the ship is going to sink, I want to know. We may lose the king’s treasure for the Crusade, but I don’t want him to lose his bride.’ She knew, as he did, that this ship was one of two that held the king’s gold and treasure to fund the Crusade.
‘If the storm seizes the ship, I’ll do what I can to help the sailors,’ he said.
Adriana dipped her head in a nod. ‘What is your name?’
‘Liam MacEgan.’
She studied him, and her expression held doubt. ‘You’re not like the other men I’ve seen aboard this ship.’
‘Why?’
‘You don’t behave as though you serve the king. You carry yourself like an equal.’
‘Perhaps I am his equal,’ he said in a low voice.
Though her gaze said she didn’t quite believe him, there was enough hesitancy in her face to suggest that she knew he was not as he seemed to be.
‘I’ll come for you if the storm worsens,’ he promised. Lifting her gloved hand, he pressed his mouth upon it. ‘Guard your princess. And I’ll guard you.’
But the worry didn’t dim in her eyes. If the storm worsened, as he suspected it would, there was a very real chance that all of them would die.
All through the night, Berengaria clung to her bed, praying. She hadn’t slept at all, but she clenched the gold-and-ruby-encrusted cross necklace Richard had sent as a gift. Though she’d given him her own token, she didn’t know if he valued it in the same way. Her fingers ran along the edges of the jewels, as if they held the warmth of Richard’s hands.
She still couldn’t believe he had asked for her hand in marriage. Within a matter of months, her life had been utterly changed. Queen Eleanor had escorted her to Sicily, and later, the king’s sister, Queen Joan of Sicily, had joined their party as her new companion while Eleanor returned home. The months of travelling were gruelling, but Berengaria’s greatest fear was seeing Richard again.
Her predication had come back to haunt her: You aren’t my betrothed husband and never will be.
How wrong she’d been. Her father had seized the marriage offer from Richard, leaving Berengaria to wonder whether it was Queen Eleanor’s idea…or Richard’s. She’d been unable to stop thinking about the stolen kiss in the garden. He’d awakened such feelings within her, tremulous thoughts that made her blood quicken.
On their arrival in Sicily, he’d stood awaiting the ship. And later that day, he’d arranged for a private meal with her.
‘For once, I can make a royal alliance that pleases me,’ he’d said.
Though Berengaria wanted to believe him, her doubts held strong. The table was set so that her chair was at his left, and during the meal, he’d touched her hand several times.
‘My lord, why? There are dozens of princesses who would make a stronger alliance for you. Some wealthier than I.’
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