He half-smiled. “Well, I certainly hope that we are not aiming to kill each other. We may not have had a traditional courtship, but I do hope that there is sufficient trust between us to build a solid relationship.”
She looked down at her bridle, brow furrowed. “What does that mean, a solid relationship?”
Silas did not know what to say. He knew that he wanted their lovemaking to continue, which would naturally lead to children. He supposed then that he wanted in her a true partner.
“What doyouwant of this relationship?” he asked instead of answering her.
She shrugged. “I suppose, what I truly want is a family. A loving family.”
He stared at her, a lump in his throat. He could say truly that before they’d died, his parents had given him and his sister exactly that.
He had a feeling that Helena had never really experienced the love that came with having a father and mother who loved not only each other, but their children as well. As absent as his father had been over the years, when he was at home, he was truly present.
“I suppose we can give each other that.”
She considered him seriously. “Can we?”
“It is a matter of deciding that it is what we want.”
“Is it what you want? Aside from catching a traitor, would you want to have more with me?”
He considered her back, just as seriously before slowly nodding. “Helena, what I told you on our wedding night… I meant it all. Much as I would love to close this case, my asking for your hand was about protection. I felt the need to protect you, and I’m glad that I was able to. There was nothing of duty in our… lovemaking… last night. That was all… It was far mor than that.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Yes.” She gave a nervous laugh. “To be honest, it scared me a little bit.”
They rode in silence for a while, each lost in thought, as they both stole glances at each other and then smiled before riding on.
Silas came to a stop beside a small lake. “This is where the aqueduct will be built. It will take water right to the village square.”
Helena smiled. “Will you do it like the ancient Romans did?”
Silas laughed. “No. I have quite modern architects and engineers working on it.”
“Is that so?” She gave a long sigh, “My father used to love having such men over for dinner. Do you do the same?”
“Well…sometimes. There are quite a few plans to go over and sometimes meetings spill over into supper time.”
She laughed. “So, you don’t just invite them to talk or regale you with their exploits?”
“Not at all. I don’t favor chitchat, as you may have gathered. But you are welcome to invite whomever you wish to dinner.”
The smile slid off her face. “Even my brother?”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Especially your brother,” he said quietly. “Wewillrescue him. Trust me.”
“I am starting to. I just hope my trust isn’t misplaced.”
“I promise you, it is not.”
She looked towards the lake. “It’s beautiful. The way the surface reflects the sky and the trees around it.”
“Reminds me of your eyes,” he said absently.
She gave him a sharp look. “What?”
He turned to look at her, blushing a little. “Your eyes. They have depth to them, like this lake, still waters that reflect the sky back to you. You’re not sure whether what you’re seeing is a mirror, or a deliberate opacity.”
She blinked a few times. “I had no idea my eyes were so… complicated.”
