Page 113 of Ironling
“Designs? On what?”
Brenna pinned her with a quelling frown. “On you.”
The blood fell from Aislinn’s face. “What?”
“Everyone sees how he looks at you, Aislinn. And worse, the way you look back.” Brenna shook her head in disappointment. “With all that’s happening, he may getideas.”
I always look forward to his ideas.Aislinn just bit back that statement, knowing it’d only scandalize Brenna further and possibly push her firmly into supporting Jerrod.
Aislinn had to hope that, while their flirtation was known, the extent of her relationship with Hakon was still secret. For his sake as much as hers. Tensions had grown throughout the castle as they all waited for further word; she didn’t want who the heiress kept as a bedfellow to start circulating, too.
What does that mean for Hakon and me?
Another thing she didn’t know. It would be smart to cut ties, or at least end their romance while this threat loomed. She’d forced herself to consider it more than once, but she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t give him up. Even though she had so little of him now, just those stolen hours with him in Sorcha’s solar sustained her like a flower finding the sun. She soaked up his support and comfort, and just that little bit got her through the ensuing days.
It was an impossible situation, the answer to which seemed to be to just…keep things as they were.
Still, she could do something about Brenna’s notions of an orcish conspiracy.
“I have full confidence in Orek, Hakon, and Edda. I’m sure they just speak their native tongue for a bit of comfort.”
Rather than mollifying the chatelain, Brenna’s scowl only deepened. “So you’d have me spy on our people, your own kind, but you inherently trust the halflings?”
Aislinn’s mouth fell open, words escaping her.
Was that what Brenna thought? Did others think her biased, too?
She scrambled to think of something to say, only saved by Fia rushing through the door.
It wasn’t the rescue Aislinn had hoped.
“Milady,” Fia said breathlessly, “Baron Bayard has justarrived.”
Aislinn blinked in surprise, not sure she believed it.
“Padraic Bayard, here? So soon after the council meeting?”
Fia nodded, though Bayard’s presence didn’t seem like it could explain the paleness of her pretty face. “He’s brought a whole company of knights with him. At least a hundred. They’re all out in the courtyard.”
Heart dropping into her stomach, Aislinn hurried to the window.
Just as Fia said, dozens of mounted knights stood in neat formation inside the castle courtyard. At their head on a fine black gelding sat Bayard, his ruby doublet shining in the morning light.
“Fates, what’s he doing now?”
A headache sparked behind her eye as she watched him dismount and hand his steed over to a groom. A handful of castle staff and Dundúran’s own knights moved around the fringes of the gathered force, nervously talking behind hands.
So many things to do—she didn’t have time for this buffoon.
“I will meet him in the east solar,” Aislinn sighed.
Fia curtseyed quickly before flying back out of the study.
Turning to Brenna, Aislinn said, “Have his preferred room prepared. No doubt he means to stay awhile.”
Perhaps if she handed him the tax documents that needed checking and approval, he’d run right home to his vineyards.
No, she wouldn’t be so lucky.
