truth, it may be Mistress Alice who suggested me for this mission. And once I am away up north she will distract you with a more suitable man. A nice, elderly knight who can provide for you.’
Tears swam in Mary’s pretty eyes, her lower lip trembled. ‘I do not want an elderly knight. I would hate that.’
‘People would consider such a man more suitable for you, Mary. Far better than a young spy with neither land nor title.’
Mary’s tears flowed freely now. She wiped them away angrily. ‘You must not go, Ned!’
‘I must, Mary. And it will not be the last time you must accept my absence. If we wed, you must reconcile yourself to a life of separations. As Lancaster’s man I shall often be called away. It is the nature of my work.’
Mary crossed her arms, stomped a pretty foot, hung her head.
Ned stood there stupidly, hands at his sides, wondering how to proceed. Suddenly, in the gathering quiet, he saw Mary shiver, heard a trembling intake of breath. In one stride he had her in his arms.
‘Mary, my dearest love,’ he whispered, ‘I shall return. Never doubt it. With you waiting for me, I could not do otherwise. And when I return we shall be wed.’
She looked up into his eyes. ‘But how long, Ned? How long must you be away?’
He squeezed her hard. ‘Oh, my sweetness, my love.’
Mary clung to Ned. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, fumbled with the clasp of her cloak, drew it off her, tilted her head back. Her tears had stopped. Her mouth parted. He kissed her hungrily. Soon he held her soft, naked body in his arms.
‘I am afraid,’ Mary whispered, pressing herself against him. ‘Oh, Ned, I am so afraid.’
‘You have nothing to fear, my love. I would never hurt you.’
*
Ned woke to the sound of someone quietly weeping. Disoriented, he glanced round, discovered Mary lying beside him with her hands over her eyes. ‘Mary, my love. I am not yet gone. Do not weep while we are so happy.’ He gathered her into his arms. ‘Do you not know how much I love you? Do you doubt that I shall return to you?’
She kissed his chin. ‘I do not doubt you, Ned.’
‘Then what is it?’
She did not answer at once. ‘I shall be so alone without you.’
‘And I without you, my love. But soon we shall be together always.’
‘But while you are gone, Ned. What about while you are gone? Am I strong enough to stand up to Mistress Alice and her ambitions for me?’
‘You have stood up to her so far, my love. I have not played your protector in this. She thinks it beneath her to speak to me.’
Mary sat up with a sigh. ‘I weary of butting heads with Mistress Alice.’
Ned pushed himself up on one elbow, touched a finger to Mary’s cheek, catching a tear on the tip of his finger. ‘You are a strong woman, Mary.’
She attempted a smile, with modest results. ‘Ned, my love. Are you certain that Daniel’s death was truly an accident?’
Ned fell back on to the pillows with a groan. That again! ‘You
know
I did not do it!’
‘No, no, please, Ned, what I mean is – well, do you believe it was an accident?’ She leaned over him, her hair caressing him. Her eyes did not smile now, nor did they weep. She was quite serious.
Ned wearied of Daniel, even in death. He put a hand over his eyes. ‘
I
don’t know, Mary. They said hedrowned. They accused me of murder. That is all I know for certain.’
Mary lay down facing him, propping her head up on one elbow. ‘Why would it have occurred to them to accuse you? Why did they not assume at once that it had been an accident? Folk drown all the time.’
‘It was because of our argument in the hall. I threatened him. Meaning naught by it, I swear. But I did threaten him – with the daggers.’
‘I have heard no talk of knife wounds,’ Mary said, ‘nor wounds of any sort.’ She grew quiet.
Ned stole a peek at Mary. She was biting her lip, deep in thought. ‘What is it?’
‘He did drown, didn’t he?’
‘I did not see his
Tears swam in Mary’s pretty eyes, her lower lip trembled. ‘I do not want an elderly knight. I would hate that.’
‘People would consider such a man more suitable for you, Mary. Far better than a young spy with neither land nor title.’
Mary’s tears flowed freely now. She wiped them away angrily. ‘You must not go, Ned!’
‘I must, Mary. And it will not be the last time you must accept my absence. If we wed, you must reconcile yourself to a life of separations. As Lancaster’s man I shall often be called away. It is the nature of my work.’
Mary crossed her arms, stomped a pretty foot, hung her head.
Ned stood there stupidly, hands at his sides, wondering how to proceed. Suddenly, in the gathering quiet, he saw Mary shiver, heard a trembling intake of breath. In one stride he had her in his arms.
‘Mary, my dearest love,’ he whispered, ‘I shall return. Never doubt it. With you waiting for me, I could not do otherwise. And when I return we shall be wed.’
She looked up into his eyes. ‘But how long, Ned? How long must you be away?’
He squeezed her hard. ‘Oh, my sweetness, my love.’
Mary clung to Ned. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, fumbled with the clasp of her cloak, drew it off her, tilted her head back. Her tears had stopped. Her mouth parted. He kissed her hungrily. Soon he held her soft, naked body in his arms.
‘I am afraid,’ Mary whispered, pressing herself against him. ‘Oh, Ned, I am so afraid.’
‘You have nothing to fear, my love. I would never hurt you.’
*
Ned woke to the sound of someone quietly weeping. Disoriented, he glanced round, discovered Mary lying beside him with her hands over her eyes. ‘Mary, my love. I am not yet gone. Do not weep while we are so happy.’ He gathered her into his arms. ‘Do you not know how much I love you? Do you doubt that I shall return to you?’
She kissed his chin. ‘I do not doubt you, Ned.’
‘Then what is it?’
She did not answer at once. ‘I shall be so alone without you.’
‘And I without you, my love. But soon we shall be together always.’
‘But while you are gone, Ned. What about while you are gone? Am I strong enough to stand up to Mistress Alice and her ambitions for me?’
‘You have stood up to her so far, my love. I have not played your protector in this. She thinks it beneath her to speak to me.’
Mary sat up with a sigh. ‘I weary of butting heads with Mistress Alice.’
Ned pushed himself up on one elbow, touched a finger to Mary’s cheek, catching a tear on the tip of his finger. ‘You are a strong woman, Mary.’
She attempted a smile, with modest results. ‘Ned, my love. Are you certain that Daniel’s death was truly an accident?’
Ned fell back on to the pillows with a groan. That again! ‘You
know
I did not do it!’
‘No, no, please, Ned, what I mean is – well, do you believe it was an accident?’ She leaned over him, her hair caressing him. Her eyes did not smile now, nor did they weep. She was quite serious.
Ned wearied of Daniel, even in death. He put a hand over his eyes. ‘
I
don’t know, Mary. They said hedrowned. They accused me of murder. That is all I know for certain.’
Mary lay down facing him, propping her head up on one elbow. ‘Why would it have occurred to them to accuse you? Why did they not assume at once that it had been an accident? Folk drown all the time.’
‘It was because of our argument in the hall. I threatened him. Meaning naught by it, I swear. But I did threaten him – with the daggers.’
‘I have heard no talk of knife wounds,’ Mary said, ‘nor wounds of any sort.’ She grew quiet.
Ned stole a peek at Mary. She was biting her lip, deep in thought. ‘What is it?’
‘He did drown, didn’t he?’
‘I did not see his
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