Page 77 of Bound to a Warrior
“This is best left until tomorrow,” he announced.
Mercy almost laughed at the sense of joy that assaulted her, though it was mixed with apprehension of what was to come.
“Are you sure of that, Harry?” Duncan asked.
He scratched his bald spot again, then nodded toward Mercy. “It’s her I worry about. She’s a wee wisp of a thing and if I don’t take my time and I’m not careful, I could break her wrist.”
“Then tomorrow it is,” Duncan said and after a brief chat about how Harry’s family was doing, they left.
They walked back to the keep alone. Trey and Reeve had gone ahead taking Duncan’s stallion with them. She wished he would say something and then again she was afraid of what she might hear. And then part of her was angry with him for not understanding and another part understood why this troubled him.
Her emotions so overwhelmed her she felt as if she was about to burst.
They entered the keep, his parents along with Trey and Reeve sitting at one of the long tables and benches. They all looked over at them and it was Mara who waved them over to join the family.
While Mercy understood that his family was probably concerned about this matter, she felt that she and Duncan should first discuss it privately, and so she told him just that.
“I wish to go upstairs and talk.”
“And I wish to speak with my family first.”
His decision disturbed her and she bristled.
“This affects them as well,” he said.
She shook her head annoyed and a slight dizziness assaulted her, though she ignored it. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I was concerned how my presence here would affect you and your family’s safety?”
“Then you should have told me the truth,” he said through gritted teeth.
“And what would you have done?” she asked slapping her free hand to rest on her hip.
His eyes narrowed and he brought his nose to within an inch of hers. “I would have—” He stopped abruptly.
She glared at him. “Go on, tell me what would you have done when you discovered the woman you were chained to was the bastard daughter of the king?”
Mercy could have cringed when she realized she had raised her voice to a near scream. Everyone stared at them and she simply shook her head at her own foolishness. Not a smart reaction since it caused a wave of dizziness to wash over her. Her stomach turned queasy and her head grew foggy.
She couldn’t faint now, she just couldn’t. It would make her appear weak or needy and she didn’t want either. She had survived much these last few weeks and she would survive more and she would fight. Yes, she would fight for Duncan.
Her hand felt heavy but she managed to lift it and rest it on Duncan’s chest. She couldn’t remember what it was she wanted to say.
“Mercy?”
She heard his concern and she wanted to smile. That was her Duncan, the man who worried about her, the man who protected her, the man who fought to keep her safe.
It came to her then. She wanted him to know that she loved him but for some reason her thoughts and mouth weren’t working as they should and only one word spilled out. “Help.”
Duncan scooped her up into his arms and yelled, “I have you. Do you hear me, Mercy? I have you. You’re safe.”
“Stop screaming at her,” his mother ordered as she reached his side. “She’s just fainted. She needs rest, not charging into battle.”
“Then why didn’t you stop her?” Duncan asked accusingly.
Reeve joined them, slipping an arm around his mother’s shoulders. “So are you going to take a stick to him now or later?”
“Watch it or I’ll take a stick to you,” Mara warned. “And as far as you—” She pointed to Duncan. “Not only does Mercy have a mind of her own, but you had it in your head that you wanted her to go with you. So you both got what you wanted.”
Reeve grinned and went to say something, but his mother cut him off.
