His rudeness shocked her. “I must disagree,” she said, giving him a look meant to convey her disapproval. “It could not be a better time, with Advent here.”
“It would be a burden on you to entertain guests when you are yet recovering from your ordeal.” Dropping his gaze to her belly, he added, “You must take care of your health.”
“Your mother will be no burden at all,” she said with a tight smile. Turning to Eleanor, she said, “Your visit will divert me from my recent troubles. I shall enjoy having another woman for company.”
William was outmaneuvered. From the look of resignation on his face, he knew it.
If William wanted to see his wife, he could not avoid his mother. Much to his surprise, the two women appeared to enjoy each other’s company enormously. He had to admit Eleanor’s presence had a soothing effect on Catherine. He often heard them sharing a laugh as he passed by.
Catherine’s irritation with him, however, continued unabated. Knowing he deserved the sharp edge of her anger, he took it without complaint. And yet, he could not understand why she became more vexed with him with each passing day. He was doing everything he could to make her feel safe and protected.
He sent his men to remove Grey from his lands. He had not left the castle since finding Catherine limp on the bed, covered in blood. That image would never leave him. He lived in fear someone would snatch her away again if he relaxed his vigilance for a single moment.
Between his mother’s presence and the tension with Catherine, he was in an unrelentingly sour mood. Lack of sleep did not help. And it was not just guilt and worry that kept him awake at night. Lord in heaven, he wanted his wife!
He wanted her with an aching need, a longing past bearing. But he did bear it. He was afraid touching her would revive her memories of that night. Although Catherine gave broad hints she was ready to resume marital relations, he could not bring himself to risk it.
Late one evening, he found her alone in the hall after the rest of the household had gone to bed. He was pleased to catch her without Eleanor for once.
He approached cautiously. “You look a little tired,” he said, trying to show his concern for her. “Perhaps you should retire?”
“I am not in the least bit tired,” she snapped.
He sat down on the bench beside her and tried to think of something else to say.
“It has been too long since I visited the tenants,” she announced. “I want you to take me for a ride around the estates tomorrow.”
Her suggestion was so unexpected, he forgot his resolve to keep his patience and not rile her.
“I shall not permit it,” he said flatly. “There are too many dangers outside the castle walls.”
She slammed closed the prayer book she had been reading and banged it down on the table.
“Will you keep me under lock and key in my chamber, husband?” she demanded, her eyes burning holes into him. “You are a worse jailor than my Welsh captors!”
Her eyes flicked to the table. Before he knew it, she picked up a pitcher and threw it at him. She stormed out of the hall, so angry she did not appear to see Eleanor near the entrance.
He caught the pitcher, but cider splashed onto his clothes and was dripping from his hands. As he shook his hands, he looked up to see Eleanor watching him from across the room. She arched an eyebrow at him.
“How long have you been there?” he asked.
“Long enough to see you are going about this all wrong.”
She walked over and handed him a cloth from the table. “Perhaps I did send you off to your father too soon,” she said, shaking her head. “It is remarkable how little you know about women—at least about the woman who is your wife.”
William wiped himself off as best he could and tossed the cloth on the table.
“Come, sit down,” Eleanor said, gesturing to the chairs near the hearth. “Let me help you.”
His mother had made colossal mistakes with her own life. So far, she’d caused nothing but pain and trouble in his. It was a sign of how desperate he was that he was willing to listen to her advice.
“You are forgetting whom you married,” she said once they were settled by the fire. “A woman who would cross her husband to spy for the prince is not like other women.”
“Of course she’s not like other women,” he grunted.
“You did not marry a demure child, so you should not expect your wife to like it when you treat her as one.”
“I do not treat her like a child,” he said through clenched teeth. “I merely wish to keep her safe.”