Willow felt her husband ready to pounce on Sterling and she hurried to step in front of him. “I don’t for one moment believe the lies you force others to spew for you. Slatter is my husband and my husband he will stay. You, nor anyone here, will keep him from me. You say that Slatter is an evil man and lies for the pleasure it brings him. Only an evil man who lies for the pleasure of it would know that, so tell me, Lord Sterling, how much pleasure have you gotten in using my husband’s identity to enjoy your wicked ways?”
Sterling’s face flushed red with rage and his lips curled in a snarl as he went to step toward Willow.
Willow felt the brush of her husband’s arm as he rushed past her, but he was too fast for her to stop him. By the time her hand reached out to try, Sterling was flat on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth, and his lips already swelling.
“Dare to come at my wife again and I’ll kill you,” Slatter threatened, clenching his fists at his sides, fighting the urge to plummet the man senseless.
Sterling glared up at Slatter, his hand shooting up to point at him. “I demand you lock him away for the safety of all.”
“Enough!” Tarass bellowed. “We finish this matter in the keep.”
Slatter turned to Willow and kept his voice to a whisper. “Tend Maddie and see what you can find out.”
Willow didn’t argue, aware she would be excluded from the matter once the men retired to James’s solar. And her husband was right. She needed to find out what Maddie knew.
She gave him barely a noticeable nod and as he went up the steps, she went down to Maddie.
“Leave her be,” Sterling ordered when Willow reached Maddie.
Slatter swung around, his dark eyes still glaring with a molten fury.
Willow was relieved when Tarass spoke, fearful her husband would lunge at Sterling again.
“Willow will tend the woman and you will follow us inside,” Tarass ordered, once again leaving no doubt his command was to be obeyed.
James let the way into the keep, Tarass trailing behind them all.
Thaw jumped out at him and gave a bark and a snarl, showing his puppy teeth as he jumped back and forth as if waiting for a command from Snow to attack.
“That pup is useless,” he said and made the mistake of shaking a pointed finger at Thaw.
Thaw didn’t hesitate, he jumped and lunged at Tarass’s finger, his sharp puppy teeth catching the skin and tearing it.
“Oh my Lord, Thaw what have you done?” Eleanor cried, seeing blood pour from Tarass’s finger.
Tarass grabbed the pup by the scruff of his neck, ignoring his wound.
“Please don’t hurt him,” Eleanor cried out.
James and Slatter stepped out of the keep just as Snow’s hand shot out and connected with Tarass’s chest, then ran down along his arm to grab Thaw from his grasp.
“Snow!” James yelled, his face turning pale, fearful for his sister.
“Thaw was protecting me and himself from this fool,” Snow said.
“Snow!” James reprimanded again. “Apologize to Lord Tarass.”
“An apology will not suffice,” Tarass said with a threatening calm.
“Please let me see to your wound,” Willow said, having rushed up the steps when Eleanor had cried out, wanting to get Tarass away from her sister. Before he could respond, Willow turned to Eleanor. “You and Snow help Maddie to my mum’s solar. I’ll tend her there when I finish with Lord Tarass.”
“We’re not done, Snow,” Tarass warned.
Snow’s chin went up. “I’ll be waiting for your apology.”
James shook his head and Slatter smiled.
“This way,” Willow said, pushing between Tarass and Snow and seeing the tremble in her sister’s hands. She showed strength, but fear poked at her as well.
Once in the Great Hall, she called for a servant to bring water, cloths, and her healing basket.
“What happened?” Sterling demanded, getting up from where he sat at a table, a tankard of ale in his hand.
“A minor mishap,” Tarass said. “Go with James and Slatter to his solar. I’ll join you shortly.”
James hurried Sterling from the room, the man clinging to his tankard as he followed James.
Slatter lingered a moment, locking eyes with Tarass.
“I have no wont to hurt your wife, though I can’t say the same about her sister,” Tarass said.
Slatter grinned. “Not a wise choice of words when my wife is about to tend you.” He walked off laughing.
Tarass glared at Willow in warning.
Willow wanted to tell him she had no wont to hurt him either, unless, of course, he harmed Snow. But she didn’t think a threat from her would help the situation.
“My sister feared for her pup, she meant no harm,” Willow said, hoping he would see reason.
“That is for her to explain when I speak with her later.”
Willow was glad he told her of his intentions. She could make sure she was there when he spoke with Snow. For now, she would say no more, giving the incident a chance to rest from his mind. She led him to the table where the servants had left the items she had requested. It didn’t take long to clean and examine the wound and see it was a small tear that should heal nicely.