Sedgewick in the company of her new guardian and Sir Robert Burnell. I trust you treated the king’s messenger properly?”
“Nay,” Hastings said. “I kicked him in the shin, wept On nis snirt when he said he was taking Eloise, and fed him a potion to make him fall in love with Edgar the wolfhound.”
He laughed. Perhaps before he would not have laughed. perhaps before he would have drawn up tight as a bow, but not now. “l am sorry jf you will miss the child. What did you think of her guardian? Gwent said she was the widow of a Sir Mark Outbraith, a man to whom the kin™ owecj a favor. Her name is Lady Marjorie?”
“Aye, that’s the long and short of it. I was jealous, Severjn Eloise went to her immediately, left me as if I were naught but a slUg to crawi along the ground.” Hastings sighed.
“Aye, I can see that, but you will have y0ur own babe Soon Hast_ ings. In nine months.”
She thought of his seed, deep within her. She turned red, ^e laughed. She cleared her throat and said, “That is what Sir Robert Burnell said but I do miss her, Severin. She was still thin. Lady Marj0rie acted as though I had starved her.”
He rose from the trestle table, reached do^n so that Trist cou^ eas_ ily climb up his arm, then said close to her ear, “I must practice with my men now, then Gwent wants me to go over the steward’s reCords That is why I left you this morning. If I had stayed, naught of anyt^g woui(j have been accomplished. Ah, but Hastings, after our meal, I c^ teach you something more about pleasure. There are many ways to reacn the goai Would you like that?”
She lowered her head. “Perhaps, but I might be too tire