Fair Border Bride by Jen Black Page A

“Can you keep a secret, lads?”
    Cuddy looked at Lance, who did not hesitate. “Of course,” he said with a hint of a sneer.
    Alina bit her lip. “It’s hardly fair to involve them. Father has a swift temper, and he’ll whip them if he finds out they knew you were here and said nothing.”
    Harry shrugged. “But they know I’m here now, so what else can we do?” His blue eyes met hers. “Unless I go now, this minute.”
    “But it’s not safe, someone will see you!”
    “Then we don’t have much choice, do we?” His eyes crinkled with amusement, and his smile was warm.
    She did not like his logic, but could not argue with it.
    Lance stepped forward. “We can keep a secret.” His scowl dared his sister to contradict him. “And we’ve been whipped before. We know what it’s like. What’s the secret?”
    Cuddy, his eyes as round as those of an owl, nodded several times.
    An absurd rush of pride in them made Alina smile. “Good for you,” she whispered.
    Harry bent his long legs, slid down the doorjamb and sat in the sunshine. “Sit, lads, and let me tell you a story.”
    The two boys squatted in front of him, Cuddy’s thick brown hose stretched about his knees. Lance, stalwart as ever, sat and stared at Harry. Then Harry glanced her way and her brothers followed suit. All three were waiting for her.
    Lance frowned. “Sit, Ally.”
    In that strange way of children, they had somehow judged Harry and accepted him. They wanted to help. She wasn’t sure if it was wise to involve them, but after a swift glance around to see that they were unobserved, she sat, her back to the doorjamb and remained silent. She was as curious as they to hear whatever Harry decided to tell them.
    “You’ll laugh at this, lads,’ he began. ‘Remember my feelings and don’t laugh too loud. I rode out a couple of nights ago, and lost my way in the forest.” He gestured to the ravine behind them. “Then, to make things worse, I rode into a tree branch and cracked my skull. There, do ye see the bruise?” He pulled his hair back to show them the purple swelling on his forehead.
    Cuddy’s round hazel eyes widened. “Doth it hurt?” He only lisped when he was nervous, which wasn’t often.
    “Don’t be daft. Of course it hurts.” Lance wriggled as he turned to Harry. “Go on.”
    “It laid me out unconscious for the best part of the night. Bessie must have been going at a fair lick up the hill when I connected with the old oak tree by the stream.
    He hesitated.
    Alina met his swift, considering look. He hadn’t been able to remember the name of his mare yesterday, but now he had. He looked vaguely surprised, and shook his head as if to sort out whatever memories existed within his mind.
    A warm glow enveloped Alina as she watched him. He handled the boys well, in spite of his worries. Perhaps lack of memory meant no worries at all. Whichever it was, she found herself content to sit back and listen. His voice was mellow, and if her gaze lingered on his mouth, travelled now and then to his muscular throat, sometimes settled on his long limbs, why should it not?
    She liked the way he used his hands to help shape the picture he put together for her brothers, admired the way he sounded his words so clearly and in such contrast to the slurred speech around her every day. She could listen to him forever and never grow bored.
    Lance gazed out over the field. “But where—”
    “Bessie is hobbled further along the stream. Out of sight of prying eyes like yours,” Alina told him.
    They all looked at Harry.
    “So…there I was, sleeping like a baby when your sister found me next morning. Your father rode off after the raiders and she helped me into the stable. I’ve been asleep ever since.”
    Lance looked at her with mingled respect and puzzlement. “Why didn’t you bring him to the house?”
    “I couldn’t, Lance.” Already, away from her mother’s sharp ears, she heard herself echoing her brothers’ casual speech