It was a moment we couldn’t resist and a cleric was close by to see us wed properly.” That sounded good to Slatter and was as close to the truth as he could get.”
“And Willow consented to this?” James asked.
“We both eagerly did,” he said, recalling how they both wanted to be on their way and as far away from Beck as possible.
James shook his head. “Willow is the most sensible woman I know. It makes no sense that she would wed the man who caused damage to the Clan Macardle.”
“I had nothing to do with the fire,” Slatter said, though it was a futile attempt. They hadn’t believed him before, so why would they believe him now?
“That tale again,” Rhodes said with a sneer. “You expect us to believe that some phantom man who resembles you is the true culprit. A tale more suited for the storytellers and minstrels.”
“Doubt all you want, Rhodes, it’s the truth,” Slatter said, though knew he wasted his breath. He would not be believed.