least he thought I was a boy.”
“Lucky sod. He must be blind,” Gregory muttered.
“What do—”
“There is an inn a ways ahead.”
Faye blinked at the rudeness of the interruption. She must have misheard him.
“We will stop at the inn for the night.”
“Why?” She had no knowledge of distance, but they had passed the tall, stone cairn that marked the border between Anglesea and Calder’s demesne a ways back and it could not be much farther.
“Our arrival in Upper Mere must be timed to attract the least notice. Calder has eyes in that town.”
Calder had eyes everywhere. Faye had learned that at her own peril once or twice. “Are you not afraid we will be recognized?”
“It is not the sort of inn I normally frequent” Color climbed his cheeks.
A hundred questions tumbled through her mind. “What sort of inn is it?”
He went redder and she laughed. He was so easy to tease at times. “The sort you should never enter.”
“I see.” That sounded interesting. The daughter of Sir Arthur of Anglesea was shielded from the common world and Calder had kept her guarded and confined.
They stopped to break their fast beside a stream. It was a lovely spot, the trees providing cool shade and the stream whispering a happy gurgle over the rocks. The weight in her chest lightened as she ate the bread and cheese.
Gregory gave her the largest portion of their meal. She pushed it back at him. A man his size needed a fair amount of feeding. He’d lost weight at the Abbey. His face was thinner, more defined, but the bulk of him beneath his robe was still impressive. He’d allowed his hair to grow, and it brushed his cowl in rich, sable curls. Who would have guessed Gregory to have curls? How they must gall him with their unruliness.
Faye tilted her face to catch the warmth of the sun.
As the day had worn on, Gregory’s silence lost its edge. He had even unbent enough to have brief conversations with her. The ground between them became more familiar for the last few miles. It had always been thus. For the most part, she spoke and he listened. Or the boys were with them demanding all the attention.
His gravity lightened around the boys. He laughed more and told them wonderful stories. Gregory had endless patience with them. Answering questions, guiding their youthful exuberance, like a real father. What would her life have been like with Gregory as her husband and father to her sons? There were times when she would pretend they were a family. The quiet caused her head to go places it had no place meandering. “Do you have a plan? When we get to Upper Mere.”
“Aye.” Of course he had a plan. Gregory did nothing without a plan.
A flock of sparrows argued noisily above their heads.
“We will need to be cautious.” He rose and washed his hands in the stream. “Calder is arrogant, but not stupid.”
That was true. She had banged her head against the wall of Calder’s conceit and come away bloodied. “He must know my father will act.”
“Aye.” He bent to clear up their meal. “But he will be expecting an attack to come from Anglesea. We will sneak in beneath his nose and, if we are fortunate, be gone before he knows we were there.”
“With Simon.”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps?” It took her a moment to register his meaning. There was no perhaps about it.
“We will see what we find.”
Faye’s belly tightened and she forced herself to calm her breathing. They would find Simon in the hands of the devil himself. “I am not leaving without my son.
“My lady, first we survey the situation.” He packed their provisions into the cart.
Faye gaped at his back. That was not at all why she went to Calder Castle. She wanted to yell the words at his broad back. A lady never yelled, however, she explained her point firmly but graciously. “This is my son we speak of.”
“We do not know what we will find at Calder Castle.”
“Simon, we will find Simon.”
“And Calder will be expecting
“Lucky sod. He must be blind,” Gregory muttered.
“What do—”
“There is an inn a ways ahead.”
Faye blinked at the rudeness of the interruption. She must have misheard him.
“We will stop at the inn for the night.”
“Why?” She had no knowledge of distance, but they had passed the tall, stone cairn that marked the border between Anglesea and Calder’s demesne a ways back and it could not be much farther.
“Our arrival in Upper Mere must be timed to attract the least notice. Calder has eyes in that town.”
Calder had eyes everywhere. Faye had learned that at her own peril once or twice. “Are you not afraid we will be recognized?”
“It is not the sort of inn I normally frequent” Color climbed his cheeks.
A hundred questions tumbled through her mind. “What sort of inn is it?”
He went redder and she laughed. He was so easy to tease at times. “The sort you should never enter.”
“I see.” That sounded interesting. The daughter of Sir Arthur of Anglesea was shielded from the common world and Calder had kept her guarded and confined.
They stopped to break their fast beside a stream. It was a lovely spot, the trees providing cool shade and the stream whispering a happy gurgle over the rocks. The weight in her chest lightened as she ate the bread and cheese.
Gregory gave her the largest portion of their meal. She pushed it back at him. A man his size needed a fair amount of feeding. He’d lost weight at the Abbey. His face was thinner, more defined, but the bulk of him beneath his robe was still impressive. He’d allowed his hair to grow, and it brushed his cowl in rich, sable curls. Who would have guessed Gregory to have curls? How they must gall him with their unruliness.
Faye tilted her face to catch the warmth of the sun.
As the day had worn on, Gregory’s silence lost its edge. He had even unbent enough to have brief conversations with her. The ground between them became more familiar for the last few miles. It had always been thus. For the most part, she spoke and he listened. Or the boys were with them demanding all the attention.
His gravity lightened around the boys. He laughed more and told them wonderful stories. Gregory had endless patience with them. Answering questions, guiding their youthful exuberance, like a real father. What would her life have been like with Gregory as her husband and father to her sons? There were times when she would pretend they were a family. The quiet caused her head to go places it had no place meandering. “Do you have a plan? When we get to Upper Mere.”
“Aye.” Of course he had a plan. Gregory did nothing without a plan.
A flock of sparrows argued noisily above their heads.
“We will need to be cautious.” He rose and washed his hands in the stream. “Calder is arrogant, but not stupid.”
That was true. She had banged her head against the wall of Calder’s conceit and come away bloodied. “He must know my father will act.”
“Aye.” He bent to clear up their meal. “But he will be expecting an attack to come from Anglesea. We will sneak in beneath his nose and, if we are fortunate, be gone before he knows we were there.”
“With Simon.”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps?” It took her a moment to register his meaning. There was no perhaps about it.
“We will see what we find.”
Faye’s belly tightened and she forced herself to calm her breathing. They would find Simon in the hands of the devil himself. “I am not leaving without my son.
“My lady, first we survey the situation.” He packed their provisions into the cart.
Faye gaped at his back. That was not at all why she went to Calder Castle. She wanted to yell the words at his broad back. A lady never yelled, however, she explained her point firmly but graciously. “This is my son we speak of.”
“We do not know what we will find at Calder Castle.”
“Simon, we will find Simon.”
“And Calder will be expecting
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