She stiffened defensively. ‘I told you, I made a promise to Stephen. If people had found out he let my father go without a ransom, then it would have looked like weakness. I owed him for that. I’d already failed him in every other way by surrendering to you. I thought that I could still keep that part of my promise.’

‘Even at your father’s expense?’

She winced. ‘I was with him almost the whole time in the taproom. I made him as comfortable as I could.’

‘You still could have trusted me.’

‘I couldn’t take the risk! I know I’ve been holding the castle unlawfully. That’s ten times worse than defying Sir Guian. Sick or not, my father’s still alive. Haword should still be his to command.’ She looked down at her hands. ‘Besides, it wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, but I thought you’d tell the Empress. I was afraid that she’d punish my men for helping me.’

‘She wouldn’t.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I know her.’ He shook his head remonstratively. ‘You should have asked me for help. It’s not a weakness to ask.’

‘Maybe not for a man, but most men already think women are incapable of acting without their help. Asking for it only reinforces that.’

‘I’ve never said you were incapable.’

‘You didn’t have to.’

A moan from the bed interrupted them and she bit her lip, waiting for her father to settle again before standing up and beckoning for Lothar to follow her to the window embrasure.

‘You’ve made your opinion about my abilities perfectly obvious.’ She swung round to hiss at him. ‘You undermine me in front of my men, you refuse to fight me...’

‘That wasn’t intended as an insult.’

‘You think that a woman ought to be delicate and refined like Matilda. If I were more of a lady then maybe you’d think I was fit to be chatelaine.’

‘It’s obvious that you’ve never met the Empress, my lady. No one has ever called her delicate before.’

She snorted derisively and he frowned.

‘Why don’t you like her?’

‘I’ve never met her.’ She tensed, caught off guard by the question. ‘Why wouldn’t I like her?’

‘I don’t know. Perhaps you resent her?’

‘You mean for doing nothing to help my father when he needed her?’

‘I told you, she had no men to spare.’

‘Then perhaps I’m just sick of coming second!’ She couldn’t restrain the truth any longer. ‘My father would have razed this castle to the ground rather than fail her. Is it any wonder that I resent her?’

‘No.’ He looked sombre. ‘Your father was loyal by nature, but didn’t you ever think that he was acting on your behalf, too? He believed that a woman was capable of ruling the country. Maybe he thought that if Matilda succeeded, then you could, too. You’re very similar.’

‘What?’

‘You remind me of her. Maybe not in looks, but in spirit.’

She gaped in astonishment. What did that mean, that she reminded him of the woman he loved? Of course he had to qualify the statement by mentioning her appearance, but was that a good or a bad thing?

‘You’re brave like her, too. Not many men would have ridden into an enemy camp on their own.’

His gaze seemed smoky and she dropped her own quickly.

‘I had to. I should never have let Father ride into battle, but I didn’t know how to stop him either. Everything he said seemed to make sense, but when he charged off on his own I knew I’d made a terrible mistake. When he was knocked down he hit his head...’ She shook hers at the memory. ‘I had to try to get him back.’

Tags: Jenni Fletcher Historical
Source: readsnovelonline.net