Page 169 of Moon Craving

your deafness an affliction."

The rest of the room ceased to exist for her. "It is--"

"An infirmity, though not much of one in your case. You have learned to

compensate for it in amazing ways."

"I have no choice. I did not want to live the rest of my days in a nunnery's locked

cell." She shivered at the thought that still plagued her dreams some nights.

"You had a choice, but you did not give up." He shook his head, looking puzzled,

but she did not know what by. "The only true misfortune is the idiocy your parents showed

upon learning of your changed circumstances."

"Emily protected me from my mother's wrath." As much as she had been able to

anyway.

"There should have been no wrath. You did not make yourself deaf."

"She always blamed me. I was supposed to make a good match and forward her

social ambition."

"Marriage to a laird should please any mother."

"Sybil was just glad to get rid of me, but my younger sister Jolenta was jealous."

"It matters not. You are now mine to protect."

Abigail stared at him, not sure how to take that. Just yesterday, he had said there

was no place for her in the clan. Now he acted as if he had no intention of banishing her.

She wanted to know his plans but was not about to ask about them in front of his soldiers.

Someone must have said something because Talorc frowned and looked over his

shoulder. He spoke, his face averted so she could not read his lips. Osgard got up and

stormed from the great hall.

"He does that a lot," she said quietly.

Talorc returned his attention to her. "What?"

"Osgard is of an age to be revered, but he acts the child, storming off." She bit her

lip, hoping she had not gone too far in criticizing the old man.

"He paid a great price when my father's second wife betrayed our clan to her

English lover."

She gently pulled her face from his hold and turned to Guaire, refusing to hear