CHAPTER SIXTEEN
W hen Paige woke again, it was beyond midday and her stomach was tight with hunger. As she washed and headed down to the kitchens, Paige was hoping for a quiet, private meal.
Halfway there, she changed her mind.
It probably the best time to talk with Elijah. In the kitchens, she requested a basket, her eyes widening as they filled it with slivers of cold meat, cheeses, sweet baked morsels and spring ripe fruit.
“Thank ye,” she told the cook then headed out to the smithy.
A kind stableboy pointed her in the way, and she headed to the quaint, ashwood cottage with a slate roof at the other end of the property. The cow looked up from grazing with a low moo, then went back to its meal.
“Paige,” Elijah said, stepping out of the cottage while wiping his hands. “Or should I say, me lady .”
She rolled her eyes. “Ye were never one for formalities, cousin. There is nay need to start now.”
Chuckling, he gestured to her basket, “May I?”
Handing the basket over, she said. “Ye had such long hair. Why did ye cut it all off?”
Rubbing a hand over his head, Elijah said, “It was a good way to disguise meself.”
Stepping into the cottage, she looked around; it was neat, with a curtain separating the main room, sitting place and kitchen firepit, from the sleeping quarters. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat next to the small round table.
Elijah pulled a wineskin out and eye her, “Since when do ye drink spirits?”
“Since I came here,” Paige admitted, her gaze roaming over him, as if to convince herself he truly was alive. Her eyes trailed out the window to the wide, pastoral lands beyond the hut.
Her voice was quiet and hollow. “A part of me wants to believe father is innocent of what ye all told me, but I kenned it was senseless for a laird to invade his neighbors with nay reason.”
Elijah leaned on the table and folded his arms, his expression turning grave. “I had to run, Paige and I am sorry for the hurt I allowed ye to feel, but I couldnae send any word to ye or give ye a hint that I was alive. If I had, yer father would stop to nothin’ to silence me for good.”
She placed her palm over his work-worn hand. “I ken. I am simply overjoyed to ken ye are alive. I mourned ye, Elijah, I mourned how ye were cheated of a fulfillin’ life, one with a wife, and children and love.”
“I’ll find that, eventually,” he said while moving to unpack the basket. Slipping an eye to her, he asked. “Speakin’ of love, what do ye feel for our laird?”
She went red and he laughed. “Heavens, has he seduced ye already?”
“I wouldnae say that,” Paige muttered.
He handed her a platter and took his head. “I cannae imagine what ye felt when ye received the missive by the king to marry a man ye thought was yer worse enemy.”
She reached for a sliver of beef. “I felt as if me life was dyin’ before me eyes.” Paige admitted. “Everythin’ inside me wanted to hate him…”
“But?” Elijah prodded her.
Embarrassed, Paige admitted, “But when I got to ken him, I realize something was wrong. Nay one would answer me questions until Ruben took me to that room yestermornin’.”
“And now?” Elijah asked, “And now, what do ye feel?”
“I question what else father has lied to me about,” she dully. “I am afraid to find out what other evil things he has done.”
Brushing the breadcrumbs from his fingers, Elijah asked, “If ye do find out, do ye think ye can find it in yer heart to forgive him?”
“I suppose we’ll have to see,” she swallowed.
As she headed back to the castle, Paige deterred from the beaten path and wandered around to find patches of vegetables and her gardens.
A few of the healers, clad in their namesake grey, were working in the fields, but there was another there too. Norah was nestled in a patch of burdock, carefully pulling out the weeds.
Moving to her, she walked slowly so she would not startle, and when she looked up to see her, Paige came closer. “Did ye plant all these?”
“Aye,” Norah said, while pulling another weed. “T’is an easy distraction from the dullness that goes on day by day around here.”
Looking at the plants, Paige asked, “Would ye mind if I join ye?”
Struggling with a stubborn weed, Norah replied. “Even with the mats—” she looked to her left where a pile of cloth mats were stacked, “— ye’ll ruin yer pretty dress, me lady.”
“I can wash it out,” Paige said, as she took a mat, folded her skirts and kneeled. “Speakin’ of pretty dresses, a little girl at the orphanage admired a yellow gown I had worn there. I promised her I’d make her one just like mine.”
Norah’s head lifted and something—almost a bereft look—crossed her face, before she ducked her head and handed Paige a small spade. “Ye’ve been to the orphanage?”
“Aye,” Paige said. “Unfortunate little dears, are they nae? We had some orphanages back home and I used to visit with me maither, but after the war, Faither told me it was nae safe to go back there.”
Norah didn’t say anything which made Paige carefully considered her next words, “Aside from drawin’ and gardenin’, what else do ye like to do?”
“Nae much,” Norah said quietly.
Biting her tongue, Paige gently pushed, “Ruben told me about what happened to ye. Do ye think that even with all that… that perhaps ye will find any urge to regain some semblance of yer old life?”
Stilling her moves, Norah kept her head down, “What do ye mean?”
Tentatively, Paige pressed, “Maybe step out of the castle again, or attend a festival? Maybe find a man to love and who will love ye? How about?—”
“Nay,” Norah said sharply, while yanking up another root.
Quickly pulling from her approach, Paige said, “I apologize. I dinnae mean to push ye so hard. I cannae dare imagine what ye’ve been through?—”
“Nay one can,” Norah said sharply.
