the tightness he suddenly felt in his chest at her words. The sensation was so strange that he didn’t even try to identify it.
What was easier to understand was the raw anger that accompanied the tightness. It was a wrath being fed by questions that circled his mind, questions whose answers he already knew he wasn’t going to like.
Why had this woman been carelessly dumped in an obscure corner of this remote island? Why had she been abandoned to the protection of this motley group of women and old men? Why had she been left so isolated that she was frightened by her own wedding gathering?
It was past all understanding, but a feral smile lit his eyes as he envisioned trying to get some understanding out of the guilty party. Robert quickly tried to dampen down his anger.
The righteous rage that was boiling in his belly was explosive and he didn’t want this fragile woman to sense the depths of that anger, didn’t want her to be frightened by its intensity.
God knows, he was a little frightened by it himself.
“What is it?” she asked nervously. “You’ve gone all tense. Has something gone wrong?”
He carefully eased his rigid muscles, kicking himself mentally for not being more careful. She might be blind, but his soon-to-be bride was far from stupid. Of course she could sense the anger that he had let momentarily take hold of him and although the focus of his anger was her enemies, he had fought alone too long to let another know all that he thought.
Besides, there was nothing to be done now about the past. There would be time enough for retribution later. For now he didn’t want Imogen to know just how violent a man she was committing her life to.
“It’s nothing,” he said soothingly. “I just couldn’t see the priest, and I’m anxious for the deed to be done.”
She nodded, her sightless eyes instinctively trying to scan the room.
If she felt some small disappointment at the coldness of his statement, well, she had no right to, she told herself sternly. After all, this was only an arrangement of necessity. Just because being held in the arms of this man felt right to her, didn’t mean she could expect him to pretend a sentiment he was far from feeling.
“Now you wouldn’t be looking for me by any chance?” spoke a voice suddenly behind them.
Robert turned and narrowed his eyes at the priest, who simply smiled benignly in return.
“Sorry for the delay,” the man said breezily, straightening already neat vestments, “but I was…uh…elsewhere when your messenger arrived.”
He smiled engagingly up at Robert, who struggled to hide his immediate and intense dislike of the slick little man.
His temper wasn’t improved when the man’s eyes fairly glowed as they rested on Imogen. “And might I say that I have rarely seen a bride looking as radiant as our fair Lady Imogen?” He lifted one of her hands and grazed his lips along the knuckles.
Robert struggled not to growl his disapproval. He would have dearly loved to hit the man. Instead he settled for a good, all-purpose glare that had been known to set even hardened veterans to flight. The priest ignored it.
The priest’s lips lingered over her skin for a moment, but Robert’s displeasure must have registered, because he let go of her hand with a sigh. Robert only just stopped himself from grabbing hold of Imogen’s hand and wiping it clean.
“It’s time to get started, I think.” The priest clapped his hands together with some evident relish. “Give me a small head start and I’ll have the crowd worked up to a fever pitch of prewedding ecstasy for you.”
Robert watched as the little man walked confidently into the room, commanding an instant silence. Robert grimaced a little. It seemed that the priest had everyone in the room already in his thrall.
“Idiot,” he growled darkly to no one in particular.
“Always was,” Imogen said with a small smile.
Robert raised a brow. “You know that pompous idiot?”
“I