Page 15 of Wolfehound (De Wolfe Pack Generations #11)

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She could hear… something.

Like someone sawing wood.

The sound was coming from her father’s solar and, as far as she knew, no one was sawing wood in there. But there was clearly something happening because Liam Herringthorpe was in the chamber, so her father had said, so he was making some kind of noise.

Quietly, she opened the door.

Liam was sitting in her father’s carved chair, the one that had come from some cold country far to the east. It was beautiful to look at but not particularly comfortable. Even so, Liam was sleeping like the dead in it.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

With a grin, she entered the solar, tiptoeing over to a chair near her father’s table. She was halfway there when she stubbed her toe on the corner of his table, tripped over her own feet, and ended up falling right onto Liam’s lap and lower abdomen.

He let out a grunt that God himself would have been sympathetic over.

“Jesus Christ!” he groaned, instinctively grabbing the body on his lap. “What in the bloody…?”

Cambria was in a panic. “Let me go!” she nearly howled, throwing an elbow into the man’s belly. “I am terribly sorry, but let me go!”

Liam had no choice. He’d just had his lower abdomen and groin assaulted and now there was a bony elbow in his belly.

He released the wildcat in his arms, and when she pushed herself off him, she used his face as leverage.

He found himself rubbing his injured nose as she stumbled away from him, crashing into the table again before steadying herself.

Liam found himself looking into brilliant blue eyes.

He knew those eyes. He knew that black hair. He also knew that face, or so he thought, but he’d known those three things a few years ago on a young girl whose teeth hadn’t all quite grown in. She’d been skinny and wiry and had a high-pitched giggle. That was the Cambria he knew.

But this woman before him was something quite new.

And something quite different.

In fact, he was astonished when he realized who it was. Cambria had grown into her teeth, into her figure, and before him stood a goddess. She was still petite, and slender, but she had become a woman.

He could hardly believe it.

“Bria?” he said, incredulous. “Is that truly you?”

Cambria stood on the other side of the table, frowning at him. “I’m surprised you remember me,” she said. “It has been so long since you’ve visited.”

He laughed at the sound of her peeved voice, his bright smile lighting up the room. “I was busy,” he said.

“Doing what?”

“Fighting Scots,” he said. “If you’ll sit, I’ll tell you everything I’ve been doing over the past two and a half years. My God, lass, ’tis good to see you again.”

She eyed him. The man was full of charm when he wanted to be, big smile and all, and that was something she’d always succumbed to. It wasn’t as if she could stay annoyed with him for long. But she didn’t want to appear too compliant, so she scowled and stomped over to the nearest chair.

“There,” she said, plopping down. “I’m sitting.”

Liam continued to smile at her, his green eyes twinkling. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. “May I say that it is good to see you? May I at least say that?”

In response, she turned her nose up at him and looked away. Her gesture was so exaggerated that Liam had to chuckle.

“Did I offend you by saying that?” he said, trying to make eye contact with her because she wouldn’t look at him. “Did I insult you?”

Cambria was well aware that he was trying to catch her attention. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, leaning over in his chair. But she kept her head turned away, unwilling to give even a little.

“Nay,” she said. “You did not.”

“Good,” he said, playing her game. “I would never wish to insult you.”

“I said you did not.”

“Then why do you not look at me?”

She kept her face turned away. “Because you have spent two and a half years away,” she said. “Why should I want to look at you? You did not think enough of me to come and see me in all that time, so why should I see you?”

The smile never left Liam’s lips. “It was not by choice,” he said. “As I said, I have been very busy. And I was wounded at Berwick, so I had to recover.”

That brought about the desired result. She looked at him, quickly, and with great concern. “Wounded?” she repeated. “What happened?”

He held up a finger to beg for her patience while he stood up and unbuckled the belt around his waist. It contained his purse and daggers, among other things.

Then he untied the belt that held the broadsword, unfastening the strap from his left thigh before finally setting the sword carefully on Carlton’s desk.

He proceeded to lift the mail he was wearing, and the tunic, to display his taut torso.

But that torso also had a big scar on it, on the left side just above his hip bone.

