Creston pointed out the back door. “Out there,” he said. “It will be near the stables. There is a small one, but that is for the women in the village and is kept much neater than the other one, so do not use it or the women will know. They sense these things.”
Brenton snorted. “I will avoid it, I promise.”
Before he could get away, Creston put his hand on his cousin’s arm. “Wait a moment,” he said quietly. Then he looked at Myles. “De Lohr, will you please go with him? I must speak to my wife about the events of last evening and I would like to do it alone.”
Brenton’s humor faded. “You’ve not told her about our discussion yet?”
Creston shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “She was asleep when I returned, and I did not feel like it was right to do so when she was so concerned about making a meal for you, so the time must be now, before the day grows any deeper.”
“Then do it quickly,” Brenton said, patting his cousin on the shoulder as he headed for the back door. “De Lohr, attend me. Let us get a good look at the infamous Blackchurch and see what mischief we can get into.”
Myles obediently followed him and the pair reached the rear door just about the time Ophelia was coming through. She was lugging a bucket of water and Brenton immediately grabbed it.
“Let me help you with this, Lady de Royans,” he said, carrying it back over to the table where the dirty dishes were. “Your husband should be doing this for you. If I were you, I would give him a good scolding.”
Ophelia wiped her hands off on an apron that was lying over a chair. “I may scold him about other things, but not this,” she said. “He is a very busy and important man. Did you not know that about him?”
Brenton chuckled as he headed for the door again. “She is the perfect wife, Cres,” he said. “She believes everything you tell her.”
Creston cocked an eyebrow. “But Iama very busy and important man,” he said. “It is time you learned that.”
He could hear his cousin laughing as the two men walked away. Ophelia peered at them, watching them head off.
“Where are they going?” she asked.
“To find the privy,” Creston said. “Thank you for the meal, sweetheart. It was much appreciated.”
She smiled modestly. “I hope it was good,” she said. “The cook gave me the chives and the garlic. Did it taste well enough?”
Creston nodded. “Delicious,” he said. “But may I make a suggestion?”
“I wish you would. Otherwise, I will not learn.”
He tried to be tactful. “Next time, mayhap a little less garlic would truly make the dish delicious,” he said. “I seem to remember the cook roasting the garlic once and then adding tiny pieces of it to the bread. Mayhap you can do the same thing with the eggs. Like rosemary, just a little garlic is probably better than too much.”
She seemed quite interested in his suggestion. “I will ask the cook how he roasts the garlic,” she said. “Mayhap he will have other suggestions where I can use it. In sauce?”
“Verily.”
“What about soup or porridge?”
“Soup, I am certain, but have you ever had garlic in porridge?”
She giggled and shook her head. “I have not,” she said. “On second thought, it does not sound very good.”
Creston shook his head firmly. “Nay, lass,” he said. “Nay.”
He dragged the last word out, long and low, and her laughter grew. He winked at her as she turned to the bucket of water with the intention of cleaning the bowls they’d used for the eggs. Ophelia’s mood was light, her heart was joyful, and she felt as if she were walking on clouds. Creston made everything brighter and sweeter. Even when he told her that she had used too much garlic, it was still sweet. But as she picked up one of the dirty bowls, something occurred to her.
“Why have you not gone to your recruits?” she asked. “The sun is up and the day has begun.”
He was sitting at the table, casually, one enormous arm draped over the back of the chair next to him. “I know,” he said. “Can a man not sit and watch his wife go about her chores?”
“Of course, you can,” she said as she rinsed out the bowl. “But who is with your recruits?”
“Two assistant trainers,” he said. “We are doing a few exercises this morning. I’ll join them in good time.”
She didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary with his explanation or the fact he was lingering around the cottage when he should have been teaching. “When do you think we can go into Bampton or another town and purchase some items for me to use in the kitchen?” she said. “We discussed it last night and I thought we would go this morning, but your cousin is here nowand we cannot go. Brenton seems very nice. Also, I have just noticed something.”
