Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey

Author:Johanna Lindsey [Johanna Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780380612611
Google: 7Cr9waUKuJwC
Amazon: 0380752999
Barnesnoble: 0380752999
Goodreads: 891815
Publisher: Avon
Published: 1989-10-27T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-five

Dusk was a dismal bank of clouds threatening rain, but Reina made it back to the keep ere the first drops fell. She had spent the remainder of the afternoon in the village, tending to the ills and hurts she had neglected this past week. It was her custom to go every few days for an hour or two, unless someone was seriously ill, which fortunately no one was at this time.

Her baker’s sister, who had yet to carry a child full term, was pregnant again and needed a new supply of hollyhock. Old Delwyn needed gout weed for his swollen joints. Red Alma, the village light-skirt, had got her foot stepped on by her cow while milking it, and the small cut had become a large sore from infection. Reina left her enough horsetail for several applications, and also the beauty ointments made from cowslip Alma always managed to wheedle out of her, which kept down her freckles. There were the usual colds, sore throats, and fevers to see to, and a dog bite needing madweed, some running cankers and ringworm needing tetter berry. And while she was at it, she made up a mixture of sweet violet for herself, for its calming effect.

She stayed much longer than she was needed. Even after her neglect, she was too efficient for it to take more than two hours to see to everyone. She stayed longer to visit, to answer the many questions about the new lord—and to hide. Without wrapping it up neatly with excuses, she was suffering plain old cowardice, enough to desert her guests for the remainder of the day without the slightest twinge of conscience.

But who could blame her? Dinner had been late because she had been reluctant to come back to the hall earlier. And when she did, she had felt her face coloring every time she sensed Ranulf looking at her, knowing, just knowing he was silently laughing at her. She did not think she would ever get over the mortification of not having been aware that a very pertinent article of her clothing had been missing. But he had known, that devil, that miscreant of misplaced humor.

She had escaped as soon as was possible, and was reluctant to return even now. She could only hope that her husband would be gone, that Simon had done as she suggested and convinced Ranulf to leave with him.

She saw Aylmer watching her as she dismounted at the base of the forebuilding stairs and tossed the reins to a waiting groom. That he did not rush forward to greet her as was his custom made her realize she had not seen the boy recently, in fact, goodness, not since the day de Rochefort’s men had attacked. True, he did not normally come into the hall, and she had delegated many of her regular duties, in which she was likely to come across him, to other of her ladies to allow her more time with her guests. Even

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