by Conn, Phoebe
By the time she got back home, Dana was tired. When Freya again invited her into her sleeping chamber to talk, she would have much preferred to take a nap instead.
Freya's expression bore the same worried frown as during their last private conversation, but her concern was a far diflFerent one now. *'I stepped out the door this morning in time to see Brendan place that adoring kiss in your hand. To say I was shocked that he would take such liberties with you does not even begin to describe my dismay. That you did nothing about it will only encourage him to display more affection the next time he has the chance. You are not leaving this room, Dana, until you tell me why you let him believe he has that right. I don't think I need remind you that if it had been your father who had seen what I did, Brendan would no longer be alive."
Because Dana knew that ghastly prediction might well be correct, fear encircled her throat with a suffocating grip. When it came to describing her complicated relationship with Brendan, Dana didn't even know where to begin. Her life had become a tangled web of deceit beginning with the hour they had met, but straightening her shoulders proudly, she decided another lie or two couldn't hurt her now, and she would not let anyone harm Brendan either.
CHAPTER XI
Attempting, for Brendan's sake as well as her own, to project a confidence she didn't feel, Dana sat down on her mother's bed and made herself comfortable before replying to Freya's startling accusation. ''I think Brendan must have been badly abused before coming to us. Mother, because he reacts to our smallest kindness with an extraordinary show of gratitude. I'm so sorry you were upset this morning because I had merely thanked him for saddling Dawn's Kiss, and you saw how moved he was. Except for the fact he didn't throw himself at my feet, his gesture was no diflFerent than when he kissed your hands. I'm sure had Father been here that day, he would have been as touched as you were by Brendan's humility, not enraged by it."
Taken in by the calmness of her daughter's manner, as well as the reasonable nature of her explanation, Freya was deeply embarrassed by how quickly she had leapt to a shockingly erroneous conclusion. Going to Dana's side, she sat down and slipped her arm around her waist.
'^Before you presume to predict your father's reactions, which is a grave danger in itself, you must remember that if he were, Brendan would not be. I think you might be right about Brendan, because when I gave him some new clothes yesterday, he appeared to be overwhelmed. The problem is he is young and very handsome. Had someone else observed him kissing your hand, they would also have been shocked. They might even have suspected he is your lover, and that's a risk you simply must avoid.
"Everyone knows our menfolk amuse themselves with 145
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attractive thralls, but women are never permitted that same privilege. Your reputation would be irrevocably damaged should there be rumors about you and Brendan. Your father, or Jarald for that matter, would undoubtedly react to that disgrace by killing the Celt rather than investigating the source of the lie. I will have to speak with him about confining his expressions of gratitude to words."
Dana dared not provide her mother with the opportunity to discover Brendan was not at all the man she had described him to be. *'No, I think I should be the one to do it," she insisted, "because the problem concerns his behavior with me." When her mother didn't instantly argue, the relieved redhead pushed their conversation in a new direction. '*I did speak with him about Moira, but he has no interest in marrying while he is a thrall."
**But he should be able to earn his freedom soon."
*'That would be true if he belonged to us, but he doesn't. I didn't dare promise him something so important as his freedom when I can't be certain J0m will grant it. That would be cruel."
Impressed by her daughter's insight, Freya's fears for her reputation were laid to rest and she let the matter drop. ''You're right, of course. We'll not mention marriage to him again, but it does seem that he would be perfect for Moira."
Since Dana had done her best to make her mother believe Brendan was as mild an individual as their shy maid, she didn't dare contradict that opinion, but she knew Moira was no match for a man with the Celt's violent temper. Eager to be excused, she covered a wide yawn as she rose to her feet.
"Berit and I rode farther than we had planned today, and I'd like to rest awhile. Was there anything else?"
Freya found it difficult to recall when she had been Dana's age, but she was certain she had not been nearly so mature and confident, despite the fact she had married at sixteen and borne a son ten months later. "No, but you must caution Brendan about his behavior at your first opportunity. Scandalous talk about what occurs between you two would be ruinous to you, but might well cost him his life. I think once he understands that danger, he will avoid touching you ever again."
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"He's bright,'* Dana reminded her mother. "He should have no trouble understanding what I mean." As Dana left Freya's sleeping chamber to go to her own, she carried a heavy burden of guilt for again having lied to her mother. She had had such good intentions in the beginning. She had wanted only to spare her mother the distress of Brendan's abusive ways. Somehow that noble cause had gotten completely turned around until it was now Brendan that she was protecting. What a ridiculous happenstance that was.
Brendan would surely laugh at her, if not far worse, for what she had done. She sat down on her bed and, thinking of him, rubbed her palms together slowly, creating the same subtle warmth as Brendan's kiss. It had been such a tender gesture, filled with the sweetness he let her see all too seldom. Now she would have to tell him she did not want to see it ever again, but she knew she would be lying to herself as well as to him.
