Page 47

He’d never known his mother to be callous, and yet she spoke of Freya traveling, without sleep, without him, as if there were no dangers. “Who will she procure? How could you be so unaffected by this news? Thomas had no knowledge of why those reivers had been emboldened to attack, only that he happened upon them attempting to make their way into the outer gates. They chased them away but, realizing their numbers were much greater, the reivers doubled back to attack.”

“You worry for Freya’s safety,” his mother said so calmly Rory wondered if someone had taken over her body while they’d been gone.

“Worry for her . . .” Rory looked at the parchment again. “How long ago did she leave? I’ve been with Thomas for some time.” His stomach sank. “Before that, I went to see Father Simon. If she left directly after we spoke . . .” Rory began to worry in truth. “If she went directly to the village to ask for escort, she would have been sent to the Riley brothers. One look at the ring Freya brought with her and they would not hesitate. They are likely well on their way already.”

“Hmm,” his mother said. “I believe I did make mention of the Riley brothers, in fact. We’d been discussing the hiring of mercenaries, and I told her there were few at Bristol that could be called such.”

“No,” he said, imagining either of those bastard brothers with Freya. They would not hurt her, and would see her safely delivered. But both would be just as likely to propose marriage the moment they spied her. “No, she will not go with them, with anyone. I spoke to Father Simon.” His eyes locked with his mother’s. “He agreed to marry us.”

His mother looked at Rory as she had when he was a child. “But has she agreed to marry you, Rory? Your father told me of his decision.”

“She did,” he began. And then froze, understanding finally dawning. “You would never so easily allow Freya to travel alone with either of the Riley brothers, Mother. You would not allow her to leave,” he realized. His mother was attempting to show Rory he cared for her. But he knew as much already.

“Nay,” she admitted. “I would not.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

His mother shrugged. “With the Riley brothers, most like.”

“But you said—”

“You asked if I would so easily allow her travel with them. Without you. And I would not. But neither did I realize her intent until just now. Fergus really did make mention of his discussion with Mary about the ‘beautiful woman,’ who I assume was Freya.”

“So she has gone?”

“Aye.”

“But you’d not allow it?” Frustrated and confused, he tried to put his thoughts in order.

“Nay, I would not.”

“Because you thought to stop her?”

“No, my son. I thought to tell you.”

And I would stop her.

Rory could not breathe easily. Would not until Freya was safe. He turned and began to run away from Thomas’s chamber. Before turning the corner, Rory stopped and glanced back to his mother where she still stood, watching him.

How did you know I would stop her?

He did not ask the question aloud, but it was there, between them, nonetheless.

His mother smiled. She knew because she knew him. Had met Freya. And had once fallen in love too. She had seen the signs of it when he had not. Unlike him, his mother’s heart had not been scarred, blinding her to the truth.

That he loved her. And that Freya was most assuredly not leaving Bristol.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“Are you looking for Sir Rory?”

Freya spun toward the woman’s voice. It was her, the same one who’d been watching Freya since the moment she arrived.

“I am,” she admitted. Having made her way to Bristol’s village, Freya had found the brothers she’d been told could be hired for escort. But before she could speak to them, a knight walked past with the same gait as Freya’s father. He was older, greyer, but stood tall and strode confidently in full armor. Freya knew not where the man was going, or who he was, but so many memories flooded back to her in that moment.

The last time she’d seen her father’s face.

Him lifting her into the saddle before she could do so by herself.