Chapter Seven #3
She smiled weakly, glancing over to the old walls of the abbey and the open postern gate as if looking for those who would see her speaking with a man, which would be greatly frowned upon.
There weren’t many nuns in the kitchen area or stables, but there were a few.
She truly didn’t want to be seen because such information would undoubtedly make its way back to the Mother Abbess.
She didn’t want to enrage the woman.
“I would like to speak of such things, truly, but I have work to do,” she said, moving away from him. “I… I will thank you once more for your generosity today, not just with your money, but with your time. I cannot remember when I have spent such a pleasant time.”
“It does not have to end.”
Andressa wasn’t sure what to say to that.
It made her want to run away from him, but it also made her want to stay.
In fact, his words made her feel very strange inside; her stomach was quivering and every time she looked at the man, she seemed to forget how to breathe.
It occurred to her that the last time she trusted a man, it hadn’t gone in her favor.
She wasn’t sure she was ready to trust again, but Maxton made it so easy to believe that she could.
Perhaps she really was a fool, because she wanted to trust him.
She wanted nothing more.
“I must go,” she said, feeling uncomfortable and the least bit afraid. “Good day to you, my lord.”
“Do I frighten you, Lady Andressa?”
She hadn’t taken three steps when she came to a stop and turned around, eyeing him. “Nay,” she said, though it was a lie. “You have been very kind.”
He smiled, a rather lazy gesture. “Then do not leave,” he said. “Let us speak more on The Levant and Okehampton. At the very least, I can help you draw water as we speak.”
She frowned. “Are you mad?” she said. “That is woman’s work. Moreover, you cannot help me. I must complete my chores alone.”
“But…”
“Remember what I told you about the Mother Abbess. I do not wish to be punished by her.”
That brought an instant change in Maxton’s overeager demeanor.
In fact, he did remember what she’d said.
No one returns from The Chaos, she had said.
He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that threat before, but it honestly hadn’t occurred to him.
He’d been so pleased to see her and so selfishly eager to talk to her that he hadn’t really thought of anything else, including her safety.
His gaze darted to the wall, the postern gate, to see if anyone was watching them.
“Bloody Christ,” he muttered. “I did not even think about that. Will she punish you if she knows you have been speaking with me?”
Andressa lifted her shoulders, turning to the gate and the wall as well to see if anyone was spying on her. The longer she stood there, the greater chance there was. She thought she saw the nun who ran the kitchens through the gate, but she couldn’t be sure.
“I do not know,” she said honestly. “I have never spoken to anyone like this before, so it is best if you leave now and I return to my duties.”
Maxton wasn’t going to try to coerce her into remaining.
It was a selfish want and something that could very well get her into a good deal of trouble.
He wanted to speak with her more, perhaps even ask her in a roundabout way about Douglas’ appearance at the abbey, but he wouldn’t, at least not now.
But he hoped there would be time for that later.
He took a few steps towards her, now within arm’s length of her.
“One more question and I will go,” he said quietly. “Will you be searching for food again tomorrow?”
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she lowered her gaze. “I… I do not think so.”
“Then when?”
She sighed heavily. “It is difficult to say,” she said. “I would like to say that I shall never venture out again, but that is not the truth.”
Maxton could see that she was ashamed over what she had to do in order to put food in her belly and he felt like a cad for pushing her, for wanting to know when she would be starving again so that he could see her and speak with her.
It was rude of him and he knew it. Therefore, he tried another tactic.
“If you come out tomorrow, I will be waiting for you at the same tavern where you ate today,” he said, his deep voice coming out as something of a purr. “I shall buy you another meal and we can continue our conversation.”
Oh, but it was tempting. And that voice!
Like the caress of angels! Andressa couldn’t decide if the lure of eating another full meal was more than the lure of conversation with the man, who had so far proven to be a window back into the world she’d forgotten about.
She knew that she should retreat into the abbey yard this very moment, but she couldn’t seem to do it.
