His face drained. “Good God, don’t tell me you are with child?”

She made a face that involved a pursed mouth of distaste and a frown of displeasure. “Very well, I won’t.”

“Christ, you are!” he said incredulously. “Raider is going to kill—” He almost said “me,” he was so damned used to being the source of blame, but he had nothing to do with this, which didn’t explain how he somehow felt responsible. “You,” he finished.

She didn’t seem worried and shrugged. “I have every right to be here. Robbie and I have an agreement.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What kind of agreement?”

“That I could come see my brother whenever I wished.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean for you to come on your own with the entire English army camped nearby. Bloody hell, the king is here. There are soldiers everywhere.”

The bite on her lip deepened. Funny, Joan did the same thing, but when Rosalin did it, he wasn’t distracted at all.

“He is?” She may have winced with a little bit of shame. “I didn’t realize, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. I needed to see Cliff.”

She was referring to her brother, Lord Robert Clifford, one of the highest ranking of Edward’s barons and a longtime enemy of her husband’s. Alex had no idea what she’d done to work out a truce between those two—hell, maybe he should have had her try to talk some sense into King Edward.

“And it couldn’t wait?” he asked.

She shook her head, her expression suddenly despondent. “I had to see him before he left. I don’t know how to explain it—it’s just a feeling . . .”

Alex’s mouth fell in a grim line. He didn’t believe in premonitions, but he would not argue with one. “Have you seen him yet?”

She shook her head. “I was on my way to his rooms when I saw you. But I guess it was a good thing I did, as I suspect his rooms may have moved.”

Alex nodded. “He’s in the Captain’s Lodgings. Pembroke has his old rooms in the Constable Tower.”

“Indeed a very good thing, then. Sir Aymer would recognize me quite easily.”

“I will take you to Clifford—and then I will take you back to wherever it is you came from.”

“That isn’t necessary—”

He held up his hand to stop her. “Don’t bother arguing. Your husband already has a sword out there with my name on it, I will not give him another. And it would be deserved if I let you walk out of here alone. How the hell did you get in here anyway?”

From the way she blushed, he figured he wasn’t going to like it.