Velvet Song (Montgomery/Taggert 4)

Judith blinked in understanding and whirled back to face Raine. “All right, I shall tell you what I have to say. You men, all of you, all four of you brothers, think nothing of dragging a woman all over England with no thought to her safety or comfort.”

Raine’s jaw jutted out. “We stayed in a very comfortable inn last night.”

“You what! You took your lady wife into a public place dressed like that? How dare you, Raine? How dare you treat any woman like that?”

“What was I supposed to do, shop for clothes? Perhaps I should have ridden to London and asked the King for a bit of silk.”

“Don’t try to gain sympathy from me for being declared a traitor. It was your own Montgomery hotheadedness that caused all your problems.”

At this Alyx began to clap her hands.

Judith flashed an understanding half-smile at her while Raine glared.

“I can see I’m not needed here,” Raine said.

“You’re not running away from this,” Judith said. “I want you to run downstairs, pull Joan from whatever corner—or bed—she’s lounging in, then order a bath sent up here. Oh, Raine, how could you do this to this poor child? The mother of your baby? It’s been days since the fire and she’s still covered with soot, and how you must have ridden to get here so fast! Now go along and get yourself cleaned up and dressed properly.”

With his jaw still out, refusing to speak, Raine left the room, the door slamming behind him.

With a sigh, Judith looked back at Alyx. “You have to stand up for yourself or men will take advantage. Are you well? Raine didn’t harm you in his haste, did he?”

Alyx only shook her head, looking at Judith with admiration and the beginnings of love.

“It’s a good thing the three of us are all sturdy and strong or else we’d be dead by now.”

Alyx held up three fingers, frowned in question.

“Bronwyn, Stephen’s wife. You’ll have to meet her. She is lovely, absolutely lovely, but Stephen drags her everywhere, makes her sleep on the ground rolled up in a wool blanket. It’s really dreadful.”

A knock on the door interrupted Judith, and seconds later servants arrived with a tub and pails of hot water. “I should send Raine more often,” Judith said. “He certainly gets things done quickly.”

Alyx gave a little giggle and Judith smiled back.

“They are good men. I wouldn’t trade Gavin for anyone, but sometimes you have to raise your voice a bit. Someday you’ll get over your awe of your husband and you’ll find yourself shouting right back at him. You may not think so now, but you will.”

Alyx merely smiled and allowed herself to be led to the tub.

Chapter Sixteen

RAINE, UP TO his neck in a tub of hot water, his eyes still blazing with anger, looked up hostilely as the door to his room opened. Gavin burst in.

“Miles has taken the Chatworth girl to Scotland, and from what I can gather he had to drag her there while she screamed curses at him. Damn him!” he said passionately. “Why do I have so much trouble with my younger brothers? Only Stephen—”

“You’d better stop,” Raine warned. “I’m in a mood to drive a sword through someone’s belly.”

“And what has happened now?” Gavin asked tiredly, sitting down across from Raine. “I have more problems than I need. Has your wife said an unkind word to you?”

“Not my wife.” He stopped. “What do you plan to do about Miles? Do you think he’s taking her to Stephen?”

“I can only hope so. Sir Guy is with him, so perhaps he can talk some sense into Miles.”

“Do you have a reason why Miles should keep the girl? Other than for his own pleasure, that is? I can’t imagine our little brother forcing a woman to do anything, nor can I imagine one refusing him. I’ve never seen him have any trouble with women.”

“One of Miles’s men broke his arm right after Lady Elizabeth was delivered and so stayed behind when Miles went to Scotland. I caught him on the road.”

“And what was his bad news? It couldn’t be as bad as the look on your face.”

“There were four men in Miles’s tent at the time. Pagnell’s man was allowed to enter, all the men holding swords on him. He was carrying a long carpet in his arms. He paused just inside the entrance, tossed it to the floor, gave it a push with his foot and unrolled it.”