where the other two men waited.
He surprised her when he put his finger to his lip. She obeyed.
"Malcolm," he addressed the taller of the two men, "what say you find us something to eat?" Turning to include the smaller man, a swarthy blonde with a thick white scar down his cheek, he asked. "Roland?"
The two men exchanged glances then accepted the coin Leofrid held up to them. Once they were out of earshot, Rowena repeated her question.
"I have been hiding. There is a price for my capture."
"I do not believe they think you are still alive."
He raised one slender brow. "Oh, they know I'm alive. They hunt me like a dog." He shook his head as if to clear his mind of some unpleasantness. She could only guess at his hardships. Leofrid's mouth tightened into a grim smile. He tipped his head to one side. "How fare ye?"
He glanced around, assessing the area as his eyes took in everything around him. His wariness sent a chill up her spine. Rowena hesitated, unsure how to answer him but his suddenly probing glance caused her to blush. "I fare well enough."
"You've been bedding the Norman, haven't you!?" It was more an accusation than a question, and he did seem to find humor in it.
Rowena gasped. "Of course not!"
Hi s eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you not wed to one?"
Her embarrassment deepened when she realized he had been teasing her.
"He has not bedded you yet? Is there something wrong with the man?"
"I cannot say." Rowena was mortified at discussing these intimate details of her married life with her cousin, no matter how close they had been as children. Leofrid's instant defensiveness on her behalf warmed her heart.
"Ah, then why would he not gladly and thankfully accept the wonderful gift he received from his king?"
She seriously doubted that John thought of her as any kind of prize and she frowned at him. "I cannot say."
Leofrid had always been very considerate of her and she could see it now in the way he looked at her. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "You are a gift, Cousin, and he is very blessed to have you to wife."
She did not feel wanted when her husband left her untouched but she thought it best not to mention that detail.
"You are very kind." Smiling, she could almost believe her whole family was alive and well and just waiting around the corner. "I have missed you!"
"And I you."
Rowena glanced down the alley where the other two men had disappeared. She was concerned for Leofrid as well. "Are those two friends of yours?"
He shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. "A wanted man has no friends. I am thankful I have found men to join forces with so that I am able to survive."
"It is that bad?"
He raised his eyebrows as if to ask if she was really that naive .
"Is there any way I can be of assistance to you?"
He smirked at her in response. "Not yet but I wanted to talk to you, to see if you were well. And I do see you are well, if a little sad."
Was she so transparent? Maybe just to her cousin.
"I must be off. I do not want my ‘friends’ to see you with me again. They are ruthless and have been known to take noblewomen in exchange for ransom. I would not want to see that happen to you." He patted her hand reassuringly. "I am afraid ransom is not all they take from the women. I cannot really control them. They don't know who I am, and I want to keep it that way. Take care, Rowena. I do not want to see you traveling unaccompanied again."
He sounded so like her own father, a lump grew in her throat.
Kissing her lightly on each cheek, he smiled, his green eyes sparkling. "Goodbye for now."
"Goodbye for now." He headed in the same direction the other two had gone.
She fought back the sadness that threatened to engulf her. Alone again. She quickly went out to where more people milled around, then took the road leading up to the castle. Her cousin looked terrible. She prayed he was not ill. Her heart swelled with the satisfaction of knowing she was not the sole survivor of the Godwin
He surprised her when he put his finger to his lip. She obeyed.
"Malcolm," he addressed the taller of the two men, "what say you find us something to eat?" Turning to include the smaller man, a swarthy blonde with a thick white scar down his cheek, he asked. "Roland?"
The two men exchanged glances then accepted the coin Leofrid held up to them. Once they were out of earshot, Rowena repeated her question.
"I have been hiding. There is a price for my capture."
"I do not believe they think you are still alive."
He raised one slender brow. "Oh, they know I'm alive. They hunt me like a dog." He shook his head as if to clear his mind of some unpleasantness. She could only guess at his hardships. Leofrid's mouth tightened into a grim smile. He tipped his head to one side. "How fare ye?"
He glanced around, assessing the area as his eyes took in everything around him. His wariness sent a chill up her spine. Rowena hesitated, unsure how to answer him but his suddenly probing glance caused her to blush. "I fare well enough."
"You've been bedding the Norman, haven't you!?" It was more an accusation than a question, and he did seem to find humor in it.
Rowena gasped. "Of course not!"
Hi s eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you not wed to one?"
Her embarrassment deepened when she realized he had been teasing her.
"He has not bedded you yet? Is there something wrong with the man?"
"I cannot say." Rowena was mortified at discussing these intimate details of her married life with her cousin, no matter how close they had been as children. Leofrid's instant defensiveness on her behalf warmed her heart.
"Ah, then why would he not gladly and thankfully accept the wonderful gift he received from his king?"
She seriously doubted that John thought of her as any kind of prize and she frowned at him. "I cannot say."
Leofrid had always been very considerate of her and she could see it now in the way he looked at her. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "You are a gift, Cousin, and he is very blessed to have you to wife."
She did not feel wanted when her husband left her untouched but she thought it best not to mention that detail.
"You are very kind." Smiling, she could almost believe her whole family was alive and well and just waiting around the corner. "I have missed you!"
"And I you."
Rowena glanced down the alley where the other two men had disappeared. She was concerned for Leofrid as well. "Are those two friends of yours?"
He shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. "A wanted man has no friends. I am thankful I have found men to join forces with so that I am able to survive."
"It is that bad?"
He raised his eyebrows as if to ask if she was really that naive .
"Is there any way I can be of assistance to you?"
He smirked at her in response. "Not yet but I wanted to talk to you, to see if you were well. And I do see you are well, if a little sad."
Was she so transparent? Maybe just to her cousin.
"I must be off. I do not want my ‘friends’ to see you with me again. They are ruthless and have been known to take noblewomen in exchange for ransom. I would not want to see that happen to you." He patted her hand reassuringly. "I am afraid ransom is not all they take from the women. I cannot really control them. They don't know who I am, and I want to keep it that way. Take care, Rowena. I do not want to see you traveling unaccompanied again."
He sounded so like her own father, a lump grew in her throat.
Kissing her lightly on each cheek, he smiled, his green eyes sparkling. "Goodbye for now."
"Goodbye for now." He headed in the same direction the other two had gone.
She fought back the sadness that threatened to engulf her. Alone again. She quickly went out to where more people milled around, then took the road leading up to the castle. Her cousin looked terrible. She prayed he was not ill. Her heart swelled with the satisfaction of knowing she was not the sole survivor of the Godwin
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