His presence was starting to confuse her.
Why should the man want to speak with her again?
Why should he want anything to do with her?
He knew her story. She had nothing to offer by way of charm or even intelligence and, as a pledge to a poor order, she had nothing to offer, period.
She was dressed in rags and the lovely, long hair she’d been so proud of all her life was surely a dirty sight to see.
She was ashamed.
There was nothing she could offer this handsome knight and she surely wasn’t going to allow herself to be lured into anything clandestine. If he was looking for a companion, or more, then he would have to look elsewhere.
His intentions were most confusing.
“I cannot, my lord,” she said, turning for the postern gate again. “Although I am grateful for your generosity, I will not accept your offer. Good day to you.”
She was nearly at the gate, moving swiftly, with her water bucket sloshing. Maxton was a step or two behind her, following her when he knew very well he should not be.
“I did not mean to offend you,” he said quickly.
“I simply meant… if you ever need me, my lady, leave word at The King’s Gout Tavern.
Leave it there and I shall answer. Meanwhile, I will tell the tavern keeper that you are to be fed anything you wish, at any time, and I will pay for it.
You do not even have to see me or speak with me; simply go to the tavern and they will feed you.
It is the least I can do for someone from Okehampton who listened to my stories of camels without laughing at me. ”
Andressa’s hand was on the postern gate as she turned to look at him. The expression on her face was one of surprise and distress and gratitude all rolled into one. God, how she wanted to believe this man and his kindness, but she simply didn’t understand why he should pay her such attention.
Why he should be so kind to her.
Impulsively, she sought to make her position clear.
“Again, your generosity knows no limit,” she said, “but I cannot accept or expect such charity. Surely you can understand that.”
“Then stealing is better?”
Her cheeks flushed again. “Nay,” she said after a moment. “I am more than willing to work off the price of a meal. I cannot simply accept food from you without providing you with some manner of payment or reciprocation.”
He shrugged. “Then look at the food as a loan,” he said. “Someday, I will expect you to pay me in return, in money or in trade. Would that make you feel better if we had that understanding?”
Did it? She wasn’t sure. But the prospect of a regular meal was almost more than she could bear. To know that she would be fed regularly, as much as she wanted, was the greatest blessing she could think of. But she still didn’t understand his motivation.
“Why?” she finally hissed. “Why should you do this for me? I am no one to you.”
He smiled, dimples carving into his cheeks.
“I told you,” he said. “It is not often I have a chance to speak to someone who knows Devon as I do, and as I also told you, I have just returned from The Levant. It has been a very long time since I have spoken to an Englishwoman who was worth knowing. Are those not reasons enough?”
“And I am worth knowing?”
He dared to reach out, drifting his fingers over hers. It was a reckless and inappropriate action, but one that sent Andressa’s heart racing with shock and excitement. She very nearly dropped the bucket. As her mind reeled, she could only think of one thing to think, of only one thing to say –
Do it again!
But the words, thankfully, didn’t come. Before she could reply in any manner, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.
It was the nun who tended the kitchens and she was peering from across the yard, an expression of condemnation on her face.
It was enough to cause Andressa to forget Maxton’s touch and bolt through the postern gate, pulling it shut and bolting it from the inside.
But she could still see Maxton standing outside the gate through the big iron slats. He hadn’t moved. Terrified that the kitchen nun might say something to the Mother Abbess about the laundress and the strange man, she hissed at him.
“Please leave,” she said. “Every moment you remain brings me one step closer to trouble.”
Maxton knew she was correct, so he backed away from the gate.
He, too, had seen the nun near the kitchen, so he quickly moved away from the gate, losing himself in the trees that were next to the enormous wall and hoping he would not be seen by anyone else.
But he was prevented from running off completely by the fact that he knew Andressa was on the other side of the wall.
He just couldn’t seem to leave her, even if he couldn’t see her, and he couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips as thoughts of the pale young woman lingered.
That lovely, graceful lass…