The Highwayman by Angela Plowman

Author:Angela Plowman [Plowman, Angela]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Published: 2012-06-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

“You shouldn’t have done it.”

He came back to the gradual awareness of voices in the room with him. It sounded like Richard and his father, but he could not make the effort to open his eyes to confirm it. His body felt so heavy, it was too much to move it at all.

“I didn’t know what else to do. Even if they had seen him, the soldiers would not have recognized him.”

He heard Richard’s sigh. “I’m grateful for the warning.”

“You know what I owe you,” said his father.

“You owe me nothing.”

“Not even my son?” His father sounded rueful.

“I’m sorry about that. He’s just too tempting.”

“And you never could resist what wasn’t yours.”

There was a pause, and in the silence he found himself drifting off again, but his father’s next words brought him back to full wakefulness.

“He’s very like his mother in that. She was too tempting for her own good, and he has her beauty. Maybe I’ve sheltered him too much. I just want him to be safe. He’s everything in the world to me now.”

Ben felt tears prickling at the back of his eyelids. He knew his dad loved him, but to hear it like that… He felt bad for eavesdropping now and made ready to open his eyes to announce he was awake.

“I’m sorry Ned, after what happened with Elsbeth… I shouldn’t have gone near the lad.”

His mother’s name! He froze again.

“It started out as a bit of fun. No harm I thought, but…” He heard the men moving around. “Ned, I admit I’ve feelings for him now. God knows I tried to keep away, but somehow my horse always seemed to turn this way. When I’m with him, I feel young again. Not like some jaded cutpurse with a price on his head.”

“Yes, now that you mention it… You made York too hot to hold you, and now you’re doing the same here.”

A weight settled on the bed. “About that. I’ve heard from Renette. Her grandmother’s dead. The old hag died without a will.” Richard chuckled. “The irony is Renette was her only living relation, so she gets it all. The money and land. An estate up North. I can retire from the road.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” said Ned. “Going to make an honest man of my son?”

“If you’ll let me. I’ve rather fallen for him, and I think he likes me.”

“Head over heels,” Ned said. “I can’t say I’m happy about it, but I can’t see what I can do. If I barred you from seeing him again—”

“I’d only run away.” He rolled over and opened his eyes. “I love him, Dad.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” His father was standing by the door with a mug in his hand. Richard was sitting on the bed, and as he looked up, the bigger man reached out to run a hand over his forehead, brushing aside the hair stuck to it.

“You’ve a temperature, lad. You’re to stay in bed today,” Richard’s tone brooked no argument, not that he felt able to make one.

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