Page 39 of Love Beyond Words
“Careful, Raudrich, yer envy is showing. I wasna leading her to my bedchamber to bed her, ye daft fool. I thought mayhap since my room has a lock, she could stay there while I move to Calder’s. Laurel and I shall be bonny friends, I’m sure of it, but I doona think we shall ever be more. Right, lass?”
A blush blossomed underneath Raudrich’s rather tan and weathered skin, and I couldn’t help but grin at how boyish he looked when embarrassed. It made me feel better about the idiotic compliment I’d given him earlier.
I nodded emphatically. I liked Maddock immensely, but I wasn’t interested in him in the least.
“Right. All the same though, as I was saying to you before, I don’t need to stay in your room. I’ll stay with Marcus.”
“No.” Raudrich recovered quickly from his embarrassment and turned to look me straight on.
“Ye willna stay with Marcus, nor will ye stay in Maddock’s room, for Maddock will kill himself traipsing around in the night if he isna locked up inside. Ye will stay in my room for ’tis the nicest and is precisely where a lady like ye should be. I’ll put a bolt on it before bed. I shall move to Calder’s room.”
I had rather liked Raudrich’s room a lot.
“Okay, great. Thanks anyway, Maddock. Now, let me go and tell Marcus where I’ll be staying. I’ll meet up with you in a bit.”
I turned and left both men to finish their arguing alone.
Chapter 22
Raudrich was waiting for me on the stairs by the time I finished explaining to Marcus what I was doing and where I would be staying tonight. He wanted to come with me, but I talked him out of it by claiming that I thought I would be more likely to get more information out of him alone. It wasn’t true. I had no doubt that Raudrich would be just as willing to tell Marcus everything as he was me, but I wanted the opportunity to learn the truth on my own, so I could know just what it meant for my very best friend and the rest of his life.
“I’m sorry for earlier, lass. ’Tis not my place to tell ye who ye should spend yer time with. ’Tis only that it was a shock for me to see ye heading to Maddock’s room with him. He’s not good enough for ye.”
I smiled and accepted his apology with a wave of my hand.
“It’s fine. Although, I have to disagree with you on behalf of Maddock. I’m a hard sell when it comes to most men. Maddock is one of the good ones.”
Raudrich raised his brows but nodded in agreement.
“Mayhap so, lass. It doesna mean ye should be with him.”
I’d blown off Maddock’s mocking of Raudrich earlier, but just now I couldn’t deny that his tone did sound slightly jealous. Of what exactly, I couldn’t imagine. He didn’t know me well enough to be jealous of anything.
“You’re right. Now, enough talk about me. I’ve had questions stirring inside me all day. Where does Nicol go at night, and why did we have to wait until he was gone to discuss this?”
Raudrich bent so that his face was right next to mine. Quietly, he whispered in my ear, and I had to reach for the handrail to stay steady. His breath against my neck brought up memories of the night before.
“Do ye trust me, lass? It will be easier for me to show ye than tell ye, but to do so requires that we travel somewhere ye willna like at all.”
It surprised me to realize that I did trust him. While I had no real reason, I just intuitively felt that I would be safe with him.
“I think so. Show me and we’ll find out.”
He extended his hand. The moment I latched on, he turned and walked back up the stairs. I had to move quickly to keep up with him.
“I doona wish ye to think that I am doing anything Nicol would disapprove of. He wouldna mind me showing ye. ’Tis only that I prefer to do so without his knowledge for I know how much it pains him to speak of it.”
With the castle already down for the night, no flames were lit along the hallways. I didn’t realize until we turned down a dark corridor around the corner from Raudrich’s bedroom that neither of us had any lighting. The hallway was lined with windows, which allowed for some moonlight to stream in, but it was still very dark.
“Should we go back and get a light?”
He chuckled quietly beneath his breath.
“I doona need it to find my way around this castle, and we willna need it once we get where I’m taking ye.”
At the end of the hallway, we reached a door, and Raudrich released my hand as he opened it and stepped inside. I followed after him.
It was a bedchamber I’d yet to see, and this one was even larger and nicer than Raudrich’s.
