The Bride's Portion. Susan Paul

rigid self-control and polite manner of threatening were unnerving, but Lillis wouldn’t let herself be intimidated.

      “Perhaps you should,” she agreed. “But why stop there, my lord? Why not do as your Barbara suggests and shackle us in chains? It would be most gratifying to know that your brothers had come by their inhuman natures honestly.”

      His eyebrows rose in further amazement, indicating the success of this strike; nonetheless, his tone remained maddeningly calm.

      “Perhaps I should,” he softly repeated her own words back to her. “Perhaps, depending upon your father’s future behavior, I shall. For now, however, I have promised that you shall be treated as guests, and will be content to escort you to your chamber so that you may enjoy the afternoon meal in the privacy you requested of me this morn.”

      Lillis measured his polite words and expression and understood that he’d ceded the battle to her. He’d not argue the matter with her further, which was a relief, though Lillis wasn’t certain if he’d given way because she was too unimportant to waste his time on, or because he’d known that she, herself, would not give way. She would, however, gracefully acknowledge his peace offering by extending one of her own.

      “You have not yet been properly introduced to my maid,” she told him, reaching out a hand to draw her timid companion forward. “Alexander of Gyer, I make known to you Edyth Lielyn, daughter of Sir Edward Lielyn of Cantfield.”

      He looked appropriately surprised to discover that Edyth was a lady by birth, and immediately bent to take Edyth’s hand.

      “I am honored to make your acquaintance, Edyth of Cantfield. The circumstances of our meeting are somewhat unusual but I hope you will believe that I am very pleased, nevertheless. And I hope you will accept my apologies regarding the behavior of my aunt and cousin—” he glanced at Lillis “—as I hope your mistress will accept them.”

      Edyth shyly stammered something appropriate while Lillis met Alexander of Gyer’s frank gaze steadily.

      “Let us speak of it no more, Alexander of Gyer.” She offered the truce gracefully.

      The Lord of Gyer nodded and extended an arm to Edyth. “Will you allow me the honor of escorting you to your chamber, Lady Edyth?”

      Edyth blushed vividly but placed her hand upon his arm, allowing herself to be led forward. Lillis and their guards followed behind as they made their way up the staircase and to the chamber that was their jail. Not for the first time Lillis regretted that she and Alexander of Gyer were destined to be enemies. Despite their short-lived battle of wills, she liked him, and liked him very much. He seemed to be a fair man, one who possessed both strength and gentleness, and she could not help but admire his willingness to give way in a dispute. She knew little of men, but this, it seemed to her, was a fine and rare quality in them. It had been mean spirited to suggest that he shared his twin brothers’ mischievous natures, especially in the face of his kindness to Edyth. She could not remember when, if ever, Edyth had been treated with the respect she deserved. Lillis herself did not even do so.

      “Can you tell us, my lord,” she asked conversationally, “what the door in our room is? Not the main door, but the door that is in the middle of one of the walls?” She wasn’t going to admit to him that she and Edyth had already unbolted the door and tried, without success, to open it.

      He was thoughtful, then, remembering, said, “Ah, yes. It’s been so long since I’ve used that door that I’ve almost forgotten its existence. It’s an unusual feature, I suppose, but was designed that way apurpose by my father. The chamber you’re staying in was my mother’s, the chamber next to it was my father’s and now is mine. The door you speak of joins the rooms together.” He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Lillis. “My father felt that the device made his life much easier, as my mother wished to have a private place of her own. She spent a great deal of time there, and I think the door must have been useful when she and my father were arguing.”

      They had reached the hallway of the floor that was their destination by the time he finished speaking, yet both women stopped and gaped at him. Lillis, in fact, drew to such a sudden halt that the guards nearly stumbled into her, and Edyth removed her hand from Alexander of Gyer’s arm and stepped away from him. The look on her face was as horrified as Lillis knew her own must be.

      The Lord of Gyer looked at them first with concern, and then with curiosity. “Is something amiss?”

      “Amiss!” Lillis heard herself saying. “Amiss!” she repeated, unable to think of anything else to say.

      He looked at her strangely, and then at Edyth, who took a step farther away.

      “Good day,” a pleasant voice broke in, and Willem appeared, strolling toward them from the other end of the hall with a shy smile. He stopped beside his brother and surveyed the two unhappy women with interest.

      “We—we cannot stay in that chamber any longer,” Lillis said. “You must lodge us elsewhere.”

      Alexander of Gyer’s face held honest surprise. “Because of the door? Why?”

      “Why!” she half shouted in disbelief. “How could—how—how could you put us in a place where almost anyone could walk in at any moment and—and—well!” She clamped her jaw shut tightly and didn’t notice that she had dropped everything she’d been holding. Fine silk thread and cloth fluttered noiselessly to the floor.

      “Anyone?” Alexander of Gyer repeated, his voice deepening with anger. “You mean me, do you not, my lady? You think that I would come into your chamber unannounced simply because our rooms are joined?” He was clearly insulted, and for a brief moment Lillis feared him. He was a big man, and seemed bigger in his fury. “If you’ve not noticed,” he continued curtly, “there is a bolt on your side to keep you safe from any such intrusion. And there is one on my side to keep me safe, as well. And, Lillis of Wellewyn—” he bent, speaking close to her face “—I will have you know that I am the lord of this castle. If ever I want to come into your chamber unannounced I will do it! Without your permission. Not—” he leaned even closer “—that I would ever want to enter your chamber, for any reason, in the first place.”

      Lillis could have done without his last sentence and its most obvious meaning. She knew full well that she was odd looking and unattractive. She didn’t need Alexander of Gyer to tell her that. The nuns at Tynedale had spent ten long years making certain she understood it. And yet it hurt deeply, hearing the truth from the mouth of such a man, and Lillis felt young and angry all over again, as if she’d never left Tynedale at all.

      “What a good thing it is, Alexander of Gyer, that you’d never have reason to do such a thing,” she said between clenched teeth, praying that she wouldn’t start crying and make a perfect fool of herself in front of him. “If I ever thought you’d come to my room with that intent, I would most certainly be ill!”

      But this only enraged him more, and the expression that contorted his handsome features made Lillis’s hands clench in quick fear.

      “Have no fear, my lady,” he assured her, “you shall never be subject to such an incident. But even if there were any danger of that event taking place, I would not move you to another chamber. I feel much safer at night knowing that you are so close by. I am a light sleeper, you see, and would know of it instantly were you to attempt an escape. You’d not get past the hallway before I caught you again.”

      Lillis laughed at him contemptuously. “Of course you would. The guards outside our door would alert you. Do you think us complete idiots, my lord?”

      How long this exchange might have continued, no one would ever know. Willem had been standing by, horrified, watching his brother speak to a lady in a manner he’d never before heard him speak to anyone.

      “Alex,” he said, stepping between his brother and Lillis of Wellewyn, “I should be most pleased to offer my chamber to these ladies, if they are unhappy with Mother’s chamber.”

      Alexander