“Dress yourself, Hastings. I will not tell you again.”
Why did he care? She pulled back the covers only to realize that she was quite naked. Her eyes flew to his. She grabbed the covers and jerked them to her neck.
He sighed and turned on his heel, saying over his shoulder, “I will , see you in the hall. You will break your fast before we leave.”
Why would he take off her clothes if he was besotted now with Marjorie?
The Healer lightly pressed her fingertips against the wound. Her head was back, her eyes closed.
“Well? “Severin said.
“Oh, you are still here, my lord?” The Healer turned and gave him a sour look. “I do not like you in my cottage. You are too big. Like most men, you take up too much room. My poor Alfred must remain outside whilst you are here. Now, take Hastings home. She is fit. The wound
has healed very nicely. If it pleases her, you can play your games with her again. As I have told Hastings, these games are not to my liking, but she is young and does not know better. Aye, take her away from here.”
“The babe is well?”
“The babe is resting comfortably. Worry not. Men never worry about the babes in their wives’ wombs. They care only when a boy is produced. All this worry-it might be a girl, my lord, then you would have wasted all this concern.”
“You are wrong, Healer,” he said. He leaned down and straightened Hastings’s shift and gown. He offered her his hand. “Come, let us go home.”
When Severin was ready to lift her onto Marella’s back, Hastings said, “Oh, I am sorry. I must ask the Healer a question. I will return shortly, Severin.”
He waited for her outside the cottage, staring at Alfred, who was sitting in the center of a pool of sunlight, lazily bathing himself.
“Healer, it was the woman Marjorie who gave Severin the potion. She drank of it, then handed it to him, and he drank as well, all the while they were looking at each other.”
“You have ruined this royally, Hastings. By Saint Ethelbert’s teeth, you have just given your husband to another woman.”
“You are certain that the potion will result in their loving each other?”
“Naturally I am certain. Ah, Hastings, I should strangle you for your carelessness. She stole the potion, didn’t she? Nay, don’t bother to make excuses. Well, it is over for you. Even when you get her back at Sedgewick, he will follow her there. He will be unable not to. I am sorry, Hastings.” She turned away from Hastings, shaking her head even as she began to stir the pot over the fire.
“What did you want from the Healer?” Severin asked.
Hastings didn’t realize that tears were pooling in her eyes.
“You are very pale, Hastings. Damnation, you are crying. What is wrong? Is it the babe?”
*|*
She couldn’t speak. She shook her head, letting him help her onto Marella’s back. “It is nothing, Severin. Nothing at all.”
It was late that afternoon when Marjorie found her. She hadn’t truly been hiding from her, but the spinning shed had become her refuge in but two short days.
“Hastings, aye, I see you are here. Many wonder where you are. I simply said that you were still embarrassed from your humiliation the past two evenings. Everyone understood that. All hope you are duly chastised.” She laughed as she lightly stroked her fingers over some newly spun wool, a coarse gray to be sewn into tunics and gowns for the castle servants.
“What do you want, Marjorie?”
“Nothing, really. Did you see Severin? He and I took some bread and cheese and wine to the beach. It is a lovely day, the sun bright, the sea a vivid blue. We much enjoyed ourselves, but you knew that would happen.”
Hastings felt a bolt of pain in her belly.
“I will not be returning to Sedgewick, Hastings.”
>*& **r
It was too much. Hastings rose slowly from her stool, handing the spindle back to Mara the spinner. She left the weaving shed, Marjorie behind her.