thought . . . I thought . . .â The man could not get out the words to explain what had happened. âI know not what happened.â
Rolfe stared at her and Thea wondered what heâd seen. She could not explain it, either, but it seemed as though something moved through her into Linne and stopped her from dying. But that was not possible. That would be . . .
Dangerous.
Women were thought to be in league with evil if things such as what had just happened were spoken about. Women were killed over such matters.
âI placed some herbs and bandages in as a packing, Linne,â she said quickly. A complete lie. âYou must rest until I return on the morrow to remove it. I would not want the bleeding to begin anew.â
âYou will rest, Linne,â Rolfe repeated. âI will not lose you.â It was an order given with such love that tears came to Theaâs eyes as she heard it.
Thea stood and shook out her gown, blood staining the front of it now.
âCan she feed the baby?â Rolfeâs mother, Hilde, asked from where she stood.
âAye,â Thea said, nodding at Hilde. âBut she mustremain abed until I return on the morrow.â Hilde crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. Thea knew that no one would disobey Hilde when she was in charge.
Thea tossed one of the lengths of cloth sheâd brought with her over her basket and walked to the door. It hid the fact that none of her rolls of bandages had been used. And that her herbs remained untouched.
She left and walked aimlessly up the path of the village. Her mind could not figure out what had happened. Well, she knew what had happenedâLinne had not died when she should have. But the how and why of it were the true mystery.
Thea thought on what had happened and realized that, for the first time after a birth or healing, she had not grown overheated. Usually by now, she was seeking out a cool place or the cold water to temper the increasing heat within her. Yet, just now, it was Linne who spoke of the heat.
What had happened to change this pattern?
Her talent for healing had always been strong. Though her mother taught her the way of it, Thea had gone on and learned how to do much, much more. Some treatments and concoctions just seemed the right thing to do or make, while others were learned through observation and trial. Her skills at delivering even the most difficult births and keeping both mother and child alive had put her much in demand.
And Jasper had hated her for it.
Heâd hated that she gained attention for being something other than his wife. Heâd hated that sheâdanswered every call, no matter the hour of day or night, refusing no one in need. Heâd grown to hate her. She shivered then as memories of his hatred rose from the place within where she tried to keep them.
The only good thing was that their marriage had only lasted for three years. Longer than that and Thea doubted not that she would be the one buried in the graveyard next to the church instead of Jasper.
Shaking off the past, she walked back toward her cottage, needing to change her gown and wash before the day was full upon her. When someone called out her name in greeting and she glanced up to reply, she saw Tolan on his way up to the keep. He walked with purpose, for he was an important man to Lord Geoffrey.
Important enough to accompany the nobleman on this recent journey. Indispensable to the success of the lordâs lands. Too important for a woman like her to marry. If she had not had her own reasons to avoid marriage already, then Tolanâs status and importance gave her additional ones.
Thea made quick work of changing out of the bloodied gown, washing the worst out of it and dressing in a clean one. With her basket and satchel filled, she felt ready to follow through on her plan, the one sheâd set for herself when Jasper died.
She would use her skills and talents for the
Rolfe stared at her and Thea wondered what heâd seen. She could not explain it, either, but it seemed as though something moved through her into Linne and stopped her from dying. But that was not possible. That would be . . .
Dangerous.
Women were thought to be in league with evil if things such as what had just happened were spoken about. Women were killed over such matters.
âI placed some herbs and bandages in as a packing, Linne,â she said quickly. A complete lie. âYou must rest until I return on the morrow to remove it. I would not want the bleeding to begin anew.â
âYou will rest, Linne,â Rolfe repeated. âI will not lose you.â It was an order given with such love that tears came to Theaâs eyes as she heard it.
Thea stood and shook out her gown, blood staining the front of it now.
âCan she feed the baby?â Rolfeâs mother, Hilde, asked from where she stood.
âAye,â Thea said, nodding at Hilde. âBut she mustremain abed until I return on the morrow.â Hilde crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. Thea knew that no one would disobey Hilde when she was in charge.
Thea tossed one of the lengths of cloth sheâd brought with her over her basket and walked to the door. It hid the fact that none of her rolls of bandages had been used. And that her herbs remained untouched.
She left and walked aimlessly up the path of the village. Her mind could not figure out what had happened. Well, she knew what had happenedâLinne had not died when she should have. But the how and why of it were the true mystery.
Thea thought on what had happened and realized that, for the first time after a birth or healing, she had not grown overheated. Usually by now, she was seeking out a cool place or the cold water to temper the increasing heat within her. Yet, just now, it was Linne who spoke of the heat.
What had happened to change this pattern?
Her talent for healing had always been strong. Though her mother taught her the way of it, Thea had gone on and learned how to do much, much more. Some treatments and concoctions just seemed the right thing to do or make, while others were learned through observation and trial. Her skills at delivering even the most difficult births and keeping both mother and child alive had put her much in demand.
And Jasper had hated her for it.
Heâd hated that she gained attention for being something other than his wife. Heâd hated that sheâdanswered every call, no matter the hour of day or night, refusing no one in need. Heâd grown to hate her. She shivered then as memories of his hatred rose from the place within where she tried to keep them.
The only good thing was that their marriage had only lasted for three years. Longer than that and Thea doubted not that she would be the one buried in the graveyard next to the church instead of Jasper.
Shaking off the past, she walked back toward her cottage, needing to change her gown and wash before the day was full upon her. When someone called out her name in greeting and she glanced up to reply, she saw Tolan on his way up to the keep. He walked with purpose, for he was an important man to Lord Geoffrey.
Important enough to accompany the nobleman on this recent journey. Indispensable to the success of the lordâs lands. Too important for a woman like her to marry. If she had not had her own reasons to avoid marriage already, then Tolanâs status and importance gave her additional ones.
Thea made quick work of changing out of the bloodied gown, washing the worst out of it and dressing in a clean one. With her basket and satchel filled, she felt ready to follow through on her plan, the one sheâd set for herself when Jasper died.
She would use her skills and talents for the
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