they were settled in the mouth of a cave
with only dripping water and the sound of the waves not far from them for
company, she turned her attention to Richard’s head, pushing back his fair hair
to inspect it properly. The bleeding had ceased, and she was pleased to note it
wouldn’t need stitches.
“Not too much damage,” she announced.
“I thank you.” He touched the sore spot. “I must
have struck it against the wall when Byron pushed me.”
She sat on a relatively dry rock and eyed the
young man. “Are the prisoners not being fed?”
“Not well enough. Some are sickening.”
Antonia wrapped her arms about herself. She
didn’t know all the men—her father had kept her away from all of them apart
from the officers—but they were her countrymen. It was likely some would die
whilst in captivity in England. But Henry had wanted to ensure they were
well-fed, she knew that from their visit with the farmer, so why were they
going hungry?
“Sir Henry asked the farmers to provide extra
food. He offered extra coin too.”
“Aye, but the villagers stopped Mr Palmer
bringing in the corn this morning. They say they don’t want to share with the
invaders.”
“And you hoped to help them because of your
mother...”
“We have a Protestant queen, milady. ‘ Tis dangerous to be anything but. However, my mother was a
devout Catholic and she would not have stood by and watched this happen to
people of the same faith.”
“She would have been proud, no doubt,” Antonia
said softly.
A tiny boyish smile graced his face. “You’re the
daughter of the commander, are you not? I heard tell of you. They said Sir
Henry was entranced by your beauty.”
She dropped her head and stared at her fingers.
“I am not so sure about that.”
Entranced, no. But he
was interested. And that thought made her stomach tumble over and over. She
twined her fingers together until her knuckles hurt from gripping them so
tightly. Silently, she uttered a prayer for his safety.
“I think they are right,” Richard said so
quietly she almost didn’t hear him.
Heat surged into her cheeks. She didn’t think
Henry had been enthralled by her. After all, he had first seen her in men’s
clothing and then soaked to the skin. None of which made her entrancing. She
could be beautiful in elegant gowns and with a maid to do her hair but in the
simple gowns she wore, she felt far from this exquisite creature who might win
over such a man. But then, even when she had worn expensive gowns and had spent
hours ensuring she looked perfect, she hadn’t been able to win over her husband
either.
“What shall—”
Antonia pressed a finger to her lips when she heard
a shuffle outside of the cave. She flattened herself against the rock and held
her breath. When Henry’s ruffled hair and handsome face made an appearance, she
let loose that breath and jumped swiftly to her feet to rush up to him and
latch her arms around him.
“ ¡Dios mío! , you could have been killed!”
She remembered herself and drew back when he gave her an awkward pat to her back. Her gaze fell onto a mark on the side of his face and
little blood on the corner of his lips. “You are hurt.”
“’Tis but a scratch.”
She reached up to use her sleeve to dab at his
lip and his blue gaze locked onto hers. It said, don’t. Don’t touch
me or you shall regret it. Except she was beginning to
wonder if she really would regret it.
She ignored his warning look and pressed the
wool to the cut and murmured an apology when he winced. “What happened?”
“After a brief scuffle, all is well. Most of the
villagers had dispersed by the time I came back.”
“And none were hurt.”
“None. It
seems Willis was behind the shots—a mere distraction ‘twas all.”
Antonia went onto tiptoes to try to dab away the
blood from his cheek, but she couldn’t quite reach and he ducked away from the
touch. “’Tis well enough, Antonia,” he said softly. “Are you well? Were
with only dripping water and the sound of the waves not far from them for
company, she turned her attention to Richard’s head, pushing back his fair hair
to inspect it properly. The bleeding had ceased, and she was pleased to note it
wouldn’t need stitches.
“Not too much damage,” she announced.
“I thank you.” He touched the sore spot. “I must
have struck it against the wall when Byron pushed me.”
She sat on a relatively dry rock and eyed the
young man. “Are the prisoners not being fed?”
“Not well enough. Some are sickening.”
Antonia wrapped her arms about herself. She
didn’t know all the men—her father had kept her away from all of them apart
from the officers—but they were her countrymen. It was likely some would die
whilst in captivity in England. But Henry had wanted to ensure they were
well-fed, she knew that from their visit with the farmer, so why were they
going hungry?
“Sir Henry asked the farmers to provide extra
food. He offered extra coin too.”
“Aye, but the villagers stopped Mr Palmer
bringing in the corn this morning. They say they don’t want to share with the
invaders.”
“And you hoped to help them because of your
mother...”
“We have a Protestant queen, milady. ‘ Tis dangerous to be anything but. However, my mother was a
devout Catholic and she would not have stood by and watched this happen to
people of the same faith.”
“She would have been proud, no doubt,” Antonia
said softly.
A tiny boyish smile graced his face. “You’re the
daughter of the commander, are you not? I heard tell of you. They said Sir
Henry was entranced by your beauty.”
She dropped her head and stared at her fingers.
“I am not so sure about that.”
Entranced, no. But he
was interested. And that thought made her stomach tumble over and over. She
twined her fingers together until her knuckles hurt from gripping them so
tightly. Silently, she uttered a prayer for his safety.
“I think they are right,” Richard said so
quietly she almost didn’t hear him.
Heat surged into her cheeks. She didn’t think
Henry had been enthralled by her. After all, he had first seen her in men’s
clothing and then soaked to the skin. None of which made her entrancing. She
could be beautiful in elegant gowns and with a maid to do her hair but in the
simple gowns she wore, she felt far from this exquisite creature who might win
over such a man. But then, even when she had worn expensive gowns and had spent
hours ensuring she looked perfect, she hadn’t been able to win over her husband
either.
“What shall—”
Antonia pressed a finger to her lips when she heard
a shuffle outside of the cave. She flattened herself against the rock and held
her breath. When Henry’s ruffled hair and handsome face made an appearance, she
let loose that breath and jumped swiftly to her feet to rush up to him and
latch her arms around him.
“ ¡Dios mío! , you could have been killed!”
She remembered herself and drew back when he gave her an awkward pat to her back. Her gaze fell onto a mark on the side of his face and
little blood on the corner of his lips. “You are hurt.”
“’Tis but a scratch.”
She reached up to use her sleeve to dab at his
lip and his blue gaze locked onto hers. It said, don’t. Don’t touch
me or you shall regret it. Except she was beginning to
wonder if she really would regret it.
She ignored his warning look and pressed the
wool to the cut and murmured an apology when he winced. “What happened?”
“After a brief scuffle, all is well. Most of the
villagers had dispersed by the time I came back.”
“And none were hurt.”
“None. It
seems Willis was behind the shots—a mere distraction ‘twas all.”
Antonia went onto tiptoes to try to dab away the
blood from his cheek, but she couldn’t quite reach and he ducked away from the
touch. “’Tis well enough, Antonia,” he said softly. “Are you well? Were
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