remained unchanged. Even the truth he had uncovered about his heritage did not really change much.
"So, this is where ye came to cower and hide," she said as she walked closer to face him.
"Cower? I am nay cowering!" He scowled when she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ye heard the whispers, lass, the talk of the devil, sorcery, and demons. That brings the sort of danger that can reach out to all who stand too close to me. Aye, and sharpens the eyes of all who look at my companions. Ye cannae risk that."
"Words spit out by a jealous whore and two penniless swine who think rape is a sort of wooing."
"Nay matter who says the words, they stir fear and superstition. When such feelings are stirred up, wisdom doesnae often rear its head until they are sweeping up the ashes from the foot of your stake."
A chilling image, but not one that needed to become fact, she told herself firmly. "Ye didnae e'en try to fight the lies."
"How? By standing beneath the noonday sun?"
She ignored that. "First, one starts with the ones who dinnae like the people doing the whispering. Few of the women at court have any fondness for Lady Eleanor. Lachlan and Thomas have few friends as weel. Then, of course, one reminds certain women of just how alive and warm ye are." She was pleased by the look of horrified embarrassment that crossed his beautiful face. "The fact that said demon's son was often seen strolling about in the full light of day with his adoring betrothed, his verra red hair clear to see, was also helpful. And, of course, the crowd which saw Lachlan laid out flat by a wee lass was easily convinced that he and Thomas were naught but spineless weaklings who undoubtedly tried to hide their cowardice and ignominious defeat at your hands behind lies."
"Ye laid Lachlan out flat?"
She nodded. "His sneer annoyed me."
Jankyn stared at her in amazement. Slowly, he climbed down from his perch and walked toward her, stopping about a foot away. Any closer and he knew he would reach for her. There did not seem to be a part of him that did not ache to feel her in his arms again. That would, however, put an end to what he suspected would be an intriguing and revealing conversation.
"So, ye came here to tell me I dinnae need fear returning to court?" he asked.
"Mayhap," she replied. "Although why anyone would wish to return to that wretched place, I dinnae ken."
"Efrica, why have ye come?"
"Why did ye leave?"
"To protect you."
"Oh, aye? What if I tell ye I had the passing thought that ye nay only fled the whispers, ye fled from me , from us , and what was happening between us?"
"There may be some truth in that." He stepped close enough to reach out and briefly place a finger against her lips when she started to speak, silencing her. "I am wrong for ye, love." He waved a hand to draw her gaze to the dark, windowless cave they stood in. "This is where I live. E'en when I go aboveground, 'tis only to places as dark as these. Ye are a creature of the light, the sun. I can ne'er join ye there."
"That is sad, but it doesnae mean I cannae walk about in the sun whene'er the mood strikes me."
An all-too-familiar glint entered his eyes, and as he stepped forward, she stepped back. Despite how badly she ached to be held in his arms again, she felt talking was more important now. It did appear that what David, her cousin, and her own instincts had told her was true, that Jankyn loved her, but she needed to hear the words. She also felt it was important that Jankyn hear and believe that all of her earlier doubts and fears were gone.
"I am a great many years older than ye," he said, almost smiling when, each time he stepped forward, she stepped back, for she was backing up toward his bed.
"True, and I do worry o'er how ye will feel if ye wake up one morn and see that I have aged and ye havenae."
"It willnae matter."
No words of love and no sweet flatteries, yet she believed him. "Weel, we Callans tend to be long-lived, for
"So, this is where ye came to cower and hide," she said as she walked closer to face him.
"Cower? I am nay cowering!" He scowled when she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ye heard the whispers, lass, the talk of the devil, sorcery, and demons. That brings the sort of danger that can reach out to all who stand too close to me. Aye, and sharpens the eyes of all who look at my companions. Ye cannae risk that."
"Words spit out by a jealous whore and two penniless swine who think rape is a sort of wooing."
"Nay matter who says the words, they stir fear and superstition. When such feelings are stirred up, wisdom doesnae often rear its head until they are sweeping up the ashes from the foot of your stake."
A chilling image, but not one that needed to become fact, she told herself firmly. "Ye didnae e'en try to fight the lies."
"How? By standing beneath the noonday sun?"
She ignored that. "First, one starts with the ones who dinnae like the people doing the whispering. Few of the women at court have any fondness for Lady Eleanor. Lachlan and Thomas have few friends as weel. Then, of course, one reminds certain women of just how alive and warm ye are." She was pleased by the look of horrified embarrassment that crossed his beautiful face. "The fact that said demon's son was often seen strolling about in the full light of day with his adoring betrothed, his verra red hair clear to see, was also helpful. And, of course, the crowd which saw Lachlan laid out flat by a wee lass was easily convinced that he and Thomas were naught but spineless weaklings who undoubtedly tried to hide their cowardice and ignominious defeat at your hands behind lies."
"Ye laid Lachlan out flat?"
She nodded. "His sneer annoyed me."
Jankyn stared at her in amazement. Slowly, he climbed down from his perch and walked toward her, stopping about a foot away. Any closer and he knew he would reach for her. There did not seem to be a part of him that did not ache to feel her in his arms again. That would, however, put an end to what he suspected would be an intriguing and revealing conversation.
"So, ye came here to tell me I dinnae need fear returning to court?" he asked.
"Mayhap," she replied. "Although why anyone would wish to return to that wretched place, I dinnae ken."
"Efrica, why have ye come?"
"Why did ye leave?"
"To protect you."
"Oh, aye? What if I tell ye I had the passing thought that ye nay only fled the whispers, ye fled from me , from us , and what was happening between us?"
"There may be some truth in that." He stepped close enough to reach out and briefly place a finger against her lips when she started to speak, silencing her. "I am wrong for ye, love." He waved a hand to draw her gaze to the dark, windowless cave they stood in. "This is where I live. E'en when I go aboveground, 'tis only to places as dark as these. Ye are a creature of the light, the sun. I can ne'er join ye there."
"That is sad, but it doesnae mean I cannae walk about in the sun whene'er the mood strikes me."
An all-too-familiar glint entered his eyes, and as he stepped forward, she stepped back. Despite how badly she ached to be held in his arms again, she felt talking was more important now. It did appear that what David, her cousin, and her own instincts had told her was true, that Jankyn loved her, but she needed to hear the words. She also felt it was important that Jankyn hear and believe that all of her earlier doubts and fears were gone.
"I am a great many years older than ye," he said, almost smiling when, each time he stepped forward, she stepped back, for she was backing up toward his bed.
"True, and I do worry o'er how ye will feel if ye wake up one morn and see that I have aged and ye havenae."
"It willnae matter."
No words of love and no sweet flatteries, yet she believed him. "Weel, we Callans tend to be long-lived, for
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