Bettany had been partnered by Valdir, who escorted her back to her new husband. Rinaldo was talking with the cristoforopriest with such absorption that he gave his wife only a cursory nod. Danilo felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. How could Rinaldo fail to see that she craved attention as a drowning man craved air? Moved, Danilo bowed to each of them in turn, including the priest, and then asked if he might request the next dance.
Bettany’s fingers felt cold as they rested lightly on Danilo’s. The musicians played the opening measures of the next dance, a passolentoin two lines. Danilo handed Bettany into the position of honor among the other ladies and took his place opposite her. The two lines bowed to one another, moving through the stylized courtly display. Bettany brightened as the two of them swept down the center with all eyes upon her. There was an artless enjoyment in the way she skipped through the close-steps. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips parted. The melody was very old and familiar, and she hummed along like any young woman at her first fancy ball. In that moment of simple pleasure, Danilo saw the girl she had been before the Ghost Wind and might yet be again, given care and understanding, gentle guidance, and, most of all, affection. CouldRinaldo love her?
The passolentoclosed with another formal salute. Danilo offered Bettany his arm. “It’s good to see you happy, damisela—p ardon me, Domna.”
“Happy? Am I happy?” She hesitated, and he slowed his step to give them more time before he must return her to Rinaldo. “I do so love dancing and pretty dresses, but these are things of the moment. At night, in the dark, I am alone with my thoughts. I suppose that will be different now—the being alone. Perhaps hewill talk to me.”
Danilo’s heart ached for her poignant hope. “Bettany— Domna—if you ever need someone to listen to you, to give you counsel—”
She looked up at him, eyes full of questions. “ Youwould be such a friend to me?”
“I doubt your husband would permit it. I meant you might seek out DomnaLinnea. As your sister-in-law and a Comynara in her own right, such a friendship would be perfectly suitable. You will find her kind and sympathetic. She has been trained as a healer of the mind—”
He saw from Bettany’s reaction that he had gone too far. Her face, which had softened like a flower in the sun, closed. “I do not need anyone to be kindto me. And there is nothing wrong with my mind! I require you to take me to my husband with no more unseemly delay!”
Afterward, Danilo waited out several dances and then, seeing Linnea sitting with a group of ladies, he approached her. Linnea flashed him an expression of relief when he asked her to dance, for what he heard of the conversation concerned this season’s fashion in crocheted- lace ruffles.
“I have a message for you,” he said as the musicians played the opening bars. “From Darilyn n’ha Miriam.”
“Who—oh, the Free Amazon. I remember her. How did you—” Linnea broke off as the pattern of the dance drew them apart, for they were the first couple, casting off.
“I hired her to escort Damisela—a h, DomnaBettany—from Serrais.”
Linnea joined his hands as they circled one another.
“You could not have done better. How does Darilyn fare?”
“She is well and sends her thoughts of you. And her thanks—” they drew back as the second couple moved into the center of the set to circle, “—for your kindness to her.”
“Kindness—” Linnea broke off, frustrated. Danilo, we cannot talk about anything of importance this way!
With a conspiratorial wink, Linnea passed one hand over her forehead and grasped her rounded belly with the other. She let out a very realistic groan. Danilo, needing no further cue, assisted her to the chairs along one wall, choosing a corner where a pair of old dowagers were snoozing. He waved away offers of help, saying the lady was but a trifle overtired.
Linnea said in a hushed voice, “Regis was so worried—Rinaldo did not tell him that he’d sent you off to Serrais—”
“I didn’t think—I’ve been such a fool!”
“You? No! Regis thought Rinaldo had reneged on his bargain.”
“Bargain?”
“You didn’t know?” Linnea’s expression turned troubled. “Valdir threatened to have you tortured or killed! Rinaldo managed to get you out of his clutches, but only if—if—”
“Regis set me aside. Got married like a proper Comyn lord.” Although he knew it was unfair, Danilo could not keep himself from adding, “So what Danvan Hastur and half the Comyn Council could not force Regis to do, Rinaldo has now done.”
Listen to me!Linnea shifted to direct mental speech, where no lies or dissembling were possible. When I sent Regis away last spring , I was hurt and angry. And jealous—o fyou . I almost threw away something so precious, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Don’t make my mistake! What the two of you share, I can never be part of . . . and I swear to you, I will never try to come between you.
Danilo had been bending over Linnea, their heads close together. Now he lowered himself into the chair beside her. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he buried his face in his hands. He did not care who saw him. He had hoped for a word with Regis, a sign, a thought. He had not expected such a revelation, certainly not from Linnea. It was too much, all of it, the whole colossal misunderstanding, the savagery of Valdir’s ambition, and Rinaldo—who knew what his aims really were or what he might do to achieve them?
“Danilo . . .”
He had never heard that note of alarm in Linnea’s voice before. He lifted his head, stared at her. She hunched over, both arms wrapped around her belly. A high color had risen to her cheeks and even now faded into paleness. He sensed the ripple of energy arise deep within her body, stealing her breath, gripping her muscles.
“I really must lie down, and you had best send for a midwife and let Regis know.” It was unthinkable for a telepath to not attend the mother of his children in labor.
She paused, gulping air. “Our little Danilo has chosen a most inopportune time to make his appearance.”
Discreetly, Danilo arranged for women to help Linnea to her chamber, for the midwife to be summoned, for excuses to be made to Rinaldo and Bettany. Valdir deserved none.
Regis flashed Danilo a brilliant smile before he hurried after his wife. In the swirl of the festivities, there was no possibility of anything more.
Only when they were gone, when the music faded into a hum, did Danilo realize what Linnea had said about the baby.
Our Danilo.
25
The next morning, Danilo attended Rinaldo in the library, standing in his usual place behind his lord’s chair. Rinaldo’s marriage had not altered his daily routine. Poor Bettany,Danilo thought, to be paraded about one day and ignored the next.
One of the Guardsmen brought news that Lady Linnea had given birth to a healthy boy. Rinaldo beamed, as delighted as if it were his own son, and gave Danilo a meaningful look.
He intends that I should be next.Danilo set his teeth together. It isn’t enough that Rinaldo keeps me at his side, making it impossible for me to have a private word with Regis, but he would see me saddled with as loveless a union as his own.
Now that Danilo understood the true state of affairs with Linnea, how could he repay Regis by placing yet another person between them? Even if Danilo could bring himself to take a wife, it was not likely he could find one who, like Linnea, was willing to share her husband’s deepest loyalty with another man.
Something in Danilo’s expression must have betrayed his resistance, for Rinaldo responded with a half-smile that, while tolerant and good-humored, indicated he had no intention of relenting.