“I have no idea,” he muttered. “All I know is that day we ventured into the mist to inspect sheep, something inside me changed. The woman already has unearthly beauty but that day, I saw incredible strength in her as well. Beyond that, I cannot explain more. All I know is that I see a chance for happiness with her again and I will take it. The woman is coming to mean a great deal to me.”
Stephen’s cornflower blue gaze lingered on him a moment. “Do you love her?”
Tate looked at him as if surprised by the question. He was about to deny it but found, in his heart, that he could not. He averted his gaze as if suddenly defeated, unable to muster the strength to deny the obvious. “I believe that I do.”
“Have you told her?”
“Nay.”
“You should, you know. She loves you as well.”
Tate looked at him again. “How would you know that?”
Stephen’s eyes glimmered. “I do not for sure. But if she looked at me the way she looks at you, then I would know that she loves me.”
Tate felt strangely empowered by that statement, as if his heart suddenly sprouted wings. It felt light, happy. “If that is true, then I am indeed blessed,” he said, turning to look Stephen fully in the face. “But I am deeply sorry if my relationship with her affects our friendship.”
Stephen’s gaze lingered on him. “It does not,” he said quietly. “It would take much more than that to destroy the trust that you and I have achieved over the years.”
Tate puffed out his cheeks with relief. “I had hoped so but in truth I was not sure. When a woman is involved, things can go very badly.”
“We are better than that, my lord.”
“I hoped so.”
“Besides that, we have more pressing matters to focus on.”
“Indeed we do.”
“There are the missing gates, the threat of a Mortimer counter-attack, and our imminent trip to London which has thus far been delayed.”
Tate nodded faintly, thinking of the priorities that had faced him two days ago were now becoming sidelined by his growinginvolvement with Toby. But Stephen was correct; there were more pressing matters that must be the priority. It was a struggle for Tate to refocus on something other than Toby.
The silence between them settled, though not uncomfortable. Tate had said what he had meant to say and Stephen had conceded. More than that, there was a clear understanding now. They both felt relieved by it.
“Congratulations on your betrothal, by the way,” Stephen finally said. “May you have much joy in this marriage.”
“Thank you.”
“There is one more thing, however.”
“What is that?
Stephen turned to look at him, an intense look to his eye. “Should anything ever happen to you, know that I will take very good care of your widow.”
Tate’s eyes widened. Then, he burst out giggling like a fool. Stephen tried to hold back the chuckles but soon he was roaring with laughter. After a few moments of uncharacteristic snorting, Stephen sobered with dramatic speed and wiped the smile from his face.
“I am serious.”
Tate abruptly stopped laughing and gawked at him in outrage. He balled up a fist and took a swing at Stephen’s jaw, but in the process burst into more laughter and ended up almost falling over the parapet when Stephen side-stepped the blow. Hooting and snorting, the two of them made their way back towards the gatehouse as the sun began to rise in the distant east. But the laughter soon turned to conversation and by the time they hit the gatehouse, they were already discussing the priorities of the coming day. It was as if no contention had ever been.
In the bailey below, Kenneth heard the chortling. He stood below the wall walk, watching Tate and Stephen, hearing thelaughter and saying a silent prayer that he wasn’t picking up body parts. He had been standing there since Tate had left the knight’s quarters, watching and waiting. With a woman involved, he had no way of knowing what turn the situation would take. He was glad it wasn’t the wrong turn.
Without even trying, Toby could have done more damage than Mortimer’s army could have ever dreamed of.
*
Toby awoke tothe sounds of shouts coming from the bailey. Every so often, a dog would bark or a bird would screech. She was lying on her back on the bed in the master’s chamber, one arm over her head and the other clutching the coverlet to her naked chest. She lay there a moment, staring up at the ceiling and forgetting, for a split second, where she was. She didn’t recognize the place. Then, remembrance dawned.
