brooch nestled on her
breast. “Geoffrey?”
“Aye.” He
nodded, his lips trembling.
Her cherished
husband. Back from the dead. But looking nothing like the man she married.
God in
Heaven, what had been done to him?
She held a
hand out to halt his progress toward them. Despite longing to throw her arms
about him, she must protect her child above all else. And Geoffrey had given
Alys a horrible fright. Merryn turned and gripped Alys’s shoulders.
“Alys,
love. I need to help this man.”
Her
daughter leaned around and stared at the stranger a moment before she met her
mother’s eyes. “Is he sick?”
“He needs
our help, my precious. And I need your help, as well, my big girl.”
Alys
brightened. She’d loved responsibility from the time she came out from the
womb. “What can I do, Mother?”
“Go back to
Kinwick. Find Raynor. Tell him to come here. To this spot. Speak to no one
else.”
“Not even
Ancel?”
“Especially
not Ancel. Just tell Raynor where I am and that I require his assistance.” She
handed the basket over. “Then you can take the herbs we’ve picked and put them
in the storeroom to dry.”
“And give
Grandmother her lilacs? They need water, Mother.”
“Of course,
my love. Send Raynor here. Take the herbs to the storeroom. Then go stay with
Grandmother.”
Alys
glanced back at the man, doubt in her eyes.
“I shall be
fine, Alys. Remember. Send Raynor. Leave the herbs. And take Grandmother her
flowers. You two must put them in water so they’ll continue to bloom.”
“Shall I
gather what we need to make the barley water for Grandmother?”
Merryn
kissed the top of her head. “That would be lovely. Now run along and fetch
Raynor. I will see you shortly.”
Alys took
the basket and skipped off, happy to be given tasks to perform.
Merryn
eagerly turned back, her heart racing. “’Tis truly you? After all this time?
You’ve come home.”
He nodded.
And looked as if he might sprint away at any moment.
“I prayed
you would come back to me one day.” She brushed away the tears that cascaded
down her cheeks. “No one believed you would. But I had faith. I would have
sensed if you had died. And now you’re here. Returned to me.”
A thousand
questions ran through her mind. His ragged appearance and reluctance to move
from the spot he was rooted to frightened her to the depths of her soul. She
longed to envelop him in her arms, yet she hesitated, seeing his unwillingness
to approach her.
“Oh,
Geoffrey. Where have you been for so long?”
CHAPTER 16
Geoffrey
winced. Pain laced Merryn’s voice. This beautiful woman that stood before him— his
wife —had endured years of not knowing what had happened to her husband of a
single day.
He wanted
to answer her. He owed her an explanation.
But he’d
given his word to Hardi. His solemn oath that he’d never share with anyone what
had taken place at the hunting lodge that long-ago November day.
And the
nightmare of years that had followed.
He
hesitated to meet Merryn’s eyes. He’d never lied to her in his life, in the
many years they’d known one another, from childhood till their wedding and the
blissful night in their marriage bed. Never mislead nor misinformed her about
anything.
And yet he,
a man of honor, a man of his word, must now look his beloved in the eye . . . and
lie to her .
Knowing
Merryn, this would not go well. Though usually the sweetest-natured person he
knew, when something angered her, the red in her hair spiked a hidden, volatile
temper.
Geoffrey’s
gaze met hers. The pity he’d first seen on her face when he spoke to her died
away. As he remained silent, he saw her frustration build. A fire appeared her
eyes. The agony of those years of doubt were about to explode in anger. He
could not blame her.
She
narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. “I expect an answer, Geoffrey de
Montfort,” she ground
breast. “Geoffrey?”
“Aye.” He
nodded, his lips trembling.
Her cherished
husband. Back from the dead. But looking nothing like the man she married.
God in
Heaven, what had been done to him?
She held a
hand out to halt his progress toward them. Despite longing to throw her arms
about him, she must protect her child above all else. And Geoffrey had given
Alys a horrible fright. Merryn turned and gripped Alys’s shoulders.
“Alys,
love. I need to help this man.”
Her
daughter leaned around and stared at the stranger a moment before she met her
mother’s eyes. “Is he sick?”
“He needs
our help, my precious. And I need your help, as well, my big girl.”
Alys
brightened. She’d loved responsibility from the time she came out from the
womb. “What can I do, Mother?”
“Go back to
Kinwick. Find Raynor. Tell him to come here. To this spot. Speak to no one
else.”
“Not even
Ancel?”
“Especially
not Ancel. Just tell Raynor where I am and that I require his assistance.” She
handed the basket over. “Then you can take the herbs we’ve picked and put them
in the storeroom to dry.”
“And give
Grandmother her lilacs? They need water, Mother.”
“Of course,
my love. Send Raynor here. Take the herbs to the storeroom. Then go stay with
Grandmother.”
Alys
glanced back at the man, doubt in her eyes.
“I shall be
fine, Alys. Remember. Send Raynor. Leave the herbs. And take Grandmother her
flowers. You two must put them in water so they’ll continue to bloom.”
“Shall I
gather what we need to make the barley water for Grandmother?”
Merryn
kissed the top of her head. “That would be lovely. Now run along and fetch
Raynor. I will see you shortly.”
Alys took
the basket and skipped off, happy to be given tasks to perform.
Merryn
eagerly turned back, her heart racing. “’Tis truly you? After all this time?
You’ve come home.”
He nodded.
And looked as if he might sprint away at any moment.
“I prayed
you would come back to me one day.” She brushed away the tears that cascaded
down her cheeks. “No one believed you would. But I had faith. I would have
sensed if you had died. And now you’re here. Returned to me.”
A thousand
questions ran through her mind. His ragged appearance and reluctance to move
from the spot he was rooted to frightened her to the depths of her soul. She
longed to envelop him in her arms, yet she hesitated, seeing his unwillingness
to approach her.
“Oh,
Geoffrey. Where have you been for so long?”
CHAPTER 16
Geoffrey
winced. Pain laced Merryn’s voice. This beautiful woman that stood before him— his
wife —had endured years of not knowing what had happened to her husband of a
single day.
He wanted
to answer her. He owed her an explanation.
But he’d
given his word to Hardi. His solemn oath that he’d never share with anyone what
had taken place at the hunting lodge that long-ago November day.
And the
nightmare of years that had followed.
He
hesitated to meet Merryn’s eyes. He’d never lied to her in his life, in the
many years they’d known one another, from childhood till their wedding and the
blissful night in their marriage bed. Never mislead nor misinformed her about
anything.
And yet he,
a man of honor, a man of his word, must now look his beloved in the eye . . . and
lie to her .
Knowing
Merryn, this would not go well. Though usually the sweetest-natured person he
knew, when something angered her, the red in her hair spiked a hidden, volatile
temper.
Geoffrey’s
gaze met hers. The pity he’d first seen on her face when he spoke to her died
away. As he remained silent, he saw her frustration build. A fire appeared her
eyes. The agony of those years of doubt were about to explode in anger. He
could not blame her.
She
narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. “I expect an answer, Geoffrey de
Montfort,” she ground
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