With Captain Bougaire’s accusation still ringing in his head, Leo had wondered how her father would react. So he’d mentioned it during their luncheon in the library.
“Bougaire said something odd when he surrendered.” Leo had pretended to be engrossed in his roast beef. “He claimed your daughter was not actually Tatiana.”
General Harden had chuckled. “What a sore loser.”
But the duke had instantly turned pale, and his hand had trembled slightly when he’d set his wine goblet down. “What nonsense.” He’d cleared his throat. “As if I wouldn’t know my own daughter.”
Dammit to hell. Leo paced across the tower room. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Brody about his latest suspicions, but it seemed clear that the duke and his daughter were both hiding something. “I need to know the truth about her.”
A knock sounded at the door. “I have your food, my lord,” Edmund called out.
“Bring it in,” Leo ordered. He continued to pace while his squire set a basket on the table, then left, closing the door behind him.
Brody retrieved a bottle of wine and two pewter mugs from the basket. “Here. Have a drink.” He poured the two mugs full.
Leo took a sip. “I’ve spent my entire life on land, so I don’t know much about sea creatures. Do you think it’s possible to track the seals?”
Brody ran a fingertip around the rim of his mug, apparently deep in thought. Finally he took a deep breath and looked up. “It could take a few days, but I’ll do it.”
Leo blinked. “You can do it? How? Do you need to rent a boat? I can give you the money for that. And you can take as many soldiers as you need. Or hire as many sailors—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” Brody took a long drink.
Leo narrowed his eyes. Was he becoming paranoid, or was Brody withholding information again?
Brody removed a platter of cold meats and cheeses from the basket, along with several small loaves of bread. “The prisoner hasn’t said anything yet?”
“No, Willem has refused to talk until he knows his family is safe.”
Brody ripped open a loaf and stuffed it with meat and cheese. “And Captain Booger? Did he leave like he was supposed to?”
“Yes.” Leo suspected Brody was trying to steer the conversation away from his mission of tracking the seals. “What do you think she’s up to?”
“Lady Tatiana?” Brody bit into his makeshift meal.
“Who else?”
“Well,” Brody mumbled with his mouth full, “I don’t know whom she’s communicating with, but they must be very important to her. The last time the undertow was strong enough to pull her off her feet. She put herself in danger in order to reach the bottle.”
Leo recalled seeing a bottle before in her bedchamber in the keep. “There were pebbles in the bottle.”
Brody shrugged. “Don’t know what that means.” He took another bite.
“You’ll be ready at dawn?” When Brody nodded, Leo continued, “We can’t let her know that we’re following the seals.”
“Right.” Brody swallowed. “You know, you could try trusting her. If you’re truly smitten with her.”
Leo scoffed. “Or she could try trusting me enough to tell me the truth.”
“We already know almost everything. She’s worshipping the moon goddesses. She talks to the dead. That’s a strange ability, so we’re assuming she’s Embraced. The only thing we don’t know right now is who is on the other end of these messages, but I’ll uncover that soon.”
There was also the question of her identity, but Leo didn’t want to admit to that. “I’m to be her husband. She should tell me everything.”
Brody took a long drink. “Look at it from her point of view. Why would she ever tell anyone she’s Embraced, when it could get her killed? And get her father killed for hiding it?”
“I need to know the truth so I can protect her!”
“You’re a member of the royal family, so as far as anyone knows you’re loyal to your uncle.”
Leo shook his head. “I told her the king has tried to assassinate me, too.”
“Why should she believe that when she hardly knows you? The king wants her dead, so he’s demanding she marry you, and everyone knows you’re…”
Leo closed his eyes briefly. “A monster? Is that what you were going to say?”
Brody sighed. “You’re potentially dangerous. She’s known you for only a few days, so you can’t expect her to totally trust you. No doubt, she’s heard some bad things.”
Like he’d murdered his own mother. Leo wandered over to the window to gaze at her tower. There was something between them, something pulling them together. He could swear she was feeling it, too. Couldn’t she trust in that?
By the Light, he wanted her. The first time he had seen her in that flimsy nightgown, he’d had to turn away to keep her from seeing the swelling in his breeches. He was aching to touch her. But she’d said it herself. How could they possibly marry when his touch would kill her? “Why would she want to marry the Beast?”
“Give her some time,” Brody said.
Leo rested his gloved hands on the windowsill. “Fine.” He would send Edmund over to her tower to inform her that he’d given her a reprieve for the rest of the day. The questions could wait till tomorrow.