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Annis turned a puzzled look on her sister. “What do you mean?”

“Do you not realize what Lord Brogan did for you?”

“He insulted me,” Annis argued.

“He was protecting you,” Bliss corrected.

Annis went to argue and stopped.

“He said what he did to protect you,” Bliss said. “He kept his word about troubling you no more. He made sure you would not be chosen as his wife. He is an honorable man.”

Annis hurried her steps to keep up with Bliss, her remark having slowed them. She had much to consider and was annoyed with herself for not seeing what had been obvious.

“I believe Lord Brogan counted on your quick tongue to help him and you did not fail him,” Bliss said, grateful to him for what he had done. “You will mind your tongue and yourself until Lawler and Cadell take their leave.”

“How can a man be such an arse and gallant at the same time?” Annis asked, shaking her head.

“Perhaps it is because he knows what it is to be condemned and does not wish it on another.”

Bliss’s words turned Annis quiet, a miracle in itself. Annis could not fathom being condemned to be Lord Brogan’s wife. It would be unthinkable. She did not like feeling grateful to the man, but begrudgingly she did. She also continued to feel sorry for him and the loneliness the curse forced him to endure. Still, she would be glad to see him take his leave of the village—posthaste.

“Gather the larger bones,” Elysia instructed as she walked with Annis through the woods.

“I will gather various bones so that I can try making different size needles than you already have,” Annis said, looking forward to the task.

“That would be wonderful. I would like some different sizes to see what I could do with them,” Elysia encouraged. “It is good you are here in the woods away from the village where gossip abounds about you.”

“There are some tongues wagging about you too,” Annis accused.

“Few compared to you,” Elysia said and, stopped walking, forcing Annis to do the same. “It is punishment I fear for you, Annis. The men talk of your interference with building the food shed when if it was not for you the village would have lost all that would have been stored in it, but the men refuse to admit the truth. Then to make matters worse, you spoke brazenly to Lord Brogan causing fear of retribution by his father. Even Lord Emory has been heard offering his apology to Lord Brogan the last couple of days following the incident at the keep. You have stirred the cauldron considerably and, in doing so, have left few who would defend you.”

“I have done what Bliss asked and have kept to the cottage. What more can I do?” Annis asked, guilt plaguing her.

Elysia laid a comforting hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Something most difficult for you—have patience and let this pass. Some other gossip will soon replace it and no longer will anyone pay you heed. Put your mind to the task at hand and let your worry fade for a while.”

Annis nodded. She missed working with Duff, but there was little she could do about that now. She supposed if she had handled the incident with the men differently, perhaps made it look as if one of the men had realized the mistake to the structure, then all would have turned out well. In time, perhaps they would have accepted the fact that, woman or not, she had the knowledge to build structures as well as a man.

“Enough, Annis,” she quietly warned herself. She was here to help her sister and, if anything, she always made sure to complete whatever task given her. And it was kind of Elysia to help her so she would not have to suffer at a woman’s task she most certainly would hate.

With her mind finally set on the task at hand, she combed the area for animal bones. She collected a few and turned to show her sister a specific one that she felt would make a good thick needle to stitch hides. Elysia was nowhere in sight. She had wandered farther from her sister than she had realized.

“What are you doing out here alone?”

The sharp chastising voice had her turning with a flourish to face Brogan. “I am with my sister, not that it is any concern of yours.”

Brogan continued to scold. “I do not see her and that matters not. Neither of you should be in the woods alone.”

Annis pasted a forced smile on her face. “I will consider your advice.”

“It is an order, not advice, and you will adhere to it,” Brogan commanded curtly, annoyed that her smile flared his desire. He really needed to find himself a willing woman and ease his need.

Annis went to step forward and argue with him and caught herself. She had to hold her tongue no matter how difficult.


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