“Yourmen?”
Emma’s loud sigh could be heard even from that distance. “Yes! They are my men. My husband is not within. He snuck out as soon as he heard of your approach.”
“The scoundrel left you here to defend the castle alone?”
She shrugged.
“Why did you not just open the gates?”
“Because, John! King William is... is... a tyrant and well you know.”
John refused to respond. Emma waited. They stared at each other. She put her hand to her hip. Not a hair moved on John’s head. Emma refused to back down from the statement that may be acceptable in the privacy of a chamber but not here in front of the soldiers that swore allegiance to the man she maligned.
“Lady Emma, will you open the gates to us?” John spoke in a strong voice. Not a trace of emotion or consideration. A commander in complete control.
Emma waited. John counted to ten and turned back toward their camp. Peter and Philip close behind. No one said a word.
“Wait!” Emma’s voice held desperation. “Yes. I accept any terms as long as my soldiers and I are not arrested.”
John smiled, turned to Philip then Peter and together they walked back to the gate. “Open the gates.”
The sound of chains moving within the walls was like the sound of sweet angels singing to Peter’s ears. It would not be long now and he would be back with his wife. He just hoped he would find the words she needed to hear to find peace in their marriage.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The snows raged on and Peter had been gone nearly five months. When Tadhg had returned from his last supply trip north, he assured her the siege was at an end. At the first sign of spring, he left to return home.
Brighit felt very alone After many sleepless nights in Bishop Odo’s magnificent bed, Brighit moved to the hall with the other nuns. They welcomed her in and she was soon fitting into the rhythm of prayer and work. She even began to wear the nun’s robes. It felt good to stay busy. They needed to be ready for planting at the first thaw. She decided to keep the fact that she was with child to herself.
In the quieter times, Brighit wondered at Peter’s insistence they marry. She came to realize it was his overwhelming sense of honor that made him do it. Tadhg had been so unyielding about the impropriety of the situation. She should have been more determined. Tadhg would have eventually believed her if she said nothing happened. Peter must have felt he had wronged her with his lustful advances, despite her own willingness. When he believed she would be considered soiled, he did the only honorable thing.
Well, I’ll certainly have none of that.
His declaration haunted her dreams. And here she was carrying his child. He would never feel free of his duty to her now. Brighit fought against the overwhelming sadness. She loved Peter. She wanted to be with him but not because of some sense of duty. She wanted him to be happy. Every night she prayed for his safe return. And she prayed he would return before her condition showed. She decided to let him have his life continue as it would have been without her. If he wanted “none of that” then she loved him enough to let him have it.
The smell of rain was in the air. The clouds were dark and threatening. Martha dragged the shovel through the blackened pile of decaying earth. Ruth and Brighit sifted through the dried seeds for planting.
“I don’t see how you can tell the good from the bad,” Brighit frowned.
Ruth smiled back. “You are too impatient. See.” She held one brown seed before Brighit’s face. “Is it broken open?”
“No?”
“Brighit, maybe you should just help me.” Martha hefted the heavy tool again. “No knowledge needed for this.”
“Not in her condition.” Ruth’s eyes widened.
Brighit froze. Perhaps she hadn’t heard her right. She knew she was getting a little bigger around the middle but surely not noticeably so. She glanced over at Martha who had stopped as well. She shrugged at Brighit.
“Sorry. I forgot,” Ruth said.
Brighit gave them her most barely-able-to-tolerate-you look. “I do not know of what you speak.”
Martha pressed her lips together as if the words would sneak out on their own if she wasn’t careful.
Ruth raised her nose in a defiant stance.
“You are with child, Brighit. We both—no—weallknow it. We just don’t understand why you haven’t told us yourself.”
