sleeping in the stables.
Unfortunately, the innkeeper was already up and about, preparing the room for the morning meal. He eyed Nathan as he entered and frowned. “Everything all right there, Mr. Lancaster?”
Nathan forced a grimace. “I suppose that all depends on what you call ‘all right’.”
“Was the room not to your liking?”
He shook his head, leaning against a chair. “No, the room was fine. It was the… Well, my wife, you see… She is…” He was not about to say anything against Moira, but he could not see how to finish the thought.
The innkeeper chuckled good-naturedly. “I understand, sir. Haven’t slept in the same room as my wife since our son was born, and I have slept like a baby ever since.” He grinned up at him, and Nathan tried to return it, but it was very forced.
He would have to tell Moira about this, and what people thought of her. Well, of Margaret, he supposed. They did not know Moira. He hardly did, either, but he liked what he did. Most of the time, anyway.
“But why did you not come to see me, sir?” the man asked, stuffing his rag into the apron he wore. “I would have been glad to set you up in another room.”
Nathan shrugged. “The money all comes from her, I am afraid.”
The innkeeper and the few other men in the room laughed. “Ah, the nature of marriage, eh? Chin up, sir. You’ll survive her.”
They all laughed harder, but Nathan failed to see the humor in the statement.
“Well, is there anything I can do to help you before you have to return to your shrew, Mr. Lancaster?” the innkeeper asked with a slap on the back, and smiling at the general chuckles of their companions.
Nathan would really have loved to start a brawl so that he could lay his hands on every one of them without looking like a crazed animal, but it was hardly called for, considering they were to leave soon. It would hinder their efforts to come and go from place to place without leaving much of an impression.
He sighed, more for their benefit than his. “I suppose just a tray of food will do. Maybe I can speed her along, but I doubt it.”
Again, laughter filled the room and the innkeeper waved for a maid to bring him a tray. “Alas, Mr. Lancaster, I don’t know of any way to speed a woman up. Not ones that is proper, at any rate.” He gave a guffaw of a laugh and gave the tray to Nathan. “But try feeding her, sir. That may just do the trick yet.”
“Thank you,” Nathan muttered, his patience wearing thin. He nodded to the group and headed up the stairs to the room, still fuming.
There could not be a single woman in the world that deserved a husband who thought so badly of her. When all of this was over, he was going to have a serious talk with Derek about it. Surely even Katherine had redeemable qualities, something positive he could talk about instead of how much he despised her. He thought of his own encounters with Katherine and shuddered.
Then again, perhaps there was one exception after all.
He knocked quietly at the door, and heard the soft “Come in” from within.
The sight that met him almost knocked him flat. Moira was by the window, wearing her dress from the day before, but looking remarkably refreshed after their talk in the night. What was startling was her hair. She had not put it up yet, so the long copper locks fell in waves across her shoulders and ended halfway down her back. It shimmered in the morning light as if it were a river of precious metal cascading along her body. He honestly could not have said if he had ever seen anything lovelier, let alone anything like it.
She smiled warmly at him and he felt another wave of shock from it. She was beautiful. He had known that, but perhaps never more so until this moment.
“Good morning, husband,” she said cheerfully, eying the still open door meaningfully.
It took Nathan more than a moment to recover from hearing her call him ‘husband’ when she was looking like that, but he soon did. “Good
Unfortunately, the innkeeper was already up and about, preparing the room for the morning meal. He eyed Nathan as he entered and frowned. “Everything all right there, Mr. Lancaster?”
Nathan forced a grimace. “I suppose that all depends on what you call ‘all right’.”
“Was the room not to your liking?”
He shook his head, leaning against a chair. “No, the room was fine. It was the… Well, my wife, you see… She is…” He was not about to say anything against Moira, but he could not see how to finish the thought.
The innkeeper chuckled good-naturedly. “I understand, sir. Haven’t slept in the same room as my wife since our son was born, and I have slept like a baby ever since.” He grinned up at him, and Nathan tried to return it, but it was very forced.
He would have to tell Moira about this, and what people thought of her. Well, of Margaret, he supposed. They did not know Moira. He hardly did, either, but he liked what he did. Most of the time, anyway.
“But why did you not come to see me, sir?” the man asked, stuffing his rag into the apron he wore. “I would have been glad to set you up in another room.”
Nathan shrugged. “The money all comes from her, I am afraid.”
The innkeeper and the few other men in the room laughed. “Ah, the nature of marriage, eh? Chin up, sir. You’ll survive her.”
They all laughed harder, but Nathan failed to see the humor in the statement.
“Well, is there anything I can do to help you before you have to return to your shrew, Mr. Lancaster?” the innkeeper asked with a slap on the back, and smiling at the general chuckles of their companions.
Nathan would really have loved to start a brawl so that he could lay his hands on every one of them without looking like a crazed animal, but it was hardly called for, considering they were to leave soon. It would hinder their efforts to come and go from place to place without leaving much of an impression.
He sighed, more for their benefit than his. “I suppose just a tray of food will do. Maybe I can speed her along, but I doubt it.”
Again, laughter filled the room and the innkeeper waved for a maid to bring him a tray. “Alas, Mr. Lancaster, I don’t know of any way to speed a woman up. Not ones that is proper, at any rate.” He gave a guffaw of a laugh and gave the tray to Nathan. “But try feeding her, sir. That may just do the trick yet.”
“Thank you,” Nathan muttered, his patience wearing thin. He nodded to the group and headed up the stairs to the room, still fuming.
There could not be a single woman in the world that deserved a husband who thought so badly of her. When all of this was over, he was going to have a serious talk with Derek about it. Surely even Katherine had redeemable qualities, something positive he could talk about instead of how much he despised her. He thought of his own encounters with Katherine and shuddered.
Then again, perhaps there was one exception after all.
He knocked quietly at the door, and heard the soft “Come in” from within.
The sight that met him almost knocked him flat. Moira was by the window, wearing her dress from the day before, but looking remarkably refreshed after their talk in the night. What was startling was her hair. She had not put it up yet, so the long copper locks fell in waves across her shoulders and ended halfway down her back. It shimmered in the morning light as if it were a river of precious metal cascading along her body. He honestly could not have said if he had ever seen anything lovelier, let alone anything like it.
She smiled warmly at him and he felt another wave of shock from it. She was beautiful. He had known that, but perhaps never more so until this moment.
“Good morning, husband,” she said cheerfully, eying the still open door meaningfully.
It took Nathan more than a moment to recover from hearing her call him ‘husband’ when she was looking like that, but he soon did. “Good
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