"All right." She took a breath. "I think it was your brother's wife who sent word that you were well." Zared ran her hand down his cheek. "When you nearly died Liana and I spent long days in the chapel on our knees praying for your recovery. Anne Marshall came to Moray, and she prayed with us."
Tearle nodded. Perhaps he had felt the women's prayers. "I'll wager that your brothers did not pray for the recovery of a Howard."
"No, you are wrong." Zared paused. "Rogan has changed. I am not sure how yet, but he is different. I think it did something to h
im to almost lose his son and then come so close to killing the man who'd saved the child. I think that all the many words that Liana has spoken to him over the years are beginning to reach his ears. I do not think that he wants to raise sons to see them killed. I think he wants them to grow up and have children of their own."
"On whose estates?"
"I do not know. Liana says that with the money she brought and now with the dowry from Anne they could build a place or add on to Moray Castle. I think that Rogan is considering the idea."
Tearle knew that this was revolutionary thinking for the hate-filled Peregrines. "What will your brother do without his hatred to fuel him?"
"You know only the worst of my brother. Underneath he is a kind and gentle man. He does not want to kill anyone. He was so… so hard on you because he thought you might harm his family. Had you thought what he did, you would have been difficult, too."
"Difficult? Is that what he was?" Tearle was trying to restrain his anger at the injustice that had been done to him, but it wasn't easy. He was cursed with being able to see both sides. "So what made you come here?"
She kissed his neck. "I have told you. I came because I did not like being without you. You make me laugh."
Tearle grunted. "Did I make you laugh on the day your brothers beat me?"
"No, I did not laugh that day. But that day I told you that I wanted to go with you, to stay with you."
"Until you believe that I have done something else to one of your precious brothers."
"No, I will believe you from now on. Now I will side with you against them."
He didn't move for a moment, then he lifted her head to look at her. He stared for a long while into her eyes, and he saw that she was telling the truth. There was more than just love in her eyes, there was commitment and loyalty and trust.
He put her head back down on his chest. "Now what do we do? You cannot stay here."
"I will stay wherever you are. Do you mean to go into battle? I will go with you."
He smiled at that. "I do not think that will be required. But if you stay here, it might be a battle. My brother will hear of what has happened this morning, and he will want an explanation."
"Tell him that you have taken a fancy to boys and—"
"Where have you heard of such?" He was genuinely horrified.
"Anne Marshall," she said simply, then she looked at him. "Oh, Tearle, she is the most interesting woman. She knows a great deal about many things. She is fascinating. Liana and I listen to her every word."
"The woman should keep her mouth shut."
"Her pretty mouth?" Zared said, looking at him. "She is beautiful, is she not?"
"Like a pretty, poisonous snake. Tell me, how does she get on with Severn?"
Zared laughed at that. "I rather think that she likes him. I do not think that he understands her any more than Liana and I do, but when he does not understand her he kisses her or takes her to their room. I sometimes think that she provokes him so that he will take her into privacy."
Tearle laughed at that. Perhaps his error had been in listening to women. Perhaps he should have behaved as Severn did; perhaps when a woman talked he should take her to bed.
"What else has Anne taught you?" he asked, hoping that her answer would be that she had been instructed in some exotic form of lovemaking.
"She has solved the riddle."
"I would think that Anne Marshall would be quite good at solving riddles." He said it in that tone that men use when they want to tell what they think of clever women. "What riddle did she solve?"
In spite of her intention of being the perfect wife Zared gave him a look of disgust at his ignorance. "The Peregrine riddle."