“They began to make me feel like some royal invalid,” she grumbled as he sat on the small bed.
Thayer laughed softly as he nibbled some of the cheese on the tray. “Soon I will take you down to our chambers. Pickney made free use of them. I felt you would prefer them thoroughly scrubbed first.”
“Aye. Thank you.”
He watched her as she ate one of the small cakes on the tray. She looked better, but she was still a little pale, a little bruised. He ached to hold her tightly, to make fierce love to her to prove that she was truly safe and returned to him. Inwardly he smiled as he wondered what she would think if she knew how he had spent the last hour—on his knees in the chapel effusively thanking God for sparing her and their child.
A part of him begged to pour out his heart to her, to say everything he felt, but he stayed silent. Although he had needed help to do it, he had just saved her life, saved her from rape at the hands of Pickney and his slaveys. To confess his love now could bring a response born of her gratitude towards him. That was the last thing he wanted. There would come a better time to speak of such things.
“I have sent word to your family that the danger has passed. Aye, and to those waiting at Riverfall,” he added.
Pausing in eating a thick piece of bread, she looked at him. “I am sorry for this trouble. If I had not gone to Lady Elizabeth…”
“You have naught to ask forgiveness for. I told no one that she bore watching closely, that I had made an enemy of her. When I left court, I reminded myself to speak out on the matter, but then I forgot all about the woman.”
“What have you done with her? Did she escape?”
“Nay. She sits in the dungeons of Riverfall. When I return, I shall call her family to come and take her in hand. Ere they leave, I will tell them a few truths about the Lady Elizabeth. Aye, even the truth about the son she left lying in his own blood.”
“Oh, poor Bek. Nothing she could have done or said could have better shown the boy how little she cares for him.”
“If that hurt him, he hides it well. Truth is, I think he knew that about his mother a long time ago. What truly bothered him was that, yet again, his mother had a hand in hurting you. ’Tis something he cannot understand. I am not sure I helped him do so either. There was no time. I was able to say, in full honesty, that his mother did not know murder was part of the scheme.”
“Are you sure of that?”
“Aye. She saw only a scheme for ransom, a way to put some coin in her always empty purse.”
Gytha leaned back against the pillows and sipped her wine as she watched Thayer eat what remained on her tray. She reached out to toy with his thick hair, drawing a half-smile from him. Except for that first emotion-laden embrace after Pickney was killed, they had returned to what they had been—close but not too close, comfortable but rarely emotional. It made her sad, but what made her even sadder was her part in it. She said nothing about her own feelings, cowardice tying her tongue every time she contemplated it.
“Thayer? Do you really think you should tell Lady Elizabeth’s family about Bek?”
“Why not?” He got up to move the emptied tray away from the bed.
“Well, what if they want as little to do with the boy as she does?” When he sat next to her on the bed and slipped his arm around her shoulders, she leaned against him. “He would see that he had family besides you, only to have them turn away.”
“There is that chance, aye.” He frowned as he mulled the problem over. “I must tell them. ’Tis far past time. Mayhap the solution is to not speak to Bek of it until I know how Elizabeth’s family feels about him. I do not want to cause him any more hurt.”
“Nay. Mayhap when he is older you could tell him the whole truth—that is, if the family will not recognize him.”
“Aye, mayhap. We will settle that when the right time comes. Now to another matter. You wished to talk to me of Henry, John, and Robert?”
“What do you mean to do with them?” She mused that it was probably mad to ask for mercy for the disreputable trio.
“I have not given it much thought. What do you think should be done? ’Tis you who suffered most at their hands.”
“Nay, at Pickney’s hands. I know Henry and John brought me to him, but they are only petty rogues, not truly evil. Despite thumping me over the head, they treated me well. Once they were aware of Pickney’s true plans, they were appalled. Unfortunately”—she smiled faintly—“they are not the bravest of men.”
“Oh, I am not so sure of that. John looked me straight in the eye and told me he was one of the men who had taken you from Riverfall. Said it whilst sitting there unarmed.”
“Well, there is a wonder,” Gytha murmured. “He and Henry were not just a little afraid of you.”
“Me?” Thayer gave her a look of surprised innocence.
“As I was saying, I think there is some good in them.”
“And it will come forth if they are kept well-fed and have a coin or two to spend,” Thayer drawled.
Gytha laughed, then lightly punched him in the arm. “You have already decided to spare them.”
