Hugh grabbed the cup, drained it. He was out of breath when he recovered. “The fish must have been bad,” he said, then dismissed the subject. “Where was I?”
“You were telling me how I was ready to leave my husband for you.”
“You stretch my words,” he said. “I—”
Bronwyn slammed the empty pitcher down on a table, and the glaze on the pottery crackled. “No! Let me tell you!” She stood over him, hands on her hips. “You say you are Stephen’s friend, yet you play a childish trick on him and lock him where he can see you play the fool over his wife.”
“Fool! You did not think I was a fool today.”
“You think you can read my thoughts? Are you so vain that you think I can spend months in Stephen Montgomery’s bed and yet be unsatisfied?”
“You said—”
“You were certainly ripe for believing anything you wanted. You act as if you did something noble in paying that whore to go to bed with you. You think you did Stephen a favor, but I wonder if you were just jealous. Every man in camp had to pay for her—all except one: my Stephen!”
“Your Stephen!” Hugh began, starting to rise, but another pain cut through him. He looked up in horror. “You poisoned me.”
She smiled. “Not poison really, but you’ll be quite ill for several days. I want you to remember today for a long time.”
“Why?” he whispered, grabbing his stomach. “What have I done to you?”
“Nothing,” she said seriously. “Absolutely nothing. I have been used to Englishmen too long to stand it another time. You used me to play a game with Stephen. It never occurred to you that I might have some thought in the matt
er. I could see it last night while Stephen played the lute. You were so sure of yourself, that any woman would want you.”
Hugh doubled in pain. “You bitch!” he gasped. “Stephen is welcome to you.”
“I’m a bitch because I decided to be more than a pawn in your little games? Remember, Sir Hugh, there’s only one female on the chessboard, and she is the most versatile, most powerful piece.” She bent and slipped the key from his doublet pocket before she turned away.
“Stephen saw you. He will never believe you weren’t hot for me.”
Her back stiffened. “Contrary to your thoughts of him, Stephen Montgomery is the most sane, intelligent man I have ever met.” She paused at the door. “Oh, yes, and Sir Hugh, the next time you need help with your women, I’d advise you to ask for Stephen’s advice. As far as I can tell, there’s very little he doesn’t know.” She left the room.
Rab was waiting for her outside Hugh’s door, and together they ran up the stairs to the room where Stephen was held. She looked through the barred door and saw Stephen glowering at her. The anger and hatred in his eyes made a chill run along her spine. She thrust the key into the lock and opened the door.
“You are free now,” she said quietly. “It is still daylight, and we can ride toward your brother’s estate.”
Stephen sat silently, his eyebrows drawn together.
She walked close to him, put out her hand, and touched a curl of hair along his collar. “It would be better if you spoke about your anger.”
He pushed her hand away. “Do you dare come to me directly from him? You wear a gown he gave you, the one you flaunted yourself in in front of him. Did he enjoy it? Did he enjoy the sight of the upper half of you bare?”
She sighed and sat down on the window seat. “Hugh said you’d not believe me innocent after what you’d seen.”
“Hugh, is it?” Stephen growled and raised both his fists toward her, but then he dropped then helplessly at his side. “You have repaid me in full for marrying you. You waited long enough to have your revenge.” He sat down heavily on a stool, ignoring Rab who nuzzled against him. “On our wedding night that knife of yours should have found my heart.”
Bronwyn moved so quickly that even Rab didn’t see her. She slapped Stephen across the face so hard his neck snapped backward. “Damn you to hell, Stephen Montgomery!” she gasped. “I am sick of being insulted. First that so-called friend of yours treats me as a piece of property to make a claim on, then when I refuse him and repay him for his vanity, he calls me a bitch. Now I must stand by and listen to you accuse me of being a whore. I am not your dimpled camp woman!”
Stephen paused in rubbing his bruised jaw. “What are you talking about? What woman?”
“She means nothing,” she said angrily. “What have I done to cause you to believe I am a whore? When have my actions shown me to be dishonest or that I don’t keep my vows?”
“You’re not making sense. What vows?”
She gave a sigh of exasperation. “Our marriage vows, you dunce! I agreed to them. I would not betray them.”
“You agreed to obey me too,” he said sullenly.