‘Since when?’
A guilty expression crossed his face. ‘Since she told me in Devizes.’
‘That was two months ago!’
‘As I said, I thought the circumstances might change. I didn’t know if she’d go through with it.’
‘And now you are?’
‘If she’d changed her mind, I would have received word by now.’
She gripped the back of her chair, feeling as if the room were spinning suddenly. ‘So when are you leaving?’
‘She told me to return to Devizes when the weather started to clear. It’s clearing now. I ought to leave in the morning.’
‘Tomorrow morning? And you’re only telling me now?’ She gave a bitter laugh. ‘Of course! I don’t know why I expected any different. She’s your Empress, I’m just your wife. I hope the two of you will be very happy together!’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ He looked shocked.
‘What do you think it means?’
‘Juliana, I’m only following orders.’
‘Then who am I to stand in the way?’ She started forward angrily, suddenly desperate to get away from him. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do than talk about your Empress.’
‘Wait.’ He took a step to one side, blocking the way so that she almost walked into him. ‘There’s something else.’
She stopped a hair’s breadth from his chest. She wanted to pound on it with her fists. What else could there be? She felt enough of a fool already. If she didn’t get out of there soon then she’d either throw something at him or start crying and she wasn’t sure which was worse. How could he do this—abandon her just when she was starting to get used to him? She hadn’t wanted a husband, but he’d made her get used to him! More than that, she’d enjoyed spending time with him. Their evenings together had meant something to her. Hadn’t they meant anything to him?
‘What?’ She met his gaze furiously, determined not to show any of the pain she was feeling.
‘The Empress wants to see you, too, before she leaves.’
‘Why?’
He paused briefly. ‘She wants to know if you can be trusted after what happened with your father.’
‘I thought you said she understood about that?’
‘She did, but she still wants to know she’s leaving Haword in the hands of someone she can trust.’
‘She isn’t!’ Anger flared again. How dare he! Now of all times, how dare he demand her allegiance to the woman he was running away with? ‘I told you I gave Stephen my oath.’
‘That was before we were married.’
‘So naturally you expect me to abandon my loyalties for yours? Why should I be loyal to her?’
‘Because I vouched for you!’
She stiffened in shock. ‘Why?’
‘Because I know how much Haword means to you. I didn’t, don’t, want you to lose your home.’
She swallowed, trying to make sense of a confusing tumult of emotions. Gratitude, resentment, jealousy... She didn’t understand any
of it. Why had he taken such a risk? If he’d vouched for her, then he was responsible for her actions, even in Normandy. It bound them even closer together—just when he leaving!
‘Why did you do that? You knew I gave my oath to Stephen.’