Once assured he would not be whipped, Brendan had little time to contemplate how greatly he had misunderstood Dana's intentions, for that afternoon Erik took him out to the meadow where they had gone hunting and announced his plan to build a house there. The spot was attractive, the soil rich, and the perceptive Celt felt certain the man's sudden interest in farming had to be connected to his high regard for Berit.
Erik had brought two hunting dogs and one of his falcons, and as the bird soared above them, Brendan tried to make tactful comments. Because his impressions had never served him as well as he had expected with these Danes, he had begun to think what he saw were such tiny glimpses of their lives that he would never fully understand them.
"The summer is a good time to build a house," he finally remarked, hoping to inspire Erik to reveal why he wanted to begin the project.
Erik, however, was busy watching his falcon as he walked about judging the gentle slope of the meadow. "I want to make it large enough to begin with so that we don't have to add on to it later," he called over his shoulder.
"Have you ever built a house?"
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Erik walked back toward him, his smile still as wide as it had been when he had kissed Bent good-bye. "No, but we employ others who have. It isn't difficult, although the work will be hard. I'm going to put the boys who handled the stable before you back to work there so you can help me out here. In fact, we probably ought to live out here while the construction is going on."
While it would not be the first time he had slept under the stars, Brendan's immediate concern was the distressing one that he would be unable to see Dana. The high-strung beauty had caused him nearly endless torment. Why would he want to see her? he asked himself accusingly. He knew the answer to that question, but he had found that wanting a desirable woman and getting along with her were two entirely diflFerent things. Because the possibility he had fallen in love with her was something it was painful to admit, even to himself, Brendan decided it would do him a tremendous amount of good not to have to be near her.
"I like that idea," he agreed enthusiastically. *'It will save us the effort of going back and forth each day, and it will take us much less time to build your house."
"Have you any skill at carpentry?"
&n
bsp; "I am good at everything," Brendan boasted proudly.
"Somehow I knew that you would be," Erik replied with a chuckle. Eager to begin work, as soon as the falcon had returned with a pheasant, he hooded the bird and left it perched on the back of his saddle. He had brought along two shovels, and after he had tossed one to Brendan, they began to dig up the lush wild grass to mark where he wanted his new house to be.
Berit's shoulder brushed Dana's as they peered through the leaves. Hidden by the dense foliage at die edge of the beech woods, the pretty cousins were observing closely as Erik, Soren, Brendan, and the dozen men working with them raised the last in the double row of posts that would support the roof of the new house.
"Just look how well they're doing," Berit exclaimed excitedly.
The men had been hard at woik for more than a week.
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first felling trees and then sheering away the branches to prepare the sturdy posts needed for construction. Dana knew Berit had every reason to be excited about the fine house Erik was building for her, but she murmured only a distracted word of agreement as she continued to give Brendan her fiill attention. While all the men had muscular builds, none of the others caught her interest. The Celt had been tan, but working without a kirtle had made his skin even more deeply bronzed. Yet even from a distance the sight of his badly scarred back made her shudder.
Dana had not seen Brendan since the morning he had demanded the whipping she had not planned to give, but knowing he thought her so cruel a mistress pained her still. As before, the time they had spent apart had not lessened the man's appeal in the slightest and Dana did not understand why. She had hoped seeing him again would put her restless heart at ease, but now she feared her weakness for him was an affliction from which she might never recover. Whether she saw him or not, thoughts of him filled her days with longing and her nights with indescribable torment. It was humiliating to admit that she found a thrall who despised her the most attractive man she had ever met. It made no sense, but it was not the practical side of her nature that ached with desire.
Erik was expecting them to arrive around noon, and when the men paused to rest after completing their task, Dana stepped out into the sunlight. As soon as Erik had seen her and waved, she turned back into the shadows. He would know Berit was with her, but it would have been far too dangerous for anyone else to suspect how he planned to spend his time while the others stopped to eat. That Soren might grow curious about his absence concerned them, but the youth enjoyed the company of the men with whom he had been working, and Erik hoped he would stay with them as he usually did.
Brendan had felt Dana's gaze long before she left her hiding place. Being watched created a curious sensation, an uneasiness he couldn't shake until he realized its source. He caught only a brief glimpse of the slender redhead before she vanished into the woods. She was dressed in the rose
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and pink garments he found so attractive, and he wished she had crossed the meadow to observe their progress up close.
When Erik left hurriedly, Brendan could not contain his curiosity, for it seemed unlikely the man would flash such a wide grin at the prospect of speaking with his sister. He thought it far more likely Erik was dashing oflF to meet Berit, but what would occupy Dana's time while those two were together?
The field hands helping with the construction were gathering in small groups to share a noon meal. Soren had akeady sat down with his back toward the forest, but the boy was not die one who gave him his orders, so Brendan didn't care what he thought. Hungry for something far more delicious than dried fish and cheese, he hesitated only a moment, and then, certain no one would notice his departure, he followed Erik into the woods.
