“Other than your father and mother,” she said.
He chuckled. “Aye, other than them,” he said. “But there is hope in that. They cannot live without one another, so hopefully, we will grow to be fond of one another, too.”
That made her heart flutter, just a little. “You said I should look beyond the English knight and see the man beneath,” she said. “I am willing to do that as long as you are willing to look beyond the Welsh rebel and see the woman beneath.”
He grinned, flashing a smile that was much like his father’s. “You are not a rebel,” he said. “You are a princess fighting for your countrymen. That is admirable. But now you have me, andshort of saying your fight is my fight, know that I will never forsake or betray you, Elle. I want the same consideration.”
“You have it, Curtis.”
“Good,” he said, his eyes twinkling at her. But then he seemed to notice what she was wearing for the first time, and he pointed. “That is my tunic. I recognize it.”
She looked down at herself. “You told me that I could wear what was in your chest.”
“Where is the blue dress?”
“You told me to take it off so my stench would not be on it.”
His smile faded. “I should not have said that,” he said with regret. “I am sorry, Elle. I did not mean it.”
She smiled timidly to let him know that she wasn’t upset. “You were right,” she said. “I’m not sure one bath could clean up all of the stench I had on me. I may need another soon.”
He laughed softly. “I think that can be arranged,” he said. Then he held out a hand to her. “Shall we go inside, Lady Leominster?”
She looked at his big hand, hesitating. “You’re not going to annul the marriage?”
“Nay,” he said softly. “I did not even mean it when I said it.”
With a grateful smile, she put her hand in his, and he held it tightly, gently leading her toward the rear door of the inn.
“Would it be possible for me to have something to eat with my bath?” she asked.
His eyebrows rose. “You want a bath tonight?”
“I like baths.”
“Then you shall have one every night if you wish.”
“But I do not have any soap.”
“Not to worry,” he said, pushing open the door. “I will make sure you have what you need, Elle. Always.”
She believed him.
*
The bath camewith more food than Elle had ever seen in one sitting.
Curtis seemed to have some kind of magic when it came to getting people to do what he wanted them to do, and that included the staff at the inn. Food and drink came, and as Elle stuffed herself on the onion tart, a rather large copper tub was brought in and filled about halfway with steaming water.
She could hear Curtis outside in the corridor, speaking to the innkeeper and his wife, and very shortly, Elle had soap and combs and a scrub brush. The innkeeper’s wife, a stout woman with faded red hair, also brought in a shift, well worn but clean, and a surcoat that went over the shift and tied on the sides. It was green in color, and Elle heard the woman tell Curtis that it had belonged to their daughter, who had died the previous winter of a fever. She was happy to give Elle her dead daughter’s things, but Curtis insisted on paying the woman handsomely for them.
Elle found herself inheriting a wardrobe that was meant for a girl about her same size. The innkeeper’s wife seemed quite happy to see the clothing put to use, and considering Elle had nothing to her name, she was thrilled to have it. There were two more shifts and three more dresses that were given to her, along with two pairs of leather slippers that were worn but serviceable. The innkeeper’s wife even offered to help her bathe, something she said she used to do with her daughter, and Elle didn’t have the heart to refuse her. She seemed eager to do it. As Curtis went out into the common room to allow her some privacy, Elle climbed into that big tub, both hands full of food, and ate to her heart’s content while the innkeeper’s wife scrubbed her down.
More kindness from the hated English.
In fact, the woman, whose name was Bess, was quite lovely to her. Elle sat in the tub until the water cooled, and then Bess helped her out and dried her off in front of the fire, combing out her hair so it could dry. Since Elle had never had a mother tend her, only a bitter grandmother in that capacity, it was strange but also weirdly wonderful to have the kind attentions of an older woman gently brushing her hair. Odd how a bath, in an enemy country, brought about some awareness. She was coming to see what she might have been missing.
Open your eyes to the world around you, and I promise you will not regret it.