The girl's tone crackled with old hurt and Paige felt her soul clench with sorrow. She breathed in deeply, then asked, “I ken I cannae rewrite the past, but I want to help ye move from it. Will ye come with me to the orphanage? I think the children would like ye.”
Norah did not speak and focused only on jabbing the spade into the dark ground, yanking out rocks and pulling out roots with a vengeance.
Dropping her eyes to the plants before her, Paige allowed Norah all the time she needed to decide if she would reply. She did not speak for another about half an hour or so , but when she did, her voice was quiet.
“I used to go to the orphanage frequently,” Norah said. “I’d go at least three times a sennight. I was returnin’ to castle from there when I was abducted.”
The spade fell from Paige’s hand. “I am so sorry.”
“Nay need to be sorry,” Norah stood and took her basket of herbs with her.
Following her, Paige hoisted her basket as well and they both turned to the path leading to the kitchen. The clang of metal on metal was almost deafening as they moved towards the tiltyard. Paige’s steps faltered as she caught sight of Ruben.
He was shirtless this time as well.
To Norah she asked, “Do ye watch yer brother practice often?”
A shadow passed over Norah’s face before she answered. “Nay. I have seen him practice, and I have seen him fight more than once, but I abhor violence, and I hate death.”
Paige tilted her head towards the training men and admired Ruben as he wielded the weapon in his hand, an ax this time.
“I see ye are duly impressed,” Norah said.
“I’ve seen him fight before,” Paige said. “But not this close.”
She began to more to the men when Norah shook her head. “Nay. We cannae go over there,” she hissed. “We cannae disturb or interrupt their training. I daenae want to cause a fuss.”
Taking a long-lasting look to the large field where at least fifty men were in various stages of the mock battle. Ruben was moving through them, correcting some of the younger men.
They headed back to the castle, Paige waited until they were inside and heading up to the healing hall. They handed the baskets over the healers who hung the plants up to dry.
As she was about to leave the room, Paige beseeched Norah one last time. “I ken ye feel it is too painful for ye to go to orphanage, but I do think it might help ye to heal.”
“I cannae tell ye, me lady,” Norah said.
“Please daenae call me that,” Paige said. “Me lady, I mean. I daenae want to hear it from ye.”
“T’is only proper,” Norah frowned.
“Still,” Paige shook her head, “I’d prefer if ye dinnae.”
“Excuse me,” Norah muttered as she turned away.
Watching her go, Paige feared she might have done more harm than good. She feared that if Ruben found out about it—that he might never forgive her for it.
Stepping into his rooms, Ruben smelled vanilla oil and lavender soap. The soft steam coming from the bathing chamber, paired with the almost inaudible humming, drew him closer to the door.
Paige was in the tub, her head down on a table, a stark white chemise was on a chair next to it. He tried his best to avert his eyes but… well, he was a red-blooded man and did not deny himself for too long.
Stepping in, he came closer and saw her head lift as he was just inside the doorway. The water did not hide her lush, naked curves, how her generous bosom beckoned with each luscious rise and fall, their pomegranate tips calling to his tongue.
“Ruben—” she made to hide herself from him, clapping both hands over her breasts.
“Nay,” he shook his head. “Daenae hide yerself from me, lass.”
Pulling a chair to the side of the tub, he dipped his hand into the water and swirled it around before resting it on her knee. She still looked afraid but bore it bravely.
Reaching for a cloth, he soaped it and drew the cloth over her shoulders then dipped to her nipples, rousing them to taut peaks. He dragged the between her breasts and down her belly.
“How was yer day?” he asked. “Aside from spyin’ on me at the tiltyard, I mean.”
“I w-wasnae spyin’ on ye,” she said. “And it’s hard to think with ye doing that.”
He snorted, “If it’s hard to think now, ye will be lost when we bath together. Now, think back, little bird. What did ye do after I left ye this mornin’ in me bed?”
She took in a long breath. “I went to speak with Elijah. I had to make sure what happened last night was nae some feverish fit where I’d dreamed he was alive.”
“And ye saw he was,” Ruben said.
“Aye, alive and well,” she said. “We talked about why he had run and why he hadnae sent word to me. I understand now why he had to bide his time.”
His eyes flickered to hers. “And ye probably wondered what else yer father lied about.”
“Aye,” she said.
Leaning in, Ruben kissed her. “At least he willnae trick ye again.”
Paige fingered his damp hair, “Did ye take a bath?”
“I went swimmin’,” he said, getting to his feet. “Believe me or nae, it is a soothin’ exercise after a long day on the tiltyard.”
She shook her head. “Seems like more work to me.”
He snorted. “The fair Faither was talkin’ about is arrivin’ in the village two days from bow. Will ye want to go?”
“Aye,” Paige nodded. “I’d love to.”
“Good,” Ruben lifted her from the water, out of the tub and wrapped a waiting towel around her.
She frowned, “Is it custom for the laird to welcome a band of tumblers and jesters to yer village?”
“Nay,” he said. “I want ye to come with me because we’ll be overseein’ the orphans.”
“All the better,” Paige said. “Now, turn around so I can dress.”
His brows flew up. “Lass, I just saw ye naked and now ye want to be proper?”
Her chin went up again. “Aye.”