The inquisitive Celt heard a woman's laughter floating through the trees, but it was too high-pitched to be Dana's so he didn't pursue the sound. Instead, he scanned the patches of sunlight dotting the forest floor and luckily caught sight of a rose-hued blur moving ofi" to his right. Certain that had to the young woman he sought, he summoned the stealth of a bom hunter and silently began to close the distance separating them. He had not gone far when it occurred to him that not only Erik, but also his desirable half sister might be meeting a lover, and he quickened his pace. If there was a man who claimed ownership of Dana's heart, then he was eager to get a look at him.
Unaware she was being followed, Dana wandered aimlessly through the woods. She stopped occasionally to pluck a wildflower or a deep red berry, but she was merely outibr an enjoyable stroll and had no destination in mind. When she came to the stream that flowed into the meadow and would provide water for Erik's farm, she knelt down beside it to take a drink. Cupping the cool water in her hands, she sipped her fill before noticing Brendan's reflection hovering above hers in the sparkling water.
Certain his image was a trick played by her imagination, she turned around expecting to find herself alone, but Brendan stood right behind her. Water dripped ofi" his curls
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and slid down the smooth planes of his bare chest, making it obvious he had stopped to wash off the dirt and sweat of the morning before confronting her. Such concern for his appearance struck Dana as absurd when she knew what he thought of her, so she decided he must have merely been trying to refresh himself, not impress her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a poise that belied her dismay.
Bending down beside her, Brendan scooped up a drink of his own. "I was thirsty too," he explained with a mocking grin.
Because he was already dripping wet, Dana thought his response unlikely. She tried to look away, to focus her attention on the bubbling stream, on the canopy of leaves oveiiiead, or the carpet of new grass cushioning her knees, but her traitorous gaze swiftly returned to the sarcastic curve of Brendan's smile. She wondered again how he had gotten the thin scar that crossed his lip, but knew he would not reply to so personal a question and refrained from asking it. Looking at Brendan was like facing her worst nightmare fiilly awake, and silence seemed to be her only weapon when he twisted each word she spoke into an insult.
Brendan watched a shadow of apprehension fill Dana's glance, but he had not meant to frighten her. She had not reached for her knife, though. Her hands were resting lightly on her knees, and he considered that a good sign. "I know Erik is meeting Berit. Are you meeting someone too?"
"How could you know?"
Her question shocked Brendan as badly as his sudden appearance had startled her. He looked around quickly to make certain her lover was not approaching with sword in hand. When he found the surrounding woods still deserted, he turned back to face her. "You are very beautiful. Why shouldn't you have a dozen lovers if you want them?"
Exasperated that he would again mention the subject of lovers, Dana replied flippantly, "Whether or not I take lovers is no concern of yours."
"What do you mean, 'whether or not'? You just said you were meeting someone. Isn't he your lover?"
Thoroughly confused, Brendan couldn't recall exactly
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what she had said, but he found her outraged expression so charming he began to smile. "If no one is coming, then I'll stay with you so you don't become lonely."
"No, that's not a good idea," Dana responded immediately. "You should go back to the others."
Thinking their argument might prove to be a lengthy one, Brendan made himself more comfortable by assuming a cross-legged pose by her side. "They're having something to eat and I doubt they'll get back to work before Erik returns. You need me far more than they do."
"Is there no end to your conceit?" Dana asked as she started to rise.
Brendan reached out to encircle her wrist with a firm grasp so she could neither escape him nor reach for her knife. "Is it conceit that makes me prefer to spend my time with you ratfier than them?" The wily Celt realized he had revealed more than he wished to with that question, but it was too late to take back his words.
As Brendan listened, he saw an intensity of emotion in Dana's violet gaze that was far diflferent from that conveyed by her words. Being apart had done nothing to lessen his fascination with the stunning redhead, and her threats of a gruesome death at Haakon's hands failed to faze him. Although he doubted she would ever admit that she cared for him, her concern for his safety proved that she did. That was not nearly enough to please him, but it was a sign something more was possible. Impatient for that day to arrive, he oflFered what he considered a fine suggestion.
"If you were to meet me each time Erik meets Berit, how would there be any gossip for your father to hear?"
As Dana finally succeeded in wrenching her gaze from his, she wondered if all young men were such reckless fools. "Did you hear nothing I said? The thrill of an affair isn't worth your life, Brendan. Now let me go and hurry back to work."
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Rather than being angered diat she was again ordering him about like the slave he would never accept being, Brendan chose to comment on her first remaric. "I'm glad to hear you already know that having an aflfair with me would be thrilling. It will save me the trouble of having to convince you of that." When Dana turned a truly murderous stare on him, Brendan broke out in hearty laughter.
"You must not think of me as a thrall, Dana, for I never do. I wasn't bom one, and I won't die one either." Before she could point out that his opinion mattered not at all as long as J0m's claim of ownership was considered valid, he had pulled her across his lap and covered her lips with his own. Caught oflF guard, she lacked the leverage to push him away.