He only nodded. A ball hit his foot, and he kicked it back to its eager owner. ‘Thank you for being there yesterday when I couldn’t.’
‘Of course.’
They turned and began walking slowly up the busy street, their arms bumping occasionally.
‘Your shop seems busy,’ Astin said, ‘but not with people buying cloth.’
‘It’s been that way since yesterday.’
His gaze flicked to her. ‘If only the borough had an almshouse.’
She smiled at her feet. ‘If only.’ Up ahead, she saw Presley had caught the bull and was now securing him to the back of their wagon. ‘Seems he prefers your sister.’
‘Don’t take it personally. Even the bravest of bulls wouldn’t take on my sister right now.’
Her eyes went to Rose, who was playing gameball with the other children on the street.
‘How is Rose doing?’ Lyndal asked. ‘So much for her little mind to grapple.’
‘Luckily we breed them tough in the farming borough.’ He stopped and turned to her. ‘I’m going to stay with them for a while, help with the farm.’
Lyndal could hardly believe what she was hearing. ‘Surely the warden won’t discharge you for punching the king while those responsible for his death walk free.’
‘No. He was prepared to let that slide given the circumstances. It’s just that my family need me more right now.’ He glanced at Presley, who was pretending not to watch them.
‘That’s very admirable.’ So why did her stomach feel heavy all of a sudden?
‘I want to offer my services to you also.’
‘Your services?’
‘Yes. My time and labour for the building of one much-needed almshouse.’
As if she needed more reasons to worship at his feet.
Her eyes creased at the corners. ‘I thought I should wait awhile before hassling Queen Fayre about that. She’s had a bit of a week. But I’ll hold you to your offer.’
His eyes went to the veranda, where Candace was watching them. ‘Nothing quite like an audience when you’re struggling to get words out.’
‘What words are you struggling to get out?’ There was an embarrassing amount of hope in her voice.
His hands went to rest on his hips. ‘I meant what I said in the tower. I love you.’ He swallowed, then cleared his throat. ‘In a perilous sort of way.’
‘The kind of way that makes sensible bodyguards punch the kings they’re duty bound to protect in the face?’
His lips curled up. ‘Yes.’ He paused. ‘Now that your plans with the king are dashed, I wonder if we might keep seeing one another—once life returns to some semblance of normal.’
She chewed her lip and watched the game for a few moments. ‘It probably doesn’t mean much now, but I lied to you the day you asked me why I changed my mind.’
A nod. ‘I thought about that a lot. I couldn’t figure out what she would have said that would have you lying to my face. It wasn’t until I was locked in that tower that I realised what she threatened you with—me.’
Her eyes met his.
‘The crazy things we do to protect the people we love,’ he said. ‘All I could think about while watching those flames grow higher was that I should have built you that damn almshouse a year ago and asked you to marry me before you went to Eldon Castle.’
She reminded herself to breathe. ‘I probably would have said no.’
‘A smart man would keep asking.’
