“Aye,” she answered.
“Bring Elias with you, please.”
“Pardon, Richard?” she and Elias both asked.
Her husband stopped what he was doing and looked up. “Bring Elias with you. Bertram could be roaming around here—”
“Bertram canna hurt her with his injured arm,” Elias countered with a worried expression.
“No, but his companions could,” Richard argued. “Lily needs protection, lad. There is no one else here who can protect her from Bertram but you. And now that I think of it, she should learn how to protect herself for when you leave.”
Elias avoided everyone’s gaze. When was he leaving? Now Richard wanted him to teach her how to fight? That would take time.
“Will you do it, Elias?” Richard asked. “For Lily.”
Lily hated to admit it, but Richard was correct. She did need protection against Bertram and his cronies and she was beginning to take offense to Elias’ refusal to help her.
She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him until he looked at her. “Are you coming?”
“Aye,” he relented and went to her.
They walked together toward the road with Elias looking back once at Simon.
“Why do you hate me?” she finally asked him.
He looked up from his boots. “I dinna hate ye.”
“You dislike me then.”
“Nae,” he bit out, avoiding her gaze once again.
“Then what is it?” she pressed. She hated herself for caring what a stranger thought of her. But he’d saved Richard. He’d saved her. “You smile and offer your arm to Agnes but you do not wish to be anywhere near me. You barely even look at me. You often hide behind your lashes and –”
She hadn’t meant to mention his lashes. Why couldn’t she have just bitten off her tongue instead? But it was the truth! He’d barely looked at her and when he did—she blinked and stopped thinking as her heart hit a high, massive, impenetrable wall.
He fancied her! Was it true? Could it be true? She wanted to ask him. Why? What would he do if it was? He’d have to leave Sevenoaks. Oh, she thought learning of the plague was the single most catastrophic moment in her life. She was wrong. He had to leave, and she didn’t want him to go.
“Lily, I…” he began, pulling her up from the depths. “I know my place, and I will keep it. Yer husband is my friend.”
She wanted to tell him he had to go, but she agreed with him instead. “Aye,” she agreed on a slightly shaky breath.
He’d just confirmed her suspicions. He liked her, but Richard was his friend and he knew his place. He wasn’t leaving. She was so glad. So glad. And at the same time, it would be difficult living with him for however long he remained.
A mist washed across her eyes and then was gone.
She had never kissed a man—not with passion.Stop it!she admonished herself.
“Lass,” he said in his deep, smooth voice. “Would ye prefer I leave?”
What would her reply mean? What should she say? “You should leave. Aye. But Richard needs you and Simon here.”
She hoped it was enough for him to stay but she didn’t want to encourage him to do what was wrong. “You are both a great help to him and, with that help, we will find something to fight this Black Death.”
“Aye,” he agreed quietly. They walked a little more and then he turned to her. “Ye are verra brave to stand up to Bertram.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Foolish.”
“Nae, lass,” he insisted with a slight curve of his lips. “Confident.”