“That,” he said, “was the result of an overeager Scotsman who wanted to take down an English knight. He nearly succeeded.”

Cambria gasped. “That is terrible!” she said, jumping up and rushing to him, her fingers going right to the puckered scar. “Did it hurt? Did you bleed a good deal?”

“It hurt and I bled a good deal,” he said. “So if you are truly angry that I’ve not come to see you in over two years, know that it has genuinely not been by choice. This wound set me back about six months because it became infected with poison. It took some time to heal completely from it. I—”

He was cut off when the door to the solar swung open.

Carlton was standing there and beside him was an enormous black dog on a lead.

Bran seemed quite happy to see Liam, and Carlton had been prepared to deliver the dog to his master because a soldier had turned the pup over to him out in the bailey, but when he saw Liam with his tunic up, belly exposed, and his daughter with her hands on the naked flesh, he blew his proverbial top.

“Bria!” he boomed. “What are you doing?”

The sound of his sharp voice startled her and she instantly drew back her hand, eyes wide at him. “Papa!” she boomed in return. “Why are you shouting?”

“ Why are you touching him?” Carlton fired back, but his focus swiftly pivoted to Liam. “And what are you doing with your flesh exposed? Are you trying to seduce my daughter?”

Liam dropped the tunic, lifting both hands in surrender. He’d never heard Carlton shout in his life. “I am not, my lord, I swear it,” he said quickly. “She asked why I’d not come to visit in so long and I was showing her a wound that nearly killed me.”

“Killed you?” Cambria shrieked. “And you are only just telling me this?”

Liam looked at her in remorse, but Carlton wouldn’t let him reply. “Take your dog and remove yourself, Liam,” he said, handing the dog’s lead over to him. “Go. Get out of here before I do something I regret.”

Ever obedient when it came to Carlton, Liam took the dog’s lead and prepared to swiftly move out, but Cambria threw out her arms and put herself in his path.

“You are not going anywhere,” she said. Her ire immediately returned to her father. “And you . You would think such terrible things about me? Do you truly think I would allow Liam to seduce me? Have I ever allowed anyone to seduce me?”

Carlton was rightfully angry. “You are a very young woman who thinks she is a grown adult,” he said.

“You are fourteen years of age, lass. You should not be speaking of seduction or anything else where it pertains to a man. You should not even be alone with him in this chamber. Do you have any idea how improper this is?”

He’d never had a harsh word with his daughter in his life, but Cambria wasn’t backing down.

She matched his tone, his anger. “He is my betrothed,” she pointed out.

“You brokered the contract when I was born and in the eyes of the God and the law, I am already his wife. What is improper about being alone with the man who is to be my husband?”

Carlton lost his temper. Grabbing Cambria by the arm, he yanked her in the direction of the solar door.

She didn’t go easily, however, and when she dug her heels in, he spanked her on the bottom, his big hand to her tender behind, only once, and Cambria came to a halt, her hand on her buttocks as she looked at her father in shock.

Her face turned red, but before she could lash out at him for spanking her, the tears came and she fled the chamber in abject humiliation.

Carlton was angrier than he’d ever been in his life. He turned that anger on Liam, who was standing there with a stonelike expression.

“You know better,” Carlton spat. “You know better than to put her in a position like that. What were you thinking?”

Liam was shockingly cool. He didn’t like what he’d just seen and was struggling with some anger of his own.

Carlton was his old master and he had immense respect for the man, but at this moment, all he could feel was disappointment in the man’s reaction.

He could see where it had looked bad upon initial glance, but the Carlton he knew would have calmly asked what was happening. And Liam would have calmly told him.

But that hadn’t happened.

“I told you the situation,” he said in a low, controlled voice.

“I was showing her the scar on my belly. That was it. Nothing untoward happened or was going to happen because I hope you know me better than what you just insinuated. My reputation is beyond reproach, and if you think otherwise, then we have a serious problem.”

Carlton took a deep breath, struggling to calm himself. “I know you,” he said. “I know your character, which is why I was so surprised when I walked in on this… this shocking display.”