“Brother Simon,” Elias tried to stop him. “I think we should be gettin’ back to the shop. Richard needs us.”
“Aye,” his soon-to-be friend-no-more said, “but I’m sure another moment or two will not hurt.”
It would hurt Simon!
“I do not mind answering,” Lily told Simon, dipping her chin to her chest while her gaze fell back to Elias. “I am a score and one.”
“And your husband?” Simon pushed.
Elias wanted to strike him. Did one go to hell for striking a man of God?
“He is sixty and eight.”
Simon cringed and Elias sat back onto the bed, more stunned than he thought he would be.
“Why were you bound to an old man?”
Elias closed his eyes and ran his hand down his face. “Simon, must ye—”
“I once belonged to a man named Bertram Chisholm, a relative on his Scot’s mother’s side, or was it his English father’s side?” She threw up her hands not sure which it was. “To the Bishop of Oxford, Louis Edmundson.”
Elias stopped her by putting the tips of his fingers to her arm. “What do ye mean ye belonged to him? Ye were his wife?”
She shook her head no. “He took me from my father while we visited the market in Hastings. I was ten and two.”
Elias listened with a dark scowl and fury twisting his belly.
“Did he do the worst to you, lass?” Simon asked.
Elias buried his head in his hands.
“No,” she answered coolly and on the barest whisper.
Elias almost didn’t hear her and lifted his head.
“By God’s divine grace, Bertram suffered a terrible wound to his nethers. It did not kill him, but it made him angry…very angry at me.”
Elias wanted to sink even lower or bound up off the bed and gather her in his arms and comfort her, though she didn’t seem to need comforting.
“Lily” Simon said, “I was once a slave, beaten often by my master until Eli’s father saved me. I truly understand some of your horrors. How did you escape him?”
“We came here two years ago and the people of the village saw that I was a mistreated slave. They tried to help me but he wounded many of them.
“My father was an apothecary like Richard. It made Richard and me friends, for he reminded me of my father. Against Bertram’s orders not to, I escaped his overseeing eyes at night and helped Richard tend to the people Bertram had hurt. I pleaded with them not to test Bertram further. But Richard did not give up. He brought Father Benedict to my door in the dead of night and married me there and then. Then he threatened to get the church and the bishop after Bertram if he harassed us any further. The beast finally left me alone. He soon became bored of being here, and left without a word.”
“And ye stayed with Richard,” Elias said, not realizing he’d spoken aloud until she looked at him.
“What would you have done, Mr. MacPherson?”
“Elias, please,” he insisted with a swallow. “In truth, I dinna know what I would have done. I could only hope that I would remain, but I have never had to make such a decision, so I dinna know fer certain. But I will tell ye this, lass, ye are more worthy of heaven than anyone I know.” As if he’d just realized how utterly pitiful he sounded, he coughed into his hand. He caught Simon staring at him, slack jawed. “What I mean is—”
“Thank you,” she said meaningfully. “That is very kind to my ears.”
“Aye, to mine, as well,” Simon said, still gaping at him. After an instant, he grinned and patted Elias on the back. “We should go see about speaking to Estrid.”
“Who?” Elias asked.
“Come on, then,” his friend said, pulling him toward the stairs. “I think you need some air.”