“Simon told me that he was.”
“You already knew I had sent him to Simon?”
He nodded. “I did,” he glanced up at her. “I wanted to see how truthful you would be about it.”
“And did I meet your expectations?”
“You did,” he replied. “And you met my expectations about something else.”
“What is that?”
He should have had a difficult time swallowing his pride, but he found he did not. “You were right,” he murmured. “About Lady Devereux. You were absolutely right.”
Katharine rather liked the sound of that, although her conversation with Hugh had given her some indication about how Davyss and his wife were getting along. She sat on the chair next to him, leaning on her cane.
“What was I right about?” she asked softly.
Davyss smiled faintly. “You said once that I needed someone to show me that the true meaning of manhood comes from dedication to one woman, not many.” He suddenly shook his head as if amused by the irony of it all. “I did not believe you; not in the least. But this woman I have been married to for just a few weeks has very quickly come to mean a great deal to me and I am coming to understand what you meant.”
Lady Katharine struggled to suppress a grin. “I can hardly believe my ears,” she said softly. “Explain.”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “I am not sure if I can. All I know is that she is kind, compassionate, humorous and blindingly beautiful. When I look at her, my heart thumps against my ribs and my hands sweat. I kiss the woman and she consumes my being. I want to make her happy; Sweet Jesus, there is nothing more on earth that I could wish for than to make her completely, utterly happy. I cannot explain my feelings to you any more than that.”
Katharine’s smile broke through and she put a gnarled hand on her son’s dark head. “I am pleased, Davyss,” she murmured. “Very pleased.”
He looked at her, making a wry face. “I knew you would be.”
“Are you happy?”
He lifted his eyebrows, nodded his head and shrugged all at the same time. “I am. I truly am. I do not exactly know why I should be, but I am.”
Katharine patted his cheek and struggled to stand up. Davyss rose and helped his mother gain her footing.
“Where is your wife?” Katharine wanted to know. “Bring her inside so that I might speak with her. The only conversations I have had with the woman have not been pleasant ones.”
He let go of her when he was sure she was not going to teeter. “You will have ample opportunity to make up for unpleasant conversations,” he told her. “I will be leaving her in your care while I am away.”
Katharine lifted an eyebrow. “Hmmm,” she grunted. “Do you suppose she is going to want to spend endless boring hours with a frail old woman?”
“What do you mean?”
Katharine looked at him as if he were an idiot. “What about her charity? Perhaps she would rather spend her time there. It was my understanding that it consumes most of her time, anyway.”
He looked as if the thought had not occurred to him. “Perhaps it has in the past. But now her time is spent with me.”
“Do you so arrogantly presume that your shining presence will erase any longing she might feel to return to The House of Hope?”
He frowned. “I have provided amply for the place,” he told her. “Before we left for Wintercroft, I supplied the place with enough money to see to its needs for quite some time. There are others who can adequately run the place in her stead.”
Katharine could see that he did not understand any priorities but his own. She shook her head faintly. “All I am saying is that if you truly wish to make her happy, then you should ask her where she wishes to spend her time while you are away,” she eyed her son. “You may be away for quite some time.”
Davyss’ expression took on a distant look. “Long indeed,” he muttered. “Perhaps permanently.”
Katharine didn’t react other than to pet the dog that suddenly jumped up beside her. “Have you discussed that possibility with her?”
He shook his head. “Nay,” he replied. “We are only just coming to know each other. I am not sure that is an entirely appropriate subject at the moment.”
“You are a warrior. She knows there is the possibility of you going to war and not returning.”
