Crow frowned when Penelope hesitated instead of answering him right away. Her reluctance made him suspicious that the “history” his sister had been talking about including her too. He studied her face, wondering what she knew about Cedric that she didn’t want to tell him about. However, he didn’t have to wait long before she explained.

As she told him that the nobleman had courted her long ago, the viceroy blinked in surprise. He vaguely recalled William mentioning something about a suitor in her life when they had been in Younis, but he had forgotten about it until now. She never talked to him about her past with any other men, so the detail had slipped his mind. Then again, he was private about his own romantic history, so he supposed he shouldn’t have expected her to tell him about hers without prompting.

 He knitted his brow, about to question why the courtship hadn’t lasted long, but didn’t need to open his mouth as Penelope went on to explain how Cedric had been trying to use her for her family’s wealth and power. The new information made him feel a stab of annoyance. He didn’t like knowing that some other man had tried to take advantage of her like that, even if it was long in the past. He cared about her too much to just brush over that.

At the same time, he began to wonder a little more seriously about why Cedric was lingering around her so much. He thought about how eager the nobleman had been to join them all for supper. It seemed like his initial flinch had been right: Cedric hadn’t been trying to get closer to him and Naida; he had been excited by the chance to get closer to Penelope. Just the thought of it made him bristle.

Again, the knight didn’t give him the chance to speak before she went on to explain why she was giving the other man a second chance. When she finally finished, Crow remained quiet for a moment to take in everything she’d just told him. He still didn’t like the idea of her spending time with yet another ex-suitor—especially one who had hurt her before—but she was right that Cedric couldn’t get close to her as long as she was with him. Plus, a few years had passed since the two had courted. It wasn’t the same as the fresh break that had happened between her and Gavin.

He let out his breath in a sigh. “I’d be lying if I said I was comfortable with this,” he admitted, meeting her gaze with a halfhearted smile. “But I trust you. And besides, now that I know more about this guy, I can keep an eye on him too.” His expression softened slightly, and he went on in a quiet voice, “I know you can take care of yourself, but I can’t help it. I want to make sure he doesn’t find a way to hurt you again.”