Chapter 26

After he left for London, Guy was gone for three weeks. I could only imagine the political climate there and the sensitive information he must be receiving, and wished I could help him with it. During those weeks, I resumed my usual schedule of deliveries and marketplace in the morning and afternoon, practicing swordplay by myself near the evening and supper with Father at night. Part of me was relieved that my life had returned to a more normal, less dramatic pattern. Another part of me felt restless and bored. These last few weeks had allowed me to use my brain for the first time, to feel useful in a different way and to realize that there was more cleverness in me than some might think of an ignorant peasant girl.

Will had not resurfaced at the market, and I was glad. I no longer felt bound to him in any way, and after his last words to me, I knew it was truly over. I did miss having a man who understood my world and provided sound defense advice, but not enough to rekindle any relationship with someone who called me a whore.

As it happened though, I would not be able to avoid Will forever. Father and I still owed his family a full set of spring garments for the sword he had made, and Father had promised to make the delivery himself to save me from dealing with the Scarletts. He was furious when I told him of Will's curse at me, and indignant that I should ever have to deal with him again. "Scarlett has no claim on courtship with you, and no right to call my daughter the name of whore. He has much self examination ahead," Father had said ominously. While I could tell he was no more pleased with Sir Guy, he saw my happiness at being able to provide for us, and said nothing of my work with him.

That afternoon, Father returned in a foul mood. I could tell the delivery had not gone as he had hoped. "Will's father is demanding two more summers shifts for his wife," Father growled. "That was not part of the original contract. I think he's trying to punish us, or you, more specifically. Well, to hell with the whole Scarlett clan." Father threw the empty delivery pack on the floor and fell into a chair, exhausted. I poured him a cup of cool wine and put bread and some of Jemma's cheese in front of him. "Be sure to eat," I said, smiling. "No problem was ever solved on an empty stomach."

Father chuckled. "Yes, your mother used to say that," He glanced up at me, his eyes worn, but soft. "You remind me so of her, Nyssa." He reached out, began tearing the bread and cutting bits of cheese to put on it. He ate ravenously, and continued after I put more cooked vegetables in front of him and a few new potatoes. I felt less than hungry myself and picked away at various things on my plate until Father noticed. "Eat," he ordered me. "No man likes a scrawny woman."

I sighed. My appetite had always waxed and waned like the moon depending upon my menses and the stress in my life so that my weight fluctuated. When I was translating for Guy, I was always hungry. Now that I had no project, I had to remind myself to eat, as we had plenty but still lived within our means. I knew Father was concerned for my future as a wife someday, though I was no longer in my prime by most men's standards. Men of my class wanted teenage wives, plump, uncomplaining women who birthed great numbers of children and asked for little in return. I had a feeling that my weight would not change anything in that particular equation. Glum, I tried to steer the conversation in another direction.

"We can provide the Scarletts with two more shifts," I said. "It might be worth it, to be out of their debt. I'm sure that Charmaine could help me and I'd have them finished by the end of this week, unless Mistress Scarlett needs something very special."

"That woman? I doubt it," Father groused. "I hate the idea of giving in to his demands."

"And I would normally agree," I said, "but there are times when it's not worth the fight, Father." I held his gaze. "Out of debt for two shifts? I think we can manage that."

"Now it's two. Then it will be four, and caps and stockings too," Father said, surly.

"Mmmm. I think this will be all, I really do. It's irritating, but not unreasonable. I can even deliver them myself if it's during the day when Will is away, but only then. I don't want to see him."

"Of course not," Father replied. "Nor shall you. From what I hear his father rarely does either. It should be safe to deliver at the end of the week, in the mid morning."

And so that was the time that we agreed upon. It would have been far easier to deliver the shifts to Will's father at the market, but it was merchant custom to deliver goods to the home, and even in this sour business transaction, Father respected it. I went to Charmaine's three times that week for company and assistance in embroidering the edges of the shifts. It was a job for us to keep Simon away from those shifts. His nose was a constant nuisance, but not as much as the drool he wished to paint them with. Elena watched and kept the dog busy with a toy she had fashioned from rope, and showed more than a passing interest in how to embroider. She asked intelligent questions and observed as we finished sleeves, hems and collars. By the end of the three days, I left the Sewards with the two shifts, and many coins for Charmaine's trouble, though she attempted to refuse any sort of payment for her time, as a true friend often will.

It was a Friday when I set out in the late morning for the Scarlett's home, walking cautiously as I came closer to the house. Despite Father's assurance, a sick feeling had settled in my stomach, as if I would not be able to escape without seeing Will. I neared the house, which showed that someone was home from the smoke coming out of the chimney, but when I knocked on the door of the main house, nobody answered. I had expected Mistress Scarlett to be home, as she usually did not accompany her husband to the market. Puzzled, I wondered if she had gone to church, and glanced around the property, when I saw a flash of movement in the smithy. Quietly, I stole around to the side of the building, not wishing to disturb dangerous metal working, when I heard several staccato groans in a row.

Concerned that someone might have been hurt, I was about to speak, when I heard another sound that changed my entire perspective. A steady, accelerating pulse thumped of a body being pushed against the wall of the smithy, and the rhythmic groans that accompanied it made the action of sex quite clear. Shocked, I stood perfectly still, not wanting to give away my presence in such an intimate moment. Perhaps Master Scarlett had come home for an early lunch with his wife. A smile began to break on of my face when I heard another sound that made my blood freeze.

"Calm down…slower…"

The gasping voice was Will's.

My face flushed red the roots of my hair and the sick feeling in my stomach worsened. Thoughts flashed through my head as quickly as bolts of lightning. Of course I had no claim on him anymore, but to walk into this? I gulped, eerily horrified and equally fascinated as I heard the pounding against the wall slow a little, and Will's deep groans lessening a bit, then regain momentum. The woman he was with emitted little cries of frustration and delight, though I heard no words. I couldn't help but wonder who she was…I had not known Will to be courting anyone else, but…how well did I really know him anymore? Curious, I moved to the furthest side of the smithy, where there was a small, dirty window. Every part of my body screamed at me not to look, but I could not help myself.

Will and the woman thrashed against the side of the smithy, the pattern growing faster and more passionate. I could not see her face as her head was thrown to the side, her legs wrapped around Will's waist, his breeches lowered to his knees. She tore at him with her hands, pulling him closer, then pushing him back with her own thrusts, riding him and gasping rhythmically. Will's hands were wrapped around her backside, balancing her to him, and he had freed her large breasts from the bodice of her dress. They shook with each of his powerful thrusts, the nipples hard and sore looking as Will bit at them. I felt a stab of jealousy despite myself as their bodes whipped together to reach their climax. Will would have seen me if he had opened his eyes, but he did not, and I had the sense to pull myself out of their view before they had recovered themselves.

Grossly embarrassed that I had not only stayed, but watched, I sneaked around the side of the smithy to leave the package on the door of the main house. I heard low voices, and the two of them speaking. I did not want to hear their whispered lover's promises. I wanted to leave and forget what I had seen, if I could, and would have done so if I hadn't caught a string of slightly more intelligible words.

"Tell me…find letters…what they say…"

Dropping the package, I slid around the side of the main house towards the back to avoid being seen. Letters! Will and Hood were still searching for them! And now this woman was helping them? Backing up, I kept my eyes on the smithy to make sure that the couple would not find me out, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I bumped into something.

I turned, and jumped a second time, tense as a violin string.

Behind me, nodding slightly at my intrusion and tied to a nearby post, stood a familiar white Arabian mare.