The Warrior's Bride Prize

He frowned as she picked up her bowl and started to fidget with the spoon. Something was definitely bothering her. Strange when she’d seemed all right—happy, even—when he’d left earlier. Had something happened in the meantime? In the fading twilight, with the only illumination coming from the fading campfire and their two oil lamps, it was hard to make out her features distinctly, making him wish they’d gone inside after all. It would be pitch-black soon, as darkness descended over their first real night as a married couple... His mind hit a stone wall.

Was that what was bothering her? Was that why she was acting so strangely—because she was nervous about going to bed with him? Or, worse still, didn’t she want to? They hadn’t kissed, had barely even touched since the wedding and they’d never discussed the subject, although he’d thought they’d been getting closer again. Now, as much as he wanted to carry her off to bed, quite desperately in fact, he wasn’t going to force his attentions on her just because they were married. He couldn’t presume to know anything about her feelings and apparently she wasn’t going to tell him anything about them either, not when she was making small talk about Ario.

The thought was enough to put him off his dinner, but she seemed to be watching expectantly, waiting for him to start eating.

Reluctantly, he took a mouthful of stew and then groaned. He didn’t think he’d ever tasted anything so mouth-wateringly succulent in his whole life. It was all he could do not to lift the bowl to his lips and guzzle the rest.

‘It tastes even better than it smells.’ He scooped up a few more mouthfuls eagerly.

Her smile held a hint of pride. ‘Try dipping the bread.’

Obediently, he tore off a piece and dunked. It tasted even better. ‘This is delicious. If we weren’t already married, I’d ask you again just for your cooking. Your husband was a fool.’

Her smile faded instantly and he put the bread down again, afraid that he’d said the wrong thing.

‘Forgive me, I shouldn’t have said that. I know that you’re still grieving...’

‘I’m not.’ She jerked her chin up abruptly. ‘That is, I did grieve for him, but a long time ago. Not any more.’

He frowned slightly. ‘I thought you said he only died two months ago?’

‘He did, but our marriage was over years before that.’ She swallowed, as if the words were hard for her to say. ‘You should know that he thought I was unfaithful. He thought that Julia wasn’t his daughter. That’s why he disinherited us both.’

‘I see.’

‘Aren’t you going to ask if it was true?’ Dark eyelashes quivered though she kept her chin firmly in the air.

‘No.’ He held on to her gaze intently. ‘I think that would be an insult to both of us.’

The eyelashes fluttered more rapidly, as if she were taken aback by his answer. ‘But don’t you want to know why he thought so?’

‘Not if you don’t want to tell me.’ He paused. ‘Did you love him?’

‘No.’ Her voice sounded strained. ‘I tried to, but...no. In the end I disliked him intensely, though I know that’s a terrible thing to say about my own husband.’

‘That depends on the husband.’ He felt an inappropriate sense of elation at the words and then frowned again. ‘You told me once that he was a good man.’

‘He was, or at least he was kind to me at first. We lived as brother and sister for the first few years, but then I got older and we had Julia and things changed. He let other people change his mind about me. He became angry and cruel.’

‘Did he hurt you?’ He tried to control his own anger.

‘Not physically, but he made my life miserable. That’s why I was so scared of marrying Scaevola, of living with a man like that again.’

‘Well, you don’t have to be scared any more. And you don’t need to worry about being disinherited again either. I have a good amount saved in the legion stronghold at Coria. It’s not a fortune, but it’s enough for you and Julia to be independent. I’ve left instructions in case anything happens to me.’

She shook her head slightly. ‘You shouldn’t say that.’

‘It’s just a precaution. Speaking of which, I’ll make sure there’s a guard stationed in the atrium at night from tomorrow, just for while I’m away.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t like the idea of your being alone here without even a maid.’