“Rom?” he opened the door wider, his gaze on the boy. “What is the matter? You are supposed to be in bed.”
Christopher answered before Romney could. “Father Jonas has arrived,” he told Gart. “He has asked to speak with you.”
Gart stared at Christopher a moment, his features tinted with shock as he tried to gauge, from Christopher’s expression, what was going on. There was no good reason he could think of that the priest should be here at this time of night. After a moment, he nodded obediently.
“I shall be down shortly,” he said, reaching out for the boy. “Come back to bed, Rom.”
Romney turned to Christopher, his big, blue eyes on the man. “Thank you for the milk, my lord.”
Christopher smiled faintly at the polite young lad. “You are welcome,” he replied. “I look forward to having more conversations with you, young Romney.”
Romney nodded, following Gart back into the sleeping chamber. As Christopher retraced his steps back down the staircase, Gart shut the chamber door and went in search of his tunic.
By this time, Emberley was sitting up in the bed, making sure to cover herself up to her neck so her son would not see that she was completely nude. Her eyes were wide on the child.
“Rom?” she asked. “Why were you with the earl?”
Romney continued walking towards the adjoining door that led into his sleeping chamber. “I went to talk to him.”
“What about?”
His brow furrowed. “I do not want to tell you,” he was grumpy, exhausted and emotional. “I wanted to talk to him and that is all.”
Gart found his soiled tunic and pulled it over his head. “That isnotall,” he said. “You will not speak to your mother with disrespect. She has asked you a question and you will answer her.”
Romney stood by the adjoining door, frowning. “But it is my business. Why do I have to tell her everything? Maybe it is a secret.”
Gart cocked an eyebrow at the stubborn lad and opened his mouth but Emberley stopped him.
“It is all right, Gart,” she said softly, her eyes on her son. “He is growing up, as you said. If he does not want to tell me all of his business, that is his choice. But I do want to make sure he did not bother the earl. You are not in trouble, are you?”
When Romney shook his head, Gart spoke up. “You did not try to rob him, did you?”
Romney shook his head more firmly. “I do not have my sword.”
Gart grunted, finding his boots and moving to sit on the bed to pull them on. “You did not have a sword and you robbed me quite adequately.”
Romney started to make a face at him but thought better of it. “I did not rob him,” he repeated, looking to his mother. “May I go to bed now, Mama?”
Emberley nodded. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”
Romney opened the adjoining door and passed into the dark room beyond, shutting the panel softly behind him. Emberley’sgaze lingered on the closed door a moment before turning to Gart.
“What do you suppose he was doing with the earl?” she asked softly.
Gart finished pulling on one boot and moved to pull on the other. “I would not know,” he replied, glancing at her over his shoulder. “But with the priest here, I would encourage you to get dressed. I am concerned as to why he has come.”
As Gart finished with his boot, Emberley crept up behind him and embraced him from behind, her head on his shoulder and her arms around his waist.
“If it is not good news, promise me that we will run,” she whispered. “We will run back to Trelystan to retrieve Orin, Brendt and Lacy, and then we will flee. I care not where we go, Gart, so long as we are together.”
He turned to face her, pulling her into his arms. “What about Rom’s inheritance?” he asked softly. “You were so concerned that the boy be given his due.”
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “It is more important that we are all together,” she whispered. “I put money and power over love and happiness and I should not have. Forgive me. Promise me that if the priest does not bring good news that we will flee tonight.”
He kissed her gently, holding her tightly against him. “I swear that we will never be apart,” he whispered, kissing her ear. “If that means we must flee tonight, then so be it. I love you, Em. Madly and deeply, I do. I swear I will do what is right and necessary so that we may be together always.”
She pulled back, smiling bravely for him as he kissed her once more. Then he released her and stood up.
