With a hint of a smile, he took the chicken she offered, as well as the bread and cheese Bryony found in the basket.
“Have you worked for Lord Stefan very long?” she asked, hoping to learn more about her mysterious captor.
“Yes, Miss. Almost ten years.”
“Oh?”
James nodded. “’Tis a fine post.”
“What kind of employer is he?”
James frowned as he wiped his mouth. “He is a fair man. Stern. He demands obedience.”
“Do you find anything peculiar about him?”
“Peculiar, Miss?”
“Well, I haven’t known him very long, but it’s always night when I see him.”
James nodded slowly. “Aye. He is not often seen during the day. He has a rare skin condition that prevents him from spending more than a few minutes in the sun’s light.”
“So, he sleeps days, then?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“But you have seen him during the day?”
“Well, no, I haven’t. But others have.”
“Would you like more chicken?”
“No, thank you, Miss.” He glanced at the sky. “We should be heading back now.”
With a nod, Bryony rose and dusted off her skirt. James packed the trash and the leftovers in the basket, then handed her into the saddle.
A rare skin ailment, Bryony mused as they rode back to the manor. Why had he never mentioned it? He was such a masculine man, perhaps he was embarrassed by his affliction.
She asked him about it that night at the dinner table.
Stefan frowned. “A skin condition? Who told you that?”
Bryony hesitated. What if it was a secret? Would James get into trouble for telling her?
“Answer me.”
“You won’t hurt him, will you?”
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “It was James, was it not?”
Darn! She had momentarily forgotten he could read her mind.
Stefan swore inwardly. It wasn’t true. Merely a convenient lie to explain why no one saw him during the day. He could be awake if necessary, even abide the sun’s touch for an hour or two, but he was a creature of the night.
“So, it’s true?” Bryony asked.
“In a manner of speaking.” He gestured at her plate. “Have you finished your dinner?”
“Yes. Why?”
