Page 28 of The Forsaken (Echoes from the Past #4)

TWENTY-ONE

By the time Kate returned to the inn, Hugh was back, pacing impatiently in the dooryard. He stilled when he saw her, and gave her an elaborate bow. “My lady, I have concluded my business with your father earlier than I expected,” he said by way of explanation. “I’m ready to leave, if you are.”

Kate nodded. She had no belongings save her rosary, so all she had to do was mount her horse and follow Hugh. He, however, had something in his possession that he hadn’t had before. He stowed a silver coffer in his saddlebag, tied it securely, then turned to help Kate mount.

“What is that?” Kate asked, jutting her chin toward the small casket.

Hugh’s eyes blazed and an angry blush stained his cheeks. He didn’t immediately reply, but then looked at Kate, his stance defiant, and said, “That’s your dowry.”

“Really? Has my father sanctioned the marriage?” Kate asked. The notion of being forgiven by her father and accepted back into the family was overwhelming, but Hugh quickly dashed her hopes.

“No. He relinquished the dowry on the condition that neither one of us ever sets foot at the Grange again.”

Kate felt the prickle of tears but said nothing.

Why was her father so angry? Hugh might not be his choice for his only daughter, but surely, if her father loved her, he could come to accept this union, even if Hugh was a Lancastrian.

King Edward was victorious and well-liked.

Hugh would have to accept the new king whether he wished to or not, so his politics were no longer relevant.

Hugh de Rosel wasn’t wealthy in his own right, or titled, but he was still young and his fortunes could change.

Did it really not pain her father at all to lose her, or had he steeled himself to losing her when she entered the convent and no longer held her in his heart as he had when she was a little girl?

Kate sighed and followed Hugh out of the dooryard and toward the northbound road. She was setting off on a new life, but she felt no frisson of excitement or flurry of hope. She felt frightened and depressed, and the thunderous countenance of her new lord did nothing to lift her spirits.

Thankfully, Hugh’s sour mood didn’t last long.

The sun had come out and a gentle April breeze caressed their faces as they traveled north.

The trees were already in leaf, the juicy green of new foliage bright against the brilliant blue sky.

Birdsong filled the air, and the sun on their shoulders was warm enough to make the ride more pleasant.

Hugh held the reins in one hand and patted his horse’s neck with the other, softly promising the mare a treat once they got home.

“I think my lady might be ready for a treat as well,” he said, smiling at Kate. “Shall we stop in the next village? It’s just over that hill.”

“Yes, please.”

Kate was glad when they reached the village and found a tavern.

She was hungry and needed to answer the call of nature.

By the time she returned from the privy, Hugh had ordered a hearty meal and a jug of ale to wash it down with.

He seemed in good spirits and eager to talk, so Kate seized on his jubilant mood in an effort to draw him out.

“Hugh, may I ask you a question?”

“You may ask me anything you like, my dear.” Hugh drained his cup of ale and refilled it. The stew he’d ordered was hot and fresh, and accompanied by a loaf of crusty bread straight from the oven. Hugh took a spoonful and sighed with contentment. He was a happy man.

“How old are you? ”

“I’ll be seven and twenty in July.”

Kate lowered her gaze to her stew. There were things she wished to ask, but she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject in a way that wouldn’t anger Hugh.

At his age, most men were either married or widowed, but she didn’t get the impression that Hugh had been married before.

He seemed devoted to his brothers, but there was something remote and private about his demeanor.

“A lone wolf,” her mother would have called him.

“You’re wondering why I’m not wed,” Hugh said. He tore off a chunk of bread and used it to soak up the gravy from his bowl.

“Yes, I am,” Kate admitted.

Hugh finished his meal and leaned back in his chair, looking for all the world like a man at peace with himself.

“After I was knighted—that was nearly five years ago now—William, being the head of the family, arranged a marriage for me with Eleanor’s sister.

Our fathers were distant kin, so we’d known Eleanor and Faye all our lives.

We were to marry once Faye turned sixteen.

Her father was very fond of her, and didn’t wish to part with her too soon, especially since Eleanor was already wed and with child, and his wife had died the year before. ”

“Did you marry?” Kate asked.

Hugh shook his head. “Faye loved to ride and went out nearly every morning. A few weeks before the wedding was to take place, she tripped while in the stables. One of the stable boys had left a pitchfork on the ground and she didn’t notice it beneath the straw.

She grabbed onto a post to steady herself and cut her hand on a nail.

It wasn’t a deep cut and should have healed in a few days, but it festered.

I fetched a physician from Newcastle, but the infection had spread quickly.

She died within a week. Toward the end she was so delirious, she didn’t recognize anyone, not even Eleanor.

The day after Faye died, Eleanor’s pains started.

It was too soon and William feared she’d lose the babe, but Adam arrived safe and sound. ”

“Poor girl,” Kate breathed. “Did you love her?” Hugh had spoken of Faye with affection, which led Kate to believe that he’d wished to marry her and hadn’t simply been complying with his brother’s wishes.

“I cared deeply about her. I’d known her all my life,” Hugh replied. “Marriage to Faye would have been no hardship. She was a sweet and obedient girl.”

“And did she love you?” Kate asked. She knew she was prying, but couldn’t help herself. She supposed she was wondering if Hugh was worthy of a woman’s love.

Hugh smiled wryly and reached for his cup of ale. “She loved Guy.”

“Did you not mind?”

“Faye and Guy were close in age, whereas I must have always seemed older and more intimidating. It was only natural that she felt more at ease with him, but Guy was too young to marry, and it was William’s wish that I marry Faye.

We would have got on fine in the end.” Hugh glanced toward the window.

“It’s well past noon. We’d best be on our way if we want to get home before dark. Are you finished?”

“Yes. Thank you. It was delicious.”

“Nothing like a good meal to lift the spirits, eh?”

Hugh paid for their meal and they headed outside into the sunshine. Kate was about to mount her horse when Hugh turned her to face him. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, smiling into her eyes. “We’ll get on fine, you and I. You’ll see. I’ll give you no cause to regret marrying me.”

I hope I can say the same , Kate thought as she forced herself to smile back.