grinned. “You mean that she had so many possessions her husband would not let her take them all.”
It was a dig at his mother for spoiling her girl children, and Liselotte swatted her son on the buttocks as she turned to leave. Veronica, standing behind her mother, also turned around when her mother did.
“We will see what we can find,” Liselotte said, escorting Veronica from the chamber. “I will send servants with more water for the tub. We will return shortly.”
Chad watched his mother and sister leave before returning his attention to Alessandria. She wasn’t weeping as loudly as she had been but he could hear her sniffling. He knocked on the door softly.
“My lady?” he called gently. “If I promise to cover my eyes, may I speak with you? It is important.”
He could hear more sniffling. “I need something to dry myself with,” she said. “I cannot reach it.”
“I can.”
“How will you see what it is I need with your eyes covered?”
He grinned because it sounded like a rather snippy question. He didn’t blame her, considering what the woman had suffered through since the moment he took her from the priory. He imagined she was becoming quite sick of him and the chaos he had put her through.
“If you tell me what it is you need and where it is in the room, I can find it,” he said.
Alessandria didn’t say anything. Then, Chad heard the water sloshing and what sounded like footfalls against the floor. Unlike most single-story structures, the floor was not dirt. When the knight quarters had been built, Daniel had the floor lined with stone to keep it better insulated. Chad could hear her moving around inside the room.
“My lady?” he called again, politely. “May I please come in? I promise I will not….”
The door suddenly yanked open and Alessandria was standing there, wrapped in a big section of drying linen that had been left behind by Liselotte and Veronica, along with the clothing. Alessandria stepped away from the door and wandered back over to the tub, and Chad couldn’t help but notice the red silk dress on the floor. At least it used to be red. The dye had run out of it and it was streaked and faded, from white to pink to red. Alessandria stood over the dress.
“I am afraid I ruined it,” she said, sorrow in her voice. “I did not mean to but… you were in the room and those knights, and I was in the tub with no clothing on and I… I had to cover myself.”
Chad knew that. His gaze on her was soft. “I am sorry we upset your delicate balance so,” he replied, “but there was no time for proprieties. We had to put the fire out and I am sorry that in our haste, we made you uncomfortable.”
Alessandria stuck a hand out from the drying linen and reached down, gingerly picking the dress up and draping it over the tub in a futile gesture to somehow hang it to dry.
“It was my fault for setting the blanket ablaze in the first place,” she said. “I must have gotten too close to the fire. You did what needed to be done so I did not burn the entire place down.”
She was calm, much calmer than she had been only moments before, but Chad thought she sounded rather sorry for herself. Not that he blamed her. “My mother and sister have gone to bring you more clothing,” he said gently, trying to comfort her because he felt as if, ultimately, he was the root of her problems. “They will return shortly but before they do, I must speak with you. The men that were chasing us – Henry’s men – are here at Canterbury. They are in the keep. As I told you, they have come to take you on Henry’s orders but not for the reasons we believed. I am told that Henry does not wish to take you hostage.”
Alessandria looked at him, her eyes widening with surprise. “He doesn’t?”
“Nay.”
He thought he saw some outrage flash across her face. “Then you were wrong?” she said. “You took me from Newington for no reason at all?”
He held up a hand to soothe her
It was a dig at his mother for spoiling her girl children, and Liselotte swatted her son on the buttocks as she turned to leave. Veronica, standing behind her mother, also turned around when her mother did.
“We will see what we can find,” Liselotte said, escorting Veronica from the chamber. “I will send servants with more water for the tub. We will return shortly.”
Chad watched his mother and sister leave before returning his attention to Alessandria. She wasn’t weeping as loudly as she had been but he could hear her sniffling. He knocked on the door softly.
“My lady?” he called gently. “If I promise to cover my eyes, may I speak with you? It is important.”
He could hear more sniffling. “I need something to dry myself with,” she said. “I cannot reach it.”
“I can.”
“How will you see what it is I need with your eyes covered?”
He grinned because it sounded like a rather snippy question. He didn’t blame her, considering what the woman had suffered through since the moment he took her from the priory. He imagined she was becoming quite sick of him and the chaos he had put her through.
“If you tell me what it is you need and where it is in the room, I can find it,” he said.
Alessandria didn’t say anything. Then, Chad heard the water sloshing and what sounded like footfalls against the floor. Unlike most single-story structures, the floor was not dirt. When the knight quarters had been built, Daniel had the floor lined with stone to keep it better insulated. Chad could hear her moving around inside the room.
“My lady?” he called again, politely. “May I please come in? I promise I will not….”
The door suddenly yanked open and Alessandria was standing there, wrapped in a big section of drying linen that had been left behind by Liselotte and Veronica, along with the clothing. Alessandria stepped away from the door and wandered back over to the tub, and Chad couldn’t help but notice the red silk dress on the floor. At least it used to be red. The dye had run out of it and it was streaked and faded, from white to pink to red. Alessandria stood over the dress.
“I am afraid I ruined it,” she said, sorrow in her voice. “I did not mean to but… you were in the room and those knights, and I was in the tub with no clothing on and I… I had to cover myself.”
Chad knew that. His gaze on her was soft. “I am sorry we upset your delicate balance so,” he replied, “but there was no time for proprieties. We had to put the fire out and I am sorry that in our haste, we made you uncomfortable.”
Alessandria stuck a hand out from the drying linen and reached down, gingerly picking the dress up and draping it over the tub in a futile gesture to somehow hang it to dry.
“It was my fault for setting the blanket ablaze in the first place,” she said. “I must have gotten too close to the fire. You did what needed to be done so I did not burn the entire place down.”
She was calm, much calmer than she had been only moments before, but Chad thought she sounded rather sorry for herself. Not that he blamed her. “My mother and sister have gone to bring you more clothing,” he said gently, trying to comfort her because he felt as if, ultimately, he was the root of her problems. “They will return shortly but before they do, I must speak with you. The men that were chasing us – Henry’s men – are here at Canterbury. They are in the keep. As I told you, they have come to take you on Henry’s orders but not for the reasons we believed. I am told that Henry does not wish to take you hostage.”
Alessandria looked at him, her eyes widening with surprise. “He doesn’t?”
“Nay.”
He thought he saw some outrage flash across her face. “Then you were wrong?” she said. “You took me from Newington for no reason at all?”
He held up a hand to soothe her
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